Good-Bye, Blogger!

Farewell! I've launched my new website. Check out http://catherinegacad.com/

Happy New Year, everyone. I am reinventing myself for 2010!

A Long Life and a Short One

Dean's maternal grandmother died today at the age of 91. She had a full life and very family-oriented. I heard so many stories about her. Her home was surrounded by pictures of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She always sent cards and cried whenever anyone talked about our wedding because she wanted to come. A rich full life was had and shared.

On a very sad note, my mother emailed me when I told her about Dean's grandma. "We also got very sad news this morning. Our co-worker lost his 4 month old daughter yesterday. We don't know the details yet. When he went to pick her up from day care after work, there was an ambulance infront not knowing it was his baby the paramedics were trying to resuscitate. She did not make it."

My heart is breaking! Here is more from my mom.

"this is their first baby. they were married two years ago. he was just showing me the baby's pictures with santa claus last week. he is such a proud dad and takes care of the baby like a mom giving bottle feedings and changing diapers during the night. that's what makes us so sad because we don't know how he is taking it.

"went to the cathedral for the noon mass with one of my coworker and we were there early. right before the mass the priest was saying hello to everyone and i went to him and asked him to include the baby's intention. he had a pen and pad and wrote the name. my friend and i were surprised when he announced at the beginning of the mass that the mass is for the baby and her family. and he mentioned her name again at the offertory. that made us feel better."

Transition

We're shaking it up at 2420 Geary.

In February of 2005, a couple bought the upstairs two-bedroom. I bought one of the downstairs one-bedrooms--the one facing Geary Boulevard. And another couple bought the other identical, but mirror image one-bedroom across from me. This couple would separate and divorce soon after. Still, the four of us (one couple and two single women) lived harmoniously for almost five years, watching each others' dogs, collecting mail, working together to remedy pipe leaks, drainage problems, and fixing an eyesore of a backyard.

I moved out and in with my fiance this past summer, rotating my condo with an MBA summer intern and a Stanford post-doc. In January, a couple of doctors will move in. The doctors had no use for the garage spot so I'm renting that out, too, to a neighbor across the street to house his weather-damaged BMW.

Newly-maried, my neighbor with the identical unit moved out a month ago. She initially paid $500K and sold for $525K which is a slight loss when you account for the broker fees. I paid $455K for mine which profits me $40K right now if I sold. All of this is public information. It's easy to determine whether or not your place is under water. I have no plans to sell. It's been surprisingly easy to find tenants to pay rent that covers my mortgage and HOAs.

The upstairs neighbors are now preparing to put their place on the market in 2010. When they leave, it'll be sad knowing I'm the only remaining original owner and I don't even live there anymore.

Making History Every Day

It's that time of the year when you get hit up for donations. In a stack of mail, something came from my business school. I quickly glanced at it, about to toss it, when I saw my name in bold. Nice touch, GSB.

1890 John D. Rockefeller donates $600,000 ($14.2 million in 2008 dollars) calling it "The best investment I ever made"

1929 First University to grant a PhD in business to a woman

1935 First Heisman Trophy is awarded to College of Commerce student John Jay Berwanger

1982 George Stigler becomes the first business school faculty member to receive a Nobel Prize

2004 Catherine Gacad earns MBA

2008 The school was named in honor of David G. Booth for his $300 million gift, which Booth described as a "partnership distribution" based on the long-term contribution to his life's success by his alma mater

To Prenup or Not Prenup

I do not know a single person who has gotten a prenup. Consider, too, that my network is vast. If there's anyone out there reading this who has gotten one, please contact me.

There are a few reasons to get a prenup: 1) You're a major celebrity like Tiger Woods, 2) You stand to inherit billions like Athina Roussel who is the sole heir to the Onassis fortune, or 3) You own property. I fall into the last category. Not only that, I have built up my own little nest egg that is mine. Not my husband's. Not community property. It is my hard-earned money.

I've consulted many friends regarding this--friends with inheritances, friends who came in with a lot of money, friends who had property. Across the board, they did not put together a prenup. Further, they questioned, "Do you really want to bring up the topic?" I've gone back and forth and figured that I didn't really care. I agreed. Why bring it up anyway? What's mine is his and what's his is mine.

But then a friend of mine put me to the test during drinks the other day. It really made me rethink the issue. He asked, "Let's say you were marrying someone who came into the marriage with a lot of money. Then he asked you to sign a prenup. What would you say? Would you be offended?"

I shook my head. "I would absolutely not be offended. What's his money is his money. I'd have no problem signing a prenup."

"Then there's your answer."

Conrado snapped this pic of an art piece at Sugar Cafe.

There's no rhyme or reason to Christmas with my family. It happens at different homes. Sometimes it's celebrated on Christmas Eve, especially growing up. More recently, it's been Christmas Day. People come and go throughout the afternoon and into the night. There's no set time; this drives me crazy! If the start time is 2pm. Don't do it. No one will be there. I've learned my lesson. Timeliness is not rewarded in our Filipino household. You sit anywhere and your seat rotates throughout the night. It's a buffet free-for-all. I'm always astounded when spending a holiday meal with friends and it's a set course. Wine is passed around the table. You actually have to talk to one another for a good chunk of time. I love that there's order. I hate the chaos I've grown up with which is why I've spent several Christmases travelling with friends. What beats South America in December?

I enjoyed this year with Dean's family. His parents picked us up from the airport and drove us directly to church for mass. We snuck away after they dropped us off. With 90 minutes to kill, we walked a few blocks to an English pub's trivia night and drank beer. The 10:30pm mass was half-full which was a big surprise to me. Every single Christmas mass I've gone to has had people standing up, lining the walls.

We spent Christmas day at his parents' new house. Buffet-style, but sit-down. Then lots and lots of presents. Piles of presents for the kids. No matter how wasteful, I still think it's fun. Presents are important. We continued to eat throughout the night: pumpkin pie, cheesecake, Dorritos, Ruffles with french onion dip. I thought I was going to explode before midnight. It was a good time. Everyone was still around late into the night.

As we got ready to leave, Dean's cousin patted me on the back jokingly, "Catherine, you can do better. There's still time. It's not too late to call off the engagement."

Merry Christmas Eve

Call me selfish. I wish I could stay here at home and spend Christmas with the fam. Instead, I'm off to hang with the in-laws in Scottsdale, Arizona. You'd think one of the perks of spending Christmas in the desert would be sun, right? But hell no, it's just as cold there as it is here. Oh well.

Despite my party-pooping anxiety of spending Christmas away from the throngs of Filipinos, I have had the best two nights hanging out with loved ones.

Tuesday night, Dean and I went ice-skating at Union Square, took pics with Santa, then sang and drank the night away with friends at my favorite city bar, the Gold Dust. Love that place! It's the perfect mix of tourists and locals and the drinks are dust cheap.

Last night, Conrado came into town and we grabbed dinner at the Westfield food court, had drinks at Oola, then Marky came out to meet us with his fabulous Aussie date. I LOVE THE GAYS! Marky hates it when I call him my gay friend. "You don't call Daniel your black friend."

"Yes I do!"

So happy to celebrate with my posse prior to departure. Merry Christmas everyone and I'll try to blog if I can get my hands on internet access.

Finance Work

It's the Eve before Christmas Eve and I'm working feverishly on finance. Not my job, but personal finance.

Budget
- We have no budget. This is a bad thing.
- Dean and I have been reveling in our extra savings from living in a studio and the income from my condo, that we don't really manage our money. We go out to eat. We drink every night. We spend freely.
- No more. Starting now I've sorta put us on a budget. Every paycheck, a certain amount of money will be transferred into our designated savings account.

Savings
- I think it's important to have specific savings accounts. Otherwise, there's no incentive to save.
- The savings account for our wedding was completely funded after the current tenant paid for December rent. A total of $20,000 for our desert wedding. Done and done.
- I have a new set of tenants (two doctors) moving into my place in January. Their checks will be deposited into our new savings account for a home. In two years, we should have enough for 20% down on another home.
- My 401K is growing. I max it out every year. I'm looking to open up a Roth IRA soon, too.

Insurance
- Geico is the best for auto.
- Traveler's for home.
- We don't have renter's insurance. That's on my to-do list.

The Gacad-Barbella Legacy
- One kid is enough.
- I have no plans to save for my one child's education. He or she can pay for college like I did. I believe in the best up-front education possible to ground children for continued success in college and beyond.
- I've always wanted my kid to go to Catholic school. If my immigrant parents could afford it, I can too.
- The best Catholic elementary schools in San Francisco are Convent and Stuart Hall at a whopping $20,000+ per year. That starts at kindergarten! Way beyond our means, but strong potential for a scholarship. Throw us a bone: two Catholic parents with one of us (me) who went to Catholic school for 12 years. I'll ask the Bishop for a recommendation. That said, I have concerns with any kid of mine going to a richy school. Just not our style.
- So I've scoped out Notre Dame des Victoires not too far down from where we live and not too far up from where I work. At $700 a month for our kid to have a Catholic elementary school education, then on to Saint Ignatius for high school at $1300 a month, we can definitely afford to have our little kid sporting a plaid uniform.

Whistle While You Work

I love being at work during the holidays. It's quiet. You can go out for lunch with friends without feeling guilty. Work is in slow motion. I really do like what I do, but it can get stressful...almost unhealthy considering the lack of sleep. So I treasure these times when my co-workers' kiddies come in to see what mommy does during the day. You can power through all those emails that are still sitting in your inbox.

I don't believe in Astrology, but I still find it uncanny when I read a horoscope that's spot on.

From the November issue of Glamour. Gemini: The full moon and Mars unsettle your life; then the new moon and Mercury tidy it back up. Tackle a project you're dying to start, whether it's work stuff (website!) or a health routine (Wii Fit!).

Uncanny...new website coming soon.

Drip, Drip, Drip

You know how the models own their quirky traits. Like Cindy Crawford and her mole. Lauren Hutton and the gap between her two front teeth. Or Padma Lakshmi's scarred arm. It's cute. It's what makes them unique. Well, I've got this quirky trait called hyperhydrosis. It's so not cute. I sweat a lot, especially underneath the armpits. It caused me a lifetime of embarrassment. And it was expensive having to dry clean silk blouses.

Several years ago, a friend told me about Botox to help control the sweating. Luckily, my health insurance Kaiser covers the Botox procedure. The dermatologist draws a grid on each armpit, then injects the Botox. It lasts exactly six months. During that time, I don't sweat. I don't wear deodorant. I haven't worn deodorant in years. It's a lifesaver. When the six months are up, I suddenly start sweating up a storm which results in a frantic call to Kaiser.

Well fucking shit, my dermatologist is on vacation. Apparently, they won't switch me to someone else. I must go to her. So now I have to wait three weeks for an opening in her schedule. Until then, I am dripping!

Notre Dame. briansolis.com

Crossing the Bridge

Leaving San Francisco is never fun because there's always traffic, you gotta pay toll, and why leave the city when everything you need is right here.  One reason to leave is the city of Berkeley which is commutable, diverse.  There's the Gourmet Ghetto, fabulous dining options, Cal sports. Seriously, check it out.  

We went on Saturday night and ended up at the Albatross which I forget how much I love. Berkeley has 4th Street for shopping and brunch, the Albatross, the Mallard...for drinks.  It's too fun.  Go!

R.I.P Brittany Murphy

I'm mourning the death of Brittany Murphy.  I'm just shocked.  32-years-old.  I loved everything she was in: Clueless, 8 Mile.  And that catchy Pussycat song with Oakenfold.  So young, so sad. Shocking.

Privacy Schmivacy

Don't you find it fascinating all the tools we have in our discretion to stalk people?  Ok, maybe 'stalking' is the wrong term.  But I can determine a lot about people through a handful of sites.

On Facebook, I can learn whether or not someone's married or has children.  I think there was a big fuckup with the new privacy settings because if you didn't have time to set them up correctly, other people can see a lot of information about you even if they're not your Facebook friend. Previously, I couldn't see anything except a profile picture for an ex-friend, but now I can see some personal tidbits and several photo albums.  Clearly, she hasn't had a chance to go through the privacy settings and make her information public only to her friends.

On LinkedIn, I can back into how old people are.  I'm always curious to know how old people are.  I don't know why.  It just fascinates me.  I had dinner the other night with a friend's wife and was astonished to find out she's at least 10 years older than me--I thought she was my age!

On SimplyHired, I can find out how much you make.  The secret is out.  All my doctor friends who think they make so much money...really don't make much more than me.  In fact, general practioners and pediatricians make less than I do.  Plug in your salary.  You'll be surprised at how close the average is to what you make.

I can spend hours wasting time learning about my coworkers, friends, friends of friends.  I need to get offline and read more literature.

Jobseekers: Read This

I still get bombarded by people who are looking for jobs. Delete. I have no sympathy for random people expecting me to help them out. Delete, delete, delete.

Someone sent me the following email a month ago. This is the right way to pursue the job hunt. I wish I could give her credit, but I can't go blogging her name on the interweb.

Hi Catherine,

You may or may not recall, but I used to work with Carl Samson in the targeting group at [company vendor]. We exchanged a few emails back and forth in my time there. I’m now a student at Chicago Booth (though I’m sure it will always be GSB to you!) and recall that you are an alum. Since you are someone who went to school in Chicago, but managed to find a job post-graduation in the Bay Area, I’m curious to know how easy/difficult you found that to be. I am originally from the Bay Area, and would ideally like to end up back there. I am also seeking to continue on in the Finance industry, so if you have any thoughts or advice you could share about recruiting for Bay Area firms in Finance-specific roles, I would appreciate the help.

Thanks in advance! Hope to hear from you soon.

Best,
Cassandra

First, notice how Cassandra re-introduces herself and provides the background on how we know each other. Secondly, I've got to give kudos to someone who's looking for a job, but never mentions it in the email. Her email makes me feel knowledgeable since she's seeking my advice on coming back to the Bay Area. This girl is smart and savvy. I have no doubt that she'll find a job right away...because people are going to want to help her. I do...and I don't even really know her!

Shopaholic

The mail room guys at my company get a kick out of me because I've had several deliveries a day for the past week or so.  They think I have a side-gig as a personal shopper.  I have boxes and boxes stacked in my cube from Amazon, Zappos, Design Within Reach. Does anyone else have this problem?  I don't want packages shipped to my home address because, duh, no one's home. I'm at work all day long.

I don't go to the mall.  I don't browse.  I don't wait in line anywhere. I do 80% of my shopping online.  I buy so many books---books for me, friends, kids, everyone.  I buy shoes from Zappos. A new hairdryer, a lamp, handy toolkit presents for my neighbors from Amazon.  Look Ma, not tax! 

It's totally embarrassing, especially when the same mail guy came a second, then third time around.  "Another package, huh?  Either it's Christmastime or you've got a bad shopping habit."

Dieting

No I'm not dieting.  An acquaintance who's getting married asked me for tips on how to lose weight.  Since I truly used to be overweight and struggled with poundage issues for many years, I feel overly-qualified to advise.

1. Do not diet.  Let me repeat.  DO NOT DIET.  Dieting is counter-intuitive.  Trust me. Restriction leads to weight gain.

2. Eat what you crave.  When I'm craving Chinese food, I go out and eat Chinese food.  When I feel like having a meal of fried greasy onion rings, I do so.  If you fail to do this, you will continue to think about it until you eat what you're craving.  

3. Do not waste your time eating foods that are apparently good for you.  If you don't like it, do not eat it.  I'm so sick of people telling me I should eat more fruit.  I cannot stand fruit!  I avoid it like I avoid sniffly people on the MUNI bus.  It's just wasted calories.  The problem is, we have this notion that we need to eat "good" food like fruit and veggies, then we can have dessert.  That's bullshit.  If you want to eat steak.  Eat steak and it will fulfill you.  If you want to eat Cheetos like I do, then do so and feel satisfied.

4. Running burns the most calories, but really you should do whatever physical activity makes you feel great.  Physical activity will definitely slim you back up.  But once you get down to your ideal weight and you're able to maintain it, then you can ditch the physical activity.  I don't really work out anymore.  I love the extra time I have in my life to do something other than sweat on a treadmill.

5. There's something about drinking grapefruit juice that helps you lose weight.  It's proven. 

6. I make my biggest meal brunch or lunch.  During the week, I'm too busy to have a big breakfast, but I consume around 1,000 calories during lunch.  I go to town with Thai food or a cheeseburger, onion rings, and chocolate chip cookie.  I'm so full throughout the afternoon that all I need is a light dinner.  For brunch on weekends, you'll see me ask the waiter for the most caloric thing on the menu.

7. Last, but not least: the secret.  Readers of my blog know that I'm a firm believer in the book The Secret.  If you believe, you will receive. One of the chapters talks about losing weight. Believe yourself skinny and you're there.

The Best Hire

I'm convinced that the perfect hire has the following traits.

Young.  Young people are not yet jaded.  They're eager, willing to work hard and long hours.  I mean, how many investment bankers do you see who are in their forties?  Younglings are the ones who volunteer to spearhead the social events and organize end-of-the-year Christmas packages to families in need.  I used to be one of those people back in my early twenties.  I used to write out Valentine's to everyone I worked with and personally sealed it with a Hershey's kiss.  Not any more.  I don't care.  I don't have the time.  I figure someone else (usually younger) will pickup the slack.

Single Sans Children.  Working parents have to run to daycare to pick Tommy up by 6pm.  The single barren can forgo another night at the bar to work late.  There are no excuses.  Your work might as well be your life so go ahead and impress your boss.  The only bedtimes stories are work you brought home to put you to sleep.

Close Proximity to Work.  People who live in close proximity to their work are good hires. How many times do you hear coworkers complain, "I gotta go, BART is about to stop running." Or "I better get going.  My commute is an hour long."  Well whose fucking fault is that?  It's ironic that I pay a premium to live in the city of San Francisco and as a result, I also put in more hours.  I usually get called in since I'm so close.

No Name Alma Maters.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but people who come from colleges that accept anyone under the sun, tend to work a lot harder than Ivy Leaguers.  My theory is that the more recognizable your school, the more you expect to get paid.  And if you feel you're not getting paid enough, well then there's hell to pay. People I know who barely graduated hick town colleges are so appreciative of the job, they'll surprise you when it comes to work productivity.

Save the Dates

The Save the Dates are ready for delivery. When I created them, I didn't factor in where to put the mailing address and stamp. Oh well, that's what you get when you do it yourself and pay practically nothing. I'll keep that in mind for the next wedding. Just kidding, Dean. I meant for the renewal of our vows in 50 years!

I'm still in the office and gearing up to be back in the office at 4am tomorrow morning which is why this post is short. Must get sleep.

Shhhh, Don't Tell

It's common knowledge that you should refrain from telling people what you plan on naming your kids.  Dean mentions a TV show where some guy told his friends what he wanted to name his first kid, then one of those friends got a dog and gave it that same name.  

A former pregnant coworker came in flustered one Monday morning because her mom hated the baby name she picked out.  We all thought the name Jolene was cute, but the soon-to-be grandma agonized that the kid would be teased.

Even though I haven't had a kid, I kinda understand the issue because whenever I tell people what my wedding plans are, there's always suppressed agony.  I told my sister I wanted to wear flaming red shoes like the rest of my bridal party and she thought I had a mental lapse.  "Why would you wear red shoes?  You should wear white.  Why don't you wear my white wedding shoes?"

I don't want to wear anyone else's wedding stuff.  No one has the same style that I do.  I have cultivated my own unique style for the past 34 years.  Please no tears.  I went to Berkeley.  I spent four years of college scavenging thrift stores for clothes.  My style is funky, vintage, and sometimes loud.  Yes, LOUD!  I will wear neon red shoes to my wedding.  Why does anyone care?  As long as I'm happy, right?

Another friend straight-up handed me her wedding dress.  I am not kidding.  She handed it to me and said it would be perfect.  It was poofy and very very long.  And it had an empire waist. Empire waists are so 19th century.  I shuddered, "I can't.  Really, it's just too big." I'm barely a size 0.  This was coming from a girl who's a size 8!  

She continued to smile as if her act of kindness would win her the Nobel Peace Prize.  "Take it. You can alter it.  Do whatever you want. And look at this gorgeous veil.  You're going to look so beautiful." Then she tossed it in my face.  I could barely say good-bye beneath all the yards of tacky taffeta.  

Here's my advice for anyone planning a wedding.  Unless you're having the tried-and-true fairy tale wedding with the Cinderella dress, the limo, the overlooked flowers and centerpieces, don't tell anyone what's going on.  Unless, of course it's me.

Wedding Dress Arrival

Buyer 100 emailed that the dress was finished and on its way to me via USPS.  I thought they made a mistake.  I thought they meant UPS or FedEx, but the dress shipped from China using the United States Postal Service.  Go figure.  I've been tracking the dress daily as it made its way through customs and to my parents' home.  

My parents brought it this weekend when we metup for brunch.  It didn't come in a box.  It came in a small package.  The dress was fully compressed.  I was nervous.  Of course it wouldn't look exactly like the couture dress I tried on, right?  It just couldn't.  Drumroll please.

IT DOES!  It looks exactly like the pictures.  It looks exactly like the dress I tried on in a boutique in Chicago.  The only difference are all the wrinkles from the dress being compressed as much as possible to fit into a tiny package for cheaper postage.

The dress needs to be taken in from the bottom because I'm so short, but otherwise it fits perfectly around my girth.  And it'll need bustling.  But otherwise, it is perfect--at 1/4 the price. Great job, China!

D-I-V-O-R-C-E

In a previous post, I mentioned that one of these days, when a celebrity wife decides to leave her scoundrel of a husband that I would praise the ground she walks on. Well, book me a flight to South Carolina! The state's First Lady has filed for divorce from the governor. Remember Governor Mark Sanford? He was the guy caught doing the tango with an Argentinian? He told his cabinet he was on a hike or some kind of adventure travel. Instead, he was having an affair and boozing it up using public funds. Way to be a leader, Sanford!

Anyhow, I'm so glad Jenny Sanford (honors at Georgetown, VP of M&A at Lazard) is leaving his ass. She's smart, pretty, and has a bright future ahead of her without that scumbag. Way to go, Jenny!

On the same front, People.com posted its cheating poll today. Who's the year's worst: Tiger Woods, Jon Gosselin, Governor Sanford, John Edwards, or David Letterman? Hilarious. It pains me to say this, but Jon Gosselin was probably reliving the single twenties he never had. He's an embarrassment, but probably the most understandable of the aforementioned cheaters. Besides, they were separated. David Letterman had a girlfriend for decades, then eventually married her. Hello?!?! He's not proposing for a reason which means he's probably got other avenues to fulfill his desires. Tiger Woods, I think we're all just scratching our heads because his "alleged" mistresses are all butt-ugly compared to his wife. I mean, all these men are bad, but my vote goes to John Edwards who cheated on his wife who had cancer. What happened to "in good times and in bad?"

Bad, bad, bad. These men are bad!

Here to Stay

Dean and I decided that we cannot beat our living situation: the proximity to my work, the ease of getting around the city with busses, BART, and cable cars steps from our door, and the huge amount of money we're saving.  Now that we're set on staying, we're on a mission to completely redecorate.  

It's spring cleaning time, but in winter.  We're purging everything unnecessary: shoe boxes, knick-knacks, dead lamps, clothing we never wear.  One of the tenants who recently moved out left stainless steel kitchen shelving.  Dean took that down and setup in our place tonight.  We got rid of a storage unit in the kitchen to make room for a small table and chairs.

At the end of the year, when there's a change of tenants with my condo, I'll be sure to retrieve my red couch.  I'm scouring Craigslist for key furniture items.  Once we feel ready, we'll have people over for dinner in our studio.  We cannot wait.

The Sniffles

I'm under the weather.  Seriously under the weather.  I am stressed out of my mind: negotiating room rates for our wedding guests, gathering addresses for our save the dates, work is not easy, dance lessons, buying up presents, finalizing our wedding web site, I haven't even thought about my own web site which I thought I'd be launching now, and I'm bleeding.  I will probably not get to Christmas cards this year.  I'm going to the future in-laws in two weeks which is different and foreign and not something I need right now.  I need a vacation by myself to a warm sunny locale where I can get a room next to the ocean so I can hear the waves crash below, read books (where has all my reading time gone?) and drink lots and lots of wine.

I love Christmas.  I love December, but why is it so stressful this year?  Maybe it's all relative. 

Last year, I had an Elin Nordegren moment.  I didn't know I was playing second fiddle and literally lashed out at all parties involved. The situation was tense, ugly, and emotionally draining.  I shudder thinking at what transpired just one year ago.  

Oh, what a long way we have come.

You Get What You Pay For

Yelp, I love you.  I swear by you.  What other web site gives straightforward reviews on bars, restaurants, stores, places of interest...you name it.  I couldn't be the social butterfly I am without you.

But last night's Unwrapped Yelp party was a fucking disaster.  While the event was free, it was by invite only.  I envisioned a celebration of a select group of people.  Ummm, I think all of San Francisco and its neighboring counties were invited.  It was held at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square on the coldest night of the year.  The line wrapped (almost) completely around the block, meaning we had to cross two corners to finally get through the door.  It was jam-packed like a rock concert.  

So not fun.  I do not enjoy being pushed around by overzealous crowds making a beeline for the very few food stations.  I would rather pay for an expensive meal, a bottle of wine, and some serenity.  When you organize an event for thousands of people, get your act together!

I wrote a nasty review about the event on Yelp today.  In their defense, their organizer responded that there are obviously going to be challenges when entertaining 2500 people.  As much as I hated the event, I do have to say...that's good customer service.  I won't be attending anymore Yelp parties, but thank you for your service.

To Move or Not to Move

I've been schizophrenic about whether or not to move. I keep going back and forth. We've looked at a few places. As excited as I am when we're looking, I usually decide not to submit an application.

Pros to Moving:
Get the fuck out of a studio apartment.
Starting out fresh as a couple in a new place.
I'm tired of the nomadic strung-out homeless people roaming our corridors.
We can have a mish-mash of combined furniture.
Possibly a bigger kitchen, a bigger bathroom.
A room where we can close the door.

Cons to Moving:
Good-bye $1200 rent.
Our studio is actually a very large, high-ceilinged beautiful apartment.
The one-bedrooms aren't too much bigger than our current situation.
Valet parking.
I adore my cable car commute.
Our choice of nearby Club One facilities.
Dean's friends and favorite watering hole are nearby. I could care less about this one.

So we wait. I'm sure it won't be long before the perfect opportunity comes along.

Breaking News from TMZ

The one thing that keeps me sane at work (besides the vending machine) is having internet access to the celebrity blogs. I just can't get enough! But isn't it interesting how you never have to look past your backyard to get unbelievable news. Like finding out that two people at work were fired for doing the dirty in the stairwell. Smile! You're on candid camera. Holy crappola! The two people are married…but not to each other. And the woman has kids. Un-friggin-believable. I thought my life was crazy!!

It Takes a Village

I don't know the exact figure, but there must be well over a thousand people who volunteer for Burning Man.  There are few paid positions so active volunteerism is truly core to the organization.  The more I'm involved, the more I'm amazed by how it runs so smoothly despite its massive growth.  I am the Volunteer Coordinator for the ARTery which is the group that supports the artists and their artwork. Around this time, we send thank you cards to all those who volunteered or somehow participated in making the event special (like artists). These cards are alphabetized in boxes at headquarters where they are signed by staff, coordinators, and other volunteers. They will be mailed in time for the holidays.

Pulling off what seems like a small task (holiday cards for volunteers) is actually a hefty feat. The card needs to be designed and printed. We collect addresses, double-check addresses, email and bug volunteers for their addresses.  We have to go into the office and sort through thousands of addressed cards to find our volunteers, take the cards out, write cute holiday messages, then put them back.  This is a major operation.  OMIGOD, I was there for hours. And the ARTery is one of the smaller volunteer groups.  Consider that Burning Man runs an airport, a cafe, a post office, a DMV (department of mutant vehicles), emergency services...

I'm so proud to be part of an amazing organization.  Thank you to all those who volunteer.  It couldn't be done without you.

Inappropriate

Tis the season and there's merrymaking to be had.  I was very lucky that I was extended an invitation to attend my former group's end of the year celebration on Thursday night open only to employees.  Guests not welcome.  It was held at Temple Nightclub downtown: hors d'oeuvres, open bar, photobooth, DJ.  

Friday night, Dean had his party at the City Club which welcomed guests: very yummy hors d'oeuvres, open bar, caricature artists, three course dinner, gorgeous floral center pieces, plants for each guest to take home, dessert bar, band, and raffled prizes including Wiis, flat screen TVs, roundtrip airfares.

I'm more than happy to take part in these activities, but call me crazy, I think these events are inappropriate given the unemployment rate and layoffs.  Many will protest, "It's not even that much money in the grand scheme of things."  But I would retort, why do it on such a lavish scale?  Most people are satisfied to be on the payroll, let alone partying until midnight with your coworkers.  If you want to make your employees happy, just let them spend their time the way they want to...outside of the office and away from other coworkers!

The best thing any company can do is to retain capital.  Even if it means cutting back on parties. Your employees are going to be proud that they're still getting paid!  A consistent paycheck is all that we need.

And when the time is right, then party on.

Leave His Ass

I am so sick of seeing these strong, smart women stand by their men: Hillary Clinton, Silda Spitzer, Elizabeth Edwards, Elin Nordegren. I'm not in their shoes so I do not have a right to say what I would do if I were them. I don't have toddlers following me around in their pajamas, calling out for their papa. But one of these days, when some politico husband or celebrity athlete cheats on his wife and she turns around and leaves him, I swear to God, I will take the first flight out to DC or wherever they're located and kiss the ground that they walk on. HALLELUJAH! Thank you not only for sticking up for women and bucking the trend, but THANK YOU FOR HAVING SOME FUCKING SELF RESPECT!

These are smart, beautiful women who deserve better and I am tired of the husband theatrics. "I'm human and I'm not perfect." Shut the fuck up, Tiger Woods.  You are an asshole who needs to DIE.  I'm reading reports that Tiger's wife is renegotiating her prenuptial agreement as they try to work on their marriage.  No matter how much money is involved, no wife, no mother deserves to be with someone who's unfaithful.  It doesn't matter that he's a billionaire.  It doesn't matter that he's the greatest golfer of all time.  It matters that he was true to her and he was not.

Women deserve better and things won't change unless we decide we absolutely will not put up with this shit.  LEAVE HIS ASS!

Straightforward

I don't like surprises. I especially don't like lame surprises. This is our first Christmas together and I figured I'd tell Dean what I wanted. There are very few things I want in life. If I want something, I get it. But this is a present that can be rather expensive depending on which hardcover you get. I've been eyeing his work for years.

From: Catherine.Gacad
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 5:10 PM
To: Dean Barbella
Subject: Christmas Present

Hi Baby, I don't want you to stress about what to get me for Christmas so I'll just tell you.

I'm fascinated by Henry Darger who was a janitor in Chicago. After he died, people found a mass of beautiful illustrations with accompanying stories in his apartment.

He's a genius! I would love if you could get me one of his hardcover books. You can find him on Amazon.com. I'll just let you surprise me with which one you pick. Yey!!!

From: Dean Barbella
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 6:34 PM
To: Gacad, Catherine
Subject: RE: Christmas Present

Wow – Looks interesting. Will do!

If You Stray, You Die

In case you're wondering, the Gerber baby below is my friend Steph's 7-month old girl and we will be proudly showcasing her at the wedding as part of a trio of very cute flower girls.

Grrrrr. Has anyone else been following the Tiger Woods scandal? Apparently, Us Weekly will be running a feature tomorrow with another woman who asserts she had close to a 3-year affair with the golf phenom. I told Dean that if he ever cheated on me, he'd end up like Steve McNair--the murdered football player. His practically adolescent mistress went straight-up kamikaze on him! You go, girl!

It's just so sad, especially since Tiger's baby boy is barely a year old. Tiger needs to be hanging out with his wife and spending time with the fam! I'd freak out, too, if I were her. I hope she gave him a good concussion-induced whooping. Can't guys keep it in their pants?

It's a book club night so I'm posting a picture that Dean sent me when I told him I wouldn't be home until later.