Alvinisms

2012-01-17T17:49:00.001-08:00

Thought of the day: Sorry ya'll. I've been busy moving into our new house. I got some pictures for ya'll but have been very busy. Sooner than later! Promise. Peas.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

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Alvinisms 1337

2012-01-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

"Health food makes me sick."

-Calvin Trillin (1935 - )

Thought of the day: So I finally got to try out Slaters 50/50 and it did not disappoint except the service was a bit slow. After a day of looking at possible places to live with my future roommates we decided to come here.

I guess this spot gets it's own post because I've heard so much about it and the idea of a burger that's 50% beef and 50% bacon holds dear to my heart, even it's killing it.

Food for thought: Down below.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

The 50/50 is the 50% beef and 50% ground bacon patty topped with an egg sunny side up, avocado mash, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle mayo served on white brioche. Hallelujah!

This Vampire Dip is hella dope! Goes well with everything! It's a garlic, cheese, and artichoke dip in a sourdough bread bowl with fried pita chips.

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Alvinisms 1336

2012-01-07T22:57:00.000-08:00

"No one forgives with more grace and love than a child."

-Real Live Preacher

Thought of the day: I pulled my calf and now I can barely walk. This is the worst timing ever since the Tough Mudder is about 6 weeks away and it's time to step it up. What sucks the most besides missing training is that I have to watch what I eat even more since I'll be inactive. Oh well, it's better to be a bit out of shape and running it than sitting it out, losing the cash and experience.

Food for thought:

Garlic potato chip stacked bacon cheeseburger with caramelized red onions. But what kind of melted cheese is that!?!

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

I've known Fets for many years and now she's finally for the first time met my friends.

WGZ 4 Life.

WBZ 4 Life.

Ollie is officially my house mate and Vince was my Japan mate.

Jojobean makes a mean...well...everything! She's the best chef in town!

Myself, Toe-Knee and Kimtan reunited.

I stopped drinking except for a few occasions. I was on a good one that night apparently.

Labs dees garls.

143.

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Alvinisms 1335

2012-01-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."

-Albert Pine

Thought of the day: Hello 2012, I've made my changes now it's time to build upon them and improve things.

Food for thought:

Tender potato gnocchi, braised lamb ragout with berbere and preserved lemon

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

I watched the last home game of the season with Rose and Rhoda.

If you're at the game you gotta visit Jon Jon, it's like a law or something.

My new roommate Ollie with his red cup.

Long time no see DJ and Er.

Birthday boys, myself and Kimtan, chowing down on cupcakes brought by...

April and Hannah, I love you guys!

Holy crap. Bulgolgi and corned beef makes for a perfect meal!

We really should rethink our California state flag to this. But remember it's for sure a San Diego burrito.

I love D4.

Willy and I have come a long way. From skating his mini ramp in PQ to teaching his son. WBZ and WW 4 life.

Charger gnome? Works for me.

D4 mob.

Cheese ball!

Josephine was gonna be our 5th roommate but priorities have well.....priority. It's okay mama, you're still welcome over anytime!

I love me some HD! And yes you too Kimtan you camera creeper.

This was Rose's 2nd game ever. You know how she's a noob? She lost her ticket in line. Luckily this guy found it.

Team entrance.

No fly by at night but fireworks for sure.

Singing the Star Spangled Banner always almost makes makes me tear. Almost.

Touchdown time.

Why do Ravens fans have this gross fashion of wearing purple camo? We've seen at least 7 people in them and I've seen it on TV. Explanation?

Either Rose had a really good time, or a really bad time.

I love these girls. WBZ and WGZ 4 life. Friends for over 15 years.

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Alvinisms 1334

2011-12-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love."

-Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC)

Thought of the day: Last post of the year...Its been a major year of change and 2012 will only bring more. Even bigger changes in fact. To be quite honest, I'm a lil anxious and maybe scared of it but whatever. Alaska, Portland, renewing Los Angeles, Antarctica, etc 2011 has been wonderful in many ways and moving out w/ Chris, Leo and Ollie is going to be a huge start for the new year. Glad it's with 3 of my best friends though, it's already going to be a good one.

Food for thought:

Poached pear tart with caramel vanilla bean mousse and pear sorbet.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Rose and Sarah bout to get dirty with the shrimp.

Baby Kira!

I spy some Call of Duty friends Melmaq and Bretiti and one of my favorite coworkers and people, Roro.

Thank you to Josephine and Elainne for cooking up the shrimp boil. 143! And you too TJ for being the taste tester.

Lots of folks came in and out through on my bday on a rainy Monday. Sorry not many pictures. I was busy coloring gangsta rap coloring pages.

Thanks for the awesome cake! I'm not a big cake guy but it was really good!

Holy moly Josephine you've mastered the boil!!!

143 TGPM fam bam. Juli, Jeanine, Ang, Ro and myself.

I brought down my old giant bear for Lil Willy, Phelisha and Kira to play with but somehow it ended up w/ TJ. Go figure.

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Alvinisms 1333

2011-12-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

"My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life."

-Miles Davis (1926 - 1991)

Thought of the day: Wrapping a bunch of eating stops here a few photos of my eating spree before I go HAM and cut out bad foods and start my training for the Tough Mudder.

Food for thought:

Moist vanilla cake layered with dulce de leche, frosted with vanilla butter cream and drenched with more dulce de leche.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

The last time I was here was about 2 years ago and the burger was so good that this time I had to order 2.

The black and blue is #2 or #3 on my all time favorite burger list.

This is mine and Fets best Tom Crean face impression.

For Yvette's going away we ate at this amazing spot.

Was not expecting it to be so nice!

The prices were reasonable and the food was on point!

Defs a great date spot.

I'll be back.

I took Ro out for helping with my kids while I was in Antarctica to this place in PB.

Most different flavors of wings I've seen!

Need to come back with a group so we can try a bunch of em.

And for some reason, I can never pass up an ahi burger.

Allan, Matt and I watch El Classico here. Always wanted to come cuz I hear good things about the food and atmosphere. It didn't disappoint. It's a soccer aficionado's spot.

There are some foods I have to order and try out whenever I go to a new place, if they have it: hot wings, cheese wontons, and Philly cheese steaks (or even a reuben) to name a few. Phileas did a good job with it.

NICE! Not as big of a selection while compared to Dirty Birds but the wings here were tops! Prolly top 3 in my books for sure!

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Alvinisms 1332

2011-12-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

"I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues."

-Duke Ellington (1899 - 1974)

Thought of the day: This winter break is coming along fantastic and is really doing well to help me clear my head. Just taking the first couple days to relax and recoup then I'm gonna get working to a better future. I'm looking really far ahead with really different goals and aspirations.

Food for thought:

New Zealand mussels baked with butter, garlic, cheese, and bread crumbs. Three of my favorite four. Just missing bacon!

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Christmas Caroling on Candy Cane Court.

This house syncs it's lights to its own radio station.

Christmas palm trees equals San Diego.

Just like Antarctic penguins yeah? No, not really.

Surprised to have never been here before especially since it's so close (Poway).

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Alvinisms 1331

2011-12-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

"It's going to come true like you knew it, but it's not going to feel like you think."

-Rosie O'Donnell

Thought of the day: I'm slowly regaining my sanity, charisma, etc. By the end of the week I'll have a whole new game plan in store for some things.

Food for thought:

Cream of potato soup with smokey bacon, crisp croutons and white truffle oil.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Happy birthday Phelisha and Willy Jr!

Don't mess with Willy and his bouncy horse.

Kira's practicing grocery shopping.

Josephine and Ann on their bouncy horse race. They got about 4 feet.

Trampoline time!

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Alvinisms 1330

2011-12-13T18:20:00.001-08:00

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."

-Bertha Calloway

Thought of the day: I've a had a really trying few weeks. I apologize for lack of posts but I just don't have the energy to do much right now. Hell I can't even caption these pictures.

Food for thought:

Oozing brie and prosciutto panini with fig jam and caramalized onions.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

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Alvinisms 1329

2011-12-10T10:45:00.001-08:00

"Never judge a book by its movie."

-J. W. Eagan

Thought of the day: So while on this trip there was a lac of internet and phones which is just fine by me. One thing besides conversing w/ like-minded individuals that I also enjoyed was having all the time I wanted to read. In fact I didn't have enough time to read all the books I would've liked! But here's a brief synopsis of the ones I did get to finish.

Oh yeah. Happy birthday to myself and Meaghan.

Food for thought:

Pizza lasagna with Italian sausage, mushrooms, spinach, onions and pepperoni.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

This is my 10 book I've read by James Patterson and it was a nice change from the usual kind of murder/mysteries he writes since it was placed way in the past. Upon reading the back I was unsure of the book but as always, Patterson pulls through with a great story.

I picked this book up at the Book-Off for $1. It was probably the best $1 I've ever spent. Classic Cross and classic Patterson, I'm currently reading Double Cross.

This book is takes place in Iceland so friggin all the names are hella crazy to read and pronounce but the story was still radical. A nice twist at the end and a definite page turner. Not sure if I'll be picking up many more Indridason books but I'm glad I ran into this one.

This is one of those books that I've always heard of and wanted to read but never came around to. So glad I finally picked it up. As I carried it around the ship people told me stories of it and even how it changed some of their lives. It's not very long and the chapters are short making it an easy read. I'm sure some of you can finish it in one sitting.

One of my favorite books I've ever read. I love Tina Fey and this book is written like she's talking to you and you can just hear her humor in the words you read. It's honest, funny, sarcastic, and I found myself purposefully stopping so I didn't finish it too fast. If you're wondering what I want for Xmas or my bday, here's your winner.

This is a story of an Antarctic explorer that's a bit overseen but a man undoubtedly invaluable. His story, the things he endured, the risks he too save the lives of men, and everything between the covers is incredible. This is another book that I have have a hard copy of. Its funny how Laurel's mom heard of my trip and made sure I got the book to read. It made all my horrible 12 hour layovers seem like luxury suites and put into perspective what kind of a lush life we live.

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Alvinisms 1328

2011-12-08T18:00:00.001-08:00

"All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that."

-Baltasar Gracian

Thought of the day: I'm not going to try to remember what each food was and label it and I know there are a bunch of pictures missing of meals shot but here's a decent idea of how I ate for the trip. Buon appetit!

Food for thought: It's all there is below.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

The best dessert ever!

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Alvinisms 1327

2011-12-07T20:17:00.001-08:00

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."

-Lewis Carroll

Thought of the day: Wow, this is it. The end of the Antarctic posts (besides my food and books one), the end of my trip, and moving on. Truth be told, coming back to school and reintegrating myself in to the classroom has easily taken my focus. Shoot, I haven't even printed out any of my photos yet. Well, it's been fun, I loved it all, and I'm looking forward to the next adventure. Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, today is a gift; that's why it's call the present.

Food for thought:

Fresh spaghetti, prawn, la quercia speck, and shellfish cream sauce.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

It's crazy to have so many of these (and more) whale bones lying around.

This giant behemoth is just a pup!

Bridge to nowhere.

See! This was just a portion of a rib.

Looks like a seal got to this poor fella.

Adelie penguins are officially my favorite of penguins, they are the craziest.

I love rocks. One time I stared at one for 2 hours. True story.

I was here.

Things amazing w/ this picture. 1) It's rare to see baby elephant seal pups 2) That's not the father it was just a youngin trying to get the female to mate. 3) The penguin just strollin through.

Hell yeah son!

I did it!

Some of the Filipino staff bidding us farewell.

Edward and Rich.

Rich, Cliff, Trish, and myself.

Susan was our expedition leader and super awesome.

Pilar was a super cool stewardess. Sorry for bombing the toilet...it was Richard. Bwahahahaha!

This is our friend Isa. He's on a yearlong trip touching all 7 continents on one go.

If you're lucky and a ship doesn't sell out you can catch a steal.

One of the stairways in my last hostel. No railings. Dang.

Simple and quaint.

Check out the old school keys. Straight out of an old school book!

You only imagine locks like these.

My time killing set up. Net, videos and scotch. Followed by a meal and a nap.

A very unique room too.

A hostel out of someone's tiny house. Chill and a wee bit creepy.

My view in the day.

My view at night.

Kids have fun w/ everything.

Check out the size of this sandwich!

Since my lay overs were so long they gave me free meals each time. That juice was the best thing I drank the whole trip.

This is the best condiment that goes w/ everything!

Self explanatory.

I miss these people.

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Alvinisms 1326

2011-12-06T18:12:00.001-08:00

"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible."

-Albert Einstein

Thought of the day: I gotta finish up these Antarctic posts so Imma just randomly throw the rest of my photos in 2 posts. They will be in semi-chronological order and mixed up between Richard's photos, my PNS photos and my SLR's photos. Jay-Z said it best, "On to the next one."

Food for thought:

Short rib sandwich oozing with melted jack cheese on country bread with arugula and sweet red onions.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Our ship is dwarfed by the massive glaciers.

Once again I'm leading everyone to safety.

Look at the blue, it's beautiful. But there are some really scary ones, this one looks nice!

Gentoos chillin near 100 year old whale bones.

This was my life for a few weeks. I can't believe it.

I had to do it.

Down right tropical!

The business side of the seal.

Buried and old abandoned floating dock.

Walking the black sands of Deception Island which is a volcano.

Looking back. Almost like a black and white photo.

Frozen in time.

Oh you know what's about to go down!

You don't stay in long, trust me!

Alister and I were the first to run in.

1, 2, 3 ehsleeeeeeep.

Maybe a little too close to the edge, but it makes for an awesome photo!

How nice of them to give us a shot to warm us up when get back on board.

On another trip it was sunny and the penguins were frolicking in the water.

Towards the end of the trip a lot of us just sat and reflected on what we just did.

JUUUMP!

Surfs up?

The penguins are occupying w/ Rich.

Same w/ Alister.

You too are gonna miss us when we get back on that big boat behind you huh.

I miss that this was part of my usual day.

Looks like and evil penguin but it's just a regular macaroni penguin.

Everyone standing around for photos.

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Alvinisms 1325

2011-12-05T17:33:00.001-08:00

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it."

-Margaret Fuller (1810 - 1850)

Thought of the day: I can't wait to move out next month.

Food for thought:

Cabernetti spaghetti with toasted garlic, bacon and crispy egg.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

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Alvinisms 1324

2011-12-03T17:07:00.001-08:00

"Even the great get greater by doing more of it."

-Colleen Wainwright

Thought of the day: Being sick is not how I want to start my week. Sheeeeeet!

Food for thought:

Gooey chocolate tartlet drizzled with salted butter caramel sauce.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

There was a good amount of us camping on Antarctica.

You can see us making a trail to slide down.

It was pretty awesome.

I spy our ship anchored for the night.

One thing about Antarctic sunsets is that they last hours.

One of my favs.

Pink mountains.

Another fav.

Good night everybody.

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Alvinisms 1323

2011-12-03T13:36:00.001-08:00

"Man is born to live, not to prepare for life."

-Boris Pasternak (1890 - 1960)

Thought of the day: Damn, getting back in shape is seriously the hardest thing. I ran more on the ship than my time being back. I put on 8 pounds solid and have managed to hover around the loss of one. Not drinking and quazi watching what I eat will be a good start. Now just to find the motivation to get my ass into gear for the Tough Mudder

Food for thought:

Decadent blueberry banana stuffed french toast topped with greek yogurt and dripping maple syrup.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Sooo, this morning I woke up and saw this iceberg outside our window.

ICEBERG DEAD AHEAD!

Nadia works for GAP and she was teaching me Italian. Grazie mille!

Willys Workshop is officially worldwide.

You can't tell but this tabular iceberg is over 10 stories high.

And half a mile wide.

Sometimes is snowed a lot.

And we'd slowly break through pack ice which was pretty cool.

Everyone from San Diego is fascinated by snow!

Mother Nature trying to stop us.

If you're wondering why my friend Edward is taking picture of some dude taking a a crap...

Its because the view from the crapper is spectacular!

Hoey's got my back and I've got his.

Ding!

That's my boy Alister on the left and Rich on the right.

Wind burn was probably the worst problem we had to deal with.

This is "black ice", it's the oldest kind of ice because all of the air has been pressed out hence it's crystal appearance.

This was more dangerous than camping, a few of us jumping onto a thin ice floe.

Here's my go. "Land is just that way!"

Our sea whip.

Words and pictures just can't describe it.

121 likes on Facebook and counting!

Japanese tsunami relief bracelet courtesy of Jeff Lazaro.

Someone's happy.

Gentoos.

We're on a boat! A tiny zodiak boat.

Crystal clear.

We went to a post office on Antarctica that used to be a base. We could actually purchase things on the continent here. Sugoi.

Old school bathrooms.

Communication station.

Living quarters.

BBQ night on the stern! So good!

Always meeting new people.

Beautiful sunset before our next adventure.....

CAMPING! Look forward to the next post and tons of videos.

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Alvinisms 1322

2011-11-28T17:06:00.001-08:00

"Your children need your presence more than your presents."

-Jesse Louis Jackson

Thought of the day: Back to work aka school. Man I missed it and I'm glad to be back. Not everyone gets to take long vacations and say that. But these kids, not to sound soft or sappy, make me so happy, keep me young, fill my bucket of joy, etc. They're so cool. Way cooler than any movie star or pop singer (except maybe Zooey Deschanel) and I'm lucky to see them 5 days a week.

Food for thought:

Savory bacon-wrapped scallops with cauliflower, cauliflower puree and chipotle powder.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

What you looking at?

Penguins x-ing.

Busy busy busy.

Sugoi!

He looked right at me for the photo.

I think we really may have been the first to Tebow in Antarctica.

I don't care what our record may be. Chargers 4 life.

Sproles sighting?

Giant areas of penguin poo.

Richard is here.

Wherever we are. When this photo came up on the video it got the most applause. As well as one if not the most "likes" on facebook I've ever seen. Sugoi!

You gotta!

Some step your walking regular and the next you fall crotch high in snow.

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Alvinisms 1321

2011-11-27T10:36:00.001-08:00

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."

- R. Buckminister Fuller

Thought of the day: There are tons of photos of flying birds, penguins, and glaciers each with their own story and mystique. But I don't have the time or patience and I'm sure you don't wanna see and read all about them so I'll just kinda quickly choose a few to post. Trust, there are a lot. These are just from our first landing.

Food for thought:

Succulent beef wellington w/ buttery sauteed spinach and port wine reduction.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Antarctica Petrel

One of the most things I was most excited to see was an albatross. The bird with the longest wingspan in the world. I've been fascinated with them ever since I read the poem, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Richard's excited for our first time on Antarctica!

This little gentoo penguin was our welcoming party.

Penguins, zodiac boats and massive glaciers.

Dang, get a room!

You weren't allowed to go up to the penguins but if they came up to you it's okay. And since they're so inquisitive and not afraid of humans they did.

This probably didn't hatch, more likely another bird flew in and ate it.

I am here.

Richard is here too.

There's the gentoo penguin keeping it's egg warm.

This little chinstrap penguin is ready to projectile shoot some crap! Seriously, that's how they do it.

This was only our first landing so there will be many more to come. I'll leave you with this little wobbly guy.

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Alvinisms 1320

2011-11-25T22:24:00.001-08:00

"It's not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours."

-Sam Ewing

Thought of the day: Still so busy with things to do and damn MW3 is sidetracking me from doing it all!

Food for thought:

Dal makhani - black lentils in a spicy north Indian cream sauce.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Good bye world, time to go to Antarctica!

Ushuaia is not cheap. This is was the only quazi cheap spot for food that I found and it still was way more expensive than SD.

Holy crap now that is a long hot dog. It tasted like crap and I added every condiment available to make it edible but I was about to be on a cruise for 12 days w/ buffets and amazing dinners so its all good.

I am here.

Oh yeah, we got bumped up from the cheap shit to 1st class son! The original window was a porthole a foot in diameter!

The Discovery Lounge.

Having a big window saves sanity.

Richard Tebowing in Ushuaia.

Alvin Tebowing in Ushuaia.

The library. Believe it or not I read 6 whole books on this trip.

Safety briefing?

This bottle actually lasted a long time.

Rainbows in the beginning has to be good sign!

Dangerous. Just give us a card to charge everything on. Daaang.

One of six and amazing.

I actually managed to exercise 7 of the 12 days on the boat even though it was hard to run or jump rope on a rocking boat.

While the world is sleeping.

Its hard to shower when the world is swaying hella side to side. BTW, I did not poo in the sing.

Good morning world.

This is what a small portion of my bfast looked everyday. See that black thing in the bottom left? That's called "blood pudding" look it up.

Wash the clothes in the shower or sink. Then hang it anywhere to dry. I am the master of this.

Dinner time!

Bon appetit!

Cheers to our first day on an amazing journey.

Yes I smoked a cigarette or two on the cruise. No more no less.

Long story short. I blew up my hair clippers so I had to bic (razor) my head for the whole trip.

Polar Bear Pub.

Mud Room. The place where we get ready to go out to the Antarctic.

Here we go! Next post will have pictures of Antarctica promise!

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Alvinisms 1319

2011-11-23T11:22:00.001-08:00

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Thought of the day: So coming back is never easy not just because of flying, ending a trip, editing photos, etc. Being back home is tough. Do laundry, pack away stuff, go through the mail, put away luggage in the attic, SHOWER, fold clothes, cleaning the fish tank, throw away unneeded documents, catch up on sleep, eat a decent meal, etc etc etc. How am I supposed to catch up on my Modern Warfare 3!?!

Food for thought:

Handmade potato gnocchi pan seared with sausage, fennel, and tomato.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

So maybe flash w/ an orange sweater on a red chair isn't the best idea. But the view behind it is spectacular.

This is the hotel we were booked at by Gap Adventures. Ballin w/ a view son!

I think our room on the ship were a bit bigger but the beds here we kush.

Not that Richard and I had a romantic dinner with a view of the Beagle Channel, but it's possible. Hahahaha!

Dining and bar area.

Parks, carousels, the harbor, we had it pretty sweet.

Richard was just happy to speak fluent English to a person again.

The view from our room.

The beautiful Beagle.

Reflections of some houses along the water.

Beer on the ledge, not a good idea. But worth it. Don't mind the fried chicken boxers.

That amber lager is money!

We found a skatepark in Ushuaia frequented by mostly bikers, which makes sense because the roads and sidewalks there are not good for rolling. It's like people walk around dragging axes on the floor.

Nice pink umbrella.

If you travel w/ me on a budget you'll know I do laundry in the bathroom if I have too. This is my makeshift dryer that made my sock look like stiffy. I'll let you comment in your own guttered mind.

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Alvinisms 1318

2011-11-20T07:57:00.001-08:00

"And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow."

-Jerry Chin

Thought of the day: Yippeee, first post of the trip. The internet in the airport is slow so bear with me as I post a few pictures of the trip during my long layovers.

Food for thought:

Hot open-faced chicken sandwich smothered in creamy mushroom gravy.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Yeah it took me a while just to get there.

Not only was the monitor touch screen but it gave me a controller to play games and had the best movie selection I've ever had.

The story of my layover life.

By far my favorite hostel I've ever stayed in.

That's my bunk on top. Remember my facebook post of the guy who bike from Alaska to Ushuaia and is currently going back? Yeah, That's pretty much all his stuff below me besides his bike. Daaang!

Andes to the north, Beagle Channel and Drake Passage to the south, Pacific to the west, and the Atlantic to the east.

There were tons of different sized soccer fields scattered throughout the neighborhoods.

Ushuaia is definitely a tourist trap knowing that to get to Antarctica or be in the "southernmost city in the world" you have to go through it. It is much more expensive than San Diego.

Hence the modest dinner of a street milanesa and a bag of chips which still ran me about $13.

Mayo bags. Win.

I spy Willys Workshop representing. Look towards the bottom.

Apparently Argentina has plenty of microbrews too and I set out to try all the different beers I could.

Not to mention that I ate breakfast and lunch buffet everyday and dinner...I've but on a tad bit.

But still managed to run run/jump rope 7 times on the boat. But it's no way enough to counter our food intake.

This is Flu, she's from France and works at La Posta. She is good people and friend I had to see again before I left.

And this is Archie. He has tons of stories and we had a good time sharing mind puzzles and views of the world. One thing I love about hostels is that you generally find open minded people with different backgrounds and unexpected surprises.

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Alvinisms 1317

2011-11-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

"No on said it'd be easy, they just promised it'd be worth it."

-I forgot.

Thought of the day: This is officially my last post before I go on this trip to the seventh continent. It's been a long time waiting from when I first started saving to even when I got here. There won't be anything new for a bout 2 weeks but I hope my flurry of posts before I leave was enough to keep your attention until I'm back, and by then I'll have a bunch for ya'll. Until then...see you later world.

Food for thought: They are all below.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Jenny is one of my eating buddies that know if they ask I'll say yes to any new food.

This isn't the first time I've had Jamaican jerk or some sort of Jamaican food but it is the first time to an exclusively Jamaican spot.

Hungers!

The famed "beef patty" is pretty much an empanada but spicy and w/ some crazy spices. Plus that dipping sauce is a mango flavored life saver.

Jerk wings are not your typical wings, and watch out for the heat will creep up on you.

Jamaican jerk pork w/ some dank rice. Usually I don't like plantains but they countered the spice and were very tasty.

They're still fairly new so they don't have a sign up but they are located a few shops down from Shogun.

Being the hungry hungry hippos we are, Jenny and I next went to Wahine Kai for dessert and trust me it's not just you're regular snow cone.

I'm not sure if you could see the menu but it's pretty exotic. Well, to me at least.

His and hers. Hahahaha! Mine was the Kona Luau: vanilla topped with condensed milk over chocolate brownie ice cream. Jenny got the Tiger's Blood with Li-Hung Mui powder on it. That stuff is on point!

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Alvinisms 1316

2011-11-07T03:11:00.000-08:00

"Some think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's letting go. "

-Sylvia Robinson

Thought of the day: After years of saving, months of waiting, days of flying and chillin, Antarctica is finally here. The skies are clear we're booked with the rest of our shipmates in the shmanciest hotel in the city and it's time we go now. I don't mind the day's delay because it allowed for some more time to hang out with some awesome people I've met at La Posta Hostel and some extra time to look for decent souvenirs for my family and friends.

Food for thought:

Moist chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream with chocolate sauce and chopped peanuts.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

So Rose had some friends from Seattle come through and they wanted to go for a hike.

Since Cedar Creek is closed, I haven't been to 3 Sisters yet, and at least Mt. Woodson has something cool at the end of it I decided to come back here for the 2nd week in a row.

I totally forgot to change my photo settings and all the pictures turned out square if you haven't noticed yet.

Sara didn't want to go on the rock so she volunteered to take the photos. Afterwards I took them to El Ranchito for the best flautas in San Diego. And they concur!!!

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Alvinisms 1315

2011-11-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

"My father used to say, 'Let them see you and not the suit. That should be secondary.'"

-Cary Grant (1904 - 1986)

Thought of the day: Finally met up w/ Richard. Nice to be able to speak complete English w/ someone after a few days of Spanish. Glad that I got it under my belt though because traveling w/out a bit of the native tongue could be quite tough I'd imagine.

Food for thought:

Toasted ciabatta sandwich with melted brie, bacon and thyme.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

When you think of Clairemont you usually think of Asian food. But on the way to Tajima or Crab Hut I've always passed this spot and wanted to try it out.

So finally Leo, Rose and I said eff it and went on in. We were expecting something similar to Godfather's Pizza and whatnot.

Lo and behold it was a hoity toity fancy restaurant. The ones with old Italian male servers dressed in tuxedos that put the napkin on your lap for you. Daang!

Their house lentil soup was one of the best soups I've ever had! It was almost like a chili, but with tons of flavor and deliciousness.

Have you seen or even tasted a more flavorful bruschetta?

Their awesome oil and vinegar thing-a-ma-jig.

I forgot what I ordered but it was all some of the best Italian I've ever had. Even the "side of pasta w/ red sauce" was some of the best pasta I've ever had let alone the main part of the entree being amazing.

Leo went w/ the traditional lasagna and it was quite different and yummy. Rose and I agree that it was sweet similar to the way Filipino spaghetti is.

Typing this post is making me hungry. Needless to say this spot was awesome and an amazing experience to try. Glad to have come here w/ Rose and Leo!

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Alvinisms 1314

2011-11-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

"The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good. "

-Baltasar Gracian,

Thought of the day: WTF. So it turns out that our whole trip is postponed one day and now I have to change my spending habits (Ushuaia is quite expensive, even more that San Diego) and possibly the hostel for my night back and all my flights. Let's see what happens. Fingers crossed.

Food for thought:

Ahi tuna, spicy tuna crust, rice chips, masago, nori, and gelatinized soy wasabi oil.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

I got my Primary Head Teaching certificate and now have two diplomas in Montessori!

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Alvinisms 1313

2011-11-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

"If you can't do what you want, do what you can. "

-Lois McMaster Bujold

Thought of the day: I'm grossly unprepared, possibly overpacked, and that feeling of "I know I'm forgetting something" yeah well I was right. I forgot my power converters so I ended up buying one at the airport. I've spent over 50 hours in airplanes and airports

You know what else, Ushuaia isn't cheap like Peru. Stuff here has to be imported by cargo ship so everything is expensive. So.....maybe everyone isn't getting something as spectacular as I'd like to give. Perhaps I'll just cut out alcohol from the trip (which is all I'll really be spending on the boat).....yeah right. I'm coming back hella fat. Tough Mudder is gonna be a tough one to get started on.

Food for thought:

Juicy pork and beef meatballs a la pizzaiola stuffed with smoked mozzarella in a hearty red sauce

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz


TJ and Rose moved in together so before we started the night we kicked back a few at their spot.

Each of them got their own little patio. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

Who knew this was in Old Town?

El Camino is prolly one of my favorite places to go out to.

This has been here for a long time. They eventually covered up the Wildboyz one.

Happy birthday Verna! 143!

Jon Jon!

I chose to throw these pictures in. Jenny and I have been trying to get chamangos for the longest time. So we finally just got up on what I think was a Monday or Wednesday just for some dessert.

El Diablito: Lemon ice cream, chamoy, tamarindo stuff and was hella delicious!

And the infamous chamango. I must say it was quite refreshing but Jenny and I loved the Diablito better. Just sayin.

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Alvinisms 1312

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Say not, 'I have found the truth,' but rather, 'I have found a truth."

-Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931)

Thought of the day: I like how people hit me up when they need a break from life, a random adventure, someone to say yes to any idea, etc etc etc. By saying yes to practically everything my doors in life and outlook always seems endless. Possibilities lie around every corner or even in the exact tiny piece of sand you're standing on. Don't get me wrong, I feel shitty too some days but more often than not, you'll find my face to the sun...and letting the shadows fall behind me.

Food for thought:

Butter poached lobster tail with sous vide beef tenderloin, sauteed spinach, and duck fat poached creamer potatoes. WTF!?! I WAAANT!

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Ro needed a break from the whole LA thing. Who better to call than her old TMer and Captain!

So instead of going out the first night we just ended up drinking on my front step and catching up. We got pretty stupid. Bad choice before a long hike.

She's never hiked before.

Instead of going somewhere new and far we went local and familiar.

Bahaha, we were gonna go to Julian after and go wine tasting but we were too tired and get major food coma.

Good times w/ my TM/Fullerton family.

She also kinda learned that she has major vertigo. Hahaha. But I'm still proud of you!

At first sight she was afraid to go on the potato chip. But once you're there...you gotta!

Thanks for visiting. Come anytime...you runaway! Bwahahaha!

I'm proud of you but more importantly I hope you're proud of yourself. 143 Ro!

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Alvinisms 1311

2011-10-31T00:19:00.000-07:00

"To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart."

-Phyllis Theroux

Thought of the day: Wooohoooooo! I officially will be getting my 3rd diploma and certified to be a Montessori Primary Head Teacher as well as an Montessori Elementary Head Teacher! All my hard work to finish before I leave has paid off and now I'm left w/ just anticipation and joy.

Alas I can write more about what's going on and what will happen; too bad I'll be leaving and won't have very accessible internet for a good 2-3 weeks but oh well!

Food for thought:

Cinnamony apple cider cookies filled with gooey caramel.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

For the longest time Fets and I have talked about going to the place called The Yellow Deli that's farm to table and is in a tree house. Notice it's daytime when I pick her up.

By the time we get there (deep Valley Center) it's hella darkness thanks to no street lights. But to our sadness it was closes so we went to the flagship spot that's open 24/5.

The spot in Valley center is the one where you eat in the tree house. Next time for sure!


You have to drive about 15 miles in darkness to get there.

The spot in Vista is still really nice. It's hacienda style and everyone is super nice.

We've studied the menu a few times already before coming.

Fets and I got to catch up on our drive. I heart my foodie friend.

We made it! Can you see the excitement in her face! Bwahahaha!

Okay so the pictures are low quality cuz the food came out fast and we were ready to grub! She got banana milk and I got papaya mate.

Cranberry cashew salad: craisins, cashews, havarti cheese, peppers and tomatoes.

Holy honey buns Batman! These are good!

The Deli Rose: Roast beef, corned beef, hot peppered cheese, provolone, onions, tomato, special sauce on an onion roll. Don't forget the chips that come that are just tops!

The Deli Lamb: Lamb, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, special sauce on an egg roll. Delish!

It's funny to say but the place is really well...cute. And its homely. It's clean. It's inviting. It's quite amazing and I think everyone should give it a try.

Plenty of seating inside and out.

Who doesn't love spiral staircases and dumbwaiters!?!

It's all good.

Laurel aka Fets.

You can say it's pretty much hippie-ish. But it's all good. Trust. All good.

Always and adventure w/ my adventure buddy.

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Alvinisms 1310

2011-10-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

"We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh."

-Agnes Repplier (1855 - 1950)

Thought of the day: Less than a week till I leave so Imma cram as many Alvinisms as I in because I won't be posting for the next 2-3 weeks. But promise to have tons when I get back!

Food for thought:

Fluffy buttermilk biscuit and applewood smoked bacon sandwich drenched in hearty sausage gravy.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Happy birthday Reinah, you're so grown up now and I couldn't be prouder of you.

Sammy looks like she got a busted bottom lip.

No one's looking except my creepy brother.

There we go. Cheese!

Spaghetti and mizithra cheese and browned butter tossed with garlic, bacon, and sauteed mushrooms. Holy moly I found my fav dish at Old Spaghetti Factory now!

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Alvinisms 1309

2011-10-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

"Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such."

-Henry Miller (1891 - 1980)

Thought of the day: Less than 10 days and like I said, there would be be less blogging. So much to do for the trip and especially for my class. Not to get into any detail about the changes about to happen right before I leave but I'm glad to have awesome friends/coworkers that I completely trust w/ my kiddies.

Food for thought:

Creamy roasted garlic and sriracha hummus drizzled with olive oil.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

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Alvinisms 1308

2011-10-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."

-Joseph Chilton Pearce

Thought of the day: Sometimes I amaze myself and its awesome when I do. I managed 3 months worth of work in 2.5 weeks w/out cramming and just pure motivation to finish early, thoroughly, and with 100% accuracy.

Food for thought:

Buttery sauteed wild Mexican shrimp, country bread croutons, Spanish chorizo and manchego.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Our favorite "asian faces". Bwahahahaha!

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Alvinisms 1307

2011-10-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."

-Epicurus (341 BC - 270 BC)

Thought of the day: I'm trying to finish 3 months worth of work in 1, before I go to Antarctica. So, sorry for the lack of updates. I'm staying around school so I don't get distracted by things at home and cranking out answers. The last thing I want to think about is studying and work while I'm on my trip of a lifetime. Till then!

Food for thought:

Pan-seared glazed quail with buttery potato and turnip puree.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Should be bangin yo!

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Alvinisms 1306

2011-10-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

"Life engenders life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich."

-Sarah Bernhardt (1844 - 1923)

Thought of the day: Congratulations to Willys Workshop riders, good friends, awesome dudes, and dope ass skaters Jimmy Cao and Jamie Palmore for going pro. Glad that some stand up dudes get some stand up recognition.

Food for thought:

Spicy garlic coconut cream pumpkin curry garnished with fried garlic and curry leaves.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

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Alvinisms 1305

2011-10-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

"In the end, we decide if we're remembered for what happened to us or for what we did."

-Randy K. Milholland

Thought of the day: I had the toughest week of my 5 years of teaching last week. It was tough on me, tough on the kids, tough on the administration, and tough on my assistants. Not gonna get into details but even my optimism was tested and I found myself lacking charisma and having dead eyes at times. I'm not even going to cross my fingers for a better week because it's not luck that will make things better. It's going to be time and effort on this one.

Food for thought:

Brown butter seared scallps, golden chanerelles, bacon, maple, vanilla bourbon and kabocha puree.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

This is my sister, Lexie. She moved to LA and came to visit. She's awesome.

I play COD w/ Leo online at least 2-3 times a week. When he's down from Fairfield he can't help but get a little gaming in. He's also one of the few people that can eat like me and then go run Miramar the next day.

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Alvinisms 1304

2011-10-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

"Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount."

-Clare Booth Luce (1903 - 1987)

Thought of the day: I love Rochelle and Mark each on their own. Now that they're married I love them in a whole new way. They were kind enough to have me be part of their wedding. Here's a few from the occasion.

Food for thought:

Tender lamb shank braised in a rich red wine and tomato sauce with creamy French coco beans.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

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Alvinisms 1303

2011-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

"People always call it luck when you've acted more sensibly than they have."

-Anne Tyler (1941 - )

Thought of the day: I've put off posting this Alvinism because there were just too many photos to go through from different people. In the end I just used ones from mine pretty much.

Some folks don't wanna go, some don't care, some are excited for it, some just wanna see how it goes. Our 10 year reunion was sick. Even old teachers came out that don't come out for other classes. Honestly, we had a very tight class. The Swamp N****s, the surfers, the jocks, the gangstas, ASB, the racers, the cheerleaders, the band, etc etc etc. We all kicked it, we all were interconnected so when it came time to come back together after 10 years, it wasn't awkward. It was awesome! So awesome we're planning on doing it (on a smaller scale) every year. And we're glad to actually reconnect w/ friends that we haven't seen in years.

Food for thought:

Cheesy grilled jalapeno poppers stuffed with bacon, roasted garlic, chevre, cream cheese and cheddar. I saw the picture and thought, "eh?" Then I read what was in there and thought, "I need this...like right now."

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Last second tune up before seeing folks we haven't seen in 10 years.

16 stories up at the Se Hotel can give you vertigo.

That's our pool.

And that's our TV in the mirror. WTF?

Ollie have been friends since 4th grade (18 years) and by that I mean best of friends.

Welcome to our refrigerator.

Let the night begin.

Some of the WGZ ready for the night.

Pool at night.

I thought it was a giant scarf. Turns out it was just a blanket.

I am here and ready to black out.

Fred Dogg, Rosie and TJ.

My football girlies Rhoda and Britney.

I loved seeing all of you.

Off roading?

Mesa Verde in the house. Ellen, Nessa and Robs.

Everyone loves a Wildgirl.

It's like a school dance photo.

Sara and Vanessa took care of our class.

For the longest time I had trouble pronouncing Oy's name so I called her Cheryl cuz I thought she looked like a Cheryl.

My favorite teacher! Mrs. Hughes!

We don't know how got away with some of the things we did but we were great students and always got it done.

Deanna and Misty.

Ron Ron aka DJ Mr. Mention.

RawDawgs 4 life. My football mentor Steve.

Amanda, Freddy and JC.

Donette and I but I used to call her Brooke Burke.

Jen wasn't in our class, she was bartending though and it's always a pleasure to see her. We gotta catch up soon.

Ted and Andrew aka Peanut.

Britney is one of the all around nicest people I know.

Nikki has always been a sweetheart. I'm blacked out by now and ended up taking like 15 pictures w/ her and Diana. Hahaha.

Desirae was my liaison to the "plantation" or the "swamps."

If you're in Dallas you can listen to out MC Football Tight End and my homie Jose.

Diana and Aaron.

Love these girls.

Now we're at the Ivy and defs don't remember any of the rest of the night.

Apparently everyone had a great time. Wish I remembered it.

Taylor and I. Thanks for organizing the reunion. You and Toes did great!

Robyn of CAREVJ.

Congratulations Crystal!

The Rubster.

MCHS football w/ Fred, Andy and myself.

Walk back to the suite.

Eric has always been the man.

Same goes to Toes.

There are photos from Jenny, Ollie, Razo the photographer of the night. Sorry, too many to go through.

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Alvinisms 1302

2011-09-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

"You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren."

-William Henry Hudson (1841 - 1922)

Thought of the day: I'll just be studying for the next few days and weeks. I may be off the blogosphere for a minute.

Food for thought:

Cheesy fiesta corn dip with garlic, cilantro, tomato, jalapeno, onion and red bell pepper.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Blackout! Candlelit scrabble.

Thanks to my best friend Lai and her home for coming over and providing a feast! We didn't really have to cook all their food but it was well worth it!

Killed it! You gotta love the makeshift lamp stacked on top of my pickle jar.

Alaska still in my heart.

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Alvinisms 1301

2011-09-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

"Laughter is an instant vacation."

-Milton Berle (1908 - 2002)

Thought of the day: My world is settling down into the changes and I'm finding my groove. It's an exciting time filled with new challenges and opportunities. Sometimes I'll be a deer in headlights and that's when I really have to take my time, be patient, compose, stay optimistic and remember...I'm here because I deserve to be here. I'm here because I worked hard to be here. I'm here because where my talent and education my come short, my character and charisma come through for me.

Food for thought:

Hearty chicken, andouille sausage and tasso ham gumbo. Mmmm, gumbo. I miss New Orleans.

-Alvinism of the Wildboyz

Later that night after a random day w/ Jenny it was off to Freddy's for some pre-partying.

And wrestling.

TJ ended up in the doghouse for a bit.

My homegirl Rosie through the screen door.

Chorus Karaoke has some decent scotch.

They also got plenty of Henny. Thanks for the round Toe-Knee.

I'm always happy to see Maihan!

I spy a BackPocketLover gettin tipsy.

Halfway blacked out we end up sneaking into the Ivy and later at Onyx/Thin.

Oh yeah, George and I stopped by Neighborhood to see Cara and have some more scotch.

Hops.

Jenny rockin my hat nicely.

See! I told you TJ was in the doghouse. Bwahahaha.

I ended up eating 2 carne asada burritos this night. Dang, now I feel like running.