It’s a project that I’m very attached to, and I’ve had my head down in code working on the third generation of the site, which launched late Sunday night. If you’re a foodie—read, if you like food—check it out. It’s a community site, so you can create an account, share recipes, review local restaurants, and salivate. I’ve been doing that a lot lately (working on the site and all).

Once I get a few more wrinkles ironed out, I’ll be finishing up the re-design of South of Sunnyside—it’ll add a bit of personality to my words, I promise.

Okay, your turn: what have you been up to?

1. That the Baskin Robbins commercials are effective (I’m not debating whether or not they’re annoying)
2. That if you’re going to go out at night for ice cream and cake, you should make sure that you don’t have a headlight out
3. That if you do have a headlight out, and you get pulled over, you should make sure you that your registration doesn’t say September 2009, and that your insurance card isn’t from 2007
4. That Fresno PD can be very understanding
5. That ice cream and a slice of cake are much more economical than ice cream cake

There you have it. Knowledge is power, and power tastes like ice cream and cake (and cake).

I’m not one to brag, but my presentation—an exploration of many themes I’ve written about on South of Sunnyside, actually—was pretty spectacular. No, really: I don’t know of anyone that can talk that fast for 6:40 straight.

In case you missed it…well, you missed it. Still, I’ve embedded my presentation below; it may not make much sense without sound, but it didn’t make any more sense with me talking.

All joking aside, last night was awesome. The talents and passions that are expressed through these events help me to fall in love with Fresno all over again.

My hat’s off to Kiel and Creative Fresno for putting on such a remarkable event.

Today was a great day. Not only was it Friday, but it rained in Fresno, which is a significant event. And it’s the first day of May, which means we’re in the full glory of spring.

But wait, there’s more. Sure, these really only pertain to me, but by reading them you can vicariously share in my glee:

A new set of keys

Today I received the keys to my new office. Okay, it’s not really my office, but the guys at Hundred 10 are gracious enough to let me share in their space and leech off of their creative juices.

A new set of keyboards

It’s really only one keyboard, but you can see what I was going for (playing off the last item and all). Related to business, and the fact that I’ll now be moving my primary computer to the office, I ordered my first Mac laptop. No need to get into specifics, but rest assured it will be magnificent, and I will take pictures. I may even use it for blogging…

A deposit slip

More significant than either of these is the fact that I received a paycheck today. Granted, I wrote it, but it’s my first from this new venture, and it’s confirmation that I wasn’t completely crazy to make take the plunge.

A script

Enough business talk. I was flattered to receive an invitation from a fellow creative, blogger and entrepreneurial advisor; he’s competing once again in the Fresno Swede Festival coming up on May 9, and invited a few…um, actors?…to read a script for his parody of The Office. All other details are strictly confidential. As in, he wouldn’t share them.

So, there it is. I neglect writing and blogging, only to come back and brag. So, I now invite you, dear readers, to share the highlights of your day (by posting a comment, in case that wasn’t clear).

Oh, and while you’re at it, why not fill out a quick survey to share your perceptions of Fresno? (Yeah, I know, my segues seem to be a bit rusty.)

Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t set out in the new venture wearing a blindfold, but I thought I’d be able to scale back my work week to no more than 75-80 hours (hoping at least 25%) of those would be billable. I thought that when not working on client projects I could spend time blogging, twittering, and the like. I miscalculated.

That’s not a complaint, though—in the slightest. I’m grateful for all the opportunities that have unfolded. I just miss you, my reader(s). And typing random thoughts. And reading others’.

That’s all.

Sure, it has its problems, but every one of the Big Easy’s flaws make it all the more beautiful.That city got to her—now Kim can’t let it go. It was all that she expected it to be; when Kim says she now wants to move there, I can tell that she’s serious.

I suppose, in some ways, that the timing’s about right. When I moved here in 2004, we talked about a five-year timeline for getting out. That would give us enough time to build a little equity in a first home, finish school, start our careers. Then, we’d try something new—maybe even move back to Denver, where we met.

As the end of that timeline approaches, it’s encouraging to realize that we’ve met all of our goals, at least those within our control. The reality, unfortunately, is that while we are blessed to have a home, it has lost almost half of its value, which would pose significant challenges were we to uproot.

But that’s besides the point, really. After planting roots and building relationships for the last five years, I’m no longer in a hurry to leave Fresno. This place has grown on me—in many ways, more than I thought a city or community ever could.

I’m not saying I’d never leave, but I’m starting to think I’d like another five years here.

In the mean time, Kim will try to temper her angst by re-piercing her nose, or changing her hair, or painting a room, but these will only buy me a little time. Maybe it’s time to start talking about having kids…

There’s a list. I’m on it. Hiding your identity doesn’t qualify for an exemption.

Oh, and to “Douglas,” at the “Rate Reduction Center,” you left your testicles on the line—I sure hope you don’t need them.

So I’m sitting here.

And I’m thinking.

And I’m wondering at what point it was decided that airplane seats should be built to fit the “average” person. Because, evidently, that person is four to six inches shorter than me, and evidently a bit…um…narrower.

Then again, maybe I’m cranky from only getting only two and a half hours of sleep. I’d take a nap if I could contort my body to fit this seat.

I do not plan to stop making mortgage payments, or to ask for a mark down on the loan value, or to ask for any sort of hand out. But I think I scared the lender this month: instead of making an online payment, I sent checks (two mortgages, two checks), which hadn’t arrived as of Monday.

I disregarded their first email, which expressed empathy for any situation I may be facing. The second email, on the other hand, ticked me off. It stated that Citi had been unable to reach me. My response:

You haven’t been trying to reach me. You’ve been spamming my email. If you want to reach me, try the phone: [number removed].

My mortgage payment was mailed, because at 10:00 on 3/9, you wanted to charge me an additional “online transaction” fee of $10 per mortgage.

Thanks for your concern,

james

As expected, I received an automated email that told me not to reply to that address, but it also indicated that the message had been sent. I was certain I wouldn’t hear from the company.

Yesterday, however, I missed a call at the number I provided. The caller didn’t leave a message, but a Google search indicated that it was CitiMortgage.

Did I really get their attention?

Kim is finishing up one last class, and then she is officially done with school. It’s taken a great deal of sacrifice, and to show how proud I am of her, I surprised her with an overnight trip to San Francisco on Friday to see Phantom of the Opera.

To be clear, I’m not a fan of opera or live theater, so the thought of combining them was less than exciting; that said, Phantom is one of Kim’s favorite things, and sometimes in marriage we have to make sacrifices…

The performance was surprisingly enjoyable, as was our stay in the newly-renovated Hotel Abri. But the best part of the trip was getting lost (as in, submerged) in the city. We love San Francisco: the food, the culture(s), the history and architecture.

We love that it’s not hard to find a hole-in-the-wall for dinner, and that during a short walk it’s possible to lose count of the languages overheard.

We love that everything is accessible on foot.

We love that anything goes—fashion is subjective (though the tighter, it seems, the better), and relationships have no boundaries.

Above all, we love having an evening away.