goOood morning world! (namely, lynn & daisy ;) today is my 7th official day as a san francisco resident, and wat a beautifully dreary and overcast saturday morning it is. still, it's sf in all of its colorful and compact glory. i have to admit, my first week has been a little disorienting, with the new hood and faces, but i'm hoping that sentiment will melt away with a little time.

my week thus far: the first 3 were spent accoutering my room (my fave new piece of furniture: a $35 futon from ikea of simple wooden slats and ingeniously efficient design; perfect for playing a little sudoku before bedtime. que?: www.sudokuweb.com), the next 3 diligently starting my study regime, and the last 24 hours, taking a much needed cerebral break (tg for f's!)(haha, f as in fridays!).

so far i like 2006 much better than 2005, but i only have 2 weeks to compare to 52 so no conclusions yet. still, it's been a great beginning, starting with snowboarding at northstar with the cuz, her hubby, and his buddies. i was so set on skiing b/c my last snowboarding experience was ever so painful and tortuously unending (it took me a good hour+ to get down the bunny slope), but my cuz-in-law (peter) being the persuasive business man he is, convinced me to go snowboarding with the rest of the pack.

first run, we go up a gondola, a ski lift, another ski lift, and TWO more to get to the PEAK. wtf. it's raining and snowstorms are looming. and still we proceed. the first 50 feet down the hill, i fall every 5 feet. that's 10 falls for u lazy 'uns. but really 20 because as soon as i would get up, i'd fall back down in the other direction. 50 more feet and 19 more falls later, i'm still on the first slope, of ten. the guys are patiently waiting for me and watching every fall, with amusement i'm sure.

it actually looks pretty funny. when the front of the snowboard gets caught in the ice, it stops you dead in your tracks. by the 50th fall, i was so exhausted i would just fall on my knees and go flat, face first. then i'd push myself up with all the energy i had left, using muscles that had atrophied over the months of inactivity. as peter (the man with the great ideas) described it, "it looked like you'd gotten shot, HAHA. i could hear 'eye of the tiger' playing each time u were pushing yourself up." O_______o

so where does the "great start to o6" begin? after snowboarding. ehehe, jk. i actually luv it now. i almost went again last saturday! picked it up after my 1000th fall and started enjoying the riiide. actually, technically, this is before NY day but it's part and parcel of the whole NYE experience. the next 2 days were spent in reeno, eating, betting, drinking, dancing, etc... NYE is a bluuurrr. all i kno is, advil (for the post-snowboarding aches) and grey goose do not mix well, and good, trustworthy company makes all the difference.

my sister is her to study with me (yes, i had her come all the way up here to keep me company) (and bring me food) so updates are to be continued at a later date. :) and i'll get pix up later. :))