Just another day in the life of Survivor CMTP

The Friday after the accounting test, our entire group all participated in Habitat for Humanity.  It was for a great cause and provided a really good team building activity for all of us after such a stressful week and a half of accounting.  We met over at Wholesale U where a bus was waiting to take us over to Oakland (just across the bay bridge).  When we arrived at the Habitat site in Oakland, we immediately put on hard hats and walked over to the construction site.  And I mean, construction site.  Instead of building just one house, this Habitat was building a condo/duplex of 16 houses.  All the condos/duplexes were green houses made with natural materials, energy efficienty appliances, and solar energy panels.   We were making the framing, so we didn't see all the "green" features; however, they had some finished buildings there we could see.  After introductions, they quickly broke us up into groups.  I absolutely did not want to do painting or siding, so I was on the "Lumber Jack" team.  Little did I know that it would be the hardest working team that day.  As part of hte Lumber Jacks, our job was to sort through wood 2x4, 3x9, 2x6's, etch, remove nails,  and move lumbar to various locations of the site.  We moved wood.  Lots and lots of it.  We're pretty sure that we moved wood piles around right back where we started.  Kind of like moving paper around on a desk, we did that with lumbar on the site.  Tony's favorite quote of the day (by me), "Where did ALL this wood come from!?  This was not here thirty minutes ago?"  Oh yeah, we had another pile to move.  Not happy.

This is the view of the City as we drove across the Bay Bridge.

Team "Lumber Jacks".  The is the before picture.  Look how nice and refreshed we look.

Port-O-Potty Time Machine.  The weather has been so pleasant since being here - mid sixties to maybe low seventies.  Of Course, the day we do Habitat, it was over 80 degrees and a day full of hot sun.  I had to change into shorts, I was hot (check the red face).  All we had was Port-O-Potties.  We were nastified.

This is me and my girl Alison.  She super fun and I love her.  She was a "LumberJack" as well.

Lunch break.  Geez, I look like hell. Another 3 hours to go.

The ice cream man came around at lunch.  This is Leda (my roommate) with her Dora the Expolorer ice cream.  It looks just like her!

This is our entire group.  Linda applied for a grant from the Foundation and we presented Habitat with a $25,000 check. 

Lorenza and her apprenticeship with Ian.  They were cutting all the step ups for stairs in all the condos/duplexes.  You really can't tell in the photo, but she was completely covered in sawdust.  She looked like she had bathed in it.  It was really funny.

"Lumbar Jacks" at the end of the day with our team lead Andy. 

anybody seen the thermostat?

I can't seem to find it.  (Ohh, that's right, there is no thermostat.  Clermont Ferrand anyone?)

And the Winner is....

The first Sunday, Joanne and Caroline invited all the girls over to watch the Oscars.  It was fun for the girls to get together and just hang out.  Caroline and Joanne were super hosts and as it turns out, they are quite the cooks.  Caroline made these fabulous brushetta with ricotta cheese and honey.  Sounds a little different, but it was awesome.  She wrote down the recipe for me.  I was happy. 

From left to right:  Julie, Caroline, Veronica, Leda, Cynthia, Alison, Lorenza, Tatyiana, Joanne, and me.

At Your Own Risk

No lie, this is posted in the garage in our apartment complex.

Living In a Linear World

ACCOUNTING:  Accounting is the "language" spoken in the financial world, and as such, is a criticial component of CMTP.  Therefore, the first 10 days of CMTP began with the accounting review followed by an 8 hour accounting exam.  The exam counts towards 30% of our overall grade in CMTP and everyone was trying really hard to do well and score high - it is the heaviest weighted component of 5 tests that we will take out here over the next five months.

Monday morning began accounting review.  We had class 8 hours a day, for 10 days, including Saturday, with only one Sunday off.  That totals a year's worth of accounting that we had to learn and would be tested on. Not a typo.  A full year's worth of accounting in 10 days!  On top of hour hours of class, we typically had several hours of homework and or studying every night after class, which totaled to 12 and 14 hour days of accounting.  We were exhausted.  However, considering the long hours of accounting, we did have the best teacher in the world;  CJ Skinner.  CJ has been a professor at both Duke and UNC, is a traning consultant for several, high profile companies, and is currently finalizing publishing his accounting book.  He could quite possibly be one of the smartest people I've ever come across.  He's quite the character.  He describes himself as obsessive compulsive (which he is completely aware of, and even perhaps, like), sleep deprived, and exceedingly organized.  He always wears a suit (including Saturday and Sundays), with braces and french cuffs.  Ties are worn on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and bow ties are worn Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  He arranges his dollar bills by serial number, socks and undewear are alphabatized (straight from his Bio), and he "charts everything imaginable".  He relates to lines from songs, and starts every class with song lines and movie quotes.  He knows thousands of them.  Given the intensity of the class, he actually made accounting. 

CJ Skinner.

This is CJ "sucking in" for his picture when I told him I was going to post it on my blog.  He wears suits everyday.  Jackets are always worn in the morning, and then can be taken off in the afternoon.

CJ keeps a tally for all of his song lines and movie quotes.  I wasn't so hot on the lines or quotes, but I did know all the celebrity back storis behing them.  First point, knowing that Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father. 

Does your brain hurt?  Mine does.

Home Sweet Home.

Upon arriving in San Fran, we quickly moved into our "new home".  Considering the various apartments provided, Leda and I were lucky enough to have an updated apartment with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and good sized rooms and closets.  The apartment comes furnished.  While not the most updated, the furniture us nice and purposeful.  And the couch is surprising comfortable.  Included, is all the wonderful pleasantries of the 4 lane highway that is roughly three blocks from our wall of windows.  Yes, traffic, cars, and trucks are my white noise that I get to enjoy 24 hours a day (get excited!).  And don't forget Mr. Dumptruck that comes 5:45 Monday mornings.  Yeah - heard you loud and clear. All in all, we are pretty lucky considering some of the other apartments are straight from circa 1975, but the noise is definitely taking some used to.

We could only take the motel 6 comforters for about 1 day until we decided we just couldn't deal.  On Saturday we walked to Union Square and hit up the local Ross.  Leda and I found the most awesome, soft, fluffy blankets  (for $15!) to replace the cock roach motel bedding.  And being Green in San Francisco, I was able to repurpase the nasty comforter.  It is now my new drape (that has been so lovely nailed to the ceiling - basics people, basics) that blocks out the blinding sun in the morning.

Being here in San Fran reminds me alot of Clermon Ferrand (this one's for you Aundie).  We have all the bare necessities to get by, but that's about it.  We were provided the absolute minimam basics, but other than that, you're on your own.  Saturday we ventured out and went grocery shopping for the next week at Safeway.  Shopping takes on a whole new element when you know you have to carry them home 20 blocks.  Meals were strategically purchased and size and weight had a major impact on our buying decision.  We brought our backpacks and bags to ease the burden of the carry.  But it's all about the experience, right.  We'll be grocery shoppin again in about two days.

Nothing can do justice like some pictures.  Luckily for you, I have included some for your're enjoyment.

Leda and I met at the SFO airport.  Here's me with all of our bags. 

The view from our balcony.  Highway, two blocks, maybe.

My life in five bags.

We've had some technical difficulties since we arrived here in San Fran so I'm alittle late on posting this, but better late than never.  Here's the next five months of my life wrapped up in five bags.  Pretty good I'll say.

March Fouth and Move

Today is moving day.  So crazy - we knew this day was coming but can't believe it's actually here.  Packing was much harder than I anticipated.  Trying to figure out what you are going to need for the next five months was way harder than I had planned. But three suitcases and $160 later, here I am.  Leda, my new roommate, is awesome.   Our flights arrived at the same time in San Fran so we strategically met up and took a cab to our new apartment.  Our pairing could not have been more perfect; we have an uncanny amount in common. Let's review:

Age - check.
Newly Wed - check.
Previous position - check
Time dating spouse - check
Purchased home in Oct 2008 - check.

Yes, Leda and I are two peas in a pod!