So I'm beginning my third month in the Bay Area and a lot has happened. After the new year, I returned back to the Bay Area after spending the holidays in Portland. It was nice seeing family and returning with a greater sense of independence, but I'd be lying if I said that my time here in the Bay hasn't been trying. It's hard to believe that I've only been here for 2 months, but I suppose that's what happens as you get older: the passage of time catches you off guard. I had gone to Portland in the midst of talking with multiple places about the possibility of employment and actually ended up receiving an internship offer, which came as a huge relief. It's encouraging to see some sort of by product and receive validation rather than just continue to feel as if I'm toiling away. But once I returned to Oakland, I learned a few days into 2015 that I would have to move out of my place at the end of the month due to some housing issues. I guess I never wanted life to be boring. A majority of January was spent weighing my employment options, imminent future, and housing options. As someone who does not enjoy a lot of uncertainty I believe I handled January well. I reached out to anyone and just about everyone, started volunteering with the Bay Area Disc Association to try to network, and even looked through Craigslist for potential housing and employment options.
I suppose the take away from January is an increased appreciation for my own grittiness, resiliency, and understanding. I've kind of known my whole life that worrying is typically moot and not constructive. Despite that I've always seemed to be a worrier. But January I found myself feeling calm and confident things would work out. I ended up accepting an internship with Equilar in Redwood City, which in turn determined where I should move. In the end it seemed as if my sequence of events actually ended up leading to a ideal situation. I now live in Burlingame, a suburb of SF that's about half way between SF and San Jose. I'm currently renting out the room of this woman's son while he's away at college. The fit has been surprisingly good as she works as a waitress in SF at nights, I work during the days. In a way we trade off shifts at the apartment.
To explain the title of my post, I recently went on a tinder date with a girl from UC Berkeley and the internship I accepted in Redwood City is focused on researching executive compensation trends of top companies through their filings with the SEC. Both the date and the internship are reasonably ordinary events/things, but even after my first week and a single date there are some memorable moments that are guaranteed to lead to some laughs.
I matched with this girl and we started talking through tinder. She told me that she was into sustainability and development. She genuinely seemed down to earth and we had some great discussion about sustainability, shared what seemed like a similar sense of humor, and enjoyed similar foods. As we talked about foods naturally some suggestions came out and she mentioned she had never been to a place in downtown Berkeley that serves Cajun food, but heard positive things. I used the opening to suggest we check it out together, which she surprisingly agreed to. We met up on Friday night, her idea not mine, and as I sat outside on a wooden bench I was nervous. I mean I had never done this before! As the agreed upon meeting time came closer and passed, I got nervous about the idea of being stood up. It really wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but being stood up is never good for one's confidence. When she finally showed up, only 3 three minutes (read: eternities) late, we proceeded to have an awkward meeting, followed by an awkward meal.
The restaurant was dimly lit, suggesting a romantic ambiance, but boy was I in for a treat. I will admit she was attractive and definitely seemed like someone that'd be worth getting to know, but I would not be so fortunate. In a way, we both didn't really take the date seriously, the food was good, but our conversation and similar interests failed to produce a faint spark or even hint at an ounce of chemistry. The awkwardness wasn't the highest, but the silences or unsure glances were in peak form. We ended up doing a short walk around Berkeley campus, which is bonkers beautiful, and I walked her back to her place. The whole time, like high schoolers on a first date, it was like we didn't know what to do with each other. I ended the date by saying, "Welp...I'll see ya." Don't worry fathers out there your daughters are safe with me.
As for the internship story, the place where I work is pretty cool. We collect and report executive compensation data. While that might sound ambiguous or not too exciting, what's cool is what comes out of it. Information about how companies are paying their CEOs, CFOs, CAOs, etc. How those same people are being paid, when those people are coming into the roles, if you've ever been interested in what the top 1% does, here's a window into that world. Anyway, the story comes from the first company meeting, held on my 3rd or 4th day. So I'm still brand new and have only met a few people in the office. We gather in the lounge, an open room that has a foosball table, ping pong table, refrigerators, coffee maker, arcade, tv. A generally pretty cool place. As I enter the room I find out there are various snacks and drinks. So the meeting begins and I'm making my way through snack line. I grab some goldfish and go to reach for some chips on the back of the counter. Suddenly, right by my feet, there's the sound of a Costco size bag of gold fish pouring as quickly as possible onto the floor. And that's because that's exactly what happened. Apparently as I reached for the chips towards the back, the weight shifted just enough in the goldfish bag to tilt it enough to fall off the counter. Needless to say many first impressions were made expertly.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Making it in America Pt. 1
Hey guys,
It's been a while since Vinh Watch. The exciting news is that it's coming back, but this is gonna be more serious and way less self-deprecating . Since I graduated in May I moved to Portland, lived in my sister's basement until about a day ago. While living there I spent a lot of my time playing ultimate, being depressed about my life changes, and spending a lot of time nursing my bruised self worth. I missed my friends, my old house, my routine, and my college life style. I'm not really sure what happened but something pulled me out of the gutter. I found a job I was really excited about in San Francisco, started working part time to earn a little bit of money, and tried my hardest to make the move to the Bay Area. For a while it didn't seem possible and I fell back into the gutter a little bit. But I suppose with the pressure of responsibility and growing pains I decided I had to do something and there wasn't time or space to be unhappy. So as of yesterday, December 3rd I moved to Oakland, CA. I packed a duffel and a back pack, said my good-byes, and hopped on a plane.
I landed in Oakland with a little over 2 months rent, no job, and close to zero connections. As I navigated the BART and eventually found my way to the yellow line headed East, I relaxed and checked myself. Here I was, 22, out on my own without a clue what I was doing and all before noon. The train pulled into MacArthur and I exited the station with little understanding of what direction to head or what the area was like. I had my smartphone, but the downpour of rain discouraged excessive checking of directions. I had flown in my suit to avoid the hassle of fitting it into a bag. My brown wingtips splashed in the rain and I worried about the leather. I knew the house I'd be moving into was about 8 blocks away so I trudged my bags along as quickly as I could. I reached the corner of Martin Luther King and 34th. I turned right knowing the house was just part way down the block. I finally found the magical numbers after what seemed longer than the ten minute walk Google Maps had promised me. The house was smaller than I was expecting, the pictures online had made it seem extravagant, but I quickly remembered how much I was paying a month and it all made sense. The light purple exterior seemed to blend well with the overcast grey skies as I climbed up the driveway with my bags. Once I reached the stoop and rang the bell, I took a deep breath.
Natasha greeted me at the door and I felt a lot of relief. I wasn't lost! I came into the house worried about bringing in a small lake with me. The umbrella had unfortunately done a better job of getting my bags wet while it was allegedly keeping me dry. I took my shoes off and Natasha instantly began making me feel welcome. "How was the flight?" she asked along with other pleasantries. Her scottish accent adding a particular tenderness. She couldn't believe that I had walked from the station in the rain instead of taking a lyft, which honestly hadn't crossed my mind. She gave me a detailed tour and I instantly felt comfortable and excited. She showed me the finer nuances of the washer dryer tucked away in a small room behind the kitchen as well as what she was currently working on, styrofoam cakes and painting chairs. Her two dogs, which names and breeds escape me at the moment, warmed up to me instantly jumping and wagging their tails with excitement I hope is reserved for a few special people. Needless to say the house was excellent, especially compared to what I'm used to.
The first day was spent learning a lot about the house, going to a Walgreen's nearby to pick up, and forget, a few necessities. My bedroom was completely empty, no furniture, no bed which I had known about before but didn't really do anything to remedy the situation. Oops. Luckily Natasha pulled out a plethora of blankets and a pillow and Brian, her husband, was kind enough to pull an extra queen out of the shed around back for me. I spent a lot of the afternoon looking for furniture, with little clue of where the items were located, and looking at jobs. I found an Ikea desk, dresser, and desk chair combo for $50. So I don't have a job, money, or a car, but at least I found some furniture. So I have that going for me, which is nice. I had meant to write a letter, prepare for an interview with Trumaker, and apply for quite a few jobs and find furniture, but I really applied to one or two jobs and found furniture. Not a big deal I suppose.
I went downtown early to meet up with my sister An, and she quickly showed me the famous start-up work pace. We met for coffee, change to lunch, and then I quickly ended up foraging for food on my own all within 3 minutes because she had to run to a meeting. No big deal, my relationship with An has always kind of been like that. Still nice to see her regardless. She was kind to point me in the direction of a great sandwich shop/cafe, but I ended up going to grab a bite of pizza instead. Shhhh don't tell An. After my quick lunch I hopped back on BART and continued to Powell station and exited into Union Square, a shopping mecca of sorts in downtown San Francisco. It brought memories of Hong Kong and Tokyo to mind as store signs hung off the sides of buildings and it looked like finding a way to the shops was a prerequisite to joining the shopping club. As I headed towards Trumaker, about a 15 minute walk from the station I noticed the Bonobos guideshop, the store that drew me to the area to begin with. I made a note to come back before I returned home and walked on. I wore my only suit, a grey one-button, with a small checked red dress shirt and a navy silver polka dot tie. Needless to say I was in full young professional mode, backpack included.
After my interview with Trumaker I walked 20 minutes to Chambers, a restaurant-lounge-bar recommended to me by Natasha to meet with the owner/managers. Turns out they don't open till 5 and it was about a quarter after 3. I had about two hours to kill so I walked another 20 minutes back to Union Square to check out the Bonobos guideshop. After an awkward encounter with trying to figure out how to get into the door to access the second floor, I came out of the elevator and was greeted by the intimate atmosphere and met some of the employees. Mike, a UC Davis grad, told me he had started about two weeks ago and loved it. He showed me around, talked to me about my experience, and was generally excited about me being there. The employees encouraged me to come back to meet Cheeree, the manager. I felt good leaving there today about my chances of working there. I still had about an hour to kill before Chambers was open so I decided I'd pick up some groceries from Trader Joe's, another 20 minutes away. I picked up some pasta, bell peppers, mushrooms, greens, bread, and cookie butter. I packed the light groceries into my backpack and headed to Chambers. The atmosphere at Chambers was really relaxed, the lighting was dark, and low-key. After a brief meeting with Stacy the general manager I took a Lyft to the BART station and returned home. Overall, I'd say today was a pretty good day. I still haven't gotten to writing that letter but there's still time tonight.
You guys can expect to hear more from me again. I'm not sure how often or how much, but I'm back.
Best wishes,
Vinh
It's been a while since Vinh Watch. The exciting news is that it's coming back, but this is gonna be more serious and way less self-deprecating . Since I graduated in May I moved to Portland, lived in my sister's basement until about a day ago. While living there I spent a lot of my time playing ultimate, being depressed about my life changes, and spending a lot of time nursing my bruised self worth. I missed my friends, my old house, my routine, and my college life style. I'm not really sure what happened but something pulled me out of the gutter. I found a job I was really excited about in San Francisco, started working part time to earn a little bit of money, and tried my hardest to make the move to the Bay Area. For a while it didn't seem possible and I fell back into the gutter a little bit. But I suppose with the pressure of responsibility and growing pains I decided I had to do something and there wasn't time or space to be unhappy. So as of yesterday, December 3rd I moved to Oakland, CA. I packed a duffel and a back pack, said my good-byes, and hopped on a plane.
I landed in Oakland with a little over 2 months rent, no job, and close to zero connections. As I navigated the BART and eventually found my way to the yellow line headed East, I relaxed and checked myself. Here I was, 22, out on my own without a clue what I was doing and all before noon. The train pulled into MacArthur and I exited the station with little understanding of what direction to head or what the area was like. I had my smartphone, but the downpour of rain discouraged excessive checking of directions. I had flown in my suit to avoid the hassle of fitting it into a bag. My brown wingtips splashed in the rain and I worried about the leather. I knew the house I'd be moving into was about 8 blocks away so I trudged my bags along as quickly as I could. I reached the corner of Martin Luther King and 34th. I turned right knowing the house was just part way down the block. I finally found the magical numbers after what seemed longer than the ten minute walk Google Maps had promised me. The house was smaller than I was expecting, the pictures online had made it seem extravagant, but I quickly remembered how much I was paying a month and it all made sense. The light purple exterior seemed to blend well with the overcast grey skies as I climbed up the driveway with my bags. Once I reached the stoop and rang the bell, I took a deep breath.
Natasha greeted me at the door and I felt a lot of relief. I wasn't lost! I came into the house worried about bringing in a small lake with me. The umbrella had unfortunately done a better job of getting my bags wet while it was allegedly keeping me dry. I took my shoes off and Natasha instantly began making me feel welcome. "How was the flight?" she asked along with other pleasantries. Her scottish accent adding a particular tenderness. She couldn't believe that I had walked from the station in the rain instead of taking a lyft, which honestly hadn't crossed my mind. She gave me a detailed tour and I instantly felt comfortable and excited. She showed me the finer nuances of the washer dryer tucked away in a small room behind the kitchen as well as what she was currently working on, styrofoam cakes and painting chairs. Her two dogs, which names and breeds escape me at the moment, warmed up to me instantly jumping and wagging their tails with excitement I hope is reserved for a few special people. Needless to say the house was excellent, especially compared to what I'm used to.
The first day was spent learning a lot about the house, going to a Walgreen's nearby to pick up, and forget, a few necessities. My bedroom was completely empty, no furniture, no bed which I had known about before but didn't really do anything to remedy the situation. Oops. Luckily Natasha pulled out a plethora of blankets and a pillow and Brian, her husband, was kind enough to pull an extra queen out of the shed around back for me. I spent a lot of the afternoon looking for furniture, with little clue of where the items were located, and looking at jobs. I found an Ikea desk, dresser, and desk chair combo for $50. So I don't have a job, money, or a car, but at least I found some furniture. So I have that going for me, which is nice. I had meant to write a letter, prepare for an interview with Trumaker, and apply for quite a few jobs and find furniture, but I really applied to one or two jobs and found furniture. Not a big deal I suppose.
Day 2
I woke up early today to get ready for my interview, remembered I needed to figure out how I was going to haul the desk, dresser, and chair to my house, and make breakfast. I realized immediately upon brushing my teeth last night and hopping in the shower this morning that I had forgotten quite a few things from Walgreen's, namely tooth paste and shower soap. Luckily Natasha saved the day again with some hotel shampoo and travel size tooth paste. So far I think they've given me way more accommodations than any other place I've ever lived, even the dorms at St. Olaf.I went downtown early to meet up with my sister An, and she quickly showed me the famous start-up work pace. We met for coffee, change to lunch, and then I quickly ended up foraging for food on my own all within 3 minutes because she had to run to a meeting. No big deal, my relationship with An has always kind of been like that. Still nice to see her regardless. She was kind to point me in the direction of a great sandwich shop/cafe, but I ended up going to grab a bite of pizza instead. Shhhh don't tell An. After my quick lunch I hopped back on BART and continued to Powell station and exited into Union Square, a shopping mecca of sorts in downtown San Francisco. It brought memories of Hong Kong and Tokyo to mind as store signs hung off the sides of buildings and it looked like finding a way to the shops was a prerequisite to joining the shopping club. As I headed towards Trumaker, about a 15 minute walk from the station I noticed the Bonobos guideshop, the store that drew me to the area to begin with. I made a note to come back before I returned home and walked on. I wore my only suit, a grey one-button, with a small checked red dress shirt and a navy silver polka dot tie. Needless to say I was in full young professional mode, backpack included.
After my interview with Trumaker I walked 20 minutes to Chambers, a restaurant-lounge-bar recommended to me by Natasha to meet with the owner/managers. Turns out they don't open till 5 and it was about a quarter after 3. I had about two hours to kill so I walked another 20 minutes back to Union Square to check out the Bonobos guideshop. After an awkward encounter with trying to figure out how to get into the door to access the second floor, I came out of the elevator and was greeted by the intimate atmosphere and met some of the employees. Mike, a UC Davis grad, told me he had started about two weeks ago and loved it. He showed me around, talked to me about my experience, and was generally excited about me being there. The employees encouraged me to come back to meet Cheeree, the manager. I felt good leaving there today about my chances of working there. I still had about an hour to kill before Chambers was open so I decided I'd pick up some groceries from Trader Joe's, another 20 minutes away. I picked up some pasta, bell peppers, mushrooms, greens, bread, and cookie butter. I packed the light groceries into my backpack and headed to Chambers. The atmosphere at Chambers was really relaxed, the lighting was dark, and low-key. After a brief meeting with Stacy the general manager I took a Lyft to the BART station and returned home. Overall, I'd say today was a pretty good day. I still haven't gotten to writing that letter but there's still time tonight.
You guys can expect to hear more from me again. I'm not sure how often or how much, but I'm back.
Best wishes,
Vinh
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Vinh Watch 2012: Day 41 and 42
I know I ruined some trust bonds with that atrocious last round of Vinh Watch updates, but I promise this round is better and definitely worth reading. Albeit shorter, it's still better (like me!). One other thing, I'm now pretty adept at living on my own so hilarious happenings are fewer and far between. Also, there's only about ten days remaining in my pseudo-adult life since I'm going to Texas August 1st and will be with my parents. I've really settled into a routine this last month and the problems have become more and more everyday: being too lazy to wash the dishes, going to work, trying to cook not-terrible food, sorting mail, writing letters and thank you cards, sending letters and thank you cards. They've become less of something I can find humor in and something I have to deal with on a consistent basis. That being said maybe some hilarious things will happen to me while I'm in Texas, but to be honest, I see Vinh Watch coming to an end here very soon. There is hope on the horizon however, as I am playing in MUDI, an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in the twin cities, at the end of this month AND I have to find a means to get to the airport on August 1st so keep your fingers crossed that things will not go smoothly for me (it's a little strange to tell other people to hope for misfortune for yourself...). Now I know the end of Vinh Watch is something to be sad about, but there's really no reason to weep. After all, I'm just some dude who made his life out to be more dramatic and tragic than it really was. I hope you enjoyed "watching" me as much as I have enjoyed writing this.
"Don't be sad that it ended, be happy that it happened." - Me, trying to think of that quote by Dr. Seuss about not being sad, but being happy instead.
That being said, here is possibly the final Vinh Watch update.
July 13, 2012
Day 41:
4:45 P.M. - Vinh meets up with Emily to learn how to drive a stick shift. Emily teaches Vinh on a straight road by a park is town that is isolated from any roads with significant traffic. In retrospect, a wise decision. She explains the technique of driving stick which Vinh is able to understand. Vinh's confidence is high as he gets behind the wheel. What he thought would go as smoothly as a dream soon turns to a nightmare that begins as he immediately stalls the car. Vinh sees it as a minor set back, but subconsciously he knows that this does not forebode well. He struggles to turn the car on despite this process being the same as in any car. His second attempt begins optimistically but is short lived as he stalls once again. A theme that he would become all too familiar. He continues to stall for the next several attempts and with each and every rough and jerky stop-and-start Vinh swears while Emily gives him kind and reassuring words. Patience begins to wear thin, but through divine intervention Vinh is able to get the car rolling, but the start is about as smooth as a teenager's face. Vinh reaches the end of the road and begins to panic as he realizes that he is headed towards real traffic. His prayers are answered as the car stalls. Frustration reaches a new high and Emily finds comfort in peanut butter M&M's. After a number of tries Vinh is able to turn the car around but stalls shifting into the ever elusive second gear. More swearing and M&M's happen. Vinh reaches the end of the road and attempts to turn around with reassurance and borrowed confidence from Emily. This is tricky because he must shift gears multiple times. Something he is able to do with the consistency of love at first sight. He predictably stalls the car as he shifts for the first time into reverse. The car is posistioned so that he is blocking both lanes of traffic. As he attempts to start the car again an older gentleman on a bicycle rides by to witness the comedy of Vinh's personal anguish. Vinh feels the embarrassment of a adolescent who has committed a social faux pas at a popular kids birthday party. Vinh stalls once or twice as the cyclist rides by. Vinh finally starts the car and surrenders, embarrassed and incompetent.
Final counts:
Stalls - 30, possibly more. Definitely more. Witnesses: 2 (include Emily) Deaths: 0 Damages to Emily's car: TBD
5:30 P.M. -7:00 P.M. - Vinh plays pick up Ultimate in steady rain and lightning. Despite this they play on. The lightning and thunder provide a delicate background as the group enjoys their time, but the fun and games could all end with a fateful chance and a single strike of lightning. The group, feeling brave, mocks the storm and tempts fate by making famous last words jokes, mainly consisting of "YOLO". Luckily, no one would have to eat their words.
July 14, 2012 Day 42
1:24 P.M. - Vinh receives a call from his mother and ends up talking to his older sister. She offers praise for his literary genius exhibited on Vinh watch, but reminds him to maintain a professional public profile if he ever hopes to make big money. Vinh understands, but is frustrated that Vinh Watch, with its good natured and entertaining self loathing cannot be left alone to simply exist. Vinh feels like an angsty pre-teen girl crying to be left alone. He regrettably cannot simply say, "Sorry for partying".
4:43 P.M. - Vinh's D-III nationals pint glass meets its maker as it is shattered in a dishwashing accident. The bowl Vinh was washing slipped from his supple grasp and shattered the lip on the glass. Shards flew through the end and Vinh was left as a shaken and shattered (too soon?) shell of himself. They say the good die young. Vinh has never known this to be more true than today.
"Don't be sad that it ended, be happy that it happened." - Me, trying to think of that quote by Dr. Seuss about not being sad, but being happy instead.
That being said, here is possibly the final Vinh Watch update.
July 13, 2012
Day 41:
4:45 P.M. - Vinh meets up with Emily to learn how to drive a stick shift. Emily teaches Vinh on a straight road by a park is town that is isolated from any roads with significant traffic. In retrospect, a wise decision. She explains the technique of driving stick which Vinh is able to understand. Vinh's confidence is high as he gets behind the wheel. What he thought would go as smoothly as a dream soon turns to a nightmare that begins as he immediately stalls the car. Vinh sees it as a minor set back, but subconsciously he knows that this does not forebode well. He struggles to turn the car on despite this process being the same as in any car. His second attempt begins optimistically but is short lived as he stalls once again. A theme that he would become all too familiar. He continues to stall for the next several attempts and with each and every rough and jerky stop-and-start Vinh swears while Emily gives him kind and reassuring words. Patience begins to wear thin, but through divine intervention Vinh is able to get the car rolling, but the start is about as smooth as a teenager's face. Vinh reaches the end of the road and begins to panic as he realizes that he is headed towards real traffic. His prayers are answered as the car stalls. Frustration reaches a new high and Emily finds comfort in peanut butter M&M's. After a number of tries Vinh is able to turn the car around but stalls shifting into the ever elusive second gear. More swearing and M&M's happen. Vinh reaches the end of the road and attempts to turn around with reassurance and borrowed confidence from Emily. This is tricky because he must shift gears multiple times. Something he is able to do with the consistency of love at first sight. He predictably stalls the car as he shifts for the first time into reverse. The car is posistioned so that he is blocking both lanes of traffic. As he attempts to start the car again an older gentleman on a bicycle rides by to witness the comedy of Vinh's personal anguish. Vinh feels the embarrassment of a adolescent who has committed a social faux pas at a popular kids birthday party. Vinh stalls once or twice as the cyclist rides by. Vinh finally starts the car and surrenders, embarrassed and incompetent.
Final counts:
Stalls - 30, possibly more. Definitely more. Witnesses: 2 (include Emily) Deaths: 0 Damages to Emily's car: TBD
5:30 P.M. -7:00 P.M. - Vinh plays pick up Ultimate in steady rain and lightning. Despite this they play on. The lightning and thunder provide a delicate background as the group enjoys their time, but the fun and games could all end with a fateful chance and a single strike of lightning. The group, feeling brave, mocks the storm and tempts fate by making famous last words jokes, mainly consisting of "YOLO". Luckily, no one would have to eat their words.
July 14, 2012 Day 42
1:24 P.M. - Vinh receives a call from his mother and ends up talking to his older sister. She offers praise for his literary genius exhibited on Vinh watch, but reminds him to maintain a professional public profile if he ever hopes to make big money. Vinh understands, but is frustrated that Vinh Watch, with its good natured and entertaining self loathing cannot be left alone to simply exist. Vinh feels like an angsty pre-teen girl crying to be left alone. He regrettably cannot simply say, "Sorry for partying".
4:43 P.M. - Vinh's D-III nationals pint glass meets its maker as it is shattered in a dishwashing accident. The bowl Vinh was washing slipped from his supple grasp and shattered the lip on the glass. Shards flew through the end and Vinh was left as a shaken and shattered (too soon?) shell of himself. They say the good die young. Vinh has never known this to be more true than today.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Vinh Watch 2012: Day 32 - 39
July 4, 2012 Day 32
3:00 P.M. Vinh goes tubing on the Canon River with two friends. About half way down he realizes that he left his car keys in his friend's car. This is notable as Vinh's car is where they plan on ending their tubing time. This realization is followed by some swearing, laughing, and guilt.
5:38 P.M. Vinh is luckily able to retrieve his cell phone from his car and is able to call a cab back to town. Laura is especially lucky since she did not have shoes and the walk back to town on gravel would most likely have spelled death for her.
10:00 P.M. Vinh receives a call from Thomas "Bonewolf" Cullen and confusedly talks to him for about ten minutes about hanging out. Vinh is reluctant to hang out as he must rise early for work the next day. Vinh is confused because the person on the phone does not sound like Tommy and claims to have a surprise for him. Vinh wonders if it will be about as exciting as the prizes found at the bottom of a cereal box.
10:23 P.M.The surprise is none other than Erik Larsen. He was also the person on the phone. They drive to campus to watch the fireworks on the top floor of Regents Hall.
10:30 P.M. They arrive at Regents and run into some friends. They learn that the fireworks they had intended to watched had just ended. So far hanging out has only resulted in failure.
July 5, 2012 Day 33
1:00 P.M. Vinh has a match at Shakopee. Two players arrive and Vinh must face the embarrassment of defaulting a majority of his matches and he wonders who thought a match the day after the fourth of July was a good idea. A possible "no fun zone" alert.
7:00 P.M. Vinh makes jean cutoffs from an old pair of jeans. Considers it one of his best life choices in recent memory.
July 11, 2012 Day 39
6:00 A.M. Vinh wakes up after only about two hours of sleep. His insomnia chooses the worst possible nights to be exceptional. Vinh struggles with short term memory loss as he prepares for a tournament in Mankato. He makes a lunch and heads to the high school to meet with parents and players at 7:00 A.M.
8:30 A.M. - 4:13 P.M. Vinh battles fatigue, indifference, and general laziness during his matches as he creates line ups, makes errors assigning courts, and forgets to record scores from his matches. Vinh spends much of the day sitting and staring off into space. Despite this his team manages a second place finish and Northfield sweeps the top three spots at the tournament for U-14s.
4:15 P.M.- 5:15 P.M. Vinh naps the whole way back to Northfield and considers not playing pick up, but goes anyway because the fatigue has made him, pardon the language, "give zero fucks".
5:30 P.M. Cole "Blue Man" Steigler provides a surprise cameo at pick up.
8:13 P.M. As he waits for his laundry, Vinh realizes he has not done Vinh Watch updates in quite some time and decides he needs to comment on some of his activities. He considers that perhaps his life has become too boring and unable to be dramatized.
10:03 P.M. Vinh finishes doing some Vinh Watch updates and considers them to be his worst ones yet. Feels the need to apologize to any readers for wasting their time. While there may be a gem here and there in this batch of updates Vinh feels that overall this does not live up to par for Vinh Watch. Encourages readers to ream him for his flavorless droll.
10:07 P.M.Looks up the word droll to make sure he used it properly. He did not.
10:08 P.M. Vinh tries to hide his tears of shame, but once again fatigue has made him "give no fucks".
Friday, June 29, 2012
Vinh Watch 2012: Day 19 - 28
I know it's been a while since the last Vinh Watch updates but I have a few excuses in my defense. 1) I've been busy with trying to volunteer at a garden in town, unsuccessfully. 2) I've been doin' my thang gurl. I've been working, playing ultimate and generally having fun with friends. 3) I felt like the updates were becoming too often and as a result becoming less and less notable so I decided to cut back. 4) I don't have internet in my house so I have to make a trip to the public library or to Goodbye Blue Monday, a place that so graciously lets me use its internet to my heart's delight. 5) I am lazy.
That being said here are the, possibly long awaited, updates from Vinh Watch 2012!
June 20, 2012: Day 19
-5:00 P.M.
Vinh eats two Twinkies and feels a level of disgust usually reserved for pedophiles and date rapists.
-8:45 P.M.
Vinh makes light of his Twinkie eating by tweeting "Ate 2 twinkies today. #YOLO"
June 24, 2012: Day 23
-1:13 P.M.
Vinh is defeated by the single life. The everyday tasks of cooking and washing dishes has mentally worn him down. The fact that there is almost another month of solitude Vinh thinks perhaps Cole "The Blueman" Steigler will be correct in his prediction of death by the end of summer.
-5:30- 8:30 P.M.
Vinh feels an obscene amount of frustration as he plays terrible during his Sunday night league. It all began with a single missed shot and snowballed until Vinh uncontrollably could only think, "This is horseshit" with every missed shot. I believe there's an old saying, "Some days you poop on the toilet, some days you are the toilet." Vinh was the toilet.
June 27, 2012: Day 26
-12:03 P.M.
Today is offensively hot. Vinh wears a cutoff to work and thinks about how funny it'd be if a tennis tournament gave out cutoffs for t-shirts on his way to work. Enjoys a good chuckle to himself.
-3:40 P.M.
Vinh receives acclaim from one of the players about his blog. The player encourages Vinh to include details of how they played pickup ultimate together and made jokes together today. Vinh wonders why people want him to make Vinh Watch boring.
-5:30-7:00 P.M.
Vinh plays pick up in the outrageously humid and hot weather. He forgets what it is like to be dry as sweat quickly soaks through his clothes. This is weather no cutoff can salvage. He cannot throw any meaningful throws as his hands as perpetually slick from sweat. Considers it the WORST.
-7:15 P.M.
Goes swimming in the cannon river with some girls (no big). Mosquitoes feast upon his blood and he wonders what the odds of being infected with the West Nile Virus are. Then he remembers that he is swimming in the Canon River and is lucky to still have bodily function.
June 28, 2012: Day 27
-4:00 P.M.
Vinh accidently pegs a kid in the nuts while feeding volleys during work. The kid was standing in line and, as if drawn up by the hands of fate, he was putting on a vibration dampener that had fallen off his racquet. Another kid was doing the drill and Vinh fed a high backhand volley that the kid in the drill swung for and missed and Vinh watched as the ball arched and ever so gracefully hit the kid adjusting his dampener. Vinh's apologies fell on deaf ears as the kid had to sit down and complained of feeling sick. Vinh felt as if a strange justice had been served today. This kid slandered Michael Abdella's, a coworker, good name by claiming "Michael eats poop for lunch." Secretly Vinh thought the crudeness and obvious truthless nature of the claim was hilarious.
-8:00 P.M.
Vinh enjoys a nice meal with Abi Enockson. They cook a spaghetti with vegetable and chicken medley that is seasoned with olive oil and salt. Despite being a bear, Abi does not ruin the meal.
June 29, 2012: Day 28
-2:30 A.M.
Vinh is annoyed with a fire alarm in his apartment as he tries to sleep. The alarm seems to be beeping at random. Vinh wonders if it is trying to warn him of carbon monoxide, but doubts the possibility as windows have been open for many hours. Yells in frustration, "What are you trying to tell me?!?" and "What do you want from me?!?" Weeps as he falls asleep.
-11:43 A.M.
Vinh takes a shower and as he washes his face all the warning signs begin to sink in. He tries to ignore them and thinks, "No...this can't be happening to me. There must be some kind of mistake. It's just a little fullness from lunch, that's all." But by the end of his shower he accepts the truth: He has to poop.
-12:10 P.M.
Vinh finishes his post-shower poop and weeps audibly. He exhibits symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as going anywhere near the bathroom leaves him in shambles and he spirals down into a world of uncleanliness, shame, and doubt. This is magnified by the fact that the bathroom is about one fifth of his living space.
-12:18 P.M.
Vinh realizes the random beeping from the fire alarm has stopped and thinks that perhaps there is a chance he can make it in this world. However, he still avoids the bathroom whenever possible.
That being said here are the, possibly long awaited, updates from Vinh Watch 2012!
June 20, 2012: Day 19
-5:00 P.M.
Vinh eats two Twinkies and feels a level of disgust usually reserved for pedophiles and date rapists.
-8:45 P.M.
Vinh makes light of his Twinkie eating by tweeting "Ate 2 twinkies today. #YOLO"
June 24, 2012: Day 23
-1:13 P.M.
Vinh is defeated by the single life. The everyday tasks of cooking and washing dishes has mentally worn him down. The fact that there is almost another month of solitude Vinh thinks perhaps Cole "The Blueman" Steigler will be correct in his prediction of death by the end of summer.
-5:30- 8:30 P.M.
Vinh feels an obscene amount of frustration as he plays terrible during his Sunday night league. It all began with a single missed shot and snowballed until Vinh uncontrollably could only think, "This is horseshit" with every missed shot. I believe there's an old saying, "Some days you poop on the toilet, some days you are the toilet." Vinh was the toilet.
June 27, 2012: Day 26
-12:03 P.M.
Today is offensively hot. Vinh wears a cutoff to work and thinks about how funny it'd be if a tennis tournament gave out cutoffs for t-shirts on his way to work. Enjoys a good chuckle to himself.
-3:40 P.M.
Vinh receives acclaim from one of the players about his blog. The player encourages Vinh to include details of how they played pickup ultimate together and made jokes together today. Vinh wonders why people want him to make Vinh Watch boring.
-5:30-7:00 P.M.
Vinh plays pick up in the outrageously humid and hot weather. He forgets what it is like to be dry as sweat quickly soaks through his clothes. This is weather no cutoff can salvage. He cannot throw any meaningful throws as his hands as perpetually slick from sweat. Considers it the WORST.
-7:15 P.M.
Goes swimming in the cannon river with some girls (no big). Mosquitoes feast upon his blood and he wonders what the odds of being infected with the West Nile Virus are. Then he remembers that he is swimming in the Canon River and is lucky to still have bodily function.
June 28, 2012: Day 27
-4:00 P.M.
Vinh accidently pegs a kid in the nuts while feeding volleys during work. The kid was standing in line and, as if drawn up by the hands of fate, he was putting on a vibration dampener that had fallen off his racquet. Another kid was doing the drill and Vinh fed a high backhand volley that the kid in the drill swung for and missed and Vinh watched as the ball arched and ever so gracefully hit the kid adjusting his dampener. Vinh's apologies fell on deaf ears as the kid had to sit down and complained of feeling sick. Vinh felt as if a strange justice had been served today. This kid slandered Michael Abdella's, a coworker, good name by claiming "Michael eats poop for lunch." Secretly Vinh thought the crudeness and obvious truthless nature of the claim was hilarious.
-8:00 P.M.
Vinh enjoys a nice meal with Abi Enockson. They cook a spaghetti with vegetable and chicken medley that is seasoned with olive oil and salt. Despite being a bear, Abi does not ruin the meal.
June 29, 2012: Day 28
-2:30 A.M.
Vinh is annoyed with a fire alarm in his apartment as he tries to sleep. The alarm seems to be beeping at random. Vinh wonders if it is trying to warn him of carbon monoxide, but doubts the possibility as windows have been open for many hours. Yells in frustration, "What are you trying to tell me?!?" and "What do you want from me?!?" Weeps as he falls asleep.
-11:43 A.M.
Vinh takes a shower and as he washes his face all the warning signs begin to sink in. He tries to ignore them and thinks, "No...this can't be happening to me. There must be some kind of mistake. It's just a little fullness from lunch, that's all." But by the end of his shower he accepts the truth: He has to poop.
-12:10 P.M.
Vinh finishes his post-shower poop and weeps audibly. He exhibits symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as going anywhere near the bathroom leaves him in shambles and he spirals down into a world of uncleanliness, shame, and doubt. This is magnified by the fact that the bathroom is about one fifth of his living space.
-12:18 P.M.
Vinh realizes the random beeping from the fire alarm has stopped and thinks that perhaps there is a chance he can make it in this world. However, he still avoids the bathroom whenever possible.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Vinh Watch 2012 Day 9-15
June 10, 2012 Day 9
Book Count:7
June 11, 2012 Day 10
- 11:08 A.M. Vinh notices his sparse facial hair and makes a mental note that he needs to shave. He realizes that he doesn't really need to, but he should to prevent looking like a pubescent teen...well some things cannot be helped. Wonders what he'd look like with a nice full beard.
- 12:30 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Vinh is worthless at work as fatigue and soreness from Tennis the night before has left his body reluctant and immobile. Highlights from work include: swinging and missing on a U-12's second serve, being responsbile for creating a line-up for Tuesday's match, and debating between an adult small t-shirt or a youth extra large t-shirt. After much deliberation Vinh decides he would rather have his shirt be wider than run a little long and selects a youth extra large.
- 5:30 P.M. Loses a large portion of his pasta dinner after he drops it in the sink while straining the pasta. Wonders what he did to invoke God's wrath.
June 12, 2012 Day 11
-12:00 P.M. Vinh makes his coaching debut for USTA Team Tennis. Disaster ensues as Vinh is unsure of the match format and he realizes half way through winners are determined by total games won rather than matches won. Despite this Vinh's team manages to win by one game. Vinh laughs at his good fortune.
June 13, 2012 Day 12
-11:29 A.M Vinh attempts to set a lineup for today's U12 math. He still has no idea what he is doing. Laughs that some U12 boys will have to play girls doubles. Laughs that they may face possible ridicule from other U12 boys. Laughs that this may give him a small advantage over the other team. Wonders if he is sexist.
-11:38 A.M. Vinh realizes it is raining and that he may not have to coach/work today while watering his Mother's plants.
-1:00 P.M. Vinh has to work.
June 14, 2012 Day 13
-10:02 A.M. Vinh wakes up and notices an extremely dark overcast sky. Vinh wonders if he will have to work.
-12:40 P.M. Vinh has to work. His match against Apple Valley is indoors. He arrives feeling confident that he could go 3-0 this first week coaching. Soon after arriving and seeing the opponents Vinh feels all hope vanish and feels as if he has led these innocent kids into a fucking ambush.
-1:15-2:45 P.M. It was a fucking ambush. Vinh watches helplessly as his team gets rocked. He does his best to help and encourage them, but the other team proves to be too skilled. Vinh's team wins a total of 8 games. Apple Valley wins 48. Vinh now knows how Judas felt betraying Jesus to the Romans.
-6:40 P.M. Vinh goes to move his car as the parking lot near his apartment is flooding. The water reaches mid-calf on Vinh.
-8:43 P.M.Vinh returns after driving around town. Many of the roads are flooded and he cannot get to a friend's house despite trying three different routes. While he is driving he does not notice a high water area until he has already entered it. He proceeds through slowly praying his car makes it through. Vinh counts his lucky charms that he made it through. Realizes he is not Irish and probably should not count lucky charms. As he is washing dishes Vinh reflects on the near incident and nearly drops his pint glass from Division 3 nationals. No one will believe him, but he swears he felt a guardian angel help him hold onto that pint glass.
June 15, 2012 Day 14
- 1:59 A.M. While trying to go to sleep Vinh begins thinking of bad instances to have a +1. After much internal debate Vinh decides the idea is funny enough and he gets up to write down some of them so that he will not forget them after going to sleep.After many attempts of recollection, Vinh cannot remember the funniest one he had thought of, the one that he had decided it was worth it to turn the light on for. Feels a significant hollowness. The bad instances he thought of include: your own wedding, your child's birth, a court appearance, an execution, a surgery, going to the bathroom, a Cheaters confrontation (both sides), and meeting Chris Hanson.
-4:54 P.M. Vinh sees his life flash before his eyes as he is attacked by a wasp in his car. The wasp flew in through an open window and Vinh was instantly paralyzed with fear. He cowers in his seat as he watches the wasp fly back and forth through his car. The wasp seems to be growing frustrated with its inability to escape the car despite the fact that there are two wide open windows. Vinh fears the wasp will sting him out of frustration. At long last the terror subsides and Vinh takes a moment to regroup. He has stared into the eyes of Death today. Vinh is relieved he was attacked by a wasp, the insect, and not a White Anglo Saxon Protestant for he knows that that is a WASP attack he surely would not have survived.
June 16, 2012 Day 15
-4:29 P.M. Vinh catches up on updating Vinh Watch 2012. He knows there is something funny here...
Book Count:7
June 11, 2012 Day 10
- 11:08 A.M. Vinh notices his sparse facial hair and makes a mental note that he needs to shave. He realizes that he doesn't really need to, but he should to prevent looking like a pubescent teen...well some things cannot be helped. Wonders what he'd look like with a nice full beard.
- 12:30 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Vinh is worthless at work as fatigue and soreness from Tennis the night before has left his body reluctant and immobile. Highlights from work include: swinging and missing on a U-12's second serve, being responsbile for creating a line-up for Tuesday's match, and debating between an adult small t-shirt or a youth extra large t-shirt. After much deliberation Vinh decides he would rather have his shirt be wider than run a little long and selects a youth extra large.
- 5:30 P.M. Loses a large portion of his pasta dinner after he drops it in the sink while straining the pasta. Wonders what he did to invoke God's wrath.
June 12, 2012 Day 11
-12:00 P.M. Vinh makes his coaching debut for USTA Team Tennis. Disaster ensues as Vinh is unsure of the match format and he realizes half way through winners are determined by total games won rather than matches won. Despite this Vinh's team manages to win by one game. Vinh laughs at his good fortune.
June 13, 2012 Day 12
-11:29 A.M Vinh attempts to set a lineup for today's U12 math. He still has no idea what he is doing. Laughs that some U12 boys will have to play girls doubles. Laughs that they may face possible ridicule from other U12 boys. Laughs that this may give him a small advantage over the other team. Wonders if he is sexist.
-11:38 A.M. Vinh realizes it is raining and that he may not have to coach/work today while watering his Mother's plants.
-1:00 P.M. Vinh has to work.
June 14, 2012 Day 13
-10:02 A.M. Vinh wakes up and notices an extremely dark overcast sky. Vinh wonders if he will have to work.
-12:40 P.M. Vinh has to work. His match against Apple Valley is indoors. He arrives feeling confident that he could go 3-0 this first week coaching. Soon after arriving and seeing the opponents Vinh feels all hope vanish and feels as if he has led these innocent kids into a fucking ambush.
-1:15-2:45 P.M. It was a fucking ambush. Vinh watches helplessly as his team gets rocked. He does his best to help and encourage them, but the other team proves to be too skilled. Vinh's team wins a total of 8 games. Apple Valley wins 48. Vinh now knows how Judas felt betraying Jesus to the Romans.
-6:40 P.M. Vinh goes to move his car as the parking lot near his apartment is flooding. The water reaches mid-calf on Vinh.
-8:43 P.M.Vinh returns after driving around town. Many of the roads are flooded and he cannot get to a friend's house despite trying three different routes. While he is driving he does not notice a high water area until he has already entered it. He proceeds through slowly praying his car makes it through. Vinh counts his lucky charms that he made it through. Realizes he is not Irish and probably should not count lucky charms. As he is washing dishes Vinh reflects on the near incident and nearly drops his pint glass from Division 3 nationals. No one will believe him, but he swears he felt a guardian angel help him hold onto that pint glass.
June 15, 2012 Day 14
- 1:59 A.M. While trying to go to sleep Vinh begins thinking of bad instances to have a +1. After much internal debate Vinh decides the idea is funny enough and he gets up to write down some of them so that he will not forget them after going to sleep.After many attempts of recollection, Vinh cannot remember the funniest one he had thought of, the one that he had decided it was worth it to turn the light on for. Feels a significant hollowness. The bad instances he thought of include: your own wedding, your child's birth, a court appearance, an execution, a surgery, going to the bathroom, a Cheaters confrontation (both sides), and meeting Chris Hanson.
-4:54 P.M. Vinh sees his life flash before his eyes as he is attacked by a wasp in his car. The wasp flew in through an open window and Vinh was instantly paralyzed with fear. He cowers in his seat as he watches the wasp fly back and forth through his car. The wasp seems to be growing frustrated with its inability to escape the car despite the fact that there are two wide open windows. Vinh fears the wasp will sting him out of frustration. At long last the terror subsides and Vinh takes a moment to regroup. He has stared into the eyes of Death today. Vinh is relieved he was attacked by a wasp, the insect, and not a White Anglo Saxon Protestant for he knows that that is a WASP attack he surely would not have survived.
June 16, 2012 Day 15
-4:29 P.M. Vinh catches up on updating Vinh Watch 2012. He knows there is something funny here...
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Vinh Watch 2012 Update Day 1 - 6
At long last an update from Vinh Watch 2012 (mostly because I've forgotten to bring my notebook that contains the, in my opinion, hilarious updates about my pseudo grown-up life). These blurbs are just highlights from my struggles living on my own for the next two months. All events are true however I hope the additional commentary is visibly sarcastic.
Vinh Watch 2012
Day 1: June 2, 2012
- 2:30 P.M. After a successful Cub run followed by a tragic over-cooking of broccoli, Vinh laments his fortune and begins to question the existence of God.
- 5:10 P.M. Vinh returns home after Tennis and reluctantly washes: 1 bowl, 1 plate, 1 fork, 1 glass; considers not making dinner despite being hungry
- 5:30 P.M. Avoids tragedy as a near slip of the hand leads to a close call with the only bowl in the apartment brings Vinh new perspective on life.
- 5:36 P.M. With no adults around to tell him he will spoil his dinner, Vinh sneaks in dessert before dinner.
-5:37 P.M. Spoils his dinner, signs of guilt apparent
Book Count: 3
Day 2: June 3, 2012
- 1:05 P.M. Almost places a cold britta pitcher onto a still-hot stove top; wonders how he scored a 32? 31? 30? on the ACT; does not remember his score
Book Count: 4
Day 3: June 4, 2012
- 7:26 P.M. Vinh eats a hodge podge dinner: 1 whole green bell pepper, a plate of nachos and salsa
Day 4: June 5, 2012
- 6:33 P.M. Vinh wins $25,000 according to an advertisement in the mail. Entertains the idea of its legitimacy.
-7: 43 P.M. Repeat of the broccoli fiasco from Day 1. Considers the legitimacy of the $25,000 competition.
Book Count: 5
Day 6: June 6, 2012
-3:16 A.M. Vinh stays up all night reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Scares himself in his solitude and hides in a sleeping bag until he falls asleep.
-6:58 P.M. Begins The Girl who Played with Fire
-10:00 P.M. Vinh chokes on his root beer after significantly underestimating the volume remaining in his bottle. He chokes loudly in Blue Monday for what he perceives to be an eternity.
Book count : 6
Vinh Watch 2012
Day 1: June 2, 2012
- 2:30 P.M. After a successful Cub run followed by a tragic over-cooking of broccoli, Vinh laments his fortune and begins to question the existence of God.
- 5:10 P.M. Vinh returns home after Tennis and reluctantly washes: 1 bowl, 1 plate, 1 fork, 1 glass; considers not making dinner despite being hungry
- 5:30 P.M. Avoids tragedy as a near slip of the hand leads to a close call with the only bowl in the apartment brings Vinh new perspective on life.
- 5:36 P.M. With no adults around to tell him he will spoil his dinner, Vinh sneaks in dessert before dinner.
-5:37 P.M. Spoils his dinner, signs of guilt apparent
Book Count: 3
Day 2: June 3, 2012
- 1:05 P.M. Almost places a cold britta pitcher onto a still-hot stove top; wonders how he scored a 32? 31? 30? on the ACT; does not remember his score
Book Count: 4
Day 3: June 4, 2012
- 7:26 P.M. Vinh eats a hodge podge dinner: 1 whole green bell pepper, a plate of nachos and salsa
Day 4: June 5, 2012
- 6:33 P.M. Vinh wins $25,000 according to an advertisement in the mail. Entertains the idea of its legitimacy.
-7: 43 P.M. Repeat of the broccoli fiasco from Day 1. Considers the legitimacy of the $25,000 competition.
Book Count: 5
Day 6: June 6, 2012
-3:16 A.M. Vinh stays up all night reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Scares himself in his solitude and hides in a sleeping bag until he falls asleep.
-6:58 P.M. Begins The Girl who Played with Fire
-10:00 P.M. Vinh chokes on his root beer after significantly underestimating the volume remaining in his bottle. He chokes loudly in Blue Monday for what he perceives to be an eternity.
Book count : 6
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