Introduction
Sometimes when you make plans they never turn out and other times when you fail to plan that never works out either. However, I have found that when you have somewhat of a plan with the right people and let things happen as they may then true great experiences happen. We have lived in San Diego for over 6 years and only in the past year have I accepted the fact that I don't need to move somewhere else to keep my mind in motion. In the past every 3 years or so I have moved in search for the next big thing. While SD is a great town and the weather is amazing etc. etc. you have to find your niche. It's taken me 6 years to find what I think is my niche and accept that there are many other people out there that would love to have what we have but I am not your typical person. I need to keep my mind in motion and feel as though I am moving ahead even if I am not moving at all. I am currently reading a great book called the The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Vimal had suggested I read this book along with a couple others when I was in Milwaukee back in the early fall. I procrastinate sometimes and needless to say I finally got around to listening to it (I do audio books) and it's been amazing. Without going into to much detail the author talks about different types of people and theories of how things come to be and one of his types of people are called "connectors." I can relate to that very much and feel as though I may not know a lot of people but I just happen to know the right ones and the fact that I don't want anything per se from anyone but I rather get joy out of linking two people together.
Scones
This connection is precisely what happened over NYE...I was introduced to Scones, oddly enough through Vimal who himself is a connector. Vimal has introduced me to someone he knew on a very personal level in every town I have lived in and they have all been fantastic people. Needless to say he was visiting a couple months ago and I met a man by the name of Steve but he goes by Scones. Scones introduced me to the University Club (UC) in downtown San Diego. The UC is a members only type place for networking and such located on the 34th floor of the Symphony Towers overlooking the entire city of SD from 270 degrees with the only obstruction being to the north. Due to it's location that's not a bad thing because you can still see out the East and the mountains, the South past the Coronado bridge to Tijuana and beyond and to the West past the airport to Pt. Loma and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. On my initial visit I just kept wondering how come I had not heard of this place before? I had lived in SD for over 6 years and nobody had even mentioned it. Was I hanging out with the wrong crowd or was it just something that had yet to be discovered? I remember talking to Scones on my initial visit and we both have some of the very same interests. Networking, meeting and talking to business minded individuals and digging deeper on what was really going on inside peoples heads. I found out later we both drove older cars and don't care what others thought but we both loved to live in the moment and enjoy the finer things in life. I kept picking his brain about the UC and he kept filling me with great thoughts and ideas about what the club had to offer. It sounded just like my type of place and within a couple months I joined. I know I have said this in one of my other posts but life is not about people to me it's about the right people and Scones was that guy. A self made man that enjoyed life for what it brings and a taste for the finer things in life...why not it's short right?
Pre-party
Reena invited Eva and I and Tom and Heather to her place downtown so we could park our car in her garage and visit before heading out to the UC. They were hosting a 1920's themed party and we had all dressed the part including Eva who discovered Rent the Runway website and Heather who had found 3 dresses just in case she changed her mind or did not like the exact look before stepping out the door. Tom wore all black with a white bow tie, garter just above the elbow and handkerchief in the coat pocket. I wore suit pants a pink shirt accented with some pink suspenders from Antonio Rivas website. We dressed to kill and it was a good thing because everyone that attend the event was dressed the same! We arrived to Reena's downtown around 745 and had a glass of wine or two and some snacks before calling for Uber to get a ride to the UC. I can't tell you how much true friends are really special and don't come easy. Reena decided not to go out and told us not to bring anything and she hosted without hesitation. It's a gene that she was given from her mother and the instinct to nurture us before heading out was priceless. THANK YOU R!
Uber website
I am going to go on a little rant here...I mentioned Uber in my last post but I had never used them before NYE and I was impressed. If you don't have the Uber app on your phone you need to get it NOW! It's a private car service that picks you up and drops you off much like a cab but is much more responsive and the fact you can actually see where you car is coming from and exactly when they will be there is amazing. We used them 3 times on NYE and they were flawless each time. The drivers were nice the cars were newer and they were clean! You basically request a car through the app they send a driver your way and message you with the drivers name and picture. You credit card is stored and you are emailed a receipt with map of your route and total cost including tip to the driver. On the app you can see the car driving towards you and moving across the google map so you know exactly where it is and even when you need to go outside etc. We tried cabs a couple years ago on NYE and it was a nightmare. Granted we had to pay an increased rate due to high demand on NYE but it was well worth it and we were safe!
The University Club
I was not sure what to expect but I think it exceeded all of our expectations. I talked to Amy (membership director) earlier in the week and she told me the tickets would include select wine and beer as well as champagne hors d'oeuvres and appetizers. The service was amazing and the food was even more amazing! I had only been a club member for a week or so and it was already paying off big time! Each room within the UC had a different table full of amazing "appetizers" and people of all ages mingling and having a good time. As we stepped off the elevator and checked in we were handed a welcome drink and greeted with a smile. In the main entrance there was a table full of crab legs, fresh shrimp and a sushi table and chef. The rooms on the East side of the building were just as grand with one being full of deserts of all shapes and sizes and coffee and tea to accompany. The room adjacent to that had cheese boards and meat trays that would have begged for a photo shoot out of a cooking magazine. The last room on the opposite side of the building had a "slider bar" full of different types of sliders ranging from crab, to pork and different types of fries and finger snacks such as bacon wrapped scallops. There was a band playing classic music and a double table set up for complimentary beer and wine. This place had truly outdone itself and the views of SD from the 34 floor were the amazing background for an amazing evening. We danced and watched the ball drop in Time Square on the big screen and posed for pictures in front of the ice sculpture to cap off the evening. It was truly a great time and mixing and meeting new people always proves to be one of my favorite things...
Warehouse District
Before the evening started Scones mentioned an after party in the warehouse district adjacent to downtown called Barrio Logan. I had only been in that area once when my parents were in town for some amazing home cooked Mexican food. He suggested we take off and head down to the after party and check it out. I "Ubered" for a town car and they jumped in (there were now 6 of us and only room for 4 in the car) so I waited with Rachel, (Scones girlfriend) and hailed a taxi. I had know clue where we were going and just told the driver to head to Barrio Logan. I had Eva drop a pin at their location and give the driver directions to warehouse. The streets were dark and there was nothing else around this building...had I been all together I may have been a little more apprehensive but I was just going with the flow. We hopped out of the cab and were met by the door guy who requested $50 to let us in and we obliged. Scones met us as were walking in and I could not believe my eyes. This was something that belonged in a city much bigger than SD. I was thinking San Francisco or New York when I saw the empty warehouse full of like minded people partying it up at 2:30 in the morning like the night was just beginning. The place was expansive and dark but enough light that you did not feel uncomfortable. In the front center of the building a large trailer played center stage for a DJ spinning music off of his Macbook hence the little glowing Apple in the center of the machine. The DJ was probably 6 feet off the ground and had two personal dancing polls as bookends just below the trailer. I assumed at one point they had Go-Go dancers but as the night wore on they were used by patrons as there own personal dance space. A food truck was parked along one wall which was a great idea but by the time we arrived they were either out of food or taking a break...I thought to myself "genius" This place was something I had never imagine existing in SD. At the back of the warehouse was a table set up with "bartenders" serving drinks in plastic cups. I just kept thinking this is going to be the next big thing. Speak-easy type places had opened in various spots in the Gaslamp and were popular among the hipster crowd but this was truly a work of art...this was individual in every way and that made it all the better. The music was mostly house with a good beat to dance too but little vocals they even switched DJ's 30 or 45 minutes after we arrived. I talked to a couple people and asked questions but I was truly blown away how this place was so rural and so simple yet so good. This proves that you don't need to have the most money or the most advertising or promotional gigs to have a good time. There were maybe 100 people or so and it was done via Facebook and the underground scene. I have never been a fan of Facebook but I could see how easy it would be to organize something like this and make it worthy. I longed for something like this for a while and who knows if I will ever go back but it proved that it exists in SD. If you have ever been here before you get the feeling that SD is a small town. It's actually a bunch of small areas of town that are stuck together to make up one large town. SD has the small town feel in the city and I think that resonates with the people that live here. I was not born here but I am happy to call it home now.
New Years Resolution
Did I make a new years resolution...NO, I never do at least not in the last 15 or 20 years. I try to eat healthy and live a good life and I am thankful everyday for being born in the U.S.A. In the past year or so I have tried to slow down and take a breath and enjoy life for what it brings. On new years day we went out for brunch and took a nice walk in La Jolla and ate pea soup for good luck (Hungarians have a different tradition and we settled on pea instead of black eyed peas) and had a nice talk about life. We are both very happy where we are and after living it up and enjoying the evening for what it brought it proves that whatever we wanted was right here in SD. The big city feel is here, the people are here, the life that I had been searching for is right before my eyes but I had to slow down to see it. I think anything you want in life is right before you...regardless of where you live or what you do you it's there. If there is something you don't like then change it...make the most of what you can and enjoy it. We live in a free country and the only people holding us back from living and doing what we want is ourselves. For the new year I challenge you to find what you really want out of life and to go for it...
Thanks again to Reena, Rachel and Scones for a great night as they say the people make the party!
Sometimes when you make plans they never turn out and other times when you fail to plan that never works out either. However, I have found that when you have somewhat of a plan with the right people and let things happen as they may then true great experiences happen. We have lived in San Diego for over 6 years and only in the past year have I accepted the fact that I don't need to move somewhere else to keep my mind in motion. In the past every 3 years or so I have moved in search for the next big thing. While SD is a great town and the weather is amazing etc. etc. you have to find your niche. It's taken me 6 years to find what I think is my niche and accept that there are many other people out there that would love to have what we have but I am not your typical person. I need to keep my mind in motion and feel as though I am moving ahead even if I am not moving at all. I am currently reading a great book called the The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Vimal had suggested I read this book along with a couple others when I was in Milwaukee back in the early fall. I procrastinate sometimes and needless to say I finally got around to listening to it (I do audio books) and it's been amazing. Without going into to much detail the author talks about different types of people and theories of how things come to be and one of his types of people are called "connectors." I can relate to that very much and feel as though I may not know a lot of people but I just happen to know the right ones and the fact that I don't want anything per se from anyone but I rather get joy out of linking two people together.
Scones
This connection is precisely what happened over NYE...I was introduced to Scones, oddly enough through Vimal who himself is a connector. Vimal has introduced me to someone he knew on a very personal level in every town I have lived in and they have all been fantastic people. Needless to say he was visiting a couple months ago and I met a man by the name of Steve but he goes by Scones. Scones introduced me to the University Club (UC) in downtown San Diego. The UC is a members only type place for networking and such located on the 34th floor of the Symphony Towers overlooking the entire city of SD from 270 degrees with the only obstruction being to the north. Due to it's location that's not a bad thing because you can still see out the East and the mountains, the South past the Coronado bridge to Tijuana and beyond and to the West past the airport to Pt. Loma and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. On my initial visit I just kept wondering how come I had not heard of this place before? I had lived in SD for over 6 years and nobody had even mentioned it. Was I hanging out with the wrong crowd or was it just something that had yet to be discovered? I remember talking to Scones on my initial visit and we both have some of the very same interests. Networking, meeting and talking to business minded individuals and digging deeper on what was really going on inside peoples heads. I found out later we both drove older cars and don't care what others thought but we both loved to live in the moment and enjoy the finer things in life. I kept picking his brain about the UC and he kept filling me with great thoughts and ideas about what the club had to offer. It sounded just like my type of place and within a couple months I joined. I know I have said this in one of my other posts but life is not about people to me it's about the right people and Scones was that guy. A self made man that enjoyed life for what it brings and a taste for the finer things in life...why not it's short right?
Pre-party
Reena invited Eva and I and Tom and Heather to her place downtown so we could park our car in her garage and visit before heading out to the UC. They were hosting a 1920's themed party and we had all dressed the part including Eva who discovered Rent the Runway website and Heather who had found 3 dresses just in case she changed her mind or did not like the exact look before stepping out the door. Tom wore all black with a white bow tie, garter just above the elbow and handkerchief in the coat pocket. I wore suit pants a pink shirt accented with some pink suspenders from Antonio Rivas website. We dressed to kill and it was a good thing because everyone that attend the event was dressed the same! We arrived to Reena's downtown around 745 and had a glass of wine or two and some snacks before calling for Uber to get a ride to the UC. I can't tell you how much true friends are really special and don't come easy. Reena decided not to go out and told us not to bring anything and she hosted without hesitation. It's a gene that she was given from her mother and the instinct to nurture us before heading out was priceless. THANK YOU R!
Uber website
I am going to go on a little rant here...I mentioned Uber in my last post but I had never used them before NYE and I was impressed. If you don't have the Uber app on your phone you need to get it NOW! It's a private car service that picks you up and drops you off much like a cab but is much more responsive and the fact you can actually see where you car is coming from and exactly when they will be there is amazing. We used them 3 times on NYE and they were flawless each time. The drivers were nice the cars were newer and they were clean! You basically request a car through the app they send a driver your way and message you with the drivers name and picture. You credit card is stored and you are emailed a receipt with map of your route and total cost including tip to the driver. On the app you can see the car driving towards you and moving across the google map so you know exactly where it is and even when you need to go outside etc. We tried cabs a couple years ago on NYE and it was a nightmare. Granted we had to pay an increased rate due to high demand on NYE but it was well worth it and we were safe!
The University Club
I was not sure what to expect but I think it exceeded all of our expectations. I talked to Amy (membership director) earlier in the week and she told me the tickets would include select wine and beer as well as champagne hors d'oeuvres and appetizers. The service was amazing and the food was even more amazing! I had only been a club member for a week or so and it was already paying off big time! Each room within the UC had a different table full of amazing "appetizers" and people of all ages mingling and having a good time. As we stepped off the elevator and checked in we were handed a welcome drink and greeted with a smile. In the main entrance there was a table full of crab legs, fresh shrimp and a sushi table and chef. The rooms on the East side of the building were just as grand with one being full of deserts of all shapes and sizes and coffee and tea to accompany. The room adjacent to that had cheese boards and meat trays that would have begged for a photo shoot out of a cooking magazine. The last room on the opposite side of the building had a "slider bar" full of different types of sliders ranging from crab, to pork and different types of fries and finger snacks such as bacon wrapped scallops. There was a band playing classic music and a double table set up for complimentary beer and wine. This place had truly outdone itself and the views of SD from the 34 floor were the amazing background for an amazing evening. We danced and watched the ball drop in Time Square on the big screen and posed for pictures in front of the ice sculpture to cap off the evening. It was truly a great time and mixing and meeting new people always proves to be one of my favorite things...
Warehouse District
Before the evening started Scones mentioned an after party in the warehouse district adjacent to downtown called Barrio Logan. I had only been in that area once when my parents were in town for some amazing home cooked Mexican food. He suggested we take off and head down to the after party and check it out. I "Ubered" for a town car and they jumped in (there were now 6 of us and only room for 4 in the car) so I waited with Rachel, (Scones girlfriend) and hailed a taxi. I had know clue where we were going and just told the driver to head to Barrio Logan. I had Eva drop a pin at their location and give the driver directions to warehouse. The streets were dark and there was nothing else around this building...had I been all together I may have been a little more apprehensive but I was just going with the flow. We hopped out of the cab and were met by the door guy who requested $50 to let us in and we obliged. Scones met us as were walking in and I could not believe my eyes. This was something that belonged in a city much bigger than SD. I was thinking San Francisco or New York when I saw the empty warehouse full of like minded people partying it up at 2:30 in the morning like the night was just beginning. The place was expansive and dark but enough light that you did not feel uncomfortable. In the front center of the building a large trailer played center stage for a DJ spinning music off of his Macbook hence the little glowing Apple in the center of the machine. The DJ was probably 6 feet off the ground and had two personal dancing polls as bookends just below the trailer. I assumed at one point they had Go-Go dancers but as the night wore on they were used by patrons as there own personal dance space. A food truck was parked along one wall which was a great idea but by the time we arrived they were either out of food or taking a break...I thought to myself "genius" This place was something I had never imagine existing in SD. At the back of the warehouse was a table set up with "bartenders" serving drinks in plastic cups. I just kept thinking this is going to be the next big thing. Speak-easy type places had opened in various spots in the Gaslamp and were popular among the hipster crowd but this was truly a work of art...this was individual in every way and that made it all the better. The music was mostly house with a good beat to dance too but little vocals they even switched DJ's 30 or 45 minutes after we arrived. I talked to a couple people and asked questions but I was truly blown away how this place was so rural and so simple yet so good. This proves that you don't need to have the most money or the most advertising or promotional gigs to have a good time. There were maybe 100 people or so and it was done via Facebook and the underground scene. I have never been a fan of Facebook but I could see how easy it would be to organize something like this and make it worthy. I longed for something like this for a while and who knows if I will ever go back but it proved that it exists in SD. If you have ever been here before you get the feeling that SD is a small town. It's actually a bunch of small areas of town that are stuck together to make up one large town. SD has the small town feel in the city and I think that resonates with the people that live here. I was not born here but I am happy to call it home now.
New Years Resolution
Did I make a new years resolution...NO, I never do at least not in the last 15 or 20 years. I try to eat healthy and live a good life and I am thankful everyday for being born in the U.S.A. In the past year or so I have tried to slow down and take a breath and enjoy life for what it brings. On new years day we went out for brunch and took a nice walk in La Jolla and ate pea soup for good luck (Hungarians have a different tradition and we settled on pea instead of black eyed peas) and had a nice talk about life. We are both very happy where we are and after living it up and enjoying the evening for what it brought it proves that whatever we wanted was right here in SD. The big city feel is here, the people are here, the life that I had been searching for is right before my eyes but I had to slow down to see it. I think anything you want in life is right before you...regardless of where you live or what you do you it's there. If there is something you don't like then change it...make the most of what you can and enjoy it. We live in a free country and the only people holding us back from living and doing what we want is ourselves. For the new year I challenge you to find what you really want out of life and to go for it...
Thanks again to Reena, Rachel and Scones for a great night as they say the people make the party!
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