Days 18 and 19: Silicon Valley

I've been lucky enough to have traveled to San Francisco a few times recently, so I've done a lot of the touristy stuff - I've seen the Giants and A's play. I've gone to Fisherman's Wharf, and the Arcade Museum, seen the rolling hills, etc. This time around, I wanted to make it a little different - a true geek's trip to Silicon Valley. Luckily there was plenty of geekdom to go around...

First stop, the Golden Gate Bridge. There is nothing geeky about this, but it is an amazing view. You don't realize how large it is, how orange it is, or how fast cars are moving across it until you walk underneath it. There are great parks on either side that you can walk around and get some good pictures while fighting for position with all the other tourists. Best of all - it's free (minus the $5 toll to go across). Definitely worth the trip.

Next Stop - Peet's Coffee. I'd heard how good the coffee was, and that the prices were a bit more friendly to the change purse. It wasn't until I tried the Dark Chocolate Mocha Freddo that I was in love. The flavor is better. The consistency was more thorough. The people were nicer (if you can believe that) and the internet more free. It was amazing. I went back twice more in the 24 hours since my first visit and was even more impressed each time. I haven't blinked since. This is one of Northern California's hidden gems.

Round 3 - Baseball Indulgence. My friends Dwight and Carol (I hope that they are willing to admit that at least) were nice enough to offer up their spare bedroom. In exchange, I offered my charming company and rugged good looks for their enjoyment, but made them promise no touching. Luckily, they agreed, and we had a grand old time. Outside of some of my family members, I don't know if there is a better couple to watch Baseball Tonight with. Dwight just knows it all - how to play the game, how to watch the game, how to pick up on the little things - it is a great time.

And for any little thing that Dwight might miss, Carol jumps right in to help out. Outside of Boston, there aren't many people that can appreciate Jason Bay going from first to third on a single, but she can - and she can explain why that makes him an upgrade over Manny.

Ready for some hardcore Geekdom??? During this two day span, I took the opportunity to do a little sight seeing off the beaten path. First I hit up the Google and Apple HQs. Not surprisingly, they don't offer tours (there isn't much that is exciting about watching programmers do their thing), but in between I found a gem of unexplainable magnitudes. Of course, I'm talking about the Computer History Museum.

I don't know where to start. There were pictures of Hewlett and Packard. Woz and Jobs. Fred Brooks as a young man. There was an original wooden mouse, gadgets galore, a handful of original Crays, and to top it all off an exhibit of chess simulators and games. Seriously - when I used to get yelled at when I was young, it was not for having nudie magazines, but for having wrinkled, dog-eared tech manuals. Ok, not really, but I am that geeky.


Know what we're missing? A Trailer Park Boys Reference! If you aren't familiar with the Trailer Park Boys and you've ever lived in, on, under or around a trailer, you need to be. The show is genius. Now imagine my delight when I saw a town named Sunnyvale only a few miles south of San Mateo. I was shocked. I was awed. I might have soiled myself a little. Needless to say, I went straight to the courthouse. No Ricky, Bubbles, Julian or Randy, but the picture is priceless in certain circles.


Just one more thing - APBA!!! The whole point of my stop in San Francisco (other than seeing my friends) was to play APBA against those very same friends. There is no doubt that I will dedicate an entire post to this genius of a game, but suffice it to say that it is roughly a mixture of Dungeons and Dragons and Fantasy Baseball. After an 8 game split with Dwight I learned several secrets to managing a winning team. Hopefully I can take his knowledge to aid in my future NVABL domination.

Finally, a couple random notes:

• How awesome is it that Apple's HQ is on a road called "Infinite Loop"? VERY
• I actually told a female about APBA and she didn't scoff. She might just be trying to be nice, but that is the first time it's ever happened.
• Google has a cool parking garage where certain hybrid owners can actually plug in their cars to charge. Pretty neat.
• They also have a service where you can get your oil changed in the parking lot while you work. Right on Daddy-O.
• Finally, I have a handful of confirmed stalkers that actually enjoy the blog. I'm really sorry to disappoint all of you, but I'm a lot cooler in the blog-o-sphere than I am in real life. Prepare for the let down of a life time if you ever meet me - just try not to cry in front of me because then I'll feel bad...
• (One more small thing - I jest. If you read a sentence I've written and think "Awww...that's sad", then you need to improve your reading comprehension. I enjoy self deprecating humor, so that's how I write. Trust me - I'm really a cocky bastard in real life. Or maybe I'm just crying out for attention...)
  

Next stop...The Grand Canyon.