Sunday, May 24, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Four

The 3rd part of the Family weekend was a Brunch and Silent Auction in the Forum at UCSD. A nice variety of fruits and breads with tons of coffee began the event. Had some interesting talks with two of the parents who worked at Lawrence Livermore Lab. But of course I can't tell you what we talked about or else I will have to kill you. lol

After some more homework and a severe nap, David and I decided to join some his friends, Tommy & guests, at a place in downtown San Diego. The Yardhouse, it was called. www.yardhouse.com The Yard House is an upscale-casual eatery known for its extensive menu, classic rock music, and world's largest selection of draft beer. From classic lagers to more obscure ales and stouts there's a draft beer flavor for everyone. Each Yard House location features a transparent keg room containing more than 600 barrels, some 1,000 gallons of beer, and an endless fleet of tap handles - 100 to 250 - depending on the location. The menu of American cuisine includes an impressive selection of appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, individual-size pizzas, seafood, steaks, ribs and chops.

6 of us enjoyed a nice selection of brews and some appetizers. It was great, but a bit spendy for this WIS guy. The bill was over $200 and we only had 5 appetizers. Oh, for those that don't know, a yard of ale (beer) was a unit of measure. A yard (or yard glass) is a very tall glass used for drinking beer; a yard (or yard of ale) also refers to the (variable) quantity of beer held by such a glass.
The glass is approximately 1 yard long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height. Because the glass is so long and in any case does not usually have a stable flat base, it is hung on the wall when not in use. As the picture shows, we were only drinking from a 1/2 yard glass. Quite a challenge towards the end. Enjoy!

Monday was my travel day, and just like the trip out, it was absolutely painless. David dropped me off, no waiting in any lines, a bump up to First Class, and on time flights. Arrived in Fond du lac by 7pm that night. Sweet weekend! Thanks David.

Saturday, May 23, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Three, Part II

At 6:30 or was it 6pm, we found the banquet room at Eucalyptus Point on the UCSD campus. Tonight was the Awards Banquet and it began with a great dinner. Great salad fixings which I quickly passed.....except for one slice of cucumber. Yes, I now eat cucumbers. One slice a month. The pasta was great.....or should I say the sauces. Sliced turkey with cranberries and roast beef with horseradish sauce. YUM. The desert table was quickly cleaned out. About 80 parents/kids attended this event and again it was a great time meeting more of the parents. Enjoy.

Saturday, May 23, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Three, Part I

The day began with a much needed healthy breakfast at Harry's Coffee Shop on Girard Ave in LaJolla. http://www.harryscoffeeshop.com/ The place has been there since 1960 and its a great old-fashioned coffee shop which is very full on the weekend. We only had a 10 minute wait, so not bad. Great pancakes with a side of fruit.

Today was the official first day of the Sigma Nu Family Weekend and two events were planned. The first was a barbecue & games at LaJolla Shores Kellogg Park. Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, kabobs, potato salad, chips, soft drinks (no alcohol permitted on CA beaches).....volleyball.....A gorgeous day for the event and an opportunity to meet some of the other parents of David's frat members. Quite an interesting mix of parents that made the early afternoon enjoyable. A nap was much needed for a slow afternoon. And some homework. Enjoy.

Friday, May 22, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Two, part two.

Ok, if the day had ended after Round Table, I would have been a happy camper.......but noooooo, it got better. Two words sum it up.....BEER PONG. Can you spot the 52 year old in the photo? Before the pong evening, Ivy, David, and myself hit the grocery store, Ralphs, and picked up dinner and a 30 pack. It seems that the entry fee for beer pong is a 30 pack. I think I counted at least ten 30 packs that night.

A delicious walnut pear salad prepared by Ivy & David along with some chilled white wine and foccacia bread began the dinner. Meanwhile I prepared my Pesto/Parmesan pounded, stuffed and rolled pork tenderloin on the grill. Some delicious rosemary baked potato slices completed the feast. Good food, great company.

David & Andy, standing next to David (left side) were champions. They played 7 games to win the tournament and never lost. In fact, in 4 of the 7 games, they never drank. That's impressive. Later......Ivy and I played one of the top rated teams, and beat them. Ivy with her shooting, me with my bad humor. lol

Sometime in the early morning we left the scene. What's cool about this frat is that they have designated drivers for any event with alcohol. We used them. Enjoy.

Friday, May 22, 2009
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Two, part one.

I had a feeling that today was going to be huge and I wasn't disappointed. After a David special for breakfast, we headed to the UCSD campus for class. Yes I was privileged to attend one of David's engineering classes. It's been a long time since I attended a college class. Long time. What! No slide rulers? Here is a sample of my notes: Ƴ(t)=X[H(jω)]cos(ωt+Φ + angle H(jω)) Go figure!

After class I learned that it was a tradition for Sigma Nu's to head to Round Table Pizza on campus for ....... pitchers of beer. Ok, that works for me. I got to meet many of David's friends, with one in particular.....Ivy. (David's girlfriend) See photo. Fun, funny, cute, polite, smart, gorgeous, thin, friendly, interesting, NICE ...... just a few adjectives to describe her.

If you've never been to the UCSD campus, one of the icons is the infamous Geisel Library which is in the background in the photo above. For those that don't know who Theodor Geisel is.....if you've read any of the Dr. Suess books.......yeah.....that Geisel. A really cool person & building.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day One

RT direct flight from Milwaukee to San Diego with upgrade to First Class.....$200.00

Parking at MKE for 5 days.....$30.00

Italian Dinner for two......$75.00

5 days with my son at his frat house.......priceless!

Left Fond du Lac at 5am heading for the Milwaukee airport (MKE) No traffic. No road closures. No construction. Shuttle bus was waiting for me when I parked. Security lines were only 2 minutes, max. Then they bumped me up to First Class. SWEET! A 4 hour direct flight was a pleasure. When I arrived David had arranged for one of the new Sigma Nu pledges to pick me up holding a sign that said.....Dr. Rosenow. A short 15 minute ride and I was in front of David's frat house. (see photo above) Note David's cool El Camino in the driveway!

David lives a few blocks from the beach (Pacific Ocean) which is usually filled with surfers. (see photo above) He also backs to Torrey Pines, a very nice PGA golf course.

David was at school, so I had time to do my homework and take a nap. He had left a note with misdirection to everything. (just to challenge me) The tp was in the fridge and a cold beer was in the bathroom. Talk about a dilemma!

We went out to eat that night at a wonderful Italian restaurant that was a block away. Yes, we walked. Trattoria Ponte Vecchio, that's a mouthful, was fantastic. We began by sharing the Insalata Gorgonzola with fresh pears in a balsamic vinaigrette. (and two glasses of wine) For my entree I had Linguine Alla Genovese which consisted of spinach linguine with the house pesto sauce. YUM! David had a house special with clams, linguine, and other things. (and two more glasses of wine) A great beginning to a super weekend. Oh, and David had a coupon. For more info: http://www.pontevecchiodelmar.com/ Enjoy.