Weeks On The Ground: 1 Casualties: 0

Yes, despite all odds, I have survived my first week on the left coast. I'm starting to get more settled and familiar with the town. Today was good in that it was beautiful out, which meant I got to walk around different parts of downtown. I went to Union Square for a while to sketch people. It's kind of tough to draw people when they're constantly moving, which meant I focused more on people sitting, and some old folks with disabilities who moved a little slower. After that, I walked to the building where my school is having their Spring Show, which showcases the best student work from all majors. I saw a little of the show on Friday night, as they had a special reception for Graduate students, but I spent the majority of the time talking with my advisor and department director. So today I focused on the art and I was very impressed. It definitely makes me anxious for school to start. Another good note today is that dad finally made it home to Virginia, safely and in time for the Belmont, I might add. Both he and I had crisis-free trips across the country, which is a testament mostly to the Yukon we drove. Apart from getting great gas mileage ( I got about 18-19 going out and loaded down), it failed to give us one hint of any mechanical problem, with the exception of some carbon knocking upon starting it the morning after I arrived in San Fran. This is due to the copious amounts of ethanol-infused, low grade gasoline one finds throughout the mid-west. But, after a couple bottles of STP gas treatment and octane boost, the problem was no more.

All in all, things are going well so far. I've gotten most of the logistics straightened out, and managed to find a gym, so I'm not banging holes in the wall with my head and throwing bed frames out the window. And I've got a few leads on part-time jobs, so I can start making that big money. Below are a few pics from my walk today(click em to make em biggur).