the coolest nerd

• I'm in Albaquerque, NM wearing my Bob's Donuts shirt and someone just told me the apple fritters are to die for! #fb #
• Heated mirrors are awesome. On my way from Gallop, NM to at least Barstow, CA today! #
• Brunch in Flagstaff, AZ. I'm ahead of schedule! (An hour or so) #
• Way ahead of schedule. I'm at Harris Ranch on i5. After this I'm steaked out for a while. I might make it home tonight barring a food coma. #
• Made it back last night just past midnight! It's so nice to be back in the bay. RX-8 = 2k miles @ 4500RPM = 19.5MPG and one quart of oil. #
• spicy pork (@ Mugu Boka) http://4sq.com/b9Wsg0 #
• dizzy staring at boats (@ Sakana Bune) http://4sq.com/8GDQ7B #
• waiting to return drawers (@ IKEA – East Palo Alto) http://4sq.com/6BuPxg #
• got me 4 terabytes (@ Fry's Electronics) http://4sq.com/5DqmXx #
• way too much food (@ J & J Hawaiian BBQ) http://4sq.com/cTt3P0 #

• "Faithy" is now a unit of measurement for determining the size of the trunk of a car. @faithy #
• Dude from Microsoft calls me back about KMS/licensing and his accent is so thick I can't make his number. Perfect. Didn't email me either. #
• It's 3am and the SFO is eairly quiet. Not a single employee around in the last 15 minutes. On my way to TN to get my new Mazda RX-8 #fb #
• Successful flight to Denver. Frontier Airlines is so cheap they charge for snacks. #
• Landed safely and I'm at the dealer. Car looks fabulous. Better than I imagined. #
• Sitting in the new Mazdaspeed3. The pedal position still sucks. #
• Got my first tank of gas. 20mpg. Half quart of oil used. Not too shabby. People in Arkansas seem to all follow the speed limit. #
• Middle of Nowhere, Arkansas. There is a shocking number of religious billboards. #
• It's OK in Oaklahoma. Pace has enhanced. 25% of the way completed! #
• Feed me some of the riddles from the Chinese New Year Treasure hunt to keep me awake! #Fb #
• Thought about making it across OK in 1 day but thought better of it. 33% of the trip completed. Tomorrow I'm going to the Big Texan! #
• Made it to Amarillo, TX. If you're a real cow boy you don't need a ginormous vinyl sticker on the back of your pick-up. Do you? #

I’m in Memphis.  10% of the trip has been completed.  It’s 6:40am, local time.  4:40, my time.  I’m never up this early.

It’s hella cold.  30f.  I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this.  Ever.

I haven’t seen a single Corolla, Prius, or Lexus.  No need to worry about someone suddenly accelerating into me!  There are more SUVs here than in the Bay Area.  Tons of Jeeps.  The most common brand seems to be Nissan.  I’ve seen more new Maximas here in one day than I’ve seen ever.

People look at me funny.  Friendly though.  I haven’t seen a single other Asian person on the trip so far.  (Well, besides at SFO)

There have been emergency road signs on the freeway “ROUGH ROAD AHEAD” which seems unnecessary to me, the road is still nicer than a typical street or freeway in San Francisco.

Everyone is giving me different suggestions for food — the universal truth is do not go to Waffle House.

I went to Sonic for the first time.  I’ll definitely have to exercise and diet twice as hard when I get back.

It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a trip — the last one I can remember is flying out to Texas to buy a 1991 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II.  I really regret selling that car, and I’m tempted to get another, but they’re so rare to find now in good condition.  The biggest regret from that trip was sampling a steak — every one I’ve eaten from then on just hasn’t compared.

In a similar vain, I’m flying out to Tennessee to pickup a 2009 Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring.  In calendar year 2009, Mazda only sold 2,217 of them.  Who knows how many in Crystal White Pearl Mica — and who knows how many Grand Touring models were made without the Premium Package.  Finding a GT without a moon roof seemed to be an impossibility, but I found one and I sit here in the airport ready to drive it back in a few hours.  Maybe I’ll find out they only made 13.   Sure.  I’m insane.  At least I know I am.

I just like rare things, and white cars.  Combined, that’s a potent combination for me.  Imagine when I found my Chaste White 1995 RX-7 one of thirteen (out of five hundred)!

It’s 4:50am PST, I’m going to take a nap before my flight at 6:15.  Going to Denver first.

By the way, I forgot the usb cable for my camera.  I’ll have to add photos post trip.

• Somehow I blowed up my hackintosh real good. Had been working for years. Suddenly can't repair file system. Must reformat. Sad. #
• Interestingly my desktop, htpc, and phone have been restarting randomly. Maybe something is in the air.. #
• roast duck fly lice (@ Soi Gow Thai) http://4sq.com/5xMdFE #
• egg plant porkchop clay pot (@ fat wongs) http://4sq.com/bNAfcD #
• I just became the mayor of fat wongs on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/bNAfcD #
• rootbeer floats suck (@ A&W Restaurant) http://4sq.com/akDCFb #
• eating a buritto and watching the cops frisk a beligerant homeless dude (@ Gordo Taqueria – 9th Ave & Irving) http://4sq.com/6c0FqK #
• Wow. 30 min ago I was watching last weekend's Simpsons — it mentioned the Ghostbusteers song – now it's playing in iTunes randomly. Scary. #

• Couldn't resist — put a deposit down on a 2009 RX-8 Grand Touring in White Water Pearl Mica! #fb #
• not great but super cheap (@ Kiki Sushi) http://4sq.com/dAs4L6 #
• troubleshooting kerberos issues is a pain in the arse. #
• I'm at In-N-Out Burger – Rengstorff (1159 N Rengstorff Ave, at E Charleston Rd, Mountain View) w/ 2 others. http://4sq.com/glJpd #
• five orders of spicy pork (@ Mugu Boka) http://4sq.com/b9Wsg0 #
• I'm at Phohuynh Hiep (1833 Irving Street, 19th Ave, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/6fuOWk #

• I'm at New Sandy's Cafe & Deli (1382 9th Avenue, Judah, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/clqeIH #
• I'm at fat wongs (1780 el camino real, San bruno). http://4sq.com/bNAfcD #
• There is a speed trap between Riviera and Quintara on Sunset Blvd! #fb #
• Traffic on the way home — literally a crawl. My heart totally sunk when I found out it was a Mazda RX-7 Turbo II that was the cause. #fb #
• I'm at China first (336 Clement, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/c4sqk0 #
• I just unlocked the "Adventurer" badge on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/bnS4RJ #
• It's awkward to have left over Alaskan king crab for lunch in your cube. Delicious though. Thanks to @Marvin Lau again. #fb #
• Really tempted to get a 2009 Mazda RX-8. I found the perfect one but it's out of state. Gotta sell my 2005 though. Any interest? #fb #
• I'm at Mugu Boka (401 Balboa St, 5th Avenue, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/b9Wsg0 #
• I just ousted @jyamasaki as the mayor of Mugu Boka on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/b9Wsg0 #
• Just played through Star Fox (1994, Super Nintendo). What a satisfying game. I don't know why it was such a challenge when I was little.. #
• waiting in line.. (@ Tani's Kitchen) http://4sq.com/7Bt5Pq #
• stopped waiting.. backup plan at (@ Banana Island) http://4sq.com/5iJaAw #
• Abnormally nice weather.. And on a day most of the country is indoors. What a waste. #

• Even after the latest firmware update Ovi Maps on the Nokia N900 is horrible. Clear sky. Major area. No GPS lock. #
• It's like a HS reunion at the Shell station on Taraval. #fb #
• Note to self. Tutifruti (Fruit Punch) Jarritos soda is not good. #
• I'm at California Academy of Sciences (55 Music Concourse Dr, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/3wpbWU #
• I just unlocked the "Newbie" badge on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/aigqk8 #
• I'm at Hong Kong Lounge (5322 Geary Blvd, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/aqSS0z #
• I'm at M's Cafe (1376 9th Ave, Judah, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/cJeYV8 #
• they stayed open late for us! (@ House of Dumplings) #
• I'm at Mugu Boka (401 Balboa St, 5th Avenue, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/b9Wsg0 #
• I'm at Little Shamrock (807 Lincoln, 9th Ave, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/8eDm8L #
• I'm at Milano Pizzeria (1330 9th Ave, btw Irving St & Judah St, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/6zeU9Q #
• I'm at Jay 'n Bee Club (2736 20th St, at York, San Francisco). http://4sq.com/5e1B4W #

• No longer phoneless. Got a replacement N900 from Amazon. Installed Firefox Mobile — it's pretty slick. Needs AdBlock Plus though. #fb #
• Geez San Francisco. It couldn't hurt to put up signs if you are closing streets. Someone put up a barricade. Why not put a deadend sign up? #
• There still isn't a sign saying westbound MLK drive is flooded in golden gate park. Wtf #
• Having a $3 Cha siu baau by Charles Phan — it's good, but not $3 good. #

• Pacifica Esplanade Evacuations Overblown http://bit.ly/4n7345 #
• Spotted a car with a Symphonic sticker — haven't seen that in hella years. #fb #
• My N900 died during an update using Nokia Software Updater. They say I have to send it back and wait ten days for replacement. damn it! #
• I have the option of returning my broken N900 for a refund — should I get a replacement or go with the Nexus One? #fb #