With Rina doing the leg work on the ground, I’ve resorted to getting familiar with the lay of the land…albeit virtually. Here’s one of the things I’m looking forward to checking out…

Brooklyn Brainery

Yet another fabulous name! I stumbled across the Brooklyn Brainery while checking out a couple projects on KickStarter. They basically coordinate/sponsor(?) collaborative classes on all sorts of topics. My favorite on the list is Whiskeytown (where was that class when I was in college!). Want to learn how to Whittle? Or try your hand at Pie Crust Making? Brooklyn Brainery is an environment where anyone can “teach” and everyone learns. “Teach” is used lightly here…you don’t have to be an expert…just a desire to spearhead a learning topic. It’s exploratory…friendly…community oriented.

Pretty cool idea, similar to UnClasses which was started by Rahmin awhile back.

Flying Dogs

Since we got Roz a month or so after moving to San Francisco, we’ve never had to do the crate and ship scenario. Much to my surprise, flying a dog from July-September isn’t easy, recommended or even allowed by most carriers. If you need details about your shipping your pet…just search “pets” on the airlines website. After checking with several it looks like Alaska/Horizon is the only carrier that allows dogs during the summer and then only if the temperature in all touch-down spots is below 84 degrees. And another thing…Boxer’s and other short muzzled dogs are held to an even stricter guideline since they overheat so easily.

Rent in Brooklyn

We’re really catching a break on this front. At the moment, the rental market in NYC and Brooklyn is noticeably cheaper than San Francisco. New York housing costs are typically high but until we started looking a couple weeks ago, I didn’t really have much of a point of reference. For what we’re paying in SF we can get more space in Brooklyn. I suppose if we were living in the East Bay the same might be true but the BIG HUGE GINORMOUS difference in NY…public transportation is a lot faster. What takes 30-45minutes in the Bay Area appears to take 10-20 minutes in New York. Rina’s pretty stoked about this since she has to deal with SF public transportation on a daily basis…NYC seems to offer a much easier commute.

Well folks, there you have it. I’ll keep you posted as things fall into place. And by all means, if you happen to know of a centrally located 2-3 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn by all means let us know!

• Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup (ok, that doesn’t happen every summer)
• Blues Fest
• Literary Fest
• Ribs Fest
• Old Town Art Fair
• We got mugged by humidity, drenched with rain and froze…all within 24hrs

I messed around with the vid camera while Rina had a lunch meeting with a few coworkers.

Times are a changing…Brooklyn or Bust!

Although I planted the seed back in November I was just monkeying around because Empire State of Mind was so popular and honestly, I’ve never had a strong attraction to New York. Rina on the other hand has had an open love affair…similar to that of food. Next stop New York…Brooklyn to be exact, it’s just a matter of logistics.

10 Years, 6 Cities, 3 Continents

You might say we’re rather adept at relocating. In fact, over the years we’ve kept a rather minimalist approach to living which revolves around “the ability to pack up and leave within 2 weeks”. A great many of our friends and family have come to expect nothing less and yet their twisted smiles speak volumes.

Being rather adventurous, our D.C.-Chicago relocation was via our ’06 Harley Davidson Road King Classic. Yah, we really like shiny objects, leather and bugs! Sadly, the other jumps consisted of 747′s, DHL, U-Haul trucks and a Door-to-Door moving pod but for Brooklyn, I have a brand new idea….something characteristically uncharacteristic.

(Photo via Mike Lewis)

And no, this isn’t a picture from our trip…click to play the video.

Funny…it felt a lot longer when you’re paddling into the wind, navigating cargo ships and sailboats.

View Kayaking Mission Bay in a larger map

First there was Where Clutch Happens…then came Where X Happens…and now… Where Focus Happens! Clutch is still my favorite but in 31 seconds this packs quite a punch.

The clip is in HD, so you might want to change the player setting to 480p.

“…you have to execute…”

BONUS!!!

Create your own Amazing is… mashup reel on NBA.com/Amazing

So for the people that wonder whether I like working from home, the answer is yes. And for those of you that want to know how, keep reading…

Start your engines…early

9AM is when I officially start work…no later…every day…without question. I’m not a friendly person any earlier than 9AM. There is no need or usefulness in speaking to me within the first 90 minutes after I wake up. I’m an early riser but when I wake up my mind is set on overdrive and it takes a couple hours for my body to catch up. By 9AM I’m hours into my schedule and hitting my stride. By 9AM I’ve made key decisions and started weaving a tapestry for the rest of my work day.

Not getting the munchies

Gordin Gekco said it best, “Lunch? Lunch is for wimps.” My freshman year in college, I worked 3rd shift in an emergency room as a patient registration clerk. During one agonizingly slow night I calculated how much money and time I could save if I didn’t have to eat. Some people find the refrigerator to be the biggest challenge when working remotely but for me it’s the opposite, I have to remind myself to eat.

Silence is golden, so pump up the volume

I used to find it easier to concentrate when there was background noise. Coffee shop clatter provided the right level of noise and helped me focus while tackling loads of work. Over the past few years I’ve reconditioned to work better and faster in silence. Occasionally, when I’m feeling a little restless or need a change of scenery, I’ll head out to a co-working office or meet a colleague. I still love the bustle of the coffee shop but if I want to get something done, I cuddle up to my desk and shut the world out.

Does this chair make my butt look flat?

After years of sitting in crappy plastic chairs, I unknowingly was given an Herman Miller Aeron chair. I didn’t realize what it was at the time but when I had to give it back I was sad to see it go. A couple years ago, I bought a used Aeron on Craigslist for $400 bucks which was by far one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Now, I can’t imagine putting my hinie in any other chair. Oh yah, I also did the stand-up desk for about a year which I got bored with and found I tended to walk away from the computer too often for “a think” and would get distracted.

Yes, I wear (no) pants

The idea that people working from home shuffle to their office in their pajama’s is completely ludicrous. Getting dressed is a must. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an unscheduled meeting pop up on Skype or in person and avoided the panic of needing to put clothes on. I bend the ‘attire rule’ when it comes to footwear and shaving. Wearing shoes in a home is something I stopped doing in China. Not because of cultural reasons but because it’s just cleaner. As for shaving…a chore I absolutely detest with every whisker on my face…I avoid it at all costs. I’d rather have whiskers than razor burn any day of the week.

So there you have it, a few ways I work from home. Fortunately, it’s getting easier, cheaper, faster and increasingly more excepted than ever before.