Log Book 11/13/2023: Good Things Happen in the Fall

Fall has truly felt like fall this year.

Autumn really got me this year, perhaps more than ever in recent memory. Around here in Los Angeles, it's usually a toss-up between the warm season and the cool season. But after you've hung around Southern California long enough, you start to catch the subtler nuances of our climate. Sure, there is lots of sunshine, but we do have our own brand of seasonal shifts, depending on where you are. And this time around, I'm actually jazzed about the upcoming winter - cool rain, shorter days and all. I'm rooting for a mix of rain and snow in the mountains, with just enough Chamber of Commerce weather thrown in to keep the vibe upbeat.

They say it's going to be a wet El Niño winter. Bring it on, I'm ready for change and lots of ski days.

I think my renewed appreciation for fall comes from spending more time on the East Coast in September and early October, along with being an October baby – a Libra who loves football, pumpkin pie, apple cider, artificially-flavored pumpkin coffee, and that general feeling of transformation.

A few years back, right before Labor Day, a business partner tossed out a line that stuck with me: 'Good things happen in the fall.' Turns out, he was onto something. That fall, at BroBible, we settled into our stride. Summer's sluggish pace was history. We had the perfect storm: a solid playbook and a bit of luck. It was a season of sharp turns and big wins—proof that when things shift, they really shift. Fall and spring aren’t just about change; they’re about things finally clicking into place.

It can be a time of year that's grounding and humbling.

I recently read Kurt Vonnegut's Palm Sunday. A passage that stuck with me is Vonnegut's simple treatise on why there should be six seasons instead of four, delivered with his hallmark wry sense of humor:

One sort of optional thing you might do is realize that there are six seasons instead of four. The poetry of four seasons is all wrong for this part of the planet, and this may explain why we are depressed so much of the time. I mean, spring doesn’t feel like spring a lot of the time, and November is all wrong for autumn, and so on. Here is the truth about the seasons: Spring is May and June. What could be springier than May and June? Summer is July and August. Really hot, right? Autumn is September and October. See the pumpkins? Smell those burning leaves? Next comes the season called Locking. November and December aren’t winter. They’re Locking. Next comes winter, January and February. Boy! Are they ever cold! What comes next? Not spring. ‘Unlocking’ comes next. What else could cruel March and only slightly less cruel April be? March and April are not spring. They’re Unlocking.

So, what have I been up? This is a log book, after all. Here's a recap of the last couple of months:

July

After the 4th of July, I flew to San Antonio on a BroBible work trip to make sponsored content from our partnership with Grunt Style. Pretty happy about how my TikTok recap turned out. In true Texas fashion, I witnessed an armadillo race on Saturday night at a bar.

Maggie and I made it point to buy used bikes off Facebook Marketplace in early July. When time allowed, between work trips, we spent summer evenings making the six mile trek from our house to the beach. Fortunately, there's a bike path the whole way. Hooray, excellent infrastructure!

In Los Angeles, enjoyed an evening outing to SoFi Stadium for a friendly soccer match between Barcelona and Arsenal. Read + watch a recap here. Arsenal dominated. SoFi remains one of the best venues in the world to catch a game in, including for soccer.

Last minute work trip to Dallas to cover an El Clásico friendly at Jerryworld when a coworker's travel plans fell apart, per our partnership with DIRECTV. Met some wonderful soccer fans that told me about their travels from all over the world to see their favorite teams place in Dallas. The atmosphere was intense and spirited, easily one of the loudest sporting events I've ever been to. In terms of volume and decibels, the only other event I can think of that was louder was UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in 2016. Oh... and Barca won. Read + watch a recap here.

August

Booked a quick 36-hour work trip to Las Vegas to cover another soccer friendly between Barcelona and AC Milan. A little more laid back than the previous two, but enjoyed being on the pitch during pregame at Alligent Stadium, which will host the Super Bowl this year. Ate a lot of pizza at The Cosmopolitan's Secret Pizza, easily my new favorite place for a good 'za fix in Las Vegas. Good 'za that isn't food court mush is tough to come by in Vegas! Also took myself out for a nice ginger scallion noodle lunch at Momofuku before flying back to LAX. Read + watch a recap here.

The next day, back at SoFi Stadium for the first night of Taylor Swift's six-night Eras Tour run in Los Angeles. I haven't always appreciated Taylor Swift's artistry over the years as much as I should. She's a generational talent and an atomic cultural powerhouse, of course. I just couldn't get into her whole thing until recent years thanks to Maggie.

But seeing the Taylor Swift Eras Tour stop at SoFI was truly one of the most transformative live musical experiences I've ever had. Her earworms are infectuous, just that much better when sung loud and live. I get it now.

I thought we were going to be shut out on tickets. However, we lucked out when we got a text saying some production tickets opened up the week before her show, putting us in the lower bowl of the stadium with an excellent view. We were at the first show they filmed for the Eras Tour concert movie she released in October. It was over four hours of nonstop music - an absolute tour de force, starting around 8PM and ending a couple minutes after midnight. Her stamina as a performer is mesmerizing and feels completely unrivaled right now. She's on the top of the world and it's fun to watch.

My highlights from the night: The folklore part of the evening, along with the way it transitions like butter into the 1989 era. I'll chew your ear off about it sometime.

By August, I felt like my summer was defined by a lot of work travel, not a lot of personal time. Multiple weekend-long commitments with our advertisers meant giving up my weekends. Then it was back to the grind on Monday morning for business as usual. So Maggie and I escaped to Palm Springs for a Saturday night, with the goal of hitting Joshua Tree for the Perseid Meteor Shower. However, we weren't the only people in Southern California with this idea, so we pivoted to a dark nature preserve in the desert and watched the sky for about three hours. It was a great time, with a brilliant light show from Mother Nature. We counted well over 30 meteors, ate some snacks, and congratulated ourselves on strategically avoiding traffic in and out of the National Park, in the high desert. The next day, I enjoyed some pool time in the intense desert heat before heading back to Los Angeles. It was only the third time I was able to get some pool time in this summer.

In mid-August, we hunkered down in Los Angeles for a rare Pacific Coast hurricane. Hillary makes landfall, but, fortunately, it's a bit of a whimper. The night before the storm hits, Maggie and I went for a sunset stroll in Manhattan Beach. The sky was spectacular, pictured at the top of this post.

The storm itself brings heavy rain and a little wind. Nothing too crazy. We do, however, experience a small earthquake on the same afternoon, which rattles the nerves. Also, our power went out for three hours that evening, but not long enough that it made for a big deal. Before the storm, I parked my Jeep under a coulter pine tree in our neighbor. Oops, big mistake. One of its rock-hard cones shatters my windshield, which means a trip to Safelite and $500 for a new one. I like to joke that we're the only people on our block with any hurricane damage. I

I headed to Memphis for a friend and former co-worker's bachelor party. I was initially on the fence about going since I didn't know anyone on the trip besides the groom, but I've never been to Memphis before. I was stoked to experience a new city. Plus, I enjoy randomly being invited to things out of the blue by friends. It's a good reminder for me to do more of the same. It doesn't hurt to shake up the social comfort zone every now and then.

We ended up at a dance party in the Bass Pro Shops pyramid, of all places, and hit the same disco by our Holiday Inn by Beale Street two nights straight. The real deal though? The BBQ, blues, and dive bars. One place that stands out is Earnestine & Hazel's, featuring an upstairs corner bar run for decades by a man named Nate. Nate's a gracious guy and has all kinds of stories about all the characters that have come through his joint over the years. If you're ever in Memphis, I recommend paying him a visit.

We also hit up the original Gus's Fried Chicken. It was a knockout. For a music buff like me, I'm happy I carved out the time to check out the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Sun Studios. Pretty fascinating to see where Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis rocked the mic while they were on the up-and-up.

September

September was a tough month. It was reflective month. The loss of my grandfather weighed heavily on me. It was a period of coming to terms with his absence, but also remembering his incredible life and legacy.

Just after Labor Day, I headed back to Chambersburg to see my family and then enjoyed a quick visit to see my sister and her family at her farmhouse in northern Pennsylvania. I flew back to Los Angeles via the tiny airport in Elmira, New York, connecting in Detroit. Paid my respects to the Mark Twain statue at the airport, who considered Elmira his summer home for many years. The late author is buried in Emira's Woodlawn Cemetery.

Was only in Los Angeles for about 13 days, had a lovely carne asada cookout with our neighbors for a birthday, then flew back east to spend some time in Dewey Beach, Delaware alongside my mom, dad, and grandma. I didn't get to spend as much time as I had hoped with them this summer, so it was a nice little getaway, even though I was glued to my laptop or phone for advertising calls during most of the working hours. Sometimes, life has a way of coming straight at you.

After a rejuvenating time at Dewey Beach, I met Maggie at Newark Liberty Airport, and we headed off to Kingston, New York, for a friend's wedding. Kingston was a first for me, a charming town nestled in the Hudson Valley. I instantly got why it's a hit with Brooklyn folks seeking a pandemic escape from NYC. The place is straight out of a Hallmark movie, complete with 1600s Dutch farmhouse taverns, lively farmers markets, street music festivals, and buzzing modern hipster bars. The one bar that we patronized on Friday night felt more like Bushwick than the Catskils, down to the flannels, Blundstone boots, and wool-knit beanies.

The wedding, where we celebrated our New York friends Pete and Alyssa, was nothing short of incredible. Being there, surrounded by familiar faces from our NYC days, sparked a flood of nostalgia. Technically, on paper, Maggie and I traveled the farthest for the occasion, but then there was our friend George, who had moved all the way to Amsterdam after we all started leaving NYC. Despite being out of New York for six years, it's clear our bonds are as strong as ever. Those years in the city really etched a special place in our hearts, a chapter we all hold dear.

After Kingston, Maggie and I rented a car and drove back to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania for my grandfather's funeral. We ate hoagies in a Wawa parking lot off Interstate 78 near Fogelsville, as one does in Pennsylvania.

October

I spent about five days at home in PA with my family. It was especially nice to spend time with my nieces and nephew, including fun afternoon tractor ride in my parents' yard on the Sunday we pulled into town.

It was special to be together, despite the sad circumstance. I cherish those couple of days dearly.

Flew back to Los Angeles via Dulles on a Friday. Was happy to sleep in my own bed.

That Sunday: Went to the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. I had this marked on the calendar all year. Predictably, it was an electric showing by my fellow Eagles fans and a great game, with the Eagles etching a decisive win. A.J. Brown put up six catches for 127 yards, though Aaron Donald and the Rams defense did a good job stopping the Birds' offense in the second half. Afterwards, Maggie and I headed to one of our favorite beach dives, Hinano Cafe, for burgers. There's a surf rock band that plays there on Sundays, which makes for a nice way to wind-down the weekend.

For my birthday this year, I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. So, we headed to Bulgogi Hut in Korea Town for an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ extravaganza. The only time I had ever done Korean BBQ before was a rushed going-away lunch on the last day of my internship at a travel magazine in New York. It wasn't all that memorable.

But this time, in Los Angeles? It was tops. Trust me, no photo could capture the sheer decadence of that dinner. We indulged like royalty, diving into a feast that left us joyously overwhelmed. The whole experience was an adventure in itself. Cooking our meat on the table-top gas grill turned out to be more fun than fussy, a delightful culinary escapade. The waitstaff kept attentive watch on us to make sure we didn't overcook anything and ruin our meal. The beef bulgogi was a revelation, a thinly sliced Korean steak bathed in a luscious marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and a blend of ginger, garlic, pear, and Gochujang – that fiery, fermented chili pepper sauce that's the heartbeat of Korean cuisine.

The spread was magnificent: 21-day aged bone-in short ribs, pork belly marinated in red wine, succulent marinated shrimp, a rich ribeye, and various kinds of short ribs. Add to that the sides – creamy corn cheese, tangy kimchi, and an array of classic fixings. There's nothing like sitting down at a table with sizzle on the grill and the smell of meat wafting right at you. By the end of the meal, I felt like I needed a wheelbarrow to get out of there!

It was a birthday dinner to remember, a perfect 10/10. For a Tuesday night, it couldn't have been any better, meat sweats and all. It's a great special occasion meal, if you ever feel like mixing things up.

Late October took me back to New York City for a BroBible business meet-up. It was great seeing some of the Tri-State area team in person. On Sunday night, I caught the Eagles game on Sunday night in a Midtown East sports bar, right by the Queensboro Bridge. I forgot how nice it is to watch live sports in a dim NYC pub.

This NYC trip hit differently. I missed the city's relentless buzz and get-it-done attitude. I couldn't imagine myself living there again unless my career demanded it, but I did feel a certain longing for what I found so special about New York's New Yorkness. I spent a lot of time thinking about my New York City life chapter and the early BroBible days - all our wins and many Ls.

One thing's for sure: nobody does happy hour like New York. After a few meetings for work on Tuesday, I met up with friends for a happy hour in the Financial District at Jeremy's Ale House, which eventually turned into a dinner. It was a festive catch-up session.

The real highlight of the trip was a meet-up with my parents to see Moulin Rouge on Broadway. What a show! I wasn't expecting a love story about a Bohemian poet in 1890s Paris and a nightclub star coveted by a jealous duke to include songs by Outkast, Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, The Police, and more. Honestly, the music caught me off-guard; I wasn't expecting pop culture to be so interwoven into the story. Each song was like a giant medley, a mash-up of all genres of music to keep the story flowing.

The show's vivid colors, choreography, and dancing reminded me of how much I love going to great theater. I go out of my way to see plenty of live music that I love, sure, but there's nothing like a Broadway show. I love a good spectacle.

I left New York wondering why I hadn't soaked up more of its theater scene during the years I lived there. I saw plenty of amazing shows, including many with my parents on trips to the city to visit, but there's always a gnawing feel that I could have tried harder to see more. C'est la vie, so it goes. Just makes me aspire for more of a bicoastal lifestyle as I grow older.

As soon as the curtain call ended, I rushed down 8th Avenue to Penn Station, jumped on a train to Newark Airport, then flew back to LAX. I was in my bed by 1AM, bone tired, but very content.

Wrapping up my third East Coast visit in two months, I was ready to get back in routine in Los Angeles again and be on Pacific Time for a little while, especially with the busy Q4 season looming in the media advertising world. Energized by New York’s vibe, I was all set to tackle the upcoming challenges at BroBible.

October had one more treat in store: college football. My friend Rodney from Tennessee flew in to catch a UCLA game at The Rose Bowl, facing off against the University of Colorado with Dieon Sanders leading the charge. We turned it into a full-blown event, starting with Bay Cities sandwiches and mingling with welcoming tailgaters in the Rose Bowl lot. UCLA shone that day, overshadowing Colorado.

The game atmosphere at the Rose Bowl was pleasant, a perfect blend of sports and camaraderie. Even though 70,000+ people showed up and the game was technically sold out thanks to Dieon's undeniable magnetism, it was much more relaxed and laid back than the game-day experiences I'm used to with Penn State games. Post-game, we zipped back to Old Town Pasadena, then hit Hollywood for a Taper's Choice jam band gig. Their Halloween show was a wild mix of jazzy improvisations and 'Big Lebowski' samples. As The Dude would say, it was far out, man.

Since then? A lot of work, getting back into my hiking routine, a fun trick-or-treat hang with our neighbor, and a few evenings out with friends, including a casual, low-key nighttime golf session under the lights at The Lakes in El Segundao.

Good things happen in the fall. This one has certainly kept me on my toes. And I don't think it's going to slow down anytime soon.

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List of things I've been into this fall, in no particular order:

• Book: The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life by Vanessa Patrick.
• The new Chris Stapleton album, Higher.
• Costco's $7.49 jars of kimchi.
• HBO's Six Feet Under, which I didn't really appreciate when it. originally aired from 2001–2005.
• Chimichurri flank steak or skirt steak.
• My new electric Ninja Woodfire grill and smoker, which takes some getting used to but consistently makes delicious meals.
• Going out for oysters with friends, perhaps paired with a good cocktail?
• HOKAs saving me from inevitable gentic onset of plantar fasciitis.
• Chopped chilis on In-N-Out burgers, the best secret ingrident hack.
• Trader Joe's Peri Peri hot sauce.
• Trader Joe's pumpkin spread, which I believe, sadly, is now discontinued for the season.
• Cento Diced Cherry Pepper Hoagie spread.
• Can't say I've had a ton of time for passion projects with work lately, but I'm proud of this interview I did with comedian and entertainer Joel McHale after he appeared on College Gameday.

List of things I'm looking forward to, in no particular order:

• Lots of skiing. I bought an IKON pass this year, so hoping to head to Big Bear, Mammoth, Colorado, and a few other places for powder days this winter. It felt great to get back out for the first time in years last winter.
• The fancy sea moss drink I bought at Erewhon. I don't know the health and vitality benefits of sea moss, but I'm intrigued. Try everything once, I guess.
• A new Italian restaurant opened up down the street called Parmizza. What is a Parmizza, you ask? I don't know yet either, but based on their Instagram it sounds like a pizza served on schnitzel protein, like crispy chicken, pork, or veal. Maybe a little gimmicky, but I'm willing to try it out, though I'm not sure I'll ever settle for pizza minus the dough.
• A weekend trip to San Diego to see my sister and brother-in-law.

P.S. Thank you if you read this far. You've reached the end. I know this was long-winded and a tad little self-indulgent, but I'm trying to get in some new writing routines. Been feeling a little one-dimensional with work and writing lately. Maybe I'll do this every month or so? It feels like a nice intimate use of this space. Plus, I like the idea of jotting down places and experiences as a life log book, like how a ship captain or pilot would. It preserves personal history and helps the memory bank.