Quarter of a Century

Today is my 25th anniversary in San Francisco. My brother Sherman, his buddy Stan and I drove my 1980 Toyota Celica GT Liftback (front of it shown in picture behind me) from Columbus, Ohio to San Francisco in 4 1/2 days.

Our first stop was in Lawrence, Kansas. We almost didn't get a hotel that night because our stop coincided with parents helping their kids onto campus at the University of Kansas. Second stop was in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Third stop was in Salt Lake City, Utah. Last stop was Reno, Nevada. Our route was I-70 West until we reached I-25 North in Colorado, then finished the rest of our trip on I-80.

We stayed with my cousin Wilgee and his girlfriend (now wife) Amanda in San Bruno when we got into town. I started my first full-time job with The Sharper Image the following week. Unfortunately, The Sharper Image went out of business earlier this year. There will be a reunion party at Gordon Biersch in early September.

Twenty-five years later, about the only things that haven't changed are that I still wear exclusively Levi's jeans and live in the Sunset district. Except now I live in the Inner Sunset. My first residence was in the Outer Sunset.

Home sweet home.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it...

Fully into middle age, I have been a dedicated user (35 years) of Sea Breeze astringent, ORIGINAL FORMULA. About 3 years ago, the manufacturers developed a new formula, Actives. Like New Coke, it never should have been made.

EWWWWW! At the time I bought it, I had no idea it wasn't the original formula. I immediately realized it when my skin felt sticky and didn't feel the same refreshing tingle as I always did. I compared an old bottle to the new one and noticed Original Formula wasn't labeled on it.

I then found AmericaRX.com sold the Original Formula and bought a few bottles. A few months later, I found out Drugstore.com sold it. Woo hoo! I was already having difficulty finding it on store shelves, so I was relieved to know I could now purchase it from a website I regularly use.

Home free! Or so I thought. This past weekend, I went to Drugstore.com and found it was no longer available. I Google'd to see where else it was available. It was comforting to know that there's a website, Tami's Clock, with numerous comments from other incensed users about the attempt to kill our beloved astringent. I've tried Dickinson's Witch Hazel, Clean and Clear, Sea Breeze astringent Sensitive Skin formula, and a few others. NONE of them work as effectively as Sea Breeze astringent, Original Formula.

As of today, eBay merchant AmericanRx.com sells Original Formula. AmericaRx.com, where I bought a few before I found them at Drugstore.com no longer sell it. CosmeticMall.com and Amazon.com have it listed but is currently not available. A few beauty supply stores do sell in larger quantities, but some comments from Tami's Clock say it isn't Original Formula.

For now, Sea Breeze astringent, Original Formula, can now still be purchased online, but where to get it has become increasingly difficult.

High School Reunion Update

After a hectic 2 weeks, I wanted to update a posting no matter how brief it would be. I found out (not surprisingly) today that the 30-year reunion tentatively planned for this month is to be combined with the all class reunion scheduled for October.

Because I'm committed to a Bermuda cruise to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary in the same month, it is likely I won't attend. The person planning the reunion has been ill and wasn't able to do much. I'm puzzled because there were 4 people on the planning committee for the 25-year reunion and not sure why someone else didn't step in.

I'm a bit disappointed as I attended the 10 and 20-year reunions and had a blast each time. I seem to be among the minority that actually had fond memories of high school. Yes, there were the cliques, peer pressure, and constant wondering where one was in the pecking order. I wasn't extremely popular, smart or athletic but did well enough in all of these that I managed to be remembered among my classmates many years later. Of course, being one of only 3 Asians in my graduating class certainly didn't hurt either.

As I've gotten older, family gatherings mean a lot more. High school reunions don't come often but family comes first.