finally ~ today!

The Giants vs. the Dodgers in their ballpark, late this afternoon. I will
listen to the game on my drive home and then watch it on TV tonight.
Tomorrow I'll read the details in the chronny and know that there
will be heartbreak along the way. But for today, every team is going
to the World Series, at least in the hearts and minds of their fans.
Winter is definitely over, play ball! Go Giants! Repeat...

it's a winner!

We enjoyed Wire Head last night at the SF Playhouse. It is one
of those plays where you don't want to miss a word and, as
always, the acting is terrific. It's about artificial intelligence
and how quickly the whole world of technology is "advancing".
The haves and the have nots, rights and wrongs ~ great and
pertinent material.

I was disappointed not to meet the Blogmaid yesterday due
to RR's cough-cough condition. Instead I had lunch with
some co-worker friends at Ella's. That was v. pleasant indeed.

And, guess what? Coming home from the theater we could
listen to Jon Miller and David B. Fleming over at the Oakland
Athletic's stadium. Real baseball begins tomorrow. Yes!

new book & an award winner

I downloaded this onto my much-appreciated LindaKindle®
yesterday. Ms. Egan won the National Book Award for this
one and the first chapter is a doozy, even though I had read
it previously in the New Yorker. I did finish Old Filth and
it was an interesting read. Lives, so complicated. Ever notice?

It looks like no rain again today and I'm meeting the Blogmaid
in Pathetica for coffee and a walk. Theater tonight. Life is good...

why sunday night?

It seems like the BEST night for us for TV with both Showtime
and HBO. Last night we watched two episodes of Mildred Pierce
with Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce. The first hour sort of dragged
as they set the stage, but then it picked up during the second.
We both loved and remarked on the costumes, the houses (very
SoCal) and all the little details that made it all so authentically
1930's and 40's. Ms. Pierce is a determined woman and not
particularly lovable, but that's OK by me. The final season's
episode of Shameless was last night too, but we'll get it with
On Demand tonight.

But really, the big news is that there is sunshine today.
Imagine...

the fashionista reports

I think this is my fave Balenciaga piece ~ a simple black coat
showing how much the master loved his strong Catholic
heritage. The sparkling bolero jackets are great fun and he
never skimped on fabric. Yesterday was busy, but not over-
whelming and the customers were pleasant. Lots of great
stories about finding a Balenciaga dress at a thrift shop or
"my mother wore that 2nd black Balenciaga cocktail dress,"
and the day zipped by. The deYoung does such a great job
with lighting and display ~ it's worth a visit to see for yourself.

fashion in the rain

The Balenciaga exhibit officially opens today at the deYoung, but
"the buzz" is already here and there have been a few posh parties
and celebrities, and the reports are enthusiastically positive.
I will work up there in the busy little store all today and be
quite ready for a bubble bath when I come home. I will take a
few extra breaks to see the chic clothes and accessories. Olé.

the problem with kids

...just like in real life the TV children grow up waaaaaaay too fast.
The Flix® sent us Season 6 of Weeds and here we have Shane who
is about 14 now and no longer the cute little 8 year old son of a
marijuana dealer. His older brother, Silas, must be about 20 or so
and probably wouldn't be quite as involved in the everyday world
of his crazy family, but who knows? Anyway, enough high falutin'
philosophy, this remains a fabulous TV series. Rent it now or else.

mini movie review

This film was a bit predictable, but a nice break from all the
problems in Japan, Libya and Wisconsin. Morning Glory is the
story of a network news morning show. Rachel McAdams is the
unlikely and too perky producer who has to deal with Harrison
Ford and Diane Keaton as the news anchors. It sounds dumb,
and I guess it was, but always nice to see NYC and Diane.
Sure, rent it, enjoy.

early morning meeting

I was just trying to post a thing from Patrice on How To Survive
an Earthquake, but I'm having problems getting it here on
the blog. Basically it's the Triangle Approach. Don't go under
the desk or bed, lie right next to it because there is usually a
"safe space" there. Same with the car ~ get out and lie beside
it. Of course try to get out of a building, but the stairs can be
iffy as they break away when things collapse.

On that happy note I will quickly tell you that we have an 8am
meeting today and I need to scurry this morning. How I ever
got to Borders at 6am for 8 years is beyond me. But I did and
then was then and now is now and onward, ever onward.

The rain continues as does my damp spirit.

yet another daily write

TALK ABOUT THE EGGS (the prompt)

It was 11am on the dot when Ellen and Howard met down on Market
Street across from the Ferry Building. There was even a little blue
sky by the time they climbed aboard the #38 Geary. "I'm going to
take notes for my book," Howard said, "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I have some Nancy Drew catch-up stuff to do myself here."

They were fortunate to find side-by-side seats eventually and smiled
conspiratorially at the bus riders who plopped right down on the end
seat and refused to move over for another passenger. Ellen turned
her head away when the Asian man carrying a freshly dead chicken
stood directly above them. "You don't see this in those all-beige
burbs," Howard said. "Ah yes, the tyranny of beige ~ never in
Frisco," Ellen responded.

By noon they were hungry and the sun was out. A really nice
change after so much rain for so long. "Let's ride out to the end of
the line and talk about lunch. Maybe walk for a few blocks
before we decide where to eat. I like the Park Chalet outdoors
on a sunny day, but I'm sure the chairs will still be wet. Do
you have any restaurants that you love?" Howard had put his
notebook away as he was thinking about lunch. "The only
food I hate is eggs, but I can work around that."

"Hey," Ellen said, "my friend Linda loves Java Beach. Let's go there!"

goodbye Big Love

It's been five seasons worth of rather wonderful television and last
night Big Love ended. This is not a spoiler blog, so I won't go into
details except to say that Wife #2 (Nicolette, there on the right)
wore the ugliest clothes I've seen in years and years. Of course I hate
endings (I still have the final season of Deadwood here, unwatched)
but last night was satisfying on many levels. Just as I believe that
Sherlock Holmes is really about men's friendship, I believe that
Big Love is all about these three sister wives and how they work
together and apart. If you've been avoiding Big Love I suggest that
you catch up and say goodbye to our buddies in Utah. It's worth it,
trust me here...

tvf (thinly veiled fiction)

yesterday's Round Robin piece...

"I must walk," Ellen muttered to her big orange cat, Salmon.
"I don't care if it has been raining for 7 days straight. I'll just
put on my walking shoes, raincoat and grab that damn
umbrella." Salmon blinked at her, stretched and hopped
off the bed. He had been looking for sunspots all week too,

It wasn't as bad as it looked outside, but it was indeed wet.
Maybe I should move to a warmer place; the desert or
even Hayward. The sun at least shines there. And most
places are safer than this difficult city. And I could park
easily without paying $2.00 for a half hour or getting tickets
for $50 (or more) for parking where the No Parking signs
had been removed.

Ellen went to the neighborhood post office on Tiffany and decided to
dry off with a latte at the corner coffee shop on 29th. She had her
Kindle® and the place was alive with humanity. It felt good to sit
and read while the kids played and the other customers talked
amongst themselves.

As she walked back home along Precita her mood lifted. "I
just needed to walk," Ellen thought. Then, gradually, she
heard drums. Lots of drums. "It isn't even noon, who's
drumming?" The sound came from the basketball courts of
Edward Flynn Elementary School. She peeked through the
chain link fence and to her amazement saw a large circle of
American Indians! Maybe 60 of them ~ men and women in full
native garb including feathers and beads. They were dancing
and chanting and completely oblivious to the weather.
Ellen got goose bumps. How could she ever even consider leaving this glorious city?

03/19/11

this works for me

Boycott of Koch products gaining steam

by Eric Stoner | March 8, 2011, 4:18 pm

With the billionaire Koch brothers using their muscle to back Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker both during his run for office and now as he moves to strip state workers of their right to collective bargain, a boycott of Koch Industry’s consumer products is growing. For example, the Boycott and Defeat Koch Industries Facebook page now has close to 16,000 followers.

Here is a list of the company’s products which are being boycotted:

Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft ‘n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes

I don't know if this will work, their empire is so vast and they are so rich and powerful. Sigh...

updated green girl

Here we have RR yesterday ~ and the bbq cover matches.
I especially love the socks and leggings, don't you? Thanks
for the photo, Blogmaid.

Today I'm out of the Legion of Honor, so I'll miss you at
the BTA, Linda. Have fun, no flash, but you can take all
the photos you want!

st. pat's day ~ today!

We'll rerun my all-time favorite holiday photo. Here is Ryan
Rosemary celebrating her first St. Patrick's Day. OK, snap
your fingers and today she is 7 years old and maybe tomorrow
we'll get the updated RR going-green-to-school picture.
And, yes, Dorf the cat still celebrates too.

Our corned beef celebration was Sat. night, so we'll have
a quiet day of running errands and probably cursing all
the rain today again. Oh, and I'll be sending a check to the
Japanese Red Cross because that's about all I can do for
those people who have suffered so much lately.

the 27th BTA is here

This amazing exhibit at the deYoung is well worth the time, money
and trouble it takes you. Yes, very crowded, but everyone is in
a good mood despite all the rain. There are lots of clever and
beautiful floral works to admire this year and by the closing day
Sunday the flowers will have faded, so come in soon. Today.
How's that for me being a company spokeswoman?

...a fleck of foam

I was introduced to Ms. Laux when I worked at Borders.
Belated thanks to Corriander for nudging me to read her work.

Staff Sgt. Metz

Metz is alive for now, standing in line
at the airport Starbucks in his camo gear
and buzz cut, his beautiful new
camel-colored suede boots. His hands
are thick-veined. The good blood
still flows through, given an extra surge
when he slurps his latte, a fleck of foam
caught on his bottom lip.

I can see into the canal in his right ear,
a narrow darkness spiraling deep inside his head
toward the place of dreaming and fractions,
ponds of quiet thought.

In the sixties my brother left for Vietnam,
a war no one understood, and I hated him for it.
When my boyfriend was drafted I made a vow
to write a letter every day, and then broke it.
I was a girl torn between love and the idea of love.
I burned their letters in the metal trash bin
behind the broken fence. It was the summer of love
and I wore nothing under my cotton vest,
my Mexican skirt.

I see Metz later, outside baggage claim,
hunched over a cigarette, mumbling
into his cell phone. He's more real to me now
than my brother was to me then, his big eyes
darting from car to car as they pass.
I watch him breathe into his hands.

I don't believe in anything anymore:
god, country, money or love.
All that matters to me now
is his life, the body so perfectly made,
mysterious in its workings, its oiled
and moving parts, the whole of him
standing up and raising one arm
to hail a bus, his legs pulling him forward,
all muscle and sinew and living gristle,
the countless bones of his foot trapped in his boot,
stepping off the red curb.

Dorianne Laux

The Book of Men
W. W. Norton

check out this great cast

Last night we saw Harold Pinter's The Homecoming at ACT. Some
of our favorites did brilliant work: Rene Augesen, Jack Willis, Andrew
Polk and Anthony Fusco. But, oh, the plot. Very 1965, although the
first act held great promise. The second act was just plain irritating
to both of us. And here from Leah Garchik's column this morning:

There'd been a ruckus in the audience the night before ACT's "The Homecoming" formally opened last week, director Carey Perloff said. In the middle of the second act, a woman sitting in the back of the orchestra stood and announced loudly, "This is International Women's Day! This is a misogynist play! Who is this Harold Pinter? We're leaving."

Nope, said her husband, loudly enough for all to hear. Leaving, staying; it went back and forth for a bit. Finally, the woman left and the man stayed.

At the end of the play, the man "stood and cheered," said Perloff. And there's your play within the play.

how green is our table

before

the star

after

It had been too long since we gathered around the shamrocks
and the hosts had a lovely time seeing our friends and making
mincemeat out of the 12 pound corned beef from Roberts.
That doesn't work, but I'm tired this morning, what with the
time change and the fact that I need to scamper out to the
Legion of Honor in an hour or so.

With all the terrible tragedy in Japan it was especially
comforting to be with our friends and raise our glasses
to health, happiness and the luck of the Irish, Welsh,
Jews and all the mixtures that we are.

on my Lindakindle®

Dancing Jen recommended this book and I think I'm going
to enjoy it a lot. I can't decide whether to tell you what Filth
stands for, but it's very clever. This is fiction and I think it's
a mystery. Right now it's on sample state on the electronic
reading device, but I believe it will soon be purchased.

back in the saddle

Well, that was nice while it lasted. I've accepted another full-time
temporary position at the museums and that all starts Monday with
Bouquets to Art at the deYoung. I'm NOT doing the Supe thing this
go-round, so it should be a lot easier and almost as much pay.
(I'll still boss people around because that's my nature.) And oh,
those lovely benefits ~ those are just too hard to pass up.

The 3 gigs are lovingly known as:
1) Tut
2) Orsay
3) Picasso ~ opens June 11th

I'll go back to part-time in October. Bear with me folks.

everyone (almost) loves a parade

Except for The Perfect Pitch, Hair and Sweeney Todd, I don't really
like musicals. They make me squirm. When people I have worked
with find this out about me they will sometimes hum that disgusting
tune, "76 Trombones" because they so love to see my eyes flash
with anger. Of all musicals, the one I hate most is Music Man, aka
Mucous Man.

However, that said, as TV people say, I will admit that this looks
v. cute. It's a production down in Half Moon Bay (aka Pumpkinville)
and our own RR is right there in the front row, she is wearing a
hat and glasses. Alas, Husbando and I couldn't attend last night
due to previous plans, but I'm sure it was great fun. Maybe not
quite as much fun as the head-chopping, pie-making Sweeney
Todd, but that show is probably too advanced for first graders.
(Oh, I loved Chorus Line too!)

a little levity on Wednesday

(with thanks to my friend Richard in Seattle)

The Best Smart Ass Answers of 2010!!

SMART ASS ANSWER #6

It was mealtime during an airline flight.
'Would you like dinner?', the flight attendant asked John, seated in front.
'What are my choices?' John asked.
'Yes or no,' she replied.

SMART ASS ANSWER #5

A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her.
Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub.'

SMART ASS ANSWER #4

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ' Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead...'

SMART ASS ANSWER #3

The police officer got out of his car as the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. 'I've been waiting for you all day,' the officer said.
The kid replied, Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.'
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.

SMART ASS ANSWER #2

A truck driver was driving along on the freeway and noticed a sign that read: Low Bridge Ahead. Before he knows it, the bridge is right in front of him and his truck gets wedged under it. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, 'Got stuck, huh?'
The truck driver says, 'No, I was delivering this bridge and I ran out of gas.'

SMART ASS ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2010!!

A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. 'Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!'
A smart-ass student in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, 'What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?'
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shook her head and sweetly said, 'Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand.'

such a special day!

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day
and I will wear my special pin and when people stop to read it
I will become the blazing feminist and their eyes will glaze
over and they will try to get away from me. Too bad.

Women still get the fuzzy end of the lollipop. It's better, yes,
but we have many miles to go. We used to march for Women's
Rights and now they have Nike Marathons ~ I guess that's
some sort of progress. I always worry about the woman's
right to choose, but recently two very conservative women
representatives (Minnesota?) blocked a mean anti-abortion
bill in their state by arguing that government has no right
to interfere with a doctor and his patient. You go, Girls!

My friends and I became feminists back in the 70's and
it certainly changed our lives for the better. Now we can
spot sexism a mile away. And don't put me on any fucking
pedestal and don't call me a Lady. There is nothing wrong
with Woman or Ma'am. Don't be afraid of aging and getting
stronger and smarter. That is my advice to young women today.

I have come to believe that what the right wing wants MOST of
all is to put women in "their place" again. It's a great feeling of
power to tell the weaker sex where to go. Surprise. We aren't
the weaker sex and we never were. OK, rant over.

Oh, special thanks to all my women friends who have given me so
much over the years. Talk about strong and grateful ~ that's me.

just a day off

Here is how I spent my day off and yes, someone might want
to know. Plus I have NOTHING else to post here.

• hurt my left knee while doing morning knee stretches
• wrote some emails
• researched Angeles Arrien ~ impressive woman
  
• sent my 10 minute Round Robin piece "Clink, clink"
• vowed never to say Charlie Sheen's name ever again
• looked out on the garden ~ dank and cold and ugly
• made a big salad for lunch
• lunched with Husbando, newspaper and magazine
  
• read and napped, mostly napped
• walked to 16th and Mission to pick up Ken (the car)
• drove Ken (the car) home after brief hospitalization

Tonight we'll watch some more Nurse Jackie after bacon
and blintzes. It's not exciting, but it's our life and I like it.

money stuff

"Better than expected," we said simultaneously last night when
this Wall Street movie ended. Of course the NYC scenes are
spectacular, but Michael Douglas does a good (if predictable)
job playing Gordon Gekko again and it's always a pleasure to
watch Frank Langella in any role. Kleenex® not needed...

saturday splurge

It's OLD San Francisco and one of Husbando's favorite places
to eat. It's usually jam-packed, but Saturday lunch is the perfect
time to walk right in, sit down and gobble up the sourdough
bread. Tadich Grill specializes in seafood, cooked to perfection.
I had the grilled petrale and Husbando always orders sand dabs.
Then we split a bowl of creamed spinach and HE wants me to
tell you that the latter cost $8.75. Yes, it's pricey but worth it
for a special treat and since HE offered to pick up the tab today,
what's a woman to do? The waiters (only male?) still wear the
white jackets, but the atmosphere is warm and friendly. It's
supposed to be SF's oldest restaurant ~ I don't know about that,
but it is certainly one of the best.

she blogs, she bakes (finally), she gloats

I've never been one of those "natural cooks" who can throw things
together effortlessly. Nor can I do much with pastry, other than
buy cakes and pies at the bakery. But I watched the Duck make
this cobbler one night and I thought, "maybe I can do that!"

And I did, last night. I didn't bake it quite long enough, but every
oven is different, so I'll keep trying. It was still delicious, and
do serve it with sort-of-mushy vanilla ice cream. Thanks Plotniks!

Pat’s Cobbler

1 Qt blueberries or other fruit, washed and completely dry

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 egg

1 stick of butter

Mix the fruit with the sugar. Place the fruit/sugar mix in the bottom

of a 9x9 greased baking dish, cover with the flour/sugar/butter/egg

mix and bake at 350º for 35-40 (?) minutes. (Bittman has 375º

for 35 to 40 minutes.) Serve with vanilla ice cream.

season two!

Yup, the Flix® sent us Nurse Jackie, Disc. One, Season Two
and we are very happy to be back with Edie Falco and all her
friends and enemies at the big inner city hospital. ShowTime
is quickly becoming as important to our lives as HBO ~
we are also loving Shameless, a new series this season.

And the rain has left us for a little while. Double hoooooray!

what am I reading?

I thought you'd never ask. I'm stuck in the middle of
Chronic City, it's a little dull currently. So I started on
the l-o-n-g article in the New Yorker about Scientology.
Fascinating. Years and years ago, I had a boss who
would call me into his office and try to sell me on this
quasi-religion. I was stuck for hours as he talked about
the E-meter and Clear and it was just a horrible abuse
of power, in my opinion. Finally, payback.

kay is one of the best

Splitting Ice

Like standing
on splitting ice
one foot on one
one on the
other piece.
Distressed like
the family of man
at the divorce
of the plates:
some cast into
a suddenly new
world as though
having sinned;
those kept behind
trapped and
bereft. But in
a person, one
foot will lift
and the split
resolve. So
why do the
self-saved
feel half left?

Kay Ryan