poles have feelings too

Here we are on Alabama Street, right outside Precita Park. This is our
neighborhood which gets more strange as time marches on.  Someone
KNITTED covers for these poles. I believe their purpose is to protect
the playground (on the right) from dangerous cars, but I'm not sure.
The other day one of the pole covers went missing, but it was returned
the next day. It's peculiar that anyone would have the time to care for
these poles, but probably worse that I would photograph and ponder
the meaning of all of this, but that's why we have our blogs, isn't it?

Crissy Field once again

10 am

10:30 am

11 am - all clear

12:30 pm ~ Nettie's Crab Shack

I've been to Crissy Field hundreds of times, I guess. Every time is different, but
yesterday was one of the best and the prettiest. So clear with a light line of fog
that looked like it had been painted in just to warn us that we needn't get too
spoiled here. Husbando, Ginger and I walked and then went to the Crab Shack
on Union Street for mussels and more sunshine.  Easy parking (no meters!)
was the theme of the day, as it is most days (for us) here in SF.

Today, just for the record, is foggy.

woof

Phineas  - 2 months old

Yesterday I took a l-o-n-g four hour dog training class at the SPCA. But
first I had to check for some new adorable cats and this one caught my iPhone.

Dog training has changed a lot since we had our rambunctious Irish Setter.
Treats are used a lot and there is a technique for sliding in and out of the
dog rooms without letting the dogs escape. We all know that cats are
soooooo much easier, but as the Monday morning dog feeder, I do need
to know more about the canine operation. I learned so much and my respect
for the organization grows, especially the training which is far superior
to many of the jobs I've had in the real world of people and politics.

avoid the kale

Gracias Madre ~ 18th and Mission Streets

3 tacos ~ black beans were quite wonderful

After dog feeding yesterday, I walked over 16th Street and turned left on
Mission to Gracias Madre where I met my friend Lauriel who used to work
with me at the museums. This is, of all things, a vegetarian Mexican restaurant
and I'd been wanting to go there for a long time. Those aren't my 3 tacos,
but close. The one I adored was all luscious mushrooms and I loathed the
kale, disliked the plantain. But hey, the gluten-free (I think) chips and
avocado were wonderful and we could sit out there on the patio and watch
the craziness of the Mission District. Lauriel lives in the East Bay but
loves the Mish and we had a lot to catch up on, so it was a wonderful lunch.
And, oh yes, there is sunshine in the city ~ rejoice!

another RR on the scene

The GOP convention opens today in Florida and Storm Isaac is going to
do his part to hinder the Romney-Ryan ticket. Two weathly white men,
just what this country doesn't need. I hope the Blogmaid doesn't mind if
I cut and paste a rather brilliant quote from one of her emails. And, yes,
she is the perfect mother:

I was trying to explain the difference between Democrats and Republicans to 
RR the other day. I said something like: "The Republicans just want to keep 
their money and don't care about the earth or the country. The Democrats 
want to help people and save the whales."

Well said. Applause, applause.

But back to my small world ~ this morning I fed the dogs and met a friend
for lunch in the heart of the Mish. Details on the morrow...

small town Texas

Finally out on DVD and the Flix® came through for us. Jack Black is
fabulous as Bernie, the mortician who befriends the very wealthy Mrs.
Nugent, then kills her. As you know, it's based on a true story and there
are some delightful scenes that will remain with me for a long time,  I
hope. 76 Trombones, my least favorite EVER song is now special to me.
You'll see...

first run rights!

The Blogmaid wrote that if I hurried I could get RR's Halloween costume in
my blog before she hits Facebook. It all worked perfectly because I had
nothing planned for today. What luck. As you can see, RR is the Lion King.
Because I work in the museum and know art, I appreciate the circle of
orange over on the left. Very Man Ray or Friedlander or Whomsoever.

beat Goodlettsville!

We've been watching the amazing Petaluma Little League players in their
World Series in Williamsport, Pa. They play GREAT ball. I heard their
coach on the radio who reported that their chant before each game is "Baseball!"
We also like how the two teams meet to fist bump (or whatever) after every game.
My only problem is that most of the teams seem to lack diversity, so much
whiteness in this day and age?

a full day in frisco

oxtails for the b.day woman

liver, onion and bacon for this blogger

Original Joe's North Beach

America's Cup boat "Prada"

REAL photographers

all sailing in front of Alcatraz

one more for the sea

Italian American Museum baseball exhibit ~ Fort Mason

I'm guessing that my little iPhone camera didn't get as many great pictures as
the tripod photographers lined up at the end of Fort Mason yesterday. In any
event, we amateurs had a great yesterday ~ all VERY San Francisco. First,
lunch at Original Joe's to celebrate the Great Ducknik's birthday. Then the
four of us found a fine parking place right outside Fort Mason and we joined
a large group of spectators enjoying this part of the America's Cup. Are
they racing? The main event is actually next year, so maybe they are just
showing off and trying to win our cold, grey hearts because we know how
crowded and messy the traffic will be in 2013. Then we toured the Italian
American Museum, it's free and a fun exhibit for baseball fans. A splendid
day indeed in our fine, less-than-perfect city by the bay.

just because...

No words needed for this wonderful photo.

this naff invention

Naff was today's Word and I liked the quote below. While searching for this photo
online I read that there is now more plastic in the ocean than there is plankton.
The museums switched to paper bags about a year ago and everyone seems to
have adjusted just fine. It's so easy to wad up a tote bag and keep it in my purse,
I don't understand this reluctance to save our planet. Soon, I hope, the plastic bag
will be like smoking ~ folks will look with horror at the poor person still using one.

"The plastic bag is such a naff invention that it's quite hard to care one way or the other."
Matthew Carmichael; The Perils of Plastic Amnesia; The Ecologist (London, UK); Dec 2006.

writers at work

Our second Tiapos in the warmth of the sun! Yesterday we met at Sarah's
home in Napa and spent most of the day outside. I know you think we
are mostly discussing: plots, arcs, paragraphs, sentences, verbs, italics,
poetry, fiction, non-fiction, transitions, tension, phrasing and delete/
delete/delete, but in fact we do take a moment or two for food, family,
friends, life, death and everything in between. Chef P roasted chickens for
us and there were plenty of side dishes to accompany the luscious
brined birds. A truly glorious day ~ how lucky am I?

two kitties go home

desk duty

Princess 2

Tyson 2

Dora and the Princess

Dora and Tyson

I work with Dora at the museums and she has been grieving for the past
few months because her old cat Tyson died. Finally she was ready for
new kittens and I met her at the SPCA and first I showed her the two
orange guys that I had fallen in love with. They were adopted shortly
after she selected the two above, so I don't have to worry about them
anymore. The SPCA is so very, very thorough with the health checks
and preparing the new owner for her kittens that the whole thing took
more than two hours. And this was FREE Saturday, but they still go
over every detail and I so admire that.

Dora reported in last night that the kitties had settled in and were
sleeping next to her in their new home. All three were exceedingly
content after a busy and exciting morning.

november trip pre-planning

Ginger and I will be heading off to Philadelphia to check out the new Barnes
Foundation Museum. She found a great bargain on Virgin America for our
4-day trip beginning Nov. 7th. Future posts will bore you with details of this
museum that houses the greatest collection of Impressionist and Post
Impressionist painting in America. And, there is a bit of history in that
city too, or so they tell me...

hooked on words

Everyday in my email box I get a word to study from Wordsmith. Most often they
are words I already know, but once in awhile I'm surprised or I discover that I
probably have used the word incorrectly, if I have been brave enough to use the
word in public. Then the email ends with a quote that has nothing to do with
the word-of-the-day, but which I enjoy immensely. This week we have Latin
words, last week the doubles like chi chi and frou frou. On Sunday we get to
read fun emails from readers who have had unusual experiences with these
or similar words. There's just something about word people...

I enjoy a daily word game on my iPhone ~ 7 Little Words. Takes just a few
minutes and I think it helps my grey cell retention. Maybe. Available in the
iTune app store.

Both of these are FREE and a good reason to celebrate technology today.

OK, that does it!

We've lost every game I've attended this year. Yesterday there was a feeling
of gloom and doom since Melky was suspended for using testosterone. We
did enjoy our annual lunch with Ginger at the Primo Patio where the owner
told us about the baseball internet chatter and the demise of our All Star.
Deep sigh. How does it work? Does every player get tested or just the
ones they suspect? The real problem with all of these drugs is that they
make good players better ~ otherwise why would people risk their health?

our colorful nabe

Walls, fences, garage doors ~ it's one of the reasons I love living in the
Mish. These are just a few photos I took the other day walking back from
the SPCA. Avoiding the tyranny of beige has always been one of my
life-long goals and god knows we achieved it when we moved to Bernal
so many years ago. Thank you, assorted artists and neighbors!

if it's Monday...

Older cats await new homes

Lots of little dogs ~ see onlookers too

Baby just arrived last week

Still lots of new kitties

OK, first to Peggy Sue ~ she was transferred to Muttville and everyone
feels she'll have a better chance of adoption there. The FREE SATURDAY
kitty adoption special is a huge success and I'll be there next week with
a work colleague who wants two. There are sooooooo many kittens
on the market, it's heartbreaking, really.

Next week I get 4 hours of dog training, but in the meantime, I did do
the feeding yesterday morning. I'm not comfortable yet going into the
dog rooms, but I gave the grey Baby some attention because she has some
socialization issues. But then, who doesn't?

the twins need a little help

For as long as we've lived here, The Twins have been a big part of San
Francisco and now they are 85 and will have to leave the city they love
unless we send a little money to a special emergency fund for Marian
and Vivian Brown. I have vivid memories of Twin-Spotting and it seems
like my days were always better when I saw them. Thanks, readers!

Jewish Family and Children's Services
Emergency Assistance Fund
2150 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

in and out of the fog

Still beautiful, despite fog

VA Hospital ~ from the trail

The new Land's End gift and coffee shop (and bathrooms)

Lunch after the walk

Most of the city was bathed in sunshine yesterday, but we headed out into
the fog to finally visit the most-welcome new Land's End building and
even though I would have liked a real coffee shop, I understand how the
take-out model is more efficient and more profitable for our state. We
walked for more than an hour and it was not only invigorating, it was so
good to be someplace without noise and traffic. Those fog horns never
seem to be an irritant, more like many low moos of a welcome.

Driving home we spotted Pho Garden at Clement and 22nd Avenue. It
was cheap, filling and the pho soup was just what we needed before
returning home to watch the Giants win.  I'm loving weekends off!

people, fish, penguins

Write down your earthquake memories

Beautiful indeed

Mesmerizing

Two women, two penguins

How cool is this?

She was petting them at one point ~ so sweet

Outside Lands, the BIG music festival started yesterday and parking in
Golden Gate Park will be a nightmare all weekend. So I went in extra
early and toured the California Science Academy across from the de
Young. It is one of the perks of working there, my badge gets me into
many places free. The Academy is now v. expensive, $29 for an adult,
even though it's an all-day admission, that's a lot of money.

I skipped the Earthquake shaky demonstration since we've all experienced
the real thing and I spent most of my time with the penguins. Of course
I sat for a moment and watched fish, stared at the white alligator who
never moves and visited the gift shop. People who devote themselves to
animals impress me so much and obviously the penguin caretakers are
part of this elite group. A really nice morning, I'll do it again!