trendy as can be!

sardine chips

Middle son John the Good took us to dinner last Wednesday night at a
new(ish) restaurant called Rich Table at Gough and Oak Streets. The
place was packed and we were impressed with the food and service.
Husbando wolfed down the sardines and we also had luscious pasta and
the softest, plumpest scallops known to womankind. As always, we
wonder where these young people get all their money, but that's OK,
everyone seemed happy and indeed the joint was jumping. Yum.

a gathering of old friends

Marco Barricelli, Sharon Lockwood, Anthony Fusco, Gabriel Marin and
Gregory Wallace ~ all in one delightful Italian romp. Napoli was written
in 1945, and is all about the Black Market during and after the war. It
was the best of ACT so far this season, in my most humble opinion.

our life of streaming

We watched this new release on the Flix® a few nights ago and although
it is one of those strange indie-type films, we both liked it. Yes, it's a
comedy about two unlikely friends over 35 FAST years of their lives.
Somebody Up There Likes Me gets our thumbs up, even though I'm
still puzzling about it. But that's good, right?

it looks like Spring

...not that we've had Winter yet, of course. Last year the Plotniks gave us
beautiful daffodils and I tucked the pot under the staircase after they had
finished blooming. On my walk to the SPCA yesterday, I saw bright daffys
along the way and wowza!, on my return home I discovered these, all
ready to be displayed after I removed a few weeds and other surprises.
Sometimes if we don't fuss with flowers and plants they do better simply
by relying on Mama Nature. Have I learned this lesson yet? Hmmmmmm.

a walk on the tame side

the jewel

Mission Creek - skies clearing

houseboats and condos

One of our favorite walks. First to AT&T Park for 2014 baseball schedules,
then around the creek and by then blue skies and home again for Husbando's
famous grilled cheese sandwiches. I did some catch-up office work and
then walked again in the afternoon for the traditional latte and Elizabeth
George reading in the sunshine. A v. pleasant Sunday and much less iFuzz.

smashing lunch and iReport

I took Nurse Husbando to the Smashburger for lunch yesterday to thank
him for taking such good care of me. It's a brand new restaurant in the
16th St. Potrero Center and it is already very successful. Good food, not
over priced and they bring it to the table! My new lens gets clearer day
by day and now I'm able to drive and I have done a lot of walking (slowly)
to help me heal. Napping helps too, don't you think? Speaking of which...

the best potatoes ever!

these will get browner and crispier

Chef Sarah's luscious recipe - from her trip to Marrakesh. Husbando served
them with meat loaf last night. Serves 4 to 6, but we two finished them.

DUCK FAT POTATOES WITH LEMON
1 1/2 lb. small Yukon Gold potatoes - washed, halved and cut into 1/4" slices
1/4 cup duck fat
kosher salt
pepper
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 preserved lemon (we improvised here)
1 Tblspn. Italian parsley, thinly slivered

Pat potatoes very dry in a towel.
Heat duck fat in a large, heavy cast iron fry pan over medium high heat.
Add potatoes, spreading them out to cover bottom of pan. Cook without
stirring for 6-8 minutes. Using a spatula, gently turn the postatoes so
you don't break them and cook another 6-8 minutes without stirring.
Repeat the process until potatoes are tender and a rich, golden brown.
Total cooking time of 25 to 30 minutes.
Add garlic near the end of cooking and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
Scatter preserved lemon rind and parsley over the top just before serving.

(We keep fresh/frozen whole lemons that have been pureed in the
food processor and used one Tblspn. of these successfully.)

an eye to the future

This is not me, just in case you thought I managed a huge transformation.
I did, however, have a cataract "procedure" (don't you love that word?)
yesterday at Kaiser and today the patch is off and the vision is blurred,
but it will improve. I suggested to the doc this morning that I could have
used the "relaxation medicine" sooner in the day, but he said that they
were afraid that the patient would change her mind and say, "oh, everything
is just hunkey dorey, I don't need any eye surgery." And it looks like I
don't need the other eye (left) fixed for maybe a year or two. Yippppeeeee!

a sense of place

just another glorious day in SF

Flickr photos

spectacular

the entrance to the exhibit

Yesterday we met Ginger at Pier 24 for the newest (free) photograpjy
exhibit entitled A Sense of Place. First, the glorious walk along the
Embarcadero, then many, many photos. Wow. You need to reserve online,
but it is really an outstanding show. There was one room filled with printed
photos - all from ONE DAY on Flickr, from all over the world. Mounds
of pictures, too wonderful. Black and white, color, sepia - if you love
photography, do reserve and head for Pier 24. Oh, lunch outdoors behind
Ferry Plaza, pork Vietnamese sandwiches and luscious coffee.

a happy surprise

These three glorious gifts were waiting for me when I returned from work
yesterday. Ginger and I are taking a package tour to Scottsdale next month
in the hopes of getting GOOD seats to three games. But I didn't expect the
goodies here too. Of course Ginger gets her own backpack, tee and hat
too and I hope to deliver them to her today.

and meanwhile...

...on my LindaKindle2® I'm reading the latest Elizabeth George mystery
entitled, Just One Evil Act. It didn't get great reviews, but that's OK
by me. I like her characters and she takes a side trip to Italy in this
novel, so that's fun for me. I've almost finished the non-fiction Gardner
Heist book and should wrap that up while "working" at the Legion of
Honor today. And once again, we Cally folk all wait for rain.

walking, eating, reading

I could get used to this weekend off business. Yesterday we walked on
Union Street, remarking on the number of "body places" (waxing, hair,
nails, chi chi workout clothes) and restaurants. Quite a few stores and
restaurants have closed, including our fave Nettie's Crab Shack. So we
rushed back to our Mish for hot dogs at Rosamunde's and that all worked
out perfectly. Not many $7 lunches on Union Street...

sunday morning

our valentine's day

morning

noon

night

We started at Costco at 10am and ran around in a record 28 minutes.
Then Husbando took me to lunch down at Precita Park Cafe and we
ran some more errands. I had coffee out on 9th and Irving with Neti in
the afternoon, then scampered home for Season Two of House of 
Cards. That did not disappoint! This so beats working...

a true valentine's day

Thanks to the Blogmaid for this image - pitchers and catchers report today!

like mother, like daughter

Occasionally I'd go with the Blogmaid while she went ice skating and
she was very, very good. Now RR has discovered the fun and I'm hoping
to see a photo soon of the two of them skating together. During the
Winter Olympics they say that the ice skating classes get filled up and
how many future gold medal winners will be smitten this time? I
could never ice skate - SoCal, weak ankles, fear, who knows, but it
is such a pleasure to watch the talented ones.

during and after work

I started reading The Gardner Heist yesterday during down times at
the Legion of Honor and ended up buying it because it is just so
damn interesting. Art thefts are fascinating and this one took place
in Boston in 1990, and Ulrich Boser tells a captivating story.
We had just viewed Isabella Stewart Gardner's portrait by Anders
Zorn, so I felt like a knew this colorful woman and now, of
course, I'd like to go to the museum.

a new iPad app

I learned about this FREE application at the class I took last Saturday,
and I did quickly download it on the mini iPad that very evening. It's
for writers and readers and it looks like fun to me. See, I am embracing
change, just the way I'm supposed to.

theater in the rain (day #4)

You can see that Jerusalem features a large cast and we weren't looking
forward to a three hour play (!) yesterday, but it was filled with wonder
and lots to think about. SF Playhouse is so innovative and this play takes
place in a forest near the ever expanding suburbs around London and the
title refers to a poem by Blake that has become the unofficial national
anthem of England. It's about the destruction of rural life by corporate
interests. Sound familiar? We had a jolly good time ~ joy and tragedy...

one fabulous class!

goosebottom kids' books

I spent Day #3 of rain inside a cozy classroom on York Street. The teacher
is Shirin Bridges, author and founder of goosebottom books. The subject
was digital publishing and what I learned is how quickly the whole world
of publishing has changed, most rapidly in the last two years. I kept thinking
of Linda and Chef Sarah who are both published authors and how they
would love/hate this class. Most likely the print book as we know it will
be dead in ten years, but the good news is that schools are gearing up for
digital libraries and they will pay authors to speak to the kiddies. I don't
know for sure if I will use any of the what I learned, but I had such a
wonderful day that it reminded me once again how much I love school.

rain in the city

Day #2 of the blessed downpours. Yesterday I met Ginger down at the
Embarcadero and we had lots of long walks and coffee sessions. Then
lunch at the Le Boulangerie where we sat in the front window and I snapped
this umbrella photo and hoped for more rain today.

gloriously gloomy

Views from the 9th floor Tower at the deYoung during the long awaited
RAIN yesterday. And the experts tell us that we'll have three more days
of showers and some storms and we dare even one person to complain
about the inconvenience for even a minute during this drought. Hallelujah!

a lovely celebration

Last night the Plotniks served us a feast to celebrate Husbando's belated
b.day and we loved watching the chef prepare his Argentinian steak
pizza dish, along with brocolli and walnut sauce, salad, and the Duck's
delicious cake.  When we left it was raining, so there was a warm feeling
of post-tax, good friends and food all over the place. Delightful!

done and...

refunds are on the way. THEY make it easier every year and we didn't
snarl at each other (in a loving, marital way) once today. Now I'm going
to take a read and probably a long winter's nap. Good job, Steins!

scenes from our nabe

bikes, dogs, hills and blue skies

and parking ~ now a two-car garage on Precita

I met The Great Plotnik for coffee last week and of course I always
have my iCamera now. We both walk and meet mid-way and it's
always a pleasant hour or so. He helped me with my iPad during this
coffee session ~ highly technical details like how to cut and paste...

puppy perfection

Gabe will probably be adopted by next Monday, but he is too
wonderful for words. Yes, it's amazing that he didn't follow me
home, but I was s-t-r-o-n-g today. Too, too cute.

lunch at Ella's on Presidio

We had a fine time yesterday ~ Jennie, Flora and her mother, Lucybelle.
Another clear, beautiful day, so it was pleasant to walk out there.
Pleasant and necessary as parking was not easy, even for me. The
three of us used to work out at the LOH together, and now it's just me,
and speaking of which, I'm supposed to be there at 9am, so I should
scurry.  I get lazy in the mornings now days and that is A-OK.

back to books

A woman I used to work with at Borders was in the Legion of Honor
recently and recommended this book, The Secret Scripture. I have
been reading it on my LindaKindle2® and it is fascinating. The
story of a 100 year old woman in Ireland writing her memoirs and
her life was not easy. Fiction, thinly veiled, as per usual.