more doggie love

Husbando and I went walking on Cortland because I wanted to see if the
Bernal Star is nice enough to take Linda to for her birthday lunch. It just
passed the test. On the way I fell in love with this pretty boy who was
waiting patiently for his owner outside a coffee shop. Excellent markings.

my Bochy-walk (part two)

new this year!

for notthat

This is right across the bridge from the Jewel and usually it's too crowded
to go exploring, so this was really my goal on Wednesday. There are
small stores and restaurants inside wooden storage crates and then a big
outdoor beer garden - the find The Yard and have a latte, making it my own.

my Bochy-walk part 1

learning how to Kayak

backside of The Jewel (no game this day)

Bruce B. feels that it's important to try to walk by water and I agree with
him. So I headed over to 3rd Street and then to Terry Francois (named after
a city supervisor) and on up to the ballpark. On game days this area is
packed with cars and people, so it was pleasant to sneak up from behind
on this quiet day. I remember when they were building the stadium and
every few weeks Husbando and I would drive up and take a look at the
progress from this angle. It opened back in 2000 and once again I can't
believe that it has been 15 years. Seems like about three years. Yikes.

inspired by the skipper

Thanks to the most wonderful Linda for this delightful book. It is
small in size, but filled with gems and Bochy's personal philosophy,
including walks he has taken to calm down between wins and losses.
So yesterday I did my first Bochy-walk - over to Third Street and
on up to the ballpark. I had a glorious time, just like a vacation!
Photos and details tomorrow...

finishing furnishings

Thanks to Tanya and Dancing Jen, I have finally learned how to
download books FREE from the SF Public Library to my trusty
LindaKindle@. No one writes short stories quite as beautifully as
Alice Munro and in Family Furnishings she is in top form (as always).

shy sisters

The reason these photos are fuzzy is probably because both of these dogs
shake so much. I hope they are adopted out together. The human here
is Marsi and every Monday I have to correct her because she calls
the dogs "people" and she loves them all and is very good with them.
We had a big volunteer turn-out yesterday at the SPCA, probably because
the weather outside is frightful - summer already = fog and heavy mist.

laughter cometh too

We both totally enjoyed this very funny (and sometimes very dark) one act
play at the SF Playhouse. Trouble Cometh tells the story of a young man
desperate to succeed in the corporate world and yes, it takes its toll. I
highly recommend that you see this as soon as possible.

Geoff Hoyle is no fool

...even though he plays the King's jester in Lear's Shadow at the Marsh
here in SF. This is a brilliant 80 minute solo show and we thank the Great
Plotniks for giving us the much needed push to go and see this last
Wednesday night. When Geoff Hoyle performs I feel like I am in
the privileged company of a genius. 

back to the Jewel

These look like bad seats, but we both had our radios and we could see
everything clearly and the sun did come out. Yes, we swept the Dodgers
(again) and our beloved Giants are on some sort of unexpected winning
streak currently. The man below in the black t-shirt was eating something
icky out of a black batting helmet and that proves that even Giants fans can
exhibit bad taste from time to time.

on the way

the #10 Townsend

so much to see

Currently we hear from many people over thirty that SF has "lost its soul" and
I say to them, take a Muni bus, there is still a LOT of soul here in my
city. Yesterday I took the bus to/fro the ballpark and met Ginger for coffee
before a wonderful game. We swept (!) the Dodgers this series and it was
a really great pitchers' duel with Mad Bum and Kate Capshaw. More
about that tomorrow with pix...

a sandy burial

the second of three dead whales

the back of the Blogmaid

 

We met at the Chit Chat Cafe yesterday and then walked with adorable
Sabine down to watch the whale burial in Pathetica. They had buried
whale #1 the day before and now they need to get down to Half Moon
Bay for the third dead whale. It's discomforting, no? But so nice to
have some real time with the Blogmaid and her Blogdog. (And two
lattes each, plus cookies for the 4-legged wonder.)

back to the sea

I neglected to show you this San Diego photo of a long, thin submarine.
It's hard to picture people living inside of this thing for extended periods
of time, isn't it? Thank you for such a great vaca, Tanya!

at the Juseum

On Saturday we visited the Contemporary Jewish Museum and enjoyed
this exhibit about books and the famous people who love (and donated)
their favorite for this show. Nicely done. Then we had lunch with our
friend Carlini across the street at the Buckhorn Grill. He has signed a lease
for two more years on his apartment in Walnut Creek and that makes us
very happy as he tends to move around a lot. Army brat. We love that he
is back in our life.

Joe, Heath and Coffee

the ceramics

Blue Bottle

My museum friend Joe is off to Morocco, so he suggested we have coffee
here on 18th Street to say goodbye. The highly successful Blue Bottle
Coffee place is located right inside Heath Ceramics, a store I love immensely.
So, after my SPCA shift I walked down here and we had a delighful
time catching up on just about everything. Joe lives in Hayes Valley, but
he is enthralled with MY nabe and points out so many things that I take
for granted on a daily basis. Joe is an artist, so it all makes sense.

back to the 1980's

Thank you to the Fevered Brain for recommending this fabulous PRIDE
film on DVD from the Flix®. It's the true story of the coal miners' strike
in Wales and how the gays and lesbians fought and raised money for them
and, along the way, changed the fears and minds of these small town folk.
Heartwarming, sad and fun too.

lots of blanks

My great nephew Garrett is at that age (12 ish?) when teachers want
the kids to dig around and find out about their long ago relatives. Many
people enjoy this activity, but not me. My brother died in 1998, and
this is his grandson and HIS job, but I will do the best I can. For
many reasons I didn't really feel part of a Family until I married
and although Husbando's People are not 100% normal, I consider
them mine and I receive a lot of love and many laughs. Oh, yes,
they piss me off sometimes - surprised? Anyway, this weekend I
will sort through papers and obits and try to reconstruct this other
family group for Garrett.  (The fact that my brother and I were
adopted from different sources indeed enters into this whole equation.)

how do you say "WOW!"...

in Australia? Do not miss this 6 part political thriller now streaming
on the Flix®. We have one more (almost too exciting) episode to go
and along the way The Code has taught us a great deal about the vast
inner part of Australia, as well as the all too familiar government
and corporate hand holding. After each viewing we need to cleanse
our minds with baseball or Comedy Central or ice cream and a book.

982 pages worth of perk

I got a DEAL on this poetry anthology yesterday at the deYoung -
it is a bit worn and the last copy, so the book buyer marked it so
far down that I couldn't refuse. I'd like to stay home and peruse
it today, but now I need to head out to the Legion. But first:

Famous Bigshots by Caroline Knox

Famous bigshots of the world unite
in black tie and nutria stormcoats,
omnicompetent, handsome dreamboats
totally snazzy and slightly snobby
exclusive hotshots with prodigious bankrolls
for clandestine bombshells, gaslight escorts,
(....and more)

SPCA news

three pups on 4/27

party!

three pups on 5/11

These guys are growing so fast and moving about constantly so it's not
easy to get a photo of them now. But they are strong and healthy and
almost ready to find their forever homes.

all in a day's walk

new restaurant soon at Folsom & Precita

lunch with Frances on Cortland (missing Tanya & Lucy & babes)

The Great Plotnik on his bike on (lower) Valencia

preparing for J.M.W.

We watched Mr. Turner to learn more about this painter - an exhibit of
his work is coming to the deYoung on June 20th. It's a long and rather
dull movie, now out on DVD, but one does get some background of
the man and his times. J.M.W. Turner is one of the greatest nature painters
ever and this exhibit will be a huge success.

flowers to mothers

I'm not a real one of these, but dear Nancy always sends me a bouquet.
Here is an old Spanish proverb to enhance your Mother's Day:

                An ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest

RR and friend

Our girl in Pumpkinville loves living right by the sea, but she will REALLY
appreciate her childhood when she is an adult. The Blogmaid captures RR's
joy and that feeling of being 11.5 with the whole world in front of you
and no major problems or decisions to cause stress. Thank you for this
glorious photo and for being such a great parent on this Day Before Mother's Day,
dear Blogmaid and friend-o-mine.

lest I forget

Wednesday was our first ballgame and poor Ginger had to spend three
hours travelling each way that day because BART was a total mess. And
we lost the game, and we were sitting surrounded by tech guys who
didn't know a thing about the baseball. They sounded like the actors on
Silicon Valley, our current favorite TV program. Then one of them asked
how come the KKK got to advertise and was that right?

more from Japan

I almost didn't post today, but that won't do. This morning AT&T installed the
newer (cheaper) Wi Fi and I could not communicate until I got home from
work and of course crankiness is sometimes involved when hooking up
new tech stuff, but all is well now. The photo above is the peace lantern,
a gift from Japan. Above that, something v. cute and quaint in the Japanese
Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.

a side trip to Japan

I have set a small scene in my Ellen story in the Japanese Tea Garden. I
haven't been for about 25 years, so yesterday I did a little sightseeing.
It was very quiet and peaceful and really, really beautiful. I did have to
switch Ellen from a latte to a cup of tea, but god knows she is adaptable.
I hear this spot gets busy on weekends, but an early morning weekday
visit is highly recommended to soothe your soul, should it need that.

Ruby Tuesday

Here is Ruby in her tiger shirt, enjoying a cup of tea in her mug
adorned with the Golden Gate Bridge. Such a happy girl!

Sunday in the Presidio

Fascinating exhibit

The Officers' Club living room

Off the Grid gathering

Despite the cool SF weather, we had a fine time yesterday. The Officers'
Club has been remodeled and it looks lovely - plus the unexpected 40
year anniversary of the BabyLift exhibit. The USA took thousands of
Vietnamese children and not all of them were orphans. (Ahem.) It was
not our finest moment, but the photos and "where are they now?" stories
are fascinating. All free, but now they charge for parking in the Presidio.
Kids, dogs, tents, blankets, chairs and tons of food from picnic baskets
or food trucks now gather out on the huge lawn every Sunday. Who
says there are fewer families in SF? Not me...

another (!) night out

Karen is loved by many

Tom attacks his ice cream

Two blogger friends - Stein and Linda Davick

Last night we celebrated Karen Myers at the Bazaar Cafe on California
Street. Twenty years ago she moved here, knowing not a soul. Now
she is surrounded by friends. There were a lot of old and new Tiapos
folks because Karen used to belong to our group - she is a terrific
writer and a very supportive reader too. So this was my third night out
and my third social gathering with the Great Plotniks. No wonder
they are running down to SoCal today...

happy guinea pigs

Last night The Great Plotniks were eager to test their beautiful new cooking
pot and we are always so pleased to their be honored guests. We had a lovely
evening and the chicken with cauliflower, tomato, olives was truly fabulous.
Needless to say the friendship and interesting conversation was equally
important. Gratitude.