retire from work, not from life

Here is a man at Crissy Field demonstrating how he makes the sand balls.
We didn't ask WHY he makes them, but one does wonder. Then again, I
don't want anyone asking me how I spend my free time. This beautiful
weather is over for a few days and we will return to winter.

sleezy mcMillionaires

I recommend this documentary on HBO. The McDonald's monopoly scam
and the FBI and all sorts of strange characters. Great fun to watch when
you land on GO. And as an aside, is there ANY state weirder than Florida?

feeling fit (pretty much)

This blog helps me research my past. I joined 24 Lite seven years ago!
Amazing. I'm trying to get back to going three times a week, but so
far, if I go twice, I'm pleased. Biking, lifting, reading, people watching...

out on the town...

Happy Birthday, Pat!

...and home by 8:30pm. Neti, Jeannine and I celebrated Pat's birthday
at Orexi where they have those giant white beans and luscious lamb,
ocotpus, squid, zucchini fritters and warm pita bread. We had a
delightful time and too much good food.

historic Wigtown ~ now what? Where?

I was delighted to find that I had not donated our giant Atlas after Bill
died, when I gave away so many books. Diary of a Bookseller is a fun
read, not beautifully written by any means, but the author (and second
hand bookstore owner) travels to London and Ireland and all over
Scotland from his home base in Wigtown. That is in Southwest Scotland,
not far from Galloway and Dumfries. In fact bookseller and a friend sailed
over to Ireland ~ so close, I was happy to discover when I did a little
old fashioned research last night. No wonder all the old Railway guides
and books sell so well in The Book Shop in Wigtown. Our hefty old Atlas
was used often when we were young, in the pre-computer days and
I returned it to an easy to find spot again. Welcome back.

from tapes to computer

The Blogmaid's techie niece, Jade, came to pick up the tapes of Husbando
yesterday and she texted me the above to let me know it is all going
well. Meanwhile, I organized the remaining tapes and eighty-two is
the grand total. So now I know what digitalize means and Jade will
hand me a flash drive filled with my Bill when this is all finished. I know
I will be sad all over again when I finish the final tape, but right now
it feels so good to finally get moving on this project.

they have come a long way

It used to take an entire day, ten or so years ago, when we first started
using TurboTax. Yesterday I was done in two hours. It helps to live
a simple life financially, but now they just make everything so easy.
And my philosophy is that if I make a mistake, so what?

protecting the West Coast

cannons, not drones

school group gets some history

part of a string of lighthouses on the coast

Fort Point is at the very end of the Crissy Field walk and yesterday was the
first time I had been inside. They are actively preserving this again and
offer free tours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Built in the 1860's, it was
part of the coastal defense system and the lighthouse guided ships until
the GG Bridge was completed in 1934. You can see the bridge directly
above the lighthouse in the bottom photo. And yes, there is a gift store
inside, so you know this is really happening.

Friday feel good story

A 62 year old woman and her husband live in a small town in Germany and
they have been building wheel chair ramps all over using Legos and glue.
My mother and Husbando were both in chairs before they died and life
gets so complicated and difficult trying to maneuver around because even
the smallest curb is a challenge. So today we salute this Lego ingenuity.

monstrously successful

for the March book club

good old Perry's

I got to select the restaurant as well as the Frankenstein book, so we met
at Perry's on the Embarcadero. We all had a delightful few hours eating
too much and pondering Mary Shelley and her creation. For next month
we have something close to my heart, The Diary of a Bookseller,  and
Dancing Jen will love it since it all happens in Scotland. This is the
non-fiction book Libby presented to me and so far, so good.

I did it!

I spend a lot of $$$$ with Amazon for my LindaKindle4. In the past I
tried to download books from the public library, to no avail. But yesterday I
followed the very easy instructions using the Libby app and my handy SF
Library Card and now how happy and proud am I? Very.

rushing to finish

I selected Frankenstein for book club because I had never read it. It
is NOT an easy read, but it is beautiful and I'm delighted that I have
it here and I'm on page 78.  The monster has learned to read. Book
Club is tomorrow ~ I still work on deadlines because I am a creature
too, of habit. This is how we did it in college and in my working
life. "Now when is this due? OK, tomorrow, I will get it done."
I do not like this about myself and I should have worked it out after
retirement. So now I must hurry and read, read, read...

one busy Sunday

This is a little 3x4" tile that Neti brought me from Hawaii. We went to
the Great Plotniks for dinner last night and had a delightful time. In
the morning I brunched with Joe and Pamela at Zuni and we forgot
(what?) to get our traditional photo. This morning is foggy and I am
a bit too, but dog feeding will clear everything up.

off she goes...

Here we are with the Blogmaid yesterday when CC retrieved her car. First
we walked and talked, of course. Came home and my g.d. packed up and
headed to Napa about 2pm. She is a tidy creature and I only had to put
a few things back in their rightful places. Thanks again to the Blogmaid
family for the long term driveway parking ~ life and car saver!

tickets and a walk

Giant Dugout store at the Jewel

House boating for the sturdy few

Yesterday I left CC at home to decompress after Peru while Ginger and I
bought our Giants tickets (mostly cheap, except for the Cubs and the Dodgers,
which we declined). Then we took that lovely walk around the canal (part
of the Bay?) to see the houseboats (pictured here) and once again wondered
what life would be like to dwell in and on a moving object permanently. It
would be a great location, but how to bring in groceries after a Costco
spree? And would Annabelle be a happy cat on a houseboat?

the grand one returns!

Behold my new table cloth from Peru, a gift from CC who flew into
SF yesterday.  She had a safe and splendid time hiking all over, taking
long bus rides and staying in $6 a night hostels. I was down at St.
Anthony's, but she has house keys and by the time we met up she
was showered, had a bite to eat and done her laundry. Tomorrow we
retrieve her car from the Blogmaid's driveway. Today I will ask to
see phone photos. I caught Annabelle eating a flower out of CC's
journal yesterday ~ not nice hostess behavior.

getting back to normal

Man, those damn holidays can sure screw up one's life. I'm just now
returning to twice-a-week at the gym and then the rewarding walk
and latte afterwards. Of course the sunshine just helps everything
and everyone. My goal is three-times-a-week for 24 Lite because
exercise followed by coffee and a good book is essential.

the same is not the same, and yet...

Black Snow

Carl Adamshick

I came home from my mother's funeral to a house of my own making to dust I didn't want to lift from a shelf I came home astonished by life being the same struck dumb when the knife sunk into the melon

from the book BIRCHES

heading toward November

History will look back at this time with a smile and maybe an arched
eyebrow. I like Mayor Pete, Blogmaid loves Amy and our Super Tuesday
is March 3rd. Now I'm beginning to think that the Dems will nominate
Bloomberg and I am OK with that. His ads are fabulous and maybe, maybe
he can even beat tRump. We have so much at stake.

good timing, Ms. Blogger!

Yesterday I took myself to see Parasite because I love a mystery and this
was on my list for quite awhile. And then last night, a very smooth Oscar
program and this fun South Korean movie won Best Picture. I concur,
even though I haven't seen every movie nominated. Yet...

who needs a groundhog?

These days make up for our summer fog grey business. Clear and
beautiful and when Eddie texts me a photo of snow in Roswell,
Georgia, yesterday, I rejoice even more. I took a long walk in the
afternoon and snapped some bad photos of beautiful little buds
on assorted trees and bushes. Yes, an early Spring here.

zootopia in the sun

Every animal was outside basking in the sunshine at the SF Zoo yesterday.
Ginger and I had a terrific day with lots of walking, coffee stops and when
the fog finally rolled in (as we knew it would) about 3pm I do believe that
we had chatted with every zoo dweller, even the Komodo dragon. Our zoo
has a whole bunch of giraffes, but my camera did not do them justice.
There was a little boy there who called the beautiful long legged coral
creatures in the top photo "Mingos" and we both loved that.

Zen in retail

Turns out that I really like standing and sorting clothes for three hours every
week at St. Anthony's. The back room is a BIG, calm, clean and well-organized
space and the two bosses drop by often to thank us. There are mounds and
mounds of clothes, but we only select the good, clean pieces for the Free
Clothing Program. My world is better structured now and of course I love
that "it's-not-much-but-I'm-giving-back" kind of feeling.

still fresh memories

Four years yesterday since Jane died ~ I appreciate her more than ever.
Purely by accident Tiapos met last night over at Doug and Barb's
and there were nine of us. Jane turned me into a writer and I think
she would like this daily Fluf piece which I read last night:

QUOTH THE RAVEN (the prompt)

Nevermore. God this is a long and dreary poem and probably something

that shouldn’t be given to school children as it was in my day. Lordy,

this poor Edgar Allan Poe man was such a downer.

I can’t tell ravens from crows. Are they the same? There is always a

string of huge black birds sitting on the fence when we walk in

Pacifica, aka Pathetica. They are mean and ugly but people feed

them and that keeps the birds from eating rats, or so I guess. I am

not an ornithologist. 

Speaking of rats. This is their special Lunar Year. The Chinese New 

Year’s parade is Feb. 8th, Saturday night, and I think back to my life as 

one of the  managers of the big Borders store at Post and Powell. Saturday 

about 2pm folks would start lining up so they could watch the parade from 

the 3rd and 4th floors and use our restrooms and it was god awful.

I got smart (so late, as they say) and scheduled the janitors for an

early and additional clean-up the day after, on Sunday morning. Corporate 

would bitch about the extra expense, as per usual. Many of the hard working 

and loyal staff members would call in sick on parade day, pissing me off no 

end. I think I’m still a bit annoyed.

the highlight of his speech

No stopping our Nancy Pelosi when she wears the white suit. Here she is
ripping up tRump's campaign speech last night. Horrible man, wonderful
woman. We must overthrow this dictator on Nov. 3rd.

thirty (or so) years later

Market Street without cars? Yes, about ten blocks so far. "They" have
been talking about this forever and finally it is happening. Only
buses, taxis, bikes and walkers ~ maybe delivery trucks, but since
I took this photo last Sunday, I'm not so sure about that. I do know it
is peaceful here now and most of us welcome this change.

Dear Sugar,

I know, we lost in the Super Bowl. Oh, well. But THIS, this play
entitled, Tiny Beautiful Things is amazing and you must see it if
you can. A compact 90 minute all-dialogue wonder from letters
written to and answered by Cheryl Strayed. Once again I realize
that everyone has really good and overwhelmingly bad times and
yet we move forward and try to help others and do our best...

city love on steroids

Palmyra Syrian restaurant on Haight Street

Such a delight talking to this Niner fan last night

 Red and Gold low rider style in the Mish

Yesterday I had lunch with Stephen (long story) at Palmyra, a Syrian
restaurant at Haight and Pierce Streets. Delicious. Then for dinner I
met Terri at Paprika for yummy chicken paprikash and a delightful mess of
Super Bowl excitement, Mission District style. Low riders, horns, flags,
congestion beyond belief. One full Saturday in and about this crazy
and colorful city. How could I possibly live anywhere else?

another British mystery series

I should know better than to watch scary stuff before bedtime. But I am
liking The Stranger from Netflix. I have a lot of secrets and lies to
explore during the first eight episodes. Maybe after breakfast today?