well, finally

 I've walked by this hole-in-wall restaurant a million times, but suddenly it appears on all sorts of "best hamburger ever" lists and so I bounced in yesterday for a burger and fries. Yum! The Hi-Way is on bustling 24th Street and rather reasonable now days: $20 for a burger, fries and a Coke®, comfortable seating, friendly staff. 

grand daughter in training

 Samantha has been asking me to take her to Costco as she has never been before. So yesterday I showed her the ropes and she filled her cart with all sorts of treats and of course she had to taste everything. She oohed and ahhhed and she would have made her grandfather proud because she compared prices and googled items and yes, I was exhausted after this experience.

women, books and (oh yeah) football

 A spirited discussion last night about Girl, Women, Other along with good food and lovely humor and observations and a few most welcome texts about the 49ers winning. (Just to be clear, I really did like those Detroit Lions and would not have grieved had they won.) This book group is more fiction-based than the previous one which really appeals to me because reality can often be harsh. Perhaps you have noticed?

a trip back in time

 What a nice full yesterday! Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid and I traveled to Rancho Cordova where she grew up and where her mom still lives. We four had bonded when we went to Savannah last year so it was a nice reunion with lots of stories about how far Kristin had to walk to school, etc. It is a beautiful and peaceful area with lovely parks and then a really fine late lunch at Brookfields before heading home. A lot of driving for the Blogmaid but she handled everything with ease. As per usual. How about that lemon tree in their back yard?

don't ask me why

 ,,,but I am enjoying The Brothers Sun on the Flix® despite all the violence and gang warfare and chopped up body parts. Lots of food and fun and I think the entire cast consumed churros (of all things) and even learned how to cook them. 

the 34 hour novel

 By now we all know that Robert Galbraith is JK Rowling ~ The Running Grave is a big book and I was hooked from Page One. This is #7 in the Cormoran Strike series and it's all electronic now for me with my LindaKindle4 and the ear buds. If you need to lose yourself in some outstanding fiction with superb plots and terrific writing, look/listen no further.

scrumptious Korean food

 Last night Doug and Barb treated me to the fabulous flaming short ribs and veggie dinner at Daeho on Post Street where I have never been. It was so nice to be with my friends again and to enjoy this glorious meal in this unusual restaurant. I will return!

best foreign film?

Yesterday our bargain film ($7.00) was at the Opera Plaza and wow, The Teachers' Lounge is a powerful German movie about a dedicated educator who uncovers a theft. People trying to do the right thing and the results are so messy and so believable. But first a latte for Amy and me at Peet's so we could have our weekly catch-up. Oh, and a walk and sunshine! Rain again today.

a whole new world opens now

 Podcasts! Of course I've listened to some on the iPhone, but now with my new "buds" I am catching up with the rest of humanity. Mad Rose at book club last week recommended The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling and man, this is outstanding work. 

back to the streets

 It's been way too long since Heidi and I picked up trash and we were greeted warmly by Manny at his lively event center and restaurant yesterday morning. We met a nice couple from South Carolina and worked Dearborn and Albion Streets for Emma (now in Portland) and we told them all about her and the lush community garden that we always admire. A fine way to start the day.

here we go again

 Even I watched the 49er playoff game last night. It was exciting, especially texting with the Blogmaid because we are both baseball fans. OK, ok ~ I'm glad the Niners won.

Samantha, Luke and Harlow

 Lovely dinner here last night with the grands who live in Burlingame. We had takeout from Regent Thai and it was very nice to catch-up with these two while the Doodle roamed the house and Annabelle hid inside Ken, the Toyota in the garage. Today will be a rainy day so the cuddle cat and I will do a few house tasks and watch a movie and practice gratitude. We do.

apple adoration

 Laptop, cell phone, iPad, Apple Watch and now the Air Pods. My little back porch room is filled with cords and outlets and I recharge all the time. My home is an Apple substation. Yes, with one click from Madeline at Book Club on Wednesday I solved the highly technical problem of my newest acquisition and I wore the Air Pods yesterday for hours on end as I listened to books and did a few of my household tasks. Thank you Apple and Blogmaid. Great products!

Leo scowls a lot

 I watched Killers of the Flower Moon last weekend on a dreary, rainy day. It was on Apple TV and yes, I'm glad I saw this film, but even freshly microwaved popcorn didn't help my spirits. It is a long movie and the white man's greed toward the Osage Indians? Disgusting. 

The Zone of Interest

Amy and I saw this dreary and difficult film yesterday at the Alamo. The Zone of Interest is about a Nazi family living next door to "the camp" ~ Auschwitz. The banality of evil, as one critic wrote. Yes, an award-winning film but somber and horrific. 
 

Chit Chat and AirPods

 Yesterday was lovely in Pathetica where the Blogmaid and I celebrated her belated birthday and my Christmas. She gifted me with this lovely Apple product and I am learning how to use the AirPods and of course going through all the What? Huh? nonsense that is part of my learning process. After lunch at Chit Chat Two we went Safeway shopping like Real Housewives and it was a very, very nice day. Thank you, Blogmaid...and Apple. 

belated birthday celebrations

 Joe, Pamela and I met for lunch yesterday at SF Moma and good grief, that place was packed as it was Free Family Day. But we had a delightful time catching up and reminiscing about our days working at the deYoung and Legion of Honor. We were less than perfect employees, BTW.

haunting

 I streamed Anatomy of a Fall last week and can't get it out of my mind. One of those movies that makes you wonder about people and relationships and the details of our lives. Well worth watching in my humble...

and another Doodle

 Heather and Lilly invited Heidi and me for tea yesterday afternoon and we got to meet Holly, the Doodle. So sweet. These neighbors live in another world a block away and we talked of many things and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

tale of two cities

 The top photo is my step daughter Nancy's back yard. She lives outside Chicago. So pretty and so not tempting to me. By now you all know our Ocean Beach where I went for a brisk walk yesterday ~ lots of people and dogs and laughter and coastal appreciation. West Coast, that is.

party time!

 Last night was Nicole's Chat & Chew and we discussed movies and several of the women only watch on their computers so I will host a little Oscar party on Sunday, March 10th. Everyone welcome. These awards shows are so wonderfully ridiculous and fun.

the Driver, and I guess, the cars

 Doesn't Penelope Cruz look Italian? She is amazing. So is Adam Driver with sleek grey hair. Yes, back to the Alamo with Amy yesterday to see Ferrari ~ no need to rush to see this unless you like red sports cars zooming around and causing crashes and so on. The summer of 1957 when the Italian male ego was in full bloom, the not so good old days.

yes, worth watching

 Another boys' boarding school movie, but The Holdovers is pretty good thanks to the acting of Paul Giamatti and scenes in Boston, a city I love. I streamed this one, but today is Alamo Tuesday and I am getting used to REAL movie going again. Yay.

imperfect, but fun (again)

 So glad the Golden Globes returned this year and of course I watched last night. Now that I am back in actual movie theaters and streaming like crazy, I consider myself a movie goer again. I agreed with some choices, disagreed with many and loved the costumes and messy speeches.

almost a resolution

 First I read the book, then I hope to exercise. I like Peggy Cappy's philosophy: "Nothing changes nothing; doing something may change everything." Our dogs and cats stretch when they first wake up and it makes perfect sense to me. Don't Get Out of Bed Yet might work for bringing a bit more flexibility to this body and I hope to encourage better circulation. We shall see...

out to breakfast

 Four neighborhood women went to Tartine for breakfast yesterday. The two young women (Heather and Lily) had lots of news re their careers and boyfriends and Heidi and I mostly listened and enjoyed ourselves immensely. 

tulips in January

 I was invited to dinner at a new friend's home last night.  I didn't want to be rude by taking photos of the food (yet), nor the people. Tulips were my hostess gift ~ I had a lovely time and came home with three new must-watch TV programs and lots of information about these people, places and some of our memories from past decades. Animal talk too, of course.

I'm on pins and needles

 My acupuncturist, Dr. Sparrow, has been working on this book for quite awhile and I volunteered to write a review for Amazon. There are some technical difficulties (all mine) getting the book from BookFunnel to my LindaKindle4, but I will persevere. Women conquer technology ~ the Blogmaid always reminds me that I CAN DO IT. Thanks and I will.

time for a poem?

 Will is my writing partner this week. He is a prolific poet and all-around wonderful writer and an excellent person too. Enjoy this poem of his:

 DOWNTOWN

There are two of them

a few stories up,

cleaning a window

with white towels

 

that swirl almost

like ghosts

as if smoothing

the very atmosphere;

 

if not cleaning their window

to God, then at least

burnishing their window

on the world, seeking

 

to let it shine.

Do they see me

on the street,

pausing to let them clean?

~ Will Walker

the party at a decent time

 It was New Year's Eve in Europe so Gini and Phillip brought a few people together from 2 to 5pm to celebrate on Sunday. Snacks and champagne by the fire in their wonderful Victorian home. Easy parking too, very unusual in my city. 

Happy 2024 and Birthdays too (two)

 Sending love to Leah on the East Coast and the Blogmaid down in Pumpkinville on their birthdays today. The Blogmaid sent me the above ~ true, no?. I did get to an early New Year Party yesterday and will share photos tomorrow. Elaborate and fun plans were made for (and with) the Blogmaid today, but we had to postpone due to Covid. And so we have a new chapter beginning right now with maybe some minor resolutions, after I finish this box of candy.