Max, Wolfgang and Sister Jane

 I have always wanted to see/hear the symphony do one of their movie programs so last night I met my Sis at Max's for an early dinner. We did walk around City Hall, so at least she has seen this area of SF up close. Amadeus (1984) was the movie accompanied by a full orchestra and a chorus too. What a treat! A splendid Mozart production and an almost full house. But late. And today will be fun and busy too ~ onward...

and don't forget Harlow

 We certainly had a busy fun-filled Thanksgiving and Sister Jane was a big help to the grand girls who were "doing" their first big turkey meal. So funny to see the three (Lindsay, Samantha and Luke) using their iPhones for the recipes they had selected. Harlow the Doodle was just wherever she wanted to be, usually in the way, but what a clown. Rob and Sarah arrived after the crazy cooking time and so the seven of us enjoyed a delicious meal and a few laughs, of course. Jane has now inherited a new family who love her already. 

as ready as we can be

 The Blogmaid and Sister Jane enjoyed a day on the coast while I did some Thanksgiving tasks yesterday. You can see that I was busy baking too many pies and the festive feline had to be locked out of the dining room for obvious reasons. Happy Thanksgiving to all (hahahaha) my readers and friends. Yes, I am indeed grateful. Very.

Sisters in Sausalito

 My next door neighbor Cristina (top photo) works on the SF-Sausalito ferry so we had freebie tickets (and sunshine!) yesterday for our busy, happy travels. We had pizza for lunch at Taste of Rome, then some walking and talking and after a visit to Pier 39 (tourists, yay!) we walked down to the Ferry Building to Hog Island Oysters and you can see Sister Jane enjoying our early dinner. Oh, I loved those oysters too, never fear. What a full, fun day. And week. And life.

a busy, rainy SF day

 Sis was such a good sport (even eager!) to get into the WAYMO driverless taxi which we used twice yesterday. We also got a good walk in from Union Square to Chinatown to North Beach. First we had a duck soup lunch at the Thai place near Jane's hotel and then we just walked in the gentle rain and talked about everything. We have much in common and she is SUCH a likable person and it is a treat being with her this week. So grateful! 

Sister Sunday

 Sister Jane arrived almost on time and the Blogmaid (above) was a doll with the airport business and transported us around better than any Uber driver ever. We three had lunch down at the Precita Park Cafe and then Jane settled into the Stratford Hotel and now she is coming over for coffee and fireplace and what a week this will be!

L & O and bacon too

 There aren't many liver lovers around but last night Neti cooked a beautiful dinner for Pat and me and yes, it was scrumptious. Smothered in onions and the bacon cooked just right. We three widows covered a multitude of subjects and had a lovely evening. 

and we celebrate 21 years!

 Cass (formerly known as RR) returned for college break and today will celebrate their 21st birthday and man, those were wonderful years and they sure sped by. For a long time I saved the answering machine tape when Mr. Blogmaid called from Stanford Hospital to report that mother and child were doing GREAT. Happy Birthday to Cass who is a very talented artist and an extra special human being. 

an elk for a day

 Doug recently joined the Elks who own a gigantic old building in downtown SF ~ it even has a huge swimming pool in the basement. It's like stepping back in time. I enjoyed a tour yesterday with Doug and Barb and then we had lunch (meh) in the bar/restaurant. The Elks now welcome women and do a lot of charity work and Doug has found a home away from home.

when it rains we slow down

 Yesterday Lana (my new friend from the Mayor Breed unsuccessful campaign) and I were going to walk but instead she introduced me to a rather glorious bakery and coffee shop in (of all places) Pathetica. I was able to show her Tam's which the Blogmaid introduced me to many moons ago. We are both recovering from that damn election and were able to talk of other things. We are having some REAL rain here now but it will stop for my sister's visit next week. It will. In the meantime, Rosalinda's is a delightful discovery. Yay! The ocean yesterday was incredible...

not your typical Tuesday

 Gini and I enjoyed a delightful lunch at the Magic Flute yesterday. First I had a good walk on bustling Sacramento Street and then I scurried back to the Mission to meet Amy for a bargain movie at the Alamo. Just such a wonderful theater. with a short first featuring Jesse Eisenberg and his cat Mr. Trunkles.  Then A Real Pain written and directed by Jesse and also staring Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Grey. This film (96% on Rotten Tomato) tells the story of two cousins who travel to Poland to honor their Jewish grandmother. This is a comedy/drama and of course I needed a tissue or two. A wonderful movie ~ truly.

A new old friend

 Meet Lee who is pictured here celebrating her recent 95th birthday. I met her through the new book club and yes, we all need this kind of inspiration as we age. Lee is amazing and vibrant and last night we went to the Magic Theatre where they were doing a reading of one of her plays, this one entitled Country Matters. A comedy and a really fun evening. At 95 I think we can think of Lee as a Super Ager, but to me she is a super new friend.

we love Olivia

 Nicole from up the way came down to watch a movie with me last night. I provided salad and a big slice of pecan pie and she brought a yummy pork tenderloin and brussel sprouts. We laughed through Wicked Little Letters, a ridiculous movie on Netflix starring Olivia Colman. 

cat lady gifts

 A new front door mat from Neti and appropriate socks from the Blogmaid. Annabelle was delighted with her new sleep-and-stretch outdoor bed and of course I really like the socks.

a very fine day

 Who knew? How amazing to reach this advanced age and enjoy a birthday with tons of cards and dear friends and great gifts! Heidi (top photo) started the celebration with the delicious birthday cake and gifts. Then a delightful lunch at United Dumplings with Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid and now I am feeling warm and cozy in front of the fireplace. I am filled with gratitude. 

bacon, good talk and an SF walk

 Yesterday I had lunch at Sweet Maple with my friend Pat. They do this thing with bacon and those fries were yummy too. Then we walked in her nabe (The Fillmore) and admired this scene in an alley. We agreed that we would like whoever lives in the tiny yellow home. Neti then met us for coffee on the outdoor patio at Mattina on Bush Street. I do believe that this grey cloud that I have been living under since the election is finally g-o-n-e.

sanity through books

 A little news (bad) reached me yesterday in the form of Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard so I wisely decided to invest in a bit of light reading on my LindaKindle4. And for the first time in months I hopped on the exercise bike now that my garage is organized and almost clean. I like The Lost Bookshop so far and it beats the pervasive orange monster stuff.

small yard, big tree

 Neti lives in Twin Peaks and this old tree has been a worry for some time. On Sunday night it fell and crushed some fences and pissed off one neighbor, but mostly people have been helpful and nice. The problem will be removing it as the little yards are not easy to get into other than through  houses. (We are not the burbs, as you know.) So Neti is busy with arborists, insurance stuff and mending fences. Pun intended.

and more escapism

 Two lone wolfs ~ Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Ridiculous fun on Apple TV as these two "fixers" are thrown together against their will. A few gory scenes in Wolfs but not the kind where one has to cover one's eyes. Go for it.

escape! escape!

 The news is too painful for me to watch these days so I am very involved in Shrinking on Apple TV. Three therapists and their friends are now a big part of my life at night. Funny/sad and so relatable, in my most humble opinion. 

Grant Avenue, San Francisco

 It was a beautiful day downtown yesterday at the Chinatown Gate where I met dear Dancing Jen for lunch at Cafe de la Presse. The city looked beautiful to me and it was wonderful being with my friend again. As you should all remember, we worked together at Borders back in the early 2000's. Jen is very special and I'm exceedingly grateful for our friendship.

new restaurant, old friends

 Last Sunday's Chronicle high lighted a new restaurant down on The Embarcadero so we celebrated Doug's birthday at Bon Delire yesterday. That is a the freshest salad ever and an exquisite Croque Madame pictured here. The ham in that sandwich was way beyond Hormel and for dessert espresso and pain perdue. We all recommend this restaurant!

life resumes

 Yesterday Mayor Breed conceded and that was no fun. New Mayor Lurie has gobs of Levi® money but he will be okay, I hope. I took myself on a solo adventure to a brand new city park out at India Basin. Lovely. This was a black neighborhood and during WWII the ship building industry took over. These days there is a lot of new housing ~ block after block of condos and tall apartment buildings. And always, of course, our beautiful Bay.

as we heal and move forward

 Beautiful concession speech and here are some thoughtful words from Dave Pell's online newsletter Nextdraft that I needed to read yesterday.

Look, this was a sound beating. There's no sugar-coating the fact that Americans said yes to the xenophobia, hate, and the punching down indecency at the very core of the Trump sales pitch. I'm not going to tell you not to feel angry, hopeless, or overwhelmed. I feel all of those emotions. But I will strongly suggest that you don't let those emotions stick around for long. First, because they're not good for your mental or physical health. And second, because those are the very feelings that fuel autocrats. I can't stand the president-elect and his enablers, but I refuse to hate my fellow Americans. Doing so is simply feeding the beast. Divisiveness and hate are what got us into this mess. More of it is not going to get us out.