dog-filled friday

First, a walk with Joan and her dog, Happy

Josie and Rich

Bliss, Auri and Josie

Today the fog is back, but yesterday was another sunny surprise.
Ginger's friend Rich arrived with his Josie right before I went
walking with my old college friend Joan. Long, lovely walk by
the beach and then a fabulous lunch at Gianfranco's in our
favorite Carpinteria. All five of us: Rich, Husbando, Ginger,
Joan and your blogger woman. Great food ~ mark it down in
your must-do Central Coast Beach Notebook.

Back to Cottage Hospital with the McConnell milkshake in
the afternoon. Had to wear the face mask as this is the highly
infectious stage for Michael and he feels lousy. A few more
days of suffering and MAYBE he can go home next Friday.

We have the l-o-n-g drive ahead of us. Will stop often to
stretch the back and leg muscles. It will be good to be home,
but this was a delightful vacation. Wonderful, in fact.

37 acres of green, blue, pink, etc.

These are called Mother-in-law seats

Cactus, cacti, whatever...

See the lotus rise out of the muck

Bright red and green

Ficus

The blue garden

Yesterday we went on a fascinating two hour tour through Lotusland
in Santa Barbara. It was founded by an opera singer (little known)
who was a little strange, it appears. She was married 6 times and
gathered a small fortune from assorted husbands and spent it on
her fabulous gardens around her home here in Santa Barbara. There
are maybe 20 very different gardens including lots of succulents, a
Japanese garden, topiary and of course the lotus. A lotus bloom
only last 3 days and I don't believe I had seen the flower before. So
beautiful. The docent was nice and knowledgeable and made all
the difference, and she lived in San Francisco for 15 years.

Then we had lunch at Piatti's in Montecito. The sun shown all
day and is doing the same today. Hooooooray!

Michael is responding the way he should to heavy chemo and
wolfed down his chocolate milkshake. He is staying very positive
as are his many friends.

nutrition for body and soul

Cinnamon roll with whipped creme cheese

at the Fatcat in Avila

Leaving Pismo Beach ~ finally sun, go figure

Sunset walk at Padaro Beach

Yesterday morning we drove north to Avila, about 5 miles from
Pismo. The luscious cinnamon roll was our breakfast treat. It's a
very small town with only one main street and about 400 motor
homes parked right on the water. Plus a luxury golf resort and that's
about all that we could see.

We had lunch at the Padaro Grill and arrived at Ginger's about 2pm
and I scurried over to visit Michael with a chocolate milkshake in
hand. He is doing fine, heading into the worst part of the chemo
slam, but staying positive. By now he knows the entire staff and
most of the other cancer patients. He also met a 12 year leukemia
survivor as part of the hospital outreach program and you can
imagine how helpful that kind of thing is. I'll go back this afternoon,
of course.

Ginger, dogs, Husbando and I did the beach walk last night and
saw some dolphins frolicking. You will be pleased to know that
there has been fog and more fog down here too. But still, so
beautiful and peaceful.

oh yes, I forgot to prep you...

Lunch in Salinas

Funky home in Pismo Beach

The sun sets on Pismo Beach

Sorry about that. We are at the $99 a night Edgewater Inn right here
on the beach at Pismo. Had a wonderful night's sleep and yes, we did
check the mattress and drapes for bed bugs before unpacking. It is
very clean and comfortable with a view of the ocean. We can walk
everywhere, which we needed after the drive.

What is better than an old beach town where the sandy sidewalks
lead to not-great-food-but-who-cares? Some funky cottages, some
gorgeous beach homes. The ocean is the star here, nothing else
really matters. I don't even mind the fog this morning, almost
like I'm getting used to it.

Michael has put his order in for a chocolate milkshake and I will
visit him this afternoon after checking into our ultra comfortable
home in Summerland. Eager to see Ginger, the dogs and the
platypus. Michael is back in hospital with his next-to-last chemo
treatment and he seems to be handling it much better this
go-round.

no, no, not utica

We are in Pismo Beach ~ that family gathering wedding thing was 5
years ago (and they are still married!). Tomorrow we head for Santa
Barbara but we would like some sunshine, please.

gone fishin'

Well, maybe for seafood. I'm packing up now and we'll leave in
an hour or so. Hope to post tonight, but you know how internet
connections go. Or don't.

Work had been really rough the past 4 days and I soooooooo
need this time off. I know, I know, I just got back from the
Whidbey Island vaca. Women need lots of days off...

nerves of straw

Oh, oh ~ now it begins. The queasy stomach, nail-biting time.
Our Giants are a game behind the San Diego Padres and this
final stretch is going to be v. difficult. Like life, one can't
understand how things change so quickly. The Padres were
winning every game for months and now, bam!, they have
lost 10 in a row. Poor Padres fans, we know exactly how you
feel, but really, we would like to be in the playoffs this year.

Gird your loins, Giants faithful, it's going to be fun. Is that the
right word? Notthat, when do we get the "if we lose 6 games
and they win 3" business?

Oh, today is the last day for Orsay One...

sabbatical over

I haven't done any REAL writing since June and yes, it is a relief
and life is easier without the additional To Do on my list. But
after reading Linda Davick and Jean Gonick's e-conversation
on Linda's wonderful blog, I decided that I need to write again.
Not for publication, not for the writing group, not for fame and
fortune (hahahahaha) but just because my mind works better
when I write.

To that end (ahem) I am studying the new class offerings at
The Writing Salon. For sure I'm a Round Robin again, but
how about more fiction? Poetry? Screen writing? Great
website, Mistress Jane!

scary ass and stupid

Last night we left the deYoung at 11:30 pm and I am here to
tell you that Golden Gate Park is dark and horrible at night.
Beautiful during the day, fraught with awfulness when the
sun goes down. We saw a woman jogging alone in the park.
I believe in physical fitness, but I favor life more. Lordy,
how dumb can a person be? Very, it seems.

stretch, chant, groan

It had been three weeks since I had attended yoga class, so
yesterday I trudged up the stairs and gave it a try. Ouch. I
decided to start doing a few stretches every morning now and
because I can so easily talk myself out of this kind of thing,
I brought my purple yoga mat up and placed it next to the
kitchen table last night. It worked! And yes, I feel better.
Then I walked and now, perhaps, a little nap.

This is the closing weekend of Orsay and they have booked
customers later than usual. I work until 10:30 tonight and
tomorrow night ~ very Big Box like, no? Only 9:30 (so far)
on Sunday night. So you understand why I need the calming
effect of yoga. Ommmmmmmmm.

Orsay 2 opens Sept. 21st. A little break until then...

this is it!

This is what I am e-reading currently. In fact I can't seem to get
much else done. It's ALL I'm thinking about. Little Bee is the
story of a young Nigerian woman refugee and a stylish woman
magazine editor in London. Honestly, it has been a l-o-n-g time
since I've read a book where the tension builds so slowly and
steadily. Buy or borrow, it's fabulous.

rabbits and bears

Did you grow up knowing you need to say "RABBIT" the very first
thing on the very first day of a new month? Some sort of good
luck charm. Since I'm up first, I say it to my computer and so
far, so good. Happy September 1st, dear readers. Rabbit.

Borders, the Big Box, is going to put Build-A-Bear stores in
almost all of their locations. They have excess space now that
music has gone the way of the typewriter and carbon paper.
Big boxes put a lot of indie bookstores out of business and
now it's their turn. It's almost 2 years since I left the book-
selling business and since I spent about 16 years avoiding
the Children's Department, I can't see myself selling bear
legs and teeth, can you?

One feature of my LindaKindle that you might not have
known about. It is possible to sample an e-book before
you buy it. I see more empty space ~ maybe Build-An-
Elephant on the 4th floor, above the Bears?

such a glorious day...

A field of fescue.

The fort, the bridge the bay.

Yesterday we met Ginger out at Crissy Field ~ one of those rare
sunny, clear and exquisite San Francisco days. The fog of the past
few months is just a grey memory now. We had a lovely time walking,
talking and trying to identify all the dogs.

Then to Dragon Well (on Chestnut Street) for lunch ~ tea smoked
duck, noodles, beef on broccoli and chocolate (!) fortune cookies.

fountains in the park

A perfect lunch spot in Golden Gate Park.

For months "they" (city? park & rec?) have been working to restore
three glorious fountains in Golden Gate Park right in front of MY
museum. They have been dead for 14 years. The fences, however,
remain and remain. Of course there will be problems (and law suits?)
when these come down, but note the cobblestone to discourage
skate boarders. Maybe there will be a ceremony or maybe the ugly
wire fences will just stay put. So much safer in this city of wonder
and weirdness.

who knew?

City Island is now part of the Bronx, in the extreme W. end
of Long Island Sound. It is very small, population 4,500 or so.
According to Wikipedia, quite a few movies have been
filmed here. It looks like a delightful little place to live.

Put this one on your list ~ City Island with Andy Garcia and
Julianna Marguilies is a sweet comedy about a prison guard
who discovers his son (Steven Strait) when the new inmate
arrives in jail. He brings him home to his surprised wife
and kids and chaos ensues. Oh, Alan Arkin too. Half a
Kleenex® in a good way...

what we've lost

Dramatis Personæ

Once upon a time,
Books began this
Way—the O of once let
The reader beware up
Front that a story as
Ornate and colorful as
We are would follow—
And not for any of us
To be shocked to find
We must return and
Stand for what we are.

Aaron Fagan

Echo Train

day off report

Yesterday the blogmaid and I had lunch and it was wonderful
to see her again. It was a sort-of celebration of our 20 year
friendship and we munched on chicken huumuus wraps and
drank lattes at the Bird Cafe (Java) on Ocean Avenue. There
are loud birds in cages at this neighborhood restaurant and
they were joined by a jumpy (icky) pigeon that startled all
of us. Cool iPad, too, blogmaid.

Last night we watched this strange little Indie film about
two 20-something men in NYC. How I Got Lost is haunting
because it makes me wonder again how we all make it from
college to real grown-up life, mostly stumbling along on
hormones and alcohol, and that doesn't seem to have
changed much over all these years. Life, she be difficult.

vacation planning

Here is a photo from our 2008 trip to Pismo Beach. The Edgewater
Inn was fabulous and we wanted to stay here again this year. Online
prices were $149 a night so Husbando called (how old fashioned)
and said, "but we paid $99 last time!" The nice reservation woman
said, "that works for us." We leave the day after Labor Day and the
day after Orsay closes at the deYoung. One night in Pismo and on
to Santa Barbara for a few nights in Summerland with Ginger,
Michael, dogs and the platypus. We are more than ready...

next project, please

Okay, this isn't really our home. Last night we did have a little discussion
on How To Improve our beloved Casa Verde. Husbando wants to have
the kitchen painted (yes, Notthat, it looks seedy now, just as you
predicted) and I would like to hire a REAL gardener to plant things
that might actually grow without too much work or water. I want fresh
flowers every day, but living in the fog makes that a bit difficult. We
will keep the lemon tree, tomatoes and a rose bush or two, but I'm fine
with gutting the rest. No zucchini ever, of course. The discussions will
continue before the checks are written, needless to say.

many stars, no kleenex®

We both recommend The Ghost Writer starring Ewan McGregor
and Pierce Bronsan as the ex-Prime Minister. Ewan is working
on his memoirs and a feeling of old fashioned pervasive dread
and ironic humor is constant throughout this Roman Polanski
film. Things don't add up and our interpret hero can't leave
well-enough alone. From the Flix®, of course.

lunch with a view

Note the big Russian yacht (larger than a football field) in the
background. But even more amazing, note the blue sky! Yes, we
have sunshine in San Francisco, so to celebrate we drove over to
Sausalito to have lunch at The Spinnaker with our old friends
Steve and Marita who live in San Rafael. Very nice time and no
traffic problems. The Doyle Drive re-do is zooming along and it
was interesting to theorize with weighty questions such as, "what
the hell are they doing?" and "when will they be finished?" A
gazillion people out in SF and Sausalito ~ it's tourist season.

filming our nabe

This film with Benjamin Bratt is pretty good and we especially
enjoyed seeing so many familiar landmarks. La Mission tells
the story of a macho father who has some issues with his
teenage son and I won't be a spoiler. They must have filmed it
here in October, because the sky was always blue and people
weren't wearing hats, gloves, mufflers, etc. Once when Benjamin
left his flat in a cotton shirt I muttered, "grab a jacket!" to
Husbando. Not a great movie, but we enjoyed the scenery.

our city of foodies

So many people!

Tables and chairs for everyone...

Lines a mile long for each booth

Grilled, curled sausages

The one booth not busy (yet).

The San Francisco Food Fair is a few blocks from our house and you
can see that the crowds were exceptionally large. I was fortunate to
have this Saturday off, but I didn't feel like standing in long lines,
so I came home empty-handed. It is only the 2nd year that they have
done this thing (around 26th and Harrison) and it has expanded
because it's so very successful. Next year will be even bigger and
we'll get there when it opens. And, no, there was no sun.

and another e-book...

I'm enjoying Faithful Place by Ms. French, although it's not
quite as wonderful as her first book In the Woods. A young
woman's body is found in Faithful Place, a neighborhood
in Dublin. See, I don't have the book to make sure it is
Dublin, but it is in Ireland. Anyway, it's a good escape for
me at this post-vaca stage. Wait for paperback, you non
e-reader folks...

don't miss this one!

This was the second book I read on my LindaKindle and it is
one of the best that I've read in ages. One Day tells the true-
sounding story of two people who meet during college
graduation ceremonies and remain friends for decades. It
takes place mostly in London with a few side trips to Greece
and France. Buy, rent or steal this one.

The downside for me of e-reading is not being able to go
back and read a certain passage or to clarify which acerbic
character actually said what to whom. Also, people come
up and ask me how I like the LindaKindle, but they really
want to see my bruised collar bone, I'm sure. And this
book I'd loan to my friend Ginger and look forward to
our hashing it over later. Traveling with the LK is an
absolute joy and as easy as can be. Nice long battery life,
too. All in all, a highlight of 2010 for me. Thank you
again and again, LindaFriend.

and Falco makes three

It's been too long since we visited Bisbee, Az. and my dear friend
Mary. This is her photo of a storm gathering and when one lives
in dull fogged-in San Francisco, it looks unreal. I had the privilege
of reading Mary's novel-in-works when she lived here ~ as you
can see, she is an extremely gifted writer. It's a treat for me to
share her email with you this morning.

I have a foundling kitten that was pulled from a ditch of rushing muddy water during a monsoon downpour by a woman out near a place called Elfrida. Somehow I ended up with him.

Monsoon Report from the Mule Mountains - 2010:
It is such a strange year - record heat since 1962 - we stagger under the oppressive weight of the unrelenting heat, incessantly complaining to each other and swatting at the ever-present no-seeums which swarm around us. But then the monsoon rains arrive in the late afternoon. The rain itself is preceded by a stunningly beautiful sunset and, often, rainbows, with distant rolling thunder and lightening. The rain suddenly arrives here at Black Knob announcing itself with a blinding crack of lightening and a clap of thunder which shakes the house and sends my outside cat, Jack, running home through the first heavy drops which soon turn into a fierce downpour accompanied by the sound of the rushing stream that the road in front of my house becomes. All three cats (Jack, Sami and kitty Falco ) and I huddle inside (me with a flashlight at hand, candles at strategic places) in the stifling heat as night comes, while the house lights up and the thunder rolls and the rain pounds down. (and the electricity flashes off and on). Sometime around midnight the storm moves on, the excitement is over and we all sleep. The next day when people are out and around - again in the mind-numbing heat - they exchange anecdotes with friends and strangers of the storm at their house, appreciation of the beautiful sky and gratitude for the rain - especially after last years drought. We are all looking forward with anticipation to what this evening will bring. We know we will have a gorgeous sunset, We will look for the rainbow. We hope we will have rain. I love this place!!!

home again

There's always a lot of little organizing stuff to do when we get home
from vaca, isn't there? I'm going through the photos and will send
them to Costco so Husbando can enjoy the hard copies. But I do
love this one. From the left top: Rev. Rich, Janet and Pasquale
(from Pittsburg, PA) and Bob (kneeling) lives in Idaho. I've known
Rich and Bob for more than 20 years and enjoyed getting to know
the assorted relatives. Here we are on the ferry to Whidbey, I
remember how excited I was to see the Island and yes, it lived
up to my high expectations.

It is wonderful to be home and I slept beautifully last night. I have
discovered that it hurts a little when the LindaKindle falls on my
collarbone when I doze off reading. I'm learning to slant it
differently.

I told the blogmaid in the morning email that airports and air-
planes are like dreams ~ interesting only to the person who
experiences them.

Today I'm out at the LOH and looking forward to work. Sort of.

the sun sets on Whidbey

Going home today! We all gathered down at the wharf last night
after dinner to watch the final sunset. Rev. Rich's service yesterday
was excellent and one of the chants was the same that we do in
yoga, so that was easy. I mentioned Michael's name during the
healing prayer and Husbando's as a "you are here with us" kind
of prayer thingie. And I took communion, how does that grab you?

The rest of the day was reading, walking and lunch, then dinner.
This is a food-loving group, but aren't they all?
Finished the wonderful One Day and I'll tell you more about that
later, I think. Buy it, download it...

I'm ready for home where everything is in just the right place.
Looking forward to being with Husbando again. Work tomorrow.

a lazy saturday

Husbando receives many calls from this bench

Art Fair in downtown Coupeville

I wrote the blogmaid this morning and opined that I had henna
poisoning because I didn't sleep much last night. There is a big
Art Fair and Show here in Coupeville this weekend and of course
having been to a million of these in SF, I was not impressed. If
they produced a Peet's or Starbux I could/would get excited.

My henna tattoo is calmer today, as is Rev. Rich's lion leg. He
is a Leo and will be getting a real tattoo soon. We all love our
body decorations so I won't disparage the entire Art Fair.

This morning was the most exquisite orange sunrise. I was
going to grab my camera, but the photos never seem to be
anything as spectacular as the real thing.

Yes, you want to know about my LindaKindle? I'm totally
hooked and very grateful to LindaFriend. I'm reading One Day
by Nicholls and it's even better than When Bad Things Happen
which I also enjoyed. Plus by some miracle I downloaded
the free Shuffle Word game from Amazon, so I'm all set
for airports, airplanes and a lazy afternoon on Whidbey.

all day picnic friday

We were outside all day yesterday in glorious sunshine right on
the edge of Puget Sound in Langley on Whidbey Island. BBQ'd
hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, cupcakes, more. Lots of
laughter and love.

Today there are connectivity computer problems, so I won't
dally here. I'll just upload the photos and pray for the best.
You can see Rev. Rich's influence on me.

Today is hot and wonderful and yes, I'm happy here on Whidbey
Island.