a day of hope

Tuesday at John's Grill. My friend Marsha in the bottom left hand corner
with a couple of her admirers. Someday Gavin will be President, on
that we can all agree. We were filled with optimism on Tuesday and
many good things did happen in the election. More gun control for one
thing and Big Liquor will suffer when marijuana is legal here in Calif.

Yesterday was a day of grieving and acceptance. I was heartened to see
the spontaneous protests in cities across America last night. We marched
through the Nixon Era and we will fight the bigots with new determination.
Lunch out with Doug and Barb at the Mission Rock Resort helped
us as we found a few other things to talk about out on the beautiful Bay.

shell shocked

President Trump. There I said it. Today we will mourn and try
to get our strength back. I take heart from the Huffington Post
this morning:

If Trump can reverse the economic inequality he decried 
during his campaign, bring back manufacturing jobs, 
find a way to give people better healthcare for less 
money, invest in infrastructure to stimulate the 
economy and otherwise make the country great, 
we’ll cheer him on. We’ll find out.

Nothing will be helped if I remain bitter and angry, 
but it's OK just for today, isn't it?

birds, rabbits and oh, please...

two birds from Linda

two rabbits at the SPCA

The oh, please is for some positive election results tonight. We want an
early landslide for Hillary, but that might not be possible. I'll be meeting
my friend Marsha at John's Grill today where ex-Mayor Willie Brown
is hosting the entire city and since I don't "do" crowds very well, I
won't be staying too long. Let's hope for the HRC red/white/blue logo
in tomorrow's post and for America's future.

book of the week

I am reading Today Will be Different by Maria Semple. We all remember
Maria from the Bernadette book and we all love her humor. So far, so good.
I like when our heroine vows not to swear for an entire day. Good luck
with that in this wacky world.

an East Bay Day

Carlini met us at the Walnut Creek BART station and drove us to the
Lark Creek Inn where he treated us to lavish lunches. Calamari, salad,
mussels, paella, dessert and more, or so it seems. Even though this
was lunch, Husbando and I were NOT interested in dinner last night.
We had a great time catching up with Richard and so appreciate his
generosity and long friendship.

holy, happy lunch

Yesterday Linda (of LindaKindle 1 and 2 fame) treated me to a luscious
and splendid Indian lunch at the Holy Kitchen on 24th Street. She
traveled waaaaaay out of her beachside nabe to meet me and I am
very grateful indeed. We talked of many things and I enjoyed myself
immensely. Thank you, dear Linda.

oh, so very nice

My technical advisor (the Blogmaid) encouraged me to get the larger iPhone6
and I did that very thing on Wednesday. I think of it as a mini-mini-iPad
and yes, I LOVE it. Verizon transferred many of my phone numbers, but
a few key ones were inexplicably left off, so I have been busy making sure
I have those and also downloading apps and appreciating the fact that I
can read everything so much easier now.

up, down, win, lose

Whoosh, that was quite an exciting final World Series game #7 with the Cubs
winning and Cleveland fighting back again and again. And then a rain delay,
of all things. Congratulations to the loyal Chicago fans who will soon get
their parade and the rest of us will start talking about Spring Training.

post-Halloween pix

The top photo is from my SPCA friend Marsi ~ her Lion King dog and
her grandson. Then we have RR, daughter of the Blogmaid, all dressed
up like a jockey and having fun with her school pals.

yesterday afternoon

T.C. Boyle

(here is my daily writing exercise)

T. C. BOYLE

Yesterday I hopped on the #24 Divisadero and walked a few blocks over on California

Street to the Jewish Community Center. There was a seriously crazy 50ish white man

who of course refused to pay and started yelling that he was blind and that the FBI

was harassing him. The driver stood up to him and he got off, but not before causing

fear and anger amongst the other almost-normal passengers. 

T.C. Boyle spoke for an hour and I enjoyed myself immensely. I need to do more of

this mind-expansion business. Get out of my comfort zone in front of my fake fireplace.

I guess walking with latte treats and reading isn’t as beneficial as listening to a REAL

author. T.C. was great. Teacher Karen thinks his “Drop City” is one of the best novels

ever as far as plot goes. I agree and I gobble up all of his short stories in the New Yorker.

So what did I learn? Well, I already knew that he lives in Santa Barbara, but I didn’t

know that his wife calls him Tom and sometimes in a voice that he hates. He has

written 26 novels. Amazingly his first draft is pretty much his final draft. He is a

perfectionist. T.C. just retired from teaching at USC, he taught fiction writing there

for 37 years and enjoyed getting out of his home and his head and being with

other people and he even liked the two hour drive to and fro.

He writes to music (jazz, I think ~ it was his choice for the JCC Library room) 

because he thinks it helps him keep the rhythm to his writing.

T.C. Boyle read from his new novel “The Terranauts” which is about the Biometrics

experiment in Arizona a few decades back. He researches for three months

before he starts writing. He has a lovely sense of humor and funny dyed hair.

museum people

Carlo, Ruby and Monkey

Have you met Carlo? He is the most talented display manager at the
deYoung and Legion of Honor. Carlo met Tanya, Scott, Ruby and me
downtown and we gently hit the SFMoma after lunch. It was a
delightful visit and the sun came out (!) just as we gathered after a
heavy morning rainstorm. Very telling, I thought.

remember Ruby?

My dear friend Tanya returned to SF last night. I miss her so much.
She and her husband and this live-wire Ruby are staying with Frances
and Donna and I was invited for dinner last night. We had a lovely
time catching-up and observing Ruby dash about in her world of
real and pretend. And I hope to see them again today...

an East Bay Day

new from the San Leandro BART station

veggie lunch with Meriel and Barbara

Meriel met me about 11am yesterday after I emerged from BART to
admire this brand new statue. She drove me to her all-time favorite
store (Potpourri) in Oakland where we met her friend Barbara.
Then off to lunch at Italian Colors (Oakland? Berkeley?) and by
the time I got back home it was almost 5pm. Strange that I wasn't
all that hungry for dinner, isn't it?

a walk in the rain

It just made me so happy to see folks lined up at 2:30pm yesterday

for Swan Oyster Depot on Polk Street. When so much is changing in

our city, I love that the old restaurants are still loved ~ and enough

to stand out in the rain for a seat at the counter. Me? I headed for

a warm, dry coffee shop and some latte with crumble cake. 

the Man Booker Prize

When I was in the book biz this award always indicated the BEST fiction
(to me) and of course we always ran out of the book the first day of the
announcement. This year an American won ~ Paul Beatty wrote The
Sellout and I've already ordered it on my LindaKindle2. Congratulations
to Mr. Beatty, what an incredible honor.

a SoCal photographer ~ here

Anthony Hernandez was born and raised in L.A. ~  SFMoma exhibits the
first retrospective in his 45-year career. He is a street photographer with
an amazing eye and most of the photos are really large so the viewer doesn't
have to crowd in and squint to see his work. It's a big show ~ 160 photos,
so plan accordingly.

I met Frances here yesterday because she hadn't been to Moma yet after
the re-do and since we are members I ordered tickets for us. It is no longer
over crowded, I'm happy to report,  and we wandered and talked and had
a waaaaaaaaay too expensive snack in the downstairs restaurant. Sheesh.

dog and cat talk

"Pebbles is finally getting friendly, Snowball needs a walk..."

Acrobatic cat and the W ~ as in MEOW 

I haven't posted about the SPCA recently, so here goes. The 24 French
Bulldogs have all found their forever homes and there is only one Whippet
remaining of the five that came in together. His name is Finn and he is
exceedingly shy and just had dental surgery. Above you will see my fellow
Monday morning volunteers and they are talking about the dogs in MY
kitchen area. They are so dedicated and concerned and knowledgeable
too. Below, a sampling of the many cats and kittens available to go
home with you NOW.

who's sorry now?

Some jerk (male) in Barrington, Rhode Island wrote a letter to the editor
of the local paper suggesting that women over 20 should not wear yoga
pants. Yesterday hundreds of women descended for a happy little parade
and marched right in front of this guy's house. They wore all sorts of
strange items, carried signs and had a fine, free time. Where has this
man been for the past sixty years?

I hear the cold breaking

This morning was the coolest since our new fireplace arrived. I am
reading poetry this morning ~ how could life be any better? Enjoy ~

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress
fearing the chronic angers of that house.

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

Robert Hayden

we be social

blue here, blue there

Venice by Bert Monroy

Last night Nancy's college pal Zozia came for dinner with her husband Bert
Monroy, an artist who works in the digital realism field. Amazing. Nancy
is one of those smooth, easy cooks (unlike yours truly) and the only thing
I helped with was a walk to Dianda's for dessert items. That I can do.
Zozia and Bert live in Berkeley and are well traveled so the discussions
were varied and always interesting. They hate Trump. Odd, no?

gathering for dinner o-u-t

Nancy, Scott and Mrs. Plotnik

To celebrate the birthday of The Great Plotnik (not shown) and because
daughter Nancy and her husband Scott are in town, we went to La Ciccia
last night. The food is inspired by Sardinia and it was delicious indeed.
This is one of SF's best restaurants (or so the experts say) and we would
agree. I recommend the lamb and the pasta was also quite tasty. Nancy
and her father (my Husbando) both had the shrimp and both eat it the
exact same way ~ very messy, not leaving even a smidgen of shrimp meat.
The way it should be consumed.

season three

Oh, boy ~ the return of a great one. Black Mirror will be on the Flix®
again tomorrow night. The title (we think) refers to our television set ~
aka the media, technology, the future. Scary stuff but so very well done.

a brand new book

I like to test a book on my LindaKindle2 and The Nix passed with
flying colors. I'm not quite sure what the premise of the plot is yet,
but it is beautifully written and I am happily lost in a new fictional
world with some engaging characters. Fireplace worthy indeed.

from BBC and Amazon Prime

Last night we finished the 6th and final episode of Fleabag ~ how come

the Brits always get it right? Funny, sad and shocking with a good strong

feminist touch. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the writer and star here. I love

Fleabag's sister Claire and their relationship and her best friend Boo

plays a major role in the series too. This is not for the squeamish, but 

it is so rewarding that I feel just fine recommending it to you.

badass

I spotted this poster in a bookstore window on 18th Street. I like it.
I'm with her.

Potrero Hill

This is the next hill over from ours, about a 7 minute drive. Husbando and
I used to have an office here and we have many good memories. Friend
Karen H. loves Farley's and I always think of her when I see her place.
Yesterday I met Neti and two of her friends for lunch at Aperto and we
had a fine time ~ I enjoyed a yummy pork belly sandwich and news of
all sorts. Oh, yes, my parking karma is currently s-t-r-o-n-g.

happy rainy day

Before

After

We haven't used our fireplace in quite a few years. It seems like every other

day here in SF is a "no burn" day and Husbando's sinuses attack him much

of the time when our neighbors have a REAL fire. But we missed our 

fireplace and we have been working for the past six weeks (or so) to have 

a new gas line hooked up and then yesterday Blaze installed this great

log set. There is some warmth too and I can't tell you how wonderful it

it to sit here in front of the fire with my laptop this morning. Funny, we

had predicted the hottest day of the year for the final installation, but

yesterday was gloomy and rainy ~ a perfect fireplace kind of day.

a notable omelet

Yesterday I met my friend Pamela for lunch at La Note on Shattuck Ave.
in Berkeley. Such a charming, bustling restaurant, very close to BART.
We had much to discuss because Pamela is a writer and we both keep
up with all the museum gossip where she also used to work. I do want
to recommend the ham and cheese omelet and a latte in a bowl, of course.

to cleanse my palette

Nothing like a good and bloody murder in Dublin, Ireland to take that
bad baseball taste away. The Trespasser is helping me heal. I read
it on BART yesterday when I went out to Pleasanton to visit Ginger
and we talked about everything except our beloved Giants.

it's just a GAME

So how come I have this achy breaky heart thing going on? Congratulations
to the Cubs who won last night in the 9th inning. Our poor bullpen has a
history this year of giving it up in the late innings and the Cubbies have a
history of winning in the final hours and so that was that. I still think Bruce
Bochy is about the BEST manager in baseball, but he will get a lot of
criticism for wrong decisions. He can handle it, so can we. This too shall pass...

amazing night

We stayed up until midnight watching Game 3 of this post season
craziness. The Cubs have beat us twice and most of the fans were
enthusiastic but not really expecting a win because the Cubs are
really, really good. Anyway, the Giants won in 13 innings and
here we go again tonight. I would like a real laugher, like Giants
16, Cubs 3. OK? Fun? Yes, this morning it is....

a temperamental chef

We both really loved Seared yesterday at the SF Playhouse. It's a new
play by the talented Theresa Rebeck and it's the story of a small,
successful restaurant in Brooklyn. GREAT acting with Brian Dykstra,
Rod Gnapp, Larry Powell and Alex Sunderhaus. The chef actually
chops and cooks on stage ~ it's pretty amazing. We have seen Rod
Gnapp in so many productions and here he plays the worried "money
man" behind the restaurant. Wonderful, as always.

the joy of texting

Dancing Jen texts me every night after her day sightseeing in Great Britain.
Above we see a street in the Cotswolds and below is my favorite bridge
in London leading straight to the Tate Modern. I have a funny one of her
itty bitty seedy hotel room in London, but I will save that until she moves
on to Inverness. I'm enjoying this trip a lot!

SOMArts Cultural Center

Monique's exhibit ~ all hand made and gorgeous

and all this too!

I went to Dia de los Muertos last night to enjoy the pageantry and color of this
exhibit, and I did. For sure. Then I ran into some ex-museum people and Carlo
showed me "the back room" which I had completely missed last year. Wow,
filled with art from Open Space exhibits beginning (I think) this weekend.
This is at 934 Brannan Street, right behind Trader Joe's, so Muni makes it
easy. This was a great experience for me, despite missing some of game #1,
because I left thinking, "hey, this is still a city filled with artists and people
who love art." I met Mrs. Paul Madonna and told her that my Fevered Brain
friend went to her husband's exhibit in Paris. She was so pleased. Do you love it?

It's come to this...

(I am re-cycling this from my very own blog post of
10/06/05 ~ thankfully Mr. Ferlinghetti is still with
us, but so are the damn Blue Angels. They seemed
louder than usual yesterday when they practiced over
my city. Happy Fleet Week, everyone.) 
Grrrrrrrrrr...

This is Fleet Week. I hate Fleet Week. Here is what
Lawrence Ferlinghetti has to say about this noisy
and difficult weekend:
And for another destroyer of poetry and peace, how
about those killing machines, the Navy's Blue Angels, who
have just carried out their annual attack on the City? But
the poetic life requires Peace not War. The poetic life of
the City, our subjective life, the subjective life of the
individual is constantly under attack  by all the forces of
materialist civilization, by all the forces of our military-
industrial perplex, and we don't need these warplanes
designed to kill and ludicrously misnamed the Blue Angels.
They dive upon our city every year, in a frightening
militaristic and nationalist display of pure male testosterone.
I've seen old Vietnam ladies in Washington Square diving
under the benches! Do we really need to be reminded yearly
how our planes have bombed Third World countries back to
the Stone Age? In San Francisco, of all places, do we really
need "bombs bursting in air to prove our flag is still there"?
What would Saint Francis say?

a WIN in NYC

Mad Bum just pitched another beauty last night and we beat the Mets 3 to 0
on Gillaspie's 9th inning home run. It was such an intense game and now
we head to Chicago and isn't this fun? Well, baseball is fun this morning!

here we go (again)

Cost Tower is orange and I am worried about the do-or-die Wild Card
game tonight. We are playing the Mets in New York ~ not an ideal
setting. It starts at 5pm and Mad Bum is pitching for us and maybe,
just maybe, our bats will be hot the way they were over the weekend.
OK, go Giants, let's all just breathe deeply and stay positive today.

October memories

History

Our life stories are scary and droll,
Like masks children wear on Halloween
As they go from door to door
Holding the little ones by the hand
In some neighborhood long torn down,

Where people ate their dinners
In angry silence or quarreling loudly,
When there was a knock on the door,
A soft knock a shy boy makes
Dressed in a costume his mother made.

What's this you're wearing, kid?
And where did you get that mask?
That made everyone laugh here
While you stood staring at us,
As if you knew already we were history.

CHARLES SIMIC

The Paris Review 
Fall 2016

the FINAL retirement event

Yesterday I met Blogmaid and Sabine at the Chit Chat Cafe in Pathetica
and we listened to the radio because our Giants were playing a really
important game and yes, there will be one more game Wednesday night,
the Wild Card in New York with the Mets. Thank you for the fine
retirement lunch, dear Blogmaid. How about all that foam in top photo?
Very pretty walking along the ocean as Sabine sniffed and socialized.

such brave grandparents

Mission Pie Shoppe

Thanks, Mr. Bittman

G. dot Ceci and her friend Tim are both chefs who went to the Blues Festival
in GG Park yesterday (and today). Our job was to feed them, so we started
at the Mission Pie Shoppe for apple/berry pie (not shown), then made
Mark Bittman's salmon and red potatoes. Salad first, of course. Parsley is
such a help, and candles and, yes, we made it! They left early (7:30-ish) for
yet more music in Mill Valley and Ceci arrived home quietly and today
will fix breakfast. Husbando and I did dishes and complimented each other
on what great and smart grandparents we are and collapsed with TV.

It looks like our Giants are heading into a Wild Card game. I have nerves
of noodle again, yesterday's game was OUTSTANDING with a rookie
pitcher named Ty Blach. Thanks to Notthat for his help unravelling all
this baseball "who's in? who's out?" news. Oh, my...

book talk

I read the Eggers book while traveling to/fro SB and just started the Patchett
book when I returned home. Dancing Jen is reading it too and that warmed
my little heart. Heroes takes place in Alaska and that part was fascinating
~ all about a single mom and her two kids escaping the past. Commonwealth
is absolutely amazing with superior writing and an outstanding plot. Love it!