our favorite post

seven pups ready for their forever homes

an orange cat and a boy

you call this fun?

The SF Giants currently have the worst record of any baseball team. It
is so discouraging. The blue scum-sucking Dodgers arrive in town and
their goal is to humiliate us further. Argh. Thank goodness for the
Warriors who are in the playoffs and doing very well.

democracy in action

I really enjoyed the two hour Town Hall meeting yesterday with State
Senator Scott Wiener and State Assembly Members Ting and Chiu.
It was held in the auditorium at Mission High ~ lots of young and old
folks in the audience and since the three men are all progressives they
were singing to the appreciative choir. So no yelling or rancor like
when the GOP appears to face people who worry about healthcare
and the environment. Big push for Senate Bill 562 - Healthy California.

The March for Science was yesterday too, but since I'm still on clean-up
from this cold I felt it best not to try to do everything.

the Legion gets a re-do

The new director (Max from Germany) is bringing a little whimsy to the
staid old Legion of Honor. I like the whimsical installations and it's time
that place was shaken up a bit. When I sent these pix to a friend she
thought that I'd been to the Tate Modern. Now let's see how the donors
react to this new art...

back to the Legion

We finally hit the Legion of Honor yesterday for the exceptional Monet
(The Early Years) exhibit and it was wonderful indeed. I had heard that
the best time to go was during the late afternoon when the buses of people
and school kids had departed, so we followed this very good advice and
were able to see all of these magnificent paintings without much interference.

finally ~ a win

Such a pleasure saying good bye to Bill O'Reilly yesterday. Congrats to
the women who worked so hard to bring this smug, mean, sexist man
down. And thanks to the advertisers who pulled their money ~ the key.

could it be?

What? Finally? Sunshine after weeks of grey, damp and ugly weather?
I walked in my nabe, up to the post office at Van Ness and 21st Street.
It's a bit of a grubby area and that's OK by me. Too much sanitizing
of a city seems to justify high real estate prices. I had my latte in the
sun and as I was walking home this splendid sidewalk garden almost
knocked me over. Welcome Spring ~ not a day too early.

Bunji and Mariah

These two are always side-by-side. You can just barely see the one in
the black box. They are gorgeous and I hope they are adopted soon.

toss in some history too

We are having a great time watching Shetland ~ streaming from Flix®.
It's a detective story so we do get a few murders and lots of lies and
emotions. The Shetland Islands are officially under Scottish rule (Jen's
current favorite country), but they think of themselves as Norwegian
citizens ~ the Islands have been passed back and forth many times.
No ponies so far, but lots of ferry rides between islands and the peet
farms are weird. Yes, highly recommended so do watch this.

Easter Day with clouds

...and probably rain. Oh well, a good day to stay indoors by the fire.
The Warriors, Giants and a fat Sunday Chronicle. Ham, yams and
banana creme pie (not homemade) and maybe a nap or two. Happy
Easter, Spring is near.

a man called mean...

We are all suckers for the gruff-old-man turns into nice-guy stories,
aren't we? A Man Called Ove is extra special because it gives us
a nice look into Sweden and how people live there. I believe I loved
this movie more than Husbando did, but that is often the case with
the really good movies without gruesome murders, isn't it? Do
note the cat at Ove's feet here. (Streamed on Amazon Prime)

escapism

This is better written than I expected. All about a woman cellist and
her family and one drunken afternoon at a BBQ. Truly Madly Guilty.

poetic Paterson

This is a quiet movie celebrating love and the simple life. Paterson is a
bus driver and a poet who is infatuated with his adorable wife. Some
might find it slow, but to me Paterson is filled with richness and warmth.
It is now out on DVD via the Flix®.

something borrowed

My dear friend Linda walks at the ocean in SF everyday. She has the eye
and she has a camera and a blog and I just needed to have her photo for
my blog. Today. I did not ask permission, but I do give lots of credit
and thank you talented woman by the sea.

yesterday = almost perfect

from the cast of Hamilton

the beautiful passover table

Opening Day and we won! The only worry is that our team leader
Buster Posey was hit in the head with a fast ball. I planted myself
in front of the TV and praised the game of baseball all afternoon.

Last night was another spectacular seder dinner at the Great
Plotniks. It felt good to laugh and get the Jews out of Egypt one
more time. So nice to gather with these friends once again.

your Flora update

I know you remember Lucybelle from my museum life. We all went to her
wedding and then the baby shower and here is the most recent photo of her
daughter Flora, there on the left. The family has settled right outside of
Portland now, buying a home and working hard with enough time to
enjoy the great Pacific Northwest. After living here out in "the Avenues"
Lucy needs to be by an ocean which they didn't have when they lived
in Indiana for a year or so.

April is Poetry Month

(Now for some REAL poetry to celebrate this month ~ it used to be my
favorite when I worked in the bookstores.)

Out of Some Other Paradise

And people walked out of churches and bars,
cafés and apartments, cities, towns, photographs,
someone's Friday night party,
someone they once knew or slept with.
They walked out of meetings and dinners,
out of lives, on each other, on love
and rarely on time.
Some walked out of dark places,
slow places, strange places, places
they wouldn't go back to, places they never did find.
Then did. And walked out again
for the third, fourth, fifth time perhaps.
People walked out through doors
and through letters, through looks across rooms,
gifts that gave nothing of what they withheld,
what they couldn't give back. Then others
just walked out on everything. That was that.
What can be said about what we do to each other.
What street, I don't remember,
on the way to someone's going-away,
I saw you, as if in the middle of a sentence,
snow: your new evening clothes. 
ALEX DIMITROV
Together and by Ourselves
Copper Canyon Press

poetry practice

Jane was a poet and inspired me to try my hand. I wrote this ten years
ago and feel safe to post it now that I don't have bosses to worry about.

My second real grown-up job was as a copywriter at Capwell's in
Oakland. I am still friends with Ginger and Susan, whom I met there,
waaaaaay back when...

CAPWELL'S

It was here that I learned that friends
are more important than corporations

that nothing is fair in business or, I'm
sorry to tell you, the world beyond

that some people work harder than others
and bosses were not promoted because

they wee necessarily smarter or kinder
than others, in fact just the opposite it seemed

then, and probably now, but I don't really
think about it anymore because it doesn't matter

to me one bit and I've wasted too many precious
hours worrying about business and losing sleep

over things over which I have absolutely no
control, on the other hand I did learn more about

myself and others during my working career
and one thing I know for sure is that, damn it all,

no matter what the job, it's always the people,
not the tasks, and delegation comes easier if

you give them a little humor and praise along
with the tedious assignment that was due yesterday

August, 2007

a little Puma time

Yesterday I climbed back on BART to visit Carlini and we had lunch in
downtown Walnut Creek and then went to his home for coffee and
sweets and I got to visit with Ms. Puma who is a total delight. She
doesn't eat flowers and we talked about our previous cats who did and
how fortunate he is with this adorable Calico.  She might have a sister
or brother soon, how cool would that be?

my four dog day

Hoooshie

Max, Leo and Lilly

Patrice is dog sitting out in Dublin and so we sat outside with all these
puppies and enjoyed our sandwiches from Togo's. I do like dog-centered
homes and people, perhaps you've noticed?

day and night in SF

Every year I just have to see Macy's Flower Show and every year I am
underwhelmed. Carnival was the theme this year and it was better than
no flower show, but we all know that traditional retail suffers and this
year tourism is down because of travel bans. A very small line for the
cable cars and Peet's seems to be the busiest spot in town.

Then last night we dined at Tartine Manufactory on Alabama Street.
You can see that we were early (surprise!) and I can assure you that
they were busy by the time we left. Delicious and unusual food and
wonderful service. Home in time for baseball and a WIN.

pray for fog, rain, sleet

There are only 7 episodes of Big, Little Lies and the finale might be the
best that I've ever experienced on TV. So go for HBO On Demand and
have a heavenly binge experience with Laura Dern, Reese Witherspoon,
Nicole Kidman and other familiar faces. The setting is in our very own
Monterey and with a little grey weather you can justify some daytime TV.
I might do a rerun on that last episode today, despite sunshine.

the best farce ever?

We had seen Noises Off years ago and I was a bit worried that we
wouldn't enjoy it as much or laugh during all the chaos of slamming
doors, missing sardines and constant chaos. No worries, it was
just what we needed and we both applaud the hard working actors
and imaginative sets and costumes at the SF Playhouse. We had
a wonderful afternoon and came home smiling despite the Giants...

and so it begins...

...thank goodness. Ginger and I went to the Coliseum in Oakland yesterday
for the final exhibition game. We won. It was a beautiful day, as you
can see, and the A's have upgraded their old stadium. We sat in the bleacher
section surrounded by the opposition, but they are fun fans and nice as
can be. (Not like the blue scum-sucking Dodger fans.) Today is the
official Opening Day and our Giants are in Arizona. Play ball!

Stow Lake (like)

I used to sit up here to relax with coffee and/or lunch when I worked at
the deYoung. But it is even more beautiful this Spring because I don't
have to rush back to greet customers with a smile (or disdain). Stow
Lake is a one mile circle, flat and easy to navigate. Lots of benches and
a decent hot dog which Husbando and I appreciated yesterday before
our walk. There is so much to see: turtles, raccoons, ducks, geese
and people of all sizes and colors. I like to watch the folks climbing
in and out of the rental boats while we soak up the sun. Delightful.

eggs and flour

Time for a food post so you know that we both still cook. Restaurants
preferred, of course. On Sunday nights we get to have BACON (five
slices each) and I have the joy of not making a salad. But what to go
with the bacon, other than decaf espresso? Waffles, pancakes or
French toast work, but last Sunday I made a German pancake. First
time. Last time. But it's pretty to look at ~ cardboard flavor. I grew up
in a home featuring big Sunday lunch after church, still in our dressy
clothes. Then always a light Sunday night dinner, casual. I am reliving
those not-so-great days, it seems. Or is it just the bacon? Hmmmmm.

the return (finally)

I started missing the deYoung recently so I took the plunge on Tuesday and
returned for the first time since I retired. The Danny Lyon photography
exhibit is terrific and I really liked the new installation in Wilsey Court
too. Leonardo Drew is the artist and it is HUGE and impressive. It was
good to see some ex-coworkers, but the art is what I missed a lot.

oh, yes

We finally saw Moonlight Monday night ~ a DVD from the Flix®. It
is everything and more ~ sad, warm, tender and so overwhelming that
I had to take a ME day yesterday, all to myself, just to ruminate and recover.
Yes, that worked, but it is a movie that will never leave me. Glorious.

Joe Day on 3rd Street

Wool: Nature's Technology

exotic wood and string elephants

First we had brunch at Serpentine (great!) and then we hit the Museum of
Craft and Design to view Felt Decoded (thought about you, Anna) which
explains, with detailed photos, how felt is made. Then Wendy Maruyama
and the wildLIFE Project ~ we must preserve these magnificent animals
who are slaughtered for their ivory tusks. Such beauty.

two Sunday winners

Congratulations to RR and George who won many lovely ribbons at
the horse show in Moss Beach yesterday. And great photography, dear
Blogmaid. These two sure make an elegant team, don't they?

tomato talk

We took advantage of the sunshine yesterday and covered our back deck
with tomatoes and flowers. I still have a little dirt under my fingernails
and that feels good. Early Girls work best for us and you will be able
to witness the growth, as per usual. Yes, the cages are a bit premature,
but we are optimists ~ always.

finally ~ a win

Speaker Paul Ryan couldn't muster the votes for that mean health (not care)
bill and so maybe, maybe we are one step nearer to universal single payer
healthcare like the rest of the civilized world. Now to impeach this
Russian-inspired President and we can keep moving forward...

and always ~ the books

This year, the first full year of retirement, I started a book folder on 

my desktop. The big one is "want to read" and then the "finished"

list, which is growing slowly. South of Broad takes place in

Charleston and (surprise) San Francisco ~ Pat Conroy was a very

special writer and I thoroughly enjoy his work. I just started

the Frankel book, I believe I read about it in the New Yorker. 

Both on my Lindakindle2, of course. This is how it Always Is

tells the story of a doctor and her writer house husband and 

their five (!) sons. Wisconsin is the locale at this point. Yes.

now on the Flix®

Last night we finished the final episode (#10) of this OJ story. Neither of
us wanted to watch it because like the rest of America we were saturated
with this drama during real time and our memories are strong here. But
about 10 minutes into the first episode and we were hooked. Great
acting and lots of details that have come out since that tragic time. Great TV.

purple paella eaters

The Blogmaid gifted Husbando with an Open Table gift certificate which
we used last night at Contigo on Castro Street. We had a delightful
dinner with all sorts of appetizers and this amazing paella pictured
above. Oh, and dessert was chocolate and churros ~ yum, yum. Thanks
for this treat, dear Blogmaid. (We did not dress like this on purpose.)