music, color, food, friends

This is Cha Cha Cha on Haight Street at Waller ~ "eclectic Latin"
with a great vibe. The four of us all had steak fajitas, quite yummy,
but next time we will try different things for some bite-exchange. The
joint was jumping! San Francisco is not a "lunch town" like New York
or Boston, I'm not sure why. In any event, it was great fun and I have
to admire The Great Plotnik's ability to park in a spot about 1/2"
larger than Ken, the Toyota.

On the drive to/fro we admired houses of many colors and styles. Of
course we talked re-mo talk as we are all in various stages of new
paint and projects. We spoke of pipes and wires that no nowhere,
and how our painters puzzle over them, then remove them with a
satisfied "so much for that, whatever it was".

I napped away the afternoon and am 100% again today. Next? Yoga.

oh my...

Isn't this a delightful photo from the NASA web site? We don't see
stars here due to the icky and constant summer fog. I didn't get home
until after 2am last night, because of the great carpet cleaning event,
so I'm just a tad foggy myself. A nice lunch with Mr. and Ms. G. Plotnik
should set me right. I need to make myself less frightful now...

And no, notthat, there is no we in this team. It's all-Ron only and 8 ladders.

our picturesque view

When I work the 6am shift I call Husbando about 7:30 to let him know
the I arrived safely and that the big box is a less than perfect little
bundle of hurt feelings and assorted degrees of antagonism. The
usual work place stuff.

He answered our phone on Friday morning this way ~
"THE HOUSE OF FOG AND LADDERS"

I counted 7 ladders the other day, but he said there are 8 if you include
the step stool that is no longer for our use. Our house painter is a
perfectionist, as I've mentioned, so every inch of wood and stucco has
to be "ready" for the paint. We have imported ladders from the neighbor
and Ron brings some of his own.

There is hope ~ some paint has finally appeared on a door frame! This
project may be finished before the Happy Holidays, or not.

lili, lauren and frank

It was a fine reunion ~ Lili Taylor and Lauren Ambrose from
Six Feet Under are two of my faves, and Frank Langella was
outstanding playing an aging writer living in NYC. Starting Out
in the Evening explores the complicated relationship between
father (Frank) and daughter (Lili). The main storyline is the
adulation that young Lauren has for the old guy Frank, as she
works on her thesis about him. Any film with NYC as a back-
ground holds my interest and then toss in writing as the under
lying theme ~ I say "rent it!". Only one light sniffle...

i survived

Yesterday sped by and in some ways it was good to be back at
work, but a bit of a shock to my system, as I was used to
sleeping in until 5 or 6am. I spoke with a woman heading
back to her home in Ireland where it has been raining every
day for weeks. She had a wonderful time in SF, I think
most tourists do ~ they don't seem to mind the outrageous
prices for almost everything, or maybe they expect that,
the way we do when we travel to Europe.

back to work w/ visual

This is a salt mine somewhere in Poland. It does look appealing, but
I have never been there and I borrowed the photo from Google® with
sincere thanks. It has been 10 days since I have been to the Big Box
and I can hardly wait to read all those emails and I bet my fellow
miners are eager to hear me mutter, "WTF?" about 457 times this
morning. Wish me luck. Off we go...

this one is queue-worthy!

A sweet film about this little orchestra from Alexandria (Egypt, not
Virginia) and their foray into the wrong town in Israel. They are
stuck for a night with strangers and what struck me most was how
the two main characters interacted so realistically (attracted to one
another, awkward, tender) and their faces are so expressive that
a lesser person would immediately reach for the Kleenex® box.
Oh, okay, I was that lesser person watching The Band's Visit.

remember the time?

We saw the "Cool Globe" heal-our-planet exhibit when we walked at
Crissy Field yesterday morning. Ginger walks very quickly, so I was
happy to stop and say, "hey, look!" every so often. We also saw a
shark (yes, one could tell by the fin) and then when we stopped for
lattes at Cafe Rulli on Chestnut, we saw Supervisor Alioto. Of course
we had a million things to discuss and the very best part was no need
to worry about when Ginger's plane was leaving and having to say our
"goodbyes with Kleenex®" as we have so often in the past.

Lunch was at the India Clay Oven on Church Street and then some
Mitchell's ice cream for dessert. We were full of food and conversation
and happy plans for the future by the time Ginger headed for BART
in the late afternoon. There's just something about old friends, we
know each other so well and have been through so much together.
Decades of joyful laughter and "oh-my-god-you-aren't-alone"...

another day, another ginger

This morning my other Ginger is taking BART in from her new
HQ in Dublin (California, not Ireland). We will go walking out
at Crissy Field and then will pick-up Husbando for a fine lunch
someplace, probably here in the nabe.

The drive home was just long and boring, although the hills
were golden and gorgeous. The sun came out right after Pismo
Beach and I stopped at King City Starbux for a big latte and
a sweet. (I refuse to use Bux-lingo, so I don't know what they
call their damn drinks). The only interesting sight was at
a rest stop where someone was walking their big pink pig.
You don't see that everyday.

I drove in on San Jose Ave., turning right on Cesar Chavez.
Not the prettiest streets in SF, for sure. But my whole self
settled down and I sighed and smiled with that, "oh yes, I
do so love my very own city" kind of feeling. And last night
I slept the sleep of the blessed, which I am.

getaway day

This is the sweet little town called Carpinteria ~ "Carp" to the locals.
I walked here yesterday morning and bought Salt Water Taffy for the
staff at the Big Box. I do recommend the Holiday Inn Express here.
This is right in downtown Carp...verging on precious, I realize.
I've never seen the flowers so brilliant as this season ~ here is the
street leading into Summerland, where Ginger lives.
The party out on G's deck was a huge success ~ lots of interesting
food and people. I was sad saying goodbye to Boise and Joey, but if
everything works out, I'll be back again in Sept. (with Husbando) to
visit Ginger and Hoan again. And it was terrific seeing "The Italians"
again and I wish them a good flight home next week.

I wish I had slept better last night, but after a shower and several cups
of coffee, I'll be good for the slow drive to SF. I'm ready for my own
bed and all the other comforts of home. Oh, and some decent radio ~
it seems like "Dr." Laura Schlessinger is on 24/7 here. God help us.

a day of walking & socializing

That's Mr. Boise holding court at the head of the table last night at
the very festive Palace on State Street and Cota. There were about
16 of us, but it was too noisy to count correctly. Everyone in the
restaurant always sings "What a Wonderful World" together and I
almost had to reach for a Kleenex® ~ because it's the truth.
This is Ginger's backyard where she gives away bushels of lemons
and oranges. Husbando and I celebrate if we have two lemons!

I walked with Hoan and her dog (Hocko, aka Jocko) at Summerland
Beach in the morning, then we had lunch at Casa Luna and then I
walked with Ginger and her two dogs, so I was good and exercised
by dinner time. (And well-behaved, as a result, you'll be pleased to
know.) This afternoon is the BIG party at Chickenhead's ~ the real
reason for this self-indulgent trip. But first, some walks...

Weather? Spectacular!

southern calif. bloodlines

Boise and Joey walking on Padaro Beach before lunch.
The Carpinteria Beach at 9am ~ families finding the best spots.

Even though I grew up in Pasadena, I considered myself a beach bum
sort of girl because we went so often during the summer. First with
my parents for a month every summer at San Clemente, then with my
girlfriends every Saturday when we were old enough to drive. I hid
behind a dark and easy tan and looked more sophisticated than I felt.

We always rode the waves and played for hours in the ocean ~ I was
never afraid of surf or sea creatures and I loved the long drive home
in a scratchy bathing suit, still smelling of baby oil or Coppertone®.
When I go to any beach now in Southern California, it all comes
back to me and I could sit for hours and just watch the surf and all
the people spreading their blankets and putting up their umbrellas.
The sun is no longer my friend, so I can't quite feel that luxurious
first sunburn of the season or my parents warning me that I can't
even think of swimming until one hour after lunch.

Tar and oil ooze out of these beaches ~ I don't know why, but it's
just part of the experience. I think it's seasonal. I am not a geo-
physicist, just take my word for this. Hence the Tar Remover here.

It was wonderful walking with my Italian travel-mates yesterday
and then we all had lunch at Zooker's here in Carp. I can certainly
recommend that restaurant. We four took up where we left off
and are already planning next year's reunion. Dinner last night
at Ginger's while we watched the Chinese Extravaganza.

why people love Santa Barbara

An ordinary parking lot right off of State Street...
Overhead decor on State, the main street in SB.
Michael and I had dinner with 788 children at the Padaro Grill. So
nice to be outside and it stayed warm until close to 8pm. The ocean is
about 12 feet away and the air was perfect.
This is the Salt Marsh Restoration Project in Carpinteria. Similar to
our own Crissy Field back-to-natural-habitat with native plants, etc.
If I go left for 1/2 a block, then turn right on Dump Street (truly), I
am rewarded with this view. This is close to where the seals work
their charm and we saw a couple yesterday.

Such beautiful weather here! I had a slow 3 hour drive from King City
and yes, there are lots of others in the right hand lane, going slowly and
arriving less stressed. Also a ton of cars and vans driving 80, but I didn't
feel pushed once. Big change!

I arrived in Santa Barbara for some coffee and a light lunch on State
Street and then I walked and admired the flowers and discovered that
this delightful little city has a bunch of homeless now. This is new
and I swear I recognize some of them from the Big Box. I mean, who
would want cold SF when you could live here? There are also a lot
of tourists and the outdoor restaurants were packed, so we take the
good with the bad, right?

Checked into my motel in Carpinteria where they provide little
packets of Tar Remover. It's a problem here, which is why I brought
my really old running shoes.

Now I will have breakfast with some fellow travelers, then I will
walk to the beach and make my phone calls to see what's up with
my Italian friends. I'm quite mellow at this moment...

the queen of king city

This bad photo explains that King City means City of King (singular).
I am glad to know that finally.
There are a lot of flags here ~ I feel so safe.
Many gas guzzlers on sale, right here in front of my elegant dinner spot.
I drove with a feather foot yesterday, it took about 3 hours and I only
stopped for gas at $4.07 ~ who could pass that up? It was delightful as
I could listen to the Giants game that Tim Lynn-see-come (always
thankful for that, notthat) pitched and we won.

After checking into the motel (King City Inn) I walked for several hours
to discover a dead strip center and a booming $1 store. I enjoyed the
New Yorker at Denny's and tried to avoid the food. I am a snob.

King City has a Starbucks® now, filled with Highway Patrol officers and
Sheriffs, as it turns out. I told them that I drove under 60 and they
thanked me sincerely.

I'll write tomorrow from Carpinteria, with a bag of salt water taffy
at my side. Call my dentist, Right Wing Wong.

mary ann & ken on the road again

Yesterday Husbando washed Ken our Toyota and I applied the Obama
bumper strip ~ it isn't as pretty as this one, but you get the point. It
barely covers the Kerry/Edwards one from 4 years ago and I am hoping
for better election results this November.
(Me, being tedious and redundant.)

I'm going to yoga this morning because I'm always a little apprehensive
before taking off on my own. I'll start to relax again around Salinas
and will be into full solitude mode by the time I reach King City.

How did we travel without laptops in the past? I'll check in tomorrow
morning from King City. I love exotic places...

we're stronger than we think

You remember how much I loved the book, right? Well the movie
is also inspiring, but they left out one of my favorite parts about
how Bauby (who has a killer stroke at age 42) received the most
inspiring letters from people he barely knew when he was healthy.
Other than that, The Diving Bell and Butterfly film is better than
I expected, capturing the poignant life, memories and thoughts
of this man who "wrote" by blinking one eye. Very sweet scenes
with his 92 year old father and his own 3 children. Many beautiful
women ~ it takes place in France, after all.

4 men in black

I usually don't write on commano until I've written a few morning emails
to get the fingers going. But I need to vent about one of the worst things
about being a manager ~ the alarm going off in the middle of the night
and the alarm company calling. Last night I didn't answer the phone
(long story, shame on me) so ATD came to the house and rang the door
bell to ask me to come downtown because there were problems at MY
store! Imagine, is nothing sacred? Husbando muttered "we're in this
together" and rode shotgun with me. The doors were wide open at the
store and there were four policemen inside. The time? About 2:30am.
(I asked where the dog was, they usually have a big ol' German Shepard,
and one cop said, "Hans gets Sunday nights off, we're the dogs". )

The police had already been all through the store, but I asked them to
come downstairs while I opened the offices and of course they did.
All the door alarms were ringing on all 4 floors, again the cops
doing their jobs, so I had to trudge around and turn those off. By
then my heart was calming down and I was waking up.

Everything was fine and my guess is that our dear neighbors (Morton's)
forgot one of their poor non-English speaking dishwashers or chefs
and he escaped through the basement that we share and up the stairs
to our first floor and out. This has happened before, but it will all be
on video today and the loss prevention folks can get the scoop. In the
meantime, I'm not thrilled with being in retail management at this
moment. King City is looking mighty good right about now...

denziel and forest

This was a fine movie about students at Wiley College in Texas in the
1930's. Based on a true story, we follow the debate team that wins, loses
and heads to Harvard for "the big one". We can feel the Oprah touch
in The Great Debaters, but that's OK, we all need that formula from
time to time. Forest Whitaker is the town preacher ~ is there any
role he can't play? (I kept the Kleenex® close by, only a dab or two.)

two for the road

If you're like me, you spend almost as much time finding just the
right book(s) for your trip as you do on the wardrobe business.
I'm taking these two. In The Woods is a mystery and customers
tell me it's terrific. Set in Ireland by a new author, Tana French.
And finally Midnight's Children which my friend The Fevered
Brain tells me is superb. It has won many awards, so I will give
Mr. Rushdie another try. He is a lucky man...

I'm about 3/4 finished with Divisadero ~ yes, I recommend it!

another fine East Bay day

Sorry, these photos don't reflect how wonderful the day was with all
of our writer friends (except Will) over in San Leandro yesterday. This
is an outside (!) room where we ate BBQ chicken and luscious side dishes
and read our work and laughed and talked for many hours. We also sat
on the lawn and enjoyed real East Bay sunshine in Eric's roomy back
yard. I love MY foggy city and yet...

Here we have The Great Plotnik and Eric. In the top picture you see
some women writers. If I included the one of the Salon Mistress she
would kill me. And what a treat to see Suzy Parker again!

Before all this happiness I went to work for a few hours and now I
need to fix breakfast and lunch and head to downtown Frisco again,
where God knows what awaits me.