Christie, this is for you

Because I know I'd have DONE LOST MY MIND by now if I were stuck inside with three kids while Noah's Ark happened outside, I'm going to do a quick post for you. (And my other friends. Hi! I'm not dead!)

So last Saturday night, Clay, out of the blue, says: Let's go to the Moss Beach tidepools tomorrow!"
I had no idea what these were, but anytime he wants to do an activity involving THE OUTSIDE I consider it a miracle, and so I said yes without hesitation.

Turns out they're the cutest things ever. Seals sleeping all over the rocks, warm water, pink and purple flowers, orange starfish, fresh air, wet feet, yes!

A few pics before I run to work.



I don't know how this outfit happened. I called it my religious cult uniform. People stared.



Humming to a snail to make it pop out and say hi. It works!

Sorry, crabby. But you prolly were pretty tasty.

Stud muffin.

I don't remember what this was, but it must have been awesome.

Starfish! I don't think he was supposed to pick that up. But I had to let him, you see. He does NOT like getting his hands dirty/wet/salty, so it had to be remembered.

I want.

Where do I sign the lease?

Ask and ye shall receive

We'll start with the table, which we received today. Admittedly, we're a little bummed because they kinda screwed up our order. We asked for legs about half the chunkiness and I guess they ignored us? We can't decide whether we care enough to return it or not. We're really pleased with the size otherwise and the stain. I'm mostly pumped for the SPACE -- now we can both eat cereal and read our magazines with our laptops up. Enough of this TALKING.


And no, you're not blind, we also need new dining room chairs. This is a hodge podge of office chairs and such. We've got some wedding cizash left at Crate and Barrel and will probably make the purchase there.

The new couchy! Mustard! Velvet! Long! A little bouncy! We were semi-unsure at first about the ride (we don't exactly sink in), but we're into it now. It's just so darn soft and I love the high arms -- perfect for snuggling in with some pillows and brownie bites and Dexter.

I'm showing you where to look, over my shoulder. Our old white table is now stationed near the window in the extra room. I think it'll be nice for sipping tea and staring into space.

Chilling at the table, taking it all in. Slowly but surely becoming home.

Does anyone like eating alone as much as I do?

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy egg sandwiches with friends, pasta with the hubs, tea with my mom. But I feel zero awkwardness sitting by myself, eating a burrito, listening to a podcast, and sipping orange soda out of a bendy straw.

Some of it, I think, is I just can't enjoy my food as much when I'm with other people. I'm focused on listening or talking or making sure the pie isn't all over my shirt. A lot of times I don't eat much on purpose, just so I can get a doggie bag and enjoy the food later, by myself, in front of SVU. It tastes about 10 times better, at least.

In high school, on the way to ballet, I'd turn my Jeep off at McDonald's and buy some nuggets with honey sauce, eat them in the parking lot to the tunes of that month's mix tape. In college, I used to take that week's New Yorker, find a small table in the corner, and read the whole thing over a turkey and cranberry sandwich. When I worked in the schools, I found a desk in our classroom and ate my school lunch in the corner. At Goodby, there was lots of solo cake time in my cubicle.

Part of what makes my new job so lovely, aside from the general awesomeness, is sufficient lunch time, lots of tasty things to buy within walking distance, and sunny benches near the water to sit alone and stare into the lovely San Francisco space.

Muni? I want to punch you in the baby maker

So, I've got this new job. (Which is going good, by the way. I love working in creative services, I love reworking sentences until they're pretty, I love NOT PACKING UP PACKAGES IN A SWEATY BACK ROOM.) But that's not my point tonight. No, I'd like to chat about a little thing called Muni, San Francisco's public transportation system.

I'm never happy riding amongst throngs of sweaty crazies, but in the past I've figured out routes that keep the bad stuff to a minimum and get me to work on time. A new job in an unfamiliar part of town, though, means a completely new route. I tried it today for the first time.

Reader's Digest version? This morning, stranded in a random part of town, I had to take a cab after waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for my transfer to the #10 bus. This evening, I had to guess on a route because the #10 just...didn't show up. It took me an 1.5 hours to get home.

Beside myself, I hit the Internets looking for a reason this happened. I have to admit I was a tiny bit nervous some of this was my fault, because I'm more than a little spatially challenged. And maybe I messed up or something? But then I searched my trusty Yelp for the #10 bus reviews and found these GEMS:

1. This bus is one of the most unreliable Muni runs. I kid you not--every other day I walk by a bunch of pissed off old people at my stop. Why? Because the bus hasn't shown up and they're waiting for the next one.

2. It will take almost 15 minutes to go the 8 blocks from where I get on the bus to caltrain. I CAN WALK THERE IN THAT TIME!!?!?!

3. When I need to be somewhere in 20 minutes, it does not help if you are running 20 minutes late. I'm not standing outside 15 minutes earlier to catch the 20 minute late bus that is running 36 minutes behind the 20 minute late bus. Did that make any sense? Fuck you if it didn't! YOU don't make any sense, MUNI, so this bitch doesn't have to either.

4. I walked California/Sansome to SOMA faster than your slow ass ever could have gotten me there. However, my big ass is still angry at you for making it do cardio. VERY.VERY.ANGRY.

5. During the day, the 10-Townsend undergoes some sort of hellish Jekyll and Hyde transformation. Towards the end of the day, it turns into a completely random, leperous hulk of a service. Time and causality are thrown out of the window, with the bus turning up whenever the hell it likes - if at all.

6. Is there some sort of Bermuda Triangle that swallows up every 5th 10 Townsend driving down Sansome? Because twenty percent of the time, it just doesn't show up. It's not just late. No. It just doesn't come.

7. RIDING MUNI STRESSES ME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's it. Stop riding Muni. Take a taxi to work.

Ahh. I know I feel better now.

No rhyme or reason

To these photos. But I feel like I owed you a few. My Internets are now back (bam!), so I can be a good friend again. I'll take some shots of the place in its semi-organized state soon. For now, these are mostly just yours truly.

I have been wearing this combo for days and days and days. Thanks for the pants, Gram! Clay loves them, too.

One of my favorite hobbies is making faces that, if you didn't know me, might be serious. The trick is to do as little as possible while still being completely weird. If you ask me, I nailed it here.

How intense do I look?! It was no accident.



Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light! It's been super foggy up here lately, but last night we finally had a clear view. Serious yum factor.

I like to people watch park people from our window. In this series, I was busy judging a group of middle school girls playing "frisbee." I tried to show them it's all in the wrist, but they didn't want to listen. Complete and utter failures.

My own little hunt

Buddy and I took an early evening (bum-cheek-freezing cold) stroll last night - mostly in search of Peeps, but also to cruise our new 'hood at sunset - and came across a lovely treat in Lafayette Park, left just for me:

Willkommen

While I'm pretty sure pictures of an un-decorated apartment are snooze-ish, I simply couldn't stop myself. We visited today to start scoping and I didn't stop bouncing around once. However, I realize you won't be living here with us - so if you make it to the end of this post and you haven't fallen asleep? I'm impressed.

Standing near the kitchen, looking out! This'll be our main living space. Having a difficult time figuring where to put our honking huge TV. (Bonus room is open to your left.)

Zooming in on da view. Tough to capture it on film, but the Golden Gate is to your left-center. Can you find it? (And can you tell I've been writing for preschoolers?) It helps if you click on the photo and make it bigger.


Another view of the GGB, Bay and Pacific Heights homes (mansions). We face down onto an alley, so it's pretty quiet.



Slide open the doors and step out onto our teeny tiny balcony for a better look.



Standing outside the sliding doors, looking to the right at Downtown SF. That pointy pyramid is the Transamerica Building. We like to park our scooter there when we're in the Financial District.

To the right and down. That's our park! It's a lot bigger than I thought it was and full of snappy trees. Lots of good people (and dog) watching from here. If (big if) we get a dog, it'll be super simp to get play time.

Here's another view with your back to the view. I'm standing where we'll put the dining room table. (Hopefully we can swap out the boring chandelier for something fun.) Kitchen behind me. Entrance and first bathroom to your right in the back.

My new kitchen! Small, but useful; I'm loving the apps and additional counter space. It needs more light and definite decor help, but I'll be happy to whip up some curries in here. And! There are doors to close it off so when it gets messy? Vamoosh!

This is a terrible picture, but somehow the only one we got of our bedroom (or a corner of it). The open door leads to our second, master bath. (I've never had a connecting bed/bath before so I'm just a tad pumped.) Closets to the right and left of the bathroom.

Here's a slice of the powder room. Trying to keep the landlord from putting up the sliding shower doors he wants to install because...ick. There's a lovely-sized linen closet in here, too, which is a huge bonus and another never-had.


Our cute bonus room! Promise it's bigger than it looks; we were pleasantly surprised when we saw it again today. Behind you is the view. Ahead of you is the bedroom. The door to the bedroom and to the living room both slide closed. See below.


See! All closed off and cozy. Perfect for a snoozing ... puppy. Ahem.


Couldn't not end on me being weird. That big building to my left is the hospital. I'm showing how I'll be able to yell for help instead of calling 9-1-1.

And that's a not-so-quick tour! Didn't show you the other bathroom or the entrance but I'm sure you'll live. We're starting the slow move in stat and can't wait to get a'decorating. Visitors? Enter and sign in, please.

*Bonus feature below! To fully understand the flow, check out the cruise-azy model Clay created online! (The "furniture" you see is stuff we already have, TBD on placement -- he made the model to play with that.) Click between 2D and 3D to see the whole deal. Woot!*

Weekend photo album or: The making of a domestic

I did quite well on my weekend checklist, thanks.

While I played many a Rockband drum solo Saturday morning, Clay played basketball down at the Y. On his way home he stopped at the Farmer's Market and picked me up that scrumpshy olive bread along with a bundle of tulips. And a chocolate croissant. Yes please times ten.

Later in the day, down in the Castro, we watched some college people play their own round of basketball on the big screen. Zzz. But oh my, what accidental luck! Our friends live right next door to Imagiknit! At halftime, I picked out some yummy green yarn and bamboo needles.

On Sunday, we scooted down to the Marina and picked out herbs and flowers and new self-draining pots and soil and fertilizer. And then I got to planting and windowsill-arranging and serious-face-making. Plants are no joke, people.

We watched a Law and Order per my request, then I started knitting lessons with my new, made-for-the-elderly DVD. The lady on there talks to me like I'm five. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if it were three.

Fotos below:

So 75% of my classes are located on the aforementioned, crime-ridden Ocean campus.

But my Wednesday night class is in the Mission, a culture-rich, sometimes-down-ridden, always-funky, lots-of-great-restaurants, palm-trees-like-California-should-have, neighborhood.
When I interned at McSweeney’s I did some time in the Mission, too – albeit a trendier, cleaner part where hipsters abound, vegan t-shirts are sold and tiny cheeseburgers cost $7 a pop. But walk two blocks over to the intern-budget-approved strip and you’ll get a slice, a salad and grape soda for $3.00, crammed inside a steamy store corner, watching old men out on their stoops smoking cigars in dingy undershirts.

The block I school on has a few trendy dive bars and nice restaurants, but walk a little further and it’s chock-a-block full of enormous dollars stores, abandoned store fronts and barbers promising a $2 haircut. (I’m tempted.)

Along this stretch is a sign for the defunct New Mission Theater. I can’t fully explain it, but every time I walk by and look u-p (because the sign stretches 70 feet hi-gh) I get goosebumps. Maybe because every morning on my bus ride I see more and more stores shutting down or maybe it’s just the sad juxtaposition of dollar stores and old timey glamour, but something about it gets me every time.



I did an image search on my newly-restored Internets and found the above shot on this rad photography blog, MY SF. He’s really captured the vibe just right.

Gosh, I love today. Gosh, I love this city.

So today was awesome. I cried. Ahem. Sobbed. On my couch, into my oatmeal, an hour late for work. Getting on the bus afterwards was like walking onto the "Small World" ride at Disney, minus the terrible song. I could swear hearts and fuzzies were bursting out of everyone's heads, as we all smiled and held doors and cheered hello and hurrah!

Man, I'm in a good mood.

And check out what some festive San Franciscans got up to last night:

Best day, best city, best guy.

Coupons and Curtains and Craigslist

I keep forgetting to buy the Sunday paper so I can clip coupons and celebrate the recession. Clay remembered for me this morning and brought one home. Looks like I've got cheap Cheerios, apple sauce and razors coming my way; I will be passing on the cheap Skippy.

Confused by green sports page. (Shirt from last year's birthday trip to Love in Vegas. If you are there, if you love the Beatles = G-O.)

You may remember back in April when I tried to hem our curtains. It was sad. Clay took on the project today while I sat back, snapped pictures, and watched Murder She Wrote.

I've been whining about needing a dresser for a few days (months) now. Our place is so small we're loathe to bring in big pieces of furniture, but we finally decided the floor wasn't cutting it for sweater storage. Also loathe to deck out our place in exclusive Ikeachic, Clay found a Mid-Centch gem on Craigslist; a smelly Dutch lady delivered it via Subaru this morning. I'm insanely pleased with it.

(Please note the "houses" across the street. We're thinking of applying for a butler/maid Remains of the Day situation.)

Our bedroom. We sleep inside cozy gray walls, beside vintage tables, under a quilt made by Clay's aunt Sharon. Also featured: The new old dresser (!), newly hemmed curtains, Ikea platform bed. If I knew how to take pictures, you'd see the bay through the window.

We like it here.

san francisco is so expensive

that the discussion of relocating becomes inevitable. not relocation = inevitable, just the constant, ambivalent debate of it all. pros of this place = natural beauty, liberal peeps, lotsa stuffs to do, temperate climate. cons = expensive as f*&%, far from family, kids raised here can end up super spoiled.

so we'll go back and forth and talk about goals and puppies and baking cupcakes with more counter space and such, but bottom line it always come down to: panic! we could never live outside a major metropolis! we would wither and die and probably start wearing pleated pants!

but then it's saturday, and i listened to my podcasts and drank tea with a heating pad on my back, looking out my window, while clay listened to his podcasts and played video games with intermittent breaks to make coffee and read a magazine. then i made pasta and we watched a netflix. then we drove to the liquor store to buy frozen yogurt, drove back and ate it. and now our headphones are back in place, we're across the room from each other, plugged into our respective podcasts again. (don't frown; these things make us happy.) at moments like these, which are often, of course we think WE COULD NEVER ENJOY THIS LIFESTYLE OUTSIDE A CITY!

uh.

he could have just opened the door

just as i was flapping my yapper about how pretty and lovely and smart this city is, cc and i woke up to a broken-into car. sad face, upset tummy. some bad guy used a key (?!) to get into our lobby and then our garage, spotted our schmancy nikon camera strap only sort of hidden underneath a sweatshirt, and bashed in our sweet little v-dub's back window to grab it. he also found my new not-schmancy-but-still-loveable camera tucked into a side pocket. he must be a photographer.

the frustrating part (aside from the fact he got into our building uninvited and took our things) was the car = unlocked! the glass-bashing, which will run us about two-hundy to fix (thank you cc for hunting down the deal), was completely unnecessary, and made my car look all undignified and frumpy. ack.

the locks will be changed and we'll be extra-careful now about a) letting anyone non-tenant into the building and b) leaving anything in our car, but it's still creepy and unfair. ah, city living.

in happier news, i'm debuting my cooking skills tonight for non-family-members. we'll sit around our little white table by the window and enjoy the view of the bay, visible through the small space between two mansions. would you like to hear the menu?

tomato and basil (homegrown!) soup
garlic bread for dipping
green (spinach pesto i'll make in my processor) gnocchi
homemade ginger snaps (amy sedaris recipe)
pumpkin pie ice cream (cc is in charge of this one, "as long as you buy me the ingredients")

nom nom nom, says cookie monster.

i rode the vespa

all by myself, unaccompanied by a trailing vw with a worried cc inside, for the first time last night.

my (very pregnant, very cute) friend manjari lives about a mile away, which feels silly to cab, too long to walk at night, and the parking in that 'hood is kimpossible. the journey over there truly was ordained by god for scooters. some people might say "what about a bicycle?" to which i say: have you seen the hills in this city?

believe it or not, the scariest part of the whole adventure came at the beginning and end: the unkickstanding, the maneuvering out of the garage (me = officially learning disabled in anything spatial), the parking, etc. the riding is the easy, lovely part. i felt so bad ass, cruising along at 18 mph, my head snug inside the polyeurthane and foam biosphere. and how convenient-o! pulling right up to her door and running inside without a care to tim gunn and friends, no 45 minute hunt for a probably-illegal parking spot on a definitely-sketchy street.

of course, i got a little overconfident on the ride home, and cruised into our garage a little too fast. something went wonky and the whole thing tipped over. my herculean strength saved it from slamming down, but i wasn't strong enough to pull it back up without resting it on the sidewalk first. sorry, little scratches. sorry, lower back muscles.

but all in all, bja fully approves this message for red vespa'ing around this little city by the bay.

if you sit on the corner of our bed, backwards

we've got a bay view. right now i'm watching a barge chug along, finding its way through the fogginess. and...it's gone. good luck, little engine. come again soon.

i'm living on the edge, giving this room a whirl at noon, because i never really see it except at night, and it's looking so lovely these days! what with the new gray walls and the vintagey bedside tables and the hangy lamps with dimmers. you'd like it, i think.

having a one bedroom apartment is an interesting thing. it's not like we go and hang out in our bedroom with a snack (do you? are we weird for not?) so essentially, we end up in the same room together all the time. i'll admit we don't really mind the arrangement, because we happen to be talented at sharing space while doing our own thing. (read: face plants into video games or magazines or the internets or mystery novels or brownies.) in fact, clay once moved his "office" across the apartment to a weird little closet (damn that hgtv and their world-shifting ideas) and we actually missed each other. okay, yup, just puke right here into my cupped hand. finished? okay, moving on.

but since these days we're both here more than normal, in a perpetual snow day (pajamas and hot beverages and midday television) because he's working from home and i'm...not working, i thought i'd branch out and expand my horizons. heyoh! three boats now? my undivided attention has been requested by the coast guard. must focus.

warm weather

has finally hit san francisco. because here in our lovely city by the bay, the sun doesn't hit till september and october. just in time for me to not wear all those scrumptious corduroys and boots and tights in every store/catalog/show. but i'll shhhh because why in hell would i complain when my dreams finally came true?

today, we celebrated the weather by taking a long trip on the vespa, side-by-side mike and rachel, who also rock a scooter (i tell you, people really clear out when they hear our rough gang cruising by). we drove through pacific heights, the castro, noe valley (must! move! there!), and ended up in the mission.

our end spot was a lunch spot - the st. francis fountain - that mike discovered recently. check out the picture below - a real, old-fashioned diner with a lunch counter and a fountain that makes malts and a glass display case selling gargage pail kids! my heart swoons for places like these - gems nestled in hidden neighborhoods, not too overrun with hipsters, and full of old timey stuffs. we sat outside, people watched and chit-chatted, treated ourselves to cheesy goodnesses, and sipped our caffeine in sunny splendor. sometimes it seems plain crazy that we ever consider moving from here.