Two More Off the List

Since I've been MIA whether it's because of work, wedding, NYC-itis or travel... I haven't been taking advantage of SF as much as I should.

This weekend, I managed to cross a few more items off the lists that I've been given.

First, Tartine Barkery. I don't even know where to begin. The bread was fantastic, the decor was lovely, and I got an open faced pork belly sandwich with heirloom tomatoes, crisp lettuce and avocado that was to-die-for. I MUST go again for dinner, where the menu looks even more fantastic. This might actually replace Elite Cafe as my fave in SF so far. It won't replace Tia Pol just yet, but this was almost close to that experience. Shocker!

After three failed attempts, I finally made it to Bi-Rite Creamery on Saturday. Bi-rite, is this amazing ice cream place in the Mission near Dolores Park. After hearing not only my cousin's but also friends rave about it, I somehow kept missing the opportunity. They have your traditional flavors but I opted for a Single cup with two flavors. I got their most popular Salty Caramel and Roasted Banana. Salty Caramel sounds a big odd, but just think about a big box of Cracker Jack or Caramel Kettle Corn minus the popped corn and that's pretty much it... each flavor the salty-sweet make it a fun surprise for every lick. And Roasted Banana 'cause while I don't each bananas, I still love banana dessert. Yum! (Still need to go back next summer and try Balsamic Strawberry.)

Amazingly, there were no lines at either place... which is as far as I have heard and seen, very unusual. Doesn't happen. In fact, after going to Dolores Park to enjoy our ice cream, there was a lone line out the store and halfway down the block at Bi-Rite.

I thought Saturday was an incredible edible day, but Sunday was no slouch either. Met up with my cousin Jen and went to the Tenderloin to brave the long line at Dottie's. I haven't had such a simple but perfect brunch/diner meal in "never before." The scrambled eggs were still soft, not at all overcooked. The French Toast was cinnamon and vanilla and still had some crunch even when drenched in syrup. I have never really been fond of pancakes but I actually ate one. And the hash browns were perfectly cooked and bit size (usually the non-crispy kinds are not throughly cooked nor and waaayyy too huge). I didn't even mind the 45 minute wait. Best-est brunch I've had. Though it'd tied with Mama's but in a different way.

Sunday night, 'cause I wasn't about to need any food before then was at Cat's. Cashew chicken with yellow peppers. That right folks, that is how good it was... I, who NEVER eat peppers ate Cat's yummy dish without complaint and scraped by plate clean. This does not mean I am a pepper convert, green and red (unless it's roasted) are still on my no go list. But Cat really can make almost anything taste great.

Part of me hope London food is good, but if so, I am going to have to cease eating until T-day if I keep going to yummy places.

p.s.: I have just past the 6 month mark in SF... sigh.

Reading Rainbow Rules!

So as you can see from the post-topic, I love me some Reading Rainbow (to this day, my fave airplane celebrity sighting has been Levar Burton, host of Reading Rainbow)! And I clearly enjoy alliteration.

Though I have tried and tried, I have hit a bit of a wall with knitting. My safety net is currently in London and while I've had some success, I feel a bit directionless. And the best way to combat difficulty is... avoidance. (That's my cross, and I am sticking to it! For now.)

And that's where the big question comes up, will I ever be able to do anything in moderation? I don't know if it's the Gemini in me, or the rather instant gratification I get (speed reader that I am) when it comes to devouring a book. It doesn't even have to be good, just readable, the only book I haven't been able to get through my whole life, thus far, because of pure I didn't WANT to anymore was Last of the Mohicans.... didn't really like the movie either. (Just saying.)

I was inspired on my latest kick by Brian, whose weekly updates are a joy to read and a treasure of great, fun things. And since I really don't like music (I have no taste) and I still can't park real well, I decided to attempt his a-book-a-week concept. But, of course, I crammed it all into one week, instead. Oops.

So since Wednesday, a week ago, until this past Wednesday, I have been reading books like crazy. Historical non-fiction, fiction, Current Biography (yes, I realize that's also non-fiction), Chic-Lit and short stories and more first-person narrative. So here's a quick summary, for anyone who is contemplating staying in with a good book as the weather gets colder (colder supposedly, my apartment got up to 90 degrees today without AC.)

Wednesday: Inside Steve's Brain by Leander Kahney
Opinion: I have a whole separate post, I wrote out by hand, and will post it when I find it. To sum up though, I read more aobut Steve Job's being a genuis and psycho, but I also have placed an order for my new Mac, regardless.)

Thursday: Dry: A Memoir by Augesten Burroughs
Opinion: This is from the author of Running with Scissors and continuation of his pilgrimage to NYC where he enters the world of advertising. So I THOUGHT the book would be about NYC and advertising. What's not to like? But the memoir was in fact a hard look at his journey to sobriety, so suffice it to say, it was NOT what I expected. But it was a great read, nonetheless.)

Saturday: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Opinion: This is the first David Sedaris book I read, and I have been told he an acquired taste... like uni, you either like it or you don't. So I decided to ease myself in with a short one. And as much as I like uni, I like Sedaris. I like his writing even more since I read an recent op-ed piece he wrote about undecided voters in the upcoming elections, it's scathing, but I digress.)

Monday: Sellevision by Augesten Burroughs
Opinion: It's a look behind the scenes at a QVC like world and it's hosts. Funny fiction, though not as good as his personal stories. I thought it'd be about TV, so what was there to lose? Eh, made more a good plane read.

Tuesday: Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford by Julia Fox
Opinion: Long book. Probably should have tried to finish it in two days and gotten more sleep that night instead. However, I love the whole Henry VIII time period, and I am about to go to Londong so I was looking for a book to give me a good "english"-fix.

Wednesday: Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
Opinion: After Jane Boleyn I was looking for a lighter read. I thought the book was about a Bridget-Jones clone's trip from America to England but most of the book ended up taking place in France. The author is the one who wrote the Princess Diaries series, which to be honest were much better... as are some of her other books. And Yeah, I'll say it, I've read the Princess Diaries series. :P

Currently...bus ride: Naked by David Sedaris and bedtime reading another Sophie Kinsella book that I can't even remember the name of. After that, a great thick book about Michaelangelo. Can't wait.

p.s.: I really do need to remember to breathe if I am going to continue to read at this rate. :)

Somewhere Between Family and Friends

As 4Q heats up and in this time of impending recession, work has consumed a lot of time. However, I was fortunate enough to take some time last week and attend my cousin's happy nuptials.

I can't quite find the perfect book synopsis to describe the couple's story, (it's a bit Disney princess, a bit Bridget Jones, a bit Romeo and Juliet) because it really was both a romance of a lifetime and a whirlwind courtship--but in the end, perhaps the most touching to me, is the idea of marrying your best friend.
I was glad to be invited and contribute in a small way and look in as both a family member and a friend. It made for an interesting juxtaposition. The ceremony was lovely, complete with beautiful couple and comic relief (ringbearer and a too long aisle and the bouquet toss that almost ended in a concussion), seeing friends and classmates I hadn't seen in up to 11 years and perhaps renewing some friendships that have languished. It was also to be lovely around family and have a happy, happy reason to celebrate. The mother of the bride and matron of honor's toasts were especially lovely.

The couple is clearly very much in love and the words I most often heard associated were "perfect," "storybook," and "fairytale." And perhaps to some this really is a "tale as old as time," but to me it was two best friends declaring to their friends and families that they are in it for a lifetime. Maybe it took them awhile to get to that place where they were both in a position to recognize that since the chance meeting at the Public Library so many years ago, but they got there and now are beginning their life as a "we," together.

I realized that I also gained something more than just wonderful memories of a fun celebration, my family has grown too. Despite everything that has happened, FAMILY is still number 1 to me. And while my new mantra also includes "friends are the family YOU choose," in this case, I got both... I am now able to welcome a friend into my blood-related family as well.

Welcome to the family, Seoyoung!

P.S.: I'm glad I been able to see your forever friendship blossom along the way... from the Public Library, to Gov't Team, to Sadie's, to Prom to Ragtime and beyond.

It's Feels Like Fall...

This morning I was watching the weather report and there are supposed to be windgusts up to 40 mph. So I was a bit unnerved when I walked outside this morning, I was completely surprised by the crisp, Fall feeling in the air.

You know, the one where when you breathe in, a bit of cold follows... or it's like the air is so crisp your hair is going to behave perfectly... or that the natural electricity in the air makes you feel so alive and that it's the perfect day to wander around and not be in an office. I guess that might be what summer is for most people, but after 10 years of distinct seasons, I didn't know what I was missing until today. I know that I can't be alone in my feelings.

I feel a bit like I'm just looking at my life go by from the outside in... not really living in the moment. People are fine, there isn't a want of things to do, work is fine, everything is fine, but nothing is in color...it's not shades of grey, it's just sepia-toned.

I am so homesick for NYC today that it actually physically hurts.

I already know what today would be... if it were a workday, I'd leave my windows open (having taken my allergy medication), walked through Central Park, debated whether or not to take the subway, and instead have walked to work, been a bit late, and worked at my small desk so I could look out the window all day. Today's the first day that you'd need both a sweater and a scarf, but I would also time myself for each block as I walked home, so that I could create that "create your own wind" feeling when walking. I'd take the opportunity to look up at the sky and notice that it was getting darker sooner, and notice that other people were hurrying home head down, buried in their coats. I'd take the long way home, and cut through the park, so you could see the cyclists and runners, and I'd pause for a few minutes and just people watch, facing into the park, and hear the sounds of the city. With all that walking, it'd make me want to cook or at least make a huge fresh salad, 'cause who am I kidding, I can't cook to save my life. But I'd walk back from Whole Foods, weighed down by groceries, say hello to my doorman, grab my mail and head upstairs. Leave the blinds open and look down towards Lincoln Center and maybe pour myself a glass of wine. I'd leave the windows open until the apartment became a wind tunnel and pull out my warm and soft PJs, actually make my bed by piling on the blankets, grab a book, no tv, and read until it was time for bed. The perfect Fall work day. The next day, shopping for sure, bright and early and it'd be the last outdoor brunch with friends until late Spring rolled around.

I can almost sense every taste, smell, sound, sight, and texture... and it's just out of reach. It's not loneliness that I suffer from here... it's just such an acute sense of nostalgia that I feel for the place I still call home. It's not a joking, "well you should go back to NYC..." It's like I'm standing at a window looking in and I can't ever have what's on the other side of that glass... ever.

Knotted Up

So my recent reason for being MIA is because I've found a new hobby... I am trying my hand (or hands, rather) at knitting. Now I think once upon a time, I knew how to knit. And many moons ago, when I was in NYC I went to a knitting class with my cousin Mike and we each knit a hat that neither of us could wear. (His was too small, mine was too big...it was all very Golidlocks and the Three Bears).
So I've knitted an insanely yellow scarf (for practice), I yellow and black block (to try out different knitting patterns), and for my first project a scarf and hat. The first "official" project is moving along well. So far, I've only had to obliterate the hat once and start over and while I've run out of yarn I was able to secure some more, so I am off and running. The problem is, I've decided that I am going to give my work away. This will encourage me to do really well, so that friends and family don't get that "look" of "Thanks, what am I going to do with this crap!" But as a result, I don't want to give the surprise element away and I can't post about it.
The cool thing about knitting is that it soothes the control freak in me, it gives me something to do as I sit and watch TV, it's an alternative to tele-phona-internetting, and if I'm lucky it's another skill. Plus I've found that knitters and Knitters are insane people... maybe in a good way.
I've gotten a chance to list goals and projects and something to spend money on since, my clothing now consists of browns, greys and greens...dull city. Shopping has lost its luster. People here listen to music and go outside and enjoy the outdoors... (shudder). So knitting allows me to stay indoors, while keeping busy and still not learning how to cook.
So, for the few who have been reading this, beware... you're all getting knitwear this holiday season, though at the rate I am going... you're going to luck out and get something store bought instead!

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

So the transition to San Francisco has not been easy. While all the elements are there, I’m still making plans, no real spur of the moment excursions. It’s been 5 months and I still feel like a bit of an east coast transplant, a foreigner in a foreign land. But I sort of anticipated that and before I even arrived, I had set myself some markers and things to look forward to in order to get me over the proverbial “hump.”

One of those markers was the largest West Coast book fair. Ever since I was a kid, the annual library book sale was one of my favorite activities. It always ended with my mom finding me sitting under a table surrounded by towers of book and looking the happiest. While in NYC, I took advantage of the nearby Barnes & Noble on rainy days, the public library system and all the used book stores.

While the book fair started on a Wednesday, I wasn’t able to go until Saturday. It was amazing—a giant warehouse full of the written word. Just hundreds of rows of books, thousands and thousands of copies and even shopping carts! I brought my wheelie and packed it full on Saturday. I was in heaven and bliss. But I wasn’t through yet, on Sunday, I met up with Anne in the afternoon and spent another 4 hours at the book fair. We went through all the foreign language books, and I got a bunch of hardcovers. Best part? All books on Sunday, were only $1. Eee!

So now I have book lined up on my staircase, since I have yet to clear out my bookcase, but everyday that I walk in, I smile at my little stacks of books—all those pages waiting to be turned, all those stories waiting to be read. I can’t wait for the one next year.

Always a Bridesmaid…

Three weekends ago, was my dear friend Liz’s nuptials. I’ll admit that I’ve watched “Bridezilla,” “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?” and “Say Yes to the Dress.” So when Liz asked me to be a part of the wedding party I said yes without hesitation, but growing trepidation.

I should have known better. Lizbet had only one die-hard rule that she refused to budge on. “Don’t come naked!” But instead of pasties, I got to wear a lovely purple dress that was extremely comfortable—best bridesmaid dress ever.

Day of, there was a Marine layer in the morning but it rolled out by the afternoon. And the ceremony took place in the shade with a lovely breeze.

Good food, great drinks, cool people. I even got to catch up with friends fro mall over people I hadn’t seen in years and awesome new ‘maids to share a laugh with. I think the pictures say it all.

p.s.: Sex kitten lashes and sexy librarians are two of my new favorite phrases.

Whew, Just an Outlier

Ok, I know I've been remiss in posting. Believe me I have little pieces of paper everywhere with scribbles. Will really have to learn how to post mobile-ly. Hopefully this weekend will give me some time to catch up.

But as the subject line dictates (and I wanted to keep it a bit statistic's termonolgy related)... watched Big Bang Theory again this week, and while it was funny, it wasn't falling on the floor and especially with HIMYM being a good episode has convinced me it was just an outlier BBT episode that I happened to catch. Whew.