From Christmas Wishes to New Year Visions.

The week after Christmas is not as stressful as the preceding month, but it has its own challenges. Not only am I desperately trying to recover from the food, the booze, the shopping; I'm also trying to take time for introspection. What have I accomplished the last 365-ish days? Did I advance my career? Did I save enough/any money? Did I see all the movies I wanted to see? Is my condo any cleaner? Did I lose the weight I set out to?

And if not, how will I do it all differently in 2009?
During these times of inventory, I like to avoid it all entirely and take Sake to the beach. Watching the Little One bound around with such pure joy always makes me feel seismically better about the days ahead.

Summer Recap

It was the First Day of Autumn and I know I'm not alone when I say.....WHAT??!!!@#
Seriously, what the heck happened to summer? Every year, when June comes around, I get that 3rd grade feel of joy. WWWAAHOOOOO! SUMMERTIME!!!! But then I remember I don't have summer vacation. I have a 9-5 job.

With the nation's financial debacle on the horizon, taking one of those "Oh I summer'd in the Maldives" sort of vacation seemed frivolous. So I grabbed summer whenever I could. And now that Autumn is just around the corner, I can't help but reflect on all thats happened.

First Up. Skinny Dipping at the top of Horsetail Falls. Well, the skinny dipping came after my panic attack on the way up.

And you just can't talk about summer without mentioning the Olympics. Sake loved watching the ceremonies! She did I tell you! She did!

Then, what would a Northern Californian summer be without a little Overcasty Goodness at the Beach?
I also got to revisit the 80's, if only for 1 night...
Mid-August the planets lined up and the 2nd generation of Ips/Yips/Yehs reunited from east/west. Could I FIT more people in my place?
Oh hey! PIDGEON!!!

The Dog Day of Summer game at AT&T Park was definitely a highlight. Check out Sake on the Jumbotron!


I had a brush with Slo Food Nation.
D took me out for my first time surfing!(I forgot to tell D I'm not that strong in the water. But thats a story for another post. And this pic is merely a dramatic re-enactment..)

I developed a new obsession: Spring Awakening. But then again, sitting on stage watching these adorable kids sing and dance can do that to you!

Finally? The Brisbane Family Singers!! Ok. The Brisbane Fireplugs.

WOW! I had a great summer! How about you?

Four Barrels, One Dog

After months of seeming hibernation, I got the chance recently to step out and explore my neighborhood again. And My Beloved City did not disappoint.

Down a quiet little alley in the Mission there was rumored to be an amazing cup of joe to be had. So the intrepid Sake and I ventured forth to find the mythical Four Barrel Coffee.

Background: The cofounders of Ritual Coffee Roasters are trying a new concept with Four Barrel. Its more coffee bar than café, with some seating, but it will mainly be a space to showcase their coffee to wholesale clients. So no syrups, no nonfat milk, no chai. (They WILL have soymilk, however. *whew*) There will be two La Marzocco Mistral machines and they will be sourcing single origin coffees(bye bye brokers), and doing their own espresso blend. Such dedication!

Could it be? Are we at the right place?

Maybe that guy can tell us something...
And lo,
here we are! Two guys, a dog, and a soy latte!
Seems until their front coffee bar is completed, the Four Barrel guys are serving steaming cups of coffee love out the back door.
I love My City....

You Dirty Rats

Sake thinks every year should be the Year of the Dog, but she still wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!

And with her New Year's finery on, she'll even bow down and wish you Gung Hei Fat Choy!

Holiday Rundown

The Holidays have been kicking my hiney. I don't recall being this frazzled in ages. Even Sake is pooped!

The usual holiday work functions, and an office birthday trifecta have left little time for actual work to be done. And strangely, we are actually busy! I tried to adopt an active slacker work ethic this past year after my crappy buck-up-or-get-demoted review and lo! it worked! ... Effective January 7th, I will be moving on to new brand responsibilites at work.. New brands, more volume, more visibility, and more travel( most likely NYC, Hawaii, and Hong Kong).... I say score one for the slackers!

My dinner party was a success. I got The Band back together for a meal of homemade meatballs and marinara sauce. I must admit, it was yummydelicious. I was too busy being hostess to take pictures but it warmed my heart to see 16 of my closest friends pack themselves into my home for a holiday get-together. The Captain approved....

Since then, I have been focusing on organizing my boss' birthday party, finishing my holiday shopping(done!), writing Christmas cards, organizing Christmas Eve dinner, wrapping presents, and still putting in time with family, friends, Honey, and Sake (not necessarily in that order!). Shamefully, I still haven't finished cleaning up from Saturday! Ok, the salad greens, dressing, and croutons are from tonight.

Right now I'm just trying to crank out the giftwrapping in between loads of laundry. I AM very excited that my holiday shopping is finished though! I got some great gifts this year, I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they open them up! Do you spy the Borg Cube ornament there in the tree? My holiday pride & joy...

And now I find Project Runway is a rerun tonight. -DOH! I need something to watch on the telly when I'm giftwrapping. I guess its time to pop in that holiday favorite: The Lord of the Ring trilogy. Ahhh how I love holiday geekery....

Labor Day

Does anyone find it ironic that we celebrate Labor day by being as leisurely as possible?
.. I managed to fit a lot in.. and actually spent a good portion of it on my own. I took an invigorating run/walk with LCee this morning but other than that, opted to spend time alone with Sake, in my City.

First stop: Blue Bottle! Sake and I braved the line for a steaming latte. aaaahh. So soothing.
Then came a stroll through the Castro and lunch alone with the Bible. No, not that Bible, this Bible:

Clocking in at 840 pages, this sucker added 4.4lbs to my tote bag today. And I will go on record to say that this will be the only time Sienna "F&cking" Millr makes me her bitch.

Back to my Labor Day, I came home and actually labored in my yard, planted some Quartz Scarlet Verbena in my bottom terrace and did general clearing, trimming, and cleaning. One thing is always a guarantee whilst working on the yard, people always stop to chat. Today I met a gaggle of french tourists who not only delighted in my pretty flowers, but also took pictures of Sasa posing on the stairs. (See sidebar for an idea of her picture perfectness.)

After the outside, it was time to work on the inside. There was dusting to be done, along with two loads of laundry. What had come over me?? I guess thats what happens when I am left to my own devices. I realized at one point that it had been some time since I spent the day alone, nowhere to go, no one to see. Just Sake and I alone with my thoughts. I thought I would be lonely, but it was strangely enjoyable! And the day isn't even over yet!

Memory Lane is Full

My little Mac'y has been gaining weight. In fact, it just can't take on any more.... Her Startup Disk is almost full! .. I can't believe it. I've never done this before. I've managed to fill up an entire computer! Wow...........

So until I get started on burning backup discs and begging the Apple store for help, I've been deleting away. When am I ever likely to use the Italian HelpMe files for Garageband? (Actually, can someone answer this? I've been deleting and freed up 1gb. But then, the more I delete, the less memory I have! HUH??) I'm even combing through my pictures and deleting anything that's basically just crap. Inevitably this whole exercise has turned into a walk down memory lane.

I got to a batch of pics from RJ's first Easter Egg hunt. I hav a quite a few shots from that morning so I figured I'd be able to find 1 or 2 to delete . But he's adorable in each one. I almost decide on this gem (doubleclick on pic to see larger version); but lookey lookey there to the right. Check out little Sasa leaving a little Easter treat on the lawn there! ... Can't delete that! That's classic!

So I guess its back to Memory Lane.......

“Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms”

It has been a strangely dog/animal focused week for me; and not in a good way I think. My days and mornings have been spotted with tears and anger. First and foremost:
MICHAEL VICK. WHAT THE FARK IS WRONG WITH YOU???
Hanging? Electrocution? How can anyone do that to a living animal? Clearly, you don't see these dogs as animals. Just fighting machines to be used for your enjoyment. I say enjoyment as I would as a NFL Quarterback with Nike endorsements, you wouldn't need this as a side income venture!!!
It is mortifying to hear that dog fighting is growing in popularity... Training these creatures for aggression and bloodthirst. I am glad to hear Nike is holding off on his merchandise. I hope the book is thrown at him.

And then we have 2 teenage girls in Santa Rosa who set a 8-week-old kitten on fire?? Watch out North Bay, those are 2 potential serial murderers in your midst. A defenseless creature in a cage that you feel would be fun to terrorize. And look, little Adam is fighting to live. His tail and the tips of his ears have been amputated, and his entire back is nothing but raw tissue, the skin having been burned completely off. And yet, look at that face! Eye of the Tiger BABY!!!

Then I hear about one of Oprah's golden retrievers accidental death. Goodness gracious!

And to top it all off, I've been reading about Barbaro the winner of the Kentucky Derby. ... .. By the time I got to the end of his story, I was in absolute tears this morning. And this time it wasn't just my eyes getting misty. My cheeks were wet, nose running. And although I am definitely not a horse hater, I can't say that I've harbored any sort of particular fondness for them either. But what magnificent creatures horses are! I must meet one now....

As this week nears its end, I can't wait to spend time with little Sake to Me. Indeed, she is often the best medicine for what ails me.




And if you see Michael Vick, kick him really hard for me. Just as I'm sure he's done to so many dogs already.

Happy-Go-Lucky

I'm not by nature a happy-go-lucky person. (I don't think I am anyway... and for the sake of today's post I ask you to go with me on this one.) Which is why I find those little Simple Pleasure moments few and far between. Sure, they probably happen a lot more often than I give them credit for.. but I'm usually oblivious to them.

But this past Saturday I caught a moment. It was fleeting but lovely nonetheless; a moment comprised of some of my favorite things: coffee, food, and Sake.

Little Sasa was in need of a new collar, so we scuttled down to our favorite pet store in Hayes Valley and tried on a variety of pink collars. She was being such a good girl and almost seemed to enjoy each of the collars she tried on. But I digress. After we decided upon a pink and silver number, we walked down to Blue Bottle Coffee for a shot of caffeine. Delish. I was also eyeing the luscous chocolate macaroons but decided against it. But as I was fishing around for my $3... one of the gals placed a whole platter of the macaroons in front of me with a little handwritten sign... "FREE". My goodness! By the Will of the Gods, I thought,I am meant to have a macaroon! .... So I picked up a piece of chocolate heaven and sauntered on, Sake by my side, latte in one hand, macaroon in the other. Sake looked super cute and ladylike in her new collar, I could hear the *click click* of her steps, happy and proud to be out and about. The latte in hand was hot and soothing, bold with flavor. The macaroon was rich in taste and gooey in just the right texture( and free!).

Indeed, at that moment my friends, I most definitely felt bliss, happy to be alive, no care in the world.... And on a day like today... when I feel most decidedly NOT happy-go-lucky.. boy do I need to hold on to that moment!