Snow Day?

With a forecast of snow (seriously), I took my chances and headed out to the Outer Richmond for a museum day and was pleasantly surprised by the blue skies and fun times.

First, I found these steps at the end of California Street near 32nd Avenue, on my way to the Legion of Honor Museum in Lincoln Park. Check out that beautiful tile bench at the top of  the stairs.

Next, I enjoyed the Pulp Fashion exhibit at the Legion of Honor, with amazingly detailed, historically inspired dresses made out of nothing more than paper. Isabelle de Borchgrave is a contemporary artist that uses paintings from the 15th - 19th centuries to design her masterpieces out of paper. The lace is made from lens paper but, is paper nonetheless. I was hugely impressed by the Medici room with its gowns and children dresses inspired by paintings of the Medici family from the Uffizi.

Lastly, the Balboa Theatre was in walking distance and I've been wanting to see what everyone has been raving about and was delighted by the scenery and constuming, as well as the acting of The King's Speech. Every recent Colin Firth movie I've seen has made me respect his acting more than the last and Geoffrey Rush is as good as everyone has said.

Outer Richmond is a great place to hang out on a sunny (albeit very chilly) afternoon!

Moving!

In a month and a day, I get to move into a wonderful new abode (look how cute it is!) in a fabulous neighborhood and here are all the things I'm most excited about:
1) Public transportation will pick me up and drop me off a 5 minute, super-flat walk from my doorstep
2) Those high ceilings and mostly neighborless walls will provide sweet serenity, especially in my bedroom
3) It's going to be so fun to decorate and buy furniture for that unique and history-soaked space
4) If I want to, I can host guests for dinner or overnight
5) And, the East-facing morning light, brand new double-paned windows, the fresh paint, and the excellent upkeep will help the apartment stay dry and resistant to mold and mildew

Oh, I can NOT wait!

Pomplamoose Rocks!

A year or so ago, I heard about this great musician duo that does covers of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Edith Piaf AND writes their own songs, too. I loved them at first listen and then I saw them while in LA for New Years' Eve, on a Hyundai commercial. And now, they are featured in this week's SF Weekly! Who knew that Pomplamoose, the cutest couple on the planet, was from the Bay Area?

They are self-made musicians that make music out of their Marin shed and post their videos and a weekly show on YouTube. Love them...

Food Shopping

This may not be news but, something that has made food shopping way more enjoyable for me. Of course, some people don't mind the mobs of people that they have to wade through just to get some almond butter at Trader Joe's but, I am not one of those people. Even listening to Mozart on my iPod can not help control my anxiety when I can't get through the nut aisle. But, grocery shopping on weekend mornings the hour after stores open or Friday or Saturday nights, when party-goers are reveling is a whole other story!

My most frequently visited stores are Trader Joe's at Masonic and Geary or on 9th and Bryant as well as Whole Foods on 24th Street in Noe Valley. While the Whole Foods on 24th Street is often pleasant enough no matter when you go, going at night is always much more serene. And, Trader Joe's at either location is downright relaxing on a Sunday morning. Added perks at the Trader Joe's on 9th and Bryant is Peet's Coffee just a few doors down and the ability to hop into Bed Bath and Beyond after they open at 9:00am for dishwashing soap and new towels.

Break in the Clouds

After a week or more of gray skies and cold, rainy days the sun came up today. It reminded me why I haven't moved away from this place yet. Last summer there were more cold, gray days than sunny, especially in the prime summer months. The majority of that time I felt a little like "Speed" Levitch, a New York City native and tour guide who declares in the film entitled "The Cruise" that his relationship with New York is not always good. In fact, he sometimes hates New York. Last summer, I hated San Francisco. We were not on speaking terms.

Today, as I walked up Ashbury, the 45 degree morning chilling my hands while the sun hit my forehead, I was reminded why I stay. There are always those periods of time when I'm giving San Francisco the silent treatment and vice versa. But, the extremes always lure me back in. Just two weekends ago it was 75 degrees. This week it was so cold the snap took snow to the Sierras. And, the past week's torrential rain storm with some hail thrown in was just wild enough to make today absolutely amazing!

Must See TV

Watched Fairly Legal and it made it into my subscriptions on Hulu! It takes place in San Francisco, although like every other show on TV it's actually filmed in Vancouver. But, I don't care. I love that Kate lives on a boat in the Bay, that her former/current love interest works at City Hall, and that each episode contains these montages of gorgeous San Francisco footage between scenes. And, I've liked Sarah Shahi since she starred in the L Word way back when.

Commonwealth Club and Colibri

Tonight, Dr. Dambisa Moyo, an economist and author, came to speak about her latest book, "How the West was Lost," at the Commonwealth Club. It was fascinating to hear her highlight some of the reasons the West is losing ground to countries like China, especially. One of her biggest calls to action was to educate the West. And, she didn't mean throw dollars at the problem but, instead provide quality education by hiring the right teachers for the jobs.

After this titillating talk, I walked through Union Square which was dry for the evening, after a rainy day, and met a good friend who is heading off into the wild of Nicaragua in about a week. We ate at Colibri, a restaurant that another friend has recommended many times. The food was great and the atmosphere intimate, a unique offering across the street from the theatres on Geary. I had carnitas and these amazing mushrooms with a light brown sauce. My friend had one of the Oaxacan mole specials that Colibri is known for.

75 Degrees in February

This past weekend we enjoyed 75 degree days, here in San Francisco... And, look what the cherry blossoms had to say about it, today.

USF Views

Those Jesuits knew what they were doing. Look at that view from atop Lone Mountain, outside the quick mart. Makes me want to go back and get another degree...