When I turn 30 I'm gonna B

HERE.

Tofino, Vancouver Island. We leave tomorrow.

three cheers and two somersaults for weekends...

...and vacations. Ours starts tomorrow!

Summer is here.

Even though it's a little less than a month 'till Solstice, I can feel it here, now. I know this summer is going to be a whirlwind, though, so I'm trying to take it all in during little snippets of time.

Tonight we ate dinner outside on our balcony with our friend Heather: a delicious roast chicken (thank you my love!) with giant hunks of bread with which to sop up the gravy. Our neighbor across the way came out of his apartment, saw us crammed in that tiny space with our glasses of wine, and I think I saw him smile. Yes, maybe he was laughing at us but I wouldn't mind if he was.

It's (finally) summer.

This boy

This adorable boy peering out of the box is my future husband. Who, two weeks before my birthday would throw me a surprise party ("I knew you wouldn't suspect anything if it was two weeks before.").

I love him. Steve put his entire heart into that party. It was honest and sweet and hell-bent to put a smile on my face. The theme was why grow up? --but if I get to grow up & old with this man I will have been blessed.

Happy long weekend

Going to be gone for a few days--hopefully getting lost at swimming holes with inner tubes in hand. being with Marmousch (!). learning to sew. knitting some. doing our version of karaoke while driving. drinking port. staying up late. sleeping in. and Marmousch.

Cake for my love

Just last night I was asking the sexy man who I get to live with what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday this year. Mind you his birthday is not until August but cake in our household is a force to be reckoned with. It's the little things in life, remember?

Anyhow. Steve's response? A peanut butter cake. I should have known.

So how providential was it when I came across this post on Cup of Jo? Now I have two delicious choices.








On our first wedding anniversary (+ anniversary cake!), November 2005

Palace of Fine Arts

also known as a beautiful place for a picnic.

We're getting better at this thing they call picnicking. A couple years ago we'd be like, "Damnit, we forgot forks!" or "Oh no, what are we going to drink?" "No blanket! I thought you were going to pack the blanket!"

But recently we managed to get out the door with a blanket, cold drinks, and utensils...as well as curried egg salad, mortadella & swiss sandwiches, and lemon cake. Yes, we are getting better at this thing called picnicking. Add an apple blossom tree to sit under, duckling siblings with their mama, and a seagull warning his buddies that he had dibs on our food--damn near close to perfect.

Reflections (unravelling)

B2B 2009

Bay to Breakers was one of the most fun parties I have ever been to.


To being an us for once, instead of a them.
(from Rent)

Bay to Breakers

When we were living in San Francisco, I woke up bright and early one Sunday morning in May to go to work. Sitting at the bus stop in my scrubs, I saw Elvis. And solid gold dancers. Then Superman walked by. I saw the Michelin man, too. All before I even boarded the bus.

The 22 line was packed that day, unusual for a Sunday, not to mention the fact that it was around 7:00 am. Everyone was in costume. Everyone was in bright colors, texting friends, laughing on the phone about where to meet. For on this particularly Sunday, it was Bay to Breakers. I knew what was going on but had no idea it was going to be anything of this magnitude.

I got off the bus at my usual stop closest to work--Sutter & Larkin. As I was heading up the incline towards Pine street and now passing just huge clusters of costumed revellers all going in the opposite direction, I crossed paths with this tiny, old man walking with a cane. He was stooped but as I got closer he straightened up a bit, sized me up in my plain scrubs, and said sorrowfully,

"Aren't you going?"

It was priceless.
I was officially pitiful.

Hey Mr., wherever you are out there--I'm going this year!

KFOG Kaboom

Image via City Kayak

Last Saturday night we headed into the city to watch the incredible fireworks sponsored by KFOG, a local radio station. The fireworks were launching from a barge in the middle of the San Francisco bay, and we felt as though we had won the lottery with our front-row seats from a kayak. Our group from City Kayak shared the bay with lots of other fun-loving vessels: sailboats, yachts, motorboats, speedboats, rowboats...BOATS. The feel was that of a giant party on the water, and we were invited.

When the fireworks started it was like watching a 3D movie set to music (the Star Wars theme, the Beatles' Revolution--those are the ones that stick in mine and Steve's head). The water was reverberating with every explosion. We were so close that at one point the Coast Guard megaphoned our little yak cluster to get the heck back, in so many words. Good times.

It was unforgettable and I'm so happy we got to experience it together. I know I say this all the time, but it is really great to live here.

City Kayak's photostream is here.

feet. (mostly) my feet.

This was hard at first but once I started found it fun. I am unravelling one toe at a time.













my been-through-it-all hiking boots. I am never, ever letting go of these. they represent a turning point in my life--of getting out and doing stuff in every spare moment, not just sitting around wanting to.








one last shot of tweed. I can't help myself sometimes.












in the parallel bars at work. we bring patients here to start taking steps for the first time after a health setback. I would have loved to get a shot of my feet during an actual transfer, but things understandably get a little busy in those moments.







I am actually cheating here as this was taken 2 years ago at the four corners (where UT, AZ, NM, and CO meet). but it's a snapshot in time of our roadtripping ways. 20 years from now: honey, remember when we jumped in the car and explored Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, and got to the 4 corners 5 minutes before it closed? And then the police pulled us over for speeding and...





I know, monkey toes.
where we are lucky to live

beautiful weekend

in which I/we--

missed my marm
ate hot dogs, then marched across the street for thin-crust pizza
played congratulatory phone tag with my dear friend Laura, who on Friday gave birth to a baby girl
briefly entertained a name change for b. Hoodes
made fun of The Most Annoying Dining Patron Ever
was gifted a beautiful cluster of blushing peonies, my favorite flower, from my boys
took lots and lots of pictures of feet
together made a spring-y Sunday supper of strawberry, almond & spinach salad with strawberry-rhubarb sorbet (I just wrote the letter s 8 times...)
watched huge, shaggy San Francisco dog residents playing on Marina Green
finally discovered a sauvignon blanc that we like at a Merry Edwards tasting
started a new knitting project
drank a tad too much with old and new friends
watched northern California's biggest fireworks show...from a kayak
got reprimanded by the Coast Guard
shared a rhubarb napoleon at the Farmhouse Inn and we both simultaneously swooned
belly laughed at SNL (motherlover!)
took in the view from the Marin Headlands for at least the 15th time since living here
floated in McCovey Cove, just like boaters who try to catch homerun balls do
ate ham & swiss cheese bagel sandwiches for brekkie
ate bacon & egg english muffin sandwiches for a late dinner
attempted getting a pedicure but grew impatient at the long line, then left
took a wonderful spinning class outside, and one of the songs was Billy Jean which rocks my world
completed a wonderful writing exercise that ended up being very meaningful
stalked the flickr pool
drank a dessert wine that we had been holding onto since Christmas, worth the wait
watched the season finale of The Amazing Race--I sobbed at the end

Happy Mother's Day Marmousch

I can't believe I'm one of the lucky ones who gets to be your daughter and friend.

Four seasons of a vineyard

We are so lucky to have been able to witness all of this in the past year. My favorite was fall and Steve's was early spring, when the mustard was blooming (as in the 2nd shot), but really--they're all beautiful in their way.

My new favorite phrase: Huzzah!

So tweed ride was pretty much brilliant as far as left-of-center SF events go.

The route: Union Square to Market Street to the Embarcadero to an Aquatic Park pier to a bar in North Beach, then through Chinatown on our own to get back to Union Square.

I will let a few pictures do most of the talking and hand out a few superlatives.

Scariest moment: the first 30 seconds of the ride when we turned onto Powell Street and I nearly ate concrete as my front tire got stuck on the cable car track. Incidentally, this was exactly 30 seconds after the tweed leader announced on his megaphone to steer clear of the cable car tracks.

Most magical moment: As day turned into night, ending up on a pier sandwiched between Aquatic Park and Alcatraz, listening (with a singalong) to the band Corpus Callosum play their tambourines, drums, xylophone, and ukulele.

Worst drink of the night: A little hot chocolate with a lot of brandy is gross, y'all.

What I was most grateful for (or, Why my husband is smarter than me): 1) Steve talked me out of wearing my cute open-toed wedges and into wearing my much warmer ankle boots with tights. Because San Francisco is perpetually cold, 'specially if you're on a bike. and 2) Steve would not let me raise my hand to volunteer us in holding up signs at the intersection as our tweed mob crossed during a red light. Because, as he said, "We don't know what we're doing." Turns out he was right--see "scariest moment" up above.

Sexiest in tweed: as if that was ever in question. Husband made that beret look good.






The girl in the picture above made her own outfit--is that not incredible? I mean, get thyself all over a Project Runway application as soon as possible, woman.

I even got my .25 seconds of fame over at The Snitch. Oh, and here too (little bike sunshine!) Cools. Love this city.