One of my clients is opening a new restaurant in San Francisco with one of his sons. It's called The Woodhouse Fish Company, and it's on the corner of Market & 14th (right off of Church Street).
They plan on opening their doors to the public tomorrow, but had an "open house" of sorts tonight for family and friends.
Dick had to work late tonight (or play basketball...) so Christopher and I went by ourselves.
We had a really nice meal - clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, an open-faced crab sandwhich (me) and fish & chips (bro). We were really impressed with the food, but we couldn't finish it because the servings were so large! (but yummy!)
I'm excited to have a new great restaurant in the neighborhood! It's a bit further out than the rest of our "regular" eateries, but it's still close enough to walk to. I'm looking forward to returning often!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Gmaps Pedometer
Have you ever gone on a really long walk, and wonder how far you’ve gone, but you’ve left your pedometer at home?
I do this all the time.
After yesterday’s big urban hike, Dick and I tried to calculate how many miles we’d walked. It was all kind of a guess though, and not accurate at all.
Enter: Gmaps Pedometer.
This is seriously cool.
We were able to map out our entire walk from yesterday, and it recorded the distance for us!
SO Cool!
It turns out, we walked a grand total of (about) 6.1 miles. The map shows the point at which we hit each mile.
With all of the random walking we do around the city, this could come in pretty handy!
Monday, May 29, 2006
Out and About...
As I've mentioned before, Dick and I enjoy taking long urban hikes around our beautiful city whenever we can. The weather was just beautiful today, so we put on our walking shoes, and headed out at 11:00am. We didn't have a particular route in mind - we just kind of made it up as we went along.
The first part of our walk brought us from our neighborhood in the Castro, down Market Street, and up Noe. We walked through Duboce Park, then made our way through to the gorgeous Alamo Square. The views from Alamo Square were so beautiful - what a nice clear day.
We continued up Pierce Street for a while, then decided that it would be fun to check out Japantown. For some unknown reason, neither of us have been through the malls at Japantown during the daytime - we've only been for dinner or a movie when all of the stores were closed. We had a great time dropping into the Japanese Grocery Store, and checking out the fun stores and restaurants in the malls. It was especially neat since we had just been to Tokyo - we felt like we were back in Japan! We had a nice lunch at a sushi restaurant - Yum!
After lunch, we started to walk up Fillmore Street. Somewhere around Fillmore and California, we looked across the intersection and saw our friends Andrew & Barry! This was a pretty odd coincidence, seeing as we were all pretty far from our neighborhoods. What makes it even more of a coincidence is that we had just had them over for dinner last night! Somehow, we've managed to run into Andrew & Barry several times across the city over the past couple of years. The times that I remember are: Golden Gate Park, Duboce Park, The Folsom Street Fair, and of course, in the Castro. It was pretty fun bumping into them once again!
After we parted ways with Andrew & Barry, we continued our way up Fillmore, and into Pacific Heights. We decided to take a nice stroll through the Pac Height neighborhood, and enjoyed the amazing views of the Bay. We eventually made our way down to Union Street, and walked the length past Van Ness Ave, and onto Polk.
Now we were in my old neighborhood (I lived here for 3 years about 10 years ago). We don't come down to this part of town very often, so it was fun to see how many things were still there, and how many things had changed. We stayed on Polk Street until we started getting into the seedy area of The Tenderloin, and decided to walk down Van Ness instead. We were getting pretty tired by this point (around 3:30) and thought it was time to give our walking legs a break. Lucky for us, we were right by the AMC 1000. We popped in, and found that they had a showing of X-Men 3 starting at 3:45. Perfect! We bought our tickets, bought some popcorn, and found two great seats just as the previews started. We enjoyed most of the movie, although I have to say, we both thought the last quarter or so was pretty questionable. I'm really glad we saw it, though.
After we finished the movie, we realized we weren't very far from the Van Ness MUNI station, so we continued to walk down Van Ness until we came to Market. At this point, we took the underground MUNI to the Castro Street station and walked home from there. We got back home at 6:30.
What a great day! It was a perfect day for a walk - it was sunny and clear, with just a bit of a breeze. After we came home and looked at the route we had walked, we figured out that this may have been the longest urban hike that we've ever taken. We just mapped it out, and figured we walked at least 5 miles today. Yay!
I'm pretty sure that we'll both sleep well tonight :)
update
Okay, this is funny....
As we were walking around today, I asked Dick if he remembered what we did on Memorial Day last year. He couldn't remember either, so I figured I'd just look it up on my blog when we got home.
After I just finished publishing this post, I checked my archives to see what we did last year.
Here's the post from Memorial Day, 2005.
Apparently, we take really long Urban Hikes on Memorial Day!
It's what we do.
It's our thing. :)!
Mom's new MINI!
My MINI has a new little sister!
Introducting Picabo! (or "Boo" for short)
My Mom placed her order in early February. After almost 4 months of waiting in anticipation, my Mom took delivery of her 2006 Purple Haze/Silver MINI Cooper yesterday!
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the dealership with her and my Dad yesterday, so I haven't seen her new car in person yet. I'll be seeing her later in the week. Until then, I'll have to be satisified by some great photos that my Mom sent.
Look how cute my Mom is with her new car!
Congrats, Mom!
Let's Motor :)
Friday, May 26, 2006
Productive Morning
I had a whole lot of stuff that I wanted to get done this morning....
I woke up early, took a shower, ate breakfast, drove Dick to the train station, then went to Safeway.
Dick and I are having some friends over for dinner this weekend, and Dick is making his famous Jamaican Jerk Chicken! I needed to get all of the key ingredients today so that he could make it tomorrow morning to marinate a full day. The key ingredient: habanero chilis. These have been notoriously hard (but not impossible) to find in the past. I figured I'd go to the Monster Safeway in Potrero Hill first, since they have such a good produce section. They did not have them in, but I was able to talk with the Produce Manager. He said he hasn't been able to find them to stock, and even called the produce manager at the Church/Market Safeway to see if they had them there. No luck. I did manage to buy everything else we needed, and decided to buy some Serrano Chilis as backups. While I was at the store, I noticed that they had my favorite Kitty Litter on sale (2 for 1) and Bacon (2 for $7) so I loaded up, and headed home. Oh - while I as at Portrero Center, I also stopped at the automotive store to buy some new windshield wiper blades :) On my way home, I checked out The Bell (grocery store) on 24th Street. They didn't have any habeneros either.
I got home at 10:00, and unloaded the car. My last effort was to call Bi-Rite on 18th. They've been known to have the Habeneros before. SUCCESS! They had them in stock! So, I drove over there, managed to find a parking spot across the street (no small feat) and bought 3 pepper. (better get an extra)
I also really needed to get my car washed before the holiday weekend. My poor MINI has been neglected lately, and was in dire need of a bath. I splurged and took her to the touchless was on Divisedero. She looks all shiny and nice now!
I have to go out to get my hair cut now.
What a productive day it's been so far - and it's only 11:00!
I love it when that happens....
I woke up early, took a shower, ate breakfast, drove Dick to the train station, then went to Safeway.
Dick and I are having some friends over for dinner this weekend, and Dick is making his famous Jamaican Jerk Chicken! I needed to get all of the key ingredients today so that he could make it tomorrow morning to marinate a full day. The key ingredient: habanero chilis. These have been notoriously hard (but not impossible) to find in the past. I figured I'd go to the Monster Safeway in Potrero Hill first, since they have such a good produce section. They did not have them in, but I was able to talk with the Produce Manager. He said he hasn't been able to find them to stock, and even called the produce manager at the Church/Market Safeway to see if they had them there. No luck. I did manage to buy everything else we needed, and decided to buy some Serrano Chilis as backups. While I was at the store, I noticed that they had my favorite Kitty Litter on sale (2 for 1) and Bacon (2 for $7) so I loaded up, and headed home. Oh - while I as at Portrero Center, I also stopped at the automotive store to buy some new windshield wiper blades :) On my way home, I checked out The Bell (grocery store) on 24th Street. They didn't have any habeneros either.
I got home at 10:00, and unloaded the car. My last effort was to call Bi-Rite on 18th. They've been known to have the Habeneros before. SUCCESS! They had them in stock! So, I drove over there, managed to find a parking spot across the street (no small feat) and bought 3 pepper. (better get an extra)
I also really needed to get my car washed before the holiday weekend. My poor MINI has been neglected lately, and was in dire need of a bath. I splurged and took her to the touchless was on Divisedero. She looks all shiny and nice now!
I have to go out to get my hair cut now.
What a productive day it's been so far - and it's only 11:00!
I love it when that happens....
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
You know you live in the Castro when....
Today is Sidewalk Sale Day on Castro Street. All of the merchants have tables set up on the sidewalk with discounted merchandise.
I was walking home from getting our morning bagels this morning, when I passed a store called "Erotic Art". They sell gay porn and sex stuff.
They were setting up their stuff on the sidewalk, and just when I began to wonder what kind of stuff they would have out for a sidewalk sale, they held up a DVD and announced:
"We've got The DaVinci Load!"
oh my.
I was walking home from getting our morning bagels this morning, when I passed a store called "Erotic Art". They sell gay porn and sex stuff.
They were setting up their stuff on the sidewalk, and just when I began to wonder what kind of stuff they would have out for a sidewalk sale, they held up a DVD and announced:
"We've got The DaVinci Load!"
oh my.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Costco Coffins
Christopher and I went to Costco today, and as we were leaving the store, we noticed a kiosk of different coffin styles for sale.
Now, for some reason, I was already privy to the fact that Costco sells coffins online, but I wasn't aware that you could also order them through the store.
Why would you buy a coffin at Costco?
Does one wake up one day and say, "Let's see, I need toothpaste, Pine Sol, and oh yeah, a coffin".
Isn't a coffin one of those things that you can't necessarily plan on?
Or, do you think you should buy one, and store it in the basement until it's needed?
...and if you buy it from Costco, do you need to buy it in a set of 6?
Now, for some reason, I was already privy to the fact that Costco sells coffins online, but I wasn't aware that you could also order them through the store.
Why would you buy a coffin at Costco?
Does one wake up one day and say, "Let's see, I need toothpaste, Pine Sol, and oh yeah, a coffin".
Isn't a coffin one of those things that you can't necessarily plan on?
Or, do you think you should buy one, and store it in the basement until it's needed?
...and if you buy it from Costco, do you need to buy it in a set of 6?
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
When good workout intentions go bad...
or How I added Mass to my Ass.
Let me preface this by saying that I have issues.
I know I have issues.
We all have our own issues...
In case it hasn’t been made embarrassingly obvious throughout the course of this blog, I have an issue with weight gain. I’m not proud to admit this, and I acknowledge that I truly have little to be concerned about. I’m not overweight by any means, but I still find myself adjusting to the fact that our bodies do, indeed, change as we grow older.
I’m having a hard time letting go of my 25 year-old body.
This is ridiculous, of course, because I just turned 36, and all things considered, I’m quite happy with my general physique. I’m proud that I’m relatively in shape, and that I’m fairly strong for my size. Although I’m petite in height, I’m fairly muscular, which is cool, to a certain degree.
I have always teased my Dad that I have inherited The Chow Legs. My Mom and sister both have nice, lean, and long legs. What do I have? Chow Legs. Read: short, squatty and muscular. My biggest joke is that my calves are so muscular, I call them my cows. I’m beginning to realize that I’ve missed my calling in life – I should have strived to become a professional soccer player.
Where am I going with all of this?
Why do I feel the need to share this on my blog?
Last week, as I was packing for our trip to Yosemite, I realized that I needed to pack some shorts. I haven’t tried on any of my shorts since packing them away last summer. Best try them on before going on a trip, and realizing that they don’t fit, right? So, I try them on... one by one. I was completely mortified to learn that only 1 pair of denim short fit! They were all too tight around my ass.
Now, I probably would have been okay with this. Again, I’m prepared to know that our bodies change from year to year. However, this went against the fact that I’m been actively working out for the past several months. I’ve been hopping on our elliptical machine – working our 30+ minutes 4-5 times a week. I figured that I’d be safe from the summer scare! But no! The shorts are too tight!
By this time, I’m near tears. I’m mortified to think that I need to go out and buy a whole new summer wardrobe. Dick (bless him) is extraordinarily patient with me. He tells me that I’m beautiful, and that I have nothing to worry about.
Christopher then came in as the voice of reason. (this is why we all need a gay boyfriend) First, he asks me how long it’s been since I’d bought the shorts that no longer fit. Honestly, I can’t remember when I bought them. Probably 3-5 years ago. This is when Dick and Christopher both laugh at me, and tell me that normal people buy new clothes every couple of years.
Then came the “a-ha” moment. Christopher told me that since he has been actively working out on the elliptical machine, he has also noticed that his pants are no longer fitting him. The elliptical machine primarily works out the legs. Because of this, we have been adding up muscle on our butts and thighs. Adding muscle = bulk.
So, all along, I naively thought I was “trimming down” by working out, when in reality, I was bulking up. This all makes plenty of sense now, since I do know that my body has a tendency to bulk on muscle pretty easily, but I wasn’t thinking that it would actually add mass around areas that I didn’t want to gain any more.
So, now what do I do? Do I continue to work out? Do I find something else? I’m already doing pilates once a week – perhaps I should do more? It’s supposed to be good for lengthening muscles, rather than bulking them up.
This weekend, as we were hiking around Yosemite, I started to laugh at myself.
I thought, “Great. Just what I need. All this hiking... what a great way to add more mass to my ass.....”
But the good news is (and I know this is good) I found I was in pretty good shape. I’m certainly not a hiker by any means, but I felt very confident that I was in pretty good shape.
So, what’s the moral of this story?
Don’t work out – you’ll only be disappointed?
My workout backfired on me?
I’m Short and Squatty, and proud of it?
I should start a new career in the WWF?
I should dress up as an Ewok for Halloween this year?
Seriously, I know that this is not a big deal, and that I simply need to get over it and accept the changes that our bodies go through as we age.
We all have our issues, and clearly, this is one of mine.
I figured that if I put it out there for the world to see, that it would help me gain some perspective. (which seems to have worked – who needs therapy, when you can blog?)
..and now I need to go out and buy some new shorts.
Let me preface this by saying that I have issues.
I know I have issues.
We all have our own issues...
In case it hasn’t been made embarrassingly obvious throughout the course of this blog, I have an issue with weight gain. I’m not proud to admit this, and I acknowledge that I truly have little to be concerned about. I’m not overweight by any means, but I still find myself adjusting to the fact that our bodies do, indeed, change as we grow older.
I’m having a hard time letting go of my 25 year-old body.
This is ridiculous, of course, because I just turned 36, and all things considered, I’m quite happy with my general physique. I’m proud that I’m relatively in shape, and that I’m fairly strong for my size. Although I’m petite in height, I’m fairly muscular, which is cool, to a certain degree.
I have always teased my Dad that I have inherited The Chow Legs. My Mom and sister both have nice, lean, and long legs. What do I have? Chow Legs. Read: short, squatty and muscular. My biggest joke is that my calves are so muscular, I call them my cows. I’m beginning to realize that I’ve missed my calling in life – I should have strived to become a professional soccer player.
Where am I going with all of this?
Why do I feel the need to share this on my blog?
Last week, as I was packing for our trip to Yosemite, I realized that I needed to pack some shorts. I haven’t tried on any of my shorts since packing them away last summer. Best try them on before going on a trip, and realizing that they don’t fit, right? So, I try them on... one by one. I was completely mortified to learn that only 1 pair of denim short fit! They were all too tight around my ass.
Now, I probably would have been okay with this. Again, I’m prepared to know that our bodies change from year to year. However, this went against the fact that I’m been actively working out for the past several months. I’ve been hopping on our elliptical machine – working our 30+ minutes 4-5 times a week. I figured that I’d be safe from the summer scare! But no! The shorts are too tight!
By this time, I’m near tears. I’m mortified to think that I need to go out and buy a whole new summer wardrobe. Dick (bless him) is extraordinarily patient with me. He tells me that I’m beautiful, and that I have nothing to worry about.
Christopher then came in as the voice of reason. (this is why we all need a gay boyfriend) First, he asks me how long it’s been since I’d bought the shorts that no longer fit. Honestly, I can’t remember when I bought them. Probably 3-5 years ago. This is when Dick and Christopher both laugh at me, and tell me that normal people buy new clothes every couple of years.
Then came the “a-ha” moment. Christopher told me that since he has been actively working out on the elliptical machine, he has also noticed that his pants are no longer fitting him. The elliptical machine primarily works out the legs. Because of this, we have been adding up muscle on our butts and thighs. Adding muscle = bulk.
So, all along, I naively thought I was “trimming down” by working out, when in reality, I was bulking up. This all makes plenty of sense now, since I do know that my body has a tendency to bulk on muscle pretty easily, but I wasn’t thinking that it would actually add mass around areas that I didn’t want to gain any more.
So, now what do I do? Do I continue to work out? Do I find something else? I’m already doing pilates once a week – perhaps I should do more? It’s supposed to be good for lengthening muscles, rather than bulking them up.
This weekend, as we were hiking around Yosemite, I started to laugh at myself.
I thought, “Great. Just what I need. All this hiking... what a great way to add more mass to my ass.....”
But the good news is (and I know this is good) I found I was in pretty good shape. I’m certainly not a hiker by any means, but I felt very confident that I was in pretty good shape.
So, what’s the moral of this story?
Don’t work out – you’ll only be disappointed?
My workout backfired on me?
I’m Short and Squatty, and proud of it?
I should start a new career in the WWF?
I should dress up as an Ewok for Halloween this year?
Seriously, I know that this is not a big deal, and that I simply need to get over it and accept the changes that our bodies go through as we age.
We all have our issues, and clearly, this is one of mine.
I figured that if I put it out there for the world to see, that it would help me gain some perspective. (which seems to have worked – who needs therapy, when you can blog?)
..and now I need to go out and buy some new shorts.
Fun in Yosemite!
The weekend was a huge success!
We all had such a great time in Yosemite. The weather really worked out for us (mid-80s every day) and the water falls were in their full glory! The Ahwahnee Lodge was magnificent - we're totally spoiled now!
We had two full fun-filled days of hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. We hiked around the Giant Sequoias - the largest trees that I've ever seen! We also hiked up and around the most glorious water falls. It was the perfect weekend to experience Yosemite.
It was so nice to spend the weekend with the whole family - it's the first time that all of us have been on vacation together in more than 8 years. My Mom said it was the best Mother's Day present she could have imagined. It was so relaxing, and so much fun.
Mother's Day Brunch at the Ahwahnee Lodge
One of the highlights of the weekend was the 6 of us playing "Yahtzee" on our final night. During the last game, we may have broken all Yahtzee records: we had two players (Dick and Graham) each roll 2 Yahtzees, and my Dad and Sister each had one as well. It was such a high scoring game, and we all had a blast.
Thanks again to my wonderful Mom and Dad for arranging the whole trip. It was certainly a vacation that I'll always remember!
We all had such a great time in Yosemite. The weather really worked out for us (mid-80s every day) and the water falls were in their full glory! The Ahwahnee Lodge was magnificent - we're totally spoiled now!
We had two full fun-filled days of hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. We hiked around the Giant Sequoias - the largest trees that I've ever seen! We also hiked up and around the most glorious water falls. It was the perfect weekend to experience Yosemite.
It was so nice to spend the weekend with the whole family - it's the first time that all of us have been on vacation together in more than 8 years. My Mom said it was the best Mother's Day present she could have imagined. It was so relaxing, and so much fun.
Mother's Day Brunch at the Ahwahnee Lodge
One of the highlights of the weekend was the 6 of us playing "Yahtzee" on our final night. During the last game, we may have broken all Yahtzee records: we had two players (Dick and Graham) each roll 2 Yahtzees, and my Dad and Sister each had one as well. It was such a high scoring game, and we all had a blast.
Thanks again to my wonderful Mom and Dad for arranging the whole trip. It was certainly a vacation that I'll always remember!
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Happy Birthday, Kimi!
We interrupt this vacation for a very important message:
Happy Birthday Kimi!
Kimi and I were born a mere 15 days apart. That means that we are both Tauruses, born in the Year of the Dog. That means that we're both very loyal friends! :)
Kimi wrote a wonderful blog post on my birthday, complete with some great photos of us as we were growing up.
I'd love to do the same, but that will have to wait until we're back from vacation.
Happy Birthday, my dear friend. I hope you had a wonderful day and celebration.
...and while we're at it, have a Happy Mother's Day, too!
Happy Birthday Kimi!
Kimi and I were born a mere 15 days apart. That means that we are both Tauruses, born in the Year of the Dog. That means that we're both very loyal friends! :)
Kimi wrote a wonderful blog post on my birthday, complete with some great photos of us as we were growing up.
I'd love to do the same, but that will have to wait until we're back from vacation.
Happy Birthday, my dear friend. I hope you had a wonderful day and celebration.
...and while we're at it, have a Happy Mother's Day, too!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
The Third Time's the Charm
We're heading out for Yosemite for a long weekend with my family! We leave tomorrow morning (Friday) and return on Monday.
We're going with my parents, and my sister and her boyfriend. It's the first family vacation we've taken since the 4 of us (Mom, Dad, Sis and me) went to Vegas in January 1999. Needless to say, this is the first time we've taken a family vacation with significant others, too!
Dick and Graham (My Sis' S.O.) have never been to Yosemite before. My sister hasn't been since High School.
I've been twice, but I have to say, I'm looking forward to having some nice Yosemite memories from this weekend.
The first time I went to Yosemite was in 1988 on a day trip with my (then) (now gay) boyfriend? Did you get that? I fondly refer to him now as my "gay ex-boyfriend". Every girl should have one.
The second (and last) time I went to Yosemite was in Spring 1998 with my (then) boyfriend. He had friends visiting from NYC, and the 4 of us went to Yosemite for a few days together. We drove up in one car, and rented a couple of cabins. Sounds lovely, right? Well, it was all fine and good until he decided to break up with me while we were on vacation in Yosemite. It wasn't pretty. There was fruit thrown (by yours truly) and a bruised arm (caused by said thrown fruit) - all this on day two of the vacation. Without a way back home (because we all came in the same car) I was stuck in Yosemite with a man who had just broken up with me, and his two friends who were just trying have a nice vacation.
Awkward, much?
Needless to say, Yosemite and I have some patching up to do on our relationship.
I'm looking forward to a fun-filled weekend with my hubby and my family. It's shaping up to be a great time! My parents booked rooms for us at the Ahwahnee Lodge, which should be spectacular! We'll also be celebrating Mother's Day with brunch on Sunday. The weather should be gorgeous, and the waterfalls should all be turned on by now. :)
If all goes well, Yosemite and I will have nice, new, happy memories this time around.
Let's see if I can make it through the entire weekend without having to throw any fruit at anyone. ;)
We're going with my parents, and my sister and her boyfriend. It's the first family vacation we've taken since the 4 of us (Mom, Dad, Sis and me) went to Vegas in January 1999. Needless to say, this is the first time we've taken a family vacation with significant others, too!
Dick and Graham (My Sis' S.O.) have never been to Yosemite before. My sister hasn't been since High School.
I've been twice, but I have to say, I'm looking forward to having some nice Yosemite memories from this weekend.
The first time I went to Yosemite was in 1988 on a day trip with my (then) (now gay) boyfriend? Did you get that? I fondly refer to him now as my "gay ex-boyfriend". Every girl should have one.
The second (and last) time I went to Yosemite was in Spring 1998 with my (then) boyfriend. He had friends visiting from NYC, and the 4 of us went to Yosemite for a few days together. We drove up in one car, and rented a couple of cabins. Sounds lovely, right? Well, it was all fine and good until he decided to break up with me while we were on vacation in Yosemite. It wasn't pretty. There was fruit thrown (by yours truly) and a bruised arm (caused by said thrown fruit) - all this on day two of the vacation. Without a way back home (because we all came in the same car) I was stuck in Yosemite with a man who had just broken up with me, and his two friends who were just trying have a nice vacation.
Awkward, much?
Needless to say, Yosemite and I have some patching up to do on our relationship.
I'm looking forward to a fun-filled weekend with my hubby and my family. It's shaping up to be a great time! My parents booked rooms for us at the Ahwahnee Lodge, which should be spectacular! We'll also be celebrating Mother's Day with brunch on Sunday. The weather should be gorgeous, and the waterfalls should all be turned on by now. :)
If all goes well, Yosemite and I will have nice, new, happy memories this time around.
Let's see if I can make it through the entire weekend without having to throw any fruit at anyone. ;)
3 degrees of separation from.... Phil Keoghan
True confession: I am a fan of The Amazing Race. I find it to be one of the best of the reality shows (I also watch Survivor) on TV. Most of the reason why I enjoy the show so much is because I think it's an interesting way to see different parts of the world, from a different point of view. I also like that challenges that teams have to do are often culturally related.
The team dynamic on the show is also very interesting. I like that there are teams of two versus individual players. The human element of the show really comes out (for good or for bad) when people are in a race, and are stressed by the uncertainties of travel.
Truth be told, I've had fantasies of applying to be a contestant on The Amazing Race ever since I saw the first season. I always thought that my friend Mykail and I would be a really fun team to watch - plus, they haven't had a "Will and Grace" team on the show yet. :) It'll probably never happen, although it's still fun to think about...
I'm really enjoying this season so far - for the most part, I've liked most of the teams. The best part has been that one of the contestants is the son of one of my clients. I've never met Tyler (of the "Hippie Team") but I know both of his parents, and can see where he gets his personality and charisma from. I actually posted a story on The Bucks of Woodside web site written by Tyler when he walked the length of Japan a couple of years ago. What an adventurous guy.
Anyhow, as much as I enjoy the show, it's been even more exciting and fun to watch when having a connection to one of the contestants. It makes the "reality" of the show even more real.
The final episode airs next week - go Hippies!
The team dynamic on the show is also very interesting. I like that there are teams of two versus individual players. The human element of the show really comes out (for good or for bad) when people are in a race, and are stressed by the uncertainties of travel.
Truth be told, I've had fantasies of applying to be a contestant on The Amazing Race ever since I saw the first season. I always thought that my friend Mykail and I would be a really fun team to watch - plus, they haven't had a "Will and Grace" team on the show yet. :) It'll probably never happen, although it's still fun to think about...
I'm really enjoying this season so far - for the most part, I've liked most of the teams. The best part has been that one of the contestants is the son of one of my clients. I've never met Tyler (of the "Hippie Team") but I know both of his parents, and can see where he gets his personality and charisma from. I actually posted a story on The Bucks of Woodside web site written by Tyler when he walked the length of Japan a couple of years ago. What an adventurous guy.
Anyhow, as much as I enjoy the show, it's been even more exciting and fun to watch when having a connection to one of the contestants. It makes the "reality" of the show even more real.
The final episode airs next week - go Hippies!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
It's a Small World....
Don't you just love random coincidences?
I bumped into Aditya in Union Square today.
Mind you, the last time I saw Aditya was in Shanghai two weeks ago.
I knew he was here in the Bay Area this week for work, but really, what are the chances? He was working at the office in Mt. View today, and had just gotten off the train and bus, heading back to his hotel in Union Square. I worked at the Gallery all day today, and was leaving the building on Post Street just after 6:00. As I was walking down the street, I practically bumped right into Aditya!
That's the thing I love about living in a big city. Sometimes it seems so big, but then things like this happen, and you're reminded of how small the city (and sometimes the world) really is.
I bumped into Aditya in Union Square today.
Mind you, the last time I saw Aditya was in Shanghai two weeks ago.
I knew he was here in the Bay Area this week for work, but really, what are the chances? He was working at the office in Mt. View today, and had just gotten off the train and bus, heading back to his hotel in Union Square. I worked at the Gallery all day today, and was leaving the building on Post Street just after 6:00. As I was walking down the street, I practically bumped right into Aditya!
That's the thing I love about living in a big city. Sometimes it seems so big, but then things like this happen, and you're reminded of how small the city (and sometimes the world) really is.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Let's Go See a Show!
We saw a GREAT dance performance by Company Chaddick this weekend. I may be biased, as I have several friends in the company, and I've seen each of their annual performances since 1999.
I have to admit that this year's show was possibly my favorite yet (or a close second to 1999's show). It's a site specific piece/show, which makes staging, and audience interaction very interesting.
If you have a chance over the next two weekends, I highly recommend seeing this show.
here's the show information for Company Chaddick's performance of Landslide.
here's a very favorable review about Company Chaddick and this year's show in the Bay Area Guardian.
While I'm on the subject of great shows....
I forgot to mention a couple of months ago that my sister is working on a terrific show at the Post Street Theater called The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee.
Dick and I absolutely loved this show. It was just hysterical, and very clever. We were laughing the entire time. I went in with pretty high expectations, without really knowing what to expect. It really lived up to my expectations, and entertained me the entire time.
Two Thumbs Up! :)
I have to admit that this year's show was possibly my favorite yet (or a close second to 1999's show). It's a site specific piece/show, which makes staging, and audience interaction very interesting.
If you have a chance over the next two weekends, I highly recommend seeing this show.
here's the show information for Company Chaddick's performance of Landslide.
here's a very favorable review about Company Chaddick and this year's show in the Bay Area Guardian.
While I'm on the subject of great shows....
I forgot to mention a couple of months ago that my sister is working on a terrific show at the Post Street Theater called The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee.
Dick and I absolutely loved this show. It was just hysterical, and very clever. We were laughing the entire time. I went in with pretty high expectations, without really knowing what to expect. It really lived up to my expectations, and entertained me the entire time.
Two Thumbs Up! :)
Friday, May 05, 2006
Another Site Launched
Check out my latest site.
It's a really cute European Lingerie Store in Walnut Creek.
Go buy something nice for your honey! :)
It's a really cute European Lingerie Store in Walnut Creek.
Go buy something nice for your honey! :)
Thursday, May 04, 2006
The Original Star Wars on DVD
How Exciting! The original theatrical versions of the first 3 Star Wars movies will be available on DVD in September. The original versions. None of the extra digital tweaks, added scenes, and uber-large explosions. Just Star Wars at it's best.
It's a brilliant money-making scheme, of course, but I know I'll buy it! :)
It's a brilliant money-making scheme, of course, but I know I'll buy it! :)
Monday, May 01, 2006
Home Sweet Home
We're back! Our flight went very well, and we even landed into SFO a bit early.
I've sorted through the mail, checked phone messages, responded to email....
...and now jet lag has set in.
I think I'd better take a nap before it gets to be too late.
the weather here in SF is gorgeous, by the way!
I've sorted through the mail, checked phone messages, responded to email....
...and now jet lag has set in.
I think I'd better take a nap before it gets to be too late.
the weather here in SF is gorgeous, by the way!
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