Saturday, March 08, 2008
My best friend from fourth grade!
with my best friend from fourth grade! We hadn't seen each other in
over 25 years, and just reconnected a few months ago after she found
my blog!
Friday, March 07, 2008
MacDreamy is MacHappy!
Repaced: 1 logic board, and 1 hard drive cable. Actual harddrive is
alive and well - all data intact!
Birdies!!
for lunch and a visit.
Here's a picture of her two cockatiels. Bonsai, who is well into her
20s, and Crissy, who just turned 28! We got Crissy when she was only 6
weeks old. That was a really long time ago!
VW Rabbit
picking up my MINI in Pleasanton which is in for service. The folks at
the MINI dealership were nice enough to arrange a free rental car from
Avis for me. It's brand spankin new - it only had 55 miles when I
picked it up, and only 96 now that it came to SF. As much as I love my
MINI, it was kind of fun to drive a new car for a day. :)
Now, it's back to Pleasanton to pick up MINI Driver! :)
Thursday, March 06, 2008
I see an iPhone in Dick's future...
Dick has been waiting a long time for this announcement:
Apple tweaks iPhone for business uses
Next software update will enable device to work with Microsoft’s Exchange
Looks like the full version won't be available 'til June.
Apple tweaks iPhone for business uses
Next software update will enable device to work with Microsoft’s Exchange
Looks like the full version won't be available 'til June.
MINI Clubman
the new MINI Clubman. It's really cool! If I remember right, there's an extra 2 inches in the rear seats, and and extra 8 inches in the trunk. Personally, I don't need a larger MINI (I like to be able to fit in the small parking spots in SF!) but my parents are considering getting one. They're really nice. I especially like many of the new interior features in the '08 MINIs - Leather Piping trim on the seats, better glove compartment, remote key, etc., I took a bunch of photos and will post more later. (Once I get MacDreamy back)
Monday, March 03, 2008
A week without my MacDreamy
I brought my Mac to the Genius Bar at my local Apple Store yesterday. The "genius" tried everything that Dick and I had tried the day before: connecting it to an external monitor, removing the RAM, etc., He didn't have any luck either.
He told me that I was probably right in thinking it was the logic board. He said the quickest way for him to have it repaired was to send it out to their repair facility (rather than in-store - not sure why). He sent it out today, and hopes to get it back to the store by Friday or Saturday.
Poor MacDreamy.
I'm kind of surprising myself that I'm not more freaked-out about this than I am.
The truth is, it could be a lot worse! I'm very lucky in that:
I completed several projects in the last 4 weeks, and this week should be slower than last month. Good timing!
Dick and I have an extra PowerBook (there's a story in there somewhere). It's about 4 years old, but still works well. I was able to install my important apps to it, so I can continue working.
Here's the biggie: I was able to access my MacDreamy's hard drive via our network. This means that not only is my drive probably okay, but I was also able to copy all of my important files onto my temporary laptop so I still have access to all my work.
I do have my entire hard drive backed up on an external drive, in case the worst-case scenario happens. (knock wood)
I'm really counting my lucky stars here. This week could've been completely unproductive work-wise, and probably would've driven me bonkers.
I might invest in some extra RAM for this old PowerBook. It has 512MB. I think it has the capacity for 1GB, maybe 2GB. MacDreamy runs on 4GB, so I'm really noticing a speed issue here, but still - no complaints!
Here's hoping MacDreamy comes back at the end of the week, files intact, and good as new!
He told me that I was probably right in thinking it was the logic board. He said the quickest way for him to have it repaired was to send it out to their repair facility (rather than in-store - not sure why). He sent it out today, and hopes to get it back to the store by Friday or Saturday.
Poor MacDreamy.
I'm kind of surprising myself that I'm not more freaked-out about this than I am.
The truth is, it could be a lot worse! I'm very lucky in that:
I completed several projects in the last 4 weeks, and this week should be slower than last month. Good timing!
Dick and I have an extra PowerBook (there's a story in there somewhere). It's about 4 years old, but still works well. I was able to install my important apps to it, so I can continue working.
Here's the biggie: I was able to access my MacDreamy's hard drive via our network. This means that not only is my drive probably okay, but I was also able to copy all of my important files onto my temporary laptop so I still have access to all my work.
I do have my entire hard drive backed up on an external drive, in case the worst-case scenario happens. (knock wood)
I'm really counting my lucky stars here. This week could've been completely unproductive work-wise, and probably would've driven me bonkers.
I might invest in some extra RAM for this old PowerBook. It has 512MB. I think it has the capacity for 1GB, maybe 2GB. MacDreamy runs on 4GB, so I'm really noticing a speed issue here, but still - no complaints!
Here's hoping MacDreamy comes back at the end of the week, files intact, and good as new!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
My Mac: Sleeping Beauty
stop the drama!
I usually put my computer to sleep whenever I'm away for any length of time.
Yesterday, I left the house right before 4:00, and went out for the evening. (Happy Birthday, Jud!)
When we came home late last night, I went to my computer to check my email. (no, I'm not addicted) Much to my chagrin, it wouldn't wake up! It didn't seem to respond at all.
So, I did what any good trouble-shooter would do: I restarted my computer (hard restart by keeping the power button down, then pressing it again to start).
Again - nothing.
Although, it sounded like it was restarting. I could hear the disc spin, but nothing came up on the screen at all - just a blank, black screen.
Then I did the next step that any good trouble-shooter would do: try starting it with the system disk. Still nothing. (though I could hear the drive reading the CD, and it sure sounded like it was booting from the CD!)
When I work at home, I always connect my laptop to an external monitor, and even that was completely black. Tried unplugging it, replugging, unplugging.... (I had also since removed all other peripheral, so I was working on my laptop alone.)
I hoped that this meant that it was a monitor problem, or a board problem, and hopefully NOT a drive problem.
...and then I went to play golf....
Came back, did some research, and eventually, found this: Topic : Blank Screen - even when booted from the CD - Weird Sleep Cycle perhaps?
No good answers here: sounds like it's a logic board problem.
boo.
I've made an appt. with The Genius Bar at the Apple Store for tomorrow. Let's see what they say.
So, how come it doesn't sound like I'm completely freaking out?!
Oh, I am, believe me, but I've also realized that it could be much worse.
Here's the good news:
I have a backup: I'm using Time Machine, and haven't had to use it for anything big yet, but it has been backing up my hard drive for the past few months. I trust it's doing something good for me.
I also keep full backups of my most important files in full on my external drive.
But that's certainly not enough to keep me calm.
The real reason I'm not totally freaking out is because I just figured out that I can access my computer's drive through our network. I'm copying over all of my super-important files to our extra PowerBook right now. At least I know I have access to it! (and I know that my drive is okay, even if I can see anything on my computer right now.)
I'm installing all of my regular apps onto our second laptop so I can use it as a backup computer in case mine needs to go into the shop for a while. Certainly not ideal, but much, much better than the alternative.
I usually put my computer to sleep whenever I'm away for any length of time.
Yesterday, I left the house right before 4:00, and went out for the evening. (Happy Birthday, Jud!)
When we came home late last night, I went to my computer to check my email. (no, I'm not addicted) Much to my chagrin, it wouldn't wake up! It didn't seem to respond at all.
So, I did what any good trouble-shooter would do: I restarted my computer (hard restart by keeping the power button down, then pressing it again to start).
Again - nothing.
Although, it sounded like it was restarting. I could hear the disc spin, but nothing came up on the screen at all - just a blank, black screen.
Then I did the next step that any good trouble-shooter would do: try starting it with the system disk. Still nothing. (though I could hear the drive reading the CD, and it sure sounded like it was booting from the CD!)
When I work at home, I always connect my laptop to an external monitor, and even that was completely black. Tried unplugging it, replugging, unplugging.... (I had also since removed all other peripheral, so I was working on my laptop alone.)
I hoped that this meant that it was a monitor problem, or a board problem, and hopefully NOT a drive problem.
...and then I went to play golf....
Came back, did some research, and eventually, found this: Topic : Blank Screen - even when booted from the CD - Weird Sleep Cycle perhaps?
No good answers here: sounds like it's a logic board problem.
boo.
I've made an appt. with The Genius Bar at the Apple Store for tomorrow. Let's see what they say.
So, how come it doesn't sound like I'm completely freaking out?!
Oh, I am, believe me, but I've also realized that it could be much worse.
Here's the good news:
I have a backup: I'm using Time Machine, and haven't had to use it for anything big yet, but it has been backing up my hard drive for the past few months. I trust it's doing something good for me.
I also keep full backups of my most important files in full on my external drive.
But that's certainly not enough to keep me calm.
The real reason I'm not totally freaking out is because I just figured out that I can access my computer's drive through our network. I'm copying over all of my super-important files to our extra PowerBook right now. At least I know I have access to it! (and I know that my drive is okay, even if I can see anything on my computer right now.)
I'm installing all of my regular apps onto our second laptop so I can use it as a backup computer in case mine needs to go into the shop for a while. Certainly not ideal, but much, much better than the alternative.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Great Backyard Demo of 2008!
...time for another project!
We have a really great, and unusually large backyard by San Francisco standards. The poor garden has been neglected for almost a couple of years now, ever since my gardener was mean to me, and fired me. :)
We stopped regular maintenance after that, as we knew that we eventually wanted to completely redesign the space. We decided to do the bathroom remodel first, then concentrate on the backyard.
We've hired a landscape architect team, who have come to scope out the site, and have presented us with some initial design ideas. They also suggested that we clear the backyard sooner rather than later so that we can all get a better sense of the space.
So, today was "Demo the Backyard Day" at "His 'n "Her Condos".
I hired a hauling company who came in with 9 burly men and one enormous dumpster. They came in at 8:00 this morning, and had finished by 2:00 this afternoon. Pretty amazing stuff.
Along the way, they offered to haul away anything else that we wanted to get rid of. I've been wanted to get rid of a few dozen very large boxes that I've kept in the basement for the past 4 years since the move. What is it about moving that makes you think that you should keep all of the "good" boxes that you may need someday in case you need to move again? Several of these boxes were also the ones that came with every large piece of electronics that we bought or had at the time: CPUs/monitors/printers/scanners/etc., Did I think I'd ever need to return these? Sheesh!
I've realized that they're more of a fired hazard than anything at this point, so I decided to get rid of them all! It was very therapeutic. They've been taking up so much room in the back of the basement, and I was trying to figure out how/when i was going to get rid of them. (A lot of them have Styrofoam peanuts or blocks in them, so I wouldn't be able to recycle those.) So, I rolled up my sleeves and braved the scary dark back section of the basement this morning, and brought them all out to be hauled away!
Anyhow, the hauling team was just amazing, and finished the job in 6 hours.
Here are some before and after photos. What a difference!! :)
We have a really great, and unusually large backyard by San Francisco standards. The poor garden has been neglected for almost a couple of years now, ever since my gardener was mean to me, and fired me. :)
We stopped regular maintenance after that, as we knew that we eventually wanted to completely redesign the space. We decided to do the bathroom remodel first, then concentrate on the backyard.
We've hired a landscape architect team, who have come to scope out the site, and have presented us with some initial design ideas. They also suggested that we clear the backyard sooner rather than later so that we can all get a better sense of the space.
So, today was "Demo the Backyard Day" at "His 'n "Her Condos".
I hired a hauling company who came in with 9 burly men and one enormous dumpster. They came in at 8:00 this morning, and had finished by 2:00 this afternoon. Pretty amazing stuff.
Along the way, they offered to haul away anything else that we wanted to get rid of. I've been wanted to get rid of a few dozen very large boxes that I've kept in the basement for the past 4 years since the move. What is it about moving that makes you think that you should keep all of the "good" boxes that you may need someday in case you need to move again? Several of these boxes were also the ones that came with every large piece of electronics that we bought or had at the time: CPUs/monitors/printers/scanners/etc., Did I think I'd ever need to return these? Sheesh!
I've realized that they're more of a fired hazard than anything at this point, so I decided to get rid of them all! It was very therapeutic. They've been taking up so much room in the back of the basement, and I was trying to figure out how/when i was going to get rid of them. (A lot of them have Styrofoam peanuts or blocks in them, so I wouldn't be able to recycle those.) So, I rolled up my sleeves and braved the scary dark back section of the basement this morning, and brought them all out to be hauled away!
Anyhow, the hauling team was just amazing, and finished the job in 6 hours.
Here are some before and after photos. What a difference!! :)
Monday, February 25, 2008
An evening at the Craddock-Chow house
Editors Note: I know that I already posted 2 blog posts today, but this just happened, and there was just no way that I wasn't going to blog about this!
Apparently, it's been declared that the month of March will be Moustache March at Dick's place of work. Dick just sent this email out to a few of his fellow co-workers:
Me: Oh, by the way, next month is Moustache March
My Long-Suffering Wife, Trina: huh??
Me: Moustache March. A bunch of guys in the office grow moustaches.
Trina: Great! You already have a moustache.
Me: Actually, I have a goatee. Here’s what I look like in a moustache (shows Apple employee badge from 1986)
Trina: Do I get a say in this?
Dick, circa 1986
The funny thing is that the conversation that Dick wrote was pretty much verbatim of my reaction.
Oh, my. It's going to be an interesting month.
I'll keep you all posted.
(I just made him promise that he wouldn't grow out his bangs)
Apparently, it's been declared that the month of March will be Moustache March at Dick's place of work. Dick just sent this email out to a few of his fellow co-workers:
Me: Oh, by the way, next month is Moustache March
My Long-Suffering Wife, Trina: huh??
Me: Moustache March. A bunch of guys in the office grow moustaches.
Trina: Great! You already have a moustache.
Me: Actually, I have a goatee. Here’s what I look like in a moustache (shows Apple employee badge from 1986)
Trina: Do I get a say in this?
Dick, circa 1986
The funny thing is that the conversation that Dick wrote was pretty much verbatim of my reaction.
Oh, my. It's going to be an interesting month.
I'll keep you all posted.
(I just made him promise that he wouldn't grow out his bangs)
"Once"
We just watched a movie tonight that I really enjoyed called "Once".
I had heard a little bit about it in previews, reviews, and even Kimi's Blog. Oh, and I see it even won the Academy Award last night for "Best Song".
I really enjoyed it as I was watching it, but it's one of those films where the more you think about it afterwards, the more you like it even more.
It was heartwarming, a bit melancholy, romantic, subtle and inspiring. You can tell it was a low budget film (filmed in only 3 weeks!), but that quality only enhances the experience of viewing it. It made it seem so "real". I checked afterwards to find out that the two lead actors in the film were indeed the song writers/musicians for all of the music. That's cool.
I just looked it up on imdb.com and found some really great trivia about the film. My two favorite tidbits are that the "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy" song was totally improvised and spontaneous, and not meant to actually be in the film.
My other favorite tidbit that I found out after reading was this:
(minor spoiler for those care...)
----------
There is a moment when the guy asks the girl whether she loves her husband. She responds, "No. I love you." However, her response is in unsubtitled Czech, so the man does not understand her. nor do audience members who don't know the language.
----------
Love that.
I also love that the two title characters don't have actual names. The credits only list them as "Guy" and "Girl".
This film reminded me somewhat of "Before Sunrise", another movie that I've always loved.
If you liked that movie, see "Once". You'll really enjoy it.
(Sis, I'm talking to you) :)
Oh, look! Here's the trailer. (how handy!)
I had heard a little bit about it in previews, reviews, and even Kimi's Blog. Oh, and I see it even won the Academy Award last night for "Best Song".
I really enjoyed it as I was watching it, but it's one of those films where the more you think about it afterwards, the more you like it even more.
It was heartwarming, a bit melancholy, romantic, subtle and inspiring. You can tell it was a low budget film (filmed in only 3 weeks!), but that quality only enhances the experience of viewing it. It made it seem so "real". I checked afterwards to find out that the two lead actors in the film were indeed the song writers/musicians for all of the music. That's cool.
I just looked it up on imdb.com and found some really great trivia about the film. My two favorite tidbits are that the "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy" song was totally improvised and spontaneous, and not meant to actually be in the film.
My other favorite tidbit that I found out after reading was this:
(minor spoiler for those care...)
----------
There is a moment when the guy asks the girl whether she loves her husband. She responds, "No. I love you." However, her response is in unsubtitled Czech, so the man does not understand her. nor do audience members who don't know the language.
----------
Love that.
I also love that the two title characters don't have actual names. The credits only list them as "Guy" and "Girl".
This film reminded me somewhat of "Before Sunrise", another movie that I've always loved.
If you liked that movie, see "Once". You'll really enjoy it.
(Sis, I'm talking to you) :)
Oh, look! Here's the trailer. (how handy!)
Why it's always important to follow up
...because no one else is watching out for you!
Way back in mid-December, I returned some items that we'd ordered from the Restoration Catalog. The items were needed for our bathroom remodel, but the shipment of these items were delayed, and we didn't get them in time to use them in the bathroom. (they were the sink trap/supply kit.) We ended up buying something else, so I returned them to a Restoration Hardware store, rather than paying extra to have them shipped back to the company.
I returned 6 towels, (2 of each size, and the color didn't go quite well enough with our bathroom) one H2O Supply kit, and one P Trap Kit.
The guy at the store told me that he would send these items back to the warehouse, but warned me that it may be a few weeks before the refund/credit showed up on our credit cards statement. Because of this, I made a mental note to check our credit card statement periodically so make sure these credit were posted.
One credit (for the towels) showed up on 12/28. Not bad.
Another credit (for the P Trap Kit) posted on 1/2.
I never saw the final credit (for the H20 Supply kit) post at all.
I kept all of my receipts, and jotted down the dates that each credit was made.
Last night, as we were paying bills, I checked the credit card statement one more time. Nothing.
I figured enough time had passed, and it was time to give Restoration Hardware's customer service line a call again.
I just called them.
They agreed that the refund had never been sent, and that they still owed me $225 (plus tax) for the last item.
$225.00.
That's a lot of dough.
They are processing my request now, and say it should show up on my credit card statement within 4-5 business days.
Just another example on why it's so important to keep up with things, and follow up.
I could've easily forgotten about that return, and assumed that it was done right. That would've been a lot of money down the drain (pun somewhat intended).
Way back in mid-December, I returned some items that we'd ordered from the Restoration Catalog. The items were needed for our bathroom remodel, but the shipment of these items were delayed, and we didn't get them in time to use them in the bathroom. (they were the sink trap/supply kit.) We ended up buying something else, so I returned them to a Restoration Hardware store, rather than paying extra to have them shipped back to the company.
I returned 6 towels, (2 of each size, and the color didn't go quite well enough with our bathroom) one H2O Supply kit, and one P Trap Kit.
The guy at the store told me that he would send these items back to the warehouse, but warned me that it may be a few weeks before the refund/credit showed up on our credit cards statement. Because of this, I made a mental note to check our credit card statement periodically so make sure these credit were posted.
One credit (for the towels) showed up on 12/28. Not bad.
Another credit (for the P Trap Kit) posted on 1/2.
I never saw the final credit (for the H20 Supply kit) post at all.
I kept all of my receipts, and jotted down the dates that each credit was made.
Last night, as we were paying bills, I checked the credit card statement one more time. Nothing.
I figured enough time had passed, and it was time to give Restoration Hardware's customer service line a call again.
I just called them.
They agreed that the refund had never been sent, and that they still owed me $225 (plus tax) for the last item.
$225.00.
That's a lot of dough.
They are processing my request now, and say it should show up on my credit card statement within 4-5 business days.
Just another example on why it's so important to keep up with things, and follow up.
I could've easily forgotten about that return, and assumed that it was done right. That would've been a lot of money down the drain (pun somewhat intended).
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Happy Birthday, Christopher!!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Hattie Pinn
Remember yesterday's post about the new web site that I launched called Hattie's Pins?
I got this funny email this morning from my friend, Andrew:
I knew that name rang a bell. The Schoenhut company (makers of wooden toys including Quacky Doodles & Danny Daddles) produced a series of simple dolls based on clothespins. They were called the Pinn Family. The mother's name was Hattie Pinn (there was also a Bobby Pinn, etc).
Isn't that funny?
I got this funny email this morning from my friend, Andrew:
I knew that name rang a bell. The Schoenhut company (makers of wooden toys including Quacky Doodles & Danny Daddles) produced a series of simple dolls based on clothespins. They were called the Pinn Family. The mother's name was Hattie Pinn (there was also a Bobby Pinn, etc).
Isn't that funny?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
One week, two site launches!
It's been a busy week here at Trina Chow Design.
I just launched another site this morning!
Hattie's Pins.
This site is near and dear to my heart. One of my wonderful neighbors started a business last year of creating pins and pendants out of vintage buttons. I really love her products.
I was really happy with how this site design turned out.
I just launched another site this morning!
Hattie's Pins.
This site is near and dear to my heart. One of my wonderful neighbors started a business last year of creating pins and pendants out of vintage buttons. I really love her products.
I was really happy with how this site design turned out.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
RIP: Powells Place Restaurant
Oh, this is so sad.
It appears as if one of our favorite local restaurants went out of business at the end of last year.
You may ask, "If it's one of your favorite restaurants, why would it take you 3 months to figure out that it's closed?"
The answer is very simple: Powell's Place was the place to go for Soul Food: Fried Chicken, Greens, Yams, corn muffins, etc., You know, the kind of food that you can only afford to eat a couple of times a year.
But that does remind me of a funny story:
When my Mom and I went out a couple of years ago for my first fitting of my wedding dress, and my cheong-sam, we went out for lunch first. Her choice: Powell's Place. While we were eating our fried chicken, I told her, "You know, there's something really wrong about eating fried chicken right before your first fitting in a wedding dress!". Funny.
Good bye, Powell's Place. We'll miss you.
It appears as if one of our favorite local restaurants went out of business at the end of last year.
You may ask, "If it's one of your favorite restaurants, why would it take you 3 months to figure out that it's closed?"
The answer is very simple: Powell's Place was the place to go for Soul Food: Fried Chicken, Greens, Yams, corn muffins, etc., You know, the kind of food that you can only afford to eat a couple of times a year.
But that does remind me of a funny story:
When my Mom and I went out a couple of years ago for my first fitting of my wedding dress, and my cheong-sam, we went out for lunch first. Her choice: Powell's Place. While we were eating our fried chicken, I told her, "You know, there's something really wrong about eating fried chicken right before your first fitting in a wedding dress!". Funny.
Good bye, Powell's Place. We'll miss you.
Big Site Launch
I've been working on a pretty big project for about a month, but have had to keep it under wraps until now.
As some of you may know, one of my web clients of several years is Kristi Yamaguchi's Always Dream Foundation. I've been working with the foundation for over 5 years, both on their web site, as well as helping with some administrative tasks, and also with the silent auctions during our fund raising events.
About a month ago, I was asked if I could work on a project that would launch towards the end of February. I was told that Kristi was being considered as a contestant for the new season of Dancing with the Stars. We had to keep our project under wraps until the official announcement was made.
Well, the announcement was made last night, and we launched our new site.
I'm really happy with how this site turned out. We managed to come up with a nice site design, and got it up and running in a short amount of time.
kristiyamaguchi.com
I've never watched Dancing with the Stars before - I've only seen a few clips here and there. I'm looking forward to watching this season. It'll be exciting to watch and root for someone that we actually know!
As some of you may know, one of my web clients of several years is Kristi Yamaguchi's Always Dream Foundation. I've been working with the foundation for over 5 years, both on their web site, as well as helping with some administrative tasks, and also with the silent auctions during our fund raising events.
About a month ago, I was asked if I could work on a project that would launch towards the end of February. I was told that Kristi was being considered as a contestant for the new season of Dancing with the Stars. We had to keep our project under wraps until the official announcement was made.
Well, the announcement was made last night, and we launched our new site.
I'm really happy with how this site turned out. We managed to come up with a nice site design, and got it up and running in a short amount of time.
kristiyamaguchi.com
I've never watched Dancing with the Stars before - I've only seen a few clips here and there. I'm looking forward to watching this season. It'll be exciting to watch and root for someone that we actually know!
Monday, February 18, 2008
That's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back
or, why you should never use Network Solutions for web hosting...
That was brutal.
After 3 hours, I just finished uploading a new site.
3 hours.
THREE HOURS!
I can not believe how much I hate Network Solutions right now. I've never had a client use them for web hosting services before, and now, I'll dissuade anyone who is ever considering them.
Here's what happened: a few weeks ago I put up a temporary "Coming Soon" kind of placeholder page up. That took something like 20 minutes.
Anyone who has ever FTP'ed files up to a server knows this should take a matter of seconds. Not minutes, and certainly not tens of minutes.
So, my client called Network Solutions after I had that bad experience (I had told him to dump them, and to switch to another web hosting service). Well, Network Solutions claimed they were familiar with it, and that their servers were down, and that it almost never happens... blah, blah, blah.
I've been working on this site intensely for the last 4 weeks, with the intention of launching it tonight at 6:00pm PST.
I wasn't thinking. I should have tested the FTP connection earlier today. I should have uploaded all of my images files, and all of my secondary files. I shoulda,woulda, coulda...
But I didn't.
Instead, I waited until 6:00 like a fool, expecting everything to upload within a couple of minutes.
These are not large files. We're talking 200k files, and 4k thumb nail files. The thumb nail files were taking longer than 5 minutes each! I was about ready to pull my frickin' hair out!
The good news: my Hubby is a total rock star. We had friends over this evening (to help celebrate the launch). Dick fixed them all drinks, then, when we all realized that this was going to take me a while, Dick called in an order to our fave Thai restaurant, when out to pick it up, served it, AND cleaned up. All the while, I was sitting with my laptop, staring at it through glossy eyes.
Everything was finally up by 9:00, and we had an official launch.
That was brutal.
Worst. Web. Hosting. Service. Ever.
That was brutal.
After 3 hours, I just finished uploading a new site.
3 hours.
THREE HOURS!
I can not believe how much I hate Network Solutions right now. I've never had a client use them for web hosting services before, and now, I'll dissuade anyone who is ever considering them.
Here's what happened: a few weeks ago I put up a temporary "Coming Soon" kind of placeholder page up. That took something like 20 minutes.
Anyone who has ever FTP'ed files up to a server knows this should take a matter of seconds. Not minutes, and certainly not tens of minutes.
So, my client called Network Solutions after I had that bad experience (I had told him to dump them, and to switch to another web hosting service). Well, Network Solutions claimed they were familiar with it, and that their servers were down, and that it almost never happens... blah, blah, blah.
I've been working on this site intensely for the last 4 weeks, with the intention of launching it tonight at 6:00pm PST.
I wasn't thinking. I should have tested the FTP connection earlier today. I should have uploaded all of my images files, and all of my secondary files. I shoulda,woulda, coulda...
But I didn't.
Instead, I waited until 6:00 like a fool, expecting everything to upload within a couple of minutes.
These are not large files. We're talking 200k files, and 4k thumb nail files. The thumb nail files were taking longer than 5 minutes each! I was about ready to pull my frickin' hair out!
The good news: my Hubby is a total rock star. We had friends over this evening (to help celebrate the launch). Dick fixed them all drinks, then, when we all realized that this was going to take me a while, Dick called in an order to our fave Thai restaurant, when out to pick it up, served it, AND cleaned up. All the while, I was sitting with my laptop, staring at it through glossy eyes.
Everything was finally up by 9:00, and we had an official launch.
That was brutal.
Worst. Web. Hosting. Service. Ever.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
My morning at SF City Hall
This morning, I made a quick trip to SF City Hall. I wanted to pick up a SF Resident Golf Card. Now that I'm (apparently) playing golf, this is something that can save me a ton of money in the long end.
I took MUNI to the Civic Center Station (and actually had a nice visit with my neighbor, Michael, along the way). I arrived at City Hall right before 10:00. It was really gorgeous out, all sunny and clear. I think City Hall is such a beautiful building - plus, I got to watch a bunch of senior citizens practicing Tai-Chi in front of City Hall.
Anyhow, I finally made my way to the cashier to get my resident Golf Club. (Aditya, have you gotten yours yet?) It was quick and simple, but unfortunately, I forgot that I'd have to take a picture for it - not a pretty thing at 10:00am if you're not expecting it!
While I was there, I remembered to ask if I could also buy a SF Parking Meter Card. I've been meaning to look into this for quite some time now. I don't drive and park in the City very often, but when I do, I'm reminded of how expensive meter parking is, and how many quarters is takes! It's usually 10 minutes per quarter - that adds up fast, and you're lucky if you have enough change. These new(ish) debit cards allow you to just insert the card into the meter, and it deducts the amount automatically - no change required. They sell them in increments of $20 and $50.
So, that was my morning. Very productive. (Especially since Dick and I went out to the driving range at 8:00 this morning.) I even made it home in time for my Fed-Ex delivery! (With 10 minutes to spare!)
Now, on with the rest of the day!
I took MUNI to the Civic Center Station (and actually had a nice visit with my neighbor, Michael, along the way). I arrived at City Hall right before 10:00. It was really gorgeous out, all sunny and clear. I think City Hall is such a beautiful building - plus, I got to watch a bunch of senior citizens practicing Tai-Chi in front of City Hall.
Anyhow, I finally made my way to the cashier to get my resident Golf Club. (Aditya, have you gotten yours yet?) It was quick and simple, but unfortunately, I forgot that I'd have to take a picture for it - not a pretty thing at 10:00am if you're not expecting it!
While I was there, I remembered to ask if I could also buy a SF Parking Meter Card. I've been meaning to look into this for quite some time now. I don't drive and park in the City very often, but when I do, I'm reminded of how expensive meter parking is, and how many quarters is takes! It's usually 10 minutes per quarter - that adds up fast, and you're lucky if you have enough change. These new(ish) debit cards allow you to just insert the card into the meter, and it deducts the amount automatically - no change required. They sell them in increments of $20 and $50.
So, that was my morning. Very productive. (Especially since Dick and I went out to the driving range at 8:00 this morning.) I even made it home in time for my Fed-Ex delivery! (With 10 minutes to spare!)
Now, on with the rest of the day!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Single and Unattached Day!
Today is Valentine's Day.
Here's the thing: Dick and I have been together for 9 years now.
When we first started dating, we passed by a window decorated for Valentine's Day, and he stated right there and then, "Just so you know. I hate Valentine's Day."
Um. okay...
He says he see it as a Hallmark Holiday (which it is), and doesn't feel like he should have to celebrate a fake holiday. Now, before you think he's a total scrooge, and completely unromantic, he'll also say that, "Everyday with me is Valentine's Day!". :)
So, no, we don't celebrate Valentine's Day in our house, and I'm okay with that. I still manage to slip him a Valentine's Day Card every year, which I know he secretly appreciates.
Here's the really funny part: During the first two years that we dated, Dick was literally out of the country on Valentine's Day. I teased him that he was avoiding it. The truth was that he was away on business in Japan. In fact, I think that one of those years, he managed to bypass Valentine's Day all together through the wonders of the International Date Line!
Well, true to form, Dick is away again this year (he's up in Seattle for business, but will be home late tonight). I'm pretty sure he plans these trips well ahead of time. It's become an annual joke between us.
My color guard friends and I used to get together on February 14th and celebrate "Single and Unattached Day". There were the usual heart-shaped cakes with a knife stabbed through them, and tales of woe and bitterness. Good times.
Even though I am no longer single and unattached, I still have a lot more experience celebrating "Single and Unattached Day" than I have celebrating "Valentine's Day".
So, to all my friends, attached or not, I wish you a "Happy Single and Unattached Day!".
Here's the thing: Dick and I have been together for 9 years now.
When we first started dating, we passed by a window decorated for Valentine's Day, and he stated right there and then, "Just so you know. I hate Valentine's Day."
Um. okay...
He says he see it as a Hallmark Holiday (which it is), and doesn't feel like he should have to celebrate a fake holiday. Now, before you think he's a total scrooge, and completely unromantic, he'll also say that, "Everyday with me is Valentine's Day!". :)
So, no, we don't celebrate Valentine's Day in our house, and I'm okay with that. I still manage to slip him a Valentine's Day Card every year, which I know he secretly appreciates.
Here's the really funny part: During the first two years that we dated, Dick was literally out of the country on Valentine's Day. I teased him that he was avoiding it. The truth was that he was away on business in Japan. In fact, I think that one of those years, he managed to bypass Valentine's Day all together through the wonders of the International Date Line!
Well, true to form, Dick is away again this year (he's up in Seattle for business, but will be home late tonight). I'm pretty sure he plans these trips well ahead of time. It's become an annual joke between us.
My color guard friends and I used to get together on February 14th and celebrate "Single and Unattached Day". There were the usual heart-shaped cakes with a knife stabbed through them, and tales of woe and bitterness. Good times.
Even though I am no longer single and unattached, I still have a lot more experience celebrating "Single and Unattached Day" than I have celebrating "Valentine's Day".
So, to all my friends, attached or not, I wish you a "Happy Single and Unattached Day!".
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Disney Revives "House of the Future"
Disneyland's “House of the Future,” opened in 1957, is shown in this undated photo. Now, Disneyland is planning to build a new “House of the Future” that could feature such things as desks that act like giant touch-pad computer screens, futuristic cell phones and gaming units.
Full article on MSNBC.com.
This is cool. I remember seeing the original "House of the Future" only in books and photographs. It was torn down before my time. It'll be interesting to see how this one turns out.
At first, I thought they were reviving the "Carousel of the Progress" show/ride, which was always one of my favorites. It has such a great nostalgia thing going for it.
Actually, now that I'm reading this article I guess the ride/attraction that I'm thinking of originated at Disneyland, but later moved to Disney World, which is where I must have seen it. All I know is that when we went to Disneyland last May, I was so disappointed that they had replaced the innards of the cool circular theater with the two-story, static exhibit, Innoventions (I thought it was really boring.)
Steel Cut Oatmeal
I finally picked some up last week. On a side note, I found it odd that my local (smaller) grocery store had it, but my emi-local ginormous Safeway did not.
I had seen a segment on TV recently (okay, I admit it - it was on Oprah!) that mentioned the nutritional benefits of Steel Cut Oatmeal.
Steel Cut Oatmeal takes a lot longer to cook than my regular 3-minute Quaker Oats. The recipe on my can called to let it come to a boil, then let it simmer for 30 minutes. I remember hearing that the longer the oatmeal takes to cook, the better it is for you.
I made the Oatmeal for the first time this morning. My verdict? I really liked it. I really liked the texture, and I really liked the taste. I added my usual milk, brown sugar and cranberries to sweeten it. It was really good.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
All Seasons Sushi
Tonight I decided to treat myself. We're all out of leftovers, and I've been craving sushi for a long time now. For some reason, Dick hasn't felt like sushi lately.
Anyhow, I decided to go to one of our favorite neighborhood spots, "All Seasons Sushi".
I love this place: great sushi, super friendly staff, plus they sat me at the sushi bar and gave me some miso soup while I wait for my order!
I hadn't been here since they remodeled. It's really nice!
Monday, February 11, 2008
The wonders of the Internet never cease to amaze...
I've been a Facebook user for about 6 months now. I'm actually quite the avid user - I'm surprised how much I enjoy spending time on it. (read: time suck)
One of my favorite little dittys of Facebook is the Status Updates. Essentially, as a user, you share your current "status" (what you're doing, what's on your mind, random thoughts, etc.,) with your other Facebook friends. I update mine regularly, just for fun, and I really enjoy "watching" what my friends are up do at any given moment. (I know, it's all pretty Big Brother-ish.)
This afternoon, I refreshed my Facebook home page, and saw a status update for my cousin, Bruce.
Bruce is hanging at Queen Malika Cafe, a new discovery! 8m ago
Queen Malika Cafe is a fab little crepe/coffee shop less than 2 blocks from my house.
Now, of course, I still can't do the simple thing of picking up a phone.
Instead, I open iChat (which I know Bruce uses) and find him online to ask, "Are you at the Queen Malika on 18th St. in my neighborhood?"
and he replies, "Yes, come on down!"
So, I grabbed my purse, and headed down for a nice, quick visit with my cuz. It was great. I always enjoy having the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with anyone in my family, since our usual family gatherings are always so large, and it's hard to have a substantial one-on-one conversation with anyone.
Anyhow, this whole story cracked me up. Bruce surpassed me years ago as far as techno-geekiness goes, so it only seems appropriate that this is how we communicate to have a spontaneous hook up.
One of my favorite little dittys of Facebook is the Status Updates. Essentially, as a user, you share your current "status" (what you're doing, what's on your mind, random thoughts, etc.,) with your other Facebook friends. I update mine regularly, just for fun, and I really enjoy "watching" what my friends are up do at any given moment. (I know, it's all pretty Big Brother-ish.)
This afternoon, I refreshed my Facebook home page, and saw a status update for my cousin, Bruce.
Bruce is hanging at Queen Malika Cafe, a new discovery! 8m ago
Queen Malika Cafe is a fab little crepe/coffee shop less than 2 blocks from my house.
Now, of course, I still can't do the simple thing of picking up a phone.
Instead, I open iChat (which I know Bruce uses) and find him online to ask, "Are you at the Queen Malika on 18th St. in my neighborhood?"
and he replies, "Yes, come on down!"
So, I grabbed my purse, and headed down for a nice, quick visit with my cuz. It was great. I always enjoy having the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with anyone in my family, since our usual family gatherings are always so large, and it's hard to have a substantial one-on-one conversation with anyone.
Anyhow, this whole story cracked me up. Bruce surpassed me years ago as far as techno-geekiness goes, so it only seems appropriate that this is how we communicate to have a spontaneous hook up.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Walking on Sunshine...
...and don't it feel good?
The weather this weekend was absolutely gorgeous. I'm guessing low 60s, which is just perfect, especially considering all of the rain and cold we've had lately.
We made it out of the house both days to enjoy the sunshine. Yesterday, we took a walk around the neighborhood, and down towards Dolores Park. The park was packed full of people - you can just tell that everyone was just craving to be outside in the fresh air. Dick and I walked down 18th Street to have a snack at Bakery Tartine. Yum. As we walked down 18th, I laughed when I noticed the incredibly long line outside of the Bi-Rite Ice Creamery. Clearly, this was the first warm, sunny day we've had all year, because people were standing in a line 20 people deep for ice cream! :)
Today, we walked over 17th Street, and up to Buena Vista Park. I love this park. It's so spacious, and woodsy. It makes you forget that you're in the middle (quite literally) of a big, urban City.
I took these pictures during our urban hike, because I thought it made it look like we were "hiking" somewhere outside of the City.
This is one that I took at the top of the Park. You can see The Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
This weekend was also the first time all year that I was able to open all the windows, and let the house air out. It's nice turn the heater off, and let in some fresh air.
Looks like we'll be enjoying weather like this all week long!
The weather this weekend was absolutely gorgeous. I'm guessing low 60s, which is just perfect, especially considering all of the rain and cold we've had lately.
We made it out of the house both days to enjoy the sunshine. Yesterday, we took a walk around the neighborhood, and down towards Dolores Park. The park was packed full of people - you can just tell that everyone was just craving to be outside in the fresh air. Dick and I walked down 18th Street to have a snack at Bakery Tartine. Yum. As we walked down 18th, I laughed when I noticed the incredibly long line outside of the Bi-Rite Ice Creamery. Clearly, this was the first warm, sunny day we've had all year, because people were standing in a line 20 people deep for ice cream! :)
Today, we walked over 17th Street, and up to Buena Vista Park. I love this park. It's so spacious, and woodsy. It makes you forget that you're in the middle (quite literally) of a big, urban City.
I took these pictures during our urban hike, because I thought it made it look like we were "hiking" somewhere outside of the City.
This is one that I took at the top of the Park. You can see The Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
This weekend was also the first time all year that I was able to open all the windows, and let the house air out. It's nice turn the heater off, and let in some fresh air.
Looks like we'll be enjoying weather like this all week long!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
The day I made par on a 3 hole!!!
I started playing golf about a month ago. Dick has been playing about a year and really wanted me to pick it up. I admit, I hesitated a bit because, you know... It's golf. Nothing against golf at all, it's simply not a sport that I ever saw myself playing. (Because I play so many sports. :)
I went to the driving range twice, using Lora's old clubs that she loaned me. I did okay- better than I thought I would. Dick was so excited that we bought a set of clubs (and cute shoes!) for me.
I tried my new clubs at the driving range about three more times before braving Golden Gate Golf Course last week.
I did fine- not bad in my book for a beginner- I was hitting 6-8 swings on every hole. I'll take that.
Today I went out with Dick, Andy & Aditya. (previously, I'd only
braved playing with Dick). It was my third time out on a course.
I played my regular 6-8/hole (still happy with that!) but today, miraculously, on the third hole, I made par!!!!
That's 3 swings!!!!
I'm reveling in the moment, as i'm not expecting for that to happen again anytime soon! :)
Friday, February 08, 2008
Trina's Helpful Tip #1
Handy Dandy Tip Time!
When putting away leftovers, put the sauce in the container first, covered by the starch (rice/pasta). It's the opposite of what you think you'd do, but here's the thing:
- the sauce won't get soaked up into the starch while it's sitting in the fridge. This leaves you with more sauce once you're eating the leftovers later!
- tip the container over onto a plate, and your meal is in the right order (starch at bottom, sauce on top). You can heat it while still in the container, or after you've put it onto a dish.
I've passed this tip on to other people over the years, (my sister, Christopher, etc.,) and they all seem amazed that they'd never thought about it before.
Try it next time you have some saucy leftovers. :)
When putting away leftovers, put the sauce in the container first, covered by the starch (rice/pasta). It's the opposite of what you think you'd do, but here's the thing:
- the sauce won't get soaked up into the starch while it's sitting in the fridge. This leaves you with more sauce once you're eating the leftovers later!
- tip the container over onto a plate, and your meal is in the right order (starch at bottom, sauce on top). You can heat it while still in the container, or after you've put it onto a dish.
I've passed this tip on to other people over the years, (my sister, Christopher, etc.,) and they all seem amazed that they'd never thought about it before.
Try it next time you have some saucy leftovers. :)
Is it me, or is this really ugly?
...as if the bright red ATM machines weren't bright enough...
You should know that the BofA building on the corner of Castro and 18th street is a really gorgeous old building. Now, while I appreciate that BofA needs to put up a sign letting customers know where they are, I really think they went overboard on this one.
The signs go around all 3 sides of the building. They are bright red and have that really cheap plastic look about them.
Don't they know that in this case, less is more?
Tacky.
Way to deface a building, BofA.
You should know that the BofA building on the corner of Castro and 18th street is a really gorgeous old building. Now, while I appreciate that BofA needs to put up a sign letting customers know where they are, I really think they went overboard on this one.
The signs go around all 3 sides of the building. They are bright red and have that really cheap plastic look about them.
Don't they know that in this case, less is more?
Tacky.
Way to deface a building, BofA.
Andrew & Rafa visit from Spain
Rafa had never been to the U.S. before, and was very open and excited to try out some traditional "American" foods. We met in the Castro first - I told them that we'd meet by the big rainbow flat on the corner of Castro and Market. You know, THE Flag. The one that's always flying. Except for yesterday.... I assume it was down for the filming of the movie, "Milk". But still, that struck me as very funny.
So, lucky Rafa. I tried to explain that we don't usually have Hollywood movies being filmed in our neighborhood, but that they had very good timing! We walked around the Castro, stopped at Spikes for a coffee, then down to Dolores Park and back. It was such a nice, sunny day yesterday. For lunch, I drove them down to the Cliff House, where we had a wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean. Rafa decided that he really wanted to try a Hamburger and fries. Most of you probably know that I don't eat Hamburgers very often - I usually opt for a garden/veggie burger, or a turkey burger. But I realized that the Cliff House would probably make a really nice burger, so I figured, "Why not?" and ordered one as well.
As we were eating, we discussed other foods that were typically American. Andrew had suggested to Rafa that he try adding Bacon to his Hamburger, and explained how different Bacon in the U.S. was, compared to bacon in Spain or England. Once we were on the topic of Bacon, we quickly started to discuss typical American breakfasts, and how Rafa had never had pancakes. That's when we decided that I would take them out to breakfast at It's Tops this morning, before they left to drive to Monterey.
What a nice visit we had. I hope that they enjoy the rest of their trip just as much as I enjoyed spending time with them.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year! It's the year of the Rat - the first animal in the 12 year cycle.
We have a lot of rats in my family - both my Mom and Dad, my cousin, Cheri, and my niece, (my cousin's daughter) Evelyn!
3 generations of Rats - Evelyn, Barb, and Cheri
The Sign of the Rat
Being born under this sign determines many talents, as well as other characteristics that may not be so commendable. Rats are very lively and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. They can be calm and perceptive, but sometimes their brains can cause a mental restlessness, tempting them to take on too much, only to discover they are unable to meet their commitments. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going. Add to their intelligence a curiosity and a bright imagination, and they seem as sharp as a needle.
My family got together for our annual Chinese New Year celebration this past Sunday. For the first time in the last few years, we held it in Stockton at my Grandparent's house. It was really nice having it back there again.
I got a refresher course on Mahjong - it's been several years since I've played, and I really wanted to pick it up again. Now, if we could only find the Mahjong set that everyone *claims* belongs to me! :)
Mahjong!
Grandma had been preparing for the Chinese New Year feast for several days - cooking for 20 people! We all did what we could to help, but really, Grandma had it all under control. Unfortunately, poor Auntie Lani was sick this year, and couldn't join us, so we were down to 19.
A whole lotta Chow
(photo courtesy of my cuz, Bruce. Thanks, Boo!)
It was a really nice day, and, for whatever reason, one of my favorite "Chinese New Year" celebrations in memory.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
We have a lot of rats in my family - both my Mom and Dad, my cousin, Cheri, and my niece, (my cousin's daughter) Evelyn!
3 generations of Rats - Evelyn, Barb, and Cheri
The Sign of the Rat
Being born under this sign determines many talents, as well as other characteristics that may not be so commendable. Rats are very lively and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. They can be calm and perceptive, but sometimes their brains can cause a mental restlessness, tempting them to take on too much, only to discover they are unable to meet their commitments. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going. Add to their intelligence a curiosity and a bright imagination, and they seem as sharp as a needle.
My family got together for our annual Chinese New Year celebration this past Sunday. For the first time in the last few years, we held it in Stockton at my Grandparent's house. It was really nice having it back there again.
I got a refresher course on Mahjong - it's been several years since I've played, and I really wanted to pick it up again. Now, if we could only find the Mahjong set that everyone *claims* belongs to me! :)
Mahjong!
Grandma had been preparing for the Chinese New Year feast for several days - cooking for 20 people! We all did what we could to help, but really, Grandma had it all under control. Unfortunately, poor Auntie Lani was sick this year, and couldn't join us, so we were down to 19.
A whole lotta Chow
(photo courtesy of my cuz, Bruce. Thanks, Boo!)
It was a really nice day, and, for whatever reason, one of my favorite "Chinese New Year" celebrations in memory.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Slow Down!
I just witnessed the aftermath of a pretty bad bicycle accident on our block. I was in my office, which is in the front of the house, and heard that unmistakable sound of a car slamming on it's brakes.
I quickly went to look out my window and saw a car making a quick u-turn, then stopping just up the street from my house. When I looked out the side window of the bay window in our front room, I saw that someone was lying in the middle of the street.
I put my shoes on, grabbed my cell phone, and ran out to see if there was anything I could do to help. There were already 2 good samaritans there: one was his phone with 911, the other was trying to convince the fallen bicyclist to remain lying down.
I found out from of the of drivers (the one who did the quick u-turn) that he was driving down our street, and that the bicyclist was speeding behind him (probably 3-35 MPH). He saw through his rear view mirror that the bicycle's front wheel began to wobble, and that the bicyclist had lost control, and flipped up off his bike, and landed hard on the street.
The poor guy. You could just tell that he was really shaken up, and probably in shock. We tried to keep him down on the ground, but he was adamant about wanted to stand up. Eventually, we got him to sit down on the stairs of a nearby stoop until the paramedics came. The fire fighters, ambulance, and police came within a couple of short minutes, and took him away to the hospital.
Dick and I have always commented on how quickly people drive up and down our street. We're a bit of a thorough way between 17th Street and Noe Valley, and sometimes, people just tear down the street. I think they forget that they are in a residential area.
A neighbor and I talked at the accident scene, and he was thinking about calling the City to see if we could put up speed bumps or caution signs. Not sure if that's possible or not, but it would certainly be helpful.
Luckily, there weren't any cars involved in the bicycle accident today. According to the driver who was in front of the bicyclist, the bicyclist ran through the stop sign at the top of the street, and was tearing down the hill when he lost control.
Slow down, people.
I quickly went to look out my window and saw a car making a quick u-turn, then stopping just up the street from my house. When I looked out the side window of the bay window in our front room, I saw that someone was lying in the middle of the street.
I put my shoes on, grabbed my cell phone, and ran out to see if there was anything I could do to help. There were already 2 good samaritans there: one was his phone with 911, the other was trying to convince the fallen bicyclist to remain lying down.
I found out from of the of drivers (the one who did the quick u-turn) that he was driving down our street, and that the bicyclist was speeding behind him (probably 3-35 MPH). He saw through his rear view mirror that the bicycle's front wheel began to wobble, and that the bicyclist had lost control, and flipped up off his bike, and landed hard on the street.
The poor guy. You could just tell that he was really shaken up, and probably in shock. We tried to keep him down on the ground, but he was adamant about wanted to stand up. Eventually, we got him to sit down on the stairs of a nearby stoop until the paramedics came. The fire fighters, ambulance, and police came within a couple of short minutes, and took him away to the hospital.
Dick and I have always commented on how quickly people drive up and down our street. We're a bit of a thorough way between 17th Street and Noe Valley, and sometimes, people just tear down the street. I think they forget that they are in a residential area.
A neighbor and I talked at the accident scene, and he was thinking about calling the City to see if we could put up speed bumps or caution signs. Not sure if that's possible or not, but it would certainly be helpful.
Luckily, there weren't any cars involved in the bicycle accident today. According to the driver who was in front of the bicyclist, the bicyclist ran through the stop sign at the top of the street, and was tearing down the hill when he lost control.
Slow down, people.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Saturday, February 02, 2008
New Hat!
couple of weeks ago. I've left messages with Caltrain's lost and
found, but so far, no luck.
This morning, we drove down to Fillmore Street to Mrs. Dewson's Hats
. My sister had worked with Mrs Dewson a few years ago when she
worked on the show, "Crowns".
Mrs Dewson has had her shop on Fillmore for over 35 years. It is THE
place to find a hat in San Francisco.
After searching for a while, Mrs Dewson was able to help Dick find the
perfect hat. :)
Friday, February 01, 2008
Happy (Belated) MINIversary!
BAD MINI Owner! BAD, Bad, bad....
Oh no! I forgot that yesterday was my MINI's 4th MINIversary!
Happy MINIversary!
I can't believe I've had her, "MINI Driver", for four years already.
Seems like just yesterday that we picked her up from the dealership!
I think this also means that my extended warranty has expired! Hmmmm. I should look into that!
I suppose one of these years, I'll stop talking about my MINI so much, but it probably won't be this year. :)
Oh no! I forgot that yesterday was my MINI's 4th MINIversary!
Happy MINIversary!
I can't believe I've had her, "MINI Driver", for four years already.
Seems like just yesterday that we picked her up from the dealership!
I think this also means that my extended warranty has expired! Hmmmm. I should look into that!
I suppose one of these years, I'll stop talking about my MINI so much, but it probably won't be this year. :)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
A Handy-Dandy Costco Tip
A few years ago, I signed up for a Costco American Express Cash Rebate Card. As you may know, Costco does not take Visa or Mastercard, but it does accept AmEx, Discover and Bank Debit cards.
For years, I used my ATM/Debit card, which was fine, but I would have much preferred to just charge everything to a credit card and pay the lump sum in full at the end of the month.
Enter the Costco AmEx Card. This card, with no annual fee, not only allowed me to charge my Costco purchases, but also gave me 1-3% back in a Costco Rebate check each year. Handy dandy. The breakdown for how much percentage you'll get in a rebate is: 3% for dining out, 2% on travel expenses, and 1% for purchases everywhere else, including Costco (but not including gasoline, alcohol, or cigarettes) . Usually, I only qualify for the 1% tier, since I only use my AmEx card at Costco.
Well, apparently, they introduced a new card last year called the "TrueEarnings Card" from American Express and Costco. The rebate schematic is the same as before, except now, starting in February, you can also receive 3% back on gas purchases! Not bad.
Here's the thing: if you had a AmEx/Costco Platinum Card (like I do) you have to call the number on the back of the card, and have them actually switch you over to the new card.
No reason not to do it (which I just confirmed with the sales rep who helped me out). It's the same rebate structure, with the addition to the 3% rebate for gasoline. Still, no fees, etc.,
...and that's your handy-dandy Costco tip of the day! :)
For years, I used my ATM/Debit card, which was fine, but I would have much preferred to just charge everything to a credit card and pay the lump sum in full at the end of the month.
Enter the Costco AmEx Card. This card, with no annual fee, not only allowed me to charge my Costco purchases, but also gave me 1-3% back in a Costco Rebate check each year. Handy dandy. The breakdown for how much percentage you'll get in a rebate is: 3% for dining out, 2% on travel expenses, and 1% for purchases everywhere else, including Costco (but not including gasoline, alcohol, or cigarettes) . Usually, I only qualify for the 1% tier, since I only use my AmEx card at Costco.
Well, apparently, they introduced a new card last year called the "TrueEarnings Card" from American Express and Costco. The rebate schematic is the same as before, except now, starting in February, you can also receive 3% back on gas purchases! Not bad.
Here's the thing: if you had a AmEx/Costco Platinum Card (like I do) you have to call the number on the back of the card, and have them actually switch you over to the new card.
No reason not to do it (which I just confirmed with the sales rep who helped me out). It's the same rebate structure, with the addition to the 3% rebate for gasoline. Still, no fees, etc.,
...and that's your handy-dandy Costco tip of the day! :)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Happy Birthday, Tiffie!
Happy Birthday to my sister, Tiffini!
Just look at how young my parents were!
Just look at how young my parents were!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Today's walk down Castro Street
This afternoon, I took another stroll down Castro Street and caught more production action of the filming of "Milk".
It's such a surreal experience every time I take this walk during the production of the movie. There's something new to see each day, and even more storefronts have been transformed back to the 70s. Over the last couple of days, the street has been filled with actors and extras dressed in 70s garb, and cars from the era are the only ones parked along the street.
I was stopped, along with several other passer-bys, as the production crew was filming another scene in front of Harvey's Camera Store across the street. We waited for a few minutes as they wrapped it up before letting us continue. There are several campaign posters up on the windows of the camera store now, bearing Harvey Milk's name, but Sean Penn's photo. Surreal.
Harvey Milk's Camera Store and Campaign Headquarters transformed back in time.
As I walked down to Market Street I saw several more storefronts that had undergone the transformation. My favorite cookie store (Hot Cookie) now bears the Double Rainbow Sign. (that wouldn't be bad to have around, either!)
The Quickly Store (that makes bubble tea)is masquerading as a real estate office with several flyers taped to the windows showing the housing prices of the era: $40,000-$50,000!
Toad Hall, one of the most popular bars in the Castro during the 70s was resurrected. Dick and I watched the filming of a scene in front of this building this evening.
The Bank of America building, which is now a Diesel Store, has a sign bearing it's the bank's name on it again. (although they put it on the side of the building on Castro Street, where the Sprint Store resides, rather than the actual corner of Market and Castro.)
The Castro Theater has been restored to it's former glory. The colors are magnificent - I haven't ever seen it look so beautiful. I heard from a friend that the theater's marquis hadn't fully functioned since the 80s. My favorite part of walking past it today was what I read on the marquis: "The Poseidon Adventure"! (not actually showing!)
And finally, as I turned the corner of Castro at Market, I noticed that even the Chevron Station had gotten into the act: it's prices were turned back to the 70s as well!
I really love watching all of this transformation and action happening in the neighborhood. Everyone that I've talked to seems to be excited about it as well - we're all so happy to see that the producers of the movie seem to be paying to much attention to the detail of our great neighborhood.
Stay tuned. I think there will be another week or so of production before they wrap up.
update:
Here's a great article about the movie and the filming in the Castro in today's sfgate.com.
It's such a surreal experience every time I take this walk during the production of the movie. There's something new to see each day, and even more storefronts have been transformed back to the 70s. Over the last couple of days, the street has been filled with actors and extras dressed in 70s garb, and cars from the era are the only ones parked along the street.
I was stopped, along with several other passer-bys, as the production crew was filming another scene in front of Harvey's Camera Store across the street. We waited for a few minutes as they wrapped it up before letting us continue. There are several campaign posters up on the windows of the camera store now, bearing Harvey Milk's name, but Sean Penn's photo. Surreal.
Harvey Milk's Camera Store and Campaign Headquarters transformed back in time.
As I walked down to Market Street I saw several more storefronts that had undergone the transformation. My favorite cookie store (Hot Cookie) now bears the Double Rainbow Sign. (that wouldn't be bad to have around, either!)
The Quickly Store (that makes bubble tea)is masquerading as a real estate office with several flyers taped to the windows showing the housing prices of the era: $40,000-$50,000!
Toad Hall, one of the most popular bars in the Castro during the 70s was resurrected. Dick and I watched the filming of a scene in front of this building this evening.
The Bank of America building, which is now a Diesel Store, has a sign bearing it's the bank's name on it again. (although they put it on the side of the building on Castro Street, where the Sprint Store resides, rather than the actual corner of Market and Castro.)
The Castro Theater has been restored to it's former glory. The colors are magnificent - I haven't ever seen it look so beautiful. I heard from a friend that the theater's marquis hadn't fully functioned since the 80s. My favorite part of walking past it today was what I read on the marquis: "The Poseidon Adventure"! (not actually showing!)
And finally, as I turned the corner of Castro at Market, I noticed that even the Chevron Station had gotten into the act: it's prices were turned back to the 70s as well!
I really love watching all of this transformation and action happening in the neighborhood. Everyone that I've talked to seems to be excited about it as well - we're all so happy to see that the producers of the movie seem to be paying to much attention to the detail of our great neighborhood.
Stay tuned. I think there will be another week or so of production before they wrap up.
update:
Here's a great article about the movie and the filming in the Castro in today's sfgate.com.
Happy (early) Birthday, Sis!
Mondays are her days off from the theater, so we went out for a celebratory dinner last night. We went to one of our favorite restaurants (and a usual birthday dinner spot for our family): Roys. (Mmmmm... Butterfish!)
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Sunset Idea House
Today I went with my Mom and Dad to the 2007 Sunset Idea House, which (conveniently for me) was located this year in the Mission District of San Francisco.
It was pretty interesting. It's the first one that I've been to, although my parents have been to many.
The theme of this particular house was "green" - it featured many eco-friendly features: Hot water is provided by rooftop tubes that collect solar energy, electricity will come from SunPower solar panels and a wind turbine installed in the backyard.
The design was too industrial-modern for my taste, but that's probably because I'm a little biased to Victorian and Edwardian architecture in San Francisco. The atmosphere of the interior was very cold to me, because all of the cement walls, floors, counters, etc., Although, I have to admit that I walked around with my shoes on (as all visitors did) so I wasn't able to enjoy the water-based radiant heated floors throughout.
I took a few photos. One is of the main level, as you walk through the front door. It shows the indoor lap pool, with a steam/sauna room adjacent to it. Another is the backyard, taken from the 3rd level of the house. I focused on the "rain chain" - an idea I had seen in a photo before, and really liked.
If you're interested in seeing the Sunset Idea House in San Francisco, better go soon! Tomorrow is the last day. Here's more info.
Oh, and if you're interested in buying the 1,200 sq ft apartment in the building (the actual house is not on the market) for just under $1 million, (price recently drastically reduced!) in San Francisco Mission District ($1,000,000 for a condo, without parking, in the Mission) here's more info: 1303alabama.com.
It was pretty interesting. It's the first one that I've been to, although my parents have been to many.
The theme of this particular house was "green" - it featured many eco-friendly features: Hot water is provided by rooftop tubes that collect solar energy, electricity will come from SunPower solar panels and a wind turbine installed in the backyard.
The design was too industrial-modern for my taste, but that's probably because I'm a little biased to Victorian and Edwardian architecture in San Francisco. The atmosphere of the interior was very cold to me, because all of the cement walls, floors, counters, etc., Although, I have to admit that I walked around with my shoes on (as all visitors did) so I wasn't able to enjoy the water-based radiant heated floors throughout.
I took a few photos. One is of the main level, as you walk through the front door. It shows the indoor lap pool, with a steam/sauna room adjacent to it. Another is the backyard, taken from the 3rd level of the house. I focused on the "rain chain" - an idea I had seen in a photo before, and really liked.
If you're interested in seeing the Sunset Idea House in San Francisco, better go soon! Tomorrow is the last day. Here's more info.
Oh, and if you're interested in buying the 1,200 sq ft apartment in the building (the actual house is not on the market) for just under $1 million, (price recently drastically reduced!) in San Francisco Mission District ($1,000,000 for a condo, without parking, in the Mission) here's more info: 1303alabama.com.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Milk
The Castro is going back in time! 30 years to be exact.
Production of the film, "Milk" has begun. Harvey Milk was was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco, California, and therefore, according to Time magazine, "the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet".
He is considered by some to the be Martin Luther King of the Gay Community.
(from Wikipedia):
In 1972, Milk moved to San Francisco. He settled with his partner Scott Smith and opened a camera store, Castro Camera, in the Castro gay village. He emerged as a community leader, founding the Castro Valley Association of local merchants, and represented the neighborhood businesses in dealing with the city government.
Milk ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unsuccessfully twice, in 1973 and 1975. He emerged as a figurehead for San Francisco's large gay community, and was known as the "Mayor of Castro Street", a title which he himself coined. With each campaign, he garnered a larger number of supporters.
Milk's opponent in the 1975 race was Art Agnos, who would win the assembly seat by 3,600 votes out of 33,000 ballots cast.
After San Francisco switched from at-large to district elections, Milk was elected to the Board of Supervisors on his third attempt in 1977, the first openly gay elected official of any large city in the United States, and only the third openly gay elected official in all of the US, after Kathy Kozachenko and Elaine Noble. Milk represented District 5, which included the Castro.
In his eleven months as a Supervisor, he sponsored a gay rights bill for the City as well as – famously – a pooper-scooper ordinance. He was also instrumental in defeating Proposition 6, The Briggs Initiative, backed by State Senator Briggs, which would have allowed openly gay men and lesbians who were teachers to be fired based on their sexuality. In November 1978, Proposition 6 was soundly voted down by Californians.
Harvey Milk was assassinated, along with then-Mayor, George Moscone on November 27, 1978. They were killed at City Hall by Dan White, a former San Francisco City Supervisor. In a controversial verdict, which led to the coining of the legal slang "the Twinkie defense," White was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the assassinations. The movie is being filmed now, and is set to be released towards the end of the year. Director Gus Van Sant is directing the film, which stars Sean Penn as Milk.
They are doing some of the filming on Castro Street, and have transformed part of the street to the way it looked 30 years ago. Harvey Milk's Camera store was on Castro, between 18th and 19th Street. He lived in an apartment upstairs, and used the back of the store as his campaign headquarters. The same building which he had lived/worked in has recently been transformed, as well as some of the businesses around it.
I took a walk down Castro Street yesterday, and snapped some photos. I didn't realize until I was taking the photos they were actually in production. You can see a scaffolding set up in the middle of the street (where the orange cones are) in one of the photos, filming a scene in front of the camera store. You can also see how some storefronts have been transformed, although the businesses inside are still open for business! Our favorite Thai restaurant, Thai House Express is temporarily sporting the facade of "China Court", which is what it was for years, until only about 3 years ago. You can also see "Aquarius Records" next store to it, which has also been long gone. (Thanks to Andrew for the photo of the Aquarius Records sign being put up.)
Since I took these shots during production, you'll see that all of the cars in them are all period to the late 70s. They even went so far in detail that I noticed them painting all of the sidewalk trash cans beige, over the dark green that they usually are.
I also took a photo of our beloved Castro Theater, which is also getting a face lift. I'm not positive, but I assume that the timing of it's new look is coinciding with the filming of "Milk".
Lastly, I'm including a couple of photos that I took from Harvey Milk Plaza, which is on the corner of Market and Castro, down by the entrance to the MUNI Station. There are a series of photos down here depicting the life of Harvey Milk, showing the impact that he had on our community.
I recently heard about the "Milk March" which will be held late in the evening of February 8th. The movie is looking for volunteers to appear as unpaid extras. They will be recreating the famous Candlelight march through the Castro the night after Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated in 1978.
I signed up for this evening, as well as two others (which don't seem to be mentioned on the web site anymore). I think this will be a fascinating opportunity to be a part of something important. For me, it's not about "being an extra in a movie". It's more about having the experience of participating in something that is so historically significant to my neighborhood, and my community.
Let me know if you'll be there on any of the nights - would love to hook up with some friends!
Update
Here's a really good article about the movie production that I just found on the B.A.R.
Production of the film, "Milk" has begun. Harvey Milk was was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco, California, and therefore, according to Time magazine, "the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet".
He is considered by some to the be Martin Luther King of the Gay Community.
(from Wikipedia):
In 1972, Milk moved to San Francisco. He settled with his partner Scott Smith and opened a camera store, Castro Camera, in the Castro gay village. He emerged as a community leader, founding the Castro Valley Association of local merchants, and represented the neighborhood businesses in dealing with the city government.
Milk ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unsuccessfully twice, in 1973 and 1975. He emerged as a figurehead for San Francisco's large gay community, and was known as the "Mayor of Castro Street", a title which he himself coined. With each campaign, he garnered a larger number of supporters.
Milk's opponent in the 1975 race was Art Agnos, who would win the assembly seat by 3,600 votes out of 33,000 ballots cast.
After San Francisco switched from at-large to district elections, Milk was elected to the Board of Supervisors on his third attempt in 1977, the first openly gay elected official of any large city in the United States, and only the third openly gay elected official in all of the US, after Kathy Kozachenko and Elaine Noble. Milk represented District 5, which included the Castro.
In his eleven months as a Supervisor, he sponsored a gay rights bill for the City as well as – famously – a pooper-scooper ordinance. He was also instrumental in defeating Proposition 6, The Briggs Initiative, backed by State Senator Briggs, which would have allowed openly gay men and lesbians who were teachers to be fired based on their sexuality. In November 1978, Proposition 6 was soundly voted down by Californians.
Harvey Milk was assassinated, along with then-Mayor, George Moscone on November 27, 1978. They were killed at City Hall by Dan White, a former San Francisco City Supervisor. In a controversial verdict, which led to the coining of the legal slang "the Twinkie defense," White was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the assassinations. The movie is being filmed now, and is set to be released towards the end of the year. Director Gus Van Sant is directing the film, which stars Sean Penn as Milk.
They are doing some of the filming on Castro Street, and have transformed part of the street to the way it looked 30 years ago. Harvey Milk's Camera store was on Castro, between 18th and 19th Street. He lived in an apartment upstairs, and used the back of the store as his campaign headquarters. The same building which he had lived/worked in has recently been transformed, as well as some of the businesses around it.
I took a walk down Castro Street yesterday, and snapped some photos. I didn't realize until I was taking the photos they were actually in production. You can see a scaffolding set up in the middle of the street (where the orange cones are) in one of the photos, filming a scene in front of the camera store. You can also see how some storefronts have been transformed, although the businesses inside are still open for business! Our favorite Thai restaurant, Thai House Express is temporarily sporting the facade of "China Court", which is what it was for years, until only about 3 years ago. You can also see "Aquarius Records" next store to it, which has also been long gone. (Thanks to Andrew for the photo of the Aquarius Records sign being put up.)
Since I took these shots during production, you'll see that all of the cars in them are all period to the late 70s. They even went so far in detail that I noticed them painting all of the sidewalk trash cans beige, over the dark green that they usually are.
I also took a photo of our beloved Castro Theater, which is also getting a face lift. I'm not positive, but I assume that the timing of it's new look is coinciding with the filming of "Milk".
Lastly, I'm including a couple of photos that I took from Harvey Milk Plaza, which is on the corner of Market and Castro, down by the entrance to the MUNI Station. There are a series of photos down here depicting the life of Harvey Milk, showing the impact that he had on our community.
I recently heard about the "Milk March" which will be held late in the evening of February 8th. The movie is looking for volunteers to appear as unpaid extras. They will be recreating the famous Candlelight march through the Castro the night after Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated in 1978.
I signed up for this evening, as well as two others (which don't seem to be mentioned on the web site anymore). I think this will be a fascinating opportunity to be a part of something important. For me, it's not about "being an extra in a movie". It's more about having the experience of participating in something that is so historically significant to my neighborhood, and my community.
Let me know if you'll be there on any of the nights - would love to hook up with some friends!
Update
Here's a really good article about the movie production that I just found on the B.A.R.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Handy iPhone App
Thanks to Mike for sending this to me:
http://sf.munitime.com/
This handy little app checks SF MUNI arrival times for you via your iPhones.
http://sf.munitime.com/
This handy little app checks SF MUNI arrival times for you via your iPhones.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
A Whole New World - a Follow-up
Oh, my. This just keeps getting better.
Someone was clever enough to put Nick Pitera's recording over the scene from the movie:
If you haven't seen the video of Nick Pitera singing this (which I put up on my blog yesterday), be sure to watch that, too!
Someone was clever enough to put Nick Pitera's recording over the scene from the movie:
If you haven't seen the video of Nick Pitera singing this (which I put up on my blog yesterday), be sure to watch that, too!
Jury Duty
Here I am, sitting in the Jury Assembly Room of the Civic Center Courthouse.
I received my summons for jury duty a few weeks ago, checked the website Friday afternoon, and found that I did indeed need to report in today.
I served on a jury about 3 years ago, and actually found the process rather fascinating. I'm wondering how far along in the system I'll go this time around.
So far, this experience is already a lot better than last time. This time, I'm at the Courthouse in Civic Center, by City Hall. It's a much nicer building than the one I had to report to last time on Folsom Street. Also, last time, there wasn't any good public transportation options, so I had to drive, and park at a pricey lot. This time, it's MUNI to Civic Center! Much better.
The jury assembly room is also much nicer. Lots of large, wooden tables, with plenty of outlets for all of us and our laptops. I opted to pay the $5.95/day for wireless internet access. Since we're on the basement level, my iPhone doesn't have a signal, and I just couldn't sit around for who knows how long without checking email, surfing the web, and updating my Facebook status! Plus, you know, the beauty of laptops: there's always work to do. :)
So, here I am. I got here around 8:15 (15 minutes early) and was able to snag a nice, large table in the room. I've got my bottle of water, my dried fruit to snack on, and my laptop to work on, and to keep me company.
We'll see how it goes.
Stay tuned.
update
12:00 Noon
Well, that was fairly uneventful. They pulled us into the court room at 10:00, then proceeded to tell us how long the trial was scheduled to go for. 6 weeks! I wouldn't have minded serving on a jury, not even for that long, but I decided to submit a hardship form since that would've been too long for me to go without work/pay. I was sent back to the jury assembly room to see if there are any other, shorter trials that I could be considered for, but when I got down there, I was dismissed for at least another year.
So, I'm out about $9 from the experience: $5.95 for wireless internet (which I used for about 1.5 hours) and $3 for round trip MUNI fare. Not bad.
I received my summons for jury duty a few weeks ago, checked the website Friday afternoon, and found that I did indeed need to report in today.
I served on a jury about 3 years ago, and actually found the process rather fascinating. I'm wondering how far along in the system I'll go this time around.
So far, this experience is already a lot better than last time. This time, I'm at the Courthouse in Civic Center, by City Hall. It's a much nicer building than the one I had to report to last time on Folsom Street. Also, last time, there wasn't any good public transportation options, so I had to drive, and park at a pricey lot. This time, it's MUNI to Civic Center! Much better.
The jury assembly room is also much nicer. Lots of large, wooden tables, with plenty of outlets for all of us and our laptops. I opted to pay the $5.95/day for wireless internet access. Since we're on the basement level, my iPhone doesn't have a signal, and I just couldn't sit around for who knows how long without checking email, surfing the web, and updating my Facebook status! Plus, you know, the beauty of laptops: there's always work to do. :)
So, here I am. I got here around 8:15 (15 minutes early) and was able to snag a nice, large table in the room. I've got my bottle of water, my dried fruit to snack on, and my laptop to work on, and to keep me company.
We'll see how it goes.
Stay tuned.
update
12:00 Noon
Well, that was fairly uneventful. They pulled us into the court room at 10:00, then proceeded to tell us how long the trial was scheduled to go for. 6 weeks! I wouldn't have minded serving on a jury, not even for that long, but I decided to submit a hardship form since that would've been too long for me to go without work/pay. I was sent back to the jury assembly room to see if there are any other, shorter trials that I could be considered for, but when I got down there, I was dismissed for at least another year.
So, I'm out about $9 from the experience: $5.95 for wireless internet (which I used for about 1.5 hours) and $3 for round trip MUNI fare. Not bad.
Monday, January 21, 2008
A Whole New World
My cousin, Cheri, sent me this link last week. She and I are both Disney Animation Fans.
My initial thought: this guy has an amazing voice! He actually sounds like the voice who sang the voice in the movie! (which is saying a lot!) Which reminds me, the character of Aladdin was my first and only cartoon crush. I mean, come on, the guy was dreamy. ;)
Anyhow, watch the video. Turn on the sound on your computer, and make sure to watch it in its entirety. This guy really does have an amazing voice, so much so, that it may surprise you.
My initial thought: this guy has an amazing voice! He actually sounds like the voice who sang the voice in the movie! (which is saying a lot!) Which reminds me, the character of Aladdin was my first and only cartoon crush. I mean, come on, the guy was dreamy. ;)
Anyhow, watch the video. Turn on the sound on your computer, and make sure to watch it in its entirety. This guy really does have an amazing voice, so much so, that it may surprise you.
Friday, January 18, 2008
MacWorld 2008
My Mom, my sister and I have a long standing tradition of going to Mac World San Francisco together. My Mom pulled my sister and I out of high school for a day in 1985 so we could attend the first one!
We also have a routine: we meet for an early lunch/breakfast at Mel's Diner at 5th and Mission, then head over to the Exhibit Hall. For the last couple of years, we've attended on a Friday, which is the last day, because it coincides with one of my Mom's days off.
So, we met all this morning at 11:00. My sister's boyfriend, Graham, also joined us. After lunch/breakfast, we headed over to the registration area. The registration was actually held in the new section of Moscone center this year (Moscone West).
It was a good year. It seems like it was larger this year that it has been for the past couple of years. There were two exhibit areas - the main one, and another large and busy one in Moscone West.
All the same stuff: lots of accessories for your iPod/iPhone/Mac, etc.,
We breezed through everything, including the Apple area. I was mildly interested in actually picking up (physically) the new Mac Book Air, just to test the weight. It really is remarkably light. The touch pad was also pretty cool - works like the screen on the iPhone. I still don't have any desire to buy one, though. At this point, it seems like a really great travel laptop, or presentation laptop, but not a serious full-time computer.
I didn't buy anything today. There simply wasn't anything that I "needed". If I had needed a cover or new carrying case for my iPhone, or my laptop, it would certainly have been the perfect place. Alas, I'm very happy with what I already have, and don't have any need for replacements. :)
Actually, there was something that I would have bought today, if given the option. I found these super cute little iPod/AM/FM clock radios. I've been looking for something compact that I can put on the shelf of the new bathroom. These really fit the bill. They are about the size of a square Kleenex box. Unfortunately, they weren't selling them at the show, and even more unfortunate, they won't have a web site for another month or so (or something like that. I couldn't quite figure it out). They did mention that I could find them on ebay, which I did tonight, but have discovered that it's only available right now in the UK. I think I'll just wait another month or so...
Here are a few fun pictures that I took today.
We also have a routine: we meet for an early lunch/breakfast at Mel's Diner at 5th and Mission, then head over to the Exhibit Hall. For the last couple of years, we've attended on a Friday, which is the last day, because it coincides with one of my Mom's days off.
So, we met all this morning at 11:00. My sister's boyfriend, Graham, also joined us. After lunch/breakfast, we headed over to the registration area. The registration was actually held in the new section of Moscone center this year (Moscone West).
It was a good year. It seems like it was larger this year that it has been for the past couple of years. There were two exhibit areas - the main one, and another large and busy one in Moscone West.
All the same stuff: lots of accessories for your iPod/iPhone/Mac, etc.,
We breezed through everything, including the Apple area. I was mildly interested in actually picking up (physically) the new Mac Book Air, just to test the weight. It really is remarkably light. The touch pad was also pretty cool - works like the screen on the iPhone. I still don't have any desire to buy one, though. At this point, it seems like a really great travel laptop, or presentation laptop, but not a serious full-time computer.
I didn't buy anything today. There simply wasn't anything that I "needed". If I had needed a cover or new carrying case for my iPhone, or my laptop, it would certainly have been the perfect place. Alas, I'm very happy with what I already have, and don't have any need for replacements. :)
Actually, there was something that I would have bought today, if given the option. I found these super cute little iPod/AM/FM clock radios. I've been looking for something compact that I can put on the shelf of the new bathroom. These really fit the bill. They are about the size of a square Kleenex box. Unfortunately, they weren't selling them at the show, and even more unfortunate, they won't have a web site for another month or so (or something like that. I couldn't quite figure it out). They did mention that I could find them on ebay, which I did tonight, but have discovered that it's only available right now in the UK. I think I'll just wait another month or so...
Here are a few fun pictures that I took today.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Morning Buns
As we drove by Tartine Bakery at the corner of 18th and Guererro, I noticed that the line, which is usually out the door, was much shorter than it usually is when we drive by. There also seemed to be a few parking spaces out in front. I made a mental note to come by on my way home to see if I could park and grab a treat for breakfast on my way home.
I got back to the bakery around 8:00, and found a 10 minute parking-zone spot right in front! I waited in line behind 3 people, and happily ordered myself a "Morning Bun" to go.
If you haven't been to this bakery, you really must check it out. Their pastries are simply some of the best I've ever had. Don't get scared off from the lines (usually out the door, and down the sidewalk). They move quickly enough, and really, it's worth the wait.
I''m going to go downstairs now and eat my Morning Bun with a mug of peppermint tea. What a nice way to start the day!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Honey, I'm home!
This is a look that Dick has been sporting for the past month or so.
I call it his "Honey, I'm Home!" look.
I love it. It's got a 50s, Ward Cleaver thing going for it.
It's really all about the hat. Love the hat. Apparently, he's had the hat for several years, but hadn't worn it in a long time.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Inaugural Celebration
Geeky McGeekster
When Geeky Worlds Collide...
Dick and I just bought a new toy. It's a Garmin NUVI 760 GPS device. It's pretty cool. We honestly don't drive outside of SF very often, so we haven't had a chance to really use it yet, but we've had fun taking it around the town, and testing out what it can do.
The Garmin web site has a few 3D vehicles that you can download to show up as your vehicle on the screen. I was really hoping to find a MINI Cooper, but no luck.
Last night, I was surfing around some MINI forums to get some opinions on a GPS mounting option for my car, and I came across some MINI icons for the Garmin! Imagine my excitement!
This morning, as I was riding with Dick to the CalTrain station, I decided to take a picture of the GPS screen with my little MINI Cooper, tootling along the Streets of San Francisco. Pretty cute, huh?
BTW: here's the mounting system I'm thinking about getting for my MINI (the second option down). Has anyone used the Kuda products before? Thoughts?
Dick and I just bought a new toy. It's a Garmin NUVI 760 GPS device. It's pretty cool. We honestly don't drive outside of SF very often, so we haven't had a chance to really use it yet, but we've had fun taking it around the town, and testing out what it can do.
The Garmin web site has a few 3D vehicles that you can download to show up as your vehicle on the screen. I was really hoping to find a MINI Cooper, but no luck.
Last night, I was surfing around some MINI forums to get some opinions on a GPS mounting option for my car, and I came across some MINI icons for the Garmin! Imagine my excitement!
This morning, as I was riding with Dick to the CalTrain station, I decided to take a picture of the GPS screen with my little MINI Cooper, tootling along the Streets of San Francisco. Pretty cute, huh?
BTW: here's the mounting system I'm thinking about getting for my MINI (the second option down). Has anyone used the Kuda products before? Thoughts?
Friday, January 04, 2008
Another reason why I love Pete
not that I needed another...
Today I received an email from iTunes saying that I'd received a gift from a friend. Turns out that Pete had bought me a copy of the "Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band (12" Disco Mix) off of "The Best of Meco" Album.
OMG! I remember when this song first came out (obviously soon after the movie) and I LOVED it! It's got it all: the main theme, R2D2 beeps, the cantina music (all disco-ed up) and jawas, all rolled up into 3 minutes, 48 seconds of disco goodness.
I'm a happy geek. :)
Today I received an email from iTunes saying that I'd received a gift from a friend. Turns out that Pete had bought me a copy of the "Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band (12" Disco Mix) off of "The Best of Meco" Album.
OMG! I remember when this song first came out (obviously soon after the movie) and I LOVED it! It's got it all: the main theme, R2D2 beeps, the cantina music (all disco-ed up) and jawas, all rolled up into 3 minutes, 48 seconds of disco goodness.
I'm a happy geek. :)
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Trina Chow: Soccer Mom?
Our friends, Abbe and Eve, have recently moved into the neighborhood! :) Their new (gorgeous) home is only about 3 blocks from us.
Abbe started a new job yesterday in Palo Alto. When we had dinner together last week, she asked Dick about his experience with CalTrain. Dick has been taking Caltrain to work for several years now, and highly recommends it, so she decided to give it a try.
We told her that Dick usually rides his scooter to the station, unless it's very cold or raining out. If that's the case, then I drive him back and forth.
Abbe and Eve decided to start out by having Eve drive Abbe to the station since they don't quite know the parking situation yet.
Yesterday, Dick and Abbe saw each other while they were on the same train home. Dick rode his scooter home, and Eve picked up Abbe. After Dick told me about their encounter last night, I suggested that he call Abbe to offer her a ride today, since we were expecting rain for the next few days.
Abbe went in earlier than Dick today, so Eve dropped her off again, but I'm all set to pick them both up from the station this afternoon.
Eve called me about an hour ago, confirming my plans to pick both Dick and Abbe up. She also offered to drive Dick tomorrow morning, if he wanted to go on the same train as Abbe.
I started laughing because we sounded like a couple of mothers trying to arrange a car pool for our kids. I told her that this must be what it feels like to be a soccer mom. :)
Abbe started a new job yesterday in Palo Alto. When we had dinner together last week, she asked Dick about his experience with CalTrain. Dick has been taking Caltrain to work for several years now, and highly recommends it, so she decided to give it a try.
We told her that Dick usually rides his scooter to the station, unless it's very cold or raining out. If that's the case, then I drive him back and forth.
Abbe and Eve decided to start out by having Eve drive Abbe to the station since they don't quite know the parking situation yet.
Yesterday, Dick and Abbe saw each other while they were on the same train home. Dick rode his scooter home, and Eve picked up Abbe. After Dick told me about their encounter last night, I suggested that he call Abbe to offer her a ride today, since we were expecting rain for the next few days.
Abbe went in earlier than Dick today, so Eve dropped her off again, but I'm all set to pick them both up from the station this afternoon.
Eve called me about an hour ago, confirming my plans to pick both Dick and Abbe up. She also offered to drive Dick tomorrow morning, if he wanted to go on the same train as Abbe.
I started laughing because we sounded like a couple of mothers trying to arrange a car pool for our kids. I told her that this must be what it feels like to be a soccer mom. :)
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
New Year's Day Dinner
the Chinese girl from California is learning...
In the Southern tradition, we made Greens (Collard) and Black Eyed Peas (in the form of Hoppin' John) for dinner.
The black eyed peas represent good luck and the greens signify prosperity.
We do this meal almost ever year on New Year's Day. We used a new recipe (for us) for the Hoppin' John - gotta love the Mama Dip's Cookbook. It was both of our favorite version by far. Mmmmm.
Which brings me to to the question: who is John, and why is he hoppin'?
In the Southern tradition, we made Greens (Collard) and Black Eyed Peas (in the form of Hoppin' John) for dinner.
The black eyed peas represent good luck and the greens signify prosperity.
We do this meal almost ever year on New Year's Day. We used a new recipe (for us) for the Hoppin' John - gotta love the Mama Dip's Cookbook. It was both of our favorite version by far. Mmmmm.
Which brings me to to the question: who is John, and why is he hoppin'?
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