In a Western Place

It was a beautiful weekend, weather-wise, so we spent some time walking around the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Obviously it’s better to go during the week (way less crowded), but it was still nice to smell the fresh buds and relax with some hot Jasmine tea. I happily brought along my new, severely under-accessorized digital SLR for some picture taking. Spring is in the air!

I just engaged in some typical small talk with one of my co-workers in the Ladies room. This particular co-worker moved here from Vermont around the same time I moved here from New York State, and our discussion centered on how gorgeous the weather was over the weekend.

As she was leaving the room, she stopped and said, "We did right by moving out here."

I wholeheartedly agreed then glowed, because that's what you do after making one of the best decisions of your life... a decision that snowballed into happy consequences.

Finally!

Matty just revealed to me that he spent about $500 on dining out... $500 in the month of February alone! Since we usually take turns paying the bill, it can be assumed that I've spent about the same.

$%#^@&!*@!!!

Clearly we're eating out too much, but how did this happen? Let's review:

* I'm (temporarily) living with 3 boys guys, albeit sweet, but totally incapable of putting things back where they found them. While we do possess lovely cooking items such as a Pyrex measuring cup... that cup will be in the cupboard one day, then in-between the couch cushions the following.

* To use the kitchen, you need to clean the kitchen. By the time I've washed some of the dishes, removed the overflowing trash, collected the empty beer bottles, and wiped down the counters... I'm too tired to cook (or throw a Gluten Free Amy's meal in the microwave, for that matter.)

* There's not enough room in the cupboards/refrigerator to hold all of my foodstuffs. And even if I buy something small, like eggs, with the sole intention of making them for breakfast... they'll get buried and go bad because I won't be able to find them until 3 months later.

* Where we live in the Mission is a freaking restaurant oasis. A restaurant oasis makes it a little too easy to either go out, pick something up, or have something delivered.

So really, there's no solution here. Except maybe get another job. I'm open to ideas. Help.

The Mission is dirty, and it's violent, and it's loud, and the crackheads shamelessly light up in front of me at the bus stop in broad daylight (that's a contact high I want to avoid) - but MAN ALIVE, the Mexican food is muy muy muy delicioso! It's become a Saturday morning tradition for Matty and I (along with the occasional roomate/houseguest) to eat a late breakfast at a particular authentic Mexican restaurant on the corner of our street. I'd tell you the name, but I've always been too distracted to look it up. It's that good.

I always order the Huevos Rancheros with either a cup of black coffee or (if I'm feeling loco) a Mexican Coke. Just LOOK at this delicious footage!

Soooooo good. And now back to my oatmeal. Weeeee.

I do not like a certain large-scale electronics chain store because they never seem to have what I'm looking for. And in the rare event that they do, they want twice as much for it. I'm recalling the sticky LCD protector sheet incident of last week, the 2GB CF card incident from the week before, and don't get me started on the what do you mean you have no more copies of Ratatouille fiasco around Christmas time. And I know what your thinking... well Kir, why do you even bother shopping there?

Convenience. Peer pressure. I don't know.

I arrived home from work ready to kick it with a glass of wine and fire up the ol' laptop for some Photoshop fun. The battery was drained, so naturally, I plugged it in.

Funny, I thought, the power cord feels awfully hot. Weird, when I move my knee the screen appears to be fading from bright to dim. What is that crackling noise? Did I just see sparks?

And sure enough, upon closer inspection, the cord was damaged from some sort of bending mishap (I plead the 5th). Rather than unplug the device and leave it be... I, of course, tried to figit with it... because the magic of my touch will somehow heal the cord's insulating cover, thus blocking the 65 watts of electricity from coursing throughout my being.

*** Kir would like to confess that she accidentally electrocuted herself this past December while unplugging the space heater. The details are unimportant, but she did learn a valuable lesson: long fingernails make excellent conductors of electricity.

After some quick research, I was expecting to spend anywhere between $39.99 - $59.99. This large-scale electronics chain store is a few short blocks from where I live, so I thought I'd jog over to see if maybe, maybe, they had a reasonably priced AC adapter for an HP laptop computer.

"Can I help you."

"Yes, do you sell AC adapters for laptops."

"Eh, not really... we have a universal adapter. But your probably going to have to get it from the manufacture. What type is it?"

"An HP."

"Oh we have HP, buuuuut it has to be a newer model." (proceeds to walk away)

(follows) "Um, it's a Pavilion dv 5000."

"Oh, yeah... we got that."

[What was that about? Do I not look like a person capable of possessing a somewhat "new" machine? Prejudice jerk.]

I looked at the price tag, $90! They wanted $90 PLUS tax! I walked out of that large-scale electronics chain store and directly into my friendly Rainbow grocery to buy some wine for the sole purpose of drowning my sorrows. That, and I was craving some honey mustard rice chips.

I spent the rest of the evening mucking about the interweb, searching for a new adapter and CONQUERING that entire bag of honey mustard rice chips. HP sells them for $59.99 - which, including overnight shipping, still works out to be a bit cheaper than said large-scale electronics chain. While I have no qualms about shelling out $50 on dinner for 2 on a Tuesday night, I'll be damned if I'm overcharged for a stupid AC adapter that I actually need.

In the meantime - PANIC - I need my battery recharged... or else, no access to my iTunes musical collection! (I really need to back my stuff up).

All about yesterday...

I woke up to a painful charley horse in my right calve. A charley horse and a panic attack because I thought that it was Saturday morning... and I forgot to pick up the thing that I was supposed to pick up at work on Friday. I overslept, missed a solid breakfast, then ran late to my hair appointment. I had to pay for all my public transportation because I loaned Matty my Fastpass the night before and forgot to get it back from him. I was nearly plowed down by a black Honda Civic on a somewhat quiet street because they weren't looking (I had the right of way). A bus driver gave me a verbal lashing because I had my headphones on while waiting for my transfer (I give you money - you give me transfer, there's no need for conversation!) And the delicious Japanese food I consumed at my favorite Sushi restaurant gave me a terrible tummy ache.

Anyway, I'm not telling you all of this because I need to vent... or because I want the world to feel bad that my day off was kind of crummy. I wanted to post this as an example of how much we control what happens on a day to day basis. I walked through the entire day focusing on these little inconveniences, instead of focusing on what was going right and what made me feel good. Like being able to overdose on chamomile tea while getting my hair done. The warm(er) weather. A hot sake lunch (OK, perhaps that caused the tummy ache). My nice, relaxing nap, and the delicious falafel I had for dinner. How Matty cracked me up with stories about the crazy things his students did/said that day. And more importantly, I have a job with a flexible schedule that allows me the option of having a Thursday off in the first place.

So if the day's not working out for you - stop, relax, breathe, be present, and focus on positive thoughts. Happy Friday!

Hold the hot sauce, no onions, and with extra tahini.

Step One:

Remove falafel from protective aluminum covering.

Slice open like a taun taun... consume innards with a fork:
diced cucumbers & peppers, eggplant, potato, falafel, and extra tahini.

Leave remaining pita shell for consumption
by vultures boyfriend/housemates.

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm at work... which isn't so bad. While it kind of sucks to be stuck inside on such a beautiful day and miss out on Matty's band playing up in Mill valley... I find it relaxing to work within the confines of a quiet and desolate office. I only wish that I had a bit more sleep...

Why am I lacking sleep?

A. Daylight Savings Time (isn’t it a little early?)

B. The accident

I'm sure you're all aware of Day Light Savings, so let's talk about the accident. Close to 3:00 am this morning Matty and I awoke simultaneously to a loud "BOOM!" Fearing that something hit the house, I grabbed my glasses, and we both jumped toward the window. The first thing we noticed was a freshly totaled, new-er car laying lifeless on the corner of our street. Then three young disoriented passengers and driver (who was clutching his head) crawled out of the a smashed remains - airbags deployed and steam sewing from beneath the hood. Then we saw an old white Caddy on the sidewalk, with both its front and back end smashed. It looked as though the black car was speeding northbound on our street, lost control of the car and then smashed into the parked Caddy (I've seen this car before) on the opposite side of the street. Note: there were no tire marks. A few neighbors, including our street busybody, went over to assist... while we continued to rubberneck from our window. Thankfully it didn't appear as though anyone was seriously injured.

The Caddy's owner never made an appearance, but there was some yelling between our neighbors and random passer byers (doesn’t anyone sleep?) In an interesting turn of events, the three passengers and driver walked away. We initially thought that they just walked off to seek help, but the busybody announced (to all) that they had just left... leaving several folks (in the street) scratching their heads until one of the guys (the driver, I imagine) came over and said,

“I know you all saw what happened…. but I… I gotta go.”

And then he left. Never to be seen again.

Which led us to the following assumptions:

A. The driver was the influence of something that impairs their ability to operate a motor vehicle, legally...

and/or

B. The driver did not own the car, nor did he receive permission to "borrow" it

Regardless, what a dumbass move.

Twenty minutes later, two police cars finally arrived – then one sped off to find the passengers. An hour later flatbeds arrived to tow the cars away from the scene. I don't think they owner of the Caddy ever made an appearance, so I bet they were in for a surprise. What a crappy way to start the day.

After all of that, Matty and I had trouble falling back asleep. I think I dozed off around 5:00am while he watched Futurama. Ah well, back to work!

and yes, updating my website counts as "work"

It's been nearly 2 months since I started my new job and I think it's safe to say that I really enjoy it. The work is fun, and I'm good at what I do (I think so). My only complaint: lack of social interaction. We all work somewhat independently from one another... seated like statues in front of our respectful machines... equipped with noise canceling headphones and assorted beverages... absorbed in a world of Dreamweaver and Flash... thinking only in HTML, CSS, javascript and/or actionscripting. I'll talk to people as we pass in the halls, but overall there hasn't been an opportunity for me to get to know many of my co-workers. Much less their names.

Finally an opportunity for a happy hour presented itself last evening and we left work a wee bit early to meet up for a few drinks around the corner. I had a lot of fun, and it was nice to have a non-work related chat with folks and match names with faces. I was invited to dinner with a smaller group in the Castro. Matty joined us, and the drinks continued to flow while we waited for a table. Things started to get a bit fuzzy around the time we were served... and thankfully, I didn't do/say anything to embarrass myself in front of my new cohorts (then again, everyone was pretty plastered so who would have known?) We both had a really good time, and I hereby officially mark today as the first day that I showed up to my new job, with a hangover.

At least I'm not the only one.

Uuuugh, what a week! On Tuesday, Matty received word that he (among many others, read here and here) will probably be layed off at the end of the school year. I thought I'd cheer him up by picking up his recent Ebay win at the post office yesterday, but his "package" turned out to be certified mail containing his preliminary pink slip. Egads! Then we heard that two of our friends lost their jobs yesterday, effective immediately. Bummer. Despite qualifying for the earned income tax credit for 2007, I still owe the IRS a good chunk of change (darn you 1099-G's and 1099-misc's!) Does anyone know if I can still put money toward an IRA and use it for a deduction? On top of some other (read: stupid) crap beyond our control, Matty and I are desperate for a change of scenery. I've rented a car for the weekend and we're just going to go where the road takes us cause that's how we fly... we need an adventure!

In other news, I had a fabulous day off yesterday - I got a lot done with time leftover for coffee with a co-worker and lunch with Mindy & Dutch. The housemates and I saw a cool show last night, the first of a bunch that I'll be attending this Spring and I cannot wait to tell you all about them. In the meantime, I need to take a deep breath and recharge my batteries. Have a great weekend!

Mmmmm... just thinking about that ahi poke
wasabi rice bowl that I ate yesterday

We arrived home late last night after our small roadtrip down the coast of Central California. The weekend was full of driving, relaxation and adventure... just what we needed. I'll post some pics once I've finished sorting through the 200 + RAW files on my camera. In the meantime, HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY! I've got the day off, lucky me (and I'm not even Irish!)

Big Sur, an oceanic and mountainous portion of the California coastline, spans south of Monterey to north of San Simeon. Photos were taken at Pfeiffer Beach, a well hidden coastal access point between Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and the Big Sur postal office, along highway 1.

Organic, all natural, additive free Cranberry juice is not only expensive, it's pretty vile. But, it does the job.

Matty: "no wonder other animals like to eat them, they look like little dumplings!" Mmmm Elephant Seal dumplings. These resting pups were found along the coast a few miles north of San Simeon. They're protected, so we could only view from a fair distance. Good thing, the adults are vicious and u-g-l-y (but in their own cute way).

A band that I really like, Explosions in the Sky, are here in town and poop on me, all 3 shows are sold out! So I thought, "craiglist will help me!"

I had no idea that Easter was this weekend until Good Friday... and I no idea it was Good Friday until the mail didn't arrive. We spent a portion of the holiday in Dolores park for an annual Easter event by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence featuring a bonnet decorating contest and a performance by friends of Vitamin Party, the Ex-Boyfriends. We passed on the Hunky Jesus Contest in favor for a long walk around the neighborhood. Easter lunch was fish and chips at a local Irish Pub and Easter dinner (only after a loooong nap) was a couple of Falafels and Kebabs. Maybe next year we'll indulge in this San Francisco Easter tradition... as participants, of course. I should have health insurance by then.

Shot at The Napper Tandy - Easter 2008

There's a Thai restaurant in the Haight called "Phuket Thai" and I have trouble holding back my giggles every time I see it. Phuket? Phuket? Don't get it? Seriously, say that 3 times fast. I can only imagine the following conversation going down:

Person A: "What would you like to get for dinner? How about Thai?"

Person B: "I don't know what I'm in the mood for... I'm not sure I really want Thai. I can't decide and I pressed for time. Ah phuket... Thai it is."

And boy oh boy, I was just catching up on my Rochester news and would you believe a place with the same name exists there too? Isn't there some sort of filter for this kind of thing?

I do, I do!!!

I saw Bob Mould (lead guitarist for the highly influential band, Hüsker Dü) perform for the first time way back in the Fall of 1996. He played a surprisingly electrifying acoustic solo set at my alma matter, RIT. I went with my (at the time) boyfriend's best friend — who ran into Bob Mould the following day at a Jiffy Lube in Syracuse, NY.

The second time I saw Bob Mould perform was this past Wednesday evening, when he played an electrifying electric set at the Great American Music Hall. First of all, awesome venue to see a show... and secondly, holy Fender it was amazing! The band played a lot of my favorites, mostly from his Sugar days (his band from the 90's that I'm a huge fan of). The show was loud, and it got even louder during the 2 encores that followed. My ears are still ringing but IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

Per the artist's request, I couldn't get a picture, but I did find a video on youtube of the "band" playing a song off their much loved by me album, Copper Blue.

by the infamous cupcake gang: