In a Western Place

August? Really?

Kir (admin) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:47:36 +0000

There’s a lot to say, but no time to say it! So I’ll complain about the weather. It’s cold. Like, freezing cold, cloudy and miserable outside. While the Bay Area tends to run on the chilly side during the summer months (ha ha, tourists!) — we’ve been experiencing one of the coldest summers on record this year. After I arrived home last night, I couldn’t bring myself to remove my coat until bedtime. I’ve got a blanket covering me at work… I’m pricing airfare to Bermuda. Please, please… warm up soon, SF and Oakland. It’s bad luck to wear wool before Labor Day.

On a less whiny note, here’s a pic of Bradley getting bath. After all the fur he left behind, I was surprised we still had a dog.

Home Away

Kir (admin) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:54:28 +0000

I was in Rochester, NY for a good portion of last week. I arrived on a Saturday morning, the day of my Sister Emily’s graduation party, then stayed for a few extra days to enjoy some summer weather and visit with family and friends. I had a really good time!

Until I tried to fly back home. Oh boy.

Almost as soon as I arrived back Matt left for his Vitamin Party summer tour. While he’s been away, I’ve made it my sole mission to tire out the dog. I took Bradley up to Sacramento on Saturday to visit with both dog and human friends. On Sunday we hiked around the Redwood Regional Forest. Then on Monday morning I took him on his first trip to the beach at a waterfront park in Albany.

The dog loves sand!

Hooray for furry friends!

And phew, the dog can sleep anywhere!

And so can the cat (but we already knew that.)

I on the other hand, well I’m exhausted.

Fluff ‘N Stuff

Kir (admin) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:33:03 +0000

M gave Joey a flea bath last week, a surprisingly easy feat. We really need to bathe him more often because the results were pretty astonishing. I’ve never seen such a fluffy, soft cat before. Oh so fluffy… I want to put a big bow on him and submit him to pageants. I’d also like to get him out of the bathroom so I can finish painting it (still working on the whole cat/dog cohabitation thing…)

Big City, Small World

Kir (admin) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:51:33 +0000

Yesterday we stopped off in our old neighborhood, Glen Park, to take Bradley for a long walk after running a bunch of errands in the city. While on Diamond street, a man walked over to us and asked if we got our dog from the SPCA. Puzzled (many assume he’s from a breeder) we said yes after which the man asked how his paw is doing. Wait, what? How do you know about that… but before we could ask, the guy goes on to tell us that he found Bradley after he was hit by a car. I was speechless — here we were standing face to face with Bradley’s rescuer, in the middle of our old hood! The man was clearly not interested in being treated like a hero, just wanted to check up on the pup he saved from the rough streets of Hunter’s Point. Seriously, the city is so small.

The verdict

Kir (admin) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:02:04 +0000

Yeah, we survived the riots. The lame, media fueled riots. The riots set off by a bunch of bored, misinformed vandals. Thanks for snarling my commute home, and thanks for destroying the storefronts of good people trying to make an honest living in a dull economy. I hope you feel vindicated now.

I need to get something off my chest.

The situation with Grant started at a BART stop in San Francisco.
Oscar Grant was from Hayward.
Mehserle was a BART officer, not an Oakland police officer.

How does this involve Oakland? Because that’s where Grant ultimately met his demise, at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. As a matter of fact, that’s my BART station. For all of you folks (er, my overly dramatic co-workers) that thought Oakland was going to burn last night, here’s a recent photo of my BART stop.

Yes, and it looked like this all week. I didn’t see a single indication of trouble. Not even a flyer.

And no, I’m not happy with the verdict. Shooting an unarmed man in the back because you’re drunk with power… well let’s hope the judge shows zero leniency during sentencing.

Sorry, rant over. Yesterday M took B for his first vet appointment in the city, so they picked me up from work. It took about an hour to make it on to the Bay Bridge. After that, it was smooth sailing. I could see 3 helicopters flying over the downtown area in the distance, but we don’t live anywhere near there. That’s right, Oakland’s a large place, it’s bigger than San Francisco. And it’s more diverse than San Francisco, too. It makes me sick that it’s become the whipping boy in this situation.

Anyway, M needed some time away from the house (after being stuck with Bradley 24-7) so we drove up to Monclair, a hoity-toity Oakland neighborhood in the foothills. We got to know this area well while we were closing on our house, so we thought it would be the perfect place to grab dinner with Bradley. And man, B was thrilled with all of the attention that he got from strangers (what a rockstar!) After walking around a bit, B sat quietly under a table outside a restaurant so M and I could eat in peace.

Thanks for keeping the people safe during all the nonsense, BART, Oakland and San Francisco police departments.

The hood

Kir (admin) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:01:28 +0000

Yeah, having a front porch is pretty awesome.

Bradley Boo

Kir (admin) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:52:17 +0000

OK, I’m totally in love with our new pup. For a 4 month old, Bradley’s amazingly well behaved and almost housebroken. M picked me up from BART last night with B in the car and I barely noticed he was there! We do need to work on some commands and get him used to the crate, but he’s definitely ahead of the class. One thing I noticed is that he rarely barks. Last night M made a ruckus walking through the front door and Bradley didn’t even flinch. Same with the garbage truck this morning. C’mon dog, we’d like to take advantage of your bad ass German Shepherd protective services, please! I almost forgot that around 3:00 am this morning Bradley’s chewing instinct kicked in. Poor M had to stop him from chewing the couch, the window pane and even the fireplace! Fortunately he favored then demolished one of the new toys I got him instead. I think we’re going to need a crate full of rawhide.

Joey’s another story, he’s not keen. Not at all. But until those fleas clear up he’ll be staying in the bathroom. That should give him some time to get used to the clomping monster in the living room.

I dusted off my camera and took some good shots of B last night… but I’m still shopping for a new laptop so who knows when I’ll get those up. Here’s a phone pic of Bradley and Charlie, a stuffed St. Bernard that the SPCA insisted Bradley take home with him.

M and B (and the now destroyed toy…)

Animal Farm

Kir (admin) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:28:25 +0000

Well, Joey’s has fleas. Joey’s has fleas real bad. Poor guy. Oakland’s a bit of a flea haven so they probably hopped on him during the move. He’s been quarantined to bathroom — which he loathes. We spent a majority of the day yesterday vacuuming, laundering and scrubbing. Probably overkill, but I get itchy just thinking about it. Oh, and Bradley’s ready to come home! M’s picking him up this afternoon. Let’s hope his last flea treatment is still potent.

We’re ready for you Mr. B!!!

My Pup!

Kir (admin) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:19:20 +0000

We’ve been keeping an eye out for the right dog for several months. While I love all dog breeds (er, not the small yap-pities), I’ve had my heart set on a German Shepherd for a long time now, preferably a rescue and preferably puppy. Naturally one cannot be too picky at the SPCA; where Pit Bull mixes and Chihuahuas tend to rule the roost. However, this past Saturday we popped by the shelter for our usual rounds and were pleasantly surprised to find Bradley, a 3 month old rescue German Shepherd.

Poor Bradley found himself at the SPCA after he was struck by a car. He’s got a bruised lung, road rash, and an infected laceration on his hind paw that has spread to the bone. Thankfully he’s responding very well to antibiotics, and appears completely unfazed by his injuries. Unfortunately they can’t neuter him until he’s off the medication, and he can’t come home with us until he’s been neutered. The timing is perfect actually, since we’re still moving, settling in and all. I can’t imagine trying to housebreak a puppy in a sea of boxes.

Despite being a little groggy from his medication, Bradley took to us straightaway. He’s going to be a very large, healthy, happy dog. I cannot wait until he’s all better so we can take him home!

In a Box

Kir (admin) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:38:42 +0000

Phew, I cannot wait to live at a single address again! (Maybe then I will be able to find my camera, computer, clothes…)

Project Bathroom

Kir (admin) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:26:58 +0000

M’s continuing to work on the kitchen while I’m working on the bathroom. As you can see, the cabinet restoration project is coming along (see the top drawer for comparison!)

Our first appliance has arrived: a dishwasher! Now we need to throw on our plumbing hats and figure out the whole installation thing. Oh and I didn’t know this… dishwashers are tested in the factory, so they may arrive soaking wet. Had there been a warning on the box, I could have refrained from making an ass of myself during a panicky call to Lowe’s.

As for the bathroom, we installed one of those curved rods for extra showering width, in addition to a water saving shower head. Over the weekend I applied the first coat of paint while testing out the squatting limits of my new knee. Wow, it’s bright.

Salvadoran comfort food

Kir (admin) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:01:32 +0000

Rice flour pupusas! Topped with generous helping of curtido! With a side of friend plantains! Crazy yummy!

Project Kitchen

Kir (admin) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:26:52 +0000

Our first project in the new house is to overhaul the kitchen. Before we move in. Which is in less than 2 weeks. Yes, we’re crazy.

Before: usable, but out of date.

Presently: A duststorm.

We’re refinishing and rearranging the cabinets, adding new appliances, adding a tile back splash, installing a dishwasher, replacing the counter tops, floor, sink and lighting fixtures, and painting. Oh, and did I mention that we’ll be doing all of this all by ourselves? Yep, just Matt, myself and the occasional friend to help with lifting. Yes, 2 weeks… good thing M has the summer off!

On a warm San Francisco night…

Kir (admin) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:43:03 +0000

Got the song, now all I need is my hammock chair, a tasty beverage and a good view of the sunset.

The A’s!

Kir (admin) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:39:25 +0000

I’m not a fan of baseball, but the Coliseum (where both the A’s and the Raider’s play) isn’t far from our new home and the weather on Saturday was screaming “go to an A’s game!” I’m still trying to wrap my head around why the Bay Area has two NFL and two MLB teams within a 7 mile radius, but whatever, it was fun.

Fun and cheap! Tickets were only $12 a piece and included a $6 food/drink voucher. While waiting for the game to start I filled out a few surveys and received a ridiculously large A’s shirt, a $5 Starbucks gift card, and I got to pose in this fancy photo with a few inebriated beer clowns. Score!

Big in Japan

Kir (admin) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:12:09 +0000

M’s band, Vitamin Party, and puppet project, Animal Trash, collide in a new music video. Check it out:

It’s alright

Kir (admin) — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:18:51 +0000

Hooray, the weather has taken a turn for the better and everyone’s happy again! I heard a rumor that we might hit the 70’s over the weekend — that’s a heat wave! Here’s a sunny scene from this morning (city is closer than it appears).

Sure beats this crap (taken yesterday during one of our many unexpected your umbrella is useless downpours).

Happy Memorial day weekend! If your bored in the Bay Area, feel free to stop by our house. We’ll put you to work!

Bay Bridge love, it’s driving me mad

Kir (admin) — Thu, 27 May 2010 21:32:14 +0000

M couldn’t accompany me to pick up the keys last evening so I braved rush hour traffic and walked into our new home (as the official homeowner) all by lonesome. Maybe I set my expectations too high, but receiving the keys was fairly uneventful. Like, hello house, I guess I own you? I did spend a good hour in the new place, measuring for the new appliances and introducing myself to one of our next door neighbors. I especially enjoyed the warm evening sunlight bursting through our windows, something we rarely experience in San Francisco this time of year. As a matter of fact, after I returned to our current residence in the fog I had to turn on the heat. I’m definitely looking forward to our significantly lower gas and electric bill on the East Bay.

I snagged this shot during my commute back into the city. It’s my favorite view of the Bay Bridge, taken from Folsom near the Embarcadero. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, the Bay Bridge (not the Golden Gate) is a 5-mile long double-decker bridge that connects Oakland to San Francisco. Soon my life will revolve around getting stuck in traffic over this thing on close to a daily basis. I predict an increase in meditation mp3s.

Keys today (finally!)

Kir (admin) — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:36:47 +0000

A hiccup at the title office (don’t get me started) postponed our closing by a day. Alas, we’re finally getting our keys today! Then, crap… we gotta move from point A to point B!

Signed!

Kir (admin) — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:24:41 +0000

We caught 2 issues while signing, but that shouldn’t stop up from closing on Monday and receiving our keys on Tuesday. Joy!