In a Western Place

Summer in San Francisco

2008-07-18T18:38:51Z

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." -- Mark Twain

It's the middle of July and I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt, jeans, thick socks with sneakers, and a jacket... inside. The weather's been foggy, damp, windy with brrrrrrr chilly mornings and nights. We were lucky last week when it warmed up to a whopping 70 degrees! Dear hot and humid NY summers, I think I miss you.

rockstar boyfriend

2008-07-16T20:38:37Z

Vitamin Party -- Retox Lounge, 07/11/2008

like a butterfly, a wild butterfly

2008-07-16T01:03:26Z

Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park

A late Sunday morning

2008-07-14T17:13:30Z

New Village Café, Polk Street

Little boxes

2008-07-11T07:31:46Z

A view of North Beach from Coit Tower. I walk through this neighborhood everyday on my foot commute to and from work. It's about one and a half miles each way -- downhill to the office and uphill to the home. I never walk the same route twice in one week.

Hearst Castle

2008-07-08T20:46:59Z

A hilltop mansion built by William Randolph Hearst, located in San Simeon (about 250 miles South of San Francisco). I've been to the castle once before, back in the Summer of 2005. I returned for a second visit this past Friday (the 4th) and it took my breath away, again. It's definitely a California must-see. Go!

Holiday Weekend

2008-07-07T20:42:32Z

Matty's folks are in town visiting from good ol' WNY, so over the holiday weekend we gave them a large dose of the Kirsten and Matty Central California/San Francisco Experience. From early Thursday morning until Sunday evening, we entertained them, non-stop, with some of our favorite day trips and scenic attractions... such as:

-- hiking and sea creature hunting (but not touching!) at the tidepools in Pacifica
-- lots of coastal driving through small coastal towns
-- dining along Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey
-- visiting a home made entirely out of garbage
-- visiting another home, er castle, made entirely out of priceless items
-- laughing at the Elephant Seals and their "rude" mannerisms
-- eating at a Taco Bell in Steinbeck country
-- stopping at a winery for a tasting (I needed to use their bathroom)
-- strolling through Golden Gate park
-- touring an exotic flower display, with butterflies!
-- consuming delicious Mission Mexican fare
-- commuting via street car (the F line)
-- saying "hello" to the sea lions
-- hiking up Telegraph hill where the parrots could only be heard, not seen
-- viewing San Francisco from atop of Coit Tower
-- eating at our favorite, off the beaten path Italian restaurant in North Beach
-- Target (OK, that was more for me)

Because of the relentless wildfires, I had to bypass a large portion of scenic highway 1 via highway 101, so no Big Sur (large frowny face). Despite the detour, the sky was completely filled with smoke and I spotted a mountain top engulfed in flames. Scary! Oh, and the weather was sunny, foggy, cold, cool, hot, sunny, foggy, cold, cool, hot -- you know, depending on where you walk.

Pictures to follow... throughout the week.

Funky June

2008-07-02T18:22:14Z

It's July, already?
Hard to believe, especially in this part of the world. But I'll get into that on another post.
I started June in a bit of a funk. I'm happy to say that it didn't last long. Of the "goals" that I posted, I managed to complete most of them. Or modifications of some. And even added a few new things.
More notably:
You can get a spa mani/pedi in my neighborhood for only $26! (Every other shop is a bloody nail salon.) My hand and toenails look fabulous... and that makes me feel fabulous... which should make you feel fabulous.
I've joined a gym and I'm running, again, for reals. My body has certainly reaped the benefit of living on a really tall steep hill and I'm proud to say that the transition back into moving fast has been seamless. I'll say it, I'm in great shape! I'm meeting with a personal trainer next week to iron out a weight training routine. Here's hoping that I'll be in a 5K or 10K super soon. Perhaps that can be a July goal? Oh, and they have yoga.
I redesigned the Vitamin Party site, now I just have to build it. Thanks to some late Saturday night inebriation, I also signed on to redesign the website of a friend's bands up in Portland. Uff da. Like I don't do enough work on that dang Interweb as it is.
I've failed at arriving to work on time. Morning people can suck it.
We still eat out a lot, but we've been mixing it up by trying new places in other neighborhoods. I've started to bring my lunch into work -- which would be more cost effective if I didn't eat all natural, gluten-free. Alas, it's not. My grocery bill was close to $100 last week and most of the food is already gone. Egads.
As for the hikes, I'm disappointed to say that we didn't get around to it. But, we did go to the beach, and that's something I haven't done in a long time. My shins are still peeling from the sunburn. Gross.
Did I forget anything?
I have a 4-day weekend, starting tomorrow and we're leaving town on a mini roadtrip. I'm sure I'll have plenty of photos to share, in addition to the 4 months worth that I have yet to post to my Flickr. As always, stay tuned. Have a happy, and safe, 4th of July!

Oakland to Infinity

2008-07-01T08:03:17Z

SF Pride

2008-06-30T20:26:57Z

A lot of folks were in town this past weekend for the 38th annual San Francisco Pride Parade (and other Pride related events). Late Saturday night, in a surprisingly crowded BART station, Matty grabbed my hand and proudly proclaimed, "let's show them all that you don't have to be gay, to be in love!" Ah, to be atypical in San Francisco. Regrettably, we passed on the festivities and stayed out of the city for most Sunday to avoid the crowd. I'm sad to have missed out a great photographic opportunity... maybe next year.

Smog City

2008-06-27T18:10:06Z

Air quality is not so great here thanks to a slew wildfires in the surrounding area. I really hope it's under control soon because we're traveling through Big Sur while Matty's folks are in town during the 4th of July weekend. That, and nothing makes me sadder than a forest fire...

Drinking buddies

2008-06-24T11:28:03Z

Baker Beach

2008-06-23T10:15:56Z

This past Thursday, Friday and Saturday were hot, hot, hot in the Bay area. Now that Matty is officially on summer break, we were able enjoy the weather, together, on my day off (which is Thursday, for you lurkers not in the know). After a lovely morning of sleeping in, we took the bus (which is free free free on hot days) over to Baker Beach, located near the Golden Gate bridge in Presidio, where we picnicked on Whole Foods grub and witnessed several "nudie" folk sunbathing and, ahem, playing volleyball. Please note that I refrained from photographing that, but it was tough. It's been years since I've relaxed on a beach, and having a boyfriend with the same blinding ~~personality~~ body as me, made it all the more enjoyable. Too bad my SPF 45 failed on me, (ouchie) and uh, sand, how did you there?!?! (See pictures)

Run into Flowers

2008-06-19T08:03:34Z

While spending a beautiful afternoon exploring Lake Merritt waaay back in March, Matty and I stumbled upon a large patch of California Poppies displayed deep within downtown Oakland. These suckers grow wild, anywhere and everywhere. No wonder it's the state flower. Get a load of the color! Both images were shot on the same camera (mine) — with different composition and execution styles, obviously. Do I dare ask which of the two you prefer? It's all about how you work with the light (and subject), baby!

before and after

2008-06-18T17:19:14Z