Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Crystal Healer


Last night, Evie and I were out on our walk. We see this normal looking guy who stops & says, 'Oh what type of dog is that?' Then, he proceeds to tell me that he stopped because I have a lot of colorful energy around me. And, that he is a healer. And, that he has a bag of crystals including a huge amythest. And other stones. And, that he wants to give me a free reading.

He took the crystals out of his bag to show me. Tells me he wears turbans on his head while he does the readings. That he is famous & was on TV. He is from LA. Of course, he is.

He didn't have a business card but gave me his phone number to call at any time for a free reading. haha. Only here.

Anyway, last night, Evie was up to hear usual antics of barking at me. This time, I caught it on tape. Watch her go crazy.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Oil Protest


Today, I went to lunch with my friend Kira. We were walking towards this little outdoor lunch spot near work and heard a bunch of noise. I said, "Sounds like a protest!" Sure enough - People were protesting BP, Big oil, and driving cars.

Of course, since SF supports peaceful protest, cops were walking WITH the protestors.

I did find it ironic that the protest was against oil & cars yet police CARS were following the protestors.

Always something!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Weekend

Our weekend was fun & chill. We hit up Squat & Gobble for dinner on Saturday night. There is one closer to our house (Just realized that). So good & the salads are SO huge there. I love this place - they have so many options.

Today, Erik bottled more beer (a blonde ale) and replaced my screen on my iphone that was shattered. Took him about $12 for the screen and an hour of time compared to the $200 Apple would have charged!

Today was fun for me because I got to meet up with some cousins that live out here! I didn't know I had cousins out here but....I do! My Grandfather's sister, Carol, has a daughter that lives out here. There is also another daughter, Cindy, that lives up in Seattle. So tonight, I met up with Lu & her son James and Cindy's son, Christian. They live about an hour away so we met half way at The Dead Fish. Funny name for a seafood restaurant!

(James, Christian, & Me)

Anyway, it was great to meet them and learn how we are connected and hear about Lu growing up with my Mom& her brothers. Lu still talks to my Aunt in CT, too. It's so great to know we have some family out here. Hopefully we see them soon!


Only 3 days left of work and them we're off to CT. Erik IS going to CT now for the long weekend so that will be fun!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Movie Review: Smart People


Last night, I watched another BAD movie, 'Smart People'.

Lawrence Wetherhold is miserable and misanthropic: he's a widower, a pompous professor at Carnegie Mellon, an indifferent father to a college student and a high-school senior, and the reluctant brother of a ne'er-do-well who's come to town. A seizure and a fall send Lawrence to the emergency room where the physician, a former student of his, ends up going on a date with him. His daughter, Vanessa, lonely and friendless, who's been bonding with his brother, tries to sabotage dad and the doctor's relationship, but Lawrence is good at that without help. Is there any way these smart people can get a life? Can happiness be pursued beneath layers of irony? (IMDB)

Ugh. So boring & Depressing!! You will notice the brother is from Sideways. He was pretty good but everyone else in this movie was annoying & sad to watch. Do not recommend!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Back to Normal

The weather here is back to normal. No more heat. Last night, I worked a little late & then walked Evie. We only walked about 1.5 miles. I was so tired and hungry by that point. I did find the Squat & Gobble closer to our house, a Thai place that looks good, and some other little places we can stop into, all in Lower Haight!

This week is pretty calm compared to last week. Tonight, I am going to try on a dress at Betsy's to see if she has anything I can wear to Sarah's wedding. Otherwise, we will be searching for a dress on Saturday.

Next week, I am heading back to CT! I will be there for over a week to spend Labor Day with everyone, then go up to VT for Sarah's wedding. When I am home, I am going to the US Open, seeing friends in NYC for lunch, having a Labor Day party, and just hang out! I can't wait.

Book Review: Zeitoun

I just finished Zeitoun and loved it. This true story is set in 2005 in New Orleans, in pre & post Katrina.

Through the story of one man’s experience after Hurricane Katrina, Eggers draws an indelible picture of Bush-era crisis management. Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a successful Syrian-born painting contractor, decides to stay in New Orleans and protect his property while his family flees. After the levees break, he uses a small canoe to rescue people, before being arrested by an armed squad and swept powerlessly into a vortex of bureaucratic brutality. When a guard accuses him of being a member of Al Qaeda, he sees that race and culture may explain his predicament. (NYT)

I was so shocked reading this book that this actually happened...in the US. It was eye opening to the craziness that went on post-Katrina, despite having seen the Spike Lee documentary.

It also reminded me how quickly we are to judge & stereotype when we are undeducated about something. I would bet that most Americans think 'terrorist' when they hear the words Muslim, Islam, Afghanistan, Middle East, Arab. But, how much do most people really know about any of those things. The Taliban is a terror group within Afghanistan, but that doesn't mean that everyone in that country is a part of it. They don't like the Taliban either. It's like how we have the KKK in the US - not everyone is a part of it. Wouldn't you be so mad if someone from say, Australia, thought everyone from the US was in the KKK?

Loved the book. Excited the author is coming to SF in October & hope to go see him speak.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

HOT

Yesterday, it was SOOOOOO hot out. It was in the 90's which is really crazy for SF. I know that most of the country suffers through hot summers but, they are equipped for it. We do not have air conditioning!

Anyway, yesterday, we left work at 4 to get a drink. Our goal was to sit outside but it was too hot! After one drink, we left and I had to bike home. Funny story--I wore a dress to work and had a tank top under the dress and put on workout shorts so I could bike in the dress. Well, after leaving happy hour, I was so hot & thought there was no way I could keep this dress on. So, I decided to ride home in the shorts and tank top.

I didnt want to walk out in that outfit so I figured that I would take the dress off in the bathrooms near the garage at work. Good idea, but when I got there the bathrooms were locked. So, I stood there in the hallway & took the dress off. I had that other outfit on underneath, so it's not a big deal but how funny if someone saw me undressing right there. haha. I was still dripping sweat when I got home.

By the end of the week, I will be bundled up again since it will be 60!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Annnnnd, it's summer


WOW. It is HOT out & I love it!! I walked down to the mall today to return something and it was definitely hot. I love this weather. Look at Saturday though - back to 56. ha!

Erik said our power went out today. I swear that when it is hot here, the city starts to fall apart. Hopefully it's back on when I get home. My goal tonight is to get a manicure & do the rest of the laundry. We did so much of it this weekend and stopped when we ran out of quarters.

Evie will be loving the hot walk tonight but will be worn out. I bet she sprawls out on the rug and doesn't move for a little while. Too funny!

Movie Review: Falling Up

Watched another bad movie last night. Haha. Maybe Erik is right that I pick bad movies! This was 'new in independent' on Netflix and looked cute. It sure was independent with low budget actors except for....Snoop Dogg. haha. Upon looking at Wikipedia, this went straight to video!

The O'Shea family loses their father to a heart attack & learns that there is no life insurance policy. His son, Henry, decides to leave nursing school to make some money for his family. He gets a job as a doorman on 5th Avenue. His co-worker is Snoop Dogg. haha.

He has a crush on one of the girls that lives in the building which is against the fraternization rules. After getting fired for going on a date with the girl, tells her he can't see her anymore. However, love prevails and he gets into more antics to win her heart.

It was like watching Gossip Girl mixed with one of those cheesy movies like She's All That (which coincidentally, Rachel Leigh Cook also stars in along with this movie)

Don't bother with this one!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

4 mile stroll

Tonight, Evie & I went for a walk that ended up being almost 4miles! It was SUCH a nice day out. Our summer weather is finally upon us. It was sunny & in the high 70's today! The warm weather continued into the evening and by 8pm when we were still walking, I was out in a t-shirt & had to take my coat off!

We walked to Dolores Park tonight which is THE place to be when it's warm & sunny. It's like the beach! People lay out, bring their dogs, picnics, and spend the day there. Everyone was packing up when we got there.


We walked down 18th street and found some more good restaurants to try. Also, realized that next to Squat & Gobble, where we ate last Tues, is a pizza place with all you can eat ea Tues night!

Saturday

On Saturday, we totally relaxed. We were so tired from Friday! We went to brunch at The Grind and checked out a flea/Indie mart that was happening in Alamo Sq. I bought a book for $1 and we headed home.

We watched The Kite Runner. I thought it was a great movie & adaptation of the book. I thought the book was much more thrilling though & definitely recommend it over watching the movie.

Later on, we got deep dish pizza from Little Star & tried to watch Hot Tub Time Machine. I didn't think that movie was very funny & fell asleep.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Friday in Napa

We took the day off yesterday to go up to Napa for Amy's birthday. It was warm & sunny and so much fun! First stop, Trefethen.

We had a big table for all of us & tried a mix of red & whites. I would definitely go back!

Amy & Gina

John & James

Erik & I

Susan, Me, Amy - Mini Dickinson Reunion!

Next up, Lunch at Brix. We started with some champagne to celebrate, tempura green beans, & bread. Erik and I ordered the zucchini & goat cheese pizza and the salmon for lunch. I was underwhelmed by both. The meal was good but the pizza was a little bland and the fish was overcooked. Not sure if I'd go back here for a meal since there are so many other awesome places to eat in Napa.




After lunch, we went to Honig. Amy is a member there & we love sitting outside. It's such a pretty time to be in Napa. It's warm, sunny, and the vines are packed with grapes. Yes, I pulled a few off to try yesterday!



Brandon & Jon

Dustin, Amy, Brandon, Jon

Last stop of the day was, Alpha Omega. We were able to have a private seating set up since we are club members! It was awesome.







hahaha

We also went into the barrel room to taste the most amazing wine, ERA 2008. This wine is so delicious and it's not even at it's peak. Bottles cost $100+ and are recommended to be saved for 10 yrs to age to perfection.

Gina & Erik

Gina, James, Brandon, Amy & Susan

Susan, Amy, Gina, Me & Erin

We were able to get a group shot outside!

What a fun day. It's days like this when I am truly happy that we have the opportunity to live out here.

Thursday Night Dinner


On Thursday night, we took two clients to dinner at One Market. Last time I was there, was for lunch last year. Dinner was really good on Thursday! We had fried green tomatoes as one of the appetizers. For my dinner, I had the Pan-seared Day Boat Scallops with
zucchini, thai basil, peanuts, lemongrass emulsion. So good!

We shared a bottle of red zinfandel and split some desserts. We had butterscotch pudding & a peach pie dish.

Everything was delicious.


After dinner, I had to come home & clean out my closet since a painter was set to come on Fri AM to paint. I also had to finish some work since I was off on Friday. Off to Napa on Friday!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Delicious Tacolicious

Last night, we went out for Amy's birthday. We went to Tacolicious which is soooo good. We split a bunch of tacos, chips, salsa, guac and had Tecate big boys!

Amy & her roomate, Christina


After dinner, we went to the Horseshoe for another drink. These ladies had shots, which I definitely declined since I had to be AT the Client for 9am.

Gina, Amy, Me, Christina



Shots!

Onto more celebrating tomorrow!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Happy 30th Amy!!

Shoutout to Amy today since it's her 30th Birthday!!!


Amy & I have known each other since meeting in a class in college back in Freshman year(Like 1999!!) We have had some really fun times over the years. I WISH we had digital photos from college. Too funny.

She's gonna kill me for posting this one but I had to. Look at us. We look stoned. haha

Vermont 2005


VT - 2006


Visiting Amy in SF in 2006

Visting Napa in 2007

Union Sq Tree Lighting 2007

New Years Eve - 2008

Santa Barbara - 2009

New Orleans 2010

Biking to Dinner


Last night, Erik was off & did not have hockey. So, we biked to dinner. We're trying a new thing called $25 Tuesdays. If we can, we go out to dinner but it has to cost $25 or less. I know that doesn't sound like a lot but you can totally do it. There are a TON of cafe's and little spots around us that we can have a delish dinner for that price.

Last night, we went to Squat & Gobble and were only $4 over the limit.

I had an awesome Salmon cobb salad. It was sooo good. Erik had a vegetarian dish which he liked, too. We sat outside and watched people mill around the Castro. We came home to watch Entourage. Is anyone watching? We think that Avion tequila is laced with cocaine or something otherwise, that Mexican guy wouldn't be so anxious about Turtle selling it to people. We'll see!!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Celebration Monday

Last night at Bingo, there was a little celebration. The one older man who comes to Bingo and his girlfriend or wife(?) have been together 7 years. Whenever it is someone's birthday, they bring food to Bingo. This time, we had food and the woman made a poster of pictures of them. It was really cute. The food is so funny to me - they make up plates for people and it had: a bunch of skittles, a candy bar, 2 pizelles, 2 strawberries, and 2 ritz crackers.

Also, I don't understand this AT ALL but after they gave a little speech(in Russian) to congratulate them, the woman passed out q-tips to everyone. No idea what that symbolizes but it was funny.

Also, last night--they were all a little fiesty. Two women won most of the games and everyone else was getting testy. Especially that lady with the sunglasses who gets mad when one or two numbers is called over & over.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sunday

Today was actually nice out! I took Evie out to do some errands. We went down to Target & Old Navy. She loves riding in the car and just lays down in the seat while I'm in the store. I got two cute dresses on sale. The red dress is just an example. The one I got is turquoise. Everything at Old Navy for summer, is on sale!


Well, I'm excited that this week is a short one for work. I am off on Friday to celebrate Amy's birthday in Napa!

I watched a bad movie tonight, Leap Year with Amy Adams. I thought it would be so cute but it wasn't. It was so predictable & boring. Amy Adams is dating her boyfriend for four years & is waiting for a proposal. When she doesn't get one, she decides to make use of an Irish tradition to propose to him. When he goes to Ireland for a business trip, she follows him. However, her trip gets off to a bumpy start, she has to find her way to Dublin via weird hotels, any ride she can catch, all along with an Irish Guy. Well, you can imagine what happens. Cute attempt but I didn't like it.

The Kite Runner


I just finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. What an awesome book. I could not put it down. It's the story of two boys growing up in Afghanistan: Amir & Hassan. Hassan is the son of his family's servant and they are friends. Coming from different classes has its limits on their friendship. After an unspeakable event happens to one of their boys, their friendship is forever changed.

The story also provides a history lesson to the reader bringing us through the invasion of Afghanistan by Russia, Afghanistan residents escaping to Pakistan & becoming refugees, and the rise of the Taliban.

Amir & his father end up moving to the Bay Area of California which was interesting to read about. I loved reading about another culture, their rules & guidelines about how to handle certain situations.

There are many twists & turns in this book that made me not want to stop reading. Erik actually told me to 'put that thing down' (the book) because I was trying to sneak a read in while he turned his back during breakfast. haha.

Anyway, awesome book. Definitely recommend. I have the A Thousand Splendid Suns by the same author that is a book about two women in Afghanistan which I think I will read next.