On Sunday Nivedita left this world, on her journey to places we truly know nothing of.
She waged a fierce war with bone cancer, typical Nivedita style, pulling out all the stops, and trying every avenue of treatment she could unearth and maintaining a very positive attitude.
She figured prominently in my life in my early years in SF. She was my first real friend in CA. She lived life fully and with a heart that was warm and welcoming to all.
I met her the day she celebrated her 40th birthday. I was about 24. I had read, in Coming UP! (later to become the Bay Times) about a benefit 40th birthday party being held at Olive Oil's down on the wharf.
I had only been in SF about 4 months, and wanted to meet a woman that would have enough friends to throw such a bash at a big space like that and for it to be a fundraiser. I met her briefly that night. A true social butterfly, she was in high demand on her big day. She briefly told me about a "women's float" that she wanted to have built for the upcoming gay pride parade (well it was many months away) and invited me to be part of the float building team.
Well that was right up my alley, and a good way to meet chicks. I was, after all about 24, and always up for some fun. It didn't take long to click with Nivedita, or Laura aka Larry, who won the design competition for the float. I made a few other friends during those days working on that big styrofoam woman.
Nivedita was in law school and was a very active woman. We would go on group trips to women's weekend at the Russian River and we just hung out a lot. She used to have this cute little tiny doggette type dog that I would keep an eye on for her. When he went to pee, he would stand up on his 2 front legs with his back legs in the air, a doggie paw stand to pee. Funny little shit.
Anyway, Nivedita LIVED life, and I watched the way she went about the world and learned a great deal from her. She never met a stranger, or so it seemed. She was known and loved widely in the bay area.
She ended up moving up to Napa and our visits became limited to special events and so forth. You know how life gets on the treadmill. Good intentions and all that, but it becomes hard to bridge even that distance regularly.
Her impact on my life, however, is present every single day.
Nivedita my love, go forth on your new journey will all the warmth, love and gusto with which you lived this one.
You will always be a part of the woman I grew to be. Thank you, my dear friend and mentor in life.
Dad - Being his typical silly self...
We miss you dad!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Comments
just a note, not sure how it affects those wanting to leave comments...
i started getting spam comments on my blog posts, so I now have it set so that I need to approve comments before they show up.
Just an FYI...
i started getting spam comments on my blog posts, so I now have it set so that I need to approve comments before they show up.
Just an FYI...
Snuggie the Stray
Well, Snuggie is starting to stray.
About 4 nights ago I could not find him. I stayed up until 3:30 calling him (with the dog whistle - so the neighbors wouldn't shoot me or call the cops...) and then woke up at 6 and he still was not around. I finally found him across Route 4 in the edge of the woods behind the house across the street. That house is empty and is alternately for sale and for rent. He seemed real real happy to see me. Not as much as the time he was truly lost for 5 days in El Sobrante, but he clearly was happy to see me.
Next night, I shut him in about 8 pm when he came to eat.
Next night, he did not come in during the evening and I called up until 1:30 and nothing, so I went to bed. I have to shut the cat window to keep the other 3 out of harms way. He came in the next morning about 7 and slept for several hours.
Next night, did not come and I finally went to bed at midnight. Did not come in until nearly 9 this morning.
I have not seen him this afternoon. Got home around 2 from going to the cemetary with Mom and no Snuggie.
I hope he does not make this a habit. I worry with him crossing the road and there are a lot of raccoons here. He is no match for a grown raccoon.
I'll keep you posted... cause I know you are ALL worried about my Snugster!
About 4 nights ago I could not find him. I stayed up until 3:30 calling him (with the dog whistle - so the neighbors wouldn't shoot me or call the cops...) and then woke up at 6 and he still was not around. I finally found him across Route 4 in the edge of the woods behind the house across the street. That house is empty and is alternately for sale and for rent. He seemed real real happy to see me. Not as much as the time he was truly lost for 5 days in El Sobrante, but he clearly was happy to see me.
Next night, I shut him in about 8 pm when he came to eat.
Next night, he did not come in during the evening and I called up until 1:30 and nothing, so I went to bed. I have to shut the cat window to keep the other 3 out of harms way. He came in the next morning about 7 and slept for several hours.
Next night, did not come and I finally went to bed at midnight. Did not come in until nearly 9 this morning.
I have not seen him this afternoon. Got home around 2 from going to the cemetary with Mom and no Snuggie.
I hope he does not make this a habit. I worry with him crossing the road and there are a lot of raccoons here. He is no match for a grown raccoon.
I'll keep you posted... cause I know you are ALL worried about my Snugster!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Big sisters are wonderful
So, a shout out to my sissy.
Thanks for the care package my dear. You are a peach!
Now, what are those long things? I imagine I will have egg on my face when you tell me!
We went to Jungle Jim's today, and I totally spaced on getting the supplies for my sumptuous treat... We also had lunch at Buffalo Wings and Rings, a very POOR cousin to BW3's - they have a new name Buffalo something or other, anyway, they are off the chart for wings-- their garlic parmesan wings are wonderful. The place we went today... forgetable!
At Jungle Jim's I also forgot to get the sambal oelek and five spice for the chicken wings mom wants me to make. I felt real good remembering the kejcap manis... oh well, next time I will take a freaking list with me! I did find some aioli, but it was French, not Spanish and it looked too yellow... not sure how the French and Spanish do it different...
Well, just wanted to say thanks to my sissy for her care packages, sent with love across the miles. You rock!
I am going to take mom to Savannah's (my sissy's youngest grandchild) track and field day at school on Friday. Savannah is almost 7 and a pistol. I'll give her some grandma Sherry love for you.
This Sunday we are going up to Columbus (1.5 hours away) to go to COSI (center for science and industry) with my sister's daughter, her husband and all 3 of the kids. That should be a fun day!
Rest of weekend will likely be yard work - I need to mow mom's yard, weed eat her yard and clean out her front gutter and redo the gutter guards that are not stopping the maple tree things from clogging her downspouts.
Then, there is all the stuff to do in my yard, like about 10 hours of weed eating, removing sod I cut up 2 weeks ago, planting the vine seeds, putting up the trellis' (get the supplies to finish that last 3...) and well, still have done nothing to the inside of the mansion...
living on e street, kicking back eating bon bons!
Yup. wild and crazy living here in the midwest.
Thanks for the care package my dear. You are a peach!
Now, what are those long things? I imagine I will have egg on my face when you tell me!
We went to Jungle Jim's today, and I totally spaced on getting the supplies for my sumptuous treat... We also had lunch at Buffalo Wings and Rings, a very POOR cousin to BW3's - they have a new name Buffalo something or other, anyway, they are off the chart for wings-- their garlic parmesan wings are wonderful. The place we went today... forgetable!
At Jungle Jim's I also forgot to get the sambal oelek and five spice for the chicken wings mom wants me to make. I felt real good remembering the kejcap manis... oh well, next time I will take a freaking list with me! I did find some aioli, but it was French, not Spanish and it looked too yellow... not sure how the French and Spanish do it different...
Well, just wanted to say thanks to my sissy for her care packages, sent with love across the miles. You rock!
I am going to take mom to Savannah's (my sissy's youngest grandchild) track and field day at school on Friday. Savannah is almost 7 and a pistol. I'll give her some grandma Sherry love for you.
This Sunday we are going up to Columbus (1.5 hours away) to go to COSI (center for science and industry) with my sister's daughter, her husband and all 3 of the kids. That should be a fun day!
Rest of weekend will likely be yard work - I need to mow mom's yard, weed eat her yard and clean out her front gutter and redo the gutter guards that are not stopping the maple tree things from clogging her downspouts.
Then, there is all the stuff to do in my yard, like about 10 hours of weed eating, removing sod I cut up 2 weeks ago, planting the vine seeds, putting up the trellis' (get the supplies to finish that last 3...) and well, still have done nothing to the inside of the mansion...
living on e street, kicking back eating bon bons!
Yup. wild and crazy living here in the midwest.
Life
Well, ok, Monday was Dad's birthday.
We stayed super busy that day. I went out early and picked up a load of hay to use as garden mulch and stopped by mom's with it. We did a little planting and such in her yard (mostly sweet potato slips).
Then we drove up to New Lebanon to the bank. Our bank reissued everyone's credit/debit cards because there was a possible compromise of the security. Well, as luck would have it, mom's new card was screwed up. The banker tried to fix it during the 30 minutes we were there, but no luck, so we had to come back.
Now, for most of you, I'll remind you that this is the very bank where Dad fell, the fall that turned the tide of his life. So, we were just going to roll through the drive up ATM, but no, the ATM said her account was deactivated. So we had to sit inside the bank while it was worked on. We finally left, problem not resolved, and went out to Stockslager's nursery to get more sweet potato slips. Duke (second generation owner) was there and he said to say Hello to my sister Sherry. So, sis, Hello from Duke. I told him about your 5 acres and that he ought to be glad you were in TX or you'd be giving him a run for his money!
We went on out to Eaton and had lunch and bought some temporary fencing supplies for our Possum Creek Garden. Mom is worried the deer will eat our moisture/weed barrier hay. We stopped on the way back to visit dad. Boy, that was tough. We either start out these visits laughing and end them crying or vice versa. This one ended with the crying, err sobbing.
We went back to the damn bank where he fell and after another 30 minutes the problem was resolved and mom is now in plastic business. We then went to Possum Creek, planted the sweet potato slips and put up part of the plastic fence. I still have a section to till up with the tiller from HELL - so the rest of the fence won't go up until that section is completed.
Then, we came to Kia Rio and moved a little bit of dirt, aka excavated, my stone walkway. I then took mom home and we had dinner and I got home about 10.
So, that is how we survived dad's birthday this year.
We have been doing stuff in our own yards and I have gone to Possum Creek (PC) to water. We totally skipped spring. It has been in the 80's for a few days now, not good for freshly planted plants and seeds. Praying for rain.
I have been working in my yard and have some headway on the herb/veggies in my own yard.
I have also modified some 2 x 8 heavy duty lattice to make trellis' to place behind the house. They will be about a foot away from the house and I am going to plant annual vines on them. One is a yellow black eyed susan and the other is, I think, a carpet vine or something, anyway, it is red. I plan on intermingling them, so most of the back of the house will hopefully be green foiliage with red and yellow flowers. In the late fall, I will take them down (there are 6) remove the dead vine materials (fun times for all) and store them until next spring and repeat. I'll likely do this until I can (1) afford to buy a really large native tree and (2) until it is big enough to shade the back side of the house.
Isn't my life sexy as hell here?
Oh, more news I have a weird movable bump on my left thumb, right at the joint (not the knuckle) at the web. Mom says it is from over use of gardening tools and said she has had them in the past. My arm still hurts and my hand is still sore.
I still feel like I have a knife inserted by my right scapula, but the pain is subsiding. My darling brother is sending me a Sears card so I can sneak off and do things for mom and let him pick up the tab. First stop??? New freaking tiller. He is a good brother and a good son.
Ok, nuff for this post!
Riveting, yes?
We stayed super busy that day. I went out early and picked up a load of hay to use as garden mulch and stopped by mom's with it. We did a little planting and such in her yard (mostly sweet potato slips).
Then we drove up to New Lebanon to the bank. Our bank reissued everyone's credit/debit cards because there was a possible compromise of the security. Well, as luck would have it, mom's new card was screwed up. The banker tried to fix it during the 30 minutes we were there, but no luck, so we had to come back.
Now, for most of you, I'll remind you that this is the very bank where Dad fell, the fall that turned the tide of his life. So, we were just going to roll through the drive up ATM, but no, the ATM said her account was deactivated. So we had to sit inside the bank while it was worked on. We finally left, problem not resolved, and went out to Stockslager's nursery to get more sweet potato slips. Duke (second generation owner) was there and he said to say Hello to my sister Sherry. So, sis, Hello from Duke. I told him about your 5 acres and that he ought to be glad you were in TX or you'd be giving him a run for his money!
We went on out to Eaton and had lunch and bought some temporary fencing supplies for our Possum Creek Garden. Mom is worried the deer will eat our moisture/weed barrier hay. We stopped on the way back to visit dad. Boy, that was tough. We either start out these visits laughing and end them crying or vice versa. This one ended with the crying, err sobbing.
We went back to the damn bank where he fell and after another 30 minutes the problem was resolved and mom is now in plastic business. We then went to Possum Creek, planted the sweet potato slips and put up part of the plastic fence. I still have a section to till up with the tiller from HELL - so the rest of the fence won't go up until that section is completed.
Then, we came to Kia Rio and moved a little bit of dirt, aka excavated, my stone walkway. I then took mom home and we had dinner and I got home about 10.
So, that is how we survived dad's birthday this year.
We have been doing stuff in our own yards and I have gone to Possum Creek (PC) to water. We totally skipped spring. It has been in the 80's for a few days now, not good for freshly planted plants and seeds. Praying for rain.
I have been working in my yard and have some headway on the herb/veggies in my own yard.
I have also modified some 2 x 8 heavy duty lattice to make trellis' to place behind the house. They will be about a foot away from the house and I am going to plant annual vines on them. One is a yellow black eyed susan and the other is, I think, a carpet vine or something, anyway, it is red. I plan on intermingling them, so most of the back of the house will hopefully be green foiliage with red and yellow flowers. In the late fall, I will take them down (there are 6) remove the dead vine materials (fun times for all) and store them until next spring and repeat. I'll likely do this until I can (1) afford to buy a really large native tree and (2) until it is big enough to shade the back side of the house.
Isn't my life sexy as hell here?
Oh, more news I have a weird movable bump on my left thumb, right at the joint (not the knuckle) at the web. Mom says it is from over use of gardening tools and said she has had them in the past. My arm still hurts and my hand is still sore.
I still feel like I have a knife inserted by my right scapula, but the pain is subsiding. My darling brother is sending me a Sears card so I can sneak off and do things for mom and let him pick up the tab. First stop??? New freaking tiller. He is a good brother and a good son.
Ok, nuff for this post!
Riveting, yes?
Monday, May 11, 2009
My Mr. Barr
So, it is time to start introducing ya'll to the folks in the hood. Well, the ones I know or know something of.
We'll start with my Mr. Barr.
Odell is going to turn 90 this August. He lives about 4 houses down from me in this house:
behind this set of old auto garages, which he still owns:
behind the garages and to the right of the house, is a broken up old greenhouse. To the immediate right of the garages, is a white building/garage that used to be his flower shop. He sold flowers for a living and it sounds like he rented out the auto garage to other folks.
So, Mr. Barr is a willowy man, about 5'8" or so, I am guessing. He has about 7 or 8 of his teeth left, and does not wear dentures. He always wears a ball cap. Because he has so few teeth and no dentures, it is sometimes kinda hard to understand what he says, so you have to listen real close sometimes.
I see him a lot now that the weather broke. He walks nearly a half a mile, always with a walking stick, to the bus stop and takes the bus up to a shopping center called Westown. There is one of those economy grocery stores, a CVS pharmacy, a post office, a dollar store and a few little family owned clothing shops. There used to be some restaurants and such, but most have gone under. This is the poor side of town and things are tough.
Mr Barr has now gotten to where he will yell or do some type of whistling if he sees me in the yard and I do not see him. I love talking to this guy.
He has given me and mom two tomato plants this spring and I just gave him some of the Persian cucumber seeds that I ordered from Reimer Seeds.
Last week he stopped by and was telling me about his white girlfriend down in TN near Nashville where he grew up. He was from a big family. I think somewhere between 8 to 12 kids, not sure, and he says they were the only black family for a 3 mile radius. He told me they were not sharecroppers like most black folks around there during that time. His daddy had worked for the railroad and those were good quality jobs. He said he had pocket money in the summer and would come up north here and goof off as a teen.
He moved into that house what sounds like in the late 40's or early 50's.
His wife (second) is currently in a nursing home. I have never met her.
Today he pointed out a "medicine" plant by my gate. He was pointing to the poke that mom asked me, just yesterday, if I was going to cut and use. She said I needed to get those leaves NOW. Well, Mr Barr said he used to come down here and pick it for the older folks in the neighborhood. I don't know how long ago this was, knowing him it was 2 years ago!
He is a fun guy to talk to and I got a big scare a few weeks ago. For some unknown reason, I was up at midnight, sitting on the couch. I saw a cop car go by with lights flashing. That doesn't really happen a whole lot here. I didn't pay too much attention until the second one came by and was going slower and I could still see the lights flashing. I looked out the window to see the car stopped about 15 feet past my driveway - in the same direction of Mr. Barr's house.
We'll I got worried, hearing other sirens screaming in on us, about my Mr. Barr. I grabbed my shoes and ran out the front door. Just as I reached my steps, I saw big flames shooting up above the IF, in the very direction where his house is.
I tell you I was so scared I had tears streaming down my face long before I got to the cop car. The cop said it was the garage building and as far as he knew Mr. Barr was fine.
Well it was only about 2 minutes before Carter (I'll give you a run down on her another time) was standing next to me, worried about Ramona, another older lady that lived right down there.
We waited for about 30 minutes and no sign of ambulances, so we felt good about Mr Barr and Ramona's well being and we went home.
Next morning I went down to his house and knocked but no one answered. I think his daughter who lives less than 2 miles away probably came to get him. It smelled like kerosene.
Mr. Barr said somebody had been asking him to sell that garage that used to be his flower shop to them and he kept telling them no. He told me that his house does not have water or a well anymore. He gets his house water from the old flower shop building which is on city water. He said he saw the people who wanted to buy it messing around there earlier in the day before the fire. He thinks it was arson because they were mad he wouldn't sell it.
I don't know, but I was sure glad he was ok.
Well, my hand has rested enough, gotta get back out and finish mowing the yard.
I had no idea that walk behind mowers could have such a range of total weight. I used mom's last summer and then in the late fall I bought a new mower from Sears.
Well, my mower must weigh a good 40 pounds more than hers. It is a real bitch to mow along the steep angle by the road and it is just harder to maneuver altogether. To top it off, the power assisted wheels control is just on the right side, so you can only use one hand to hold the handle down.
I'll be glad when most of my grass is converted into something much more sensible.
Oh, I told Mr. Barr that mom was "weed and feeding" her grass and you should have seen the look on his face! I tried to gently explain to her the reasons not to - just related to the true health of her grass and soil, and not budging. Sees too many marketing materials and is convinced that is the way to go.
Grrrr. Get ready for mowing every 4 damn days.
We'll start with my Mr. Barr.
Odell is going to turn 90 this August. He lives about 4 houses down from me in this house:
behind this set of old auto garages, which he still owns:
behind the garages and to the right of the house, is a broken up old greenhouse. To the immediate right of the garages, is a white building/garage that used to be his flower shop. He sold flowers for a living and it sounds like he rented out the auto garage to other folks.
So, Mr. Barr is a willowy man, about 5'8" or so, I am guessing. He has about 7 or 8 of his teeth left, and does not wear dentures. He always wears a ball cap. Because he has so few teeth and no dentures, it is sometimes kinda hard to understand what he says, so you have to listen real close sometimes.
I see him a lot now that the weather broke. He walks nearly a half a mile, always with a walking stick, to the bus stop and takes the bus up to a shopping center called Westown. There is one of those economy grocery stores, a CVS pharmacy, a post office, a dollar store and a few little family owned clothing shops. There used to be some restaurants and such, but most have gone under. This is the poor side of town and things are tough.
Mr Barr has now gotten to where he will yell or do some type of whistling if he sees me in the yard and I do not see him. I love talking to this guy.
He has given me and mom two tomato plants this spring and I just gave him some of the Persian cucumber seeds that I ordered from Reimer Seeds.
Last week he stopped by and was telling me about his white girlfriend down in TN near Nashville where he grew up. He was from a big family. I think somewhere between 8 to 12 kids, not sure, and he says they were the only black family for a 3 mile radius. He told me they were not sharecroppers like most black folks around there during that time. His daddy had worked for the railroad and those were good quality jobs. He said he had pocket money in the summer and would come up north here and goof off as a teen.
He moved into that house what sounds like in the late 40's or early 50's.
His wife (second) is currently in a nursing home. I have never met her.
Today he pointed out a "medicine" plant by my gate. He was pointing to the poke that mom asked me, just yesterday, if I was going to cut and use. She said I needed to get those leaves NOW. Well, Mr Barr said he used to come down here and pick it for the older folks in the neighborhood. I don't know how long ago this was, knowing him it was 2 years ago!
He is a fun guy to talk to and I got a big scare a few weeks ago. For some unknown reason, I was up at midnight, sitting on the couch. I saw a cop car go by with lights flashing. That doesn't really happen a whole lot here. I didn't pay too much attention until the second one came by and was going slower and I could still see the lights flashing. I looked out the window to see the car stopped about 15 feet past my driveway - in the same direction of Mr. Barr's house.
We'll I got worried, hearing other sirens screaming in on us, about my Mr. Barr. I grabbed my shoes and ran out the front door. Just as I reached my steps, I saw big flames shooting up above the IF, in the very direction where his house is.
I tell you I was so scared I had tears streaming down my face long before I got to the cop car. The cop said it was the garage building and as far as he knew Mr. Barr was fine.
Well it was only about 2 minutes before Carter (I'll give you a run down on her another time) was standing next to me, worried about Ramona, another older lady that lived right down there.
We waited for about 30 minutes and no sign of ambulances, so we felt good about Mr Barr and Ramona's well being and we went home.
Next morning I went down to his house and knocked but no one answered. I think his daughter who lives less than 2 miles away probably came to get him. It smelled like kerosene.
Mr. Barr said somebody had been asking him to sell that garage that used to be his flower shop to them and he kept telling them no. He told me that his house does not have water or a well anymore. He gets his house water from the old flower shop building which is on city water. He said he saw the people who wanted to buy it messing around there earlier in the day before the fire. He thinks it was arson because they were mad he wouldn't sell it.
I don't know, but I was sure glad he was ok.
Well, my hand has rested enough, gotta get back out and finish mowing the yard.
I had no idea that walk behind mowers could have such a range of total weight. I used mom's last summer and then in the late fall I bought a new mower from Sears.
Well, my mower must weigh a good 40 pounds more than hers. It is a real bitch to mow along the steep angle by the road and it is just harder to maneuver altogether. To top it off, the power assisted wheels control is just on the right side, so you can only use one hand to hold the handle down.
I'll be glad when most of my grass is converted into something much more sensible.
Oh, I told Mr. Barr that mom was "weed and feeding" her grass and you should have seen the look on his face! I tried to gently explain to her the reasons not to - just related to the true health of her grass and soil, and not budging. Sees too many marketing materials and is convinced that is the way to go.
Grrrr. Get ready for mowing every 4 damn days.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Outta the box...
I finally got out of the box... whew.
So, even though I am "busted flat in Dayton" - admittedly not as sexy as being busted flat in Baton Rouge, I am trying to sort out the bathroom make-over.
I can plan it, so when I get some pocket coins, I'll be ready.
Well, upon arrival at Kia Rio, I promptly ripped the pink ceramic cup holder and soap holder off the wall, along with the nasty metal medicine cabinet. I now have three gaping hols in the wall and have had for coming up on a year.
Nice, huh?
Well, the bathroom is small, but plenty big enough to do normal bathroom activities in.
So, the HVAC vent comes up right under the ghastly generic wall mounted sink and there is only about 36" for the sink to fit between the wall and the toilet - and in order for the sink to be centered on a cabinet, the thing would probably have to be about 26" max.
the heat register is under that bit of newspaper:
So, I have been looking for a sink cabinet that is open at the bottom, to allow for the vent in the floor.
A few weeks back I found an antique sewing cabinet, sans sewing machine, for $25. It is the perfect size to fit in the space and I could probably drop a 19 x 25 vanity sink top into it with little trouble.
My brother bought the cabinet for me as a housewarming gift. I brought her home and washed her and then gave her a good olive oiling and she is really pretty.
So tonight, after spending the day with mom, I went into the bathroom and started sanding the heavy texture on the walls. They are a hodge podge of textures and coverings. Pretty bad really.
Whilst doing this nearly mindless project, I mused about the vanity situation. Trying to sort out what kind of a sink and stand I could put in there that would keep with an art deco feel.
The sewing cabinet really isn't very art deco.
I could get one of those art deco bowls and mount it on top of the cabinet instead of sinking one into it. Possibly an easier project - except for mounting the hardware...
Then it happened.
My mind finally leaped outta the box.
The daggone register could be moved over closer to the toilet and that would allow me to put any kind of sink and stand combo in that I wanted - keeping with the space restrictions.
It would also mean that the heat and a/c would not blow up and hit the bottom of the sink anymore. The downside is the possibility of the heat flow warming up the wax ring of the toilet. That could be a potential problem that I need to look into.
OK, so I need some opinions on wall treatment.
The house is a 1941 build and has some subtle art deco features.
The bathtub looks like this:
as you can see, the art deco styling is subtle.
I am leaning towards nixing the sewing cabinet idea, and finding an art deco period sink, possibly wall mounted or possibly with legs, so long as it has some flat area to set things down on. The current wee sink is a pain in the tookus. I want bigger flat spots around the sink, so I can set things down on it!
Anyway, I will probably make my own medicine cabinet by mounting an art deco fan style mirror on a cabinet.
So, I need to sort out the walls. I bought some tan 8 x 12 ceramic tiles for the floor and am thinking about jazzing the floor up with some sort of accent tiles, but not sure on that.
Question: wainscoting/beadboard on the bottom half of the walls? Would that go with the art deco approach>
I am going for subtle art deco, not the sledge hammer, and will probably get art deco style faucet and handles at some point and art deco switch and outlet plates.
So, even though I am "busted flat in Dayton" - admittedly not as sexy as being busted flat in Baton Rouge, I am trying to sort out the bathroom make-over.
I can plan it, so when I get some pocket coins, I'll be ready.
Well, upon arrival at Kia Rio, I promptly ripped the pink ceramic cup holder and soap holder off the wall, along with the nasty metal medicine cabinet. I now have three gaping hols in the wall and have had for coming up on a year.
Nice, huh?
Well, the bathroom is small, but plenty big enough to do normal bathroom activities in.
So, the HVAC vent comes up right under the ghastly generic wall mounted sink and there is only about 36" for the sink to fit between the wall and the toilet - and in order for the sink to be centered on a cabinet, the thing would probably have to be about 26" max.
the heat register is under that bit of newspaper:
So, I have been looking for a sink cabinet that is open at the bottom, to allow for the vent in the floor.
A few weeks back I found an antique sewing cabinet, sans sewing machine, for $25. It is the perfect size to fit in the space and I could probably drop a 19 x 25 vanity sink top into it with little trouble.
My brother bought the cabinet for me as a housewarming gift. I brought her home and washed her and then gave her a good olive oiling and she is really pretty.
So tonight, after spending the day with mom, I went into the bathroom and started sanding the heavy texture on the walls. They are a hodge podge of textures and coverings. Pretty bad really.
Whilst doing this nearly mindless project, I mused about the vanity situation. Trying to sort out what kind of a sink and stand I could put in there that would keep with an art deco feel.
The sewing cabinet really isn't very art deco.
I could get one of those art deco bowls and mount it on top of the cabinet instead of sinking one into it. Possibly an easier project - except for mounting the hardware...
Then it happened.
My mind finally leaped outta the box.
The daggone register could be moved over closer to the toilet and that would allow me to put any kind of sink and stand combo in that I wanted - keeping with the space restrictions.
It would also mean that the heat and a/c would not blow up and hit the bottom of the sink anymore. The downside is the possibility of the heat flow warming up the wax ring of the toilet. That could be a potential problem that I need to look into.
OK, so I need some opinions on wall treatment.
The house is a 1941 build and has some subtle art deco features.
The bathtub looks like this:
as you can see, the art deco styling is subtle.
I am leaning towards nixing the sewing cabinet idea, and finding an art deco period sink, possibly wall mounted or possibly with legs, so long as it has some flat area to set things down on. The current wee sink is a pain in the tookus. I want bigger flat spots around the sink, so I can set things down on it!
Anyway, I will probably make my own medicine cabinet by mounting an art deco fan style mirror on a cabinet.
So, I need to sort out the walls. I bought some tan 8 x 12 ceramic tiles for the floor and am thinking about jazzing the floor up with some sort of accent tiles, but not sure on that.
Question: wainscoting/beadboard on the bottom half of the walls? Would that go with the art deco approach>
I am going for subtle art deco, not the sledge hammer, and will probably get art deco style faucet and handles at some point and art deco switch and outlet plates.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Filling in the "gaps"
Ok, so the gaps left by the last "state of the world" post...
This is a tough emotional season...
Mom turned 75 on April 11. Her first without Dad since she was 17.
We said goodbye to dad on April 19th last year.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and for all intensive purposes, the first without dad. She was in such grief last year I don't think it really registered.
May 18 is his birthday.
June is Father's Day.
July 10 is their wedding anniversary.
Then, an emotional break until Halloween. They love that holiday. They used to make a mini haunted house and dad would be the grim reaper or some other ghoulish thing and they would decorate the house and yard and just have a ball.
But, all things considered, Mom is doing good. Some of us kids have been able to be really extra supportive of her and some others seem to have checked out.
Mom started going to church and even went to lunch with one of her neighbors. She was all bubbly and just talked to no end about her day. It was beautiful.
I am getting along ok. I still have those days, and always will, where I just melt down at the realization that I will never look in his eyes again. Never see that sheepish grin when he was being a brat, never see his hurt over something somebody carelessly said, never see the amazing wealth of undying love he felt for mom. Never spend hours looking for his misplaced hearing aid, battery or fishing lure.
But I have those memories, his ridiculously short arms, short temper and his sense of preparedness. Thanks for that dad!
Ok, so that is the scoop.
Yard care updates coming. I might even manage a photo or two.
This is a tough emotional season...
Mom turned 75 on April 11. Her first without Dad since she was 17.
We said goodbye to dad on April 19th last year.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and for all intensive purposes, the first without dad. She was in such grief last year I don't think it really registered.
May 18 is his birthday.
June is Father's Day.
July 10 is their wedding anniversary.
Then, an emotional break until Halloween. They love that holiday. They used to make a mini haunted house and dad would be the grim reaper or some other ghoulish thing and they would decorate the house and yard and just have a ball.
But, all things considered, Mom is doing good. Some of us kids have been able to be really extra supportive of her and some others seem to have checked out.
Mom started going to church and even went to lunch with one of her neighbors. She was all bubbly and just talked to no end about her day. It was beautiful.
I am getting along ok. I still have those days, and always will, where I just melt down at the realization that I will never look in his eyes again. Never see that sheepish grin when he was being a brat, never see his hurt over something somebody carelessly said, never see the amazing wealth of undying love he felt for mom. Never spend hours looking for his misplaced hearing aid, battery or fishing lure.
But I have those memories, his ridiculously short arms, short temper and his sense of preparedness. Thanks for that dad!
Ok, so that is the scoop.
Yard care updates coming. I might even manage a photo or two.
Friday, May 8, 2009
oops - update on Molly
for those of you that know her.
She had an amazingly good recovery from the triple by-pass, and just yesterday was cleared to start driving locally.
She is on schedule to go back to work at the beginning of June.
Whew.
She had an amazingly good recovery from the triple by-pass, and just yesterday was cleared to start driving locally.
She is on schedule to go back to work at the beginning of June.
Whew.
Life update - kick back with a cuppa...
Ok, so we skipped spring here in Ohio and mostly jumped right into early summer. It has been amazingly warm for about 6 weeks or so. April showers did not seem to amount to great storms, but were manageable bits of rains. Garage only flooded once so far.
Job- no longer have that job that was able to pay the bills and finance the needed modifications to Kia Rio.
Work life here is very different than in CA.
From the one experience I have had, coupled with stories from life long residents around here, and a very savvy woman who moved here from NY state 5 years ago and who has regular interaction with HR folks, the news isn't good.
There seems to be a real big "us" "them" deal going on. Many folks report "staying off the radar" at work, "staying out of the crosshairs." I was asked to be the big boss's "eyes and ears" - a request I did not understand during the interview - had I, I would have said no and thanked them for their time. I have also seen that phrase used in job ads. No f*ing kidding. People have talked to me about job improvements that they hid so they would not "get in trouble."
It is like the employees are seen as nothing but risk, liability and jail inmates that must be kept down, who are not really capable, lazy and won't do anything, much less a good job without threat of a stick. This is "management" at its worst.
I know many people hear and toss around the terms of management and leadership as though they were nearly the same or something. Not true. Not at all. Very different concepts. This employer focused heavily on management and had no leadership in the mix.
Now, this is certainly not an across the board situation for all companies here. I have been told that I should stick to the bigger national companies if I want a different kind of culture. But, in my informal data gathering, it is very very common here in Dayton.
I cannot recall working anywhere in CA where I had these types of problems, and so extensively. I am sure they exist, but I think the ratio is the inverse of what it is here.
With this approach so prevalent here, it is not surprising that Dayton has slipped from being a city with an amazing history of innovations (one of the highest per capita patents in the country up until a generation or so ago) to one that tops the Forbes list of fastest dying cities in the country.
Fear does not produce creativity or innovation. It produces people who are fundamentally unhappy, minimally productive and who regularly "meet the minimum requirements" with no plans to exceed. Never mind turnover. Keep your head down, don't attract any attention and just focus on keeping the job.
So, back to the job...
I told them they had a morale problem, and met with one of the C level folks to discuss strategies to resolve it. It was a highly solvable problem, except for one BIG problem that revealed itself during that meeting. Lack of any leadership skills by senior management, and a firmly entrenched lack of accountability.
Now, I thought this interesting because I had already started the middle management team on reading an excellent book - The Power of Personal Accountability. This C- level woman I met with was a "classic" example of the victim loop. She maintained that senior management had bent over backwards and it did no good, those folks needed to "get on the bus" or leave. (unfortunately the bus was a jail bus with bars on the window)
During our meeting she attempted to ignore the problem, deny it, blame the employees, rationalize (they had bent over backwards, afterall) and now with me she was resisting moving forward. Last stop on the victim loop? Hide. So, 2 days later, I was "let go" being told they made a mistake hiring me, and given my references that they "thought" they had a match. Senior management crawled into their shell to hide. Problem, what problem?
Well, I was already hating going there, so from the perspective of despising the culture of fear and low morale that they clearly did not want to do anything about, it was fine.
Financially, not so good. Ok, it is pretty bad.
I still don't have another job. I left there in mid March and so far there has only been ONE job that would pay my living expenses and provide the funds to fix up the house with a bit headed toward savings. I am getting ready to apply for it. No other jobs that are remotely appropriate for me or that pay enough to meet the basic bills. Economy here is beyond awful.
So, nuff about that...
Cats, all healthy happy killers.
Heljye and Ollie are growing so big, they are really close to full adult size. Well Ollie may not be close to adult size, he looks and acts very much like a Norwegian Forest cat and they don't reach maturity until 4 or 5 years.
Jaz turned 4 in April and Snuggie will be 4 in a couple of weeks. The wee ones turn 1 in August. Tashi would have turned 4 in August. I cannot believe how much I miss that little meeper.
The guys are enjoying the freedom in the yard and the IF - it has exploded into a leafy wonderland. I spent time out there in late Feb and early March after the fence was put up. I had to chase after the little ones until they acclimated. I have a good understanding of what is in the IF now and it is pretty cool, sans spiders and such.
There is a run off creek on the edge of my property. When it rains really heavy it fills with water and runs very fast. It was chock full of organic matter including fallen tree branches, leaves and so forth along with an amazing amount of garbage. I have filled a 90 gallon garbage can 5 times, and probably could fill 5 more with the yuck I pulled out of it. Never mind the car fender and the misc. glass bottles and broken glass still there.
Still it is really kind of pretty now that it is nearly clean of the garbage, but in another month you won't be able to see it for the growth.
I have been attempting to introduce native plants to the grounds. You may recall last fall I planted a Red Maple and a Canada Red Cherry tree. I am not certain if the cherry is native or not. They are doing beautiful.
In my clean up operations, I have discovered what might be an original stone walkway. It starts at the top of the stone steps that lead from the driveway up into the backyard and extends the length of the back of the house and ends at the side door (on the side facing the brick 2 story house). If it truly is a walkway, I will be very happy. I uncovered about 6 feet of it, so I have every reason to believe that it extends to the side door. Those 6 feet were buried under about 5 inches of dirt and grass.
I am trying to get rid of as much grass out of the yard as possible.
I really do not understand the obsession with grass and the whole "lawn" thing.
I am thinking that it came about as a result of the middle class trying to mimic the lifestyle of the wealthy so many years ago. The wealthy got the last laugh, with their hired gardeners to keep up the ridiculous mowing schedule.
Modern day lawn owners do some amazing things, like feed the lawn so it will grow faster. I guess mowing every 6 days is not enough work for them. Let's feed it, water it and then mow every 4 days. Oh, lets mow it real short, so it will require more food to keep it healthy, more water to keep it green, because grass roots mirror the length of the blades. 2" grass? 2" roots. That needs lots of water folks. Crazy...
So, I plan to relieve myself of the nuisance over the coming 3 years. My plan:
1st - eliminate all the grass between the sidewalk, driveway, house and entrance to the garage. It is that bit you see in the picture on the blog - between the sidewalk and the garage door. It is about 14 x 14 but is a wedge shape. Replace it with wildflowers and herbs.
2nd- replace the grass along the inside of the stone walkway with wildflowers. The walkway makes a small arc behind the house, and at the widest point it is probably 4 feet from the house to the stone walkway and at the narrowest, probably 3 feet. So there is about a 36' x 4' of grass to go away.
3rd - enlarge the very small flower bed behind the house. I made it last fall and it is about 6 x 10. I plan to make it more like 12 x 16. Also native wildflowers.
4th - I am killing the grass on each side of the fence, about 14" out on each side. Using hay with goat manure given to me by some goat folks. Not sure what I will plant there, but something to provide a visual barrier along the side next to my neighbor.
5th - Plant another maple tree in the front yard _ grass does not seem to grow well under them. The little maple in the backyard will also discourage some of the grass growing back there!
6th - plant a non-aggressive native groundcover along the road side of the fence, and underneath the maples and between the maples. Let it gradually consume the whole front yard...
That should leave me with a grand total of about an equivalent of a 30 x 60 space that needs to be mowed.
Works for me.
So - have I done anything on this effort? Yes, but that is another blog post!
Stay tuned for my adventures with the "beast."
My health?
Mentally and emotionally I am tip top. This despite the fact that I am essentially totally broke, yup, after years of being quasi-employed in low paying jobs, the funds are all gone...
Physically I am mostly good - well parts of me are problematic and parts are really good...
I have done something to my left forearm and hand. The pain is mostly gone but my hand still swells up. Went to the chiro and had some neck and wrist adjustments. Wish I had a job, my back needs lots of work. Still have the low back pain but it is not as painful as it used to be. My left ankle is feeling a bit, possibly arthritic. I think it could benefit from some chiro adjusments and as soon as I land a job I will be back on Dr. Harker's table. I don't like him as well as I do Dyanna Anfang in Berekely, but she is a tough act to follow. He is good though, but not like a pal like Dyanna.
The good parts are that I am getting some muscle tone back. Heck, I have a pretty decent set of guns - that is biceps for those that need the interpretation... not as big as when I was 20 and bodybuilding, but not so bad for a middle aged old broad. They now stick up as high and the flab below hangs down, so it is kind of a wash...
So, that is the scoop at the moment. There is more, but gosh this is way long...
Besides, I have finished my huckleberry lemonade. Doesn't that sound perfect for Ohio. Ok, it is Torani syrup and not reall huckleberry juice, but hey. Torani is NOT easy to find here. So, yup I had to grab it at Jungle Jim's.
I also scored BIG on turmeric. Now if you look in the spice aisle, they want about $5 for an ounce. 1 ounce. I went over to the India aisle (smart girl I am) and got a 14 ounce bag for just over $2. Yes, that is a ton of turmeric! I also nabbed a 25 pound bag of Jasmine rice and a 10 pounder of basmati. Fresh vegetables will be here soon and I will be the queen of stir fry during garden season.
OK, really gotta go. Love you all much.
Job- no longer have that job that was able to pay the bills and finance the needed modifications to Kia Rio.
Work life here is very different than in CA.
From the one experience I have had, coupled with stories from life long residents around here, and a very savvy woman who moved here from NY state 5 years ago and who has regular interaction with HR folks, the news isn't good.
There seems to be a real big "us" "them" deal going on. Many folks report "staying off the radar" at work, "staying out of the crosshairs." I was asked to be the big boss's "eyes and ears" - a request I did not understand during the interview - had I, I would have said no and thanked them for their time. I have also seen that phrase used in job ads. No f*ing kidding. People have talked to me about job improvements that they hid so they would not "get in trouble."
It is like the employees are seen as nothing but risk, liability and jail inmates that must be kept down, who are not really capable, lazy and won't do anything, much less a good job without threat of a stick. This is "management" at its worst.
I know many people hear and toss around the terms of management and leadership as though they were nearly the same or something. Not true. Not at all. Very different concepts. This employer focused heavily on management and had no leadership in the mix.
Now, this is certainly not an across the board situation for all companies here. I have been told that I should stick to the bigger national companies if I want a different kind of culture. But, in my informal data gathering, it is very very common here in Dayton.
I cannot recall working anywhere in CA where I had these types of problems, and so extensively. I am sure they exist, but I think the ratio is the inverse of what it is here.
With this approach so prevalent here, it is not surprising that Dayton has slipped from being a city with an amazing history of innovations (one of the highest per capita patents in the country up until a generation or so ago) to one that tops the Forbes list of fastest dying cities in the country.
Fear does not produce creativity or innovation. It produces people who are fundamentally unhappy, minimally productive and who regularly "meet the minimum requirements" with no plans to exceed. Never mind turnover. Keep your head down, don't attract any attention and just focus on keeping the job.
So, back to the job...
I told them they had a morale problem, and met with one of the C level folks to discuss strategies to resolve it. It was a highly solvable problem, except for one BIG problem that revealed itself during that meeting. Lack of any leadership skills by senior management, and a firmly entrenched lack of accountability.
Now, I thought this interesting because I had already started the middle management team on reading an excellent book - The Power of Personal Accountability. This C- level woman I met with was a "classic" example of the victim loop. She maintained that senior management had bent over backwards and it did no good, those folks needed to "get on the bus" or leave. (unfortunately the bus was a jail bus with bars on the window)
During our meeting she attempted to ignore the problem, deny it, blame the employees, rationalize (they had bent over backwards, afterall) and now with me she was resisting moving forward. Last stop on the victim loop? Hide. So, 2 days later, I was "let go" being told they made a mistake hiring me, and given my references that they "thought" they had a match. Senior management crawled into their shell to hide. Problem, what problem?
Well, I was already hating going there, so from the perspective of despising the culture of fear and low morale that they clearly did not want to do anything about, it was fine.
Financially, not so good. Ok, it is pretty bad.
I still don't have another job. I left there in mid March and so far there has only been ONE job that would pay my living expenses and provide the funds to fix up the house with a bit headed toward savings. I am getting ready to apply for it. No other jobs that are remotely appropriate for me or that pay enough to meet the basic bills. Economy here is beyond awful.
So, nuff about that...
Cats, all healthy happy killers.
Heljye and Ollie are growing so big, they are really close to full adult size. Well Ollie may not be close to adult size, he looks and acts very much like a Norwegian Forest cat and they don't reach maturity until 4 or 5 years.
Jaz turned 4 in April and Snuggie will be 4 in a couple of weeks. The wee ones turn 1 in August. Tashi would have turned 4 in August. I cannot believe how much I miss that little meeper.
The guys are enjoying the freedom in the yard and the IF - it has exploded into a leafy wonderland. I spent time out there in late Feb and early March after the fence was put up. I had to chase after the little ones until they acclimated. I have a good understanding of what is in the IF now and it is pretty cool, sans spiders and such.
There is a run off creek on the edge of my property. When it rains really heavy it fills with water and runs very fast. It was chock full of organic matter including fallen tree branches, leaves and so forth along with an amazing amount of garbage. I have filled a 90 gallon garbage can 5 times, and probably could fill 5 more with the yuck I pulled out of it. Never mind the car fender and the misc. glass bottles and broken glass still there.
Still it is really kind of pretty now that it is nearly clean of the garbage, but in another month you won't be able to see it for the growth.
I have been attempting to introduce native plants to the grounds. You may recall last fall I planted a Red Maple and a Canada Red Cherry tree. I am not certain if the cherry is native or not. They are doing beautiful.
In my clean up operations, I have discovered what might be an original stone walkway. It starts at the top of the stone steps that lead from the driveway up into the backyard and extends the length of the back of the house and ends at the side door (on the side facing the brick 2 story house). If it truly is a walkway, I will be very happy. I uncovered about 6 feet of it, so I have every reason to believe that it extends to the side door. Those 6 feet were buried under about 5 inches of dirt and grass.
I am trying to get rid of as much grass out of the yard as possible.
I really do not understand the obsession with grass and the whole "lawn" thing.
I am thinking that it came about as a result of the middle class trying to mimic the lifestyle of the wealthy so many years ago. The wealthy got the last laugh, with their hired gardeners to keep up the ridiculous mowing schedule.
Modern day lawn owners do some amazing things, like feed the lawn so it will grow faster. I guess mowing every 6 days is not enough work for them. Let's feed it, water it and then mow every 4 days. Oh, lets mow it real short, so it will require more food to keep it healthy, more water to keep it green, because grass roots mirror the length of the blades. 2" grass? 2" roots. That needs lots of water folks. Crazy...
So, I plan to relieve myself of the nuisance over the coming 3 years. My plan:
1st - eliminate all the grass between the sidewalk, driveway, house and entrance to the garage. It is that bit you see in the picture on the blog - between the sidewalk and the garage door. It is about 14 x 14 but is a wedge shape. Replace it with wildflowers and herbs.
2nd- replace the grass along the inside of the stone walkway with wildflowers. The walkway makes a small arc behind the house, and at the widest point it is probably 4 feet from the house to the stone walkway and at the narrowest, probably 3 feet. So there is about a 36' x 4' of grass to go away.
3rd - enlarge the very small flower bed behind the house. I made it last fall and it is about 6 x 10. I plan to make it more like 12 x 16. Also native wildflowers.
4th - I am killing the grass on each side of the fence, about 14" out on each side. Using hay with goat manure given to me by some goat folks. Not sure what I will plant there, but something to provide a visual barrier along the side next to my neighbor.
5th - Plant another maple tree in the front yard _ grass does not seem to grow well under them. The little maple in the backyard will also discourage some of the grass growing back there!
6th - plant a non-aggressive native groundcover along the road side of the fence, and underneath the maples and between the maples. Let it gradually consume the whole front yard...
That should leave me with a grand total of about an equivalent of a 30 x 60 space that needs to be mowed.
Works for me.
So - have I done anything on this effort? Yes, but that is another blog post!
Stay tuned for my adventures with the "beast."
My health?
Mentally and emotionally I am tip top. This despite the fact that I am essentially totally broke, yup, after years of being quasi-employed in low paying jobs, the funds are all gone...
Physically I am mostly good - well parts of me are problematic and parts are really good...
I have done something to my left forearm and hand. The pain is mostly gone but my hand still swells up. Went to the chiro and had some neck and wrist adjustments. Wish I had a job, my back needs lots of work. Still have the low back pain but it is not as painful as it used to be. My left ankle is feeling a bit, possibly arthritic. I think it could benefit from some chiro adjusments and as soon as I land a job I will be back on Dr. Harker's table. I don't like him as well as I do Dyanna Anfang in Berekely, but she is a tough act to follow. He is good though, but not like a pal like Dyanna.
The good parts are that I am getting some muscle tone back. Heck, I have a pretty decent set of guns - that is biceps for those that need the interpretation... not as big as when I was 20 and bodybuilding, but not so bad for a middle aged old broad. They now stick up as high and the flab below hangs down, so it is kind of a wash...
So, that is the scoop at the moment. There is more, but gosh this is way long...
Besides, I have finished my huckleberry lemonade. Doesn't that sound perfect for Ohio. Ok, it is Torani syrup and not reall huckleberry juice, but hey. Torani is NOT easy to find here. So, yup I had to grab it at Jungle Jim's.
I also scored BIG on turmeric. Now if you look in the spice aisle, they want about $5 for an ounce. 1 ounce. I went over to the India aisle (smart girl I am) and got a 14 ounce bag for just over $2. Yes, that is a ton of turmeric! I also nabbed a 25 pound bag of Jasmine rice and a 10 pounder of basmati. Fresh vegetables will be here soon and I will be the queen of stir fry during garden season.
OK, really gotta go. Love you all much.
Back on here to bitch and moan
I wanna go to:
Kokkari's and gaze at the fireplace while eating totally divine food
Yum Yum House - yum yum eggplant - ummm yum yum!
Nirvana and sit on the patio eating samosas and Iriwaddy Chicken
Regent Thai and graze on the appetizers - Miang Kham (which is dried shrimp, onions, lime, ginger, toasted coconut and peanuts on spinach leaves with a tamarind sauce) this is the most amazing taste sensation I have EVER had. Each bite explodes in your mouth with a new flavor combo. Ok, I love the Golden Bags and the fresh egg rolls as well. I hardly ever ordered a main there, just pigged out on their appetizers. 29th and Church. Go, go now.
Soluna Cafe and Lounge - all good stuff and such a FUN ambiance - love the decor - it is on McAllister across from the Asian Art Museum.
and, not to be missed, a veggie burrito from Taqueria Cancun on Mission at 19th.
OH! there is a GREAT Thai place in "downtown" Pt. Richmond. Forgot the name, but it was only 2 blocks from me when I lived there. Downtown is a blink of an eye, so if you are in the hood or heading over the Richmond Bridge, duck in. Yummarrific!
As you may have surmised, I am in a culinary vacuum, well not entirely, but it is freaking hard to find: non-chain restaurants with interesting menus,
vibrant food and reasonable prices.
Going out to eat here is very pricey compared to the Bay Area and the food quality is often mediocre at best. Often overcooked, too salty and lacking imagination. bad combo.
Chains are everywhere, and there is way too many Italian joints, and I ain't talking about North Beach type spots, folks.
Chains galore.
Somebody please go out and eat, and share with me your amazing dining experience. I think Cincinnati and Columbus probably have better offerings, but driving that far just to grab a bite is sorta undesirable.
Any new "must go" places in SF????
I am still looking for decent local eats. Found a passable Mexican spot that will do in a pinch.
OK gotta run.
Love to all.
Kokkari's and gaze at the fireplace while eating totally divine food
Yum Yum House - yum yum eggplant - ummm yum yum!
Nirvana and sit on the patio eating samosas and Iriwaddy Chicken
Regent Thai and graze on the appetizers - Miang Kham (which is dried shrimp, onions, lime, ginger, toasted coconut and peanuts on spinach leaves with a tamarind sauce) this is the most amazing taste sensation I have EVER had. Each bite explodes in your mouth with a new flavor combo. Ok, I love the Golden Bags and the fresh egg rolls as well. I hardly ever ordered a main there, just pigged out on their appetizers. 29th and Church. Go, go now.
Soluna Cafe and Lounge - all good stuff and such a FUN ambiance - love the decor - it is on McAllister across from the Asian Art Museum.
and, not to be missed, a veggie burrito from Taqueria Cancun on Mission at 19th.
OH! there is a GREAT Thai place in "downtown" Pt. Richmond. Forgot the name, but it was only 2 blocks from me when I lived there. Downtown is a blink of an eye, so if you are in the hood or heading over the Richmond Bridge, duck in. Yummarrific!
As you may have surmised, I am in a culinary vacuum, well not entirely, but it is freaking hard to find: non-chain restaurants with interesting menus,
vibrant food and reasonable prices.
Going out to eat here is very pricey compared to the Bay Area and the food quality is often mediocre at best. Often overcooked, too salty and lacking imagination. bad combo.
Chains are everywhere, and there is way too many Italian joints, and I ain't talking about North Beach type spots, folks.
Chains galore.
Somebody please go out and eat, and share with me your amazing dining experience. I think Cincinnati and Columbus probably have better offerings, but driving that far just to grab a bite is sorta undesirable.
Any new "must go" places in SF????
I am still looking for decent local eats. Found a passable Mexican spot that will do in a pinch.
OK gotta run.
Love to all.
One a day...
not vitamins,
nor apples for the teacher...
but -
scared,
stunned,
injured,
dying,
or dead...
small animals
in the house.
Everyday.
I love my boys.
Freaking little hunters.
Moles, lots of wee moles. A chipmunk youth.
A very young bird I had to put out of suffering. Hated that.
Mice. No little snakes yet this year. No bunnies so far.
They are cats,
what can you do?
Grandma says to lock them in the house. Ha! I'd have to move out.
More on my life updates in the coming days or week or so.
Question:
why is it "farms" and not "farm" in names? Hickory Farms, Cal Organic Farms?
nor apples for the teacher...
but -
scared,
stunned,
injured,
dying,
or dead...
small animals
in the house.
Everyday.
I love my boys.
Freaking little hunters.
Moles, lots of wee moles. A chipmunk youth.
A very young bird I had to put out of suffering. Hated that.
Mice. No little snakes yet this year. No bunnies so far.
They are cats,
what can you do?
Grandma says to lock them in the house. Ha! I'd have to move out.
More on my life updates in the coming days or week or so.
Question:
why is it "farms" and not "farm" in names? Hickory Farms, Cal Organic Farms?
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