Time Machine

Here it is, Sunday -- March 30, 2008 -- and I've got so little on my mind after our San Francisco trip that finding a subject to write about seems just about impossible.

Take a look at the ugly sucker in the photo. That's me roughly 30 years ago. Hair that had some color to it... and a much higher active follicle count. A pack of cigarettes in the t-shirt pocket, probably an open beer somewhere just out of camera range. Ah yes, life was good. Or was it?

No, it really wasn't. And I wonder how many of us would jump at the chance to go back 30 years while retaining today's knowledge to do a better job with life. That seems to be a common fantasy... "If I only knew then what I know now."

I know that I could do a much better job with my life, and look back with pride instead of regret. But the nagging question is this: if you could go back, would you listen to your own advice and immediately change your life's course? Or would you simply think, "Hey... I've got 30 years to get it right... there's plenty of time."

Have an opinion on that? Leave a comment!

The Final Sunset

It's Wednesday morning, and we arrived home from San Francisco at 8:00 PM last night. Valerie just left for work and I've got one more day "off" to try and get our union newsletter published and mailed.

The picture featured here is a digitally-played-with photo of the sunset we saw from the Cliff House while we were dining there.

Our cats were happy to see us once again... and life is moving back toward "normal" once again.

Don't forget... if you only check back weekly, there are a few posts from our trip that you may have missed, because this blog seems to like positioning the most recent entry at the top of the page. Scroll on down to see if you've missed anything!

Back to Reality...

As I begin to write this, I stare westward out of our hotel window on the 13th floor of the Parc 55 Hotel (apparently once known as the Renaissance Hotel), I'm wishing I had more time to spend here... along with more money to spend. And let's not forget a tandem bicycle to ride around the greater San Francisco area. That's something else that's sorely missing!

We trekked back down to the Wharf again yesterday so Valerie could shop for a few souveniers, and then made our way to The House once again for lunch. This time I had a striped sea bass plate for lunch, and she had the grilled chicken dish that I sampled a few days ago; this time there was an odd taste to the chicken so it wasn't a great memory builder. No one offered to ask how we liked the food, and seemed to be in a hurry to move us out... so we didn't bother to tell them. It's funny how one mediocre dish can turn rave reviews into a reason to try something new the next time we're hungry!

So, like all good tourists, we tried something "new" last night. The Cliff House, which has been around in one incarnation or another since the late 1800's, was our new target. We walked the short block to the Powell Street station and hopped aboard the "L" train, getting off just a couple of blocks shy of the Pacific coast and then began walking north. There's probably a mile and a half seperating the "L" train from the "N" train, which we planned to ride back into the city after recovering from our walk at "Java Beach" (we seem to have a knack of finding all the interesting espresso shops lately).

After some debate, we decided to catch a bus instead and stop at the Cliff House for dinner... but the bus never came. I called the dispatcher and asked about the frequency of busses on the line, and while it was normally 20 minutes the bus we were waiting for broke down... so we were looking at about 40 minutes until the next one came by. We figured that we'd already walked this far, so we'd just keep on going... so about the time we were at the Cliff House, the bus we would have been on chugged up the hill past us. But the walk, albeit windy and a wee bit chilly, was still the highlight of our day. (In the beach picture, the white building perched along the land's edge is the Cliff House.)

I had a sole dinner, fried in a macadamia nut breading with a fruit salsa on the side, a rice dish and baby bok choy. I was highly satisfied with my choice and only wish I could have gone back there today for more... instead of to the airport to suffer with airport food. Valerie had some clam chowder, but was saving herself for dessert... and found pure joy in a hot fudge chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on the side.

It's just about time for me to leave the room and check out, walk the short block to the BART station and begin our journey home. It's been a nice few days... we'll try to leave the city in the same condition we found it in.

Coffee...

This is just an "update" about the Blue Bottle Coffee Company... we found the "Kiosk" (more of a glorified garage) in an alley... with a line waiting for service. Good stuff, odd location. But it WORKS! And the Blue Bottle Cafe... again good stuff, with good food. The contraption to the right drips water slowly over a course of hours to make a brew that is used in their "Kyoto Iced Coffee". We've managed to make our way there daily, and even ate at the cafe during their Easter Sunday buffet.

Still in San Francisco

It was Easter Sunday, and we spent the day riding trains around through different neighborhoods and seeking out a former brother-in-law of Valerie's. They live in what I assume would be called the "Sunset District"... or is just the "Sunset?" This is an area a mile or two inland from the Pacific Ocean, and was comprised of row houses -- most of which were in decent condition, but not necessarily "mint" condition, like the ones you'd see in the Marina District.

These houses are cozy, but not built like they are today. People didn't have as much "stuff" back in the late 1940's when they were built... today we have so many toys that you have to have a house built to accommodate all of the junk you're bringing with you! There was a real estate sign with information about a house on the same block; it was selling for somewhere around $1,160,000! We were thinking of buying "his and hers" homes there... just a little pocket change! To see the homes in this area, click here , type in "San Francisco CA" and then hit the search button without adding any minimum or maximum prices, or bedroom numbers, etc. You'll get to see some outrageous housing costs!

We stayed there for a couple of hours and then journeyed on toward the wharf for one more episode for eating at Scoma's. We caught a bus that traveled northward right to the base of the Golden Gate bridge, where there's a parking area for tourists and sightseers as well as a bus stop. Then it was back toward the city and the Marina district, where we got off and walked through Fort Mason toward the wharf area (which describes where the photo was taken and where it was pointing toward).

The food was amazing as always, and then we caught a cable car and rode back to within one block of our hotel. It wasn't even 9:00 PM, and I was ready to pass out... pretty pathetic, isn't it?

The Big City

It's been a little over 25 hours since we arrived in San Francicso. (We actually flew into Oakland and then took the BART over to the city.) We'd have a lovely city shot of San Francisco, except that yesterday we forgot to take our camera with us when we went out to Scoma's to eat. Today we're off to a place called The House to have lunch; this was recommended by the owner of Handmade (the yarnshop I like in Eagle, Idaho). We happened to be on the same plane flying into the Bay Area yesterday, and she gave us a list of her favorite places.

The transit system is one of the outstanding things that I can compliment San Francisco about. We've ridden a few busses to get around, as well as taking a loop this morning on N train, the 18 bus and then back to downtown on the L train. Curious about where the busses, trolleys, trains and cable cars go? Click here for a PDF map.

Anyway... I'm wasting time writing this when I could be outside enjoying life, except for the bums that are thick as flies and harrassing every passer-by for money.

When Words Won't Come...

This is one of those times when, no matter how easy it seems to write something of interest just once a week, no words seem to leap into my immediate disposal. Haven't seven days elapsed since the last time I sat down here to say hello to family and friends? Certainly something must have happened that is worthy of sharing... other than the usual safe, but boring, banter about the weather. (Which, by the way, still has us guessing what to expect on any given day.)

I suppose that I should look at this from a different perspective. I'm still breathing, and without the medication and inhalers that my father used for as long as I could remember right up until the time of his death. This might change as I did my best to kill myself by smoking for about 25 years, in spite of witnessing firsthand what asthma and emphysema can do to inhibit one's lifestyle.

I can still go to the bathroom when I choose to do so, rather than finding out about it after the fact. That might seem rather petty, but talk to some older folks who deal with incontinence and then figure out whether or not having control of such a basic task is a blessing or not. I can understand that we come into this world wearing a diaper, but having to go out wearing the same fashion statement... it just ain't right!

I still am able to go to work (albeit there are days when I'd rather not), interact with people there... most of which are friendly, and a small circle that seems like an extended family. I'm able to write this piece of drivel, for goodness sake... yet there are people in the world that couldn't read this even if they wanted to. It could be from a lack of education, economic circumstance or having a government filtering what is suitable for them to visually consume.

I'm able to choose what God I wish to worship, or ignore. I'm not bound by "peer pressure" to worship one specific God or have my head removed as a consequence. Oh yes... in MY religion, God is able to do His own dirty work. He will be more than capable to separate the good from the bad when they stand before Him in judgment, and doesn't need the help of His "followers" to dispatch victims to Him while chanting, "God is Good, God is Great!" Yes, my God is SO great that He will deal with me personally... He doesn't need YOUR help. Really!

So, all-in-all, I might not have a lot to say this week but I do have a lot to be thankful for. How about you?

Spring Forward

Last Sunday we made the drive from Garden Valley to Sun Valley, just a little under 300 miles round trip. It seems odd to see familiar settings in unfamiliar ways... that, of course, being the shroud of winter known as snow.

This is the area we often go to in the summer for bicycling or other forms of recreation, but ignore during the winter because we don't do winter activities! What a difference cold weather makes...

In the photo Valerie is standing at a turn-out about a half mile north of Galena Summit. In the past, when we've done charity bike rides with the American Lung Association this has been a popular stopping point to get out camera for group photos, with the Sawtooth mountains in the background. Today there were no bicyclist here, and no group photo (one of us had to hold the camera)!

We did see a few die-hard bicyclists on the south side of Galena Summit coming north out of Sun Valley. The road was clear, but the weather was very crisp... they were all dressed in their cold weather gear for their rides.

While Valerie wandered around Sun Valley (actually the town of Ketchum) for a while, I hid in Isabel's Needlepoint (which also has a generous supply of yarn for knitters and crocheters). I spoke with the newest employee there, who moved up from San Francisco and she gave me a few culinary suggestions for dining out when Valerie and I go to the city by the bay at the end of this month. She also suggested a local favorite for coffee, that sound like it operates out of the back of a garage in the Hayes Valley district called Blue Bottle Coffee Company. If you visit their website, click on "Kiosk" on the sidebar; this is the outlet I'll be seeking out. It's apparently VERY close to where another knitting shop is located, called the Urban Knitting Studio... so this will be the ol' two birds with one stone approach!

Today Daylight Saving Time went into effect for most of the USA, pushing the clocks forward one hour. (Click on the link to learn more than you ever wanted to about the subject!) Spring forward is a great theme for this month as our snow is slowly melting in Garden Valley (it's gone in Boise) and soon we'll have tolerable temperatures and enough daylight to get our bike out and see whether we can still remember how to ride it, and whether we have the physical capabilities to still do so!

The Knitting Project from Hell

Everybody has probably experienced something similar to this, regardless whether it's knitting or some other craft or hobby... or home do-it-yourself project.

As most of you know, I like to knit. I don't know why... it's just the one thing that I can usually do well. There is one project, however, that keeps slapping me around saying, "no you don't!"

I've been trying to knit a tank top for Valerie out of a nice silk yarn, and have had nothing but problems from day 1. I've walked away from it and come back, only to still find that it hates me. I'm ready to walk away again...

I was using a needle set called "Denise", which is made out of a nylon-like plastic. It's a good all purpose interchangeable set, but this yarn didn't slide well along the needles or the connecting cable. I wound up dropping stitches and then not being able to find them to fix the problem, and having to start over. This yarn, while it feels soft against the body, also acts like it is made from Velcro. So it's easy to have one stitch cling to another and both come off the needles, sometimes without being noticed until you've worked the entire 230 stitches and then find you're off on the design. Another reason to start over.

I just recently picked up a new interchangeable needle set from "Knit Picks", which I have heard many people singing the praises of how well they're made, and how nicely they work. Indeed, when I started yet again to try and knit this project, I was impressed how easily the silk yarn moved along the needles and connecting cable. Unfortunately, when I was on just the seventh round the cable separated from the connector and everything came off and unraveled. The project is on hold indefinitely and I've e-mailed the company to find out whether they had a bad batch of cables, or whether I'm just "lucky".

At least this time the disaster wasn't my fault! But the result is the same; the effort is ruined and I have to start over at some point in the future. At least I only had seven rounds and not seventy seven... but if I was through the lacy pattern on the bottom and into the "easy" stuff, I could have saved the tank top when everything came loose! This is what the tank top is supposed to look like.

So... how's your day going???