One of the very best things about loft life is that we get to live among so many interesting neighbors. Kelly and I are surrounded by artists, scientists, writers, musicians, lawyers, architects and at least one very lovely and talented singer. Fellow Wisconsinite Tara Forth will be treating us to an evening of wine and song next Saturday at a loft on the fourth floor, and I can’t wait!
I had begun to think it might never happen, but my “little” brother Todd finally made it to California! He’s staying with friends in Petaluma while he searches for a job. Please join me in wishing Todd the best of luck in his search.
Welcome to the Golden State, Todd!
Don’t just take my word for it. This page makes a better case for Opera than I could. I’m playing with Opera 7.5 beta tonight and it looks even better than its predecessor. In addition to the best browsing experience on the Internet and integrated e-mail, the new beta even includes an IRC client. I can’t wait to install the Linux version at work!
Do yourself a favor - try Opera today!
We finally made it to our favorite bed & breakfast just north of Gualala, California. Our visit was too short as usual, but the food, the fireplace and the soaking tub helped to soothe our frayed nerves despite the rainy, gray weather. Ahhh…
We stayed in the Sequoia cabin - one of our favorites. We visited a damp and mostly empty Mendocino, Kelly got her shopping fix. Jim ate his first rack of venison and even found the time to commit the instruction manual for his new camera to memory. A lovely way to spend a weekend.
Thanks, Dave for directing me to this spectacular photography site.
Neighbors Ann and Donelda celebrate the end of tax season with delicious home made pizza, wine and a few lucky neighbors.
I took my film camera to Mt. Diablo too. I used a 20 mm lens and a 60 mm macro lens with Fuji Velvia to take these photos of my favorite subject. I had to expose manually with the 20 mm lens. It’s a relic - no autofucus, no CPU. Fortunately, I remembered the old rule of thumb - under clear skys at noon, you’ll get perfect exposures with the lens set at f16 and with the shutter speed set closest to the ASA of the film. Thus, f16 at 1/60 of a second would have been just about right under these conditions with 50 speed Velvia. Of course, I had to subtract 2 f-stops for the circular polarizer, so I chose f8 at 1/60 of a second.
Perfect!
Stay tuned for news on my latest acquisition - a Nikon D70. :-)
If you can possibly avoid the usual gathering with extended family, it turns out that Easter Sunday is a great day to get things done. We easily made our way up to Mount Diablo to take in a somewhat hazy, but otherwise perfect view, got the car washed and even ate a little salt-and-pepper calamari in a deserted P. F. Chang’s. What a lovely day! (Shhh… Don’t tell anyone, but the staff at the restaurant told us that today and Super Bowl Sunday are the slowest days of the year.)
We hope that your Easter Sunday was as stress-free as ours!
Thanks to some very kind people at work, Kelly and I were given a gift certificate at one of the very best restaurants in the Bay Area. I was expecting the food to be good - maybe even great - but it exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. I know it sounds hard to believe, but the lamb was the best I ever had. The miniscule portions were just about right - this just meant we had room for the next course, and the next. And let’s not forget about the dessert tray!
We would not ordinarily dine at a place like Fleur De Lys, but we will definitely try to find an excuse to go again. I just love that lighted sink in the men’s room! :-)
I have never understood how it is that a culture who live in a largely desolate environment often completely devoid of color would create such colorful, complex geometric patterns in their art.
I bought these beaded items from an Inuit woman in Greenland in 1986. My recollecton is that I paid five dollars a piece for them. I wish I had been able to ask her how long it took her to make them.
The first piece (on the left) has a single bead which appears to be out of place. This is most certainly not a mistake - more likely the artist’s unique “signature”. Can you find it? (Hint: The bead can only be seen on the full-size view.)
What a splendid day! We were blessed with absolutely perfect weather. We took it easy - enjoyed a nap on the sofa, an Okaland A’s game, (they won) a couple horse races, dinner, a terrific movie - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - even a little shopping. (Three new CD’s!) What a way to spend our anniversary.
Three wonderful years. Thank you Darling. Here’s to many, many more!
If you know me, you know that I could live the rest of my life on a diet consisting of nothing but sushi. Hamachi sashimi is the simply best food in the world - period. And the very BEST hamachi can be found at Tachibana n Oakland. Ah, but it doesn’t end there! The sushi chefs at Tachibana also make the undisputed best spider rolls. I also recommend the white tuna toro and when it’s available - the amazing tara kasuzuki. (A delicate white fish marinated with sake lees for several days.)
Tonight was a very special treat for me because we dined with three of our favorite people - Grant, Sandy and the vivacious, energetic, and seemingly always hungry Toni. Thanks for a great time. Can get together again soon - please???
