Wake Up Call

There's nothing like sleeping 5 hours and being waken up on a Sunday before you have to go to work in order to drive your mother to casino. Or, at least to the bus to the casino. I really wanted to take a picture of the mobs of old Chinese people trying to get on the bus, bu t was worried someone was going to throw their roll of nickels at me. So, I got my mom to "pose" so I could catch the mob behind her. Interesting how she just naturally blends in with everyone else, huh? There are also a couple of "posing" shots of my mom in front of the bus, but I'll spare you. At least I to take a couple of hundred pictures downtown before work.

We Heart Gwen

No Doubt, Paramore, and the Sounds at Shoreline on Saturday. My concert wishlist is now complete.

Fondue Friday

Friday was fondue day! Plus, we managed NOT to set my house on fire. Who doesn't love a little cheese fondue, some tasty tri tip steak, and a last minute chocolate souffle?

Class Homework

Thursday is photo class day, and I had to wake up super early to try to get some pics done for my homework assignment. At least I managed to get to the Academy and De Young early enough to avoid the mobs of random children that descend every day.

Language of the Birds- Night Shot

Despite a 12 hour day, I still felt compelled to get out of my car and take pics on the way home.

Ali Wong

Saw Ali Wong on Tuesday at the Punchline and had to say hi.

Stout Marker

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last post, so here goes a mass catch up. Last last monday was the start of 2 weeks of work lock down, but at least I got to take some decent pics. Even inmates are allowed at least an hour in the yard outside.

I'm learning that I have a lot of shared interests with Elizabeth Varnell, whose marker I caught outside William Stout.

Crap Fair!

Sunday was the Renegade craft fair. Cute crap galore, and I managed to only get a stinky tofu print and 2 t-shirts. I also had to run around like a mad person trying to take pics for class and ran into the Herbst Theater, tagged by Alice Waters as a fave.

SOMArts

Saturday we helped out at SOMArts to help paint the floor. I'm still a little traumatized by a green floor.

Google Favorite Places

Today was a long day- I spent 4 hours non stop shoes and clothes shopping with a 6 year old, who has proven her shopping stamina. Is it possible to have a 6 year old be my shopping soul mate? Then it was a little baby duty, and then dinner with my favorite peoples. Too much food plus too much laughing equals fun.

I also was inspired in my photo journey by these new, physical place markers that supposedly are floating around the world. You can find a collection of favorite places identified by famous people, i.e. you can track all of Gavin Newsom's favorite places. Apparently Gary Danko loves the restaurant Range in the Mission. I'm stoked cause it combines physical signage and mapping! This may be my new photo assignment. Check it out:

www.google.com/favoriteplaces

Elephants

I didn't take a photo today since I am on photo overload with class today, so instead, I'm posting the cute little elephants I created today.

20-20

Since we found out our vision benefits are being cancelled after this month, I made a mad dash to the optometrist to get my new prescription and glasses. I heart heart heart Invision on Fillmore and was glad to find out my prescription only changed a quarter of a degree in the last 5 years. My optometrist also told me most people with my vision don't even need glasses. Does this mean Kaiser was just f-ing with me for the past TWENTY years, scamming me into buying glasses?

Baking School to Baking Fool

I spent Tuesday giving a baking lesson to a friend. She was off to a great start, and now I realize her identity must be protected from impending shame. We started with great black bottom cupcakes and then made a devil's food cake with buttercream frosting. There's even a play by play pic of how this cake tragedy came to be. I also, not-so-subtly showed a side by side of the cakes so you can guess which cake was mine, and which cake was DEFINITELY not mine. Absolutely fun time, but the final cake was like stabbing a butter knife into my little cake heart.

Woolworth

I took the Muni the other day (gasp!) and found this sign for Woolworth's. This reminds me of going downstairs for plastic Halloween costumes, my dad buying me jelly fruit slices and pizza, and buying hamsters and fish. Those were the days. . .

I also found someone who wanted to be in my picture. For a second I was worried he was going to shove me to the ground and steal my camera, but no, he was just being congenial.

Goldsworthy Spire

I'm a little disappointed about this Goldsworthy exhibit. I like that it uses the fallen trees in the Presidio and will eventually "disappear" into the planted forest around it, but I was expecting a little more. Plus, I don't think I'm going to be wandering into the Park just before sunset by myself- just a little creepy. I found a stuffed squirrel animal in the bushes and almost cried.

Photo Overload

Saturday was my first visit to the MOMA for the Ansel Adams/ O'keefe, Richard Avedon, and Robert Frank exhibits, meaning I am on photography overload. I also got to Yerba Buena to add a couple of heart pics to my collection and wandered around the outside of the new Jewish Museum.

Cartoon Winkies

Although I took a bunch of "artsy" pics for class today, I find it more interesting to also catch glimpses of things we see everyday. I don't quite remember seeing talking penises everyday, but I thought this PSA for STD's was funny. I find it a little offensive- where's the Asian winky? Or is it only black, white, and latino winkies that need to test for syphillis?

Homework

Thursday was the first day of photography class. Part of my homework assignment includes looking for natural framing. Arching trees are always a good start.

Nightmare Before Lunch

My friend calls this the ugly monster scuplture, so I was going to say, "Hey, look at this ugly monster standing next to the sculpture." Then I realized that was too mean. But Heidi's always a good sport and stood next to this Ugo Rondinone sculpture which I think is pretty cool.

Roller Cowboy

Cowboy hat+Roller skates= AWESOMENESS
I saved this awesome pic of an anonymous friend for a rainy day. I don't know if kids from Scotts Valley are "different" but the only ones I know are roller skating competitors and cotillion class gradutates.

Kings and Cheese

Am I wrong for assuming I would actually see King Tutankhamun at the King Tut exhibit? It was an amazing trip to the De Young today, despite the fact that the sacrophogus is actually displayed. Since there isn't any photography allowed in the exhibit, a fun gift shop photo will have to do for now. Unfortunately, we could have been in Vegas at the MGM for all you know.

Post King Tut was my first visit to cheese and chocolate heaven at the Melting Pot. Here's a shot of the desserts ready for a chocolate bath.

Independence Day

glut-ton-y- defined as excess in eating or drinking. Also, one of the 7 deadly sins. That would be a good summary of today's events, and potentially the entire weekend. The day started with beignets and crab cakes at Just for You, and a pit stop at Anthony's cookies in the Mission.

Dinner was so great it deserves its own paragraph. Dinner at Bar Tartine began with a local goat cheese paired with plouts, marcona almonds, fresh honey, apricots, and a walnut bread. OMG! A mild cheese with fresh honey and a little bit of walnut. Then, a chilled chicken pate with a fig compote and toasted, buttered, grilled baguette. What's the white layer in the ramekin? Delicious liver fat, of course! I was in liver heaven! Unfortunately, the duck entree and dessert was just okay. But overall, good food.

Burfday!

It was a fantabulous birthday with the family and the kiddies at Six Flags. What's even better, is that the two birthday cakes made me forget that my sunburned arm now resembles a neopolitan ice cream: red- completely burned shoulders/white- tshirt tan line/brown-tan forearms.

On a side note, we decided that Vallejo's Six Flags' motto should be: Six Flags- Not the Happiest Place on Earth. It was 'bout to get all Jerry Springer up in there during the wildlife show. Some lady who worked there was yelling at a couple of guests, threatened to call security, and even called someone the N word. Nothing makes a family vacation more complete than a potential knife fight at an animal show. That's what happens when you put a theme park in the ghetto. I'm sure that's not happening at Disneyland.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I usually tell my mom that she may one day become that chinese lady digging recyclables out of the trash in her spare time. I mean, she already has the uniform for it- a red fleece vest and a floral print hat with an unusally large visor.

Maybe as a sign of bad karma, we were "attacked" by a can lady during our lunch while she hovered until Heidi here completely finished her soda. Eventually, Heidi was peer pressured into downing her soda so the lady would take the can and move more than a foot away. I think we should come back and taunt her with an empty Sprite tied to a can.

Parisian Macarons

Since macarons can potentially be the new "cupcake" I figured I refresh my macaron skills. These should not to be confused with american macaroons, the bastardized version made with coconut and the size of a hockey puck- yuck. Does this make me an official food snob?

The Lazy Blog

I've been really lazy about postng, so here's a few random pics from the last week.