Inspiration for BC Design

Inspiration for when you're stuck on a great business card design.

It's never been more fun to shop for envelopes

Action Envelope has redesigned their website and will be giving Envelope Mall and Jam Paper a run for their money. Not only did they make it easier to browse, they added sample ordering and a HUGE new selection. Now, if they would just increase their selection of presentation folders, they would be my newest favorite vendor of all good things.

Beautiful design and brilliant functionality by Alexander Interactive.

CSS: I love it, I hate it

Last night I sat down for my first attempt at programming in CSS all by myself. I hunkered down at the library, plugged in, opened up BBEdit for the very first time and thought this'll be fun!

Now so far, I've logged about 20 hours of classes in both HTML and CSS since late December. Unfortunately, very little of this included hands-on programming. Lots of notes, yes, but not too much trial-and-error testing, which I've discovered is what will KILL you.

My first two hours were spent trying to do the most basic CSS stylesheet: turn a paragraph red. I did an inline style, no problem. Embedded style, a breeze. But when it came to actually linking a couple of external CSS stylesheets (with @import, no less), I was befuddled. I spent a good half an hour trying to turn my darn paragraph red that I was nearly red myself. On the verge of tears (WHY DOESN'T THIS BLANKETY BLANK PROGRAM WORK?!?) I discovered it was operator error: I was pointing the file to the wrong set of .css files. Paragraph? Red! Now we're coookin'...

But what about the border? Wasn't it supposed to also have a border on it (that was part of the second linked stylesheet)? Yes, there it is, right in the code:

(border 1 px;)

But alas, no border.

I checked the book. I checked the code. I checked the book again. I checked the code. I checked the HTML. I checked the book again. I checked the CSS again. I stared into space wondering WHY DOESN'T THIS BLANKETY BLANK PROGRAM WORK?!? And then, another half an hour later, I realized my (again) mistake : Yes, a colon. It was missing

(border: 1 px;).

This CSS thing takes attention to detail to an entirely new level. Today, it wasn't something missing, it was a slash that was there when it should not have been making none of my pages link to each other. Another half an hour and I still don't understand why. I figured out the problem and how to solve it, though, and that's an amazing feeling.

So at the same time that I am utterly flustered by all this, I am absolutely amazed and elated to be learning it. I can feel my brain trotting down entirely new neural pathways. It makes me happy to be learning something new, and something hard. I can't wait to fully understand it so I can start really admiring the beauty of good code. It's a long way off, but it IS going to be fun.

Type Tester

The niftiest little web tool I have ever seen for nitpicky designers like me:

typetester.com (not to be confused with typester.com)

The New Illustration

I guess illustration is the new sexy

Panoramic 3D

For your trippy pleasure: I wonder where this room is...

Finally! How to make a letterhead template in MS Word

I never knew how to do this correctly until now.

26 letters

Very interesting project, wonder if our postal system would get this through.

Chicago is frozen

We had some rain last night, then some freezing temps...which resulted in a major spill on sheet ice, right onto my tailbone. THAT felt great. We've entered a deep freeze that's going to keep us hibernating for awhile up here.

As long as we're all staying home until it thaws, here's a great blog on modes of thinking for non-creative types and how to learn to draw.

Pretty interesting, especially with so much time on our hands.

Delicious indeed!

Check out these lamps from Swank Lighting. Absolutely stunning...and now my new desktop pattern.

Only 419 of the most useful links you might need

Geared toward web designers (but great for the lowly print designer as well), this site has 419 (or more) links to everything from stock photos to color palettes to XML help, plus an easy way to send in any missing ones.

Lots of info, but easy to navigate.

Great quote

From a new colleague:

"Most of my life is mind-blowing dumbness mixed with brief moments of genius..."

I hear 'ya buddy.

Sammy's new collar

We are trying something new here at 806 Carpenter. We have a new cat door. And with the parade of varmints that have entered my apartment since I moved in (various cats, a curious squirrel and one very stubborn opossum), I opted for the lockable variety with a magnet-activated latch to let in only the black and white, long haired, feline kinds of pets. Tonight was it's debut, including the new collar Sammy now needs to sport to activate said magnetic latch. He's a bit iffy about the door but has tried, at the very least, to exit. Coming back in is not going so well.

Anyway, when I got back from a short errand tonight I called Sammy (and Jak, like I usually do when I get home) and I heard the telltale bell of Sammy's collar...plus an additional noise, a new sort of metallic dragging noise. Around the corner comes Sammy, with my dinner spoon, attached to his collar.

Apparently the magnet is not very discriminating.

No photos, unfortunately as I was laughing too hard and Sammy hates cameras. And I couldn't bear to see what kind of racket he'd make as I tried to get a shot of it.

Vision and Mission

I'm just coming off a weekend retreat for Do Good Consulting, (my sister's firm that consults for non-profits) where we spent heavy time working on things like mission and vision statements. It occurred to me, during this time, that my life changed rather radically recently and although I moved--with seeming purpose--to Chicago, I have felt somewhat directionless for awhile now. With new people and new experiences lately, I realized it was as good a time as any to come up with a personal vision (and mission) statement.

So, my new vision is this: stability while maintaining my independence. Stability both financially (which is what I was originally thinking) but also emotionally (since I often doubt my abilities). My mission, then, is to starting to network here in Chi for solid work in the place I now live, perhaps think about therapy to address some negative attitudes, while not caving into a full time gig for either (financial or emotional stability). I want to move toward more confidence in myself, which is why I want to learn some new things, too:

1. Crocheting. I want to re-learn how to crochet. I was taught last year, during the holidays by my aunt, but have since forgotten. I'm going to start crocheting with her, now that I live here again, once a week (or every two) in December. So, we're off!

2. Chess. I learned this, a long time ago, with Dave but he would kick my ass so quickly that I never really got it, or liked it. So I have a friend here who also wants to learn and I'm going to learn to kick his ass.

3. Tennis. Haven't played since I was a teen, at best, but Julie Jones introduced me to it a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely loved it. I am signing up for lessons starting in January. With Julie, hopefully.

4. Motorcycle riding. Tracy and I have always wanted to learn, I have a helmet and the motivation. So in the spring, we are taking lessons here in Chicago. Yeehaw.

5. Web design and programming. This is something that came out of the retreat--Do Good needs it, and it would make me more valuable in my industry. I need to learn, have for awhile, but the time is now. Looking for classes.

6. Journaling. Well, I ought to write more on my blog. So here I am.

It's my vision for the year, not necessarily life. I just need to have some direction for myself for awhile. I'm documenting this so that in a year I can re-read all this and see where I'm at. And 6 new challenges--I think this is enough for the time being.

Check back to see how I'm doing.

How to Make Smoke in Photoshop

A handy trick: How to Make Smoke in Photoshop

A Note About American Apparel Shirts

As quoted on the Despairwear website:
"These aren't some thick, itchy tees made in China by underfed children. Impossibly soft and comfortable, these shirts are proudly made in USA by shady and/or skanky-looking underfed 20-somethings who tend to like their shirts small and form-fitting. Customers are recommended to consider ordering a size larger than their standard t-shirt size if they are not familiar with the fit of American Apparel shirts or do not suffer from malnutrition."

That's some of the most accurate writing I've read lately.

Pet Punk Reel

This music just keeps going over and over in my head. Can anyone translate it for me?

Unphotographable

File under "I wish I'd thought of that"

Wood bath tub

I know this has nothing at all to do with anything, but isn't this bathtub beautiful? It's $33,000.

Friendliest doormat ever

I like anything with birds, especially things that have birds that sing.

Vector drawing of cruise ship

I stumbled across this link to a tutorial for a vector cruise ship drawing done in Adobe Illustrator. It says it took 720 hours to complete, and that it needed to be done in under 2 months. Assuming 8-hour days (5 days/week), this would have taken 90 days (3 months). Increasing to 10-hour days, it still would have taken 72 days. In order to get it done in 60 days, the artist was likely pulling 12-hour days to finish in time.

It's not that I'm not a hard worker, but I can't imagine staring at my screen at the same illustration for that long. A spectacular illustration nonetheless.

Remi, rest in peace little one

I have to put my cat to sleep today.

Remi got sick while I was out in CA and is not getting better. I saw her last night at 1AM at the Emergency Clinic and while she's disoriented and confused she sat, as usual, resting against my arm purring.

With Remi, there is always unconditional love. She loves everyone. If you are near her, if you even look at her, she immediately starts purring. You can hear it from across the room.

And I confess, I was mean to her. Not physically, but emotionally. I called her stupid. (She was not the brightest cat. You know how you crack a door open and the cat pulls it open to get out? She never quite got that, she'd just paw at it and eventually close it completely, locking herself in.) She was really oddly shaped. (She was once described as looking like a batch of spare parts put together: an extra-large body, a small head, and four extra-small paws because they ran out of large ones. It was true, she was funny looking.) I favored other cats over her.

But no matter how many times I kicked her off the couch, or the bed, or the couch again, she would jump back up and start purring. It was hard to resist petting her when she would just stand there. And purr. A little purring machine.

Remi was a stray cat, found around 1994 when she was maybe 4. We don't really know how old she is. I fostered her and when she fell madly in love with Jak, another one of my batch of cats, there was obviously no separating them. With him, it was also unconditional love. She groomed him, he chewed on her. She curled up next to him, he slept on top of her. They could often be seen in the front hallway fighting (her, by this time with no claws and no teeth) and she'd always be the one on the floor--in the submissive position always--letting him takes swipes at her. And purring regardless.

Rest in pease, little Remi. It's been a great time. I will miss your unconditional love. None of the others have it like you did.

Sunday, April 8

I found it (the apartment I've been waiting for) in the Castro last Thursday.

It's perfect: 1-bedroom, fireplace, french doors, built-ins, period detail, really cute. The view, out the two bay windows is Twin Peaks and the evening I was there I watched the fog as it came rolling in. Spectacular!

The only thing is: it's minuscule. Maybe 400 square feet with a single medium-sized closet. The kitchen has a stove that looks like a toy, and you can hardly turn around in it. Not unexpected, but still hard to imagine actually living there, especially with the $1600/month price tag. As my friend Jeff pointed out, that could afford me a 4-bedroom house in Saint Louis. Ha! It also has an ugly gas heater bolted to the floor directly in front of (and obscuring the view of) the beautiful fireplace. It's huge, a veritable piece of furniture you'd end up trying to decorate around. Or try to hide somehow, like an elephant in the middle of the room.

But, as Riaz told me, it's not about size it's about how it feels. And this place feels so right. I put in my application and am waiting to hear. Along with probably 40 other people wanting the same apartment.

In the meantime, I found another, much larger place in a crappy neighborhood 1 block off of Golden Gate park, which sounds like a lovely location but is not. Double or triple the size of the other place, I could bring more to fill it up but would hate coming home to it every night. So there's that.

Also applied for one on Valencia at 20th that's a 5 on the 1-10 scale. Not as big as the above-mentioned one, but GREAT location right in the heart of the Mission, hardwood floors, new kitchen (that I can actually eat in). It lacks a certain amount of character, however, and has only one very small closet. One. Where would I put all my...you know...stuff?

Last but not least, I have a lead on a place ON Dolores that's not even on the market yet (it's in rehab). It's been described as a 1-bedroom that's "beyond huge". No idea how much or if I could even get it before everyone else but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get in there to see it.

Some sad news from home: my aged Remi is very sick and in the hospital. Her kidneys appear to be failing and she's not doing well at all. Poor Sarah, my awesome cat sitter, who's had to deal with this. I'm cutting my trip short to be with her, leaving tomorrow evening.

After I see the place on Dolores, I hope.

Tuesday, April 3

The apartment hunt is extremely frustrating. No, this is not a surprise but it's still discouraging. Finding a place in a good neighborhood, in my price range (which I thought was going to be plenty), that is large enough for a batch of cats is proving to be harder than I though, despite trolling craigslist every morning.

My options look like this:

- One room, in a decent neighborhood, not big enough for both a couch and a bed. One that I saw wasn't even big enough for a bed so I'm not sure where they thought you'd be sleeping. On the couch, I guess.

- A larger place, in a crappy neighborhood, that actually has a bedroom and large enough for the cats to have a corner to themselves. Probably overlooking a Safeway or car dealer's lot or something.

- The same place in a better neighborhood for several more hundred dollars a month that I'm not sure I can afford. Still too small for 3 cats.

- Roommates. Ugh. Leave the cats at home for 6-12 months, find a place looking for a roommate, and just move enough stuff to live on while I search for a place. This means leaving my cats in the care of someone for up to a year, something that brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.

This last option, of course, is looking more and more likely.

On the up side, the weather is gorgeous. Of course.

Saturday, March 31 - Back in the Bay Area!

Ugh, a 7:55 flight this morning, but alas I am finally back here in San Francisco. It's an exploratory mission this time, in hopes of finding an apartment so I can move out here in May. That's the plan, at least--let's hope I can find a place.

Upon arrival I hooked up with my friend Danielle from Chicago and her friend Katie who just moved out here in June and shopped around the Mission and Hayes Valley for most of the afternoon (what a way to start the trip!). I am in love with both areas, and Katie's apartment near 17th and Church is exactly what I'd be looking for. Small, of course, but with two massive bay windows and a tiny little porch for the kitten. Plus a rooftop with a great view of the entire city.

Several highlights today:

Stopped into Get Lost on Market for a pocket map of SF since I forgot mine at home (again--I think I have at least three of them back home). Also picked up the new Mundane Journeys book, but have not had a chance to read it yet.

Sunhee Moon for boutique clothes (a little too spendy for me so I encouraged Danielle to buy instead).

On the way there, we stopped into Rayon Vert--momentarily--a store I definitely want to get back to when I finally have an apartment to furnish. Great collection of beat-up old stuff in a very interesting arrangement of space. I loved the aesthetic there. The store I wish I had. No website, but they are at 3187 16th St. at Guerrero.

Alabaster in Hayes Valley with it's rambling collection of carefully selected home goodies. My favorites were the resin coral repros (for under $20!), the antique bottles with (real) coral and sea urchins soldered to the stoppers, and a trilogy of three-foot statues of the head of David high up on some bookcases (which I found out later were resin and actually quite light as I had wondered what would happen if someone accidentally bumped into those shelving units). 597 Hayes St.

Friend, another home store chock full of all the current trendy items including a wood bird mobile that I coveted but refused to ante up $60 for. The old "I could make it myself" excuse. 401 Hayes St.

Momi Toby's Revolution Cafe, a neighborhood coffee house named for the great-great-great-great grandmother of Poncho Villa's cook (or something like that, they weren't really sure) that sells coffees, teas and treats and even beer and wine (a half carafe at happy hour is a mere ten smacks). The place feels like it's been there forever and I felt like I would want to spend a lot of time hanging out there if I lived in that area. 528 Laguna St.

Inside, a modern furniture store hosting an impressive batch of mixed media pieces by Chris Stokes, an architect who uses found scraps of paper items, old press-type, xerox transfers and drawing and painting to make really delicate, detailed compositions. His work made me think that I could definitely reduce the scale of my pieces and use less stuff, and perhaps end up with an aesthetic that is more refined (and easier to do in a small apartment, to boot). Danielle bought one, and if I was not moving here soon I would have too. The price was right: $375 and they were all originals in museum-quality mats and frames--a great bargain. 149 Gough.

Dinner at Blue Plate down in the Mission, then bed. I'm beat.

Colour Lovers Unite

A lovely open source site of positively yummy color palettes from a site in the UK called COLOURlovers, founded by Darius Monsef. Described by him: "Our approach is based on the open source and common license concept. We gather creative professionals into an online community where they can share ideas about color and influence others." While I was hesitant to sign myself up as "lover" (and create yet another new online personality profile) I did flag the color palettes as a really great design resource when I'm stuck on my next project.

Envelope size guide

A helpful link for everyone who can't memorize all the envelope sizes available to crafty designers like us.

Patterns galore

I just got turned onto Travis Beckham's site today. Check out his inventory of fully downloadable patterns. Way way cool Travis.

Over

This weekend was officially my last art fair. My last for the season, but more likely the last I'll ever do. This season was hardly successful and the amount of physical (and emotional) labor involved in doing a show is truly exhausting. I used to enjoy going down to my studio to see what ideas were stewing but now, as with most pasttimes that become careers, it's more of an obligation than a exploration. Plus, I've been picking up quite a bit of freelance (design) work lately so I'm going to relax and enjoy working on the computer again. There's nothing like long hours under the flourescents to really bring out your creativity.

Hanging in KC

Today's the last day of the Plaza Art Fair in Kansas City, Missouri. Sales have been just so-so, but I'm having a great time with my friend Eric Nichols and some new friends in nearby booths including John Forney and his friend Veronica and Sam Spiczka (pronounced, I believe, Spitz-ka). There was a bit of a debacle last night as random booths started going dark for no apparent reason. My guess is too much draw from individual vendors (I think John was trying to power four 200-watt bulbs-ha!) but they eventually resolved the situation.

Went out to Stretch Rumaner's bar Grinders afterwards for a late night snack.

Fun tip I learned from some guy today: powdered coffee creamer goes up like napalm when sprinkled over a fire pit. Not dumped, just sprinkled. Fun tip for Halloween.

Bank of America's Baby Bunny

Before you read this, I'm going to tell you up front this is a very sad story. A true story, but very sad.

I have been freelancing at an office a lot recently and at lunch I often hit the closest sub joint for a sandwich. On the way, in front of the monolithic Bank of America building, is a raised bed garden, made of granite and at least 4 feet off the ground filled with all kinds of plants. One day while walking by, I discovered a tiny baby bunny in this tiny, inaccessible garden. I looked all over the place but could not discover how this tiny thing could have scaled a four-foot wall to get into the garden or--as it it basically a giant granite planter--how he could have tunneled in from below. So this makes me very happy. Hurray for the bunny! He's been there every time I walk by, napping behind one of the shrubs or munching on the greenery. He always wakes up when I stop to see him, since I'm guessing I'm the only person in this city who even noticed he lived there.

Anyway, today I found him dead.

Spamorama

This was the text of a spam I accidentally opened today. Having watched the movie "Contact" recently, part of me started wondering if this was NOT jibberish but instead very complicated instructions for a time machine. Perhaps the key is to ask MacCauly Calkin (or his brother, MacCauly Culkin...)


Casings. ADVANCED Tube
launchers etcI
risk. Dummy: MacCauly Calkin
damaging
mics
blowjob shower.
proceeded waiter. Needless suddenly
adieu.
inherit topheavy staterun
money. arevery thenumber
strips subjected spikes
LABS COMPLEX RENDER ASCII. TRICKS. ANTENNA PATH WALLS. ACCROSS
acronym
park. drums kegs
yateres isfor convos Elsur FBIs
jokes..
WORKS HAZARDS. CITED STATMENT
Effective nails.
shakenor partially impurity insoluble waterand
reflected cancels echos. smallest
Push
freon Rd preformed endcaps
Wallet
NeoNazi. bullshit guerre
Depatment Kirkland AFB
given. literally overthrow
familiar. dotted
like:
injures work..
funnels. Funnels
DIALOG CORP. TeraBytes
leveled vs. thousand tons.PART

Only a mere 10,000 left...

First of all, we got our power back a couple of days ago (about 24 hours after it went out) so with all my crabbing it really wasn't that bad.

Especially considering there are still 10,000 people still without power. Today is Friday, the 28th--the storm that started this whole debacle was NINE days ago. There are people who have now been without power for nine days, as the temperature (and the damn humidity) has continued to climb back up to typical Saint Louis levels.

True, this is no New Orleans-level catastrophe, but c'mon Ameren...for real?

Nine days?

80,000 people still without power...now including us!

Though they claimed most of the remaining 155,000 without power would be on by last night, indeed this is not the case. There were still 139,000 this morning.

To make matters worse, our power went BACK OUT last night around 8. Fun!

Still not on (as of this post, 2PM). But, hey, they're down to 80,000 without power. Great job guys! How about driving over to my neighborhood to see what's going on, eh?

Still 155,000 people out

I don't know why I'm obsessed with this, but there are still 156,000 people without power in the Saint Louis area, now almost a week after the storm. They claim most will be back on by tonight but...seriously? How is that possible?

According to AmerenUE's website...

There are a mere 232,000 people without power this lovely Monday morning, 5 nights after the storm...

At this pace, it'll be August before North County gets it's power back.

Power is on, we are go

We got our power back last night! So anyone who is interested in hanging out in some air conditioning is welcome to come over. We even have cold beer.

'Course you probably can't read this post, since your power is still out.

Still 326,000 people without power and it's getting HOT today.

We sure are lucky.

Well, we sure are back

Wednesday it was 104 degrees in Saint Louis. No, I mean it, that's not an exaggeration. With the "heat index" (heat + humidity = heat index), it was up to 115. I got up at 7 to run with my neighbor and it was like we had walked out into a sauna.

On Wednesday evening, one of the worst storms to hit Saint Louis blew through, taking about half the city's power with it including ours. That night's rest wasn't great, but it wasn't too bad. Yet.


I got up, sticky and sweaty, in the morning (still no power) and spent an hour or so clearing large heavy branches out of my yard and my neighbor's, while getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. With no power, I ended up finding an office to work at (thanks Hughes!) and by the time I got home around 6, the heat and humidity started really getting unbearable. I spent an fairly uncomfortable evening sticking to the furniture and sweating while trying to read, longing for even just a fan to move the air around. Dave and I decided to watch a DVD on my laptop, since it was the only distraction and I knew I could power up again the next day.

The neighborhood, completely dark, was really really eerie.

My neighbor finally convinced me to join her at the Chase Park Plaza where her inlaws had an apartment and power. Dave opted to stay home (no idea why) but I couldn't do it. At 6:30AM the fire alarm went off at the Chase. We evacuated with an 8-year-old, a 2-year-old and a large, frightened dog.


So now it's Friday. Still no power at the crib. I went to work at Hughes again (thank god) and another storm rolled through, killing the power (and the project I was...grrr...right...in...the...midddle...of...!) temporarily here but cooling things down (so I hear, I've been in an office all day).

Power tonight? Not likely.

Power this weekend. We'll see.

God it's good to be home!

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 14

July 16, Berkeley Hills

Tomorrow we leave.

I'm not ready.

We went down to Richmond to visit Francis and James today, who (finally!) bought a little comfy house for themselves. It's adorable, of course, (as is their cat, Chloe-I miss my felines) with a garden that is prize-worthy and designed by Francis, who also made us dinner (James cleaned up, thanks James!). We hung out on their deck for many hours, basking in the California sunshine. Who would not want to live here?

Francis took us back, pointing out million-dollar homes on the way. As Al Chang's girlfriend, Laura Bathurst, said last night, "San Francisco is the perfect place to live but for the cost of living."

Can we do it?

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 13

July 15, Berkeley Hills

I had a bunch of work to do today so I worked at Jerry's house all day until dinner, when I drove into Berkeley to meet with Dave and the rest of his Dream Team. Jerry gave me directions that took me along Grizzly Peak Boulevard for miles, with some of the most breathtaking scenery I've ever seen. On the way home, I caved in and stopped, like a good tourist, for a photo (I'll post when I get home, though it won't do the experience any justice at all). The view was the entire East Bay, all the way across the water to the entire City, plus all the surrounding mountains, the fog rolling in and the sun setting. There I was, above the clouds, looking down on it all.

Wow.

I got back to Jerry's house, planning for a boring evening of internet surfing, but Al Chang (Jerry's housemate)'s girlfriend, Laura Bathurst, was there unexpectedly from Stockton. She had cracked a bottle of wine and we got to talking about societal behavioral differences and self-confidence and moving to Madrid (possibly) and moving to San Francisco (for sure) and all kinds of great stuff. She talks faster than me, if that's even possible, and we put away several bottles before the Dream Team arrived home. They joined us for even more wine (we regretted this later but it was fun at the time) and about 2AM we finally hit the sack.

In two days we're leaving to go home. Tear.

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 12

July 14, Berkeley Hills

We moved our stuff to Jerry's house today (bye Phoenix Hotel with your rock stars and your noise), where Dave is doing a symposium with Al Chang and Sheila Kim (and Jerry and Kevin and others) about changing the world. Or something.

I practiced my driving on the hills (thank god for rental cars with insurance coverage), parked at the Bart, and headed into the city to source a bunch of stuff for a super top-secret project for Jerry and Dave (which I'll tell you about later when it all comes together). I found a great store called The Seventh something? on Market, but I can't remember the name! Darnit. Great tshirts and jeans.

Dinner was grilled to perfection by Jerry. Thanks Jerry!

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 11

July 13, Tenderloin and Berkeley HIlls

I discovered that the Phoenix Hotel has free breakfast! Which is great, since Dave left the East Bay before seeing that I was fed, but it's bad because the crappy internet access here doesn't reach to the breakfast area. So I can work at a real table with room to move my mouse (other than the 24" round tile-top table in our room that serves as a "desk") but I can't really get any work done because I need the internet!

So off to Berkeley to hang with Jerry Michalski (bringing, yes, Saigon Sandwiches with me...must evangelize...), where he and Dave picked me up in his 1962 Sunbeam (his is white). I wedged myself into the back... um... luggage area? (it's not big enough to really be a seat) and headed up the hill.

Whee...!

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 10

July 12, Tenderloin

Dave and I are staying at this mostly-hip, retrofitted Motor Lodge called The Phoenix Hotel (it's listed on their website as being in the Civic Center, but really is stuck in the heart of the Tenderloin, an area I am both fascinated by and repulsed by equally). The Phoenix is a self-declared "not for everyone" hotel, and today we discovered--or rediscovered, since a similar thing was taking place Sunday when we got here--why. The open courtyard and louvered windows makes it a lovely place to hang out when it's quiet, but the Phoenix, in an attempt to be ultra hip and relevant to the neighborhood I guess, hosts loud, raucous parties in the courtyard.

In the middle of the day.

In the middle of the week.

Upon returning from a late breakfast--it's Wednesday, about 2 or so--we discovered a (very loud) Pirate-themed Party taking place that included a courtyard of (drunk) people dressed up as...well, pirates and mini-plays (utilizing the entire hotel balcony, including both ways up to our room), as well as bad, bad, bad karaoke.

Both Dave and I needed to work, so we were forced to pack up and go on foot in search of internet access and a flat place to work (preferrably with an outlet nearby), ending up at the Hyatt on a table set up for some conference registration, being asked no less than 5 times if we knew where the restroom was. Grrr...

But that evening, at dinner at Limon on Valencia, we were amused with Trinny's stories about muggings and downpours and gays, all the while trying to convince us to move out here

Trust me, we're convinced.

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 9

July 11, Chinatown

Today was such a big day, I'll try to be short.

I was solo all day, so I walked to my favorite place in San Francisco: Chinatown. I think I'm addicted to the thrill of finding the coolest cheap bargains, without succumbing to all the same crap that every tourist spends unnecessary money on. Here's what I found:

$6 for a porcelain teacup with a removable porcelain strainer and a lid for brewing loose tea, but easier to clean than my collection of tea balls or my bodum tea press.

$4 for a paper lantern (ok, I caved and bought a very touristy item, but it was very beautiful and I'm going to hang it in my office)

$4 for a case for my sunglasses, another arguably touristy item but I was in need since I'd left my case at home and tossing the glasses in with my pens and such is killing them.

$3 for incense. Wait, that's touristy too. Damn.

$13 for a scarf that I thought I needed (it was COLD this morning) but it's actually too long, too heavy, and...well, just ugly. Bad investment, considering my score later in the day...read on.

After walking up and down Grant several times, I hopped over to Ross Alley for a peek at the Fortune Cookie factory as recommended by both my tour sources (see Day 8). It's a fascinating thing to watch, but they have a sign up asking for 50 cents for photographs and you feel very odd just standing there at the door watching. I thought they gave out free cookies but alas, they didn't look too friendly to me so I skipped asking about a freebie.

Along Stockton, on my hike back to the hotel, I discovered Fabric Depo between Sacramento and Clay, just before the tunnel. It's tiny, but I found some lightweight knit jersey fabric, 60" wide at 1.50 yard! Just like American Apparel's sheer jersey scarf, only for a grand total of 62 cents. Seriously. Plus some of the most fabulous fabrics, trims, and adornments for next to nothing.

The last stop on the way home was Brand Fury on Sutter between Jones and Taylor, with some of the best SF t-shirts around, if you must take one with you, all designed and silkscreened by San Franciscans. I got a Tenderloin one, because again, this area seems to fascinate and repel me.

Tonight was dinner with Evan Williams and Sara Morishige. But you'll have to read Dave's blog for that story...

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 8

July 10, The Tenderloin

Three of my new favorite finds here in the City:

First is a handy little pocket size book called Mundane Journeys by Kate Pocrass and Patrick J. Kavanagh. Chock full of quirky little things to notice and mundane places you would normally walk right by, it's a glimpse into some of the more interesting tidbits of San Francisco. The book, unfortunately, is out of print but Rosa Lee Harden (Kevin Jones' lovely better half) offered their copy to me and I am in heaven. I haven't gone anywhere without it.

Second was a recommendation from the above-mentioned gem, that I discovered was actually right across the street from The Phoenix Hotel in the Tenderloin, and is not to be missed: Saigon Sandwich. My tofu sandwich, at $2.50, was a HUGE french bread roll with fried tofu in some sort of magical sauce, with carrots, cilantro, hot peppers (but not too hot). I ate mine at the hotel while Dave was on a conference call and I am instantly addicted, though it took a good 20 minutes to each the whole thing.

Third, is a box of cards by Chronicle Books called City Walks: San Francisco by Christina Henry de Tessan (with Maps by John Spelman). Subtitled "50 Adventures on Foot", it's a box of 50 beautifully-designed and printed cards (with yummy matte laminate and friendly rounded corners) with different walks through all kinds of areas in San Francisco. Each one is carefully researched with some off-the-beaten-path treasures as well as tried-and-true neighborhood favorites. You can do architectural, environmental, cultural or shopping walks. Each morning I've been selecting a few, sticking them in my back pocket (the 4x6 size is perfect for that) and heading out.

Once the calls were done, Dave and I decided to explore SF's oldest park, Buena Vista Park. The hike to the top affords some amazing views of the immediate Haight area below as well as the entire city beyond. At the top, Dave noticed a neighboring hill, which we discovered (later) was Corona Heights Park. An even steeper (though shorter) hike puts you atop a giant group of boulders with a breathtaking (albeit very windy--hold onto your hats) 360-degree view of the entire city. Watching the fog roll in over the hill was so mesmerizing, as it is to me every time I see it here. I'm such a tourist.

We ended up walking down into the Haight (past some of the most spectacular houses I've ever seen--oh Tyler, you and I would never make it out of this neighborhood...) and into the often-panned Haight-Ashbury shopping district. True, it was very commercial but not as touristy as I had expected. We stopped for coffee, found a great wine shop and bought a great bottle, walked up and got some cheese at the famous Say Cheese, then found the Goodwill and nabbed 2 wine glasses and a knife (for the cheese) and got on the bus home.

Two more Saigon Sandwiches for dinner and our day was pretty darn near perfect.

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 7

July 9, Mission District

Amazing luck! This morning, we had to leave the condo and move to a hotel for the next five nights, and had to move the rental car out of their space behind the condo, too. Just as I pulled out of the alley and turned the corner a car pulled out, and I got a lovely space right on the street. I'm telling you, this trip is charmed.

We met up again with Heather Gold to watch the World Cup in Dolores Park (along with about 8,000 of our closest friends). It was so packed that the whole head-butting incident was actually missed by our end of the park. So, Italy won and we headed out for coffee.

Along the way, I discovered Otsu, a publishing company-cum-retail store nestled in the shopping district along Valencia. A tiny store chock full of hand crafted items, mostly paper goods, from checkbook covers (got one) to t-shirts (got one) to handmade cards (got two) to coasters (one package of 6 with rabbits on them). I will take a photo of my treasures, including Dave in his new Otsu t-shirt (yes, ok, it's the one featured in Readymade, but that's not why I bought it), as soon as I get home. I forgot the cable to hook up my digital camera, so no photos until I get back home. Sorry! Otsu is located at 849 Valencia, between 19th and 20th and is only open Wed-Sun from 11:30-7:30.

We packed up our stuff and headed to the Phoenix Hotel. That, my friends, is covered in a later post. See Day 10.

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 6

July 8, Mission Area

Dave sent out a text message to all this SF contacts, inviting them to drinks on the rooftop bar at Medjool in the Misison. It was a light crowd (invites were by email--so last year!--but we hadn't discovered twttr yet).

Arriving on the scene was our friend Trinny, who just bought an amazing condo in, as she says, "Corona Heights/upper Castro/Cole Valley" with beautiful views of...god, everything, and Heather Gold who has the coolest motorcycle, and Shannon Clark who just--literally minutes earlier--had moved into a new apartment in Noe Valley with a secret room. Too much fun was had by all...

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 5

July 7, back in Misison District

We drove back from Sonoma today, to the condo we were staying at when we first got here. Went for a walk down Valencia with a local, who pointed out 826 Valencia, Dave Egger's store/thing. I feel starstruck, even from across the street.

Also discovered The 500 Club at 17th and Guerroro, a great dive of a bar with all the Goldfish crackers you can eat. Or Bagel bites, or whatever they have on hand.

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 4

July 6, Sonoma

I worked most of the day while Dave and Kevin went for a 10-mile hike.

One thing worth blogging today: I found a solution to the heat problem with my computer.

My new MacBook Pro laptop is awesome, but (as most laptop users already know), while working on it for long lengths of time it gets so hot I have to shut everything down and put it to sleep to cool it down every so often. I love the portability of it, but this heat thing has been driving me nuts. At home, I tried putting a baker's rack under the computer, raising it off the desk by about 1/4" or so and that seems to help.

But I discovered today that working a stone countertop solves this problem completely. The heat is dispersed into the stone, which at first was quite cold to work on, but soon became nice and warm without overheating. The computer stayed at a comfortable temperature for the entire 7 hours I worked on it. Though it might make my next desk a heafty burden, I think a stone top is brilliant.

Two Weeks in San Fran, Day 3

July 5, Sonoma

Dave was back in the City working today, so I took the car and drove around a bit. Two places worth noting:

Tiddle E Winks "Vintage 5 and Dime"
Run by Heidi Geffen, "Proprietress", this little gem is just off the main square in downtown Sonoma. On the door is a sign that says "yes, it's all really old (except for the candy)" and it sure is. A bright, cheery store filled with old tchotckes from the 30's, 40's and 50's candy stores and beyone. Everything from Xray Glasses (remember those ads in the back of magazines for glasses that could see through clothing?) to sewing notions to flashcards. Reasonably priced from 50 cents and up. I took home a little cardboard game with two tiny balls you roll into the holes where a monkey's eyes are supposed to be. Cute!

Down the street, on the main drag, is the Spirits in Stone Art Gallery (a ridculously New Age-y name that I did not even remember until blogging this, and had I actually noticed it then, I probably would not have gone in) where I found the art of Wosene Worke Kosrof. A painter from Ethiopia, his work incorporates Amharic scipt (his native language) in contemporary abstract paintings. I felt honored to have seen a few of his originals in person in this space, I wish I could have afforded one. Instead, I picked up his brand new catalogue, "WORDS: From Spoken to Seen. The Art of Wosene Worke Kosrof" for $30. Worth every penny, it's 74 pages with many of them full color plates of his work.