Working Is For Suckers

4 Years Ago, I Proposed

2010-12-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from December 27, 2006. For all pictures, click here.

This will be a long post. I've been busy the last week.

I'm engaged. To Lindsay. Just so we're all on the same page.

I proposed in Central Park at The Lake. I think she said yes.

We flew to NYC on Tuesday after Christmas with her family. We got to Newark and took a shuttle to our hotel. More than two hours later in that rush-hour traffic, we got to see some of the best views of the city from our room.

That was the first night. I had planned on proposing the next day, Wednesday, mainly to prevent the expectations from making the trip have a weird vibe to it. Lindsay had to be clueless if she didn't think I would propose in NYC. (I did tease her a bit by dropping hints all during the time with her family before we left. I wanted to have some bit of surprise.)

On that Wednesday, we went to the Museum of Natural History after a quick bagel and lox breakfast (remember this part). This was my favorite museum as a kid and used it as an excuse to get us to Central Park.

My plan was to propose somewhere in the Park. I just needed a way to get her there without tipping my hand.

After the museum, which was slammed with people (part of a trend during our entire stay), we walked into the Park. Lindsay was being a bit of a pill and I had to insist we walk into the Park. Luckily, it's one of those clear, crisp East Coast days. I was concerned as I didn't want to propose anywhere with crowds or in any overtly public way. And, the entire time, I had the ring box in my inside jacket pocket, wedged under my armpit so I knew where it was.

We finally get to The Lake.

I mumble something sweet. I honestly don't remember the exact words. Something about how we love to walk outside together and how special she is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was sweet and romantic.

I start to fumble for the ring box but it's in that weird inside pocket. And I had never worn that jacket since I bought it. So, there we are. Lindsay looking at me as I grope around my armpit like I want to make fart sounds.

I get the box out and get down on a knee.

She starts to cry.

I ask her to marry me. I opened the box to show her the ring.

I think she said yes. I gave her the tissues I had brought with me. Yes, I'm that prepared.

So she can put it on and look at it (for the first time- she might have designed it but she never saw the entire ring all together), we walk over to a nearby gazebo. As soon as our ass cheeks hit the bench, some people sit across from us and ruin the moment.

It's hard to be romantic with a family of three sitting across from you.

So, we walk to The Lake's edge so she can finally put it on.

This picture turned out pretty well. Very sparkly.

Then we started calling people. I had previously asked Lindsay's Mom and Dad for permission so they knew it was coming. Just not when. So it wasn't a surprise as Lindsay told people.

From there, we went to Jean Georges, near the Park. I reserved this place to celebrate. We had a great lunch (my tuna appetizer was amazing) where Lindsay kept flashing her ring at me. I think she was happy with it.

Jumping ahead a bit, after lunch and that lox bagel for breakfast, Lindsay began to get sick. Needless to say, she had some trouble keeping food down. It was either the bagel and lox (I had the same) or the chicken she ate from Jean George.

Regardless of the culprit, for the rest of the trip, Lindsay would be sick. One might suggest that the ring made her sick. Lindsay assures me this is not the case. I just know what I saw. She got a ring. Then was sick the rest of the time.

The rest of the trip was fun but somewhat limited by how close she could be to a bathroom.

For all pictures, click here.

We saw one horrible show (Company) and one very good show, Spring Awakening.

I saw the big Cal win (thanks to Lindsay's illness, or was she just being sweet?), had some overrated meals (Veritas, which was practically empty), had a great set of desserts at a Japanese dessert bar (Kyotofu), had lunch at sushi place that Lindsay enjoyed much more than me, Sushi Yahuda, and walked around pretty much all of lower Manhattan.

It's time to leave NYC so we head to Newark. We get there and try to check in. (The plan was to get there early to avoid the New Year's Eve traffic, and catch the end of the Jet game.)

The kiosk won't let me check in. We get help. Long story short, Orbitz cancelled my reservation. Why? No one knows. I had tried to upgrade my ticket before we left but for some reason, known only to the assholes at Orbitz, we had nothing. We're at Newark Airport, scheduled but not ticketed on a flight that is now full.

Luckily, the ticket agent took pity on us (Lindsay subtling mentioning,several times, how we just got engaged) and got us seats on another flight. At Kennedy.

But this time, we were upgraded to Business Class using our miles.

So, after a $120 cab ride through Staten Island (one more borough for Lindsay), we get to Kennedy. We board and are happy.

We're seated in one of those reclining leather chairs, with plenty of room ahead of us. We had a burger at the airport before boarding, which sucked, as we were wined and dined the entire flight. They even gave us personal DVD players with movies to play at our seats. It was exactly what I wanted to celebrate our engagement. It was a round about way of getting there but we got there.

We got back to SF in time to celebrate the New Year by conking out soon after 2007 started.

Iceland: Shark, Puffin, Black Sand Beaches, Volcano, Glaciers, Geothermic Pools

2010-09-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Instead of writing about Iceland, I think it's better, and easier, to just show some of my favorite pictures and videos.

We stayed in Reykjavik and took day trips to the north, east, and south from there. I ate shark, puffin, a great hot dog, and bad Mexican food.

Let's just look at pictures and videos.

Icelandic Ponies necking and rolling the dirt.

Eating shark.

The shark is on the toothpicks.

Skogafoss and a rainbow.

The smoked puffin is at the bottom. It was hard to get a true flavor since there was so many blueberry items on the plate. They were in season so they went blueberry crazy.


Blue Lagoon, where I relaxed in this geothermic pool and algae.


Best meal in Iceland: Icelandic Fish and Chips.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur dog. Delicious with raw onions and crispy onions and a remoulade.


Icelandic Street Art.

Viking Sculpture.


Where Ronnie and Gorby met to sort out the Cold War.


At the Pond.


Not photoshopped.

Down in a hole...

Eyjafjallajokul, the volcano/glacier that caused all that trouble.

Need more pictures?

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Scotland: Haggis, Rod Stewart, Slaraffenland, Blood Sausage and Ox Tongue

2010-09-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

We took the train from London to Glasgow. I had high expectations for Scotland since we were over jet lag and feeling well rested.

From the station, we cabbed to our hotel and were very happy with what we saw. Blythswood Square was situated 10 minutes from the shopping district and close enough to the West End to see less touristy areas. We enjoyed our stay and the included breakfast each morning.

The room

The highlights were the meal at The Ubiquitous Chip Restaurant, the tour to the Highlands, the lunch in Edinburgh at The Grainstore Restaurant, and the bands we saw (Slaraffenland and Social Services).

We had agreed to have one fancy meal in each place we stayed. This would be the get dressed and look presentable night. For Glasgow, we picked the The Ubiquitous Chip . The menu read well so we were excited. By far, this was my favorite meal of the trip.

Haggis!

I started with the The Chip’s Own (since 1971) Venison Haggis, Mashed Potatoes, Carrot Crisp and Turnip Cream. Amazing dish. For main, I had the Aberdeen Angus Fillet Steak au Poivre, Potato Gratin, Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach and Wild Mushrooms. The only let down was the wine pairing. I let the sommelier pair for me and he picked a super jammy Aussie Shiraz that was just too much for me.

The meal was worth every pence.

The next day, we toured the West Highlands. Mike, our guide to the Scottish Highlands (Oban, Glencoe, West Highland Lochs And Castles) was personable, fun, and informative. He took unscheduled stops to show us waterfalls and offer tidbits on what we were seeing. He would answer any question and was a genuinely nice guy who enjoyed his job.

The only minor issue we had was the music he played during the tour. It was a tad annoying to hear Rod Stewart over and over but I'm sure if we chimed up, he would have stopped playing it. It was a case where we didn't want to offend since he was such a good guy.

The sites were stunning and it was a small enough group where we didn't feel like cattle. Great day.

And, we learned that you can make a 4 day hike through it, with nights in b&bs. Next time, if Lindsay is game.

The day trip to Edinburgh the next day was enjoyable up until to the downpour and the expensive and crowded Castle tour. I was cranky on all accounts. Then lunch. That saved the day.

Still wet, at the Castle.

The Grainstore Restaurant was near the Castle and provided a break from the rain and a palate cleanser (pun intended) from the Castle. I had the Stornoway black pudding with apples and watercress and then the ox heart for main.

How Scottish is that? The black pudding didn't have that overpowering iron taste. The ox tongue was just ok but still very tasty.

We ended our stay in Glasgow by seeing a few bands. I had bought the tickets to see Slaraffenland but it was Social Services who were much better. It reminded me how much I miss going to hear bands where people don't talk during songs (as much as the States).

Here are the rest of the pictures.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

London: Strike, Offal, and Indian Food

2010-09-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

(I'll be posting more about the trip as I have time this week.)

We began our trip in London. We wanted an easy place (ease of transportation and language) to start our trip.

The flight on Virgin was pretty bad, marred by talkative passengers who chatted loudly through a redeye and by repeated on-board announcements telling us that the entertainment system was still broken. Yes, they already got their letter.

The hotel, Athenaeum Hotel, was nicely located in Mayfair and close to Green Park. The hotel was fine: not great, not bad. Our room had a welcome teddy bear that we were pitched to bring home (at a hefty cost). I took a picture and left the bear.

London was mellow: we met with some friends of mine from the Camino, enjoyed some museums, and ate some pretty good meals. For all the pictures, click here.

The noteworthy meals were St. John and Dishroom.

St John was memorable for a few reasons: it had earned a Michelin star and it cost us $50 to get there and back. Thank you, Tube Stikers! (I'm glad you're being replaced by vending machines!) My highlight was the roasted marrow with parsley salad. Amazing. They are known for their nose to tail dining but the more exotic dishes weren't as compelling. We weren't wussy (as you will learn from the other stuff I ate later in the trip.) It was good to try but no need to go back.

Dishoom was the best meal in London. Indian food tapas. A little of this, a little of that. All flavorful and well done. We also had the best service of any place in London.

Kudos to Stephen who explained that London waitstaff will treat us badly and to not expect anything more than them bringing the food to you. (When we had lunch with them and their kids, Stephen asked the waitress to bring the kids' meals first. She replied, “You’ll get the food when it’s ready.”)

In all, we had an enjoyable time in London. It was a transition and felt that way. We probably stayed a day too long but it was a good place to get our feet under us after the redeye from SFO.

First picture together from the trip.


Eating paella at the Portobello Market.

Taken by Golda and Stephen's son.


That one does.


With Golda and Stephen.

Sassy at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

At tea.

My non GF goodies.

How dainty.

The best combo of food? Lindsay refused to eat here.

Here is the slideshow of the UK pictures:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Why Won't They Let Us Get Home?

2010-09-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this at Seatac on Saturday morning.

We should have arrived at 545pm in Seattle, Friday night, for enough time to make the 759 flight to SFO. I should not still be in Seattle.

We left Iceland at 745pm their time. Friday. It was supposed to be at 5pm.

We still don't know why. They were vague and mentioned only "missed connections".

We got through the very odd, free for all boarding process and sat in our isle seats in the back of the plane. We had high hopes after flying this airline from Glasgow to Iceland.

It was a clusterfuck this time.

Loud passengers talking over rows, slamming overhead compartments by flight attendants, getting clipped by the fat assed flight attendant every time she passed our seats, Lindsay getting her hair pulled by people grabbing her seat, Lindsay having someone lean over her (while she was just about to doze) in order to talk to her seat-mate. It was comical. We got to the point we we so flabbergasted by the staff and passengers that we gave up caring. We were defeated.

Am I so old that I remember that flying used to be more civil than a Muni trip?

It was also bright the entire time since we were pretty much going with the sun. No real chance for sleeping since the cabin lights never dimmed.

Even before we left Iceland, we knew it would be tough getting the connection to SFO so I tried to get info before we left Iceland.

Priceline said to call USAir, USAir said to call United, United said to call USAir. Thanks to Skype, I just had to buy wifi to get this gobblygook.

So I hoped the folks at Seattle would help once we arrived.

Customs was manned by only 2 guys so we knew that would hurt our chances of catching a later flight. We were told weather delays in SF would give us a chance if we hustled.

We got the the USAir desk but they said to go to United.

When we finally got to United, we were told that we missed the delayed flight. We were stuck in SEA.

Icelandic Air gave us a hotel voucher (admission of guilt!) so we stayed right near the airport to try for a late morning flight. Today.

The hotel was what you would expect.

I hope we are both just psychosomatically itching.

As of now, we are in limbo. The flight we're re-booked on shows "delayed", weather in SF is foggy and we can only wish for the best.

I'm still hopeful we will get home within 24 hours of when we were supposed to.

Pictures will be posted tomorrow after I decompress at home with some off the scotch I bought.

Serenity now!

Puffins, Waterfalls, and a Volcano

2010-09-15T12:51:00.001-07:00

In the last 24 hours, I saw a black sand beach, the volcano that caused all the trouble earlier this year, ate puffin, and an amazing waterfall with a rainbow.

We rented a car and drove a few hours to Vik, on the south coast. It's a very sleepy town, with one open restaurant (another burger). Getting there was fun.

We saw a few waterfalls, glaciers, the famous volcano, and an ash cloud from all the ash being blown around. It was bad. I can only imagine how bad it was with the eruption.

The volcano did some damage. We saw construction guys still digging out the streams from ash build up. There are miles of dead zones as you drive past. It looks so harmless now.

Tomorrow, we head north to see cliffs and more some waterfront towns.

Sone pictures from the phone:

You can barely see the rainbow. I have better pictures on my camera. For context, the volcano is right behind this waterfall. We saw a postcard with lava flowing near this same waterfall.

Famous iconic church at Vik.

Black sand at Vik.

The puffin from last night's dinner. There's some puffin arranged at 6 o'clock. It was ok, a bit rubbery but a nice bit of smoke and salt. But, when mixed with the other stuff on the plate, mainly blueberries, it was lost. Done and done.

A few more days left....

The Golden Circle

2010-09-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

Today started with a walk along the water and then finished with a tour to see the world famous "golden circle" of three sites.

Very pretty sites but the tour sucked. Maybe 40 minutes of cool things to see and the other 7 hours were just driving around (still pretty but not as pretty from a bus with wet and grumpy passengers) and stopping at gift shops. How many stuffed puffins do you need to see? The correct answer is 2.

Some pictures from the day:

Before the tour, we walked along the water. This is the famous meeting place of Gorby and Ronnie.

Magic mushrooms?

Gulfoss, a badass waterfall.

Geysir, bubbling.

Tourist crap for 8.50US.
Insane.

Tomorrow is the Blue Lagoon to relax in hot springs and algae.

Then, we're renting a car for 2 days for some day trips on our own. That tour today soured us big time. Freedom from tour people!

Where Is Everyone?

2010-09-12T14:26:00.001-07:00

We are getting settled in in Reykjavik. It's very pretty but we arrived at a slow time.

Sundays are very sleepy here. (Too many hung over people.)

I think the locals are hiding.

I'm trying to stop muttering about the food costs here. We ran into some guys from NY yesterday who said that the only thing they disliked here was the food cost and quality. We see the $$$$ but the food so far has been ok. We have seen loads of pizza and Mexican ($18 burrito!!!) Lots of hodgepodge menus too with several genres of food mixed in.

So far, lots of walking around, a museum, and a relaxing public bath! (It's the thing to do here: hot pots or hot tubs, and a pool.)

More later as we start to see some natural wonders- a must see list of geysers and waterfalls- on the Golden Circle tomorrow. We may rent a car later on in the week for a day trip for more flexibility.

Until then, some pictures from the phone:

On the way from the airport.

A church that made me think of Jack and his legos.

Eating the world famous dogs at Bæjarins beztu pylsur. Yes, bun and all. We will be going back.

Tonight's fish and chips. Ling fish! One of the better ones from the trip.

Having fun...

Goodbye, Scotland

2010-09-11T02:07:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed our time based in Glasgow. We had the best meal of the trip here, saw the Highlands, caught a night of music, and had a comfortable stay at our hotel.

More to come later as the pictures of the Highlands are stunning. And not just the self-portraits I took!

Some pictures:

Haggis!

Oban.

Loch Lomond.

Misty Highlands.

Off to Iceland!

On to Scotland

2010-09-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

Clearly, this is a picture from the train to Glasgow. We're both tired from the early wake up call but are excited to be in the way North.

For our last night in London, we had dinner at St. John Restaurant. This was my pick. I was excited to try traditional British food that used nose to tail. Sadly, it was just ok.

You walk into a stark white cafeteria type vibe. The servers wore chef whites too so the only non-white elements are the food.

Both starters were great. My roasted bone marrow with parsley salad rocked. The sea salt that the server added was a welcome addition. Lindsay had a smoked haddock broth ( with cream!). Hers was yummy but mine was better.

We also ordered their own bottling of a cab/merlot blend. For 20£ it was very reasonable. Lindsay had a baby glass.

Very cute label.

For mains, I had a special breed of pig known for its fat. It was good, I enjoyed it. But it wasn't super. It was a fatty piece of pork with salt and pepper. Lindsay's smoked eel was way too salty for me. I'm glad I didn't get it. She thought it was just ok.

For dessert, the apple sorbet with a shot of polish vodka ended the meal strongly. We both were happy with it. The vodka was very smooth.

Since we had to get a cab there and back due to the striking tube workers, the night was more expensive than I planned. You can imagine my muttering after $50US in cabs for dinner.

Bring on Scotland!

Portobello Market, Classy Limo and Dishoom

2010-09-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Today was a walking day.

We had a fancy breakfast at the Woosley. Lindsay's omelet was smooth, like when you whisk the eggs as they set. I had scrabbled eggs and bacon. We were both happy.

We then took the tube and bus ( thanks to some construction) to the Portobello Market. Imagine Union Street fair with a farmer's market and antiques mixed in. Lots of goodies to look and buy. No real damage. We both had some paella that was made in huge pans. Fun visit.

We then tubed to Piccadilly Circus to do a favor for Lindsay's friend. We were to drop off a gift as a surprise. The bigger surprise was that the art gallery where she worked was locked. That was easy.

We then split up for a few hours but ended up seeing the same things (National Portrait Gallery) and areas in our own, by accident. Lindsay didn't need as much L time to shop. For some reason, she doesn't like to shop with me.

We then ended up at a pub where I had a pint and she had a cider!

On to dinner.... We had a delicious meal at Dishoom, a Bombay cafe. Great food and drinks. I had a Thumbs Up soda which was described as Indian Coke. It was like that but a hint of cumin? Turmeric?

The funniest part was walking back to the tube and we saw this:

A CHP limo! Sadly, it was not for us.

Don't want to jinx it but the weather has been great. No need for a jacket, even at night.

Tomorrow is visiting some friends and then high tea.

London

2010-09-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely but a tad tired in London. We didn't sleep well on our Virgin flight due to announcements through the night updating us about the broken entertainment system and rude passengers who chatted right behind my seats. I thought my seat neighbor was going to attack these pair of women who were repeat offenders.

So now, Lindsay is taking a power nap. We already had a quick picnic in nearby Green Park but it may be worth another walk before dinner. The weather is too nice to be resting! A very chill first day in London.

Weekend Of Kids

2010-08-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I spent an action-packed weekend with our nephews and our godkids.

On Saturday, we went down to see Dad and Merna at Morgan Hill. Jack and Christian were staying the night in the fifth wheel but first needed some quality pool time first. And to tire them out, I'm sure.

More videos here, here, and here.

Here's the slideshow from our day with Jack and Christian:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Then, yesterday, we went off to Berkeley for some Chinese food and some kidlet time. They ran amok on the Cal campus. But before that, we had to introduce them to Yogurt Park. It was a huge hit for everyone, even Lindsay!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Here are some videos:

We had fun times with all the kids!

7 Years

2010-07-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

My brother died seven years ago today.

I would have enjoyed getting him some old man cardigan sweater from Iceland or Scotland (we are going on vacation for two weeks in September). I guess he knew about hipster fashion before there were the hipsters of today. Who knew?

In his memory, my thoughts go to his music and how much joy and comfort it gave him.

Here's a quick video from one of his favorite bands.

And one from Rush, another one of his favorite songs by them:

And finally, a video that he would have enjoyed. It's in memory of his turtle, Fred.

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Vegas, Baby. Vegas!

2010-07-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

Josh and I spent three days in Vegas getting away from work, wives, and kids (his, not mine. Stop pressuring me).

We stayed at the Aria (great staff and location; beds, not so much).

Vegas was oppressively hot so we spent much of the time, if not all, inside drinking. I only lost $60 all in (craps, CFL and baseball sports betting) so I showed amazing restraint.

The highlights were the Silversun Pickups show at the Hard Rock, the drinking, and the relaxing. Fun times to just hang out with Josh.

The lowlights: The Golden Steer, the 113 degree heat, losing two baseball bets late in the game, and exiting the wrong doors (over and over) making us walk around more in the heat.

Here are some pictures:

Artsy shot in some art installation in the Aria.

The mandatory self portrait on the plane.

Josh's big win

Josh with the King. This is a standard Josh pose with all art.

Little Rock 'N' Roller

2010-06-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Lindsay beat me to it. Her review is here.

On Saturday, we saw Steve Earle's solo acoustic show at the Great America Music Hall (solid venue). I always enjoy seeing him and was looking forward to hearing him again. We had last seen him at the Palace of Fine Arts. For me, that show was better than this one.

Earle seemed distracted and a bit unprepared. His playing was always terrific but his demeanor was one of someone who would rather rush through the set so he could get back to something else. In this case, probably his newborn baby.

I was excited to hear Someday, Sparkle and Shine, Pancho and Lefty, Galway Girl, and most of all, Little Rock 'N' Roller. But the rest of the set list was not as compelling. I had hoped he would dip more into the catalog and pull out some oldies or covers. His cover of Highway Patrolman at an earlier show was still one of the best songs I have ever heard him perform.

The most compelling parts of his shows have often been his banter and rantings. I may not agree with all his politics but I do admire his earnestness and hard work on issues he's passionate about. But for this show, he seemed a bit too chill. A bit too in his head. I still had a fun time but it wasn't his best show for me.

And lastly, to the a-holes who get drunk and shout out songs or talk loudly DURING the performance, stay home. This is not a Metallica show. We can hear you. This is a solo, acoustic show. And you can not make it up but hooting and hollering after the song's over. We all knew that you are not paying attention.

Rock on, Steve Earle. I'm looking forward to the new album.

Colorado Girl

2010-06-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

We escaped the City with a trip to visit friends and family in Colorado.

We saw funnel clouds along with generally nasty weather, a baseball game, ate some great food, and enjoyed the efforts of a U2 cover band. I do need to broaden my Colorado activities as I feel that I have only seen a small part of Colorado. Lindsay keeps telling me about this elusive Colorado of hiking and scenic vistas that we just haven't seen together yet.

I think it calls for a trip for just the two of us next time so I can see what all this raves about Colorado are about.

We had a fun time and I have the pictures to prove it.

Enjoying the GF stand at Coors Field. Rockies won, by the way.

Sharing moments with a bear.

At the sweet seats Mike got us.

So close but too close to grab a foul ball.

Pretty much every day but the last looked like this or was raining.

Muggs!

Reece and Maggie.

"Under A Blue Red Sky" was a fun U2 cover band. This might have been the best of the songs they did. Billy Bono (really) had a SuperFan in the front row. He was mesmerizing.

For all the pictures:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Explaining the post title, with apologies to Townes Van Zandt:

I'm goin' out to to Denver
See if I can't find
I'm goin' out to to Denver
See if I can't find
That lovin' Colorado girl of mine
That lovin' Colorado girl of mine

Just Joshin With Cath

2010-06-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

With tired feet, I'm home.

Cath and I served the newly bottled Just Joshin Sierra Foothills Tempranillo to the excited masses at TAPAS Grand Wine Tasting at Fort Mason.

Josh was home sick so Cath was a late edition replacement. I was the veteran of the group since I had poured a few months before. I could feel the excitement from Josh as he entrusted this event to me and Cath.

We set up the table, arranged the tattoos, stickers, magnets, and sell sheets and went to work.

We didn't stop.

The people kept coming. We were slammed the entire time. Besides pee breaks and a quick paella run for me, we had very little time to break.

The people would tell us how they heard how great the wine was. I was stopped randomly twice and told that they loved "my" wine and that it was the best of the event. And, at $15 per, they will be buying some online for sure! You better!

The highlights were:
1. This woman putting on a SFW tat:

2. Being interviewed for a blog. I think I did you proud, Josh. If only I wrote the name... I was so busy that I forgot.

3. Having the most bids at the auction:

4. Intoducting Cath as the "wine maker's wife" only to be asked, "She's your Baby Mama?" It was loud in there but come on...

We had a fun time and did well to represent the newest Stein Family Wine brand. I'm not saying Josh wasn't missed but I do think that these rookies did a darn good job.

Drink up, folks! This Tempranillo is priced to move and is delicious. Just ask anyone who had some. Or Boba.

Happy Birthday To Lindsay

2010-05-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

There once was a birthday girl named Lindsay,
who is now aged as a thirty and a three.
On this special day,
I'd like to display,
that my love for her doesn't have to rhyme.

As someone who has already blown past the 33 year barrier, I can only suggest that you do what I did to not feel old: marry someone younger! Wait, sorry, too late.

Happy Birthday, Lindsay. I love you and will enjoy sharing many more birthdays with you.

Since you didn't want to get your gifts until later, for now, you'll have to listen to Stevie Wonder when he sings:

34

2010-05-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lee would have been 34 today.

I miss the back and forth via IM about him telling me what he wants for his birthday.
I miss trying to get him to fly up to SF to see some bands.
I miss comparing notes about how crazy "your" mother is.
I miss asking him how he’s doing and him saying “fine.”

On this day, I try to remember the glimmers when he wasn't so depressed or shut down.

I remember a road trip from Cal to LA with the guys when we stopped in San Luis Obispo for quick lunch.

Lee joined us for pizza downtown and surprised us with news that he was working at a pirate radio station on the overnight shift. Irwin peppered him with questions about the songs he played and the types of callers who made an effort at 2AM on a Tuesday. I remember how Lee was having a good time talking Rush with Irwin and how it was the only time I saw Lee laugh that hard. It was just a bunch of guys bullshitting around.

_______

I like this picture for a few reasons. Lee is almost smiling as we are admiring his goatee. (I guess it's genetic that neither of us could grown facial hair that connects.) Notice the Twilight Zone poster and Cal shirt (a gift from me). He was in good spirits during that visit to place at UCLA.

And always, my favorite picture of us, with Peter Panda (who I still have):

In his memory, I'm going to watch Harold And Maude. It was his favorite movie and yes, he got the irony of a quirky, semi-mentally ill hero.

If you're up to it, donate to this mental health charity in his name here:

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Overserved At Fort Mason

2010-04-12T08:21:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I helped Josh with his efforts in making a future for his kids and his community.

We (99.9% him) sold his 2009 Los Carneros Semi-Dry Gewürztraminer at the San Francisco Vintners Market at Fort Mason.

Here I am after setting up and modeling the wine. The kale and produce were not part of our set-up.

That was my role: smile and keep Josh from doing any of the mundane things like moving boxes out of standing pools of water from the leaky roof. He needed to focus on selling wine. I needed to focus on not getting electrocuted by the power cords in the puddles.

I did roam around with Michelle and her friends for a bit of wine tasting. Overall, the wines were just so so. The best for me were Stein Family Wines Gewürztraminer (always), Provenance Vineyards' 2005 Cab, and the 2004 P.B. Hein Vineyards Charbono.

The highlights at the booth involved the drunks.

The woman who told Josh that his wine "was the shit". The drunk woman who spilled wine on the table as she struggled to stay upright. And finally, the couple who abused the tattoos.

Josh provides tchotchkes like pens, stickers, and these temporary tats.

A very drunk, staggering, giggling drunk couple stopped by the end of the event so they were feeling no pain after sampling all the tastings.

The guy proceeded to put a tattoo on his girlfriend's cheek. I guess he liked the look so he added another one to her forehead. She was either a good sport or too drunk to resist.

I had a fun time and am happy that Josh was able to sell so much wine. People like it, they really do.

And, thanks again for Michelle and her friends for stopping by and buying . Much appreciated.

Santa Barbara

2010-02-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and I enjoyed some time away from SF in Santa Barbara. We ate well, saw pelicans, enjoyed staring at the waves, and dealt with the normal experiences when dealing with United.

We stayed at the Inn at East Beach for the long weekend. It was a pleasant enough room and well located to all the sites. We couldn't be too picky with the holiday weekend and the film festival in town. And, outside the door, there lived a huge spider. I couldn't get a good picture and didn't want to get too close. That guy was obviously an effective hunter.

The best meal was at Restaurant Julienne . They dealt with Lindsay's food allergies without any trouble and the food was all solid. The servers and the wine guy were all friendly and informative. The standout was the pork belly. Then again, when is it not?

We also had a few Mexican lunches at Lilly's and La Super Rica. I thought they were equally good but the La Super Rica's 90 minute wait was not worth the time.

It was a chill Valentine's Day weekend. We got what we wanted: an easy going, relaxing weekend.

Lindsay "ruining" a self portrait.

La Super Rica.

I like pelicans.

Lilly's.

All the pictures:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Goodbye to Little P

2009-11-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

My mother had to euthanize Puccini last night. Little P was 16, almost 17 years old.

Even though we did not get along well (too much nipping- her, not me), Little P was a great companion for my mother during the tough times. Puccini could be quite sweet and supportive as a care giver. Usually only to my mother, however.

RIP, Little P. If there is a doggie heaven, please remember that you are not as badass as you think so play nice! Be cute, stay furry, and keep on doing your Pomeranian twirls.

Kudos to Steve

2009-11-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

Steve now has a fancy new name: Associate Dean Calandrillo and Stone Professor of Law. I may not know exactly what that means but he does get a medal.

The speech he gave, and the introduction by a friend of his, is pretty solid.

The highlights from the speeches:

Dean Nicolas: "Chryssa, who many of you know as his current wife..."
Dean Nicolas: "Using those excellent skills, as an economist, he spent some studying Wheel of Fortune, watching how many times certain letters came up. With that knowledge, he tried out, competed on the show and was a three time winner and took that money and handed it directly over to the Dean of Harvard Law School."
From Steve when getting the award: "Dean Testy, I have to say this has just been a fabulous start to your deanship. We are so excited..."

Congrats, Steve. I have nothing to base this on but I'm sure this is well deserved.

The Kidlets Turn 4

2009-11-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

That's right, Arlo and Leyna are now 4 years old.

Before:

Arlo, as chunker.

Leyna as chunkette.

After:

Leyna

Leyna was shunned.

Leyna was unshunned.

Their Godfather now: