Day 120 - Lunched with a special guest

The weather in San Francisco is not like L.A. or San Diego. Our summers are cold and foggy. The best time of year is now, and again in September. The days have been warm and sunny, making it hard to concentrate on anything.

Mr. Sound decided to work from home today. We sat silently on our respective computers for many hours, doing work. But by 1:00, we were hungry for food and a bit of sunshine. We had a great lunch on an outdoor patio, feeling lucky to have this time together.


UPDATE: I mentioned I was applying to a band. I sent some lyrics and tunage to them on Wednesday and today, got rejected. I am disappointed. Something in their post resonated with me, and I put up a bit of a fight to have them hear me live before making a final decision. We'll see.

Day 119 - Went to a trunk show

New designers showcase their creations at a trunk show. I have never been to one. Last week, we had met a sweet, funny jewelry designer who was just about to launch her line. Turns out she is also amazingly talented. She uses precious stones in most of her pieces, and the detail in each is unmatched.

The party was great. It was simple but stylish. Her close friends all joined in with their special skills: it was held in a friend's interior design office, with photos of the jewelry from her husband and product write-ups from her marketing friend. The jewelry stands were borrowed from a friend who sells Stella and Dot. The food was a group effort. A ton of money is not the secret - being creative, asking for help, and sticking with her personal style resulted in a great event.

She is currently working on a consumer website, and I will most definitely tell you when it is up. I'm sorry to leave you hanging like this but I promise, you will want to see this.

Day 118 - Celebrated

The response we received from our newsletter was overwhelming. Just such nice responses of support and congratulations. We are blessed to have these fabulous people in our lives. My ridiculously sweet friend Diana took me out for a glass of champagne in the early afternoon. I hadn't planned to do anything. Friends remind you that it's important to celebrate these moments and acceptable to toot your own horn sometimes. Take a break from routine and acknowledge these firsts, since they are rare and fleeting. Thank you, Diana, for treating me to more than just some good prosecco!

Day 117 - Introduced ourselves

My company sent out its first email newsletter, officially introducing ourselves to friends and family. After so much work behind the computer, it's an amazing feeling to share it with everyone. It makes this whole thing seem real, finally.

Day 116 - Ran my fastest mile

My handy Nike+ Sportband alerted me to the fact that I ran my quickest mile pace yet! 9:25. That is not fast in the realm of running, but fast for me. I kept it up for 3 miles. I wish I could figure out what the secret was, why this day was especially strong. Training for the San Francisco half - I mean, REALLY training - seems doable.

Day 115 - Visited Kirby Cove

Right on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge is the Marin Headlands, a national park known for biking and beauty. I have been there before, sure, but not like this.

Mr. Sound and I walked across the Golden Gate, which is something I have never done. I have run across it, during a race and in practice, but never meandered like a tourist over it.




Cross under the bridge and follow the footpath up the hill to the vista. Then follow the winding dirt road down to the beach. There is Kirby Cove. We enjoyed our picnic lunch by the ocean, enjoying this view.




We even took a short nap in the warm sun, right there on the grass. It was heaven. The walk back was uphill but after such a great afternoon, totally worth it. The walk across the bridge was windy and noisy but it was nothing compared to how good it felt to be outdoors on such a gorgeous day. We celebrated with burgers and milk shakes.

Day 114 - Marveled at strength

My old boss lost her long battle with cancer recently. She was 42 years old. She had survived breast cancer, and a year later, was diagnosed with leukemia. She went in and out of remission for over a year. She was a sweet, generous, caring, laughing, smart woman who I wish I got to know better.

Her family and friends that spoke at her service today were amazing. They struggled with their intense feelings of loss while honoring this courageous woman through such heartfelt words. Her mom, her sister and brother, her uncle and cousin, friends and coworkers all spoke to her greatness while showing such strength. Truly amazing.

The chapel could barely hold everyone. Attendees spilled out into the street, squished into pews. It was no surprise, but as her mom said, it would have surprised her. She just was that wonderful person to her core. Those of us that worked with her felt it every day. How often do you find a boss that works hard to build a family at the office? Rarely. She was one of those people.

She was the one that encouraged me to sit for the CPA exam. She signed off on my paperwork. She guided me when I became a manager for the first time. She always impressed me with the way she would stop in to say hello to each individual in our department every morning, one by one.

I believe we learn a little something from each person we come across in this world. From some, we take away more than others. Alison was one of those people that made you want to be a better person just by being herself. We are all better just for knowing her.

Day 113 - Went to class to... hula hoop

Granted, I was not the most talented hula hooper when I was younger. Just could not keep that hoop up. So I jumped at the chance to redeem myself during SF Dance Week. HoopGirl is a local company that teaches hoop fitness and dance through videos and classes. Their introductory class to celebrate Dance Week gave tips and introduced all levels to new moves.

Our instructor Summer was phenomenal and truly an inspiring teacher. She made it look effortless. I made it look like a convulsion. But in the end, I was able to keep that hoop up for a minute and discovered it was quite a workout. I recommend it to anyone!

Day 112 - Hit repeat for three hours straight

The band I contacted yesterday actually wrote me back and included a few mp3s of their own. My new goal is to write some lyrics for one of their entrancing songs. Quite exciting. I have done this before with a friend, but am a bit nervous to do it for a stranger.

I listened to their two tracks on repeat for most of the afternoon (while doing some mindless envelope stuffing). A certain feel and rhythm comes out of a song, so the lyrics just come to you. Well, that's how it should work. It's not exactly flowing, but getting there.

Day 111 - Trolled Craigslist for bands

Really, the new thing is that I actually found a band that sounds pretty awesome. But how to apply? Obviously have to send some mp3s of myself singing. Dug out some practice takes from earlier in the year. Not perfect, but good enough. How to send them? Just make a MySpace page. So there I am, getting somewhat professional about my music career. We'll see what happens, but I was excited to do it and glad I for once took the chance without hesitating.

Day 110 - Snapped a rainbow over Golden Gate

The sky morphed from blue to gray to scary to blue to fluffy back to gray, and then it rained. The result of that was this gorgeous rainbow. Nature like this takes your breath away.

Day 109 - Ignored social media

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter – just couldn’t bring myself to look at them today. Too much to do to distract myself with those time sucks (as fun as they are).

Day 108 - Walked a dog

Read yesterday’s post and equate that to dogs. I have played with dogs, sure, but never taken one for an official walk. Mom, Dara, our friend Nicole and I took Dara’s adorable dog for a nice walk. We had a ball thrower and the three-year old pup never tired. I wanted to bring her home in my suitcase. I want one!

Day 107 - Fed a Baby

I have never, and still don’t, find myself around babies much. I am the youngest child, one of the youngest cousins, never babysat in high school, and don’t live near my friends that have babies. Opportunities are rare.

But I found mine today. We didn’t visit Denver for just the Coors Brewery – we came to meet Dara, the newest addition to our friends’ family. She is four months old and completely adorable. Mom let me feed her as I sat on the couch and her little hands were just about wrapped around the bottle. Aw. Can’t wait to tell her about this when she’s thirteen.

Day 106 - Toured the Coors Brewery

A quick plane ride and we found ourselves in Denver. The city is surrounded by the Rockies, which not only makes me think of amazing snowboarding I’ve never experienced, but Coors Beer.

Being from the east coast, Bud Light was a favorite. Ever since moving west, my friends have favored, and therefore introduced me, to Coors Light. Both beers are like water, but I now prefer the Silver Bullet. We got to see its home.


After a self-guided tour, you are allowed three beer samples. Coors joined with Miller in 2008 and now offers a ridiculous portfolio of beer. Enjoy them while you revel in the history of Coors, Coors Light, Blue Moon, Killian’s, Miller, Miller Lite, Keystone, Molson, Leinenkugel's and yes, Zima.



It's not called the Silver Bullet for nothing! Zoom!

Day 105 - Got sucked into a teenage fantasy

I avoided Twilight for as long as I could. Right when the first movie was coming out, I broke down and read the first book at the pleading of old friend. It was enjoyable and addicting, like Harry Potter. Then I saw the movie, and then I saw it again. Fine. Enough, I stopped.

I skipped New Moon with every intention to skip the rest of the series. But friends have been tearing me down slowly. "Oh, the next two books are so good, you have to read them." Would you like to know the deciding reason I finally did buy Eclipse? It was 30% off. My loyalties can be bought for $4.

And then I sat up way too long reading way too many chapters when I should have been sleeping. This is Harry Potter all over again. Stephenie Meyer, I raise my fist and curse your name.

Day 104 - Booked myself solid

I had four meeting back-to-back today. Lots of networking, which means shaking a lot of hands and repeating my business story many times. For someone who usually likes time alone to recharge, this was a challenge. I survived. Actually, it was quite invigorating, as I haven't had a day this busy in a long time. It just won't be repeated often.

Day 103 - Worked for it

It was a nice luxury to go to happy hour at 4:30 with a couple of friends. It was gorgeous day. We even left the neighborhood. We could have taken a bus, but feeling excited and adventurous, we walked to the bar. Uphill for many blocks. At least there was no guilt over the calories once we got there.

Day 102 - Stumbled into stereotypes

My neighborhood is ripe with stereotypes. I'm sure your city/village/shire is like that, as well. People who just fit too perfectly into a mold that sprouted from the surroundings. I crossed into two today.

In downtown San Francisco, there is a Starbucks every block. I am not exaggerating. Sometimes, there is even two on one block which leads me to conclude that when it comes to 25 feet, people are really tired or think themselves too busy. The first group is a band of legitimate coffee drinkers, armed with a very, very large coffee to get them through the first hour of the day. I commiserate - I am not a morning person. The second group, however, are just poseurs. These people are always off to VERY important meetings, catching a sec with the VP of Whatever, on conference calls through lunch. They only way they could possibly survive such a day, such a week, is to get a coffee. And only the expensive kind because, you know, they get such a nice salary for being so important, they can only have the expensive stuff.

I don't know where I'm going with this - I just got fired up by poseurs and lost all direction.

Anyways, I did go to Starbucks today. In all my time working from cafes, I have come to appreciate and prefer the smaller shops, for both the handcrafted coffee and the support of mom-and-pop establishments. There I was, walking around the Financial District with my Starbucks, like I belonged there. I did for many years, but no longer. A poseur of a different kind, I guess.

By the time I got off the bus in my neighborhood, I was feeling ready for a snack. I returned to my newly-discovered frozen yogurt shop at 4th-grader rush hour. Never have I seen such chaos and a gaggle of moms who could not care any less. Boys were climbing on ledges. Girls were undecided and trying to out-do each other with toppings. One enterprising young girl was trying to convince the cashier to add a few extra punches to her frequent buyer card. I buy my yogurt, give my sympathies and thanks to the cashier, and stroll down the road.

About a block into my walk, I realize I have now crept into another role so rampant in this area. My neighborhood is filled with young 20-something girls walking around in workout clothes eating fro-yo. They are never sitting eating, they are never in normal clothing, and they never use full words where they can help it. So I found the nearest stoop, sat down in my jeans, and ate my frozen yogurt with no hurry. No stereotype, no poseur, just me.

Day 101 - Celebrated six years

A rainy, dreary day. Lots of indoor activity, culminating in a mid-afternoon bout with insanity. That much indoors is too much. The cure? Get dressed up and go to a fancy dinner.

Mr. Sound and I don't usually do this. We are a sneakers and burritos kind of couple. But to celebrate six years of marriage, well, why not? Not our actual anniversary day, but close enough. He looked ever-so-handsome in his dress clothes. We tried Epic Roasthouse, with a great view of the weather around the Bay Bridge. The food was amazing and we went all out - oysters, steak, cocktails, wine, dessert and coffee. Those long, leisurely dinners are rare and so memorable. We even took a little stroll afterwards in the mist.

Thank you, my love, for putting up with my quirks for 6 years, and for the generous, lovely individual that you are.

Day 100 - Saw radio in action

For 24 hours, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of SF teamed up with KGO Radio 810 for their annual Cure-a-Thon. The regular station DJs use their magical voice powers to raise money for the cause in a telephone fundraising drive. My shift began at 6 AM, and when I arrived, the on-air team was in full vigor like it was lunchtime. Amazing.

There were no radio booths, no On Air signs. The personalities stood in the middle of the room around a table, sharing encouraging words through their hand-held microphones. The 70-something-year-old head of the event was the most energetic person in the room, not slowed at all in his 30 years of participation. Volunteers arrived in teams, all smiles and big hearts. It was truly an uplifting morning.

APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!
Well, thank you, thank you. I can't even believe it myself, that I've made it through 100 days of new things. Some have been very lame, some have been very exciting, but all have been new. I've learned it takes work and dedication to keep things lively, but the results are invigorating.

Day 99 - Nighttime sightseeing

I see the Golden Gate Bridge every day and every night. But never have I seen it up close at night, like a tourist. About 9 PM, the bridge was still flush with visitors. My phone camera does it no justice - it was breathtaking.

Day 98 - Had a European lunch

Today I found myself on an outdoor patio on a beautiful day. I had been in the same spot for about an hour earlier, chatting with a friend. Unfortunately for her, she had to run off for another appointment, leaving me alone with the sunshine and a growling stomach. My plan to kill time before my next meeting was sidetracked by this luck. I had lunch here, which was actually not the unusual thing.

No, the strange part was that it felt strangely like sitting in a different country. The man across from me was reading the newspaper with reckless disregard for time. The business meeting next to him lasted for four hours. The tourists fresh from the conference center were excited and speaking French. I was eating quiche.

We were surrounded by beautiful flowers and fragrance. The courtyard seemed to fend off the tall buildings around us and the serious business they held. The sun seemed to be shining only here, the blue skies floating only over our heads.

These things never seem to happen and here they were, all happening at one time. It was a vacation in downtown San Francisco, and one I will not soon forget.

Day 97 - Tried new food

Well, these places were new to me. Nothing but good reviews for Nick's Crispy Tacos on Broadway at Polk. Of the carnitas and pescado tacos, neither were crispy but both were delicious. And the place was bizarre. Order at the counter by the door, and get assigned a plastic number in a silver stand. Turn around to sit and you're greeted by chandeliers, plush booths and deep red walls. A taco place? No, more like a nightclub. Which it actually is after 10 PM. Way to use the space.

For dessert, I stopped at Cultive Frozen Yogurt, one of the new places that allow you to serve yourself. Ten yogurt flavors, twenty dry toppings, all kinds of fruit, and even dessert sauces, it's hard to control yourself. Mine was classic chocolate/vanilla swirl with colored sprinkles and walnuts. Topped with two cherries. Yum.

I attempted a hat trick, intending to also dip into the new American Cupcake on Union Street, but I just missed the closing time. Another day...

Nick's Crispy Tacos
1500 Broadway, shared with Rouge

Cultive Frozen Yogurt
1998 Union Street

Day 96 - Visited the ocean

In tough times, I find solace in the ocean. The far-off horizon reminds me how small I am, and the continuous waves remind me that life goes on. The motion and the sound is soothing. With the news that a sick friend is deteriorating, a dose of sea water seemed apt. The Big Being Upstairs did an amazing job with the sea, though my photo does it no justice.



And a follow-up: I re-visited the tulip garden in Golden Gate Park, and this time, the tulips were in full bloom. As were the tourists.

Day 95 - Picked up E. B. White

Author E. B. White wrote the familiar classics Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. But he was also a prolific contributor to The New Yorker magazine for almost six decades. His humorous, lively essays were brought together in Writing From The New Yorker 1925-1976 and are thoroughly enjoyable. Here's one: Travel Brochure from Jan 26, 1935

The adventure-mad travel-brochure people run a high fever all year round, deliriously mumbling of far places regardless of season. More than any other group, they arrange life for us in neat grooves. We have just this moment been skirting through a prospectus of winter and spring trips presented to us by a dutiful and precise agent. The trips are divided into "short" and "long." "There's Mexico," says the booklet. "Ten days, $180." And "there's the Mediterranean, 29 days, $485." Our fancy flits along, jog-step, taking in the sights. And then, as a sudden afterthought, the joyous booklet writer really hits his stride. "There's the WORLD," he cries. "97 days, $833.50."

We had never had the planet laid so neatly at our feet, as though dropped there by a spaniel.

Day 94 - Strolled in the snow

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, the non-spring Spring Jamming weekend continued with a snow storm. Great for skiing, bad for spring. I was not riding due to an aggravated calf so to battle cabin fever, I went for a walk in the snow. Rarely do I voluntarily venture into the cold when snowboarding or beer is not involved. It was beautiful, chilly and refreshing. Makes me wish for a longer winter season...

Day 93 - Skipped spring

This weekend was Spring Jamming at Kirkwood Mountain and for another year in the row, the weather acted like mid-February. Gray, cold, threat of snow. The band was playing, the pond was skimming, and I just called it a day. This, my friends, was no spring.

Day 92 - Laughed at Keanu LIVE!

Please tell me you have seen the movie Point Break. Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah ("I am an FBI agent!"), Patrick Swayze as a surfing bank robber Bodhi . C'mon, it's a classic. Anyways, the hit movie (by Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow) is now on the small stage here in San Francisco (and L.A.) Point Break LIVE! is a riot. Without an ocean or real skydiving, the story comes to life with super-soakers, fake blood, and one catch - a random member of the audience plays the part of Keanu Reeves. You gotta see it, brah.

WARNING: Cases of PBR cans are available for purchase. And this cool koozie:



Point Break LIVE!
The Action Theater at the Metreon

Day 91 - Became a concierge

My friend Tina runs a concierge business. Her jobs span from the mundane errands to the exciting wine tour. Out on vacation, she asked if I could fill in on one of her more routine (yes, mundane) jobs. I'm in. It included dry cleaning and waiting around for a food delivery. I found out I have no patience for this kind of thing - hence, why I'm not in her industry. But I'm thankful for the chance to walk an hour in her shoes and glimpse at what she works with every day. Any job you might be interested in? Give it a try for a day, see how it fits, and let me know how it goes.