Hardly Strictly Average --> Week in Review, Day 274-281

~ met with a team of creatives and started to plan ways we can conquer the world (or at least, the business world of SF) Inspiring and motivating.

~ met the two new babies of two friends, a 5-month-old boy and six-month-old girl. They are both so adorable and good-natured - we hope they grow up and marry each other!

~ Checked out the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. Watched all of Bonnie Prince Billy and checked out pieces of Buddy Miller, Richard Thompson, and Jackie Green.

~ bought a vintage lamp at the Alameda Antique Fair. From the 1950's. It's all bubble-wrapped up so will have to photograph it another time.

~ tried African food - pan-fried talapia in coconut sauce with rice and plantains. Yum-o.

~ tried goat meat, in a gorgeous Mexican-style sauce. Really tender, pretty delicious.

~ had a conversation about James Bond through the years with another girl! So fun. (we voted Daniel Craig as the man, the reasons probably being very obvious)

SF-Packed + Celebrity Sighting ---> Week in Review, Day 253-259

~ missed a client meeting because I completely forgot about it. Never happened before.

~ set up Quickbooks for the business

~ had an amazing veggie sandwich at Mission Creek Cafe

~ took the 33 Stanyan bus

~ celebrated a friend who is now a full-on American citizen!

~ took a tour of an amazing San Francisco home with the architect

~ had coffee with celebrities. Well, I was in the same coffee shop where they happened to be hanging out. Robin Williams and Craig Ferguson.

~ name-dropped on my blog

~ went to Cafe Royale and enjoyed some gypsy music accompanied by belly dancers

~ and I even knew one of the belly dancers!

~ went to the Page Bar, on Page at Divisadero

~ went to a picnic in Golden Gate Park

~ drank a cold beer in a hot shower. At 9 AM on Monday. That seems like the start to a banner week.

Food and more food --> Week in Review, Day 238-244

~ ate at Goat Hill Pizza, after years of hearing great reviews

~ went Off the Grid, the meeting of the mobile food vendors in SF. Such good food, some long lines. Check it out.

~ ate takoyaki, Japanese street food. Octopus balls. No, not those kind of balls. Just round cakes.

~ arrived (very late) at the Chili Bowl Cook Off and Skateboard Contest at Potrero Del Sol Park

~ bought a couple of piano books to step up my lessons

~ decided to take off a month from piano lessons, just to try something new

Food and meetings -----> Week in Review, Day 217-223

~ ordered coffee with my sandwich at lunch. Immediately turned 85 years old.

~ took a two-hour lunch, just to read The Pillars of the Earth. You must read it.

~ cancelled events off my calendar, and resolved to stop saying yes to everyone.

~ became a mentor in my networking group.

~ had a 3 1/2 hour meeting and loved every minute of it.

~ stopped into the Fruit Bowl, a cute grocery stand on Waterloo Road outside of Stockton. The fruit was straight off the trees. Best. Nectarine. Ever. Also tried dried vegetables - tasty.

~ played a song on piano by sight. I'm learning to read music - very slowly.

Health and music -------> Week in Review, Day 195-201

~ had a facial. It's true - I have never had one before. I am now a believer - my skin looked so, so much better than it normally does. And it included a foot massage as well as an arm and hand massage. Heavenly. This will be a nice gift to myself every once in a while, a good prize for reaching a goal.

~ tried a skin cleanser juice from the local organic food place. A mix of watermelon, apple and other juices. Not sure how much it did for my skin, but it was delicious.

~ traded coffee for tea. Yes, I got myself off coffee, just to see how it feels to be caffeine-free. It feels great. I really don't even miss the coffee, and that's coming from someone who REALLY loved coffee. Been drinking a ton of herbal tea, which my favorite being the spicy ones. Yum. I have gotten off coffee before and always find my way back, but it was nice to really listen to my body this time and notice the difference.

~ went to the symphony. They were showing the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Psycho," accompanied by the orchestra's strings. To watch all the violins move sharply together during the famous shower scene was amazing. Symphony Hall in downtown SF is gorgeous - round building with all glass windows. It even has a balcony with a prime view of City Hall.


~ went to the Indie Mart street festival, where a bunch of independent designers, artists and other D.I.Y.ers were showcasing their wares. Very talented people. This party also included my very first visit to Thee Parkside, "San Francisco's premier dive venue." Great art and great music? Too much good stuff. So I couldn't resist:

Awesome necklace from Rene Kwong at Bliss Jewelry.

Chappo put on an amazing stage show with their feathers, euphoric drumming, passionate front man, and storytelling. Check them out right now.

Acupuncture, piano and sardines -----> Week in Review, Day 188-194

~ experienced acupuncture for the first time. I've been intrigued by it for a while. It has worked for centuries in the East so I do believe it is a viable means of healing. I found it interesting. One needle hurt slightly but by adding a needle in a corresponding place, the prick from the first completely disappeared. And my throat, my main point of contention recently, did feel better the next day. Hmm, may have to try it a few more times...

~ ate sardines. Yes, voluntarily. Alton Brown suggested they were full of good things so thought I'd give it a go. A fish that is very fishy, though I didn't mind. Better in olive oil than in water.

~ learned the A minor scale on piano, and even read a bit of sheet music while playing.

A banner week, wouldn't you say? ;-)


Overheard on the street:

"Man, I can't wait to take my shirt off. Hey, check out my bullet hole!"

Food, games, and more food -----> Week in Review, Day 160-166

~ ate salmon that was swimming in Alaska 24 hours earlier. Sad, but delicious.

~ saw the sun set from the Berklee Hills

~ went to a class at Women's Audio Mission, a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of women in music production and the recording arts. Learned a ton about pursuing a career as an independent artist - scary and inspiring all at once. Glad I finally got to see the place and its awesome studio.

~ played Crispy Wickets, a game that involves throwing a frisbee through two narrowly-placed poles and thwarting the other team from getting points. My frisbee skills are poor at best, and the requirement of a beer in hand at all times does not help.

~ fell in love with peanut butter-bacon cookies, compliments of my talented friend Gwoeyn

~ visited Amore's Pizza and Pasta Kitchen in Tracy, which is newly-managed by my friend Sonia. She is doing an amazing job there and the food is great. Go visit!

~ rooted for the US but felt English while watching the World Cup, due to Walkers Crisps and their unusual flavors: English Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding, Smoky Bacon, Roast Chicken, Worcester Sauce.

~ forgot the password to my phone. The password I use about 10 times a day. How does that happen?

Day 147 - Visited an ENT

Ear, nose and throat doctor. My voice teacher recommended a visit, since I've been having trouble hitting the higher notes.

This very nice doctor snaked a long, thin camera up my nose and down my throat to peek at my vocal chords. Oddest feeling. Crying is a natural reaction, it turns out.

It also turns out I have a deviated septum (nothing to worry about) and nodules on my vocal chords (worrisome). The next step is to visit a speech therapist and rest my voice as much as possible. This will be a major test in patience.

I am bummed. I was just making great progress with my voice lessons and about to start practicing with a band. And I'm sad I've damaged myself this much. At least it is diagnosed so I can move forward in a healthy way. And I will take this break as an opportunity to finally learn piano.

Day 125 - Patted myself on the back

I usually don't celebrate mini accomplishments. I usually think that whatever I did was what I was supposed to do. Take applying to that band, for instance. If I want to further my music, I needed to do something like this. I needed to throw up a MySpace page and share my singing. But it wasn't until I told my voice teacher that I realized how huge that really was for me.

She knows I'm a perfectionist, so it was a big deal to share some songs that were not perfect. She knows a goal of mine this year is to write some songs, so it was a big deal that I threw together lyrics and a tune. She was jumping up and down for me. I was a bit embarrassed by the kudos at first, then realized that it really was a gigantic step for me. How nice to have people around to point this stuff out to you. Just like my friend Diana last week, taking me out to celebrate my company.

I have not heard back from that band, and know I never will. But it does not matter, because I made a huge first leap and even in rejection, boosted my confidence. So thank you, Karen Reifer, for being such an encouraging leader in my musical journey.

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 68 - Tried a poll

In writing about KISS on my Tuning In, Checking Out blog, I discovered there is ongoing debate about the validity of the band. In a very black and white war, the division is over whether the band should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What do you think? You can tell me by one click in my *ta-da!* first ever poll right here. Thank you for participating!

Day 55 - Took my first piano lesson online

Way back in January, I learned my first keyboard song, then promptly forgot it. Dust bunnies called my new keyboard home for about a month, like so many exercise machines across the nation. But this is much more fun than an exercise machine, so it's time to dust it off.

I would like to take lessons with a teacher at some point, but for now, I want to learn the very basics. I found Andrew Furmanczyk's video lessons through a You Tube search. Lesson 1 and I like his sense of humor, honesty, and crazy hair. He got me excited to keep going so that's what I plan on doing.

Day 51 - Reached creative euphoria

Today was a uniquely successful day for me in creativity. First, I practiced singing for about an hour and a half, which is unprecedented. Warm-ups led to songs, and really, it was the best I've ever sounded. I recorded it to remind myself on a bad day that I actually do have talent and can sound great. It brought renewed hope and excitement to my singing path.

Later in the day. I sat down to write with only a half-hour to spare. Miraculously, the words flowed and I was pleased with the outcome. There was a moment there where I felt giddy, clear and fulfilled, like this was what I was meant to do. It sounds corny, I know. I've never felt that before - a physical reaction to writing. This, too, invigorated me.

Creativity comes and goes, strikes at inopportune times and sometimes hides when you need it. It is a ridiculous gift to get one good piece out of a day, nevermind two. It's worth the struggle and some pain for moments like this. I'm thankful.

Day 45 - Discovered music television + a recap

No, not MTV. Besides, they are not calling themselves Music Television anymore, haven't you heard?

I happened to discover the VH1 Classic station, buried way down at channel 473 here in the Bay Area. You knew I loved music, why didn't you tell me about this sooner? It greeted me in the middle of Stage Five of the Seven Stages of Rock. Could watch shows like this all day, just not on Valentine's Day.

And returning to the tradition of weekly recaps, here are some entertaining things from the last two weeks:

~ Was shushed by two old biddies at Peet's. Yes, I do laugh loudly, but c'mom, shushing a laugh?

~ Enjoyed a song by a fellow bus stop waiter, who pulled a small wooden flute out of his jacket when inspiration struck, then returned it there as soon as he was done.

~ Graffiti that read "F*ck Rich Folks"

~ An up-close view of the SF Chinese New Year dragon


~ a beautiful day at Baker Beach

Day 29 - Ventured to a new venue

Just like yesterday, I finally visited a music venue I've passed a few hundred times. The Boom Boom Room focuses on blues, boogie, groove and soul music. They support local and/or smaller bands so I was excited to see who I might encounter tonight. San Francisco's Tracorum is self-described as rock and soul/rhythm and blues. For the short hour I was there, they played a variety of songs, from rock to reggae to surf to funk styles. Definitely a band to enjoy live and in the intimate venue, the crowd really got into the groove. It was a mixed crowd - young professionals and older couples, music lovers and people on the prowl - which made people-watching a sport. Besides having a good house beer, the Boom Boom Room offers music most nights of the week so stop by.

Day 28 - Visited a record store

There's a record store I've passed many times and always wanted to visit. Grooves at Market and Octavia. It's all vinyl - plus a smattering of 8-tracks and cassettes. I'm not a vinyl collector, not even casually, but always love a stroll through a music store. Aisles of legends snuggled in worn jackets that surely could tell a story or two. I found a few albums that I remember my dad having, and it made me smile. I walked out with a book on learning to read music, one of my goals for this year with my new keyboard. Finding new music is exciting but reveling in history is fulfilling.

Day 19 - Created a music binder

I have been singing all my life, but not well. So last year, I started going to a singing teacher to learn. At the end of 2009, we talked about what my goals might be for the new year. One of her suggestions, in my quest to get organized and focused, was to make a music binder. In it I can keep notes, the songs I'm practicing, ideas, etc. And I could decorate it with things that inspire me. Here it is:
It's true I am no artist, as mentioned before, but this was quite crafty for me. There are a two stickers on the bottom, one that says, "Too much rock for one hand." The upper corner has studs that I embedded into the cover. And I freehanded the bird and branch on a full-page sticker. I also included two quotes that I love.

On the bird: "A bird does not sing because it has an answer... it sings because it has a song." ~ Chinese proverb

On the branch: "To be nobody but myself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting..." ~ e.e. cummings

Day 11 - Learned my first piano song

Santa is a great guy. I already mentioned that he brought me a Nike+ Sportsband. He also brought me a keyboard, the piano kind, not the computer kind. Super excited! I've played around on it a few times but have not really focused on it yet. So my husband suggested I learn my first song for today. So I busted out "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Sam's reaction was "c'mon, son!"

He was right. That was a cop-out. So with his internet P.I. skills and the help of You Tube, we decided on Viva La Vida by Coldplay. Honestly, it was not that hard but it was better than my first selection. I can now play the heck out of that Coldplay song. Watch out, Rachmaninov...