this and that

(From Google Images)

It's a warm, sunny day here in SF! If I didn't spill coffee on my white shirt, I would have taken my sweater off when I was outside earlier. Oh well.

So tomorrow we get an extra day with this leap year. Cynthia will be announcing her big 'creative leap' which has something to do with writing and Italy. I haven't thought of something special I could do with this extra day yet.

However, I am going with George to attempt another blood donation this weekend. They really need it. Hopefully I can give the full requirement this time which is about one pint. I also wanted to try one more time before I get my next tattoo which I'm still thinking about.

I signed up for some Group Pilates classes at a studio nearby - dharmaspace It will be a good way to get in a workout during the lunch hour and working different muscles than I usually do at the gym. It's good to mix it up once in awhile.

Natalie Goldberg has a new book out "Old Friend from Far Away - The Practice of Writing Memoir" Speaking of books, I'm about half way through Laurie's book. I learned of a Christian Author today, Debbie Alsdorf. Actually on the train this morning I notice a cute tote bag a woman had on her shoulder. It was just plain black and at the bottom in script said "God is Good" design 4 living ministries. So when I googled that, I found Debbie Alsdorf. I'm not sure if the cute tote is from her though so I emailed her to find out!

What do you need to do?

(from Google Images)

"Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off being who you really want to be? Put your principles into practice - now. This is your life! You aren't a child anymore. The longer you wait, the more you will be vulnerable to mediocrity and filled with shame and regret, because you know you are capable of better. From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do - now."

~The Roman Epictetus

Birthday Boy

Someone Special had a nice birthday.

GEORGE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE

LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH YOU

SURPRISES AWAIT...

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

More from S.D.

"Above all, remember that you must build your life as if it were a work of art."
~Abraham Heschel

Scenes from San Diego

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Valentine cupcake

vitamin D and a little horsing around

We had beautiful, unseasonable weather this past weekend. Wearing short-sleeves, we were comfortable and warm on this sunny February weekend. We spent most of Saturday outdoors walking. First to the Cole Valley neighborhood, then through G.G. Park all the way to Ocean Beach and back. We actually stopped and had a little lunch on the sand - deli sandwiches, kettle chips (my weakness) and SoBe green tea. Some guys were playing Frisbee near us and we had views of the surf and cargo ships at sea.


We saw a few horses in the park at the stables. George stopped to chat with a couple of them. He's funny, he can talk 'horse' you know. On our way back, the Botanical Garden was cr-OW-OW-ded! So we went home, and after a hot bath, I finished reading Kim Sunee's book (which I liked a lot) and then I couldn't keep my eyes open and took a little well-earned nap.

I did start Felicia's memoir too - pretty intense and interesting story. Tomorrow we leave for San Diego, looking forward to a little get-away.

At work today, after a meeting we get to have lunch at Hunan, mmmmm -

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

(Gung Hay Fat Choy means "Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year." Chinese New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is a time for family reunions, for honoring ancestors and for thanking the gods for their blessings.)

Next Memoir-The Sky Isn't Visible from Here

Felicia Sullivan's memoir is out and her book tour is in full-swing. She has an appearance scheduled in SF in May. Check out her website for event info at:
http://feliciasullivan.com/?page_id=772
I'll probably pick up a copy as I'm at the end of "Trail of Crumbs" already.
I'm still in memoir phase.

Coffee Cup Inspiration

(From Google Images)

The way I see It # 270

Taste is subjective. Taste is

democratic. Taste is powerful.

Taste - the combination of texture,

aroma, temperature, aesthetic and

environment - is also a window

into someone else's life or culture.

Be confident in your taste, but

remain curious and expose yourself

to new tastes. Allow your taste to

constantly evolve and grow - while

keeping and cherishing hte

memories that taste creates.

~Marcus Samuelsson

Chef, co-owner of Restaurant

Aquavit and author of The Soul

of a New Cuisine

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Plaid

bangs

Tuesday Haiku

This country needs hope (and help)

Super Tuesday Election

Please be sure to vote

Waitress

I rented the movie "Waitress" this past weekend. I thought it was pretty good. Jeremy Sisto did a great job as Jenna's (Keri Russell) controlling, miserable husband, easily unlikable. I particularly like the creative way she thought up new pies in her mind. Keri Russell was good, I like her back from the days of "Felicity". I also liked the character Dawn's (Adrienne Shelly) style, cute glasses with that dorky-stylish black frames look and her pretty red hair w/bangs. Speaking of bangs, I got spontaneous bangs cut earlier that same day! (Photo to follow.)

From IMDB:
Jenna is a small-town waitress at Joe's Diner, who has a great knack at making delicious pies there. However, Jenna is in an unhappy marriage to her controlling and immature husband, Earl, who always takes the money she works hard for, but Jenna keeps some of it hidden from him. Jenna suddenly finds her life has taken an unexpected turn when she discovers she's pregnant with Earl's baby. But the unhappy pregnancy changes Jenna's life as she becomes determined to win the $25,000 pie contest prize money and begins an affair with her handsome, married gynecologist that gives her confidence and an attempt at happiness. Written by r2k443

I really liked Adrienne Shelly who wrote, directed and starred in this film as another waitress, Dawn. She was only 40 and Russian Jewish decent like myself.
What disturbs me most is that she was killed (I think before the movie premiered). So very wrong and sad.

From Wikipedia:
At about 5:45 p.m on November 1, 2006, Shelly's husband found her hanging by a bedsheet[13] from a shower rod in the bathtub [11] of an Abingdon Square apartment in the West Village section of Manhattan's Greenwich Village, in what at first appeared to be a suicide.[13] Shelly, who lived in Tribeca,[11] used the apartment as an office.[11] Ostroy had dropped her off at 9:30 a.m. that day, and as the building's doorman told journalists, "He hadn't heard from her and he said it was odd not to hear from her, so he was nervous. And he asked me to go up to the apartment with him, so we went to the front door, and it was unlocked".[11]
An autopsy was performed the following day. The New York City Police Department was suspicious of sneaker prints in the bathtub that did not match Shelly's shoes (she was found wearing only socks). Shelly's husband also indicated that there was money missing from Shelly's wallet. He vigorously denied allegations that she could have committed suicide.[14]
Press reports on November 6, 2006 stated that police had arrested construction worker Diego Pillco, a 19-year-old illegal immigrant who confessed to killing Shelly after she complained about the noise he was making in the apartment below hers. Pillco said that he "was having a bad day."[15] Police said Pillco had made videos implicating himself in the murder, and as of November 7, 2006 was being held without bail for her murder.