Garlic: guaranteed to ward off evil spirits, vampires, and perhaps even pesky co-workers

On my way home last night, after a later-than-usual evening at work, I realized I had no dinner. Or, rather, I had eggplant I needed to cook but nothing to cook with it. The refrigerator was bare. So I got off of the street car on 41st Ave. and stopped at the North Beach Pizza a block or so away. I ordered their garlic pasta and figured I'd saute the eggplant and add it.

A great idea, as it turned out. Except for the garlic. They didn't just mean that they put garlic on their pasta, but rather that they put some pasta in with their garlic. I could smell it on the eight-block walk home. I could smell it in the kitchen. And today, almost 24 hours later, I'm pretty sure I can still smell it on me.

But, it's Halloween, so at least I'm protected against things that go bump in the night.

Challenge accepted

I'm done deliberating, and I've decided to take the challenge. Starting Wednesday, I'm committing to a post a day for the month of November. I've spent the past few days observing my surroundings, hoping I can come up with lots to write about. We'll see how it goes.

Party in the Pigpen

Angel the Pig has made her long-awaited return to the blogosphere. Check her out in her new digs. Welcome back!

Up for the challenge?

So Bella Cantare has a link to this national blogging month contest on her website. While I can't get the link to work today (blogger's being uncooperative) the deal is that you enter and promise to blog every day in November. You don't have to write a novel (though this contest is a knock off of a novel writing contest) but you must have one entry each day of the month. And there are prizes! I'm seriously considering it. It would be a lot of fun, and would perhaps increase readership of the 'nation, but do I have enough to say?

Surf's Up!

Last Saturday was absolutely beautiful, and larger than usual waves compelled me to to beach. Here's what I saw.



Goin' surfin'









Dude, rough surf!



Giving up and going home

The Yankees are coming, the Yankees are coming

To San Francisco. Next June. To play the Giants. How great is that! The Giants tentative 2007 schedule has a bunch of interleague games in June, including what will undoubtedly be a painful series in Boston against the Red Sox, followed by a trip home and three days of Yankees games.

I'm so excited!

Packin' Heat

There's a great security staff in my building. They're really professional, thorough in checking people into, and out of, the building, and they're pretty friendly.

The head of security, whose name is either Terry or Anthony, is a native of Manhattan. While he's lived here 20-plus years, he sounds like he's just stepped off the subway. We met one day a few months ago, when the elevators broke and he escorted me to the 22nd floor - he was on his way up to check on the work crew's progress. We chatted a bit, and say hi when we pass in the lobby.

I occasionally see him on the street in front of our building, and circling the block. I've wondered if he's a former policeman, or perhaps fireman, but my suspicions were just that, based on his really good posture, the fact that he walks like a beat cop, and just something about his attitude. He also seems to know all the cops who respond to calls at and around the building. We get a lot of calls about crazy homeless guys. He also wears an FDNY Sept. 11 lapel pin sometimes. But I haven't wanted to ask.

On Tuesday, I saw him in Starbucks. He was circling the store and walking out as I waited in line. For the first time, I saw him from behind (he's usually facing the center of the lobby when I see him inside). And now I get it. He must have been a cop, 'cause his service revolver messes up the line of his blazer.

So I feel a little safer at 44 now. But I still don't intend to remain inside in the event of an emergency. But if there is one, I know he's got us covered.

The continuing, sad saga of my apartment hunt

I haven't offered an update in some time, mostly because there's not much to say. Apartments are still ridiculously overpriced, places are continually being rented prior to the scheduled open houses, and I'm still frustrated.

I went to an open house last night for a place in Cow Hollow - great neighborhood, quiet street, and very close to lots of public transit. I arrived 15 minutes after the 5 pm open house began, and there was a sign on the door announcing that the apartment had already been rented. Argh!!

And I'm in a holding pattern on 39th Ave. No word from the landlord because the tenant there who might be vacating hasn't gotten her act together. I'm really pulling for her relationship, and for her relocation to Italy.

In the meantime, here I am. Sitting at the end of the world.

Agony, definitely worse on the second day

I know it was only four shots, and not even the largest needles, but I should have heeded the nurse when he asked if I was working today and kind of grimaced when I said yes.

I thought everything would be ok. I was pretty sore yesterday, but took lots of Advil and believed I could work through the discomfort.

And then I tried to sleep. And then kept waking up every time I shifted in bed. And then woke up in agony at 2 am and was unable to figure out how to get out of bed without jostling my arms. ARMS, you know, the things you need to prop you up so you can get your feet on the floor. I tossed and turned painfully for the rest of the night.

I am in so much pain that I can't lift my arms above my head. I have no bruises, and only minor swelling, but my arms hurt from my shoulders to my wrists. Getting dressed was quite a challenge (think socks and cringe in pain) and my hair's taken on a life of it's own because I could neither condition nor apply product, and I could only hold the hair dryer for a few minutes.

I truly believed I would die. Until the mega-dose ibuprofen left over from my wisdom teeth surgery kicked in. Now I only feel like I'll languish in pain for the rest of my life. Quite an improvement!

All hail the urban shopping experience

For those of you who don't live in San Francisco, or who have lived here under a rock these past few weeks, it may come as a surprise that a Bloomingdale's now graces our beautiful city. That's right. Bloomies. The second-largest in the nation. Just blocks from where I work.

It's the anchor to a tremendous, upscale shopping mall that opened about three weeks ago. The overall mall is impressive, especially the food court, but the Bloomie's is really a sight to behold.

I went for the first time on Friday, really just to check it out and see if it had a cafe. The Bloomingdale's in Westchester has a cafe, and I have fond memories of going with my mom.

I struck out on the cafe, but really lucked out when I entered the "intimate apparel" section. Bloomingdale's underwear, with the name imprinted on the waistband, is legendary on the east coast. I had some as a kid - bright colors with Bloomingdale's imprinted in large, bright letters. I figured I wouldn't find any in adult sizes, but struck up the nerve the ask the salesgirl. She said lots of people had asked, showed me the display, apologized for the lack of variety (they'd sold out in the first week and the new shipment hadn't come in yet) and told me about their promotion: 3 pair for $13. Better than Victoria Secret. And, I must say, super comfortable.

The other styles should be in stock in the next few weeks. I'd vowed not to return until the holiday rush was over, but I may have to go back in November after all.

Oh, the aching, bruising evilness of vaccinations

First, if I may offer a brief apology to my faithful readers. The unexpected early termination of my baseball season left me depressed and briefly unable to write. I'm feeling better now, though, and want to express my condolences to my friend Steph. I'm sorry about the A's, and I know just how you feel if you want to talk.

That said, I'm sitting at my desk this Monday afternoon after my first visit with my new nurse practitioner (yay health insurance!). I left with a bunch of referrals, including to the allergist and physical therapy for my knee. I also left with bruises on both arms. But I'm now protected against the flu, Pneumonia, diptheria, tetanus, rubella (I'm not even sure what that is) and hepatitis A and B - or at least I will be, after two more shots over the next six months. It's amazing how willing people are to poke all sorts of holes in your arms when you tell them that you don't have a car and ride the bus everywhere. They even offered me a TB test, but I had to decline. I didn't think I could take anymore poking.

The nurse who administered these shots was very good. He just started at Kaiser after working in pediatrics, and he really liked stabbing adults with needles, because there was less of a crying factor. He did ask if I was left or right handed, and put the more painful shots (flu and pnenumonia) in my left arm. And I'm really quite sore. And I can't swim for the next few days. I'll admit that one of the shots briefly brought tears to my eyes, and had me wishing my mom was there to hold my hand so I could squeeze hers until it stopped hurting (which we did for years of allergy shots). I squeezed the edge of the exam table instead.

And now I have to go, because my left arm hurts too much to continue typing. I think I need an ice pack and some ibuprofen.

Big heaving sigh of sadness

No words can accurately describe my heartbreak.



I'm going to go cry in my beer.

Yosemite in photos

My weekend in Yosemite was just terrific. I took a nice little hike along the base of El Capitan, one of the huge rock formations surrounding the Yosemite Valley floor. Most of these photos are from that hike. The highlights of the trip were the Saturday night campfire, including lots of S'mores, meeting a bunch of really cool people, and just relaxing in the woods. Enjoy!



This is a view of El Capitan. Look at the cool cloud formation.



More rock formations.



That's me with the Merced River in the background. Notice the little pigtails - my great new haircut isn't quite long enough for a ponytail.



The girls in my carpool - Rose, Sarah, and Laura. This was taken from an overlook above the Valley floor on our way out of camp. The view was breathtaking, and our carpool was awesome. We had tons of fun!



One final view of the Valley before we headed home.

Still waiting

Waiting to download all the photos before I write about my great weekend in Yosemite. I promise to do this by Saturday.

Waiting to hear from my former landlord, though word on 39th Ave. is that if she moves, now it won't be until March, unless her fiance gets a job in the U.S. I'll have some more details on this at the end of the day.

Waiting to dry off. I got caught in the first rain of the season this morning, and now I'm a little damp. And my great new haircut, which is pretty cute in dry weather, is a disaster. I may need to buy a straightening iron on my lunch break, before my hair takes over the office.

Five for Five

I'm starting the crusade to make Derek Jeter MVP this year. It's totally overdue.