wishbone clover

Why It's So Exciting To Live Here

This weekend the fog came in just over the water, dense and compact. From a distance it looked like you could scoop up handfuls of it. But when you were right by the coast, it was a dense cloak that isolated you in a tight cell of diffused the light.

The magical city of SF indeed.

Irish Night at the Giants 2009

Shockingly, we forgot to bring a flag. Fortunately we were able to borrow an extra from the drunks Fine Irish Folk sitting everywhere around near us

I'm a "San Francisco Travel Expert"!

Through my travel writing at UpTake, I was invited to do my first podcast, an "Insider's Guide to San Francisco"! The very cool Addison Schonland from IAG, a travel and aviation consultancy, interviewed me today, posted it 20 minutes later and it's already been downloaded a bunch of times.

Addison helped me avoid screwing up too much, but I did:

• say that Healdsburg was 2 miles (not hours) north of SF
• forget the name of Bodega Bay
• pronounce "room" like "rum," a Boston accent thing that Chief always points out and I always deny. Now he has proof!

It's 20 minutes long, which I understand is time commitment in this busy world. But I tried to make it entertaining -- I even bring up naked people near the end. Enjoy!

- Cat/BadKitty

One of my Favorite Picnics Ever

A great day in May: Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, enjoy a picnic lunch by the giant sailor statue on the other side, and take tons of pictures along the way.

A perfect day in May: Doing the above with my dad, "Mr. San Francisco Legs '09."

The Best Way to Spend a Sunny Friday

See how the red cups make it feel like a "special" occasion?

Last week a whole passel of family hit town to help celebrate two birthdays -- my aunt's 50th and my 40th.

The frequently/usually frigid SF weather cooperated for several days, including a gorgeous sunny day last Friday. I met up with the gang at the Ferry Building, where we stocked up on Cowgirl Creamery cheese, a salumi sampler from Tasty Salted Pig Parts, a couple of loaves of Acme Bread, and many, many bottles of wine.

Outside by the Bay, we commandeered several chairs, a bench, and a cast iron table, on which we spread out our gourmet picnic, made only slightly ghetto by the red plastic cups.

My east coast family members were amazed that we could drink a bottle of wine while sitting there, soaking up the sun while gazing at the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz.

Okay, we did more laughing and teasing than gazing serenely, but the location was delightful, as was the company.

San Francisco: the best place in the world to drink in public with loved ones on a sunny Friday in May.

Mayor McHottie - The Early Years

Hellloooooooooooo sailor!

If this is a taste of what's to come, I think we're going to enjoy this gubernatorial race quite a bit.

The Elevator Shafts of San Francisco

Some days you find the perfect story in the newspaper. Maybe it caught my eye because Chief and I have been watching The Streets of San Francisco (a Quinn Martin Production) on KOFY.

Body found in S.F. elevator shaft, a week later

It's worth reading the whole article yourself for the deftly deadpan tone, but here are the highlights:

• A body was found in an elevator shaft
  That's never an accident.

• He was taking Arabic classes in the building.
  See? It's a spy thing.

• His body was undiscovered for so long because of the holiday weekend so no one noticed "the smell"
  The timing was carefully planned.

• The rummies in the House of Shields (in the same building) are "abuzz".
  Look: Local color!

• The only guy they could find who "knew" the victim was a corner store guy.
  A man can't have "friends" when he's working undercover.

• Corner store guy (who didn't want his name used) said, "He was quiet."
  No name because he's undercover, too, and knows whoever killed the first guy is looking for him now!

Now, if only we could get Mike Stone on the job, this thing could be solved in under an hour, Buddy Boy!

The New Marlboro Man

people delight me
found on wall near new college
i wish to know more

Change we need!

No lines at the polls in SF, I was in and out in five minutes.

That's even though we had 22 city-specific propositions on the ballot. Yeah, we're detail-oriented like that.

Propositions A-V covered the usual stuff like bonds for hospitals and more interesting ones like decriminalizing prostitution.

And of course, we're all crossing our fingers that Proposition R passes. We really, really need to rename that sewerage plant after George W. Bush.

Did you vote yet? Go!

Mayor McHottie says "Vote NO on Prop 8!" in his usual seductively hoarse voice

I am voting No on Prop 8 anyway because it's stupid and prejudiced and mean and flat out wrong. But I'll also take any opportunity to post about Gavin "Mayor McHottie" Newsom.

Here he is, appearing yet again as Batman, in this PSA. To paraphrase from an earlier Gavin speech, unironically used by the nasty right to scare their ignorant conservative base into action, GAY MARRIAGE IS HERE TO STAY SO GET USED TO IT!

Why should straight people have all the fun? Watch, enjoy and vote!