City Walks #35: Alamo Square and the Lower Haight

You may recognize the Painted Ladies of Alamo Square, made famous by Full House. And maybe some other shows and movies. Alamo Square is a pretty nice park - playground, dog play area, nice views. I love all the green spaces in the city.



Lower Haight is full of supposedly good restaurants, although we didn't try any. Also tattoo parlors and houses with funny facades.





The card refers to Lower Haight as "the Upper Haight's rougher, scrappier counterpart."

City Walks #34: Japantown

We've enjoyed Japantown before - tasty food, red bean and green tea gelato, and of course the Peace Pagoda. The place is mainly a shopping mall, holding on to its vibrant history that was taken away during the World War II internments.

City Walks SF #33: Fillmore Street

More shops and restaurants, but Alta Plaza Park featured some nice views, if a lot of concrete.

City Walks SF #30: Union Street and Chestnut Street

This weekend we went on several city walks, many of them through shopping and restaurant districts. This one included the affluent Marina District, where shops were way out of our price range. The walk also featured one of the city's two remaining octagon houses (I think the other we documented on an earlier city walk). These houses were once thought to be fortuitous. I suspect it has something to do with the Chinese roots of the city, but I can't be sure.



We also attempted to get our New Mexican margarita fix at Left at Albuquerque, but the menu was sadly disappointing. And thus began my day of drinking.

Bad Omens?

This morning a pigeon attempted to lay an egg on her former nest site (long since knocked down by yours truly and her husband), and now we have a cracked-open egg with unborn pigeon guts splayed all over our balcony. I have so much yolk on my hands... (metaphorically speaking)

This afternoon our office manager/research coordinator was suddenly fired. That makes 10% of the employees in about a month. Funny thing is, we're looking to expand, not lay people off. And the boss locked the door and called security just in case. Yeah. Guess I better make sure I'm doing a good job.

What will the third thing be?

Is it Baseball Season?

www.betterworld.com

This morning I finished reading a baseball book that Matt lent to me (I say lent because we keep our books on separate shelves - because of me - and he hates it when I turn down the pages on his books. He might fine me).

At the beginning I wasn't sure how I felt about it because the author, a former big league pitcher, tells a lot of stories that are often incongruous, with some being two lines and some being several pages. I found it hard to follow. But then I realized it was a perfect book for reading on the subway because it contains lots of convenient stopping places.

And by the time I finished reading the book today, I realized that I had really enjoyed it. The stories are entertaining and really telling of what goes on - or at least used to go on in 1969 in baseball clubhouses, dugouts, and bullpens. But the book also talks about the larger issues of what to do with your life and how playing in the big leagues doesn't even always make you feel like you're good enough as a person. (And if that doesn't, how do the rest of us get there? By realizing you don't have to cure cancer to be worthwhile.)

We also watched Bull Durham last night, which is a fantastic baseball movie. It's hard to believe it was made 20 years ago. Bull Durham, unlike Major League, is not only a funny baseball story, but also tells more interesting stories about life.

To be honest, I find baseball quite boring, especially on TV. Although I enjoy going to baseball games, often I just people watch. But I do recommend this book and movie.

Matt is currently reading a baseball book I lent him, by one of my favorite nature authors. I guess it's just that time of year.

And my Predictions Have Come True

Hello there long lost blog friends.

This past week was my first full 5 day work week in the office, preceded by a 6 day, 60 hour work week that included a 3 day trip to Boston in which I never got to leave the conference center. And during those two weeks I have been writing on planes and at night for a magazine deadline.

I managed to never have time to buy a plane ticket to LA this weekend to see our friends until the plane tickets finally became too expensive. (Except for the night before I flew to Hawaii during which, in a rush, I bought a plane ticket for the wrong weekend and decided to go to bed instead of purchasing any other inappropriate things.)

I've been far too busy to spend time on the internet or head out into the world, and therefore I have had no material about which to blog. I fear this will become my routine. However, if my husband ever wakes up we might be doing some City Walks today, so maybe I'll at least have a pretty picture or two to post.

Hope everybody's doing well!

See more pictures of my nephew. Three weeks until we get to meet him!