LIfe in the big city

Life in the big city is a little overwhelming sometimes. The only thing I really have to complain about is that there's just too much going on to keep track of it all. And then there's the hard part of weeding out the crap and actually making a decision about where to go/what to do.

Today, for example, I had such a difficult time deciding what to do that I ended up staying in bed, reading, taking a nap, surfing Yelp, looking in my new favorite guide book and perusing the Google Reader for tips on today's goings on until about 1pm when I finally left the apartment - okay okay it was actually closer to 2.30pm when I left.

I finally decided to hang out in the Castro. I walked around for a while, checked out the gays and their gay stores (they have some pretty awesome housewares shops, surprise surprise) and then hung out at this cafe called Spike's (lame website, sweet sidewalk seating) and finished my book about Motley Crue (I'm currently obsessed with band biographies, I also read Rotten, the Sex Pistols bio). I bought some gardening stuff so that I could finally re-pot this plant I bought about four weeks ago.

Four weeks. Wow. That means it's been exactly one month since I moved to SF. I love it here but to tell the truth, I miss my Nebraska friends terribly, especially Elisabeth and Conrad and Mart (who technically isn't a Nebraskan but will forever be associated with Nebraska so it counts). Even though we only knew each other for a relatively short period of time, I spent most of my free time with them. Riding bikes, boozin it up til all hours, and countless late-night meals at El Chappy's. And lest we forget the infamous Soup Nights. Oh the good ol days.

I digress. The point is SF is pretty rad but so is Nebraska. For as much crap as I gave it while I was there, towards the end I really started to understand why people like it so much and often go back there. So from now on when people start to crap on the NE, I will be there as its defender. I'll say things like, it's actually not THAT flat, the people really are THAT nice, and you know what? The Mexican food there IS more authentic than the in the Mission. So phfffffft.

However, NE doesn't have views like this:
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I like it here but I look forward to meeting more awesome people and I really look forward to when the Nebraska contingent come to visit. :)

Where disgusting is synonymous with awesome

This is why you're fat.com is the awesomest collection of food photos I've ever seen. The Turbaconucken (a bizare and even more unhealthy version of the Turducken) is just one disgusting example of the joys to be found on this website.



And this one, the Krispy Kreme bacon cheddar cheeseburgers. MMMmmmmm:

Nice bag

Going for coffee with Mr. Conrad.

W+K Radio

I just read on Creativity Online that Portland ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy, launched their own internet radio station this month, presumably as a way to create a sense of cohesion across their hundreds of employees worldwide and not to show off how much cooler they are than everyone else.

I was a tad skeptical but after a listen, I think it's pretty rad. As the article notes (and we all know by now), internet radio is not new - but when you launch the player, there are no ads (at least I haven't heard any yet) and no gratuitous plugs for W+K or anything like that. It's just good tunes and the promise of cool interviews with bad ass musicians.

Tune in this Wednesday when they interview weird PDX rockers, YACHT.

Listen here.

see sprout run

I just heard about this website that takes all the fuss and frustration out of photoshop, enabling users to create their own little banner ad-like thingees.

It's called Sprout and this is the silly thing I made with it

Exit row

When flying, this is why I always sit on the aisle closest to the exit and NEVER a window seat!

And this is the only time I ever thought Twitter was useful or interesting.


...I'm flying on Continental on Tuesday...Wish me luck!

Old man winter can suck it

A short while back I posted about the weather turning cold. I complained about the temps dropping to 27F and how I long for the more comfortable climate of central California. I'm thinking that I was too hasty in my judgment of the brisk November fall - I should have waited for December. Yesterday the high was something insane like 8 degrees with a -20 wind chill. I'm not F-ing kidding. I have the picture to prove it. It would be one thing if I took this shot in the middle of the night but no, it was 1 degree at high noon.
Today, however, it got all the way up to 23 degrees and it felt like a heat wave.

One reason I hate the snow (and cold) is because I feel constricted in my locomotion options. My preferred mode of transport is by bike. There are many advantages to riding the bike, but that's not the point. The point is that I've always felt I couldn't ride a bike in the snow. I can handle rain, a moderate wind storm, and cold - but snow? How the hell do you ride on snow? Well, apparently it can be done and my friends CC Rider and Miss Liz showed me how.

So today, I donned my two winter coats, hat under helmet, thick mittens, and tights under pants tucked into new favorite winter boots and took my fatty wheels out for a spin.


I did get some interesting looks from passers-by and motorists as I made my way up to campus. Maybe it was the clashing pink hat and garish yellow helmet? Or maybe they were thinking to themselves, "You know, if she slips on that thing and falls over, we're going to crush that garish helmet under our tires." It was precisely 0.5 seconds after having this thought that I took my ride from the bike lane onto the sidewalk.

While waiting on the curb for a light to change, a nice young Japanese man walked over to me, smiling oddly and carrying an application for employment at Starbucks. He stopped and waited for the light to change all the while staring at me, snow covered tires, my smiling face peeping out over the pink scarf that was now quite moist with condensation from my breaths. I smiled politely back, fully aware that he was thinking, "WTF is this crazy American girl doing?" because that's exactly what I used to think, too. He asked me how it was going, and how long I had been riding in snow. He nodded quietly as I told him this was my first day. How is it going so far? Pretty good, slick in spots, but not too bad (slick in spots is one of my favorite phrases, I try to say it as often as possible). With that, the light changed and I continued the remaining half block to my office.

So, suck it, winter! You're not keeping me from riding my bike anymore!

I also just read my Aunt Christie's blog and spit water on my keyboard.