The Most Dangerous Wedding Gift Ever

Do you know what these things are?


It's a creme brulee torch, a mortar and pestle, and a lemon reamer. AKA, our wedding gift from our friend G, given to us with the instructions that we not use them on each other in disagreements. Thanks, G!

(Side note: last Easter I came across a site where people tortured Marshmallow Peeps in a myriad of ways. Now, unlike many people, I am a fan of the Peep, but this trio of gifts could really be put to interesting uses in that little endeavor come next Spring).

We also got a surprise gift: a bundt cake pan and a box of double chocolate bundt cake mix. Now I can make a bundt cake and have something to put in my cake stand!
BONUS GIFT: more packing materials for Kitty!

Emoticon Fun

This is one of my favorite emoticons:

;P

Especially after the day Sweetie actually made that face for real, saying something to the effect of "Does anyone actually do that?". Now we do it all the time, and laugh and laugh. Try it sometime, seriously. Giggles!

Steamy!

It happened again!

Petunia investigated:


Oh, pretty wrapping!


It's the All-Clad 3 Qt Steamer Set!


Thanks, J & A & A! We can't wait to steam things.

It was not as interesting for kitty, but she still shows no sign of being tired of the Crate & Barrel packing materials that she lounges around in all day, every day.

Presents!

This wedding stuff has taken an exciting turn. On Friday, I came home to THIS:


I could barely wait to get it open. We had some fun for a minute trying to guess who the early bird was - I guessed S & D, because they had registered at Crate & Barrel for their wedding and it just seems like S. to be on top of things, like sending a gift early so you don't have to lug it with you from San Diego. But actually, it was from Sweetie's friends T & D, who sent us two sets of the Aspen dinnerware we had registered for. Now we have 8 sets of matching plates/mugs/salad plates/bowls, instead of just a mishmash of our unmatched stuff carried over from our previous lives! Nice.


Bonus!!! It turned out to be a treat for kitty, as well. She spent the better part of the weekend ensconced in packing materials. We're leaving it out until she tires of it.

Movie Round-Up

We saw several movies recently. My thoughts:

The Ugly Truth - Ugh. A week after seeing this movie, I both can't remember it and also kind of can't stop thinking about it. I can't remember it because there was absolutely nothing memorable about it - nothing funny or touching. Yet I also can't stop thinking about how Hollywood really just cranks out a lot of pointless drivel, and this movie is a perfect example of that. I'm also not a big Katherine Heigl fan, which doesn't help (I am so not one of those girls who's all into Grey's Anatomy).

Funny People - Good movie. Seth Rogan is thinner. He's still likeable, though. I think the last Adam Sandler movie I saw was The Wedding Singer, and it's weird to see him being rather serious and morose, and kind of a jerk. I remember when he was the young cute guy on SNL, so I felt a little old seeing him depicted as a middle-aged guy. Leslie Mann? Well, she certainly married well. She's guaranteed a role in every Apatow movie made. Though that's not such a great thing - I didn't like any of the women in this movie - all two of them. The female characters were just so flat and unsympathetic. Jason Schwartzman was in the movie - an interesting addition to the Apatow gang. Is he looking to branch out beyond the Wes Anderson circle, especially since the last couple of movies weren't so good? Final thought: I am just not very interested in watching home movies of the Apatow children.

Up - Finally saw it - this is the first movie I've taken the kids to. I thought it was sweet, touching, and a little sad. It was kind of intense in some parts -- this is really supposed to be a children's movie? I kept looking at Ben (8) & Bridge (6) to make sure they were OK. They were.

One of the best parts of Up for me: the picture that Ben drew of it afterwards. I really liked his carefully depicted balloons, and I LOVED how he included 4:15, the showtime we went to (we didn't see it in 3D though, so I'm not sure why he included that).

Ka-wow-ee!

THIS is where we're going to be in 80-something days!!! We booked it tonight! That's going to be us on those outside bar stools! Another pina colada, please!


Like most East Coast kids, I first heard about Hawaii from the Brady Bunch episode. Growing up, nobody went to Hawaii - people would go to the Caribbean. Hawaii was someplace you would maybe go on your honeymoon, but that was it. And now I finally get to go! That's called livin' the dream.

I'm excited because in the pictures, the rooms look very nice. No tacky flowered bed spreads here - it all looks clean, modern, tasteful. Maybe this will be our room? We did spring for an ocean view...


Sweetie found this place, proving once again that he has excellent taste in hotels.

I Am Turning Into the Biggest Sap

What is happening to me???

This is the kind of thing that I would have totally made fun of in the past, if I had even bothered to watch it. But now, I'm a little embarrassed to admit, I was almost in tears at the end because, well, they just all look so joyful.

OMG, this wedding/love stuff is just turning me into the BIGGEST sap. And I always thought of myself as such a Miranda!

No, wait, this kind of makes sense. I love movies that are not musicals, yet end with everyone singing and dancing (see The 40 Year Old Virgin and There's Something About Mary), and this is a little bit like that.

But still, um, no, we're not doing this at our wedding.

Simpsons parody of Mad Men

I'm currently in the middle of a Mad Men Season 2 Netflix marathon. Pure bliss.

Since none of the moments on the show are really YouTube worthy, here is the completely awesome Simpsons take on it. Maybe I should start watching this show again.

Matthew McConaughey's Best Role Ever

We've had cable for just over a month now. Before that, I lived sans cable for four years. And last night I experienced one of the forgotten joys of cable: flipping around and catching the last 1/2 hour of a movie you love. That just doesn't happen when you only have the major networks plus one Spanish and two Chinese channels (and the latter three get the best reception, natch).

Juno seems to be on every time I turn on the TV, but last night Sweetie and I caught the last half of Dazed and Confused, a movie we both love. And we got to experience the joy of MM's best role ever, the deliciously creepy Wooderson. He is SO much better here than in any of his subsequent rom-coms.

Saturday Night Lamb

I made lamb chops last night!


I've never made lamb chops before, and they turned out surprisingly well. I was inspired by a recipe in a recent W-S e-mail that can be found here. We skipped the wraps, but I'd like to try those another time.

Sweetie made the rest of the food, a Greek salad and tzatziki. Wow, tzatziki is really not photogenic, all white and blobby. But it's delicious. We decided that the next time we make this we'll add some sort of rice side dish, like a pilaf.

He taught me how to chop with the big knife. Now I can chop veggies in a somewhat proper manner, instead of just hacking away at them.

Green Kitty

It never ceases to amuse me how, when anything new is brought into the apartment, Petunia will sniff it, circle it, rub up against it, sit on it for awhile. And any twinge of guilt that I feel about never buying her a special $30 kitty bed is alleviated by the fact that she is content to cuddle up to anything left on the floor, like this re-usable Market Hall shopping bag. I like to think she's trying to show her support for the whole green movement here.

Do I Have to Wear White?

No, you don't have to wear white, according to this book by Anna Post, which is the latest of the wedding books that I have been borrowing from the library (why buy when I'm only going to use them this one time? :) I, of course, will be wearing white. Well, ivory. It goes much better with my skin tone.

Anyway, this book was useful because it covered all sorts of etiquette questions, as well as the nuts and bolts of the ceremony and reception. All that stuff that I feel a little bit clueless about. I really liked that the book included lots of questions about same-sex weddings, too.

Which reminds me of a phone conversation I had with my brother in CT a couple of weeks ago. He told me that he was talking about the wedding with his family, and someone - presumably his wife or one of my nieces or nephew - asked why I was getting married in California instead of Connecticut, where most of my family is. Um, maybe because I haven't lived in CT since I was 18? Maybe because I've been in San Francisco for 10 years now? Maybe because Dave's family and friends are all in the Bay Area, and it's a heck of a lot easier on everyone to have it here rather than have them all trek out to CT?

It actually never occurred to me to have the wedding anywhere but here. But when I think about it, there are two reasons why having it in CT would have been cool. Reason #1, of course, is my Mom. Because she's getting on in years and because she has always hated to travel, she won't be coming to the wedding, a decision I fully support and am at peace with. Reason #2 is because I love the idea of getting married in a state that allows same-sex couples to be wed. Hooray, CT ! And Massachussetts, and Iowa, and soon Vermont, New Hampshire, and possibly Maine. I still can't believe how backwards the majority of California is on this issue. I know it's just a matter of time. But in the meantime, I love the idea of some "Yes on 8" Central Valley bride-to-be reading this book and seeing that the Emily Post people approve of gay weddings!

Three Months!!!

92 days until we get married! Yikes, time is just flying. And so much to do! Much of the major stuff is done - the place, the dress, officiant, photographer, cake, bridesmaids gowns - but there are SO many other things left. Sweetie's suit, my shoes, flowers, flower girl dresses, the rings, music, favors, cake topper, centerpieces, deciding what to wear in my hair. LOTS of stuff. For the next three months it's all going to be Wedding, Wedding, Wedding.

Oh, and stamps! We got our invitations today, and we're so happy with them. They're so cute and they just set the perfect tone for the wedding. I want to mail them NOW, and not wait the recommended 6-8 weeks before the wedding.

OH! And I have three months to get all Buff Bride. Good start today - I worked out, and Sweetie made his yummy sweet potato/rice/chicken dish for dinner. The key is going to be to make healthy food at home and avoid eating out as much as possible.

Three months! I wish I could have gotten that cute Knot ticker to work on my Facebook page.

***Update*** I was just informed that No, the next three months are NOT going to be all Wedding, Wedding, Wedding. Hmm...I guess SOMEONE is reluctant to have this cut into our Scrabble tournament and quality TV watching time (we've still got PR Season 3 before Season 6 begins on 8/20 !).

Daniel Franco, where did you go?

We can't stop singing this song.

We totally should have gone to see Daniel V. when he was at Rakestraw!

What Happened to Andre?

Tim Gunn is a good sport.

I would totes go to Red Lobster with any of these people, fo' sho.

He's Our Little Lamb

Sweetie and I are enjoying a Project Runway marathon, so he'll be caught up by the time the next season debuts on August 20 (remember: it's moving from Bravo to Lifetime Television for Women). So glad we have cable now!

By far the best part of Season Two is Santino Rice imitating Tim Gunn.

Thursday Night

Wow, sad news about Michael Jackson. I always thought that maybe he had one more comeback in him. What a sad life. But he did leave behind a lot of great music. Prince vs. Michael Jackson nights at Madrone Lounge will never be the same.

Speaking of which, the news called Thriller one of the bestselling records of all time. I Googled the list to see what #1 is - it's The Eagles Greatest Hits. Looking at the rest of the list, I said "Hey, a lot of these are Greatest Hits records. So maybe that's what new artists should do - just come out with a Greatest Hits album right away!'

Sweetie just looked at me. "You're starting to sound like Michael Scott."

He's so right. And to think, we didn't even watch The Office tonight because it was pre-empted by the Michael Jackson and Farrah tribute show! Oh, well - at least it's better than when I was in the middle of a Curb Your Enthusiasm Netflix marathon, and found myself being a little belligerent with people a la Larry David.

RIP, King of Pop.

Help, we're trapped in our CSA box!

A couple of months ago, Sweetie and I started getting a CSA box (community supported agriculture, for everyone who doesn't read stuff like The Omnivore's Dilemma). He always wanted to get one, and I've always been curious about them myself (since I think of myself as a person who would do something like subscribe to a CSA box). People I know who get them rave about them - the quality of the produce, plus the fact that you're challenged to find ways to use some vegetables that you've never even heard of before and wouldn't think to buy for yourself.

Anyway, we discovered a new-ish cafe in the Marina that serves excellent salads and sandwiches, and lo and behold, when we found out that they did a CSA box service, we signed right up. It comes every other Wednesday. Unlike other CSA programs, they don't deliver to your home - you have to go to the restaurant to pick it up. And that was totally fine with us - I think we secretly love going to the Marina because we get to take that lovely shortcut through the Presidio.

We were thrilled with our first box. It came with the loveliest flowers, which we never expected.

Our enthusiasm kept up for the next few boxes. But then, the novelty wore off and we found that maybe we don't need a bi-weekly CSA box. The produce is fine, but Sweetie LOVES going to Farmer's Markets - he's at one right now - so sometimes we just have more food than we need or can use. I'm not sure about our usage rate of the boxes we've been getting - what we use vs. what we toss - because I confess, I do think of it as "his" box, so I rarely do anything with the veggies myself (though he'd be thrilled if I did). So maybe a CSA box isn't for us right now, especially on a regular basis.

The problem? The woman who runs the cafe is SO nice and sweet to us, we don't have the heart to quit. After our recent box pick-up I found myself suggesting all these excuses ("Tell her that we're going to be out of town a lot!") that we could give her for quitting. We just feel guilty for some reason. This totally feels like it could be the plot of one of those Seinfeld re-runs that I've started watching again - us giving her some madcap excuse, getting caught, and then ending up being banned from the cafe for life: "No Chinese Chicken Salad for you!".

I'm sure we'll find a way to break it to her gently. Until then, I guess we're just going to have to keep eating our veggies.

Half Dome

I was skimming the headlines on SFGate tonight, and my jaw dropped when I got to this one: "Hiker falls to his death from Yosemite's Half Dome." It was short on details, but it seems that weather conditions may have been a factor, since it was cold and cloudy and there had been some hail, which made the slippery granite rock even slicker. The story mentioned that "The last death at Half Dome was Japanese hiker Hirofumi Nohara, 37, who slipped off of cables on June 16, 2007 as other hikers watched in horror."

I was there that day, June 16, two years ago, and I was one of those people who watched in horror.

I remember that after a long, hot, wait -- it gets so, so crowded up there at the cables -- it was finally my turn to head up the steep granite part of the trail leading to the top of the Dome (it's not scary once you get to the top - they could put a football field up there). Just as I put on my gloves and was reaching down to pick up the cables, I heard a clatter coming from the sheer drop just up and to the left of me. In the space of one second, my mind processed what my eyes were seeing: "Oh no, some hiker near the top lost his Nalgene bottle and it's tumbling down the hill. Oh no, there's a backpack tumbling after it. Oh shit, that's not just a backpack, that's a man tumbling down the side!''

It was AWFUL, truly one of the most AWFUL things I have ever seen. Other hikers started yelling at him to grab on to something, but there was nothing to stop his fall - just smooth, steep granite. He was much too far out of reach - a good 20 feet away from the nearest person on the cables, and getting further away the further he fell. There was nothing anyone could do. Most people stared, but I had to turn away - I couldn't look. But not before taking a step further to the right, so that if he abruptly changed trajectory and headed our way he wouldn't take us down with him. Amazing, how that instinct for self-preservation kicks in.

Afterwards, people were shell-shocked - some were crying, some were just quietly stunned. I was in the latter category. Since my group was splintered - some were already at the top, the rest of us were still down below - I sat and waited there for the others to come down. I remember thinking "What am I doing out here? This is so dangerous, always traipsing off into the wilderness like this where anything can happen." I was ready to hang up my hiking boots for good.

I got over that feeling. But another feeling remains: anger. Anger that such a dangerous, difficult hike has grown so popular that on a summer weekend you'll see hundreds (thousands?) of unprepared people swarming the trails so they can "do" Half Dome. Anger at all the people who don't take it seriously enough - they arrive with inappropriate footwear (tennis shoes do not cut it), inadequate water, clothing that's not right for conditions that can turn on a dime. Anger at all those frat boys who drag their skimpily clad, terrified girlfriends along - because they're often the ones who are crying halfway up the cables, frozen in fear, so that no one behind them can move and it turns into a dangerous situation for all. Anger at all the parents who do that to their kids; my first time up Half Dome, I was behind a petrified 12 year-old who held up the line. Her mother didn't take her fear seriously, even though she whined all the way up, and then when they were stuck she had to be helped down by a stranger. Anger that all these things happen every weekend and yet nothing is done to regulate it. I say do a lottery - limit the number of people who can go up the cables every day, and make sure the ones who do are prepared. It might alleviate a lot of this.

I don't think I'll hike Half Dome again, even on a day when it's less crowded. I did it once, and I have too many bad memories of my second attempt. No loss - there are tons more trails I have yet to do.

I did go back to Yosemite two months later. I hiked to Cloud's Rest from Tuolomne. It's a long hike - 14 miles, with a section at Cloud's Rest that, while not as frightful as the final part of the Half Dome climb, nonetheless scares me a little (you're walking on big boulders with long drops on either side). I was hoping it would be cathartic, and it was. At Cloud's Rest you're actually a little higher than Half Dome, and it feels like you're looking down on it. I borrowed binoculars and watched the line of people making their way up the cables, slow as ants. I was glad I wasn't there with them.

Anyway, I suppose the surprising thing is that stuff like this doesn't happen more often at Half Dome. You'd think it would. I'm glad it doesn't. But I was dismayed to read that it happened again. My thoughts go out to that guy, his family, and especially to any friends who might have been there that day to witness it. It's something that I wish no one would have to see.

The China Question

Swagfest '09 (aka my engagement) continues with our latest acquisition: a Monique Lhuillier mug that I "won" at a drawing that I don't remember entering when I went to that party thing at Bloomingdale's last month. When I went to collect it last night, I expected them to just grab it from a pile that they had reserved for all the other brides-to-be who didn't actually register that night, but no, it was gift-wrapped and had my name on it and a personalized card and everything. Classy, Bloomies!

It's quite pretty, and if I were a china person I would consider her collection even though I haven't a clue how to pronounce Lhuillier correctly. But we decided against registering for china, because really, when would we ever use it and where the heck would we store it? Do couples who live in cities in apartments without formal dining rooms really need that stuff, with the matching gravy boats and all? Is our marriage doomed if we just keep eating off those same basic Crate & Barrel plates? I don't think I've been subscribing to Real Simple and Martha Stewart Living long enough to know the answer.

If I change my mind, I'm sure my Mom will give me hers. She's become quite the minimalist in her later years, and seems frustrated by her house filled with stuff (she happily gave away the dining room furniture to my niece a couple of years ago). I've actually already alerted her that I am interested in the crystal and please don't give it away to my nieces. I just have to figure out a way to get that stuff from CT to here someday...

Away We Zzzzzzz.....

So far, this has been the summer of lackluster movies. It's so sad when you really, really look forward to seeing something, and then it's not so great. The latest example of this is Away We Go, a movie that seemed to have so much going for it: 1) It stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, 2) directed by Sam Mendes, 3) written by Dave Eggers and his wife with the fun name, Vendela Vida. PLUS, as a happily engaged person, I am a sucker for anything relationship, wedding and/or baby related lately.

But...it kind of just dragged on. The best part was with Maggie Gyllenhaal, who played a super-annoying, hippie-dippie earth mother chick. She was good because you were grossed out by her enough to be interested in what was going on. But that only lasted 15-20 minutes. Another good part was with the friends they visited in Montreal who were having their own problems, but again, that was over quick. The rest of the movie was pretty much zzzz....

Other disappointments: The Hangover. It lacked the surprising warmth of I Love You, Man, and wasn't nearly as funny or clever. And Management? Sorry Jennifer Aniston - I'll bet you were expecting it to be another Good Girl? It's not.

Oh well. I'd still rather sit through any of them again than watch Star Trek.

Cherries, Part Deux

So apparently when you have a lot of cherries, the best way to store them is in the fridge in a loose plastic bag. And each day you should go through them and pick out the ones that are getting too ripe, since if they burst that can just ruin your whole batch. So that's what we did tonight.

I don't think I'm going to pick black cherries next year. They're really at their best the same day you pick them. Just over 24 hours later, they were already starting to turn too ripe.

In his cherry research, Sweetie found that you can pickle them, though I don't know why anyone would want to do that.

Pictures! Cherries truly are one of the prettiest fruits.

Early Adapter vs. Early Adopter

I've been a bit pouty since last night because I lost a bet. On the drive back from the East Bay last night (Shen Hua = best Chinese food in the Bay Area), Sweetie and I argued whether it's Early Adopter vs. Early Adapter. He thought it was the former, I thought for sure it was the latter. We placed a bet: whoever was right would cook dinner every night for the rest of the month. Not such a big deal for him, but it was for me. Despite my best intentions, I rarely cook.

Since both phrases are indeed used, we decided that the winner would be judged by whichever phrase it was that Malcolm Gladwell used in The Tipping Point. But then we got home and couldn't find the book (wait, why have all these books around when we can never find the one we want?). No matter, because Google determined the winner: there were far more results for early adopter, and it appeared that it was the phrase that M.G. used. I lost.

It makes sense that I lost the Early Adapter vs. Early Adopter bet, because I am neither. I still have my first cell phone, a red Sanyo Sprint phone that I bought in November of 2004. It works just fine - I see no need to replace it. And it's got a little polar bear character living inside of it who delights me to no end every time he tumbles across the screen.

iPhone? No thanks.*
Before he left this morning, Sweetie said that we didn't have to keep the bet. He offered to forget it, or at least help me cook. "OH NO, I'M DOING IT!" I said, pride intact.

Yikes. This is going to be interesting.

(*But I'm not above a little iPhone humor. Apparently, this is the meanest thing you can say to someone who just bought an iPhone: "Oh, you didn't want to wait for the new one?")

**Update** He didn't make me cook. He made one of our favorite Sunday night dinners, Balsamic Vinegar Chicken. He spoils me.

Cherries

We went cherry picking yesterday! It was so fun. We drove out to the East Far East Bay, to Brentwood, which is on the other side of Mt. Diablo (side note: this means that now any time Sweetie makes reference to Brentwood, I can't say "I don't know what that is", which is my catchphrase when it comes to most towns in Contra Costa County). Sweetie picked the farm and he chose well, because this was a place where they pruned the trees so they stayed low so there were no ladders involved.

I loved it! I could have stayed out there all day. Like many things, I attribute this to my Polish peasant genes, since up until one generation ago my people were farming people.

Cherries! The pictures don't do them justice, but they were so beautiful, shining in the sun. I totally want to go to more U-Pick places now.

Big Basin Camping

Camping last weekend at Big Basin was GREAT. It was just the two of us, so that made for some much-needed quality alone time, plus we had all this new gear to try out.

Our first night we showed up at 7pm, and were assigned site 120, which was conveniently located right by the bathrooms - ugh. So we had to deal with people continually traipsing near - sometimes through - our site, plus the noise from the bathroom doors slamming, and the light shining from the building. Of course, I wasn't complaining about the proximity when I had to get up and go at 1 a.m., but still. The next morning before we began our hike we marched over to the camp office and asked for a new site. We had scoped out the area beforehand to see which sites had been vacated, and came across lovely, spacious # 128, right by a creek. The cheerful ranger girl accomodated us by doing a quick switcheroo, and just like that, new and much improved site for us! See, it always pays to ask for something better. (also: make sure to get to Big Basin earlier next time).


The Skyline to the Sea trail was closed due to a fallen tree (one can only assume it was a redwood), so we decided to just do the out-and-back hike along the Sunset Trail to Berry Creek Falls. Sweetie usually prefers loops, but we didn't have much of a choice. I though it was only going to be 4.9 miles each way, but that's just the distance to the Berry Creek Falls trail - the actual falls are still over a mile away at that point. Which brought our mileage for the day to about 12-13 rolling miles. Not so smart after a winter of little hiking. Sweetie was not looking happy the latter half of the hike. I thought he'd see the falls and think it was all worth it, but that didn't seem to be the case. Though the falls are pretty cool:

Nonetheless, we made it, and even had enough energy to shower and make dinner (after a quick trip to Boulder Creek for cold sodas. It was a very hot day, and I always crave Coke after a hot hike).
We love our camp stove! It's a Century Matchless Two-Burner Stove. We're so glad we took the time to comparison shop at REI, instead of marching in, picking up a Coleman, and being all "Done." Our stove is awesome because:

1) it's got an easy matchless ignition
2) it's big, with plenty of space for both griddle and pot (Coleman's stove was narrower)
3) it's got two powerful burners, instead of one power burner + one lesser burner (again, like Coleman)
4) it's fairly light and comes with it's own carrying case

Also: note our cute new checkered picnic tablecloth. Picnic tables are almost always dirty - this makes it so much better!

We made penne with sauce on Saturday night, and eggs with bacon and hash browns on Sunday morning. And both mornings I had my much-needed coffee, thanks to the new coffee press I got at REI:

SO exciting - I don't have to depend on anyone else for coffee when I am camping! However, I am going to bring a different mug next time - the mug that comes nested inside the press tastes plastic-y.

I'm proud of us. We're totally getting this camping thing DOWN! Can't wait until Sonoma.

Big Basin!

We're going camping this weekend! I am so excited! Big Basin is less than a two-hour drive south, but it feels like a world away. We went there last October, during the one-year anniversary of when we met. And this weekend is the one-year anniversary of when we actually started dating. I love milestones!

We're not staying in a cabin this time. That was fun, but they're kind of musty. Bring scented candles if you go - they help with the smell, and they provide extra light. And romance!

Since it's just the two of us, we'll likely come back with lots of pictures taken by one of us holding the camera at arm's length. We have lots of photos like that. Even though this one is totally off and blurry and it's about 7am and I'm not wearing make-up, it's one of our favorites:


I can't wait to have S'mores!

Lost Season Finale Thoughts

Very few thoughts. This show isn't as great as it used to be.

I hope Miles is back next season. I figured he was a goner because he had Closure, which is the kiss of death on this show.

Also: I wish it had been Kate who was sucked into that hole, instead of Juliet.

Share the Sidewalk

I was almost hit by a woman on a bike today. I was stepping away from my car and heading up the hill to work - on the sidewalk - when she nearly hit me as she rode by on her way into Aquatic Park. "On your right!", she called back, when she was five feet ahead of me.

Grrrr. Bicyclists are always sqwaking "SHARE THE ROAD!", but I would be much more sympathetic to their plight if the majority of them had more regard for pedestrians.

Swag!

I was never one of those girls who dreamed about her wedding, so it really surprised me how much I've been enjoying the planning. Aside from the fact that this will all culminate in getting to spend my life legally wed to a wonderful guy, the wedding planning has thus far involved many of my favorite things: the ones that are FREE! The swag has just been great.

Take, for example, the gift bag that I got for going to Bloomingdales' Registry Night. You didn't even have to actually register - they just gave it to all brides-to-be who showed up:


Two All Clad pot holders, two Le Creuset mini spatulas, a sample of Jo Malone cologne, a sample of Nespresso coffee, and a Victorinox knife. This is somewhat representative of the calibur of stuff you collect going to wedding fairs, though there you get a lot more things like bath salts (thanks, Claremont Hotel). OK, it's not the most valuable stuff, but I like it.

But we did win something valuable at one of the wedding fairs we attended: this blue 3 1/2 Qt Le Creuset Dutch Oven, which retails for $185.


Cooks Unlimited of Noe Valley was at the fair advertising their registry services (which we're still considering), and we entered their drawing. I've pretty much been entering any and every drawing at those fairs - it's easy becuase I just bring along those little return address stickers that I've been deluged with in the mail - but this is the only thing I've won (and really, one of the things we really wanted to win). It sits in a place of honor on display in our kitchen, but we haven't used it yet. I've need to find some recipes.

Maybe I'll find one in The Bride & Groom's Cookbook, which was our gift for registering at W-S. They do great registry events, complete with hors d'oeuvres, cake samples, and champagne (I've probably had more glasses of champagne since announcing our engagement than I've had in all my years combined. It just rains on you. I swear, at the Bloomies event I had my own guy following me with an open bottle of Veuve, just waiting for me to give him the cue for a refill).

I love the little heart shaped glass bowl we got for registering at Crate & Barrel. It was made in Poland, just like my people. We keep our keys in it in the hall - and we never lose them!


See what I mean? Swag! I love it.

Yelp Party & Bad Cupcakes

I went to a Yelp Elite party last night, at 5A5, a new(?) steakhouse/bar downtown, located on Jackson Street on the same block at Kokkari. It was my first Elite party of my '09 Yelp Elitehood status. Getting to go to these parties is a big reason for wanting that "Elite" button on your profile.

Anyway, this is what most Yelp Elite parties are like: typically a Tuesday or Wednesday night, almost always 7pm - 9pm, and a long line to get in when you arrive a bit before 7. Seems like a good 75% of Eliters are in their twenties, which makes for a very young crowd. Drinks are free - usually a limited drinks menu, but the Yelptini cocktail is usually available. And boy, do Yelpers drink - often at these events the bartenders look like they don't know what's hit them. They just keep making those drinks as fast as they can for the crowd at the bar that never seems to wane (though actually, the first 30-45 minutes are usually the most crowded at the bar - the lines do seem to die down a bit after that).

ALWAYS eat before a Yelp party, because even if it's at a restaurant, there's never much food. Last night I got about two bites of steak and some fries - or, one bite of food per cocktail (three lemony Spring Flings and a sip of merlot that I then rejected, if you're counting). It's funny, at normal cocktail parties, the waiters can circulate with their trays of food. At Yelp parties, waiters bearing food take no more than three steps before Yelpers swarm about them like locusts, quickly devouring whatever's on the tray. Oh! I also tried a shooter of some sort - tasted somewhat seafood-y with soy sauce. Shooters are just a weird food, I don't see the point.

When I first started coming to these parties a couple of years ago, I was very into the scene and meeting other people. Now, I just see it as an opportunity to hang out with my chosen +1 for the evening (JJ, last night, who enjoyed her first Yelp party. "How often do they have these?", she asked), and enjoy some free drinks and bits of food. Though I still do end up talking to other folks. They tend to be a colorful bunch; the couple we shared a table with last night told us that they met through a Craigslist's Casual Encounters ad.

Though I still enjoy these Yelp parties, I'm definitely over the Yelp "scene" (DYLs, etc.), not that I was ever that into it in the first place. So why continue Yelping? In a way, it's been like a blog - an online scrapbook of my restaurant, shopping, even hiking experiences over the last three years. And just as I find other reviews helpful, I do think that my reviews help others sometimes.

However, the other day I got a cupcake at That Takes the Cake (and here it is - the first cupcake mention! Because if you are a twenty- or thirty-something woman blogging in a metropolitan area, you have to talk about cupcakes because THAT'S THE LAW.). I reviewed TTtC back in November of '08 shortly after it opened, and gave it a lackluster review. The cupcakes were dry and not very flavorful - I wasn't impressed. I decided to give it another chance, so I went in and got a Red Velvet cupcake. And in the year and a half since my last visit, things did not improve - it was AWFUL. It just tasted synthetic, and the frosting had that crusty quality that cream gets when it sits around for awhile. Immediately I began composing a negative follow-up review in my head.

Don't do it!











And then I stopped and thought about it. Some girl who loved baking decided to go for it and open up a bakery. And people must like her cupcakes, because years later, she's still in business. Who was I to piss all over her dream? I felt a little bit bad. On the other hand, cupcakes are $3 a pop -- don't people deserve to know that they can just walk a few blocks to Kara's and get a vastly superior cupcake???

I looked up the reviews. 330+ reviews and an average four and a half star rating. Are these people mad??? I guess this place will go on despite what I think. Just as well...closed up storefronts are a depressing sight.

Happy Lucky

We went and picked out our wedding invitations today, at San Francisco-based Hello! Lucky. And we proofed our save-the-dates, and added thank you cards to our order, as well. SO fun! And fun not only because they do cute, quirky, quality work, but also because half the time we forget the name of the company and call them Happy Lucky or Lucky Happy or Hello Kitty.

I won't be previewing our stuff here - that's a surprise - but here are some enjoyable examples of their work:

Sweet!


Who doesn't love space monkeys? Nobody, that's who.


Awww! Next year.


Good stuff.

www.hellolucky.com

Sweets!

I recently developed/discovered a new weakness: novelty bakeware.

I've always loved to bake. When I was little, I had two Easy Bake ovens. But I've always been content making the usual cookies, tarts, cupcakes, brownies, etc. without feeling the need to be more creative. Until now.

Last Christmas, W-S sold an igloo cake pan. I was drawn to it every time I passed by it on the sale table, but I didn't get it. In retrospect, I wish I had coughed up the $14.99. How delightful to bake an igloo shaped cake for the holidays!


(penguins not included)

At the same time, they were selling Build-A-Bear cake pans. I thought these were a little weird, but I think Bridgie would have loved a princess bear cake for her birthday:


This Spring, I'm fascinated by the caterpillar cake pan, though I do think the deco kit colors are a little garish. I would prefer pastels.


And finally, I have been craving Oreos non-stop lately. I blame the cookie cake pan:


Yum! Doesn't that look good?

I recently ordered a heart-shaped cupcake pan, on sale. But I was just notified today that it's out of stock, so my order was canceled. Sad. :(

I think I've learned my lesson. When these pans go on sale, I'm totally snapping them up. I can't wait to show up at somebody's house carrying a giant Oreo cookie cake!

The Search for the Dress

Yesterday was a marathon wedding dress shopping day. I went to four - FOUR! - bridal salons and tried on I don't know how many dresses and posed for countless pics with dresses that were the wrong size clipped to me to get the effect. Exhausting! But, I enjoyed it. I never thought I'd be this girl.

And I'm almost done! I don't feel the need to look at any more dresses. I'm giving it a bit more thought, studying the pictures a little more, and soon I'll pick out The Dress and go buy it.

Funny, I went into this with some VERY specific ideas of what I wanted, and what I didn't want. First rule: NO STRAPLESS, and no poofy skirt. I'm not that kind of bride. Second iron-clad rule: NO VEIL. Any time a well-meaning wedding shop attendant came at me, beaming and holding a strip of tulle, I would practically hold up my fingers in a cross and hiss. NO.

Funny how some of your original ideas can go straight out the window...

Turns out, 90% of all wedding dresses are strapless for a reason: because they look really good on, even if you don't have a model body type. And the spaghetti straps that I had also nixed -- well, my top dress choice has spaghetti straps. Go figure.

Like I said, I did start off with a very clear idea of what I wanted. In early June of '08 I sat in a movie theater between my friends Justyna and Margaret, watching the Sex and the City movie. During the wedding dress montage scene, I inwardly gasped at one dress. There it was - The Dress that I wanted to get married in! It was so clear to me (and I should point out, Sweetie and I had only been dating, oh, about two or three weeks at the time. Even then, I knew).

Since then, I have been driving myself mad looking for images of that dress. You'd think it would be super easy to find - just Google Sex and the City Wedding Dress Oscar de la Renta. It's the sleeveless dress with a V-neck, and she's wearing a big red flower in her hair. SO elegant.

But instead of my dream dress, THIS is all that comes up when I try to Google it:


Aaack! Euww! No, no, no! BAD! Just so POOFY and HARSH and POINTY and unflattering and don't even get me started on that thing on her head. NO.

So I can't find a picture of that dream dress, but as it turns out, Jenna Bush wore a very similar Oscar de la Renta to her wedding. At least, I think it was similar -- why is she at that weird back angle in all of her wedding photos? At first I figured she was disguising a baby bump, but months later, no new Bush has entered the world (thank God for that!).

Anyway, pretty dress. But I haven't found anything similar that I like. So this probably won't be my wedding look after all (though I am still considering the big red flower in my hair like Carrie had).

One more thing: at Lilac Boutique in Alameda, they had a dress that was JUST like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's! Now, I know that that dress is kind of a cliche at this point, but I was still excited to try it on. And whoah -- I was at once entranced, and utterly horrified. Bias cut is the least forgiving of all cuts. Every bump, every ripple of flesh is magnified. Oh, dear.

So, no slinky Carolyn dress for me either. But it's still a wonderful image, all these years later:


Loving the filmy wrap, the shoes, and the simple ponytail. Now those I can do...

Movie Night

Sweetie and I stayed in and watched Annie Hall last night. I haven't seen it in years. When we got the the "Gimme a Kiss" scene, he said that he had considered doing that on our first alone date. In retrospect, I'm glad he didn't. I probably would have thought he was weird.

Another great scene I wish I could find the clip of: cut to a young Jeff Goldblum on the phone at a California party, saying "I forgot my mantra."

10 Years in SF!

I moved to San Francisco 10 years ago today! Best thing I ever did.

(That's where the dd_50199 comes from, by the way).

Here's to the next 10 years, and beyond...