Category: Nature

Categories
Nature Tomato

Tomato Plant 2011

So on Memorial Day weekend, I planted a new tomato plant (in a Topsy Turvy) and pots of dill and basil seeds. Here is what they looked like two weeks ago:

We’ve had kind of back-and-forth weather, but the tomato has been growing upwards…and this morning I noticed there is baby dill! And one of the flowers on the tomato plant is turning into a baby tomato.

(You can see how great the weather is today…eh.)

No sign from the basil yet, but that’s okay. If it doesn’t take I might try again and hope for more sun.

All this gloomy weather – and the wind! – has meant spending more time indoors. We recently finished watching the second season of Modern Family on Hulu Plus. After we finished the last episode, this little notice popped up:

“Need a break? You have been watching for more than 3 hours.”

The thing is, we definitely hadn’t been watching that long at the time. So I don’t know about that. But I did like Modern Family!

Categories
Exercise Memoir Nature Not awesome

“Don’t they ever stop migrating?” -The Birds

This morning as I was leaving the gym, a bird attacked me and grabbed the back of my head with its talons. Then it flew up to the roof and sat there. The whole front wall of the gym is windows, so I’m wondering how many earnest morning bikers observed the whole thing.

When I got in my car the bird flew down and sat on the hood looking at me until I honked the horn. I mean, I assume it was the same bird.

Why would a bird do such a thing? Here are some theories:

  1. It was just in a pissy mood (maybe it’s not an early bird?) and I just happened to be there.
  2. It wanted to carry me away to feed me to its giant bird leader, who lives in a volcano.
  3. I got too close to its nest – but to that I say, the ONE bush outside the door of a 24 HOUR FITNESS is a stupid place to build a nest.
  4. Some kind of mass bird disease, or world takeover plan, a la Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

…Which inspired me to put this little trick together:

Which is actually more terrifying than the original incident. I mean, yikes. (The problem is, in 99% of pictures, I am smiling or having fun, so when I need a picture that shows some kind of negative emotion, like panic or terror, my options are limited.)

But this thing reminds me of the cover of the Aphex Twin album, Come to Daddy.

Again I say, yikes.

Categories
Drew Friends Nature Sports

Memorial Day Weekend, Part Deux

I mentioned recently that Drew and I sort of let the weekends go by us, while we spend them relaxing and generally not doing very much. Well, we wanted to make the most of this weekend, so we’ve been doing our best to remain entertained and engaged in this second half of the long weekend.

Yesterday our friends Sam and Shawn came up from Redwood City and we went to Sea Bowl.

Here’s what I learned: I am way worse at bowling than I thought I was. I thought I was like, eh, okay. But really I am like, a 40-point-game type of bowler. Surprising, and slightly embarrassing. If I knew how bad I was, I would have, like, pretended to never have bowled before or something.

At least the shoes were cool…in a hipster sort of way. (Non-matching shoelaces and all.)

I think I probably just needed to get back into the swing of things. But we got through only 1 1/2 games. I guess I could just say I was going to hustle them, and I just didn’t have time to get into the second part of the hustle.

Today it’s semi-nice out, and we went for a walk. Milagra Ridge is a nice place to walk, it’s got great views, it’s not super difficult but it’s also not totally flat. There is also a WW II bunker (or maybe more than one?) and that’s interesting. Today we climbed over the “fence” that separates the walking paths from the wilderness part, and climbed all over the bunker.

Obviously, people have broken in and spent some time hanging out in there. You can stick your head in the part they broke into (although it makes me super nervous to stick my head very close), and check out what they chose to graffiti on the walls. (Things like ’91 and “KKK Sucks!”)

Here’s the makeshift entrance to the bunker:

Here’s the real door to the bunker (well-hidden!).

Then we had to make our way back down to the path.

Now that I got my fresh air and my Vitamin D, I don’t have to feel guilty if all I want to do the rest of the day is sit around reading Kristin Cashore’s Fire, or watching Modern Family, and waiting for the maintenance guy to come out and fix the balcony door.

Categories
Exercise Friends Nature

The Mountain Lion Plan

I went hiking after work today with Scotty’s mom. The last time we went, we just took the path that is currently being worked on, even though the signs and road blocks said not to. We planned to do the same today but there was a ranger driving around, so we walked past it to take the other loop.

Sam said she thought that loop was harder, but it actually wasn’t too bad. The only drawback is that it’s not a loop, because so many trails are under construction, so it’s just a walk-to-the-top-and-then-turn-around type of trail.

On our way up she filled me in on the mountain lion plan.

“If we see a mountain lion, you know what to do, right?”

“Sure I do,” I said, because I remember my mountain lion lessons. “We make ourselves as big as possible and yell.”

“And if it attacks one of us, the other one has to beat it with a stick. You can’t run away. Okay?”

Jeez.

Then she told me that when she hiked this mountain with her husband, he said that if a mountain lion attacked him, he was going to “throw the baby” to her and her job was to run away with him. I’m not sure of the validity of that plan. She said she told him no way, that she would stay and try to drive off the mountain lion with him. But I’m wondering what the new mother’s instinct actually would be…I suspect that under pressure a new mother might actually instinctively save her baby.

I hope they don’t ever have to test that theory, though.

Anyway, we saw no mountain lions. Just birds.

And it turns out that the construction they’re doing is to totally pave over the trails. I don’t know how I feel about that. On the one hand, I like walking a dirt trail. The asphalt kind of changes the whole trail feel. On the other hand, it does get super muddy after it rains, so an asphalt trail would be nice. On the other hand, it’s clearly a horse trail (there are all kinds of hints and clues leading me to detect that) and I’m not sure what horses prefer…

Categories
Beauty Nature

The View

Today’s been a beautiful day, even if it couldn’t figure out what it wanted to be, and rained a couple of times.

When I drove to the gym (down by the ocean) the water was super dark blue with whitecaps. I really wanted to go for a walk there today but the schedule didn’t allow it.

But I can still stand outside on the balcony and admire the view.

I love when they mow the grass, around the patches of ice plants. I wonder if you could mow ice plants. It would probably just make a mess.

It’s hard to update every single day. Hopefully this week I’ll get some good stories and controversial things to write about.

Categories
Being a girl Friends Nature Self improvement Sports

Giants v Diamondbacks, Tues May 10

For this post, I have officially introduced a new category: sports. (I predict this will be the smallest category in the category cloud.)

Also, pretend I posted this yesterday on May 11th.

On Tuesday Drew and I and 5 other friends went to see the SF Giants play the Arizona Diamondbacks. We got the tickets mainly to support one of the teacher friend’s all-girls science club – of the ticket price, something like half of it went to the club. The teacher friend said she’s going to use the money to buy consumables: meaning containers that need to be replaced, things like vinegar and baking soda, food coloring, etc. A good cause.

We set out early to get to AT&T park, because we were going during rush hour, and the freeways can get crazy. Like, really crazy. Seriously. I’ve seen it. So four of us left around 5:00, to give us enough time for traffic, parking, and then walking up to the park. We intended to meet up with everyone at 6:30 by the Willie Mays statue.

This is what we were trying to do:

It’s also basically what we ended up doing. We found ourselves standing outside AT&T Park at about 5:30. Luckily the other friends are equally as conscious of traffic, and so we were all there at relatively the same time.

We stood outside for awhile, admiring the commentors doing their thing, and the line for the bobbleheads (?).

It was a very nice day, albeit windy. I was wearing my Wicked sweatshirt, as it’s the softest and warmest thing I own, even if it’s slightly embarrassing.

Here’s Willie Mays from another angle.

When we went into the park, we found that we had the BEST SEATS IN THE PARK. Because we were so far up. The higher up your seats are, the better they are, right? Because you can see everything without having to turn your head, plus they bring hot chocolate and churros right up to you.

You also get the best view of the fog rolling in, as it’s wont to do.

Soon the pharmacist friend wanted to go get a crab sandwich. Legend has it Tyler Florence himself comes to AT&T Park and makes them. So we went off in search of crab sandwiches. We found the booth, and Tyler Florence. We also found a place where I could get a Sprite for $5.25…the best kind of Sprite. We were somewhere behind the giant screen.

At the sounds of the National Anthem being played, we headed back to our seats. This is when I discovered that the giant Coke bottle is a slide! Before then, I believed that was just one of the things my dad said to be funny. Imagine my shock and awe when I saw that it’s not only one slide, it’s SEVERAL slides, and children were all up in it. Pharmacist friend asked if I wanted to go down the slide, and I did, but unfortunately I’m nearly 27 years old.

My dad also says that there are places in the park wall where you can watch the game from outside, without having to buy a ticket. Here is proof of that.

See? Little windows for cheap people.

Well, the game went on. Aside from the crab sandwich, among us we also consumed many Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi, smuggled in from outside), something like 5 hot chocolates, my Sprite, parmesan and herb Sun-chips and jalapeno Cheetos (also from outside). I guess that’s all. One thing I learned is, I will bring my own snacks next time.

And the game went on. Eight and a half innings with the score still tied zero to zero. Around the sixth inning I started thinking I would rather lose the game after such a fight, than have to go into extra innings. But you have to understand, it was cold, and getting later, and it was only Tuesday night. Early in the week.

In the bottom of the ninth, everything came up roses when Cody Ross RBI’ed Darren Ford, and the game was over! Thank God! Plus, we won, and Colorado lost, and I think that means we might be number one now? Not sure, because I’m kind of a part-time baseball fan. Someone will correct me, surely.

So then we began the night exodus out of the stadium and back to the car.

Even though I wouldn’t like to go every game (or even every other game), I still had a great time, and it was even sweeter since we won. Nothing like a sense of totally unearned smugness.

Categories
Awesome Beauty Drew Exercise Nature

Waterfall Loop, San Pedro Point

I had a busy, cool weekend.
 
First, I went and cut off a bunch of my hair. Yeah, I’ve had those “It’s REALLY short” second thoughts, but overall, I think I’m happy with it.
carnage

Last night I made stuffed bell peppers for dinner. Yum.

Today Drew and I went hiking at San Pedro Point. He assured me it wasn’t “hard,” “terrible,” or anything like that. Then halfway through he apparently recanted. The words “I think I might be dying” may or may not have been uttered.

But it was a beautiful day and a great hike. Totally worth it. Maybe next time, if it’s that warm, I won’t wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

At the top of the trail is a bench where you can sit and look at Pacifica and the ocean. There were three young, fit kids sitting on that bench. They noted our arrival, and then ignored us and kept passing around a pair of binoculars, while we panted behind them. Teenagers…psshh.

Then, without even having had a rest, we set off back down the other side of the mountain.

Going downhill is MUCH easier, and I talked most of the time down, about anything and everything that crossed my mind. Sometimes I think that’s why Drew takes me on these hikes – on the way up, I conserve my breath for getting oxygen to my muscles, so I can’t talk. But when the going gets easier…I don’t shut up.

Apparently this is a 2.2 mile loop, with an elevation of 200-840 feet. I think it took us a little less than an hour and a half. A totally fun and joyful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Categories
Awesome Beauty Being a girl Friends Memoir Nature Nonfiction Sentiment

50 Reasons I’m Thankful To Live In San Francisco

In November, the Village Voice published 50 Reasons To Be Pretty Damn Euphoric You Live In New York City.  I’m not arguing with them – God knows I miss NYC – but I immediately started thinking about a similar list for San Francisco.  I haven’t been here too long, and my activity in the city is limited, so this is just one person’s very specific list.

(I gladly welcome input on this, especially when it comes to something I’ve left off, which will probably be because I just haven’t experienced it yet.)

50 Reasons I’m Thankful Every Day To Live In The San Francisco Bay Area

“San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality.” -Jefferson Airplane

50. Apartments come stocked with dishwashers. Not necessary, but very convenient.

49. It’s easy to avoid Starbucks and patronize independent coffee shops. (But it’s also easy to find a Starbucks if you need that peppermint white mocha.)

48. The carousel at the San Francisco Zoo.

47. There is always someone crazier than you. Always.

46. The view from the Golden Gate Bridge.

45. The many views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

44. Cable cars: the city’s moving landmarks.

43. Driving around the city and realizing you’re on the street where Full House was filmed…or Mrs. Doubtfire…or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. You know, any of your childhood favorites.

42. You don’t have to be a kid to love the Exploratorium.

41. Or, for that matter, the California Academy of Sciences.

40. That sense of superiority when you get to tell someone, “Don’t call it ‘Frisco.’”

39. Because the city is not strictly a grid, the feeling when you conquer the streets of San Francisco is one of invincibility! You are now unstoppable!

38. I’ve never seen curved escalators anywhere else besides Westfield Mall.

37. Some people are into tea. Those people love Lovejoys in Noe Valley.

36. “It’s an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world.” -Oscar Wilde

35. I’d rather have a spider or two in the corner, than a kitchen full of roaches (yuck).

34. Just south of San Francisco is Colma, where dead people outnumber the living.

33. Watching the fog creep in. You know it’s ruining the sunny day but you can’t stop watching.

32. Baker Beach (under the Golden Gate Bridge) is “frequented by clothing-optional sunbathers.” Our very own nude beach, so close to home!

31. Napa Valley and its myriad vineyards and tasting rooms are but a short car trip away.

30. The Crème Brûlée Cart: food always tastes better when you’ve had to hunt it down.

29. The other day, I saw a homeless man with a cat carrier. And he opened the door and a chicken walked out. And the chicken was on a leash and pecked in the grass while he smoked a cigarette. This was at 8:30 in the morning, and set the tone for the rest of my day: bizarre and wonderful.

28. Spending a summer afternoon browsing the boutiques. Even if you don’t spend anything.

27. There are streets, where you can look up, and even though you’re within the city limits, you’d never guess it.

26. On paper, it sounds kind of pathetic to take a number and wait in line for a half hour for an ice cream cone. Yet at Mitchell’s it’s worth it.

25. Descending into SFO through the fog and over the water…always takes my breath away for a second.

24. You gotta love friendly small talk with your Target cashier.

23. Checking out the pre-Broadway runs of shows that will be Tony winners in just a few years. Oh, to be able to say, “I saw it when.”

22. The Stairway Walks.

21. How many cities have built their own island, just for entertainment purposes?

20. The Giants winning the World Series – if you were in the city that night, you really felt like part of a 1,000,000-person family.

19. Can’t afford tickets to the SF Opera? No problem. They perform for free in Golden Gate Park, and simulcast certain operas to the big screen in AT&T Park.

18. Who needs Missed Connections? We’re not afraid to just talk to each other.

17. Visit the Dickens Faire at the Cow Palace in December, to get your 19th-century-London fix.

16. Sourdough bread is everywhere. Often scooped out, with soup in the middle.

15. If someone says, “How are the reviews for that show?” a valid answer is, “The little man is sitting up straight and clapping.”

14. If you don’t mind battling the tourists…a hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli Square sure hits the spot.

13. San Francisco is like a thumbnail version of all the things that are awesome about the state of California.

12. Having the choice between taking public transit or driving yourself. San Franciscans love choice. You might even say we’re pro-choice.

11. Even the homeless people are friendly. San Francisco has some of the most polite homeless people ever.

10. You gotta give this city bonus points for springing up on those crazy hills.

9. I love me some shopping in Union Square. Especially at Christmas time!

8. The BART platforms have marks on the ground where the doors will line up. Make prewalking even easier.

7. Right across the Golden Gate Bridge from the bustling city, you can visit ancient, immense sequoias in Muir Woods.

6. This week, State Sen. Mark Leno introduced legislation that would require history classes to teach LGBT history, in an effort to increase awareness and thus reduce bullying.

5. 60 degrees year round, with a week of summer and a week of winter. Just enough time to enjoy the heat or the rain, and then back to regularly scheduled programming.

4. Drinks and dancing in the Castro.

3. After the 1906 earthquake and fire, Jack London said, “San Francisco is gone.” Well, we certainly proved him wrong. We are a resilient city of tenacious people.

2. I mean…I’m here. : )

1. In fact, lots of people leave the Bay Area…but lots of people come back home. There must be a reason why. I suppose it’s because it’s awesome!

 

Categories
Awesome Beauty Nature Sentiment Tomato

High School Me, You’re Welcome

Blue sky, sun, warm breeze – I’ve had the balcony door open all day enjoying being able to hang out barefoot, in a tank top – this is like exactly what I needed.  I went out on the balcony to enjoy the sun along with my tomato plant and the flowers that the ProFlowers guy just showed up with – I thought the sun might help them “perk up” more, which I’m supposed to let them do for the next 8-12 hours – and I step outside there, admire my little plants, and then look up toward the ocean – which is when I see the fogbank rolling toward me, like something from a Stephen King movie – I can actually see the horizon and then the trees and the houses disappear as it gets closer.

I grabbed a camera to try to capture this on film, because it’s actually sort of creepy but beautiful – but the camera had a hard time focusing on the rolling fog.  I got a couple shots off.  It’s still warm(ish) and still sunny(ish).  This would never happen in Lakeport, no matter how much High School Me would have freaking loved it, haha.

Tomato plant is really flourishing. I really hope we get at least one good red tomato!
Categories
Awesome Nature Tomato

San Francisco Fog

Today Liz and I met in Davis and went to the Farmers Market, to decompress.  We started at Borders, actually, and then wandered to the park and found the ATM and went crazy purchasing vegetables and fruit and bread and lamb and – in one remarkable instance – a tomato plant.

This tomato plant is called a San Francisco Fog (or maybe that’s just how it was labeled) and I purchased it because: a) I’ve been dying to grow something on our balcony; b) I looooove tomatoes; and c) I didn’t know that tomatoes would grow here, I thought they needed like lots of sun or something.  So I’m excited to see how this plant grows.  We are going to put it into a 5-gallen kitty litter bucket that we have for some reason, and then I’m going to water it and watch it grow into a huge, multi-tomato bearing tree.  Oh yeah, my plant will be a tomato tree.

Don’t plants grow better if they have names?  Oh no, wait, that’s cows give more milk.  Never mind.