San Francisco Days: February 2010

February 7, 2010

Photo of the Day

Walking to the Mission from Castro, we passed this old Victorian. Two hairless cats and a Bulldog in the window. Not sure if this picture really conveys how creepy the cats were, but those eyes were definitely out of this world. Eeeek!

February 2, 2010

On Being Outdoorsy

I hadn't been feeling in the mood to blog in the last few months. Not for any particular reason, other than I just wasn't feeling motivated...that is until I caught up with my friend's awesome blog, and poof! Inspiration city!

Not sure if anyone out there is actually reading this stimulating blog of mine, but writing does help me feel a bit more creative, and so I will try to keep up with it if not only for my own sanity.

New Year's weekend this year was great. Ad and I took a trip down to Monterrey and Carmel. Its so beautiful and serene there. As much as I'm enjoying the city, I definitely get a bit nutty after a few weeks of not venturing outside of it. Much of it had to do with the lack of driving in my life. And while a car isn't needed in a city like San Francisco where one can quickly hop on a bus/train/trolley and best of all walk, to any destination within its boundaries, it also definitely leaves me feeling a bit limited. I sometimes miss the freedom that comes with jumping in your car and going for a drive.

This weekend we drove up to Point Reyes National Forest. Its about an hour north of the city, and is a great escape.

We took a great 4 mile hike, and are already planning another trip set for maybe this next weekend. Woot!

And to keep up with our "outdoorsey" weekend, we also packed a bag and headed for Golden Gate Park recently. On tow we had a picnic blanket, sandwiches the husband make for us, iced tea, and our current books we're reading.

On my New Year's resolution list is to begin reading the classics. I've always loved to read, but mostly books with such titles as True Confessions of a Shopoholic, Twilight the series, On Fifth Avenue and so on. You get the point.
So first on this year's list is a book that contains both Walden and Civil Disobedience by Thoreau. Good books for those spiritual/granola type of moods.

P.S.
Waterfalls are great!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

-Dr. Seuss