San Francisco: Day 3

I was up to watch the sunrise this morning, although this is not as big a feat as it might seem since the sun doesn't come up until about 7.

After breakfast we headed to Union Square where we hopped on an open top double-decker bus for a city tour. We had the top level of the bus almost to ourselves. The tour took us through the city, past the gates to China Town, down along the Embarcadero, past Fishermans Wharf, and the Presidio, and over the Golden Gate Bridge.



Upon our return to the city the tour continued through the area around Alamo Park, and the Painted Ladies, and down into the City Hall area. San Francisco's City Hall is an impressive Beaux Arts style building, much more attractive than Boston's bunker of a city hall. The area surrounding City Hall includes several other Beaux Arts style buildings. From there we traveled up Market to the area known as Soma (South of Market) where our hotel was a featured part of the tour. And finally back to Union Square.

We followed up the tour with a short shopping excursion to Macy's. This was necessary because the weather reports before we left home called for colder weather than we are experiencing and Amy didn't pack enough short sleeved shirts. After procuring several shirts, including one for me, we headed off in search of lunch. Lunch was procured at Max's, where we enjoyed tasty sandwiches and salad.

Once we were done with lunch we climbed a few blocks and explored the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design. It's a small museum. Favorite pieces were a bench made out of oak (I'm a sucker for wood) which was a once hefty and delicate, some really elegant hand blown glasses, a table with legs that Amy described as a "three legged flamingo" and a bench which looked like squared off bright cannolis.

On our way back to the hotel we got to watch the "turning of the cable car". When the cable car reaches the end of the line, it is turned by hand on the round table before heading back on it's return trip.


We had planned to head over to the SF Museum of Modern Art after a brief stop in our room. But a need for a little rest over took that plan. A few hours later we headed out for a dinner at Long Life Noodles in the Metreon. It was a very nice dinner. The food was tasty with huge portions. We had, wisely as it turned out, decided to share a couple of things. Even so we did not come close to finishing it all.

We rounded out our Valentine's Day at the movies where we saw "National Treasure: Book of Secrets". It's a fun movie that picks up nicely on the original, although it doesn't have the same level of intensity.

San Francisco: Day 2

After many hours of sleep last night, we spent a little time planning before heading off to breakfast. We ate in the hotel, lots of really good, fresh fruit and other taste treats. Then it was off to Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf.

At the suggestion of the concierge, we boarded the trolley for the trip. The trolley is part of the SF Municipal Railway. The cars are vintage trolley cars, restored and lovingly maintained. You can read all about them here.

Our first adventure of the day, besides the trolley ride, was a bay tour. The boat headed out past the sea lions, who took up residence back in 1990 and were saved from being run off by the fact that the tourists (that would be us) love them. Once out into the bay the boat headed for the Golden Gate Bridge.

From there the boat circled around Alcatraz, before heading back in.

Once we were back on dry land we wandered down Pier 39. We stuck our heads into a couple of the shops, acquired a small amount of salt water taffy, and watched the carousel. After lunch we stopped in at the Aquarium of the Bay. It's a nice little aquarium. We particularly enjoyed the Under the Bay exhibit. The path takes you through tubes that allow you to view the sea creatures from below. Amy's favorite part was when a school of fish passed overhead.

Next we wandered a little further down the Embarcadero before heading back to the hotel. After a short rest, we walked to Belden Place for dinner. After checking out the menus for several of the restaurants, we settled on B44, specializing in Catalan cuisine. We can recommend it highly. Not only was Amy's paella tasty and perfectly prepared, but my chicken was also very good.

San Francisco: Day 1

We have arrived safe and sound in San Francisco. The day started early with an uneventful ride to the airport in rush hour traffic, courtesy of a local van service. After check in and security we had a leisurely breakfast at the gate while we waited for the flight to board.

The plane wasn't full so we were able to get a row by ourselves. JetBlue provides seat back entertainment systems which show tv, movies and play satellite radio. We mostly watched TV, although I watched "Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium", which was not without difficulty since the screen at my seat flipped off partway through. I was able to finish watching the movie on the screen for the empty seat. It's a decent movie although I wouldn't rush out to see it.

The trip into the hotel was also uneventful. We have a lovely corner room on the 24th floor. We're staying near the Moscone Center. From the room we can see just a smidge of the Bay Bridge, AT&T Park (home of the Giants), the park in front of the Moscone Center and the bay.

Nothing big happening tonight - we had a quiet dinner in the hotel, are going to try out the pool and then we'll be crashing early (or late depending on your perspective).

Here's a shot (through the airplane window) as we descended to the San Francisco airport.

Weston Ski Track Snowshoe

Our snow pack is pretty small, about 2 inches or so. Despite this I pulled out the snowshoes yesterday and headed to the Weston Ski Track (aka the Leo J. Martin Memorial Golf Course). Because the snow pack is so small the snowshoes were not really critical, although they did help on the icy spots. They do make snow at the Ski Track, but it is on a limited section and that was being used for a children's race. So I headed to the other side of the Charles River which is the 16th, 17th and 18th holes of the course.

The day started out chilly (34 degrees) and grey. Over the course of the hour and a half that I spent walking the sun came out with a force. When I got back to the car the temperature was 47.

For the most part I had the trail to myself. I was joined briefly by a family (2 adults and a pre-teen) and their 2 dogs. One of the dogs in particular was hiving a great time frolicking in the snow. Toward the end of the walk another couple passed by with their dogs. Other than that it was just me, the snow, the ice and the river.

There weren't many critters around but I did see some small birds, including a few red-winged blackbirds, a couple of camera shy swans, and a few geese, oh and several dogs (see above).

This trek was less about the snowshoeing and more about getting outside with my camera. It was a slow walk with lots of stops to shoot pictures. I took about 100 shots (gotta love digital photography). Below is a sample. You can see more here.

Looking through the railing of the bridge over the Charles.

Charles River

Frozen Leaves and Grass
This section of the golf course sits very close to the water level of the river.
Clearly it had flooded during some of the rain we've had recently.

I was fascinated by the patterns in this tree.

All in all it was a lot of fun, although I really would like more snow. So, tell the snow gods to quit dumping on Maria, who is sick of snow, and give us some. Well not Tuesday or next Sunday so we don't have to deal with airport delays.

Nature: Crash

If you get a chance watch the episode entitled "Crash" on PBS show Nature. It's showing on WGBH tonight at 8pm. My friend Julie worked as an editor on this episode.

Shutterday: You Light Up My Life

Icicle lights masquerading as a chili pepper bundle.
(I know there's a word for that but I can't figure out what it is.)
Update - my friend, Becky, came to my rescue the term I was looking for was chili ristra.

See more Shutterday here.

The Weird Thing about Flickr

I just finished uploading yesterday's batch of pictures to flickr. By the time I had them uploaded and descriptions added to a couple (there were 10 total) one of them had already been viewed 3 times, and had a comment! It always startles me when people look at my pictures before I finish loading them.

PhotoFriday: What Is It?

This is a detail from a larger picture of an object I'm sure most of you would immediately recognize.

See more PhotoFriday here.

To see if you've guessed correctly click here. My sister-out-law, Shelley, has a story about this item here. And while you're at it check this out to see Shelley's latest endeavor.

PhotoSharks: Sunny

There hasn't been a lot of sun around here lately, but I captured this last Saturday morning.

See more PhotoSharks here.

Twenty-Five Years

A portion of the bouquet I got from Amy Monday night.

Twenty-five years ago I took the GRE exam. I know what you're thinking - how the devil does she remember that? Well, that day turned out to be a turning point in my life, though not in the way you might think.

The day started with the GRE, which I took at MIT. I don't remember much about the test itself, though I did score fairly well including acing the logic portion scoring 800. I didn't take a subject exam so I was done at noon. My two best friends, Amy and T, met me and we spent the rest of the day playing. We went to the Children's Museum, had dinner out, and took in a movie (I don't remember which movie).

T retired early, victim of a migraine. Amy and I stayed up all night talking, sitting close together. Well, mostly we talked. At some point in the wee hours of the morning we shared a very light kiss. Neither of us expected it, and though I initially wanted to run away, Amy wouldn't let me (sometimes her stubborn streak is a good thing).

Twenty-five years have passed since that day. We still talk late into the night, and we still kiss, and we are still very much in love. And each year we celebrate the day that changed our lives. (It was also the night when "it's not morning till you get up" was born.)

Our celebration has just begun. After work yesterday we went out for a wonderful leisurely dinner at 51 Lincoln in Newton. The food was yummy. The company was superb. Next week we head to San Francisco to celebrate.

Thursday Challenge: Emotion

N was unhappy about being run over by the toy truck.

See more Thursday Challenge here.

Lensday: Travel

Redline T train crossing the Longfellow Bridge.

See more Lensday here.

Thursday Challenge: Black

Server Rack Door

See more Thursday Challenge here.

Macroday: Bottle

See more Macroday here.

Tuesday Challenge: Clocks

Clock Tower in Kendall Square

See more Tuesday Challenge here.

Moody Monday: Organised

See more organised photos here.

Shutterday: Walk

Crosswalk

See more Shutterday here.
Posting a little late. It was a busy weekend.

For Abe

commonplace object
by photographer's eye

transformed

This haiku (an explanation of the syllable structure follows) was inspired by the photograph you will find here. The photographer, Abelardo Morell, is an old colleague and friend from my days as the registrar at an art college. It hangs in the lobby of my current employer's main building. Abe is also the subject of a documentary film, Shadow of the House, which gives a glimpse into not only his work but his life. If you have a chance go see the film.

As for the haiku, as mentioned in a previous post, I am participating in a year long haiku writing project. The moderator's theory on haiku, which you can read here, is that the strict syllable structure is in part a mis-translation to syllable of a Japanese word. His critique of my first haiku was in part that it was too wordy. So, I'm working on making my haiku fit the spirit of haiku rather than fitting a strict syllable stucture.

You can read more submissions to the haiku project here.

Thursday Challenge: Nature

Taken early on January 5th.

See more Thursday Challenge here.

Haiku Project, Week 3

web dances on wall

revealing winter antics

of sunlight and wind

See more haiku project here.

PhotoSharks: Cold

Ice on my Windshield.

See more PhotoSharks here.

Lensday: Sunset

Taken Friday, January 11 from our bedroom window.

See more Lensday here.

Haiku Project Week 2

low spots collect fog
overhead squirrels frolic
January thaw

You can see all of the week 1 submissions here. My favorite is Norma Dunlop's (about 1/2 way down in the right column). It paints a lovely picture.

Unique's Photo Challenge: Black

Last night was clear with just a sliver of moon.

See more Unique's Photo Challenge here.

Photo Inspired Poetry

high in the mountains
amidst the boulders and stones
flower shouts hello
-------
stubborn alpine bloom
vibrant mountain top surprise
delighting the eye
-------
Is it lonely I wonder,
there on the mountain top
with only the rocks and stones
for playmates?

Miss Rumphius prompted us this week to compose poetry inspired by this image, taken on a mountain top in Tibet (not by me). Click the photo to see the other responses.

Lensday: Distorted

Sunrise last Saturday

See more Lensday here.

Moody Monday: Lofty

Old North Church tower

See more Moody Monday here.

Family Christmas

The Saturday after Christmas my family gathered at my parents for our Christmas celebration. My sister and her family, my younger brother and his family, my older brother's family, and Amy and I were all in attendance. Unfortunately, due to travel issues and hockey tickets my younger brother and his family had to leave before my older brother's family arrived. My older brother was busy coaching a hockey game so he wasn't there either. We had fun opening presents, in a really laid back manner. My two youngest nephews (4 and 6) had a great time playing together and lots of game playing fun was had - Sorry with the N and D, Set with Shelley, the swimmer (my 15 year old niece), and D, and Sleeping Queens with Amy, Shelley and D.

Sunday morning while Amy enjoyed some alone time in the hotel (my parents house is too small for all of us) I met my sister, and younger brother and their families for breakfast and then we headed off to the movies. We saw the Water Horse, a story of one possible explanation for the Loch Ness monster. It gets a thumbs up. I wouldn't recommend it for children under 5, but everyone else will enjoy it. After lunch on our own, Shelley and D joined me for a swim in the hotel pool while my sister and Amy watched.

Sunday night we met up with a college friend and her family for dinner. Ann and I weren't that close in college, but over the years Amy and I have gotten much closer to her, her husband and her daughters. Dinner wasn't fancy, but we closed the place down - not as exciting as it sounds since the restaurant we were at closes at 8pm on Sunday nights. Had it been warmer we might have continued the conversation for hours in the parking lot. The good news is that they're going to be in our area in a few weeks, so we'll continue the conversation then.

Highlights of the weekend in photo form:

N showing off his new zamboni.


D watching the action.


N and his monster bowling set.


D enjoying N's monster truck (can't you just hear the truck noises?)


Cousins - I love this shot of the two little imps.


View from our hotel room Monday morning.

New Challenges

The new year has dawned and with it new challenges and experiences. I don't make new year's resolutions, but this year I've volunteered myself into a few new challenges.

I have my sister-out-law, Shelley to thank for encouraging me to write haiku. She was the one who alerted me to the Nengajou exchange, and with the new year approaching she encouraged me to join in on the Haiku Project. The challenge of the project is to write at least one haiku a week and submit it. My frost haiku is my submission for this week and I have the women of One Deep Breath to thank for the inspiration.

Challenge number two is one of my own making. As those who read this blog regularly know I take and post a lot of photos. The numerous photo memes have really inspired me to carry my camera with me most places and to use it regularly. Carrying that to the next level I've decided to take and post one photo a day every day this year. You can find my 365 project here. One note - I actually failed this on the very first day of the year. I did take pictures that day, and I did post a picture that day. But the pictures I took were with my film camera, not my digital camera, and the photo I posted was taken on December 31st.

For challenge number three I have committed myself to being up and out of the house by 7am every Saturday for 5 weeks. Those who know me well know that early mornings are not my thing. I can count of one hand the number of sunrises I have seen in the last 12 months, and two were this weekend. I was up early today because I was so zonked last night that I was asleep before 10:30. The reason for the early rising is that I am taking a workshop class at the North Bennet Street School in Boston's North End. I took Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking there two years ago and loved it. So for the next 4 weeks I'll be spending all day Saturday at NBSS taking Fundamentals of Machine Woodworking. I've used all of the tools we'll be using in the class but this is a wonderful opportunity to fill in gaps in my knowledge and to get an understanding of the inner workings and maintenance of the machines. None of my previous classes have covered maintenance. The bonus of this is that I got some interesting sunrise pictures yesterday and during lunch some shots of the North End. I expect to add more in the weeks to come.

Finally, because I can't resist - the new year challenge haiku:

daily photograph,
saturday woodworking class
write weekly haiku

This week's prompt at Sunday Scribblings is "New" or "New Year". No story came to mind but since I hadn't written about this yet I decided it would fit the bill. Read more Sunday Scribblings here.

Shutterday: Best of 2008

Sunrise Clouds

I was up early yesterday (why is explained here), and drove into Cambridge as the sun rose. I caught this shot from the window of my office.

See more Shutterday, and an explanation of this week's theme, here.

PhotoSunday: P

See more PhotoSunday here.

Unique's Photo Challenge: White

Snow

See more white photos here.

Steam Shadows

outside the window
steam shadows dancing on brick
winter afternoon

Frost Haiku

web across windshield
etched by cold winter's finger
frosty morning dawn

Find more frost haiku at One Deep Breath.

Thursday Challege: Shopping

See more Thursday Challenge here.

Biscotti Weekend

I'm a bit late with this report, no explanation other than that it was December. Biscotti Weekend is my annual pilgrimage to New Jersey to spend a weekend with my nephew, D, while his parents bake biscotti, Shelley, and work, Terri.

The weekend started with a mostly uneventful drive to New Jersey. The only moment of excitement was when a particularly impatient driver decided to pass me in the left hand breakdown lane on I-95 in Connecticut.

Having arrived fairly early I was able to pick D up from school. Once we'd gained access to the house, we turned our attention to fun. We played a couple of games, D shared his "Egypt book", and treated me to a magic show and we read some Harry Potter.

Saturday morning I accompanied D to wrestling practice. The wrestling room teemed with boy energy. Even the little guys are quite serious about the training. The older boys help the younger ones with their warm-ups, then the group splits into three age divided groups.

I was most impressed by the balance that the adults manage to convey a serious, tough guy attitude while still being nurturing. At one point one of the boys in Ds group got accidentally poked in the eye. After making sure that he was going to be okay the coach got the attention of all the boys. He lifted the boy who'd gotten poked onto his shoulder and had the other boys give him a round of applause for receiving the first "eye poke of the season". While he had the boys attention he reminded them that wrestling is a contact sport and they would get poked in the eye, and mat burn, but that they were "tough" and could take it.

We spent the afternoon working on our project. Each year I arrive with supplies for D to create a surprise for his parents. Last year he suggested that we make houses this year. He was still interested in that when we talked in November. I put my thinking cap on and finally settled on creating a wooden "gingerbread" house. The design was based on my gingerbread house cookie cutter set with simple joinery. I included gingerbread men, trees, and candy decorations.

Ds friend G joined us for the project assembly. After gluing together and clamping the walls of the house we spent an hour or so painting the decorations.

While we were painting D decided that some of the pieces were too rough. So we pulled out the sand paper and the boys spent some time fine tuning the parts. While they were at it we had a conversation about sand paper grits. At one point D told me, "this is pretty rough I think I need the 100", which made me smile.

The roof of the house is designed to be removable. So, the walls were covered with plastic wrap before the roof parts were glued and clamped on.


Clamped up.


Decorations

Energy ran short so none of the decorations got attached to the house while I was there. Despite that we ended up with a pretty nice result.

Saturday night Shelley and I headed off to a folk-singing gathering which was great fun. Sunday morning I headed off to meeting (Shelley is a Quaker)with Shelley and D. Shelley was on baby duty so attended meeting by myself. The Princeton meeting house is a wonderful space. Built in the 1700s, it is a small stone building. On the first Sunday in December with snow falling outside the windows it was magical. The crackling of the fire was the only sound as I joined the other worshipers sitting in silence.

The snow, and ice that joined it made the drive home difficult. I only slid once, coming down a hill in Katonah, New York, after which I drove with much less speed and much more caution. Traffic through Connecticut was thick, and there were quite a few cars off the roads. The turnpike, though also full of cars, was a welcome site not only since it meant that I was nearly home, but also because the roads were in better condition than those I'd driven on earlier in the trip. I arrived home safe and sound several hours later than it would have taken me in clear weather. Based on this trip a new condition has been added to the Chelles, or is that Shelleys, (our names are pronounce alike so out loud it makes sense) driving rules - no trip will be started when a Winter Weater Advisory or Watch is in place for any of the states to be traveled through.

The driving rules were enacted four years ago when I drove into a blizzard on the way to New Jersey at the start of Biscotti weekend. On that trip it took me 5 hours to get from Newark to Princeton (normally less than an hour) because the roads were covered with ice and traffic was moving at a snails pace.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and I had a great time.

New Year's Eve Tradition

year draws to a close
knead dough, chop toppings, shred cheese
bake homemade pizza

Homemade pizza is our New Year's Eve tradition in our house. Most years it's just Amy and I. There was one memorable year when we spent New Year's Eve at our friends ski house in New Hampshire and I made pizza for 22.