I enjoy taking the Caltrain to destinations south of the city. It feels stealthy: like I'm getting a look behind the scenes, into people's backyards (which is true, in some cases). Photos here from a trip on Christmas Eve (dirty windows contributed to the atmosphere.)
excursion, part 1
A few weekends ago I was instructed to pack an overnight bag for a mysterious short adventure. My only clue: there were no showers where we were going. (Very mysterious, no?)
Although the clue would seemingly point to camping, I know J isn't a huge fan. And that would require more gear than we were venturing out with. I was a little flummoxed.
Out of the city we went. The drive wasn't long, but was packed with subterfuge, including an unnecessary bridge crossing and some impressive doubling back. (For awhile I was sure that J had neglected to look up directions, but he assures me it was all part of the plan.) We passed through a deserted-looking military base(?), and then turned onto a very twisty and pothole-filled dirt road, ending up at a working marina...
It was a collection of floating homes, discarded concrete pilings, rocks and seagulls. Old cabin cruisers were disintegrating into piles of parts and material around the edges of the parking lot. There was a fair amount of interesting stuff to poke around and take pictures of, but after an hour I wondered what the heck we were doing there, exactly.
I didn't have long to wait before the Plan was revealed.
* we learned this tugboat was recently towed in from parts north and will probably will be dismantled for scrap
impressionism
Layfayette Park as seen from the #1.
O is for oh great, oil spill.
Yesterday morning a container ship ran into one of the supports of the Bay Bridge, causing thousands of gallons of fuel to be spilled into the San Francisco Bay. The first reports I heard on the radio said about 400 gallons had been lost, but the real life grand total is 58,000. Apparently the bridge is fine - no damage. Unfortunately, the water, beaches and coastline are a mess, and a lot of birds and animals are getting fatally slimed. And the blob is already on the move, spreading up and down the coast.
The images on the news tonight were pretty bad. I wish there was something we could do; I'd go down and scrub ducks if they'd let us.
not much longer now
Well, its been sort of a relentless week. Lots of people under the weather here with a tenacious cold making the rounds. Earthquakes in the news (prepare, don't panic). Generally feeling all week that from the moment I wake up in the morning I'm running 20 minutes behind. On the bright side, J's moustache appears to be surviving post-Halloween - could this look be moving into regular rotation?
I had a short but fun coffee break with Bo this afternoon, and there's more hanging out with friends in the near future. A good knitting project is in the works (!), and the book I've just picked up seems promising. Very much looking forward to the weekend...
Starting the weekend with a motley photo assortment. From top:
- entryway, SF financial district
- 101 South, in transit
- graffiti in Reykjavik, Iceland
- detail from art installation, SF airport BART stop
- jellyfish, Monterey Bay Aquarium/Shu Uemera, Fillmore St. in SF (need false eyelashes?)
- gas station, outskirts of Reykjavik
crisp
The scent of burning leaves is in the air today. I'm wondering if smoke from the fires in southern California is drifting up this way.
After work this evening we trekked to the outer limits of our neighborhood to check out an apartment open house. The listing sounded promising ("large," "victorian," "french doors," "separate entrance"), and as the rent was lower than what we're paying now, we figured it was worth a look. Of course we were hoping for a hidden gem; what we found was a musty, windowless space with doors in weird places. Not large, no closets; also definitely not a 1-bedroom, as advertised. Creative listing, that one. We left reminiscing about the forehead-smacking craziness of finding a place here, very much appreciating our current space.
I'm debating trying to whip up a last-minute Halloween costume to wear on Wednesday. J has groomed himself a moustache (the "Selleck"). I think he thinks that counts as a costume.
sunday afternoon in cupertino
Hanging out.
squint your eyes and pretend you're somewhere else
A little slice of Enchanted Forest, @ Civic Center