Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dispatch from Stanyan St.

It is a beautiful Saturday morning (er, late morning) - cloudless and sunny, with only the usual amount of traffic noise - and I'm taking a break from the freelance work of the day. This week seemed like the longest week; work was hectic and I had a big pile of freelance projects that all had to be completed immediately, and I feel like I've never been so grateful for a weekend as I am right now. Even while I was in grad school (and presumably swamped with work), weekends never seemed abruptly different from weekdays. Now, though, I understand the difference.

The good news: I somehow received an extra-awesome tax refund, so Hook and I are planning a trip to Mexico for next month(!!!) I'm pretty excited: I've never been to Mexico, and I also feel like I really need a vacation - a beach vacation, with sunny vacant days and beers by the water. Maybe a little hiking, a little kayaking. This trip is going to rock.

In other news...life is pretty much the same. The end of the school year is approaching and the students are getting restless. The rainy season seems to have subsided(?) I'm psyched to do more hiking around here, and also have MORE PICNICS in Dolores Park. Even though this is the land of dubious seasons, it's starting to feel like summer.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

For the first time this season, I (may) have a tan.

Oh, to be tan again! This weekend was gorgeous, and fortunately, I didn't spend the whole time indoors! Indeed, I made sure that my time was divided [sort-of] equally between work and bummin' outside, and now - finished as I am with my current freelance project - I'm relaxing on Hook's couch, a cool breeze coming in through the window.

Yesterday, Hook and I joined M. and P. for a picnic in Dolores Park. I'd only been to Dolores Park on a few occasions (read: field trips) - never in the picnic/beer context - and man, is it awesome. We chose a spot at the top of a hill (better for people watching), spread out our blanket, and sipped Tecate and ate cupcakes until the almost-evening. During our stint, we were approached by a canvasser, a lady trying to sell subscriptions to a CSA, a hobo asking for empties, and a grinning old dude selling pot cookies from a rolling suitcase. Indeed, I love everything about this park with the exception of its terrible, inadequate restroom facilities. But hey, nothing's perfect.

This morning, Drew, Hook and I ventured out to Muir Woods for a hike, which was equally enjoyable (though in a much different, read: more strenuous, way). I'd heard from a few people that the woods can be super busy on weekends - so busy that one has to park like, two miles down the road from the trail head - but we got an early start and snagged a primer parking spot. The hike was really good: I haven't gone hiking since last summer, when my mom, sis & I were at Yosemite, and some of the inclines were a little tricky. Overall, though, we did well, taking the Oceanfront Trail to the Lost Trail, continuing along the Ben Johnson trail to the Dipsea. (Note: I did not remember any of this, but instead relied on Hook for the names.) At the very very end, just before we reached the parking lot, we came to a creek that could only be crossed via log - the bridge was down. I did have a moment of panic & almost began crossing the log on my hands and knees (I was dehydrated, people!), but Hook came to my rescue and walked back across the log so that he could encourage me to walk like a biped. And so I crossed without falling into the creek, and the hike ended on a successful note.

This afternoon was mostly business: lunch at Squat and Gobble because the kitchen was empty, grocery shopping (to prevent unnecessary S&G trips), and the completion of this weekend's freelance project. My legs have the good tiredness in them, and I'm satisfied with the writing work that I did, and I think I'm going to have an awesome sleep tonight. This is all.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Weeeeeeekend roundup.

Weekend roundups: that's pretty much all I manage anymore, in terms of blogging. Ah, well: maybe I'll go the way of tumblr? We shall see. My tumblr has been embarrassingly dormant for like, 8 - 10 months, so I'd have to get it up and running before I even converted to that microblogging format...

It was an excellent weekend on the friendship and bargain fronts. Friday, Hook and I met some new pals for dinner @ Acme Burgerhaus (on Divisidero. $1.95 pints from 3 - 10! Excellent fries!), after which we hit the Page for drinks. M. and P. are both from Minnesota (I met M. while she was subbing at my school); they both like biking, good music, cooking, the idea of rooftop gardening, thrift shopping, and whiskey drinks. Good friendship times on the horizon!

The bargain front was slightly less exciting: mostly, I used a bunch of Gap/BR gift certificates I'd hoarded. Also, today I saved 41% on my grocery bill through my crafty use of coupons/noting of in-store sales. Yes, I realize that my mentioning of this on my blog renders me a total, total geek, but the savings! Oh, the savings!
Well, you understand if you know me.

Tonight, Hook and I made a from-scratch pizza that was totally badass; now, Hook is crocheting and I am scanning the internet, about to knit for a bit, and then it's baking time! I love domestic Sundays!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Sentences to describe my day:

1) The transition back to work wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

2) My right hamstring hurts - maybe in a bad way?

3) I have rediscovered my love of pickled beets!

4) Ke$ha most certainly is a lesser Lady Gaga.

5) Ooooooooh, baby, did I stock up on clearance Easter candy!

6) Hook is here, reading a book of essays while I fritter away time in various online showrooms.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Also:

Happy Easter!

Indeed, spring break has been eventful, but not in the ways you might expect. My mom spent a few days visiting; we did typically-touristy things (e.g., multiple walks through Golden Gate Park, a Blue and Gold Bay Cruise, getting crappy Italian food in North Beach) and some untouristy things (e.g., making earrings, baking five-egg chocolate cupcakes, watching endless episodes of "Forensic Files" at Hook's). Besides hosting, I spent a bunch of time searching for new jobs, doing some much-needed spring cleaning, riding my bike, going to spin classes, and furtively eating Easter candy. Now it's the last evening before I return to work, and Hook and I have spent the whole day inside (it was downpouring) drinking Tecate and researching various budding hobbies/moneymaking schemes, and I think I'm ready to be back to my normal routine. As I typically am at the end of any sort of break.

Chocolate Cheerios don't live up to their hype.