Hurricane watch

I gotta tell you people, this hurricane business is making me a little nervous. Growing up on the Gulf Coast, hurricane tracking was often light-hearted family entertainment. Whenever a tropical storm was imminent, you could find one or the other of us checking the Weather Channel every hour on the hour for updates. My grandfather [...]

Snippets

In true haphazard blog posting fashion, a few random thoughts for the day:
- On my walk to work every morning, I pass a massive construction zone with eight foot walls all around it. Posted at random on these walls are warning signs with the directive: DANGER. DO NOT WATCH ARC. And every morning I [...]

Speaking of city identity

Julie just mentioned something in a comment that I’ve meant to write about before. It’s still amazing to me how much the people I’ve met here define themselves by their neighborhood. I know it’s likely because there are so many people crammed into such a small space. But it still boggles the mind to observe [...]

Vegan Reference Monday: Cafe Gratitude

Please, stop whatever it is you’re doing, and go read this: Cafe Platitude
I have just two words to say in reply: Yes, and yes.
I tried explaining this place to my friend Betty in the card I sent her for her birthday (everyone say Happy Birthday to Bettina!). I included a little bag of their almonds [...]

Well, that explains it

Late this afternoon I went for a walk/run around Lake Merritt here in Oakland. The lake part is a lie, actually (it’s salt-water), but whatever. That’s what people call it. There’s a three or so mile paved loop around the perimeter of the lake, and it’s generally a good place to unplug and breathe in [...]

Mee-ow

As I type this, I’m sitting with my feet up watching some show that appears to be the animal equivalent of ‘COPS’ on the Animal Planet channel. I’ve become quite the connoisseur of melodramatic television programs lately, and this one fits the bill quite nicely. First, there’s the justice/catharsis element, and then, of course, there’s [...]

Bay Hopping

I spent most of today traipsing about the city and finally just sat down to rest and regroup. It seems like the only time I have the energy to write is the weekend, so I’m trying to carry over the momentum from last weekend and put finger to keyboard again today.
Today was another rare day [...]

Yvetching

So…yeah. It’s awfully hard to start blogging again after taking a break. I feel rusty already, like I don’t really want to write anything but really I should. I find myself torn between making my life here sound all awesome and squared-away and the realities of how much more complicated than that it is. I’m [...]

Ancient history

Update 8/16/08: Hrm, I seem to have never posted this. I wrote it in May and am posting it now. Just. Because. Not much seems to have changed, frankly.
Last week, I was sitting on the leg press machine at the school rec center, and – glancing up – noticed a face walking toward me that [...]

Progress

Okay, so to prove that I’m not completely despondent and lolling about in my own pity, here’s photographic evidence that I’m marching bravely forward. This morning, I got up and poached my very first egg, courtesy of directions by the brilliant Smitten Kitchen. I toasted a slice of Acme sour batard*, plopped the egg on [...]