Adele

Last night, I saw Adele perform at the Warfield. You may have caught her on SNL the same night Sarah Palin appeared.

Adele's just 20 years old, but has an incredible voice. It was funny watching her bounce back and forth between giggling school girl taking photos of the sold-out crowd and smoky-voiced chanteuse.

Shaelin

My nephew, Shaelin, is almost five! Isn't he a cutie? Time flies.

Brian at Amnesia

Brian performed a great set of songs (his cover of Bruce S.'s "I'm On Fire" was my personal favorite) at Amnesia last night. About two dozen people showed up to see him, he made some extra money and everyone had a good time.

But, again, I'm forced to wonder how the musical talent gene bypassed me. Hmm.

Legion of Honor

On Saturday, Brian and I took advantage of the crappy weather and headed to the Palace of the Legion of Honor.


Remarkably, it has the largest collection of sculptures by Rodin outside of the Musee Rodin in Paris. "The Thinker" greets you on the way in to the museum.

Lost

I have a love/hate relationship with "Lost." Initially, I thought it was one of the most ground-breaking pieces of television I'd ever witnessed. Then, gradually, it got WAY TOO complicated. I'm a reasonably intelligent person, I thought, why can't I keep track of who's who and what's what.

This week, I decided to give it another try. I watched the one-hour recap, which was moderately helpful, then the two-hour season premiere. By the end, I scratched my head and said, "Huh?"

Rain

It's back. The rain, that is. I wish I could say I missed it, but the sunny, clear-sky days have been wonderful!

According to this morning's Chronicle: "San Francisco still could be headed for one of the driest Januarys in the history of Januarys. Through Wednesday, only 0.24 of an inch of rain had fallen this month, about 5 percent of average. The driest January ever in San Francisco was in 1920, when 0.26 of an inch of rain fell."

Taking Flight

Last night, I dreamt I was flying. This is not unusual. I'm often able to fly in my dreams using "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" type acrobatics. But last night, I needed a carpet. Really, I think it was a yoga mat.

One common interpretation: "If you are flying with ease and enjoying the scene and landscape below, then it suggests that you are on top of a situation. You have risen above something. It may also mean that you have gained a different perspective on things. Flying dreams and the ability to control your flight is representative of your own personal sense of power."

Nice.

Land's End

On Sunday, eager to enjoy yet another day of magnificent weather, we went hiking at Land's End.


This maze was really cool.

Baker Beach BBQ

On Saturday, we went to Baker Beach. As luck would have it, we ran into several friends who had just arrived with a carload of food, beer and wine for a barbecue.

Chinatown

Have you been to Chinatown lately? I hadn't until I walked through it yesterday on my way to meet Beth for dinner. It was just getting dark and it was bustling with locals and tourists. I tried to take pictures, but, lo and behold, my memory card was full. I'm going to drag my brother there next weekend to check out the Chinese New Year Flower Fair. Sounds photogenic, no?

More Point Reyes

Another beautiful shot from Saturday courtesy of Brian.

Point Reyes

Brian and I took a trip to Point Reyes National Seashore on Saturday. The weather and scenery were absolutely spectacular! Plus we saw whales (well, just their water spouts) and elephant seals (we watched one newborn nursing from its mother)! It was a great day.

The Clan

Another shot of the family.

Wedding Photos

At their wedding, Kate and Sean had a photo booth. All the guests took their pictures, then put them in a scrapbook along with their well wishes to the newlyweds. Brian and I had a great time. My feet were so sore from dancing that I could barely walk the next day.

Good Book

It looks a bit like a Harlequin Romance, but I swear it's quality historical fiction. "The Other Boleyn Girl," by Philippa Gregory is a joy to read. And it's meticulously researched, which means I'm actually learning about Henry VIII and his royal court in the 1500s. Highly recommended.

Magnolia

If you haven't given Magnolia a try in a while, you should. My brothers like it for its beer, but I went there for dinner last night with Louise and we were doubly impressed by its food ... and outstanding service.

They started calling themselves a gastropub after a recent remodel and the hiring of a new chef. That's exactly what it is: high-end pub food at reasonable prices. Yummy!

Home Away From Home

My folks are headed back to Milwaukee today. But while they were here, they stayed at the Inn at 1890 _ a really cute bed and breakfast just a few blocks from my apartment. If you, or your family members, need a "home away from home," I highly recommend this place.

Family Photo

As a Christmas gift to our parents, Brian, Mike and I hired Tom to take a family photo while we were all in SF. This is one of my favorites.

TV Obsession

I'm not ashamed to admit I've harbored a few television obsessions in my time: Law and Order, Lost, ANTM, The Wire ... my latest (special thanks to Tod) is Dexter on Showtime. Of course, I don't get Showtime, so I have to rely on Netflix and my local video store to properly feed my habit.

If you like crime shows, give this one a try.

Happy 2009!

With the whole family in town, I decided it would be fun to have a traditional crab feast on New Year's Eve.


If you haven't tried Sun Fat fish market in the Mission, you should. It's the cleanest, nicest fish market I've ever seen ... anywhere.


We ate these guys a few hours later.