Take Me Out ...

I haven't been to many baseball stadiums, but I can't help but think that San Francisco's is one of the most beautiful in the country.


My company is taking its SF employees to a game today and it just so happens, the Giants are in first place. Woo hoo! And the forecast is for sun and 70-degree temperatures. Yes, I am a fair weather fan. Literally.

Republic of Korea

A week from today I'm headed to South Korea. It's a work trip, but I'm confident I'll manage to squeeze in some fun.

Three things I'm looking forward to most:


My friend, Jean. This photo is from 2007 when I visited her in London.


The food. I'm hoping I can find vegetarian bibimbop.


The DMZ. The 38th parallel splits North and South Korea. It's said to be the world's most heavily armed border.

Summer in the City

San Francisco beaches are not for the faint of heart. They are not usually meant for swimming or sunning and, instead, are wind-swept, beautiful spots for strolling.


All bets are off during our rare heat waves. Today, the temperature is expected to hit 93 degrees, which is unheard of here. Yes, office buildings have air conditioning, but apartments do not. Sizzle.

Shaking Things Up

It's been quite a few years since I showed up at the hair salon with photos. But I did just that on Saturday and Susan was very excited to accommodate my need for a new look.



I think she did a pretty darned good job and I LOVE my new haircut! It definitely suits our Indian Summer weather. Yay!

More Bastard Sons

Mark, Mike and Vance.


The boys in action in Pueblo, Colorado. Yes, I two-stepped in my flip-flops. Guess you can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl.

Pike's Peak Cog Railway

Mike and I took the cog railway to the top of Pike's Peak.


Aside from the obnoxious guy who sat next to us, it was a great ride.


The scenery was breathtaking ... literally.


By the time we reached the top at 14,110 feet, we felt more than a little woozy.

Anasazi Cliff Dwellings

Mike and I visited the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings built more than 700 years ago.


Beautiful paintings.


Almost as impressive is the fact that visitors have been coming to see the dwellings since 1900. Very cool.

Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash

Mike was invited to perform a few shows with a great alt-country band that I've admired for years. I took advantage of the opportunity and met him and the rest of the band in Colorado. The show in Pueblo was well worth the trip.

It's back!

When I first started watching Survivor, I was 31 years old and single. I lived with Margaret and I often had a houseful of friends over to watch the show.


Now, I'm older, still single and I own an apartment in the city. A lot has changed, but much has stayed the same. And, yes, I still love Survivor.

Farmer's Market Bounty

I successfully resisted the two dozen different flavors of pistachios!

Canteen

As a thank-you for watching her dogs a few weeks ago, Janie took me out for dinner at Canteen. Boy, what a treat!


Of course, I couldn't afford a "treat" like Canteen very often, but it was a fantastic dinner. I had an incredible smoked salmon salad appetizer and a vegetable tangine. Janie tried the spicy tomato crab soup and the lamb entree. I didn't try the latter, but it looked beautiful. I wish my photos had turned out as well as the food.

Tip: Dinner reservations are required. They do three seatings at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Janie called at the last minute and snatched up a cancellation.

Curried Eggplant with Tomatoes and Basil

Eggplant is tricky. It's often too mushy or too bitter or too something.


If you want guaranteed eggplant goodness, try this recipe. Seriously. This is one of the best eggplant dishes I've ever made. Wait. It's likely one of the best eggplant dishes I've ever eaten! It certainly didn't hurt that I had fresh eggplant and cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market. Try it. Then, tell me all about it.

Alice Waters' Coleslaw

I made this terrific coleslaw over the weekend.


It's so very tasty and totally healthy. Plus, cabbage is cheap! Not to mention, it's the food of my Polish ancestors.

Fly

Fly has the best salads.


I love eating salads, but I don't love making them. I don't know if it's all the chopping or if it's because I can't seem to figure out what ingredients would go well together, but I'd rather spend $8 for the Mediterranean salad at Fly. It's got so much going on, it doesn't even need dressing.

The Royal Exchange

I met a friend at The Royal Exchange for drinks and snacks after work yesterday. It was very pub-like with lots of seating and great service. We also enjoyed some yummy skewers - shrimp and chicken with dipping sauces.

The Ramp

On a glorious summer day, what else is there to do but gather a couple friends, the Scrabble board and head down to the Ramp.


Anne-Marie, Elizabeth and I enjoyed drinks, lunch and some healthy competition. Elizabeth was kind enough to dumb down her game, giving Anne-Marie and I a fighting chance.

His Highness

I've said it before and I'll say it again - when I find myself at home during the week, I'm amazed at how little animals do all day.

Afternoon at the Movies

Because I worked all through the weekend, I'm taking today and tomorrow off. A curious mix of circumstances led me to the movies.


For the record, the last time I watched a movie in a theater was to see Daniel Craig in "Casino Royale" in 2006. Yes, it's true. Today, I chose George Clooney in "The American."

If you want to know what I thought, let me know. I resist spoilers here.

No Place Like Home

Here are some fast fact comparisons of what I believe are America's two greatest cities:

Temperature in NYC when I left - 103 degrees.
Temperature in SF when I arrived - 60 degrees.

NYC Population: 8.4 million
SF Population: 809,000

NYC Land Area: 305 square miles
SF Land Area: 46 square miles

NYC: Founded by the Dutch in 1624.
SF: Founded by the Spanish in 1776.

NYC: 36 percent foreign-born, highest percentage of Jews in the U.S., median household income, $188,697
SF: 35 percent foreign-born, highest percentage of gays in the U.S., median household income, $65,519