Not too distant memories...

Life moves a fast some days, and what seems like just a couple of weeks ago, quickly turns into a month...or more.

At the beginning of June, my family held a special party in Maryland: our "aught party". The occasion was the celebration of several decade birthdays and anniversaries. We had one 80th birthday, a 70th anniversary, a few 60th anniversaries and birthdays, and so forth, all the way to my brother and his fiancee celebrating their zero-th anniversary this year. (Let's not forget MY upcoming 40th birthday!) In all, we had over 15 decade anniversaries and birthdays...with every decade covered from 1927 to 2007.

The location: St. Michaels...where my grandmother lived, and her two sisters still live today. Prior to the main event, the three families held pre-parties at their homes. My family and I settled into Whiskey Hill...my grandmother's home. This is still one of my most relaxing places to visit.









The pre-party at Whiskey Hill ended with a fantastic lightening show across Edge Creek. This was always a fixture of our summers in St. Michaels. The dramatic approach of storms across the water until they crash upon you with wind and rain.


The day of the Aught Party was absolutely perfect. Sunny. Warm. Light breezes. The perfect setting for family to arrive from far-flung corners of the country: Georgia, North Carolina, California, Washington, and of course Virginia and Maryland. We descended on our hosts Deb and Doug and their inviting home on Solitude Creek.






Specially designed blue tee shirts abounded...one for every celebrant. As you can see...there were quite a few :)



One of the highlights for the younger generation was the ol' mentos in cola trick. My uncle Jim, a proud NASA engineer (and a skillful teacher), helped the kids to craft multi-mentos drops to send the soda streams even higher into the air. On one occasion, there was even a cola battle!





The party was fueled by a seemingly endless supply of fresh corn on the cob and expertly-grilled steak. I was put in charge of assembling the party soundtrack...a carefully researched mix of hits from 1927, 37, 47, 57, 67, 87, 97, and 2007. Throw all that into an iPod playlist, and WOW...instant party. Its quite fun to hear Kay Kayser and Frank Sinatra next to the Beatles and Bon Jovi.

The way to San Jose...

As I mentioned in my post this morning, San Francisco was blanketed by a heavy summer fog today. By noon, the temperature was still in the mid 50's. This weather is PERFECT for sleeping, but a bit frustrating when you want to work in the garden.

So, we headed south to San Jose where the temp were in the mid 80's...yes, exciting San Jose. But wait...there is a method to this madness. We wanted to take Matthew to the historic Winchester Mystery House...a bizarre 160-room home built over the course of 38 years. The widow Winchester was clearly driven...or insane...and the result is a beautiful Victorian home, but with a maze of hallways, winding stairwells, doorways and stairs to nowhere, and hidden passageways. Definitely worth a visit.


After the Winchester House, we grabbed what we thought was a quick lunch at nearby Santana Row...a popular outdoor shopping/restaurant area. We were lured into the Consuelo Mexican Bistro, and the fun stopped there. Whatever positive stories I might have shared about the food, have been forever replaced by memories of horrendous service. I'm not talking about incompetence...I'm quite patient with people who TRY. I'm talking about the total lack of attention. At the end of the meal, we sat...literally...for over 20 minutes trying to get our bill. I waved at our waitress...nothing. Jeff asked the hostess to send someone to us...nothing. I rang my fork against my glass...funny...but nothing. I even emptied a glass of water and thrust it out in view of the water-guy...hoping that might bring a human to our table...nothing.

We left a zero tip.

We NEVER leave a zero tip.

NEVER.

After the lunch that became dinner, we decided to stay put for a while and catch a movie. We watched Evan Almighty...because it was starting when we walked up. It was an amusing diversion...not amazing comedy, but then we weren't looking for that. I could watch Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman and Wanda Sykes in just about anything.

On the way home, we could see fingers of fog creeping over the coastal range along I-280. Its a beautiful sight, and a fitting bookend to our day.

Welcome to SF...

Some quarter-million baseball fans are expected to visit San Francisco this week for the variety of activities leading up to the All Star Game on Tuesday at AT&T/SBC/PacBell Park. Not to be ignored, Mother Nature invited a guest as well...our famous summer fog.

I think its fitting really. You can have a sunny summer ballgame anywhere, but if you want the quintessential SF ballgame, then you should bring your fleece pullover...perhaps from SF's very own Old Navy...fresh off the container ship from China.

Still...no matter the weather...nobody ever forgets a visit to our cozy ballpark by the Bay. Grab some garlic fries, pull a blanket up over your legs, and watch'em Play Ball.

Happy 4th...

After traveling the past several days, we decided to stay in this evening rather than wander across the city to watch the fireworks show along the northern waterfront. I don't feel like I have missed anything...rather, it feels like we're right in the middle of it. For the past 30min-plus, we've been listening to the show's low rumbles, sharp pops, and thunderous booms. The sounds are bouncing off the hills in all directions, creating the feeling of a dramatic, extended summer thunder storm...one of my most favorite sounds.

Happy Independence Day.

Open skies...

One lingering piece of blog business is a bit of closure on the dead pine tree next door. The tree was fully removed while we were in NYC, and all that is left are some errant spots of sawdust in our backyard. Otherwise, you would never know that there was a tree there in the first place.

The open skyline is surely taking some getting used to, but the view to the south is quite dramatic. One thing we do miss is the shadow that the tree cast on the white house below...if we can just get them to paint the house a more neutral color, then we're in business.

Nevertheless, I can't wait for one of our dramatic summer fogs to roll in, so the view can truly be appreciated.

NYC wrap-up...

Well, it has sure taken me a while to get to through these shots from NYC. So, rather than try and structure this tale of fun and sun, I'll try some relative groupings.

First off, some food and restaurant shots...which frankly were like main events each day :) Here, you will see some shots from the Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village...where we found LONG lines to get hold of their delectable cupcakes. (We found the line short late one evening and tried these not-to-miss treats.) Then a shot of the live jazz at the Garage restaurant. Next is Jeff's mouth-watering fritata from the outdoor grill in Bryant Park. And of course, some shots of the amazing Miracle Bar and Grill--can someone say bacon-wrapped shrimp tacos?







Next, we turn to our all-too-brief visit with Cheryl, Curt, and Loren. We got to visit the rooftop of their new building and scope our their unique view of the world...including a peek at the Empire State Building and the Roosevelt Island Tram.




And finally...the mish mash of other photos from around the city. The first one, I should point out, is a Jeff original. Its from the line at the Apple store, and I really thought it captured the sheer lunacy of the iPhone excitement.

If God ran a deli...

No trip to NYC would be complete without a hot pastrami sandwich (on rye, of course) from the Stage Deli. Our friend Chris introduced us to the Stage Deli several visits ago, and we've been ever time since. Now, Jeff prefers the hefty chicken salad sandwich...but for my money, this piled-high pastrami delight is pure sandwich perfection.

We actually had a few delightful meals yesterday, our first "free day" in NY. We also visited with Cheryl and Curt and Loren...one last visit to their apartment before they move into their exciting renovated co-op along the East River. We got a chance to see the new digs pre-renovation...with a side trip to the roof-top deck, which on warm NY days will make them the envy of all their friends. Cheryl and Curt took us to the cozy John's Pizza near their apartment. We sat out back and shared a REALLY nice bruschetta pizza from a wood oven. Really really hit the spot.

After leaving them to tuck Loren in for the evening, Jeff and I strolled down 1st Ave. to pass by the United Nations buildings. We had not seem the UN before...and the complex isn't that "impressive" from the street...but you can get a sense of the grand things that go on inside.

After resting our tired feet a bit, we ended our day with a few drinks at a lounge called Therapy. Hip music. Hip decor. A fun time...and we could actually sit...bonus. After our Therapy session, the temperatures were too lovely not to walk back to our hotel...not a short walk, but worth it. We found a Ray's Pizza along the way and stopped in for a slice.

A cool shower and soft bed felt REALLY good after a long day of walking.

One curiosity for the day. While we were in SOHO, we did run across the Apple store, where a couple hundred (maybe?) people were camped out waiting for the release of the new iPhone. It was like a scene from Let's Make a Deal...everyone dressed up with signs trying to get noticed by the swarming news cameras. I'm sure the place was a TOTAL zoo by 6pm when the phone went on sale.

NY state of mind...

I had hoped to post a shot of my NYC hotel window yesterday, but the Internet connection in the room wasn't functioning...and I was tired. But today...success! This is my 16th floor view from the W Tuscany...there is NOTHING remotely Tuscan about this hotel...but it is quite nice. I'm going to go out on a limb and call this my BEST hotel view to date. (My apologies to Chicago, that had a really strong Window Photo.)

Today is a tad bit cooler. My client meeting was much more receptive and productive. And Jeff is finally here...his flight from SF was VERY late (1am) due to horrible weather delays. (Before you have too much sympathy, Jeff did get upgraded on his flight and got extra wine and champagne as his flight circled JFK.)

Oh, and before I forget to mention it: a really nice lunch today at Ecco, a really nice Italian "saloon" in the Financial District. I had a really tasty lobster ravioli.

Can't WAIT for dinner!! I really do love NY.

Not exactly to plan...

Some days, its best to focus on the positives and ignore the things that just don't go your way.

The positives: my morning latte, a yummy lunch at Boston's cozy Green Dragon Tavern (roots back to 1657), catching an early train to NYC, catnaps brought on by the gentle sway of the train, a fantastic hotel room at the W in NYC with a view of the Empire State Building, hip cocktails with my traveling companion Ellis, and a grand lightening show out my window as I drift off to sleep.

All great stuff :)

I'll leave the rants for another day.

[Note to Curt: I know I haven't written you yet...I'm a bit behind...I will...don't flame me on my blog for being a bad friend :) ]

Tree update...oh my...

Matthew snapped a few pictures of the pine tree when he and Jeff arrived home this evening. The progress is dramatic...albeit not complete. I guess this is a 2-3 day process. [Thanks for the photos, Matt.]


Also, a hearty THANK YOU to my buddy (and avid blog reader) Sean for his Boston food tips. At Sean's recommendation, we tried Durgin-Park in the Faneuil Hall Market. These folks love to draw attention to their 100+ years of existence..."YOUR GRANDFATHER & PERHAPS YOUR GREAT GRANDFATHER DINED WITH US TOO" and "ESTABLISHED BEFORE YOU WERE BORN". Its unabashedly kitschy, but their simple but hearty seafood dishes held up nicely to the hype. We were offered a spot on the outside terrace, but the hot and sticky air drove us downstairs to the cool (and lively) bar area. We topped off dinner with a house specialty, the strawberry shortcake. Yum.

Ode to a tree...

Temporary red and white No Parking signs dotted our tiny street today, signaling the imminent demise of the already-demised pine tree next door. As luck would have it, I hopped on a flight this morning for Boston...so I won't have pics of the lack-o-tree for a week! Talk about timing.

Over the past week, since we learned the tree was going to be removed, I've been noticing the tree more. There is one particularly loud bird that perches on the longest of the limbs. Every morning, his complex song greets the sun as it peeks over the hills. I think he will miss the tree most of all.

Nevertheless, I don't think the world will take any notice. It seems that we're a bit preoccupied with Paris Hilton's jail departure outfit: "a sage jacket with white trim over a white shirt and skinny jeans".

So, rather than dwell on the fate of the tree [its probably down by now], I will share the view of my Hilton window in Boston's Financial District. In a large city, a corner room is a bonus, although a view would help :)

More nothing...

Well, the dead pine tree is still here (and still dead, for the record). The winds have died down, so we're not quite sure what happened to the axe-man.

So, in lieu of tree removal stories, I present a photo from my latte-run this morning. The photo doesn't really need explanation, although I am curious if there is something intentional about the car and its banged up state. The car has been in the same spot for a few days, so I'm suspicious that it was planted there for some artistic or commercial reason. Perhaps I'm just trying to stretch this rather mundane story into an entire post :)

With great fanfare...nothing happened...

After weeks of anticipation, this tree was NOT cut down today. It was NOT carefully disassembled limb by dead limb. It was NOT lifted up over nervous rooftops by a skillful crane.

Nope. After our neighbor notified us that this dead pine tree would come out starting at 8am this morning, we returned home to a view of a dead pine tree.

The world's events do not seem to be aware of my blogging needs.

[Update: Our theory now is that today's periodic high winds most likely squashed the tree extraction. Tonight, the gusts are particularly strong...as we listen to the dead limbs creak. We're sure glad that OUR house isn't downhill from the tree!]

Chickening out...

I have been wanting to eat at Town Hall in SF for quite some time. Its one of those cozy SF restaurants that written up in every foodie magazine. The menu is a broad range of comfort-inspired foods...highlighted (in my humble opinion) by their fried chicken. Nevertheless, its also on the pricey side ($20-25 entrees), so its not an everyday stop.

So, when some of my dear colleagues dropped in for a meeting--welcome to Karen and Ed and Ken and Sandy--then I jumped at the excuse for a fun evening out. There wasn't a disappointed palette at our table. In short, the fried chicken was amazing, which means that I'll have to have a runoff with Firefly's fried chicken, which I raved about in a previous post.

The great thing about having friends visit is that conversations go quickly beyond the normal work chatter and into the bizarre corners of our personalities. Last night was no exception. The conversation ran the gamut from the code of ethics for evil beings (yes, apparently they live by a code of conduct) to the monetary cost of sin (a 12% surcharge according to one private school).

Hmmm, perhaps that was the mojitos talking :)

Squirrels gone wild...

One of my odd evening rituals is to fall asleep by reading the Yahoo news headlines on my Treo. Believe me...a few short pages and I am out like a light.

But one of tonight's headlines was truly blogworthy: "Squirrel goes on rampage, injures three". This story from the Reuters desk in Berlin told the riveting story of "an aggressive squirrel [that] attacked and injured three people in a German town" before being killed by a 72-year-old man's crutch.

Although...in all fairness...this was closely followed by "Toddler served margarita in a sippy cup."

I love getting my news from the Internet. Global warming? Never heard of it. But I do know that one of Milan's airports was closed when its runways were overrun with mating wild rabbits.