Miss Olive's Top 10 flims of 2008

Yup! It is that time when everyone starts busting out their lists for 2008. I am not usually a critic as I hate to taint the experience for others, but what the hell. I am a joiner so I am jumping in and giving you my 2 cents worth which means this will be a short post.

10. Burn After Reading.It was good, if you actually sat through the whole thing it made sense. It was not the best Cohen brother's movie but it was entertaining. I realize as I type this that Wall-E was a great movie and should really bump Burn After Reading off the list.

9. Rachael Getting Married. When I saw this movie with Gret, four people walked out. I guess they were hoping for "Bride War/The Princess Diaries". What they got was Kim (Anne Hathaway) getting out of rehab and making an ass out of herself while making everyone else uncomfortable in the process. Sometimes it was hard to sit through but it was good to get to the heart of Kim's and her immediate families problems. Debra Winger was excellent as the detached mother. Kim's father played by Bill Irwin did and excellent job. He is a real talent. I couldn't believe that this was a Jonathan Demme film (Married to the Mob, Silence of the Lambs) it seemed so different for him so un-Hollywood yet with some stars. Bill Irwin may not be a household name but you've seen him and he is good in this (ps Gret he is not part of the Best in Show family). Another thing I could not believe was that the film genre was listed as Romance. The wedding scene was amazing and reminded me of my Cousin Bob & Amy's wedding but it was not a romance movie.

8. Loins of Punjab. What can I say I love Bollywoodesque movies and this was terrific. Indian version of American Idol but condensed down into one weekend put on by an Indian Butcher. Has a love story, dance number and is funny.

7. Pineapple Express. Seth Rogen and James Franco were hysterical. Great movie and remind me of my wayward past.

6. The Visitor. An economic professor (played by Richard Jenkins) whose wife has died and kid is grown gets a second chance at life in an unexpected way. All why giving the viewer a look into post 9/11 New York/USA. No happy ending but amazing story.

5. RocknRolla. Guy Ritchie need I say more. Love him and his movie rocked. Took my mom and dad (75 and 80 yrs old respectively) and they loved it. Can not remember if I loved the soundtrack but I think I did. I am really excited to see his version of Sherlock Holmes.

4. Tell No One. A great french movie. Loved it, good plot, such a good thriller. If you are really into French films, Lady Jane is also good.

3. Slumdog Millionaire. Definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination if not an award. It was such a good story and the sound track was excellent.

2. Transsiberian. It's an AWESOME movie! It had so many plot twists and amazing landscape. I haven't been on a train in ages and I really want to take one. Woody Harelson did a great job but Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara and Ben Kingsley really make this movie great. it is just a great Thriller.

Drum Roll Please.....

#1. La Zona. Filmed in 2007. I saw this at this year's San Francisco International Film Festival - terrific pick guys. The movie is set in a gated community in Mexico City but really it could happen any where. The movie is not just totally entertaining but a social commentary. It's totally worth going to your local arthouse and protesting/demanding that they show this movie. Daniel Gimenez Cacho is really cute as well as Carlos Barden and Andres Montiel...lots of Latin hunks but it's not a Y tu Mama Tambien.

I just looking over my list and it is very freaky...I've kind of become a movie snob but it is just my list. I did see a lot of mainstream movies but I guess doing this post on the fly these are the movies that stuck with me. Also no zombie movies this year and yet I know I saw some maybe this list will have to be amended or maybe I just have to write another list. This list writing is really addictive.

Fortune found in GGP

Today as I was walking home from school I found my fortune or thrashed someone's art installation. (These photos are small because they are from my cell phone.)





Just in time, as tonight the Mega Millions is up to $170 million. Everybody keep you fingers crossed for me. It took a while to get my fortune out of the balloon. I just couldn't pop it but luckily I had a safety pin from my Halloween Costume on my bag and that did the trick. I tried all the other options except sitting on the balloon because I did want the tourists to think I had gas. And yes, you are correct to assume that I am a lottery junkie. It is the only thing I do consistently.

What I would do with a HUGE lottery win:
1. Buy the Louis Vuiton bag I always say I am gonna buy but keep talking myself out of. They also have a glittery hair clip that I would probably use every day because it is just so pretty.

2. Donate some big bucks to my favorite charities: Haight Ashbury Food Program (They need to get the kitchen back up and running), RocketDogRescue (I love looking at all the dogs that I can not have. They do such good work and although I have never meet Pali I think she rocks! Her personal journey of recovery is amazing!)

3. Buy a house (I was gonna say these days you need a million to buy a house in SF but I have a feeling prices are gonna come down super fast thanks to grubby, greedy, Wall Street thieves. I hope all you, Fat Cats, lose you homes too. Sorry about that, I just got carried away way -- not good for the karma. I really don't want anyone to lose their home, that would be horrible.)

4. Pay off our debt (not very much thank God) and upgrade my current transportation.
I've always wanted a VW Thing. When I was little I used to think you could go to Sears on Geary and Masonic and buy a kit to make one yourself. (They just looked like really easy cars to assemble.) They are just so cool!

5. Then I would do the usual stuff like travel (Paris, Thailand, Marrakesh, Panama...); start a business (thrift store, bar, tequila company - you can never really have too much alcohol); learn a new sport (windsurfing, sailing) and do more of an old sport (white water rafting). I mean the possibilities are endless when your a lottery winner.

--A

Day at the Beach

Today I went to Aquatic park to work on this year's Christmas Card. For the last six or seven years, I've gone to the beach and made a holiday inspired sand sculpture. I then photograph it and use the prints to make my cards. I had two possible designs in mind and it's a good thing I did because the first design didn't work. Right now the film is at Photoworks being developed and I'll get to see the results on Friday. I am excited and am now in the holiday mood. As I write this I am listening to Swinging Christmas radio on Pandora.

--B

Thanksgiving is Coming!

We're excited because Thanksgiving is just around the corner. What's not too love about a holiday that is centered around having a good meal with family and friends. It's our favorite holiday! This year we made three new dishes in addition to our usual favorites:

Cream of Asparagus Soup, from cousin Raquelita
Saffron Carrots, NY Times recipe
Artichoke Stuffing, Sunset magazine
and Creamed Brussel Sprouts, Better Homes and Garden magazine

Update:
So we made our new additions and as it turned out, the Cream of Asparagus soup was okay. We added hot sauce and that gave it a much needed kick. However, the Saffron Carrots were not all that great. Turns out the saffron did not provide that much flavor so we were left with a ton of leftovers. The Artichoke stuffing was really good and we are willing to make it again. It just might turn out to be the best stuffing yet. The Creamed Brussel Sprouts were also good even though we left out the cream. But we must admit we're addicted to Brussel sprouts, even cold they are delicious.

Cool Art

The San Francisco International Airport has some really cool art. I love this triptych which hangs in the International Terminal. Slugo and I were there last month when we went to DC. Yes, I know DC is not an international destination although sometimes I wish it did belong to another country. We flew Virgin America which uses that terminal.

It's so nice to go away. We are going on another trip in December. This time to New York City to celebrate our anniversary. I am very excited. I've always wanted to go there during the Christmas season. I can't wait to see the decorated store windows, the tree in Rockefeller Center and hopefully we'll see the Holiday show at Radio City Music Hall.

Shout Out to Ms O and Gret!

Happy Birthday to my sis and her bff, Gret! We had a great time last night at the B-52's concert. Our tailgate picnic was delish and it was nice to catch up with everyone. The concert was a good opportunity for people watching. There were lots of people dressed in B-52 inspired fashions. Unfortunately, we didn't see any beehive hairdos.

Obama landslide Victory

This was the quickest election ever. It was over before 9pm Pacific.
Can you believe it?
I just kept having this song over and over in my head.
Oh Happy Day! I am not really sure if it was appropriate but for me it fits.

So if you are still in the mood for more Obama then you should head over to indecision2008.com and check out all Colbert and Daly have to offer.

Happy Halloween

Slugo and I went to D.C. a few weeks ago and saw some beautiful colonial style houses. Love these lawn decorations for Halloween. Hope you have a frightful day!

New Puppy!

My friend Candy got a new puppy from a high kill shelter in Mississippi!
His name is P.S. Frankie and he is so cute! I just had to share it with you all.

Autumn Centerpieces

I love this display from the hotel lobby were we stayed. I have a lot of glass vases so I think I'll give it a try.

Monday, Monday

We're not really a fan of Mondays becuase of that dreaded work and school thing. But isn't this a cute ad for Monday night football?

A Fond Farewell to Buddy

My friend Gret had to make an extremely hard decision to put her dog, Buddy, down. Even though Buddy was an old dog he was a completely happy and content doggie unlike my Lil, who has been going down hill slowly over the past 4 years. One day Buddy stopped eating (his favorite pasttime) and started throwing up and all though I don't know all the details the vet found a mass in his abdomen. So to end Buddy's suffering, they had to put him down.





I liked to remember all the good times LiL and I had with Buddy. Like them playing as pups. Or the time we were walking them in Golden Gate Park and Buddy was so hot he jumped into the fountain in front of the band shell. All the Japanese tourist in the park went crazy snapping his photo.

He was such an easy going, mellow dog and he taught Lil a lot of tricks like sit and paw. As soon as I praised Buddy for doing it Lil would do it to. She is a tad bit jealous. He was Lil's first love and he is the only dog Lil really tolerated. She liked to lick his face probably to steal the last few crumbs stuck in his auburn coat.

I remember at a party at Gret and Air's place in sunset. Gret was all drunk and sitting on the couch with Buddy telling him she loved him. We loved him too!

September Musings

Well, my sister says I should blog more so here goes. All this week I was feeling down and I couldn't figure out why. I was watching the news on Thursday and was reminded that it was the 9/11 anniversary. I can't believe it's been 7 years. It really wasn't at the top of my mind at all. But subconsciously I think I remembered that something really, really bad happened this week and it left me feeling anxious all week. Then to add to my angst we have the upcoming election.

The Sarah Palin pick was sheer brilliance and sheer madness. Our society does love the"rags to riches" story so I can see how we can get swept up in it. I think Matt Damon said it best when he called it a bad disney movie. It is so Cinderella-ish but it isn't a movie. It's our lives and we need to move away from the conservative, religious right, and away from fear mongering, and away from civil liberty abuses. We need to make a change. We need to all go and vote on November 4th!

August is Over!

It is Labor Day weekend and I actually did get to my August to do list.

I met up with some friends (Eddie, Dlee, Rowell and Loretta) to see the Dale Chihuly exhibit but our cards did not work. Turns out the De Young and Legion of Honor are cracking down and you need to have your name on the card to get into the museum. They are checking ids which is probably a good thing since it aways seems like the arts are broke. So we decided to save our money and get drunk at the Little Shamrock on 9th and Lincoln but at least we tried and we had a good time.

CC and I did finally make it to the Oakland Museum to see the Birth of Cool exhibit and it was pretty good. I learned a lot about a time period that I love. I now want to read Naked Lunch and The Holy Barbarians. And I found out that Charles and Ray Eames were a married couple not brothers. I love their design.

I also went to Stitch Lounge on Gough to take a basic sewing class and I enjoyed it. I made a little baggie. It is not all that cute but at least I learned some skills and today I went back to use the machines and sewed on a bunch of patches. Not the worlds best sewing job because it is hard to sew in a circle. But I got it done! Another good thing about going today is that I found out there is a fabric sale going on at WhizBang. $5 for a yard of fabric. I want to take a few more classes then see about maybe making a dress or pants or something. Also thinking of picking up one of Stitch's books.

I went to the Outland Festival with my sis, Slugo, and three cousins from Mexico; we also met up with Gret and Dave. I was a bit disappointed. There were all these stages but it was hard to see the artists and a lot of walking back and forth. Steel Pulse was good and so was Lyrics Born, Beck was alright -- hard to see and his voice kept coming in and out. Radiohead, the big headliners for the event, were just okay. Basically, i would have been happier had they played Creep but they did play Karma Police and Fake Plastic Trees. The power kept going out and they played a lot more electronica then I would have liked. I should have stayed to see all of Beck but to make your way from one stage to the next caused this big bottle neck and I did not want to get stuck in it. Luckily people were smart enough to tear down the inner fencing. I did get binoculars for the event but the ones I wanted got sold. I bought this other pair but the case was falling apart and they had a magnification of a 1,000' or whatever you call it. The ones I wanted were way more rocking and I should have just got them the 1st time I saw them instead of being a cheap skate. Anyway, I'll have them for Madonna and maybe Vincente Fernandez. (Wow this paragraph sounded a bit whinny!)

On Sunday August the 24th, sis and I went to the RockMake Street Fair that was only one street long but was quite good. It was supper hot and they really should have sold some beverages. I saw this cool purse but it was out of my budget so I opted for a belt buckle which I will have to post a picture of later. Its got this groovy beach them. It is from the Booty Boutique. I also got an Emily Jane White CD; she performed but I sort of missed it. I caught the tail end and she sounded good. All these other people were clamoring for a CD so I basically jumped on the band wagon and got it since it was only $10. Very stoked about my purchases and CC got this cool handcuff necklace.

So now September is here and there are plenty of things to do. The SF Film Society is going to show "An American in Paris" staring Gene Kelly at the Presidio and I really want to see that. I love that film and to see it on a big screen would be so cool. Hopefully it will be a nice night. I've still got to make it to the SFMOMA to see the Frida exhibit and hopefully it won't be that packed. And of course they are closing 3rd St in September so I hope to get down there and sk8. (I'm sure there is more but I guess you all just have to wait!)

More Film Festivals

San Francisco loves their film festivals. Right now there are two going on -- the Short Film Festival at the Victoria and The Jewish Film Festival at various locations.

Later this month is the Crossing the Border Film Festival at the Roxie sponsored by the Goeth-Institut has 15 films about immigration and one I would really like to see is "The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez". He was the first soldier killed in the Iraq war. But it is not all somber and sad tales there is also "In July" and "Welcome Home" both German films.

Come November it is The International Latino Film Festival which will be held at various locations around the bay area including the Mission Cultural Center.

The Best Laid Plans

Well, I booked a full month for August and now I find that I am having trouble doing everything I wanted to do. I went to Flamenco Class this week and found out that they are no longer accepting drop-ins which was a bummer. They are not starting a new session until September. This past Friday I did not get into my sewing class due to computer difficulties but I have rescheduled it for later in the month. And today I was going to the Oakland Museum to see the "Birth of Cool" exhibit which I was suppose to go to last Wednesday but CC cancelled and moved it to Saturday and now she has cancelled going today. Ugh! I have decided not to plan anything as it always goes wrong and just go with the flow which is normally what I do. But then I tend to do what other people want and not what I want do. So, what should I do today?

More Hip Canadians

Ms O, G and I saw Feist last Saturday night at the Greek Theater. She was really good. Since the last time we saw her in SF last year she has only gotten better. The only bad thing was she did not play Brandy Alexander, one of our favorite songs.

The Golden Dogs opened for her and they were excellent! They had cute little signs made with the title of each song they were singing and they would put the sign up on the keyboard. Check them out here .

Cool Happenings

August is going to be a very busy month for us. There are lots of exciting exhibits, shows and festivals happening in the Bay Area. Here are some of the events my sister and I want to go to. Hopefully, some of our friends will be able to join us.

We start off the month with a family vacation. We'll be in Denver from the 1st to the 5th for Cousin B's wedding.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's Film Series will be showing some interesting Mexican movies that complement the Frida exhibit.

August 8th I am going to take a sewing class at Stitch because they are closing soon and I really need to get my sewing on. Ever since my sister, CC, got me hooked on the internet/blogging I have found all these great sewing projects...like hobo bags, duck tape wallets, white cotton pants that I have been meaning to make since God knows when.

August 10th, I am going to hang out with my friends Eddie and Vana maybe some others to see Dale Chihuly at the De Young Museum or Giants game.

The Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury is an exhibit I am dying to check out. It examines the painting, architecture, furniture design, decorative and graphic arts, film, and music that launched mid-century modernism in the United States, and established Los Angeles as a major American cultural center. I love that style of design. The exhibition runs through August 17, 2008.

Then there is the American Crafts Festival at Fort Mason August 15,16, & 17.

Also on August 15th, the first preview game of 49ers at the Stick. I do not know who they play but it is a yearly thing that me and Tbone always goes.

On August 18th, it's back to school for me.

The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival takes place August 22nd to the 24th. It's the first night time concert to be held in Golden Gate Park. Some cousins from Mexico are coming to check it out. Cherry, Slugo, G, D, and I are going the first night to see Beck and Radio Head.

On Sunday the 24th, I want to go to the Rock Make Street Festival . It will be held on Treat Street between 17th and 18th from 11am - 6pm. It's a free festival combining craft vendors and indie local bands -- two of my favorite things.

Busy Weekend

Ms O and I had a busy weekend on July 12th and 13th. On Saturday, we went to the Fire Arts Festival in Oakland. Our favorite fire works were the interactive ones like the giant candelabra thingy that was hooked up to a keyboard. Every time you played a note fire came shooting out of the candelabra.



On Sunday, we checked out the Renegade Crafts Fair at Fort Mason and had a nice lunch at Greens Restaurant. It was great to people watch and see all the cool hand made items.

Ms O bought a dress from Amy Cools of AC Clothing and Bags that was a real bargain. Ms. Cools lived up to her name...she was way cool. She is starting/promoting a guide to independent California shopping. Here's a picture of the dress I bought from her but it does not do it justice; the dress is way cuter in person.




I got some cute postcards from The Poster List . I also wanted to buy an Elliot Necklace from Figs and Ginger but they were out of the brushed silver one.

It Came!

Today, my mixed tape from the wicked cool, Madame Red of the red scrapbook in Rome came! CC is alway talking about joining swaps and such. I have never tried it but I love finding new music and Madame is always critiquing new bands/albums. Her swap seemed like a natural fit.




I was not sure if I'd actually get one since I have never met her and I did not send my email request in until the second time she asked if anyone wanted one. I am so excited! I am totally going to savor it. I usually love everything she recommends; like 90% of her recommendations are a hit! Thank You So Much, Madame Red!

Now, hopefully it will play in my American equipment. I hate when you make a mix for someone and then it won't work on their system. Although I haven't made a mix for anyone in ages. I use to make them for Tbone but he is really not into music. I have just given up and now make playlists just for me on itunes.

Today's Thrift purchases.

So I really shouldn't be spending money since we are going to Denver for Cuzin Bob's wedding but I couldn't help myself. I saw this way cute camera on Saturday and it was stuck in my head for the rest of the weekend. All I could think about was when could I get back to The Other Shop at 327 Divisadero Street to buy this camera. I did not even know if it worked or what it's name was so I couldn't check on ebay. Of course, now that I have it and can check ebay there are tons of vintage camera's for way cheaper. But I could not resist especially when the Kodak Starflex Camera came with flash and 4 usable bulbs and a cute case. I really hope it works.

I went on line and I found the manual for my new camera and my grandfather's Kodak Junior Brownie camera. Hopefully, that one works as well. I am so excited I am dying to take a photo but for now I will have to wait and just use my super slow Powershot A300. Wait, I am sure the Starflex will be just as slow but so much cooler looking.

I also found a place that makes and sells 127 film at $6.99 a roll. It is a Canadian company, of course, because those Canadians are so cool and hip. I also found out that for $399.00 you can get a retro digital camera called a Rolleiflex which is just so cool looking. I would love one of these except it is only 5.0 megapixels and that's the same as my current camera.

Flip-Flop Favors

Aren't these cute? These were the favors my cousin gave out at his wedding. He is actually in the flip-flop making business. The design on the sandal matches the design on the wedding invitation.

Read On, Read On, Read until Your Dreams Come True!

It has been 10 years or more since my friend Lisa made me a cute bookmark. Unfortunately I have lost it but that was the saying she made for the front of it. While I was reading all my favorite blogs today, I realized that I have not mentioned my progress on my 52 Great Books to Read.

I did finish Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. The book was a little boring for the first half. Then it really took off maybe because I had to wait so long for a good sex scene. I mean DH really took his time in getting there. Lady C's hubby was a dud not because he was crippled in WW I but because he was emotionally crippled and an arrogant, needy prig. She finally finds romantic, physical and emotional love. I get why the book was banned in 1928, I mean leaving a lord for the handyman would cause quite a stir and really upset the status quo.

Next up was The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was awesome! A very fast read and way more interesting even though there was no sex scene at all. Maybe it was all the sewing...I was very jealous of her beautiful "A". I want one for me but just because my real name starts with an A. Really! But back to the book...I could not put it down. I kept picturing Demi Moore. I think that version was completely different. So I am glad I read the book and now I want to see the movie again to see how different it was because dementia has definitely set in. Just glad I don't live in 17th century puritanical Boston.

Speaking of Beantown, we just saw Gone Baby, Gone. It was really good and depressing at the same time. Casey Afflek is really quite an amazing actor much better than his big bro...and I love the fact that he has not taken a single acting class. I must say both the book and the movie have discouraged me to move to Boston, which I always wanted to do. Oh well, I guess I'll have to settle for visiting.

Two Wheels!

New York Style!


Flower Power!


Disco Inferno!

The Metro card bike from the Big Apple reminded me of some cool bikes I've seen here in the Outer Sunset. The disco motor bike is a security bike at Burning Man. I love people showing off their personalities on their bikes. The flower power bike is a great bike!

De Colores

Ms O and the gang had a great time in Mexico. We were there for a cousin's wedding, which was just an absolute blast. Of course, it's always fun to get away and see something different. One of the things we appreciate are all the lovely painted buildings like this one. There is just something about bright colors that makes me so happy. Sis and I also dig the skulls and skeletons that are such a big part of Mexican folk art. Isn't this building cool?

KOKA-KONA

I know I've written about the soda before but I love it. Not as much as my friend Terra who painted her kitchen Coca-Cola red and loved the Coke store in Las Vegas. Although I try not to drink Coke, tonight I ordered some Indian food and a couple of Cokes. What did I get for my trouble? A "Koka-Kona". That's what Coke is called in Russian. It is all part of their new Olympic Games Collector Series. You can find more out about it here .
Enjoy a Coke today!

A Few of My Favorite Things

There are some things that just make you happy when you look at them. This piece of furniture -- the mirror with a planter box -- is one of them. It belonged to my grandmother and my cousin now has it at her house. When I see it, I'm reminded of Mamadelina and all the trips we made to Guadalajara to visit her. I would so love to have it in my house one day.

Art - Out and About

I am a big fan of public art. This piece (partial photo) can be found in the Baggage Claim Area of the Seattle Airport. When I first saw it, I thought it was a blown glass piece. It is actually made out of bicycle reflectors. I wrote done the name of the piece and the artist and now I can't find it. If anyone knows, please enlighten me.

Update: Shout out to Grenadine, who suggested I check out the Seattle airport's website. The above piece is called "Eyes on the World" and it's by Richard Elliott. It's great to have a librarian in the family.

TV or not TV?

Isn't this a clever way to display a TV? We saw this in the bathroom at Pizzetta 211 (23rd Avenue and California). It's a tiny restaurant that serves great pizza.

Cool Silverware

Wouldn't these forks and knives be cool for a beach house? This is the silverware they use at Franciscan Restaurant in Fisherman's Wharf.

Movie Mania!

Well, Chica Cherry has gone to Mexico for our cousin's wedding so I had to work the San Francisco International Film Festival all by myself. Actually, they have plenty of volunteers. They get quite a unique crowd and Gina, the volunteer coordinator, does a terrific job. So this week, CC and I will see five fabulous movies in two days.

On May 7th, we see --
Vasermil: An Israeli film about teens on a soccer team.
La Zona: A Mexican Movie. Viva Mexico!!

On May 8th --
American Teen: It's a documentary a la breakfast club.
Glasses: My personal favorite. It has a dance scene so I am really excited to see it.
The Secret Life of Grain: It is a French movie and I love France.

This year we'll only have seen 7 movies which is quite a let down from previous years but sometimes that happens. We just have to make do and pray we get the right ones. With so few movies to see you really don't want to get stuck watching a bummer film.

There are plenty of movies I wish I could have seen this year like the Danish film, "Just Like Home" and "Secret". Hopefully, they will get picked up for distribution.

We've Got Roller Derby Fever!

On April 19th, we went to the Kezar Pavillion to see the Bay City Bombers vs. the Brooklyn Red Devils. It was good, clean, cheap ($10 advance/$20 at the door) fun and something my mum would have enjoyed if I had been nice enough to invite her.

The old geezer, Number 13 of the Red Devils, did put on a good show pounding the Bombers every chance he got. He loved slaming into them but for some reason it seemed a bit phoney. It was what I imagine WWF must have been like at their beginning. The Coach/Manager even reminded me of McMann. Twice during the men's period the whole group would crash out on the track and Bomber's Number 40 would jump the whole pile.

Roller Derby is made up of eight 10 minute periods with a 15 minute half time during which you can meet the stars of Roller Derby. To score a jammer has to get around all the other roller skaters (blockers and pivoters). If you visit the Bay City Bombers site you can get schooled in the intristicts that is roller derby.

The only bad thing is that you'll have to wait until August 23 when the World Champion Bay City Bombers are back to play god knows who.

Louis XIV at GAMH

On April 4th, we went to the Fillmore to see Louis XIV with What Made Milwaukee Famous and Pop & Holiday. When we got there we found out they had moved the show to the Great American Music Hall in the Loin. This turned out to be great becuase it was my first time there. It was also a perfect setting for Louis XIV with it's baroque architectural details. We went up to the balcony because when your short you really want to see the band and not the back of some body's head.

The best part of the show besides Louis XIV wonderful performance was all the great people watching. The two other bands stayed after their sets and were wandering around chatting up the audience. We decided that Louis XIV was moved to GAMH because the show wasn't sold out but they were still awesome.

I was also excited to see What Made Milwaukee Famous but they sort of disappointed me. They did not play "Selling Yourself Short" and the video for it is so killer (zombie fans watch it!). Check it out here . Slugo said their new album was a snoozer. It was their sophomore album and usually those albums are not so good. I am willing to give them a second chance. So if they come back around I will see them.

As for Pop & Holiday, they lost their drummer and are now a duo. They were good but I am not into violin music. So I have to admit I was not so much into them but they did make for great people watching. All the ladies chatting around them. I think all three bands will have a great tour. They even invitied the audience to meet up with them at the Beauty Bar but I have no idea if that happened.

After the show, we went to check out 800 Larkin which use to be our favorite dive bar, OSB. They did a nice job on the remodeling but it just did not have the same feel. They gained a smoking room and dj but got rid of the poker players and jukebox, boo hoo. Now, they only have one pool table! How does that saying go: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

52 Great Novels

I was house sitting at Chica Cherry's place while she was off in Austin, hanging out on 6th Street. I came across this deck of cards, you know you've seen em:  "52 Cheap Dates" (which I sent to Cuzin B when he got his new girlfriend and I was wondering if they went on any of these dates. Were they a hit or what?), "52 Great SF Walks", etc...

Cherry had the deck, "52 Great Books" and I had only read 14 of them.  I feel so ashamed. I blame my parochial school education.  So I'm setting myself a little challenge to read the remaining 38 books by the end of this year.  So you have been forewarned. I will be updating you on my progress.  

My only speed bump is, where did I put the deck of cards? I am always losing things.  

Flower Power!

I'll admit it one of the reasons I started this blog is to participate in swaps. I enjoy reading the Black Eiffel blog and from time to time she mentions swapping opportunities.  To swap, however, you need to have a blog. Hence one of the impetuses for starting this blog.  I just participated in my first swap! It was organized by Nicole at a little sussy . The theme was garden party and it was up to the participant to interpret.

This lovely packaged arrived on my doorstep -- just in time for my birthday. Thanks to John in Salt Lake City for sending this my way.

!Feliz Cesar Chavez Day!

Here in California,  today is Cesar Chavez Day and we just want to remind you all about this important Mexican-American. He and Dolores Huerta helped form the United Farm Worker to help farm workers get better working conditions and wages. He used non-violent tactics that he learned from Gandhi and St. Francis to protest the social injustices he saw. When he died in 1993, he was working on limiting the use of pesticides on grapes.  I remember growing up then and we boycotted grapes.  Today there was a march in San Diego to get better pay for farm workers and about 500 people showed up! 

40, Finally!!

My birthday was Sunday. I am forty, finally. I had a blast with my forty days of fun. I didn't know what an undertaking this would turn out to be. The last week was hard. I caught a cold. I think all those nights of going out caught up with me.  Some of the things I've learned over the course of this project are:

1. Arrive early.

2. Get tickets in advance.

3. Everything is better when you are with family and friends.

4. Snow days are a good thing.

5.  Allow days for resting.

6. Maybe 25 for 25 would have been a better idea.

Now onto the next adventure!

40 for 40 - Week 6, 3/11 - 3/15

Tuesday, Mar. 11 -- Dinner at Mamacita's

Wednesday, Mar. 12 -- Snow Day

Thursday, Mar. 13 -- The Bravery Concert with Slugo

Friday Mar. 14 -- Get Ready for the Par-ty

Saturday Mar. 15 -- Birthday Party

Sunday Mar. 16 -- 40, Finally!!

Day # 33: Surprise Day at Angel Island

So I thought it was just gonna be my girls -- Nora, Gren and Olive, at a picnic on Angel Island but I was quite surprised. Turned out M&R along with Pat, G, Slugo, Duke and Raf also showed up. At 1 pm, R&A came with their minis A and A. Oh, and the sun came out as well so that was quite nice. We had a great feast and I even got on a tandem bike (surprise) but only rode on the flat surfaces.

Gren, R, G, A and Olive went for a 5 mile bike ride. It took a while for Olive to make it back but she finally did. I was quite relieved because although you can camp on Angel Island we really did not have enough supplies to keep us warm. We were also gonna play A**Hole but you really can not play that game with kids around. I will have to get R to teach us how. 

We headed back to Tiburon at 3:30 and had drinks at Guyamas. Slugo had to pay because he was being all crazy and obnoxious which is rare but does happen on occasion. I blame the sun! Luckily, G was good and hydrated so she could drive us home.

A huge shout out to Nora, Gren and Ms O for all their work planning this surprise! I loved it.

Day #32: Haunted Haight Walking Tour

At 7 pm on Friday night we met M&R, P, and C in front of Coffee for the People to take the Haunted Haight Walking Tour . Tommy, the founder of the SF Paranormal Society, was our tour guide extrodinare. M arranged with him to bring along the VP of the Paranormal Society who turned out to be Annalisa, a psychic and a former grammer/high school friend of ours.

I won't give too much away but he is quite entertainning and we did find out a lot about our neighborhood. Now I want to go on the celebrity Rock tour. I've got the map but it would be great to have some one to tell me the cool stories like Tommy, aka the Ghost Guy, did. Oh, and if your place is haunted the SF Paranormal Society will come over, free of charge, to check it out for you. 

Day #31: Wishful Drinking

Gren, Olive and I had a fabulous dinner at Nora's ( salad, Mediterranean chicken, and cupcakes for dessert) then we drove over to her old stomping grounds of Berkeley. At the Berkeley Rep., which is also turning 40 this year, we saw Carrie Fisher in her one-woman play named Wishful Drinking (to tell you the truth I don't know why it is named that).


She was awesome! We loved it. She did a complete run down of her life told us why she did not have to wear a bra in Star Wars - you don't need them in space, according to George Lucas. Even brought out the old wig. She gave us run down on her whole family history and why she is who she is. She talked about her ex-hubbies Paul Simon and Bryan Lourd whom she turned gay because she was taking codeine. Next time she will read the label better. She analyzed a bunch of Paul's songs that he wrote about her and their relationship. We all left thinking about what a great addition she would be to our group of friends.


Her show runs till April 12th and is well worth seeing.

Day #30: Run, Fat Boy, Run

Ms Olive and I went down to the Embarcadero Cinema to see a free screening of Run, Fat Boy, Run  directed by David Schwimmer and starring Simon Pegg. All courtesy of the  San Francisco International Film Festival . It is a really good, funny movie. Much of the action of the movie revolves around a London marathon and Ms O actually ran the Flora London marathon in April 2001 and I went to cheer her on. It was cool to be reminded of that time in our lives. 

David Schwimmer came by after the movie for Q&A and he was quite funny and endearing. I did not really like his character on Friends but here in person he seemed so likable. I guess he seemed less neurotic and know it all-y. This is the first feature he has directed. He was wearing a black leather jacket and so was I. When he came down the aisle are jackets touched so I can say that I've touched a celebrity on my forty days.

Day #20: A Little Spontaneity

40-4-40 has sure been fun.  One thing that has been hard for me is to have to follow a schedule. I like to be spontaneous and having a planned activity every day has taken a little of the fun out of it. On February 20th, Mother Nature intervened. I had planned to go on a Mural tour of the Mission but it was raining off and on, plus it was windy. It didn't seem to be a good day to be outdoors. So instead I went to dim sum at Ton Kiang with Gren and Nora. I love dim sum but I hardly ever eat it so this was definitely a treat. 

Then if that wasn't enough fun, Gren and I went to the Conservatory of Flowers . It had been ages since I'd been here. We saw a cool exhibit of Chinese penjing, these miniature plant landscapes. See the photo in the previous post.  All in all it was a very good day.

New and Inproved: Now with Pictures!

This is an IQ test to see if I can upload photos. It appears Blogger is idiot proof. I feel like such a rock star! Wait till Ms O sees this. More about the picture later.

40 for 40 - Week 5, 3/4 - 3/10

Tuesday Mar. 4 -- Dinner with Mom and Dad

Wednesday Mar. 5 -- Movie Night -- "Run, Fat Boy, Run"

Thursday Mar. 6 -- Wishful Drinking at Berkelep Rep (dinner at Nora's)

Friday Mar. 7 -- Haunted Haight Walking Tour.

Saturday Mar. 8 -- Sh, It's Surprise Day

Sunday Mar. 9 -- No Baggage Bon Fire at Ocean Beach

Monday Mar. 10 -- Day of Rest

It Has Finally Happened!

I admit I was overly ambitious in planning 40-4-40. Well, it's finally happened. Today I didn't do anything fun. A grant was added to the schedule at the very last minute. So today all I did was work and work and work! Luckily, I talked to Gren and she had a great solution to my problem --

(drum roll, please) a snow day. That's right today is going to be my snow day. I'll just add it to the end of my forty days of fun. Gren grew up back east so she is all familiar with the snow day concept.

Graduation Trip!

Okay, is it to early to plan my graduation trip? I know it isn't high school but hell 18 months is a long time. I need something good to focus on besides the fact that I will be doing good for others. I mean "I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that." [LLoyd Dobler in Say Anything ( I love John Cusack!)] I will be helping people!

So when I finish the LVN program in 18 months plus 3 months of summer vacation, I want to go to Bikini Boot Camp. I got this email from my friend, Candy and she is in Tulum, Mexico at Amansala  participating in Bikini Boot Camp and the itinerary sounds amazing. I want to go so bad! I told this tidbit to G and she is also down. She then suggested we skip on over to Playa del Carmen for some more adventure and I think I can get her to take a short side trip to Merida to see Frida's house and the Plaza where we can find some Latin Lovers (cue Tbone and Dave in their best bull fighter outfits and Vincente Fernandez playing ranchero songs). Can you dig it? Don't you want to join us? I CAN NOT WAIT!!! (COUNT DOWN TO MAY 2009!) I am starting to freak out becuase I so want the next 21 months to go by RAPIDO!

40 for 40 - Week 4, 2/26 - 3/3

Tuesday, Feb. 26 -- Edinburgh Castle Pub Quiz . The Castle is located at 950 Geary Blvd, between Larkin & Polk Streets. The Quiz start at 8:30 PM. Entry is free but the beer isn't.

Wednesday, Feb. 27 -- Book group (aka wine club) meeting to discuss Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Thursday, Feb. 28 -- Bars by the Book visit to the Dubliner Lincoln

Friday, Feb. 29 -- Leap Day and Sadie Hawkins Day

Saturday, Mar. 1 -- Dinner at Elizabeth's with Cathy and Stacie then to Comedy Club

Sunday, Mar. 2 -- TBA. Please check back. I had planned to go on a Mural Tour of the Mission but the weather isn't cooperating. Now I am going to dim sum at Ton Kiang.

Monday, Mar. 3 -- TBA. Please check back

Day #16: The Hives and The Donnas @ The Fillmore

Chisco, Slugo, Chica and I were in a rush so we went to Burger King for dinner. It is just so great that it is convienetly close by. Then we high tailed it to the Fillmore about a block away where the Donnas were already rocking the house. The four D's were great and gave mad props to the Hives. We loved them but only wished you could see some of their faces. I guess bangs are IN in a big way.

We gave Chisco a tour of the Fillmore stopping up stairs to see Live 105's entertainment. I have no clue who the guys were. They were playing this old timey instrument from like the time when instruments weren't invented yet or something. I think I'll have to check out Live 105's blog to see who they are and what they are about. We checked out all their killer posters and they had one of a band from Mexico and that is when my cousin got impressed.

The Hives came on and the front man was awsome. They all were. The drummer, Chris Dangerous, really rocked as did the Donna's drummer. The guys are supper tall and hella hot in their suits. When Idiot Walk came on the singer, Pelle Almqvist, did his version of Mick Jagger's strut. It was killer show!

The only downside was that there were no free posters. I love the free posters.

Day #14: BBTB's 1st Anniversary

This President's Day we headed over to the 1 year anniversary party of Gren's BBTB. I know I won't do the night justice so you have to visit her blog! But some highlights: the most barflies ever at one time; a blast for the past came and brought a new barfly; and the joke fest ensued. Yup, you'll even find out the CC did not stay for the whole night!

Oh, Gren on the History Channel they aired a show called, History of the Joke, and "What is brown and sticky?" was the most sent in joke! I have to side with Lewis Black -- It's just not that funny and SH*T would be a better answer.

Day #13: Marie Antoinette and In Bruges

Today, I hooked up with my friend H and her girls N & F. We stopped by Golden Gate Park and then over to Clement Street for lunch. We finally got around to the Legion of Honor, where we met Ms Olive, and saw the marie Antoinette exhibit. The line was crazy and the show was a little disappointing since it was mainly furniture and cheap replicas of her necklaces. The interesting part of the exhibit is learning about her hideaway palace at Versailles and it's surroundings. She had her own carousel, theater, and English and Chinese gardens.

After the museum, we headed to the movies at the Kabuki which I am planning to boycott. You have to pay for assigned seating and then the movie is wrecked because people can't find the seat they forgot they picked. We, San Franciscans, are not use to such rigidity and can not be forced to conform. Tbone met up with us and we ended up having a good time.

If you haven't guessed by know we saw Colin Farrell's movie, In Bruges. Only Chisco had been there. He is a major world traveler. Right now he's visiting from Leon, Mexico. We'll be there in May for his wedding!

-- B

At the end of the evening I couldn't make up my mind whether to eat or go home. Luckily, I choose to go home becuase I should rest my liver tomorrow is a BIG day!

40 for 40 - Week 3, 2/19 - 2/25

Tuesday, Feb. 19 -- Have dinner at Delfina

Wednesday, Feb. 20 -- Concert Night: The Hives and The Donnas at The Fillmore

Thursday, Feb. 21 -- It's Not My Birthday Celebration! (Hey, other people have birthdays too.)

Friday, Feb. 22 -- Dinner at C & M's house

Saturday Feb. 23 -- Family Day (Mom's B-day)

Sunday Feb. 24 -- Precita Eyes Mural Tour (postponed due to rain)
Instead, Dim Sum at Ton Kiang and a visit to the Conservatory of Flowers

Monday, Feb. 25 -- ???

-- B

Day #12: The Big Lebowski Party

Well, I should begin with the fact the Mom, Slugo, Chisco, Ms Olive and I had dinner at the yummy Park Chalet, where Ms Olive insulted the live musicians by asking them if they were "Diego's Umbrella" the usual Tuesday night band. They weren't.

Then we headed over to the Blur to meet up with Gren. By the time we got to Blur it was just Ms Olive and me as the others had jumped ship. We found Gren chatting up half the bar (really just some guy and the bartender). We had a PBR in honor of the Dude. Some nice guy from Detroit came into the bar looking for some other straight bars on Polk St. We sent him over to the R Bar on Sutter and told him about Big Foot Lodge on Polk near Washington Street. Both great bars in our book!

We went over to Space Gallery for the party. It has some great inexpensive art pieces for sale. Ms O is vowing to go back on her next payday and buy something. She'll let you know when she does.

We got our $7 White Russians and headed upstairs where they had a dj, bowling and of course were screening the Big Lebowski. There were a few people dressed up as John Goodman's character, Walter Sobchak ("I told those fucks down at the league office a thousand times that I don't roll on Shabbos!") and others dressed as the Dude in his bathrobe. But the best costume was the guy who stripped down to his leopard bikini underwear and just mingled about. But I guess he either got too cold or too embarrased because he changed back into his street clothes.

Gren left us to meet Just So Jeff and we stayed as long as possible but it was a bit hard to see the movie or have conversation when the dj started. The space is just too small. But it is a cool place for a small party and the art is amazing.

-- B

Day #11: A Million Little Pictures

Ms O participated in a very cool art show. Back in December she ordered a disposable camera from A Million Little Pictures . The premise was for her to take pictures around the theme, adventure. Once she was done she sent the camera back. They developed the photos along with the ones taken by 226 other people and organized an exhibit.

The exhibit took place on February 15th at 111 Minna Gallery. Ms O's photos were there. Her photos were taken on our trip to Minneapolis. There were pictures of the ice fishing and the hockey game, which is pretty adventurous stuff for San Francisco natives.

Now our cousins can say that they've been part of a gallery show, too.

-- A

Day #6: More SF Indie Fest

We were back at the Roxie volunteering for the fest. We saw a collection of animation shorts and a doc, "The Bodybuilder and I." Our favorite shorts were
Hope Springs Eternal , The Cock Song , and the "Fantasies of Bubblewrap".

We met the composer, Armando Sandoval, for Hope Springs Eternal. He was really sweet, funny and very proud of his work on the movie.

Later that night we saw the short, "Surfing Thru" about women surfers who have cancer. It was quite moving and inspiring. The movie is only 24 minutes long which we found out is the length of one chemo treatment. The filmmaker, Chloe Webb, who was Nancy in the film, "Sid and Nancy" is hoping to get this film into hospitals so that women (& men) can watch it during chemo sessions. What a great idea!

We also saw "Sliding Liberia", a surf movie with a social justice twist. I don't know if it will get released but their basic goal is to turn Liberia into the next big surfing spot which at the same time will help the country's economy by turning it into a tourist destination. The director, editor and two of the surfers featured in the film were going over to the Bissap Baobab after Q&A. We didn't go because it was a school night and we haven't even finished one week of fun yet!! Ugh, I really am turning 40 when I turn down drinks and talks with film makers.

-- B

Day #5: SF Indie Fest

I am still going strong! Luckily, Ms Olive is really into the 40 Days of Fun! On Saturday, February 9th, we went to the Roxie to volunteer at SF Indie Fest. It really is great event and they have killer films. In exchange for volunteering you get to see the movies that are playing during your shift for free. We saw a collection of shorts and later saw a funny Armenian movie, "Big Story in a Small City."

For dinner, we had shwermas at Truly Mediterranean. They use to have a place on Haight St. and the shwermas rocked. Now they are just so-so. We'd love to find a good shwerma, if you know of a place let us know. After dinner, we saw Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation . It was made in the 80's by a bunch of teenagers and it is pretty funny. They recreated and filmed their version of the movie following the original word for word and scene by scene.

At 9ish we met up with G for the IndieFest Roller Disco Party. The party was good but it was so packed (about 500 people there) that you couldn't really skate. They had a killer dj but after two hours of going 2 miles per hour and dealing with really long lines at the bar we decided to bail! (But we are looking for a roller skating place, if you know of one in the Bay Area let me know asap!)

-- A & B

Day #4: Double Date Night

Slug, A, R and I met up at SPQR on Fillmore. The restaurant does not take reservations. We got there at 6:30 p.m. and the wait was an hour. We really wanted to try the place so we waited. Luckily, there are so many places to have a drink in the area and I'm not opposed to having a good drink.

About an hour later, we went on over to SPQR and had a great dinner. If you go there, you should try the fried brussel sprouts. They are very tasty!

-- B

40 for 40 - Week 2, 2/12 - 2/18

This week's activities include:

Tuesday, Feb. 12 -- Dinner at Tadich Grill with my friend Vi from college

Wednesday, Feb. 13 -- Mani/Pedi

Thursday, Feb. 14 -- Valentine's Day

Friday, Feb. 15 -- A Million Little Pictures Exhibit at 111 Minna Gallery. The exhibit runs from 12-9 pm and there is no cover. Ms. Olive took some pictures on our trip to Minnesota! We'll be there at 6:00.

Saturday, Feb. 16 -- Indie Fest's Big Lewbowski Party
White Russians! Mini Bowling! Nihlists! The party is at Space Gallery at 1141 Polk Street. It starts at 9 pm and lasts till they kick us out. Free admission with any IndieFest ticket stub or in costume, otherwise $10. We've saved our stubs so you are covered. The Dude Abides.

Sunday, Feb. 17 -- Marie Antoinette Exhibit, Legion of Honor.
Open from 9:30 to 5:15pm. I'll be there at 1pm. I have a family musuem membership which lets four people in for free.

Monday, Feb. 18 -- Bars by the Book 1st Anniversary at Deluxe Club at 1511 Haight Street. The Bar opens at 5pm on Mondays!

-- B

Day #3: The Deluge

On February 7th, we went to the opening night of the SF Indie Fest and it was fabulous. We saw Shotgun Stories by Jeff Nichols whose brother Ben Nichols is in the band Lucero and wrote the soundtrack to the film. Check them out here . We both enjoyed the film a lot. It will be opening nation-wide this Spring. Michael Shannon from 8 Mile played the lead and boy was he perfect in the role! You shouldn't miss it!

After Q&A with the young cute director and writter, we headed over to the after party at CellSpace on 18th and Bryant. We had Redhook beer, some pomegranate martinis (which were basically vodka) and pino grigio champagne from Barefoot Winnery. It was a great party! They had a mechanical bull but we did not partake as we had to save ourself for 37 more days of FUN, FUN, FUN...

-- A & B

The Kick Off of 40-4-40!

The forty days have started and I for one am very excited. Why? Well -- A) I get free drinks, thanks to Chica Cherry. Yes, I know it's her birthday celebration but I'm a poor college student. B) I get to hang out with all her cool friends and mine plus Dug the Slug. C) We end up meeting great new people. So I thought I would recap Mardi Gras at the Elite since Chica Cherry (CC) is busy with her fun activity for Day Three.

CC was forty minutes late for her own event and on the actual kick off of the event...Well, that is a latina for you (or maybe she was trying to be fashionably late). Luckily, I was able to run into Grenadine, our adopted sister (aka the Gringa) on Fillmore street. We headed over to the Elite Cafe, where I got a recap of Grenadine's busy and fun-filled life. On a sad note, the Cafe was not serving Hurricanes so I settled for an Elite-a-Rita and Gren had a Sazerac.

Finally, CC showed up with the Slug, N, and R. We moved over to the tables and proceded to have a good old time. Gren came up with her own 40-4-40 goal and G stopped by too. CC was being very generous and she treated everyone at our table for a drink if they could prove they voted that day as it was also Super Tuesday! Mrs. Dewson, the hat lady, came in to show her support for Obama. I think it was great that CC wanted to get her friends out there to ROCK the Vote!

-- A

40 for 40

Ms O's birthday is 10 months away but mine is just around the corner. Don't tell anybody but I am going to be 40! Scary, but true. I want the last "40" days of my 39th year to be fun so I am having a 40 for 40 extravaganza. I am putting together this list of 40 things I want to do. Hopefully, some friends will join me. I am still working out the logistics for some of the days. Here is Week One.

Feb. 5 -- Mardi Gras, drinks and nibbles at the Elite Cafe
Feb. 6 -- Katsushige Nakahashi exhibit at SF Camerawork
Feb. 7 -- Indie Fest Opening Night and Party
Feb. 8 -- Dinner with R & A
Feb. 9 -- Indie Fest's Roller Disco Party at Cell Space
Feb. 10 -- Volunteer at Indie Fest
Feb. 11 -- Mortified SF's Doomed Valentines Show at the Make-Out Room

-- B

I Want This!

Have you been hearing about the mini-novels that the Japanese read on their cell phones? Well, Sweden has done one better. They have t-shirts exclaiming the news. An artist designs a t-shirt based on a current news item. The front of the shirt is illustrated and the actual story is printed on the inside of the shirt. The latest t-shirt was about couples whose babies were switched at the hospital. You can check it out for yourself at t-post. I really want this subscription. I guess I'll just have to add it to my list. Maybe for my birthday - it is only 10 months away.

-- A

Shout Out to Ms O!

Congrats to my sis, who on Monday started her Licensed Vocational Nursing Program. She has wanted to do this for the last couple of years. However, nursing programs in the Bay Area are super competitive and expensive. It's taken her this long to get into one. We are all proud of her and can't wait till she starts earning some cash. You Rock!

-- B

Art Exhibit - The Depth of Memory

On January 5th, we volunteered at SF Camerawork on Katsushige Nakahashi's photo sculpture project. He photographed a model Kaitien (a one-man armed torpedo) using a macro lens. He ended up with 20,000 photographs which volunteers taped together to make a lifesize representation. It was massive!

We were taping together the photos when an 83 year old Navy veteran came into the gallery to say he had witnessed the first use of the Kiatien. At the time of the attack he thought that a nearby ship had been hit by a submarine attack. It wasn't until 30 years after the war that he found out about the Kaitens. It was a cool moment to see how this exhibit spurred memories for this gentleman. The exhibit opens tomorrow from 5 - 8 p.m. with a reception with the artist. Come and check it out!

-- A & B

The Bruce Mahoney Trophy

My dad cracks me up! Sorry, I mean OUR dad. He called up to talk to Tbone and I asked why because Tbone was busy saving the world from the Germans on his PS3 Game.

Me: What about?
Dad: Sex.
Me: Honey, my dad is on the line. He wants to talk to you about sex.
Tbone to me: Isn't it a little late for the birds and the bees?
Tbone to Dad: What do you want to know?

Not sure what dad said but he ended up talking about Sacred Heart's Basketball loss to St. Ignatius aka The Bruce Mahoney Trophy. Oh, the poor Irish.

-- A

M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A

2007 ended on a high note. The whole family went to Minneapolis for Auntie N's 80th birthday party. We didn't tell her we were coming and boy was she suprised and happy to see us. We had a great trip -- we went to a Gopher's hockey game (our first) and saw ice skating cheerleaders, walked on a frozen lake, and hung out with our great family.

Design*Sponge has a guide on design in the Twin Cities. We wanted to check out all the cool stores listed in the guide but the cold (did we say cold) weather prevented us from doing so. Well, we'll just have to go back there when it is warmer, much warmer.

-- A & B

"Priceless" List

I love making lists and so does my sis. I also love checking out other people's lists like the major and the red scrapbook . They both have good lists for movies, music, why they love each other, etc...!

As we start a new year, we've each made a list of 2007's "Priceless" Moments to give us some perspective.

Mine (Ms Olive's)
*Going to Buenos Aires where I saw my first professional soccer match (Boca Juniors vs Estudiantes), attended a Tango show, went on an Evita Tour, and was baptized by the Iguazzu Falls
*Surprising our Aunt N in Minnesota for her 80th birthday!!
*Going to my first Hockey game -- Univ. of Minnesota vs Air Force - U of M won in a shoot out! (taking our picture with Goldy, the Gopher!!)
*Relearning to play the clarinet, having my first recital and not F'ing Up!
*Getting into a Nursing program
*Seeing my first ice house
*Going to NYC with fab sister and her lame boyfriend (j/K)
*Participating in Bars by the Book's Holiday Lark

Hers (Chica Cherry)
*Going on some great trips -- the Big Island, San Diego, NYC, and Minneapolis
*Attending my first ComicCon in San Diego
*Seeing some great concerts -- The Tragically Hip, All American Rejects, Police, Bebel Gilberto, Kings of Leon, Foreigner and Def Leppard, Steve Miller and the Doobie Bros., Feist, and Queens of the Stone Age
*Getting promoted at work
*Volunteering at the Indie, Asian, SFIFF, Anime and NICE film fests
*Helping my cousin propose to his girlfriend
*Becoming T's godmother

-- A & B