Pride Week! - Don't really feel the energy yet, but usually this week starts the whole pride feeling in the city.  I've been keeping really busy at work and not finding the time to update xanga - but I've been meaning too, heck I subscribed for another year!  This weekend was certainly a memorable one - Friday night Hal and I met up with Rick, Mitch and the gang to see Matthew Martin in the production of "Hush Up Sweet Charlotte."  The production was a hoot and I recommend all to check it out.  Although I've seen Matthew in numerous performances in the past, he was able to snag Varla Jean Merman from NY to play opposite, who really stole the show.  I've never seen Varla aka Jeffrey Roberson perform until Friday night - quite memorable and the audience was in stitches!  Didn't know she also did a recurring role on All My Children as well. Afterwards, Hal and I stopped by Moby Dick for cocktails and met with several other friends.  It certainly was a late night out!

Saturday, both of us were content to staying in, even bypassing a friend's birthday party.  I FINALLY got Hal to play Heroes, a D&D game on xbox.  I was quite surprised I was able to explain in detail how the game is played - my predecessors would be proud. I think Hal is hooked!  Got Whacked and SSX 3 off Amazon cheap last week for fun.

Yesterday we headed down the peninsula to Target, Home Depot and picked up two huge potted Peruvian liles for 20 bucks each!  Garden pics to follow.  Yesterday's highlights ended with stopping by the Metro and lo and behold met up with several of Hal's friends from Esta Noche - too much fun packed into one weekend.

I'm sure this week is going to fly by.  Lots to do this upcoming weekend and it's poignant for me this year because I moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles exactly 20 years ago!  I'm looking forward to celebrating with close friends and about 250,000 revelers alike.

Kudos to Jennconspiracy for sharing this fun link - the Birthday Calendar.

You entered: 9/28/1967

You were born on a Thursday
under the astrological sign Libra.
Your Life path number is 6.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2439761.5.
The golden number for 1967 is 11.
The epact number for 1967 is 19.
The year 1967 was not a leap year.

As of 6/10/2005 10:53:02 AM CDT
You are 37 years old.
You are 453 months old.
You are 1,967 weeks old.
You are 13,770 days old.
You are 330,490 hours old.
You are 19,829,453 minutes old.
You are 1,189,767,182 seconds old.

There are 110 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 38 candles on it.

Those 38 candles produce 38 BTU's,
or 9,576 calories of heat (that's only 9.5760 food Calories!) .
You can boil 4.34 US ounces of water with that many candles.  

Your birth tree is

Hazelnut Tree, the Extraordinary

Charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody and capricious lover, honest and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgement.

There are 198 days till Christmas 2005!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waning crescent.

Russian River Pics - Wow that was a fun three day weekend up at the River.  Hal and I breezed up after work Friday night and checked in to the Woods Resort.  Although the room was standard, next time we'll stay at in the suites along the pool. That evening we headed to the main street and had a few cocktails at the Rainbow Cattle Company and the bar at the Triple R where we noticed a few friends each step of the evening - yay!  The weather throughout the weekend was hot, hot, hot! I got cooked Saturday laying out alongside the pool (but got some color finally this year!) so Sunday we walked about town and by Monday we took a walk to the River via Fife's and spent the rest of the early afternoon amongst the giant redwoods at Armstrong Woods.  We got back to the city in no time - oh, yeah, that's right, I napped all the way home but it was truly fun and relaxing.  Even today I feel great and it's almost time for the next weekend!!   

Hal had a fun time too - we're certain to go back soon, even as a day trip.

I don't thnk anyone warned this piece of eye candy that the pool takes a few weeks of summer to warm up -  some brave souls didn't mind the water though (not I!)

Here's a familiar face from the city!  It was a cool surprise to see Patrick this weekend as well.  Here he demonstrates his swimming skills

This was our vantage point from our room at the Woods.  We didn't hang at this pool because the Triple R pool rocks! 

Here's one view of the river.  The rapidly melting snow pack is making the River fast and high.  There was a second weekend warning not to venture into the water.

Tragically a boy and his friend were caught in the River the previous weekend and one was rescued while the other didn't make it out alive   This is the same river I have canoed in years past and dragged my paddle along the rocky bottom. 

Here's a pic of the Parson Jones Tree in Armstrong Woods.  This redwood beauty stretches over 310 feet into the sky.  We're so lucky to be so close to nature like this. 

Ok, back to work   Can't wait to post my latest pics of the urban garden, but here's a preview of what incredible color we're getting on the deck.

This climbing lily is going to town!

Memorial Day Weekend 2005 - The last two weeks has been crazy and busy at work and play.  Hal and I along with a few friends are heading up to a much needed mini-vacation up at the Russian River tonite - and I'm so ready.  Much to update when I get back. 

The Perilous Streets of San Francisco - I've been meaning to write this entry for quite some time now.  I'm very lucky to have Hal give me a lift to work in the mornings and we pretty much have the route pegged.  Pull out of the garage, make right, stop sign, make right, stop on the red light at intersection, blah blah blah.  Granted people driving should understand and obey basic traffic rules but noooo!  Traffic rules are merely suggestions these days.  This morning we saw so many people not bothering to stop at stop signs or intersections (not even a California Roll), drivers with no intent to signal their next move, people driving one mile an hour unsure of their next move, and on and on!  Unfortunately Hal doesn't let me honk the horn so I'm ready to get a bullhorn and yell INFRACTION to every dangerous driver out there.  Sheesh!

Plug and Upcoming Weekend - Every couple weeks, Khristina, a fellow associate and I get to take out agents (from my former real estate company) for lunch to woo them for business (and it works!)  Today the couple agents scheduled inadvertantly flaked so we decided to eat out anyway since the weather is gorgeous!  Khristina took me to Asqew Grill in the Castro for my first time.  This is where Josie's Juice Joint used to be and most recently Zao (noodle restaurant.) I definitely recommend trying this out - I had the peppercorn encrusted ahi skewers and cilantro jasmine rice - OMG it was sooo good, plus the outdoor seating was not overcrowded.  This place is a must for both carnivores and herbivores.

We're having Mike over with a few friends Saturday for a bbq dinner.  Mike is turning the big four-o this weekend so it's gonna be festive.  Gotta take the Rexster to get groomed Friday for the event.  Speaking of Rex, Khristina asked me over lunch today if I brush his teeth and I explained how we pin him down (really he is the most passive animal) and Hal gets the Oral B (Rex has his own brush), dog toothpaste and gets to work on him while I keep his mouth open.  What I didn't tell Khristina was the active ingredient in the toothpaste was chicken digest!  Yuck!  Anyhoo, I'll drop him off and pick him up during work so my co-horts can ooh and ahh over him. 

The urban garden is coming along.  Hal and I got red and purple bouganvilla and a dwarf Lily-of-the-Nile, and two citrus trees!  Pics to follow! 

Have a good week everyone!

Yay Gilles! - Welcome to the xanga arena!

Xanga Update: Wow - it's been a while since I've had the opportunity to say hi and update what's going on here in the city.  Usually I found the time at work (yes, it's true!) to post a hello but work has kept me pretty busy - which I do prefer, since everybody works for the weekend - and I've kept off the home computer to do lots of gardening then.  Here's a few pics of what's growing on these days.

First off - lets find a pic of Rex.  I like this one but it came out a bit dark.  Rex is pretty happy these days.  When Hal and I get home during the week, we always ask ourselves if it is a bonus day, meaning Rex is going to greet us.  It's continues to baffle me that Rex is almost 14 1/2 and going strong.  He still has his strut and basically he and I negotiate that he gets a treat if he greets me when I get home.  That usually leads to a half hour (or more) of barky banter on his part.  Too cool his voice doesn't really seem to get past our place - the neighbors haven't yet disapproved. 

Hal's had a weekend opportunity to make some fantastic macadamia/white chocolate/coconut cookies for our respected office mates.  See?  Still workin' on the weekends.

While I continue to dwell on work late this evening.  I had this great orchid that captivated all who saw it.  Hiding behind files is my new beloved laelia/cattleya hybrid with the perfect name "Trick or Treat" - literally the color is an un-natural Halloween orange. The flowers played out pretty dramatically after several weeks and I brought it home to repot and join of the rest of the growing orchids.

Okay - let's see.  What's going on in the garden...Well for starters one of the cactus bloomed beautifully.  We tried to guess the color since it was the first time blooming and I guessed red - wrong!  The most intense purple blooms made me wish of a trip to the desert to see a landscape of color.

African violets indoors are blooming now - really all you need to do is water water water - after all, didn't they say we are 90% water or something?  Plants are the same.

Hal's pal Jay went to Ikea and got these cheap slatted outdoor flooring so the plants wouldn't cook.  Being even a little raised prevents the urban garden from a slow crock pot cook. 

One of the coolest appreciations of gardening comes from perennials.  Last year Hal planted lunaria seeds to my suprise (under the camellia) which is the perfect visual example of a  plant cycle growing the first year not doing much (yawn - boring!) except saving energy to flower and seed during the 2nd year of growth (Yay!)

Speaking of the camellia is still flowering but on its way to a late pruning.  Lots of these plants remind me of what my parents literally landscaped in my youth.

Speaking of what my parents enjoyed landscaping in our front yard was the same hybrid I enjoy here in the city - ajuga.

Well, this was a short bit what's going on and I'll resume the gardening post.  Hal and I are planning the trip to France come late September - can't wait to see a few long time friends...

nite nite!

Lingering Las Vegas - One of the memories I have of Las Vegas back in 1997 was this fun morphing machine at the Luxor. It would take facial measurements of you and your mate and as a result produce a pic of your facially-meshed simulated offspring.  I have to admit, even in 2005, somebody better upgrade this machine for gentler, friendly renderings, lest I shell out another 5 bucks to be mortified - especially when they televise the results on a large screen overhead... 

Who would have thought our kid would look so queer?  Well, after hysterical laughs and howls, Hal's brother and sis-in-law decided to try it out themselves... 

Well, I guess it's better than spawning the Bride of Chucky!

 Speaking of memorable pics, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be a Jedi, of course...

woo hoo! Revenge of the Sith opens May 19th!!!

A Graffiti Story - Yesterday morning my office was greeted with a true art crime in our gated parking lot.  This temporary wall was put up when the adjoining property facing Guerrero St. was demolished for a new mixed use building.  In my immediate work area it is not uncommon to get tagged in the back lot by local gangs, but this was obvious well planned out and executed.  I rather like it although no one here can figure out what it means. Coincidently management has decided to hire the San Francisco Patrol Police to keep an eye on the office property after hours.  They are more like security guards with guns than "cops."  At five bucks a day, it seems like mafia protection, but I like the local officer assigned to our location, Jane Warner, as you can count on her when hostile homeless people are rummaging in our trash and recycle bins or just sleeping blocking our entrances.  Not everyone is hostile, but you never know, and since I'm the frontline of the business, I rather leave that job to a professional.

Update: Is it a Graffiti Holiday or something?

Wow - it looks dark here in the office!