Twins

I accidentally ended up on the 11th floor of the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel a few weeks ago. Sounds exciting, right? Well, not really. I was there to meet my mom and her friends, who were actually staying at the non-Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, the Intercontinental. Oops. However, my mistake gave me another opportunity to see the famous San Francisco Twins, Vivian and Marian Brown, on their way home for the night.

I was surprised to find out that there really isn't very much information out there about these two, except that they're twins, they dress alike, and live together on Nob Hill. Well, duh! I want the dirt, I always want more, more, more information. But in my extensive research (which, of course, involved the complex process of Googling "san francisco twins") I found that they seem to be plain ol' folks who are just a little bit crazy (no big surprise there). I think the reason that there aren't any epic articles or interviews about them is because they are strange and simple people who seem really happy doing what they do, meeting people, getting attention, and going about their business.



Here's an excited drunk lady interviewing the Browns. I love it!

I'll be doing this awesome event on Sunday; please stop by if you're anywhere near the Bay Area. It's different from the usual craft show in that there are bands playing all over the place, and I've heard talk that there will be a bounce house and other kid-friendly activities this year.

My booth will be huge and I'm trying desperately to fill it with treats; I just got a bunch of insane new vintage celluloid charms in the mail. They will be getting glued to rings and clips tonight, so that by Sunday, hopefully they won't stink of E-6000.

Hello friends! I'll be spending the weekend at Fort Mason, chilling with my beloved friend Sue and vending my wares. Please come say hi if you are around; I demand it!

Genentech

So, uh, I work here now. It's pretty amazing so far and I'm very excited about the next six months.

I find myself doing a lot of work that I don't necessarily like for companies I don't necessarily care that much about, but already I'm feeling different about this job. I like having some tiny part in making sick people feel better, and I also love learning about medical stuff.

Also, there are free sodas. In the immortal words of Annie, "I think I'm gonna like it here."

drawing by Mike Conway

As I sit here quietly drinking coffee and eating spoonfuls of Nutella out of a teacup, it seems mad to think that a month ago I was scurrying around like a chicken with her head cut off. I guess that's the difference between December and January. Therefore, I'm finally put together enough to share these highlights from a hectic December.

Sometimes your nail polish perfectly complements that of your bff's. Such was the case at this Big Sky Cafe brunch.

Amazing wrapping job by the amazing Erin; the rest of our family had issues this year, so we mostly threw presents into old Starbucks handlebags and haphazardly crumpled some tissue paper. Erin really stepped up to the plate; thank goodness!

A super-cool non-Starbucks gift bag from my mom; perhaps I exaggerated before.

Bathroom wallpaper at the Verdi Club in SF, where I did the Noise Pop Holiday Shop. I'd never taken a photo while sitting on the toilet before, but there's a first time for everything.

I got to hit Miette for one delicious moment. Magical!

My purses adorning the bookshelf at ISSUES during my pop-up shop! We had a great time on a rainy December night; I'm so lucky to live practially next door to a place that is so deeply awesome. They work hard to make this neighborhood more than a yuppie paradise by promoting really cool community-building events and by selling the finest selection of reading materials.

The lovely ladies of Fat Bottom Bakery! Not only are they adorably clothed, but their vegan baked goods are fantastic. I inhaled a wee Red Velvet cupcake, and it was divine.

My neighbor returned from his cross-country holiday vacation the other day, and said, "I hope my astral body catches up with me soon." I secretly laughed at the hippie jargon, but I know what he meant. I think a part of me is still in December.

Renegade Craft Fair!

Reunited and it felt so good! It seems like eons ago since Sue and I worked together at our beloved Finnegan's Toys and Gifts. But we immediately got back into our tag-team shopgirl groove a few weekends ago when we shared a booth at Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco.

We both sold like crazy and had the best time doing it.

It didn't hurt that this was Sue's first West Coast show, and the California crafterati was clamoring for her beauteous creations.

We used to stand like this behind a counter for eight hours a day drinking coffee and shooting the breeze! Man, it was great.

Our cozy corner of Fort Mason.

These two days were truly the highlight of my year; it's hard when your dearest friends are scattered around the globe, but it makes it that much more magical when you get to see them again.

Put the Lotion in the Basket...

I've been off having adventures, sleeping, and acclimating to my new job, which is located in San Francisco's most prominent open-air shopping center and office park. It's a weird environment; everywhere I go, there's something to buy! Shoes, coffee, lotion, chocolates, clothes, spatulas...it's all there, and it's all in my face. I'm considering not bringing any money to work so I don't have to deal with the temptation any more. I realized, though, that I'll never need to buy hand lotion again if I rotate using samples at the five beauty stores within a one-block radius. Sweet Jesus!

The best thing about working in a mall is the music piped in from the sky. Usually it's some pleasant piano, but this week they started playing "spooky music" for Halloween. It's a pretty creative mix; instead of just "Monster Mash" over and over again, they're really stretching it. On my break, I heard ELO's "Evil Woman," and as I left work, I heard one of my super-favorite jams, "Season of the Witch" by Donovan. It's a weirdly sexy song that's been rightly covered by tons of bands, and I present it to you now accompanied by a witchy scene from George Romero's film of the same name.

Hardly Strictly Something

We're not so good at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, SF's yearly free festival of various musics. Oh, we go every year with big plans to stay all weekend and see all the best bands, but between bad timing, huge crowds, public transportation drama, and general social discomfort, we usually end seeing half a band and hitting the road.

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Today we watched Aimee Mann's set, which was pleasant enough from hundreds of feet away, ate some salami sandwiches, split a beer, and got hit repeatedly by a Frisbee-throwing toddler. Instead of sticking around to see Neko Case, we walked through Golden Gate Park to the beach.

It was windy. There were jellyfish. It was beautiful. Then we walked back up to catch the N-Judah. On the way there, we found this.

That's right, an abandoned dollhouse. I'm sorry, but I would rather encounter a filthy ramshackle doll mansion than see a rock show. And that's what makes me special. Very special.

The (My) Great Depression

Nerds! Just as I was getting all cozy and comfortable at my job, I get the axe! Such is temp life. Honestly, with all the relentless cutbacks at the company, it was a miracle that they let me stay as long as I did, and I am very grateful for that .The good side: I actually did a lot of real work during my time there, so my resume is vastly improved with new skills. The bad side: People were nice, and I need money!

However, time heals all wounds, and so does a classic screwball comedy! Here's one that fits the day perfectly. My Man Godfrey is the story of Godfrey, a "forgotten man," (read: homeless dude) ruined by the Depression and living in a dump, and how he comes to work for a prominent family as a butler.

There are so many snappy zingers and unforgettable character actors in this movie, I can't even begin to tell you. It's truly, timelessly hilarious. And, it's in the public domain, which means you can watch it online for free or buy a copy for $1 at Walgreens like I did.

Here's the preview, which contains zero zingers, but just a wee taste of the atmosphere (unlike modern previews, which always give away the best jokes!).

Onward and upward!

July!

Well, hell's bells, it's been a long time. I'm gonna have to rewind a few weeks, to my 30th birthday celebration in San Luis Obispo. I was lucky enough to spend the day with my family, doing all the things I like to do, which are mostly variations of eating and drinking. Sometimes my hometown likes to torture me with wonderful places and events that tempt me to stay forever; the charming new restaurant Granada Bistro is an example. Housed in an old building marked for demolition next year, Granada's owners created a tiny, ethereal hangout that will disappear before people realize how great it is. They serve international wines and beers at a reasonable price, and the decor is lush and homey. I'm not going to go into flowery detail, because I just read a food review last night that, and I kid you not, used the phrase "snarky watercress" in reference to some sandwich. Really?


That said, I also very much enjoy the food and atmosphere at Buona Tavola in SLO. They serve an olive tapenade with mustard seeds along with an array of fresh breads that is truly the greatest condiment ever. You can buy it in jars now, but it's never quite the same when you're not sitting in a sunny garden patio with twinkle-lighted trees.




Then, Renegade Craft Fair! What a weekend. I met tons of new people and sold my heart out. I also got to catch up with old friends and acquaintances, who just kept appearing at my booth! That was a nice surprise.

A few sweet trades with fellow vendors, including this adorable birdie ring from Beebalalou sitting on top of an apron from Hambone & Jennicakes, filled my shopping urges, so I, too, left Fort Mason a satisfied customer. Exhausted, but satisfied.


Next up: what I did last weekend, in sepia tone!

I saw my first fresh dragonfruit today! The flesh color is amazing; it's actually brighter than the picture, if you can imagine that. I was at Rainbow Grocery after dropping off a bunch of products for Whizbang Fabrics, waiting for the traffic to die down so I could come back to Oakland.

Yesterday I showed how much sewing I can get done when I'm down to the wire. It was a lot. A lot more than I usually get done in a night, with my generally unfocused, poky ways. I got through school the same way; waiting until the night before an essay was due, then busting out 15 pages . Procrastination is a bad habit and I'd like to change my ways, but it's worked for me well enough so far that I just can't stop. I guess I'll wait for something really bad to happen.