What's new?

I dunno, what's new with you?

An old friend e-mailed this morning, asking what I've been up to, and I was about to wave him towards the blog - "Oh, it's all on there if you really want to know" - and then I remembered that weak post below about the lady with the sign has been floating there for more than two weeks now.   Really, that's the best I can do?  So then I had to actually write up a real reply.  Heaven forbid that I should actually correspond!

So what is new?  Ooh, lots of things.  None captured on film, unfortunately.

I've been getting into Fall in a big way.  The ladies at my firm had a leadership networky thing up in Napa a couple of weeks ago, and traffic was bad on the return, so I stopped off at a farm stand and bought fifteen pumpkins and some candy corn.  I had plans to carve, but the opportunity keeps slipping away, so I think I'll wait and we can do them right before Halloween.

Martha Stewart's October issue had the most hideous pumpkin I've ever seen, so I want to do one like that.  (These look beautiful for a dinner party, no?)

We decided to spend Halloween at home this year, to see what kind of neighborhood candy beggars we get.  I was inspired by this local house (which I very much want to visit), and want to do it up right with some tombstones in the yard or something.  As you are well aware, we don't have a great entryway, but perhaps the dishevelledness will add to the ambiance.  I picked up some spiderwebs yesterday.  (If you'd like to join us for H-Day, drop me a line!  There will be games and spooky foods!) 

I don't think we're dressing up this year, I usually like to go as something scary, but I'm sure there will be enough Sarah Palins already (cheap shot!) and am not sure how to dress up as a deficit.

I have big plans to make crafty Christmas presents this fall. 

My family made a pact last year that we would no longer exchange gifts but would instead contribute to a charity, and I can't tell you how pleased I am.  On a deep level it seems more satisfyingly in line with the virtues of the holiday, but on a superficial level, my family is notoriously bad - all of us - at gift selection.  We don't even remember each other's birthdays.  I don't mean we fail to send something (which is also true), I mean we forget when they are, usually until after they've passed. 

So anyway my family is covered, and I don't feel obligated to wrap up anything for anyone else, but I have some keen ideas in my head for a couple of friends.  I've been feeling compelled to be more creative in my downtime, and by calling things "presents" I'll feel less like I'm just wasting time.  They may end up too ugly to actually send, but will keep my fingers busy while I watch Pushing Daisies and consider folding false eyelashes into my own makeup routine.

The Fleet Week air show last weekend was exceptional as always.  For the first time we actually walked all the way over to Marina Green and listened to the narration over loudspeakers - it was a nice supplement to the show.  I teared up at one point, those things can be really moving.  Ace and I then went for a run over the bridge, from which we caught a rare San Francisco sunset that was unobscured by fog or anything.  My favorite part of it is always when the sinking light reflects off the buildings in Berkeley.  They sparkle and glow orange, like flakes of gold in a pan of mud.  How California!  Then we joined Scooter and Wendy B in front of the fireplace at the Cliff House (where I had never been - very romantic) for a drink, after which we all trooped over to New Eritrea for Ethiopian food.  (Note to VU: their Shiro doesn't hold a candle to that place in Morningside Heights.)  It was a great day in the city.

I quit my Japanese class.  I hope my teacher doesn't take it personally.  I like her a lot - both as a teacher, and as a person - she's really interesting and very entertaining.  But I found myself leaving my homework till the last minute, and scrambling to coast through the class, and feeling bad that I was wasting my time and hers.  Since it's purely a personal pursuit, it finally felt strange to spend $25 a week to feel bad about myself.  She was really understanding.  And I really hope to pick it up again, perhaps after the holidays are over.  It feels nice to focus on something that has nothing to do with your current life every now and again.

I also stopped going to ballet.  Similar reason - I just felt like such an inflexible klutz.  I still want to be a dancer someday, so I'll stretch and maybe find a community-level ballet class to ease myself in before going back. 

But we are thinking of taking the next step in sailing.  Our last class qualified us to take out a boat anywhere - that is, anywhere except the San Francisco Bay.  This next class will make us universally certified.  It's a pain in the butt to get to, honestly, more than an hour drive at the crack of dawn, and takes the whole weekend.  Also, it's a pain to schedule, because classes fill up way in advance - and then cancellation requires eight days' notice.  So we've scheduled and cancelled this class at least four times.  It's very frustrating.  Part of us wants to just get it done (it's $60/month for each of us just to keep our memberships in the club), and part of us is concerned that blocking off entire weekends through this holiday season is going to be rough.

Well, that's the news.  We really should keep in better touch.  We should have coffee sometime!  Oh, I don't know.  Why don't you call me.

Comments

[jeaninsingapore]

You always remember My birthday!
Love,
Mom

[tasterspoon]

LOL! I wasn't trying to name names, but SOMEbody left me a voicemail on Sept. 21 this year, saying, "Is Mom's birthday today, or Tuesday?"

[Vaguely Urban]

I'm crafting my ass off for Sheila's upcoming shower - highly satisfying, but I still want to craft more more more!

Dude I was just talking about Zula yesterday! The shiro! The amazing lunch specials! It was the location of my first date with Dave. R.I.P., sweet Zula!

[Wickedly Scarlett]

Phew, well, I'm exhausted after reading all of this! It looks like you're definitely keeping busy, so I'm glad you're checking in when you can :)

[7thStreet]

I remember seeing young Dave head off on said first date with V.U. It seems like just yesterday...