Winter Blues Free Zone

Like many people, I sometimes get a little depressed during January and February. The holidays are over, the days are really short, and in many parts of the country it is miserably cold. I manage to avoid the cold by living in San Francisco (it's not much colder here in January than it is in June; sometimes it's even warmer), but the short days and post-holiday, post-birthday letdown can get to me.

So every year I make a point of planning fun events and fully enjoying even the most ordinary moments during the wintertime. To that end, I'm taking a mini-holiday in L.A. at the end of the month and an even longer vacation to Hawaii a week later. Winter is no match for the warm waves off Waikiki Beach, I can guarantee that. I've also rediscovered the joys of the sauna and steam room at the gym. That may seem like a small thing, but treating yourself to a mini-spa day after a morning workout can make your entire day a lot nicer. On the music front, I've started preparing for a show that my voice teacher is producing, and I'm looking for new karaoke songs. I think tonight I'm going to try "Brand New Key" by Melanie because...how could I not?

Here are a few other nuggets of goodness from the first weeks of the new year. Let's allow the good times to continue all winter, shall we?

There is nothing nicer than dining with a charming gentleman on a Friday evening. On the first Friday night of 2013, my friend Chris and I decided to partake of the snacks and cocktails at Sauce in Hayes Valley. Yummy.

My friend Danie celebrated her birthday earlier this month and threw a birthday party as delightful as she is. Christine, Danie and I did take a break from the merriment to pose for this photo, though.

About ten years ago my friend Jenny and I would set San Francisco on fire with our wit, poise and intellect. She was one of my closest friends in the City until she moved to the East Coast for graduate school. So when she was in town for a visit a couple of weeks ago, we decided to recreate those halcyon days of 2003 with a visit to Tony Nik's in North Beach. Of course.

Every few months or so, my friend Christine and I make a lady date to sip champagne or cocktails and talk about work, boys, and any other important life topics. We bellied up to the bar at Bottle Cap (also in North Beach) for our most recent lady date last night and nibbled grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers and sweet potato fries while chatting, giggling and being the all around fabulous girls that we are.