All Things Sassy

Old School Hollywood

2012-01-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday night, gentle readers. I currently am enjoying a weekend in Los Angeles before I scoot off to Hawaii in a few days. In true Hollywood fashion, I just watched a movie...not at a theatre but on a screener dvd. It is awards season, after all. The film was The Artist, and I think I am in love, both with the movie and it's star, French actor Jean Dejardin. Oh my, is he charming in this film and super hot in "real life".

Earlier today, I spent a few hours at Poly, my prep school in Pasadena. I usually refer to Poly (short for Polytechnic School) as my high school, but in truth, I spent virtually my entire education there, attending Poly from second through twelfth grade. Anyway, I was back on campus for a luncheon to honor those of us who have donated money to Poly, which is a private school, for at least 20 consecutive years. The luncheon also honored those who have named Poly in their estate plans, but that group did not include me. I don't even have an estate, let alone any estate plans.

After the luncheon, I visited with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew Mikey Jet in South Pasadena for a while, and then I dined with my sister and a friend of hers at one of my favorite L.A. restaurants, Malo Cantina in Silver Lake. After dinner was the movie along with champagne, and that brings you up to date.

As I mentioned in my last post, photos from this L.A. weekend and my trip to Hawaii will be coming soon. I had planned to post some pictures this evening, but I left my memory card reader in San Francisco. Oops. Also, as much fun as a catered luncheon and dinner out can be, they have wreaked havoc on me today. For reasons that I won't bore you with, I have been following a low sodium diet for the past month. My doctor gave me the go-ahead to blow off any dietary restrictions while on vacation, but I didn't consider the repercussions. Two meals of indeterminate sodium content without me drinking as much water as I normally do have made my body very angry. You should see my feet right now; they have swollen to the size on mini-watermelons. I'll be downing a few bottles of Perrier tonight (yes, before bed) and paying better attention tomorrow, especially since I have brunch plans. I hope my shoes still fit after this trip.

(The Artist photo found at movielistmania.blogspot.com)

Winter Break

2012-01-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

Remember college when we would get a month-long break between the fall and spring semesters? Winter break, as it was and I assume still is called, was the perfect time to celebrate the holidays, pick up a job to make a little extra tuition money, or just rejuvenate. Those were the days, weren't they?

Well, the holidays have passed, and I'm not taking an entire month off, but I am about to indulge in a little winter break of my own. In an effort to break up the ennui that, in my opinion, usually holds a death grip on January and February, I booked a vacation. Tonight I'm headed down to L.A. for the weekend. This actually was a late addition to my winter vacation. My high school is having a special luncheon tomorrow, and I decided to fly down and attend. Why not? It's winter break, after all.

A few days later, I'm off to Honolulu to visit Diva Mommy and lay on Waikiki Beach. I have never been to Hawaii in the winter, but back in November I stumbled upon a great airfare, so I figured why not go? This means I potentially will be taking three trips to Hawaii this year (assuming I don't run out of money, vacation days or both). That's a lot of tropical beach time, but I think I can handle it.

Watch this space for winter break photos and updates.

(Photos courtesy of foreclosurelistings.com and honoluluhirealestate.org)

Hold 'Em For Charity

2012-01-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

Friday was my dear friend Chris' 37th birthday, and to celebrate, he invited a gaggle of us to a charity poker tournament yesterday afternoon to benefit Bay Area Theatre Sports (or BATS), an improvisation troupe and school that Chris works for and performs with. In fact, he's performing tonight as host of "The Blank Show", should you be in San Francisco this evening looking for some fabulous entertainment.

As for the poker tournament, I didn't play very well for the first couple of hours, but toward then end, I had a phenomenal run that brought me back from the near-dead multiple times and almost landed me a place at the final table. Almost. The final table had nine seats, and I came in tenth in the tournament.

After all the poker was done, a bunch of us scooted across town for cocktails. The bar we chose was down the block from my favorite karaoke den; so I also was able to squeeze in a little singing, as well. My friend Pat had never seen me sing before, so I chose one of my go-two numbers, "Son of a Preacher Man". I think Pat was duly impressed, even though I believe I may have been a little sharp on the bridge last night. Ah, well, it was still totally fun.

All in all, it was a lovely Saturday. I highly recommend spending an afternoon playing cards with friends followed by a little karaoke in the evening, if you can swing it.

Some of the players and spectators during a break in the action.

Happy birthday, Chris!

The birthday boy expertly tackles 37 candles.

This was one of my best hands of the tournament. I got a flush, which beat my opponent's two pair of aces and kings. If you know anything about Texas Hold 'Em, you can see that the other player had secured his two pair after the flop, while my flush materialized at the very end of the hand. It was an amazing moment and amazing win.

Is it a salad? Is it a cocktail? No one was really certain.

Winter Saturday

2012-01-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is what San Francisco looks like in January.

We in the Bay Area have had one very mild and very dry winter so far, gentle readers. No one will be too happy about it come summertime when the state's farms need water and all of us residents are, well, thirsty, but for now, it's quite lovely. Some rain is expected next week, but this particular Saturday afternoon featured abundant sunshine and temperatures in the 60's.

I took advantage of the gorgeous day and did some shopping on a journey that took me from Russian Hill for running shoes to Union Square for pajamas and a little Chanel No. 5. I walked from Russian Hill to Union Square, stopping several times along the way to poke my head into crowded bars to check the score of the 49-ers/Saints game. I have to say, gentle readers, that even though I don't like football one bit, even I found this game (what I saw of it) to be exciting. When all was said and done, the 49-ers had won in the last minutes, and San Francisco had a big collective smile on it's face.

I also snapped a few photos to give you an idea of how beautiful the City is right now. We'll get our rain eventually; I know I can be patient and wait.

Best name for a bar ever. This is a new (relatively, at least) establishment on California Street.

The setting sun bathes Nob Hill...

...and Grace Cathedral atop it.

Union Square at dusk.

Every Moment

2012-01-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Amelia Kennedy

Happy Monday, gentle readers. I trust you had a lovely weekend...I know I certainly did.

I sang a few songs after work on Friday, as I am known to do, was home at a decent hour and then indulged in ten hours of sleep. Love that. On Saturday evening, I met my friends Emily and Randy, who were in town from Los Angeles, along with our other friend Kelcey and Randy's friend Cal (got all that?), in North Beach for cocktails and the English Beat show at Bimbo's 365 Club. I have mentioned before that the English Beat now is original singer/guitarist/songwriter Dave Wakeling with a bunch of hired musicians, but the shows still are so much fun. Above is a photo taken of those of us right at the front of the crowd at Bimbo's. If you look closely, you can spot Emily and me looking happy as clams to be mere feet from the band.

Yesterday saw more singing. Emily is a fellow karaoke enthusiast, so she, Randy and Cal met me at my favorite San Francisco karaoke den in the afternoon, and then, after Randy flew back to L.A., Emily and I reconvened last night for more songs at second karaoke bar.

However, Emily also got some terrible news from home last night. Since it is her family's business, I'm not going to go into detail. I will say that Emily, herself, is fine and is headed back to L.A. this afternoon. She still wanted to sing, in part because there was nothing she could do about the awful news and in part as a form of catharsis. So sing we did, along with appreciating the characters who filled this particular bar.

The moral of this tale, my lovelies, is this: live every moment. There is a lot of hurt and tragedy in the world, but there also is abundant joy. Embrace the happiness in your life whenever possible, whether that happiness is produced by a super fun concert on a Saturday night, a hobby you love like singing, friends visiting from out of town, or just warm, sunny weather in January (which we had in the Bay Area all weekend long). Whatever makes you smile and giggle, focus on that every moment you can. Because frankly, you just never know when life will take an unexpected turn.

You don't want to take happiness for granted, do you?

We Are the Champions

2012-01-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2012, gentle readers! The sun is shining in San Francisco this afternoon, and since it is Sunday, I have the day completely to myself, if I choose. And that's what I have chosen. Aside from exercise (which I treat myself to every day) and one errand, there is nothing that I have to do today and nowhere I have to be. How blissful.

Last night I rang in twenty-one-two at my friend Frances' New Year's Eve party. I've been a little over New Year's Eve for the past few years since it really is amateur night, so I've taken to threatening to stay home every year. Somehow, it never works out that way, however, and last night's party was perfect. Even though Frances lives across town, her house is a very easy bus ride from my apartment. The bus line I take to get there picks me up two blocks from my front door and drops me off across the street from Frances' door. Plus, every New Year's Eve MUNI (San Francisco's public transit system) runs free of charge. So I walked out of my apartment with Domaine Carneros sparkling wine in hand at about 9:30 p.m. on December 31, 2011, welcomed the new year, and was safely back inside my cozy abode by about 1 a.m. on January 1, 2012. I didn't overindulge in any food or beverages; I wasn't bombarded by too many others who had on my way home; and today I feel rested and optimistic.

Plus, "We Are the Champions" by Queen was the song all of us at the party celebrated with just after the clock struck midnight (after "Auld Lange Syne", of course). That tune's rallying cry of high self esteem bodes well for the next twelve months, if you ask me.

Midnight. Happy New Year!

(Most of the photos in this post taken by me, but a couple appear courtesy of the lovely Katya.)

Sweets From A Sweet

2011-12-31T21:03:00.000-08:00

One of my pop music idols, Matthew Sweet, came to town this week, and I got a chance to see him at Yoshi's on Wednesday night. Talk about super, duper YAY! Matthew is touring on behalf of the 20th anniversary of his Girlfriend album, and he played the entire record from beginning to end. He then added a few songs from other albums as an encore.

It was so much fun, if a tiny bit loud for such a small venue (I brought ear plugs, thankfully). Plus, I shared my table with this really nice couple who were honeymooning in San Francisco, and they decided to pick up the tab for all of our drinks. Totally sweet and totally unnecessary, but they wouldn't be talked out of it.

It was a great night, even though I will admit that Matthew's fans (me included, I'm sure) are looking a little long in the tooth. As I looked around the crowd, I realized that every person in the audience probably was an adult, even if a young adult, when Girlfriend was released in 1991. Well, we may be old, but we still have good taste in jingle jangle alterna-pop music.

Now it's the last night of 2011, and soon I will be on my way to my friend Frances' New Year's Eve party. 2011 was actually a very good year for me; one of sustained high self-esteem and a consistent recognition of all the good things in my life. And 2012 already is looking lovely. I'm going to Hawaii in a month, right after I take another mini-vacation to L.A., and lots of fun social adventures here in San Francisco are taking shape. Here's to hoping the next twelve months will be as much fun as the last.

(These photos of Matthew Sweet and his band were taken by me from my front row seat at Yoshi's. I'm sorry the quality isn't better, but I do the best I can with my point and shoot camera and limited photography skills.)

Sing Along Birthday Serenade

2011-12-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

My friends are so very wonderful. On December 21st...also know as four days before Christmas...about 30 to 35 of them met me at my favorite karaoke den to sip cocktails and sing songs in honor of my birthday. It was one of the best birthday parties I ever have had. Possibly the best. I had so much fun and am so grateful for every person who came to celebrate with me.

I sang tunes by the Beatles, the Waitresses, Dusty Springfield, Duffy and Ike and Tina Turner throughout the evening. My guests sang Murray Head, Foreigner, Christmas standards and everything imaginable in between. Here are just a few of the photos I snapped during the event.

And To All A Good Night

2011-12-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Gentle Readers. Here in the wee hours of Christmas morning, I offer you this brief update.

As per usual, I have jetted down to L.A. for Christmas. On my way here Friday afternoon, I was able to pose for the above free photograph with Santa Claus at the Oakland Airport. Seriously. I also got a coupon good for $20 off my next flight on Southwest (as long as I fly by February 16th) just for taking this Santa picture. I'd call that a pretty good early Christmas present.

Since I've been in town, I've caught up on sleep, indulged in ground beef and pickle tacos at Malo Cantina in Silver Lake, enjoyed my mother's Christmas Eve reading of "The Night Before Christmas" (her audience of children and grandchildren ranged in age from 5 to 58), and participated in a short Christmas Eve ukulele sing-along featuring Christmas carols and Beatles tunes, with a Sam Cooke song and a Monkees song thrown in for good measure.

Now I'm about to crawl into bed for my own "long winter's nap" to rest up for more Christmas fun tomorrow. Or later today, I should say. I hope your holiday has been just as lovely as mine so far.

Beatles, Altered Images and the Tune Weavers

2011-12-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't you know it, it's my birthday again.

If you have been a reader of this blog for...well, at least a year...then you know that I am not ashamed to admit that my birthday is my very favorite day of the year. I wake up every December 21st feeling excited and just a little bit special. I love it.

On this birthday, I got up a little bit earlier than usual so I could squeeze in a substantive workout at the gym before heading to work, and it felt quite nice. After my workday is done, I'll be gathering a few dozen of my closest friends for a karaoke birthday party. Yes, karaoke; I have no shame. In the meantime, I am at work wearing my party dress because the party starts early, but I have no make-up on yet, so said make-up can be fresh for the celebration.

I am ridiculous, I know, but I'm allowed because it's my birthday.

Rock Star Moment

2011-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

Last night I got to sing in front of more than 15,000 people. Seriously.

San Francisco radio station Live 105 hosted their annual Not So Silent Night concert last night, featuring Bush, Mumford & Sons, Florence and the Machine and Green Day (a replacement for original headliner Jane's Addiction, who had to cancel at the last minute due to an emergency involving the drummer's dad). The show also featured regular people singing karaoke onstage between bands, and for various reasons, I was invited to sing as a karaoke ringer.

That's right.

I had been so excited about this opportunity for weeks, but I told virtually no one because I didn't want to jinx it and all of sudden to be told that they wouldn't be able to use me. No jinxing happened, however, and there I was last night in front of thousands, warbling my rendition of "Only the Lonely" by the Motels. I went on at about 9:00 p.m., between Florence and the Machine and Mumford & Sons.

I was nervous as all get out all day yesterday because... well, 15,000 people! In fact, this is a photo taken of the crowd about five minutes before I sang, and the angle only captures about half the audience. The good news is that once I started singing, I wasn't nervous at all. It felt just like singing at any karaoke bar, and honestly, the majority of the audience probably wasn't paying me any attention. But even if just ten percent of the people there were listening, that's 1500 pairs of attentive ears. And if half were listening...well, you get the point.

I can't say I know what a real rock star feels like because the house lights were up during the karaoke portions so the crew could set the stage for the real bands. Plus, I was singing a 30-year old song accompanied by a karaoke track. However, the three-minute duration of "Only the Lonely" made for the most rock star three minutes of my life so far, and I certainly will take that.

Sounds of the Season

2011-12-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Shopping, parties, egg nog, delicious food...these all are telltale signs of the holiday season, to be sure. However, what would the holidays be without music?

Now, I might wonder what any random Tuesday would be like without music, but as with even the most mundane moments, the most special ones also are made better by music. Yesterday afternoon A Very She and Him Christmas provided my house cleaning duties with the perfect December soundtrack. Then last night, 60's soul was the order of the night at my friend Steve's birthday party. There will be music galore at my own birthday party in a couple of weeks, as it is going to be a karaoke party. And at the end of the month I'm going to see Matthew Sweet, one of my musical idols, perform live.

Obviously, much of the music I just mentioned has or will have nothing to do with the holidays, per se, but it is the holiday season, and the music will be playing. So all is right with the world.

Deck The Halls

2011-11-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Season has arrived, and I could not possibly be happier! This is my very favorite time of year, featuring the calendar's two best holidays: Christmas and my birthday.

Of course, the Holiday Season officially "begins" right after Thanksgiving, and I had a wonderful Turkey Day this past Thursday. I went to work early in the morning and afterward managed to hit the gym for a bit of cardio and get a load of laundry done before heading to a Thanksgiving dinner party. Dinner included good food, lively conversation and lots of sparkling wine supplied by me. I have so much to be thankful for in my life, like the people I love, a successful career I enjoy, singing, Hawaiian vacations, pretty dresses, high heeled shoes and handsome men (even if some of the men occasionally behave poorly).

Now that the Holidays are upon us, a bunch of good things are happening. There are parties every weekend; my own birthday party, which will feature lots of singing; and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Los Angeles. I also have a super exciting project in the works, but I can't tell you what it is yet...lest I jinx it.

I'll be sad when January arrives, and all of this is over, but for now I'll just immerse myself in the joy that is the end of November and all of December.

(Yes, the two photos in this post are of the same thing. I was toying with the different flash settings on my camera and liked both shots.)

Ladies in Red (and Pink)

2011-11-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

My friend Christine turned 26 on November 4th (she is so young), and she invited a couple dozen of her best friends to celebrate last night at Chambers in the Tenderloin. Chambers fascinates me. For one thing, it's a hotel bar...well, a motel bar, really. It's in the Phoenix Hotel, which looks like a classic Southern California motel circa 1966. What an establishment like that is doing in downtown San Francisco circa now, I have no idea, but I approve.

Anyway, in the fifteen years that I've lived in San Francisco, the space that is now Chambers has had many previous incarnations, and I think I've been to all of those different bars at least once. What fascinates me about Chambers is the fact that, on the surface, it's not a place I should like. It's got a very trendy vibe and generally is filled with people ten to fifteen years younger than me who are so busy eyeing each other up and down, it's a wonder they don't trip over themselves. I'd regard the whole scene with a weary and condescending "been there, done that" sort of disdain, were it not for one thing. Well, two things, really. The first is the previously mentioned fact that it's in a motel, and the second is the music.

I've been to Chambers twice now, once on an early Wednesday evening in late September for my friend Carla's birthday and last night, when the joint was in full-on weekend party mode. Both times the music has been stupendous. No continuous boring beats or cringe-inducing rap for Chambers guests, oh, no. Early 80's alterna-pop seems to be the name of the game there, with some 60's pop thrown in for good measure. We're talking Squeeze, Roxy Music, the English Beat, early Cure and even the Monkees. The Monkees. Chambers has propelled me into auditory heaven during both visits.

Music aside, Christine's party was quite lovely in its own right. I chose to wear the fancy Kate Spade party dress that I got on super sale (60 percent off!) from Kate's website last week. It had just arrived yesterday afternoon, so I figured why not inaugurate it as soon as possible. My dress is pink, but in the dim lights of a hip night spot, it seemed to match the birthday girl's red dress perfectly, as well as the crimson frock donned by our other friend Megan. We were like three peas in a very stylish pod.

I think the photos say it all.

The bra-strap peeking out is a great look and really completes my outfit, I'd say. I'm classy.

Everests

2011-11-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Some songs are easy to sing, some are a little harder, and then there are those I consider to be my "Everests". One such tune is Fiona Apple's "Fast As You Can," which I have been practicing at home and tried for the first time in karaoke the other night. It's not that this tune takes significant vocal ability, but the timing is a bitch. The lyrics move very quickly and if you pause or breathe in the wrong place, the song mercilessly will leave you behind. Plus, Fiona Apple has a very low voice, and even I, a card-carrying alto, may have to move the key up a bit before I sing "Fast As You Can" in public again.

All of this is to say that my first pass at it was okay, but I need to work on it some more.

Then there are my other "Everests". A week ago I started working on "Natural Woman" and "Goldfinger" with my voice teacher. We moved both of numbers down a bit to help the high notes fit my range, and they may well turn out okay with more work. A lot more. And once I really learn the melodies.

Finally, there is "The Man That Got Away," a song made famous by Judy Garland in A Star is Born. I probably don't need to say any more other than I must be crazy to think I'll ever be able to sing this. I have the music and a recording of Judy, though, so we'll see. I have no intention of even attempting to sound like her; I just hope the song doesn't beat me into a pulp while I try to master it.

I love my little singing hobby. One day I may actually become a real singer...or at least a reasonable facsimile.

The Great Pumpkin

2011-10-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday on a very warm October evening, I headed across town to my friend Megan's pad in Noe Valley for a pumpkin carving party. I munched on pizza, drank sparkling wine, and happily watched most everyone else carve pumpkins. To be honest, Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays (kid Halloween = super fun; adult Halloween = amateur night with costumes), so I was happy to let others carve while I just enjoyed the party. Their work turned out great, though, don't you think?

Hostess Megan carving a pumpkin as big as she is.

This may look a lot like the photo at the beginning of this post, but there are more pumpkins in this shot. And yes, I had to post both.

Parties, Parties Everywhere

2011-10-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

The socializing that comes with living in a city as much fun as San Francisco has been in full swing as we settle into Autumn. The first few photos in this post, including the one above, are from my friend Charlie's birthday party back in mid-September. Yes, it has taken me more than a month to post them, but whatever. The last several pictures are from last night, when I met my high school friend Emily for dinner, who was in town from L.A. with her boyfriend Randy, who also went to our high school. I got together with them and some other high school alumni friends for a delicious mini-reunion on a super warm night. We were able to dine on the patio at Market Bar in Ferry Building without coats. Coat-free outdoor dining is practically unheard of in San Francisco, even in October, which is one of the "summer" months here. It was positively delightful.

In between Charlie's party and the outdoor dinner, I ran around L.A. for a couple of days, as you read about in my last post. After my trip, I returned home in time celebrate Frances' birthday at her a deep-fried turkey dinner party. There was also Chris' parents, poker and pizza party and, of course, lots and lots of singing.

Tonight I'm headed to Megan's pumpkin-carving party. I have no intention of actually carving a pumpkin, but I still appreciate a good soiree. I like to think of my lack of interest in carving as my own humanitarian effort to save the pumpkins!

Designer Hipsters and the Chupacabra

2011-10-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, gentle readers, and greetings from Southern California! I have a taken another mini-vacation here in the City of Angels, and, as always, it has been quite delightful. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack my camera (lame!), so there will be no photos from this journey. That is, except the above shot, which I snapped with my cell phone at Tiki Ti on Sunset last night. That's right, Tiki Ti.

It's been quite the lovely holiday so far. I arrived late Wednesday afternoon and after dinner, my sister Fabulous Patti and I went to Koreatown for a little karaoke at the Brass Monkey. FP didn't sing, but I got a couple of songs in before we called it a night.

Yesterday was the highlight of the trip, so far. My old, dear friend Kevin, who mostly lives in New York, is in L.A. for about a month looking for work. He's an actor...an actor who is able to support himself just by acting, no less. I haven't seen Kevin since my last trip to the Big Apple in 2006, so I was thrilled to get together with him this week. We grabbed lunch yesterday afternoon at Tropicalia, one of my favorite restaurants in Los Feliz, before he had to scoot over to the West Side to meet with some potential new L.A. agents. It was super yummy and super fun catching up.

After lunch, I wandered down Vermont Avenue and into Leap, my very favorite L.A. clothing store. My sister calls Leap my personal clothier because I go there every time I'm in L.A. and always manage to find something absolutely perfect to purchase. Well, yesterday was no exception. In fact, the women who own and run Leap know me now, and when I walked in, they immediately scooted to the back to fetch a dress they had just gotten that morning, which wasn't even on the floor yet.

Of course, I fell in love. It's a 1950's-style black number from a company called Stop Staring, and it is beyond darling and perfect for my figure. It cost a little more than what I usually spend at Leap (not only do they have great stuff, but their prices are amazing), but it is worth it. I'll get so much wear out of this dress. I may even have to post a picture of myself in it once I get home. Maybe.

After my shopping success I met my friends Charlie and Denise for dinner at Malo Catina in Silver Lake. Charlie and Denise are friends from San Francisco who moved to L.A. a few months ago, and I love that I now get to play with them when I'm down here. Many chips with burnt habanero creme salsa and tacos later, we were happily sated. Denise had to take her leave at that point because she gets up rather early for work, but Charlie and I walked up the street to the aforementioned Tiki Ti where Kevin caught up with us, along with his friend Jeffrey, and the four of us laughed and chatted over rum tiki cocktails until the wee hours of the morning.

All in all, I would call yesterday the perfect vacation day. I'm taking it easy today but will likely head to South Pasadena later to visit my brother, sister-in-law and nephew, the famous Mikey Jet.

Oh, and as for the title of this post. Denise has noticed that L.A. hipsters, many of whom surrounded us at dinner last night, look a bit different from those in San Francisco due to their designer hipster garb. Hence designer hipsters. And when Kevin dropped me off after Tiki Ti at 2:30 in the morning, we kept hearing some weird animal-type screeching while we chatted outside my sister's apartment. Had to have been the chupacabra. What else would it be?

Tropical September

2011-10-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, haven't I been quite the slacker when it comes to updating this little chronicle? Forgive me, gentle readers. I feel like I've been running and running since I returned from vacation, although truthfully, I think I'm just readjusting to the regular pace of my life. I've spent the past couple of weeks celebrating friends' birthdays, beginning the hunt for a new Sober Nixon guitarist (did I mention that our most recent guitar player quit?), singing songs, seeing some great theatre, buying more paperback novels to stack in my already overloaded bookshelf and generally getting back into the swing of things.

It's been a blast; so hopefully, I'll be better about keeping this space up to date and sharing all my adventures with you. Until then, enjoy these photos from Hawaii. They were all taken in Waikiki or at Ala Moana. Yes, I know I went heavy on the sunset shots, but aren't they just lovely?

Book Him, Danno!

2011-09-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, gentle readers, I have been back from Hawaii for about a day and a half, and already I'm looking forward to my next visit. I took bunches of pictures to share with you (mostly of sunsets over the ocean, which make for the most beautiful photographs), but I thought I'd begin with shots taken on one specific evening.

The Hawaii Five-0 season two premiere party and screening took place in Waikiki on September 10th, and I swung by with hundreds of other fans to check it out. I happened to have been in Waikiki last year for the series premiere party for the new Hawaii Five-0, but this soiree was way more intense. Now that the show is a genuine hit, the fans have become significantly more rabid. Nonetheless, it was pretty fun to join the crowd and crane my neck to see a little bit of Hollywood hit Honolulu.

Oh, and for the record, I watched a couple of syndicated episodes of the original Hawaii Five-0 on television while I was in Honolulu. My goodness, what deliciously bad 1970's television. That show was complete genius. In the ironic way.

I'll post more photos from my trip soon, but for now, enjoy these images from the premiere party!

Glamour lights in the Waikiki palms.

Actor Scott Caan, who plays Danny, signing autographs. At first I cursed my amateur photography skills for the blurriness of this shot, but I actually think the blur creates a nice artsy effect, and it certainly captures the manic energy of the event. So let's pretend I meant to do it this way, shall we?

Just a small portion of the crowd assembled to watch the season two premiere ten days before it airs on television.

Hawaii Five-0 fans as far as the eye can see.

Another Day In Paradise

2011-09-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Hawaiian Islands, gentle readers. I am taking yet another holiday in Honolulu, as I tend to do.

I just arrived this morning, and I must say my mood improved exponentially the moment I stepped off the plane. I managed to bring a minor case of bronchitis with me this time (chronic health conditions are such a bore, believe me), but I'm confident that the warm tropical air will clear it up quite nicely.

I intend to spend the next eight days soaking up sun, reading novels, splashing around the Pacific Ocean (well, Waikiki Bay), visiting with Diva Mommy, sipping Mai Tai's and other tropical cocktails, and doing as much karaoke as possible, even with compromised lung capacity. I have every confidence that it will be a lovely time, as always.

Ooh, and my sister Fabulous Patti and I plan to attend the free Hawaii Five-0 season two premiere party on Saturday. We wandered by the series premiere party while we were visiting last September, and it was kind of fun. Now that I actually watch the show (oh, that's right), we may make an effort to get a seat where we actually can see the premiere. Or we'll just wander by again. Either way, it will be a little bit of Hollywood in Waikiki, and that's a winning combination, in my opinion.

I really want to know why life can't just be one constant vacation...

*photo courtesy of aloha.com

Recording "Artist"

2011-09-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, haven't I just been woefully neglectful when it comes to updating this chronicle lately? My apologies, gentle readers, but the truth is, life just went back to normal after my trip to L.A. Personally, I find my life to be fascinating, but I am starting to wonder how many posts about karaoke you possibly can read.

That said, this quick post is going to be about music. I've been working on a couple of recording projects lately and have decided that recording music might be one of my favorite things to do ever. My band Sober Nixon recorded our version of Matthew Sweet's "I've Been Waiting" for use as a demo. It's not quite done yet because a few more guitar tracks need to be laid down, but it's coming along. Frustratingly, I had some pitch problems during that recording session, but they were nothing that multiple vocal takes, editing and just a tiny bit of auto-tuning (don't judge) couldn't fix. I was stressed out about my pitch issues at first, but about 100 people have assured me since that every singer has pitch issues sometimes. So I've decided not to worry about it (much) and move on.

Unfortunately, our guitarist Kenn has decided that Sober Nixon isn't the right band for him. Frankly, it probably isn't, given that he's more of a heavy metal/hard rock guy and we cover pop music. He's going to finish up his part on the "I've Been Waiting" recording, but that's it. So for the second time in a year, we're on the hunt for a new guitarist. I've already got some leads on potential players; let's hope we find the right one soon and the line-up can stay consistent for a while.

This afternoon my voice teacher and I made a recording of me singing "Save the Best For Last," a positively beautiful song that became, in my opinion, a little schmaltzy as produced for the Vanessa Williams hit version back in 1992. It's a lovely ditty, though, and I love singing it. Which is a good thing because it's taken me long enough to learn to sing it properly. My voice teacher and I have worked on that song off and on for more than a year, but I think I've got it now. Or at least it's pretty good now. We did a "live" recording, meaning we recorded the piano and my singing simultaneously. That might make it a little challenging to edit together the very best takes of each portion of the song, but regardless, I think it will turn out pretty good. And the live recording means auto-tune isn't possible on this one, so the final product will be me au naturale.

Recording is a lengthy process, but it is so much fun that I can see why professional singers so love what they do. And if/when the final product turns out okay, all the better!

Los Angeles a Go Go, part two

2011-08-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

As promised, gentle readers, here is part two of my photographic chronicle of my recent trip to the City of Angels. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed my visit.

Party in a mansion

On Friday night I met my friends Emily and Randy at a mansion in Los Feliz for a birthday party. The birthday boy was an old acquaintance of Emily's from her days as a Hermosa Beach denizen, and he opened his home to us and... well, many others. The house was positively amazing, with both Emily and Randy commenting that it looked like something out of Sunset Boulevard.

The view from one of the host mansion's several balconies.

Me and Emily ready for our close up.

The front doors. They aren't green; that's just the way my camera picked up the party light.

That lamp light wasn't green, either. It's a cool effect, though.

Dusty's in Silver Lake

Dusty's Bistro currently is my favorite place to have brunch in L.A. They have several different varieties of mimosas (the strawberry-orange being the most popular), and they are not at all stingy with their portions. Plus, I think it might be owned or managed by someone my age because there always is great 80's new wave/alternative pouring out of the sound system. On this visit I had the pleasure of dining to the sounds of Roxy Music, OMD, Echo and the Bunnymen and Simple Minds. On a previous visit I heard Flesh For Lulu. Seriously.

Dave Wakeling and the English Beat at Pershing Square

An English Beat show always is a good time, even if the band is just original singer/guitarist Dave Wakeling with some musicians he's hired. They played a free show in downtown L.A.'s Pershing Square on Saturday night, and it was a delight to see them and enjoy free music on a Los Angeles summer night. It also was a treat to do something like that downtown, which was regarded as more or less a wasteland after dark when I was growing up in Pasadena.

Whatever song they're playing here, you can rest assured it was awesome.

Just a portion of the crowd.

The architecture downtown is gorgeous.

Los Angeles a Go Go, part one

2011-08-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

I returned for my little jaunt to L.A. this afternoon, and I already miss the Southland. As much as love San Francisco (and as much as what I'm about to say probably disturbs many of my Bay Area friends), my heart remains in Los Angeles. I grew up in Pasadena, and the area always will be home to me. I took a lot of pictures during this mini-vacation. Some are better than others, but I've decided to post the ones deemed blog-worthy in two parts. Otherwise, this would be one massively long post. So here is part one. Enjoy!

The Go-Go's

As I mentioned in my last post, I went down to L.A. to see the Go-Go's perform at the Greek Theatre. In addition to the show, I also took a trip to Hollywood Boulevard to visit their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame because...well, why wouldn't I?

The band is in this shot somewhere. What an excellent show.

Hollywood Boulevard at Cherokee Avenue: the intersection where the Go-Go's star is located. I have a love affair with Hollywood Boulevard. Its seedy tourist trap existence positively delights me.

South Pasadena Farmers Market

If I'm in Southern California on a Thursday afternoon/evening, I make a point to visit the South Pasadena farmers market. I'm not really a farmers market person, per se, but the South Pasadena farmers market is a true community event. It is everything that is good about suburbia, and I love it. It doesn't hurt that it happens mere blocks from my brother Michael's house. So on Thursday my sister Patti and I took my nephew Mikey Jet and his friend Soon Mi to the farmers market before hitting a nearby park. Thankfully, my sister-in-law Maki joined us before too long. Mikey is a doll, but I always prefer it when the parents of small children are nearby.

The famed Mikey Jet and Soon Mi donning elaborate balloon creations I purchased for them. About five minutes before we saw the balloon man, they had been talking about cotton candy. So frankly, I think I got off easy just buying balloons.

Some of the farmers market entertainment. The kids were able to join this guy on percussion.

Tiki Ti

The best bar in L.A., hands down. I try to go there every time I visit, and this time around, I stopped in for a couple of cocktails after enjoying ground beef and pickle tacos at Malo Cantina and Taqueria down the street. Much yumminess all the way around.

More photos are coming, including several taken inside the Los Feliz mansion where I attended a party Friday night and a few from the free Dave Wakeling and English Beat show in Pershing Square downtown on Saturday night. Stay tuned...

What A Way To Go-Go

2011-08-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Remember when the Grateful Dead was still together (when, say, Jerry Garcia was alive), and fans would follow them from city to city to see them perform. Their fans had the time, energy and dedication to follow their favorite band. And perhaps they were a bit nuts.

Well, I officially have become one of those fans.

No, I'm not talking the Grateful Dead here, obviously. On Tuesday, the Go-Go's played at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Then last night they played at the Greek Theatre in L.A. And I attended both shows.

In case you aren't aware, the Go-Go's have been my favorite band since I was twelve. I love them more than my second favorite band, the Beatles, or any of my other favorite bands... the English Beat, the Monkees, the Specials, X, etc. I even love them more than my rock and roll crushes, Buddy Holly and Nick Lowe (yes, I know Buddy Holly has been dead for more than 50 years). And the Go-Go's still tour with the lineup that made them famous (technically not the original lineup, as two of the original members were replaced before the band made it big).

So when I realized that I could take the time off from work and afford a little flight from San Francisco to L.A., it just made sense to buy tickets for both shows. At the Fillmore I got the intimate club experience, enjoying the show from... oh... I'm guessing 20 feet or so from the stage. The Greek Theatre was a slightly different story. My seats were decent, but a large amphitheatre is a large amphitheatre, and even decent seats can feel a bit far away. However, my seats this time were better than the ones I had when I saw the Go-Go's and the Red Rockers at the Greek on August 8, 1984 (my first concert, thank you very much). Plus, thanks to a tip from my friend Angela, I actually was able to attend their soundcheck yesterday afternoon. I only saw part of it because of my flight time, but even part of it was way cool.

Figuring that I may as well make a long weekend of my excursion, I'm still in the City of Angels and will be here until Sunday afternoon. I had a chance to visit with my nephew, Mikey Jet, today and intend to do some singing, socializing and lots of dining for the rest of the weekend. I even plan to enjoy a little more live music.

A trip to the Southland based on catching my favorite band play one night after I saw them in San Francisco...I can't help but think that somewhere Jerry Garcia is smiling.

Tea and Tiny Sandwiches

2011-08-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

My co-worker Connie is pregnant, with twins, no less, and this weekend she had a tea party baby shower at Dartealing Lounge in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. I must confess that I'm generally not a big fan of showers, either bridal or baby, but this was such a fun gathering. We sipped four varieties of tea and munched on yummy sandwiches, scones and miniature cupcakes. We also, of course, lovingly fawned over Connie as she carries two other little people on her 5'1" frame. These pictures only include about a third of the guests in attendance, but I'm sure a delightful time was had by all.

The rest of my weekend was pretty good. Gry, an old friend from my acting days, is in town, and she and I got together for dinner on Friday night. Plus, my friend Megan and her roommate hosted their annual summer barbecue. It was awfully foggy and chilly in their backyard in Noe Valley, but the grill was hot and the company lovely. Unfortunately, I also had to deal with some worrisome family developments, but it appears that they are going to work out just fine. At least I hope so.

I also hope to attend another tea party soon. It's delicate, girly, good fun, and those sandwiches are incredibly yummy.

What's On Your Mind

2011-08-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, gentle readers. It's been mellow couple of days in the land of All Things Sassy, so I'll just share a few things that have been on my mind lately. I know you've been wondering.

Hawaii.
My next trip to Hawaii is coming up in about a month, and I am so excited. We're getting our hotel accommodations taken care of right now, thanks to my friend Andrey (he's a travel agent). In the meantime, I'm counting the days until I find myself back on the lusciously warm beaches of Honolulu.

Songs to try in karaoke.
My band, Sober Nixon, is on a tiny summer hiatus due to vacations, so my singing energy has been focused on training and karaoke. It helps that I've made a lot of friends at my favorite karaoke den. These days I'm averaging two nights a week there singing songs, and I've been loving every minute of it. I just learned "Mercy" by Duffy, which sits perfectly in my range. I still have to practice it a bit more, but it's almost like I was destined to sing it and songs like it. I'm also going to learn Dusty Springfield's "Son of A Preacher Man," "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson and "I'll Follow The Sun" for the monthly Beatles sing along event I attend. I already am familiar with all of these songs, especially the Beatles ditty, but I need to practice singing them. Yes, I practice the songs that I sing in karaoke before I try them in front of an audience. That's probably breaking some sort of unspoken karaoke rule, but since I'm also investing in voice lessons to learn to sing properly, I give myself a free pass.

Self esteem.
All those people who say that self esteem improves as we age are so right. In the year and a half since I turned 40, I have been riding a wave of sky high self confidence. I still get insecure here and there, but I feel so much better about myself than I ever have. I'd like to believe this means that I won't put up with any more crap from stinky boys, but let's not get crazy here. Regardless, I feel great, and those boys all still smell bad.

So these are the things I've been thinking about lately. Exciting, huh? I do have a rather full weekend ahead of me. I just found out that Gry, an old friend from my acting days, is in town, so we're going to get together on Friday evening to catch up. Then Saturday is Connie's baby shower, as well as Kevin's birthday and Sam's birthday (I may or may not be celebrating the birthdays that day). And finally on Sunday is Megan's barbecue. After all of that, I likely will need a weekend from my weekend.

You Say You Want A Revolution

2011-07-31T23:24:00.000-07:00

A beer revolution, that is. This afternoon I took advantage of a little bit of sunshine and enjoyed some adult beverages on the patio of Beer Revolution in Oakland with Valerie, Kevin, Steve, Amanda, Tom, Joo Eun and Joo Eun's dog Bohdi. Several rather potent brews were consumed over excellent conversation, and once the afternoon turned to evening, Joe Eun, Tom and I took ourselves out for Vietnamese food nearby.

It was the perfect end to a lovely weekend that also included dinner Friday night with my college buddy Ted, who was in the Bay Area for a conference, and lunch with friends yesterday ahead of a delightfully relaxing Saturday night. Life is very good by the Bay these days.

On a completely unrelated note, today is my Father's birthday. Unfortunately, he's no longer here to celebrate, but I'd like to believe that he can feel the good energy from me (and lots of other people, I'm sure) thinking about him today. So happy birthday, Daddy. I hope they threw you a big party in the next world.

Summer Birthdays

2011-07-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

It's summertime, gentle readers, which means sun-lit evenings, warm temperatures (well, not so much in San Francisco, but whatever, we also don't get truly cold in the winter) and the birthdays of a few of my very fine friends. Usually at around this time, you can find me in Las Vegas celebrating the anniversary of Andrey's birth, but he is travelling through Europe right now. So no Andrey Vegas bash this year.

However, this weekend I did celebrate a couple of other birthdays. On Friday evening, I got together with my friend Candace, who was in town from Southern California. Our dinner wasn't exactly a birthday party, but her birthday was this weekend, so I think that counts. Then yesterday was my friend Julia's birthday party in sunshine of Dolores Park. A bunch of us lounged on the grass sipping prosecco and nibbling chocolate cake to celebrate the fabulous Julia. It was a perfect afternoon which I followed up with a little karaoke, which in my book, is always perfect.

Foolishly, I didn't take any pictures during my dinner with Candace, even though I had my camera with me. I did, however snap a few shots at Julia's party, and they follow.

A few other people had the same idea as us and also descended upon Dolores Park on Saturday.

Birthday girl Julia and me.

Palm trees watching over us.

Other Julia celebrants.

Look closely and you can see the Bay Bridge in the background, as well as a distant fog bank (the Bay Area's air conditioner).

Public Service Announcement

2011-07-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who has a very bad habit. He puts himself down. On a regular basis. For some reason he thinks he's not smart when, in fact, he clearly is quite bright. He also gets anxious about work, even though, by all appearances, he's rather successful and good at his job. Regardless of reality, however, a self-deprecation habit has taken residence in his psyche and seems quite comfortable there.

I might become impatient with how frequently this friend puts himself down were it not for one tiny detail: I do the same thing. Sometimes without even realizing I'm doing it. Overall, I have pretty high self-esteem and a good amount of confidence, but there are a few chinks in my armor. Often when I put myself down it's because I don't want brag or appear arrogant (I've heard talk that this is common behavior among women and girls). Other times, however, it's just a manifestation of good old fashioned insecurity and ruptures in that generally high self-esteem.

The last time I saw my friend a couple of weeks ago, I offered him a small challenge. I tasked him with taking a minute... the next time he was tempted to demean himself... to forget his own self image. Instead I suggested that he try to see himself as I see him. As his other friends see him. As his kids see him. I suggested he do this just for a minute or even twenty seconds. As an experiment.

I have no idea if my friend took my unsolicited advice, but our conversation got me thinking. What if I were to do the same thing? What if I untangled myself from my own insecurities for a just a few seconds a day or even a few seconds a week and saw myself as my friends see me? I bet if I did that I wouldn't feel any need to put myself down, not even as a way to dilute the appearance of arrogance. Hell, if I took twenty seconds to see myself through they eyes of the men who regularly hit on me on the street, I'd probably feel pretty darn good.

Imagine if we all did that. Imagine if we all got out of our heads and saw ourselves through the eyes of people who like, admire and love us. Maybe we should give it a collective try. For a few seconds. As an experiment.

Image courtesy of the blog Solution Focused Politics.

North Beach Saturday Night

2011-07-17T00:43:00.000-07:00

Last night my friend Janelle and I got together for a couple of cocktails in San Francisco's very charming North Beach neighborhood. While I was just in North Beach last weekend with my friend Traci (see previous post), I don't tend to spend a ton of time there, especially on the weekends. That's quite a contrast to five or six years ago when I was a North Beach regular, in part because I lived in neighboring Nob Hill.

Things change, however. I moved to a different neighborhood three years ago and sort of outgrew the North Beach scene. However, it's nice to go back and hang out there every so often. And Janelle, a North Beach denizen, is one of the friends I made when I used to frequent that part of town more often. We didn't stay out particularly late or do anything scandalous; it was just a treat to see her and get caught up. A girl can't live on karaoke alone, so it's always nice to spend a little time with old friends.

A thoroughly enjoyed Tosca chocolate martini.

Tattinger at Tony Nik's to end the evening.

Nik, Cap and Room

2011-07-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

My friend Traci is back in the Bay Area on business, and that means that she and I get to turn San Francisco into our own private party. You may recall from this post back in April that Traci and I have been friends since college. Since she now lives in Omaha with her kids, we don't get to see each other very often, making it an extra special treat when we do. We try to recreate the good times we had in the early 90's, when we were in our twenties, but I'm not sure I succeed in partying like a twenty-something. I will say that Traci does a decent job.

Last night I decided we should celebrate Traci's arrival in town by running around North Beach and downtown. We began with champagne (for me) and cocktails (for Traci) at Tony Nik's; grabbed some snacks at Bottle Cap, the new restaurant that just opened in the old Washington Square Bar and Grill space; and ended the evening with a specialty cocktail at the Burritt Room. At Bottle Cap we ran into this guy Greg, an acquaintance of mine whom I hadn't seen since 2006 or early 2007, and he happily joined our little party hopping adventure.

The most pleasant surprise of the evening came when I discovered that my very fine friend Pat works behind the bar at Bottle Cap. At least he was working there last night. Assuming he continues, I may have to pay that establishment another visit.

The price for having so much fun last night is a very lazy day today. Aside from a little exercise, laundry and some other household chores, I have done virtually nothing except catch up on sleep and recover from last night. Partying like it's 1993 is a tough job and requires a lot of rest afterward.

Karaoke Reunion

2011-07-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Rosa is extremely talented. She is a singer-songwriter, and frankly, she's awesome. Back in the day (commonly known as 2007 and 2008), I used to sing with her at open mic nights. We also had one "real" gig as a band we created with a couple of other musicians called the Sub Rosas. Eventually, however, our work schedules began to conflict, and Rosa went to grad school. So we went our separate ways... musically, anyway.

Since then, I have been singing cover songs with Sober Nixon, of course, and doing, as you know if you read this little Chronicle with any sort of regularity, a whole lot of karaoke. Rosa has continued to write her own music and recorded an album of sorts late last year. In fact, you can hear that album here. Rosa also is a fan of karaoke (although probably not as big a fan as me), so we decided to get together at my favorite karaoke haunt last night to sing a few tunes.

It wasn't at all crowded when we got there, and even though people did trickle in, we got to sing a lot in just about two hours. I warbled my way through five numbers, and I believe Rosa sang four. It was so good to see her and so much fun to sing that we're already talking about getting together for more karaoke. I know, me wanting to do karaoke again... what a shock! Anyway, here a couple of photos I took last night.

Between songs...

Beverages. For some reason, I always take pictures of the liquor when I'm in a bar and have my camera.

Rosa the chanteuse.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

2011-07-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well, really I just wanna sing your songs.

Instead of watching fireworks, I celebrated July 4th this year by singing songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney (by and large). Last night was the monthly Beatles sing along I like to attend, and I wasn't going to let a national holiday honoring our country's independence from the British stop me from singing English pop songs. The sing along is like an all-Beatles piano bar. Host Joshua Raoul Brody can play any Beatles song in any key you like. Seriously. If you don't know what key you need, Joshua will take a minute to figure it out with you before you begin. I have taken advantage of that little service on more than a few occasions. If you happen to sing significantly off key, Joshua will adjust to match your pitch as best he can. I've never needed that one, myself, but I've seen it happen.

Last night I sang "Hey, Jude," which I'd never tried before, and "For No One," which is kind of a staple of mine...both transposed a step higher than the Beatles' versions. I think I might need to move "Hey Jude" up another half step or so, but I'll experiment with that either at the next Beatles sing along or at karaoke one night.

If you're a Fab Four fan and find yourself in San Francisco, I highly recommend you try to make the Beatles sing along. John, Paul, George and Ringo would be proud.

Our host Joshua and our drummer David.

Liquid courage for those who need it. Since I have no shame, alcohol isn't necessary to get me to sing.

Andrea takes her turn at the mic, as reflected in the mirror above the bar. She's a bit out of focus, but you can blame my amateur photography skills for that.

Beverage, anyone?

Summertime Parties

2011-07-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

Long days and warm nights generally mean one thing: it must be summer. Unless, of course, you live in San Francisco, gentle readers, where summer means long days, to be sure, but also cold nights. And, um, cold days. This weekend, however, a heat wave has kissed the Bay Area, and while San Francisco isn't as warm as other parts of the region, it has been much warmer than it usually is in early July.

This heat wave has excellent timing since this weekend has been chock full of parties. On Saturday night, a bunch of us gathered at Jones bar downtown to celebrate the recent nuptials of our friends Kevin and Olena. Kevin and Ole got married at City Hall on June 20th, but hardly anyone was there, aside from them. So now that they are back from their Hawaiian honeymoon, the time is right for a wedding party.

Then this afternoon and tonight was Tom, Chris and Nick's annual backyard barbecue in Potrero Hill. They usually have this barbecue the day before Memorial Day, but that wasn't possible this year, so they pushed it to the day before Independence Day. Much food and drink was consumed, and a dance party started to break out in the early evening, especially when the 80's and early-90's tunes hit the turntables (think Men Without Hats, Joan Jett and, oh yes, Ace of Base). The party is still going on as I type, but I had to get home because I have to work super early tomorrow morning. And apparently, I have to update this space before I go to bed.

Enjoy these photos I snapped at the weekend festivities. It's almost like you were there!

Kevin and Ole Get Married

The happy couple.

Because every bride should have flowers.

Late May Meets Early July With Tom, Chris and Nick's Annual Backyard Barbecue

Me and Chris, one of our fabulous hosts.

Grill Masters.

Daytime partiers.

Oh, yes, tequila shots were consumed. That's very 4th of July weekend, is it not?

Disco ball. Seriously.

Nighttime partiers.

Work In Progress

2011-06-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

It would appear that I have been neglecting this little chronicle lately, haven't I? Well then, then time has come for an update.

This is a photo of me and my buddy Kevin taken in New York in 2006. I talked to him last night for the first time in more than two years(!), and it was super fun. We communicate pretty regularly via email, text message and even Facebook, but we realized we hadn't actually spoken in a very long time when I didn't know that he has a new girlfriend. Um, he's been with this "new" girlfriend for... well, two years. Okay, then. One of the best things about Kevin is that he and I have known each other since sixth grade and have been good friends since high school. So whether the topic is girlfriends or boyfriends, work, music, the death of a parent, whatever, Kevin is a person I can talk to about it.

It's really nice to have old friends.

You know what else is nice? Working on recordings with your little cover band. As I mentioned in my last post, Sober Nixon has been doing some recording, and the process is going well. Here is an early mix of our version of Blondie's "Dreaming." It's not done yet; Kenn, our guitarist, still needs to record his part, and then we'll likely remove some of the more karaoke-esque sounding instruments that are part of Ryan's recording program. I will say that I'm pretty happy with my singing on this one, although I always can find something I don't like about my vocal performances.

Is it wrong that at 41 years old, with a successful career that I love, I still secretly wish I was a rock star?

Music and Movies

2011-06-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

Just a very quick update this afternoon, gentle readers. I trust you had lovely weekends. Mine was quite relaxing; almost a little too mellow for my taste. However, I did some very fun things, most notably starting another batch of recordings with Sober Nixon. We laid down the vocals (including harmony!) and bass line on our version of Blondie's "Dreaming," and so far, it sounds fantastic. Our drummer Ryan is producing the recordings, which makes sense, given that he has pretty much become our music director. He has made me sound like a real singer or something. I can't wait until these recordings are done. Yippee!

Last night, I wandered down the street to my local cinema to see Super 8. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it as much as I expected I would. Basically, if you imagine what might have had happened had E.T. been befriended by the Air Force instead of Elliot, you have Super 8. A very decent film, but you needn't go out of your way to see it, unless you already were planning on doing so.

Okay, that's all from here. I am off to sing songs, like I do every Monday. So until the next time we speak (or you read)...

(photo courtesy of the blog at voices.com)

Tales of My City

2011-06-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure of seeing the stage production (a musical, no less) of Armistead Maupin's classic Tales of the City at the American Conservatory Theater, and it was a delightfully entertaining time. I even got party favors with my program, including a condom, but I'm not sure that's standard.

Anyway.

I read the first three books of the Tales series back in 1993 or 1994, before I had any intention of moving to San Francisco. By mid-1996, however, I had decided to take on the City by the Bay. I can't remember exactly what I expected... probably something along the lines of a late-'90's intelligentsia-laden Bohemia, complete with dinner parties populated by Doc Marten-donning inter-racial couples sipping Chardonnay and Cab while discussing elaborate plans to save the world. Or something like that. Whatever it was I specifically had in mind, San Francisco isn't really anything like I expected. After all, I had outgrown my own Doc Marten phase and was shopping almost exclusively for Steve Madden platform heels by mid-1997 (I eventually would outgrow those, as well). It's been a lovely ride, though, and as I much as I love Hawaii and occasionally imagine returning to Southern California, where I grew up, I feel lucky to live here.

So the Tales of the City musical inspired me to wander around after work on this rare warm and sunny afternoon (one thing San Francisco doesn't do well is weather; it's usually foggy and cold in the late spring and through the summer) and snap some photos.

Not exactly the America's Cup (that's not for a couple of years), but sailing was not a bad idea this Wednesday afternoon. And most people probably still were stuck in offices while these people enjoyed the Bay.

Ferry Building

This is my favorite building in North Beach.

Several houses in my neighborhood; none of them mine.

The evening sunlight streaming through rose curtains in my own humble abode.

After most of these pictures were taken, I took in a happy hour at the Burritt Room organized by my friend Andre. While sipping a Critical Mass cocktail I just may have persuaded a guitar and saxophone playing gentleman to join Sober Nixon. Maybe. I can't say whether he was truly interested or simply being polite, but time will tell.

You just never know what might happen, as we San Francisco denizens write our own tales of the City.

Sunday Cocktails

2011-06-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

My friend Christine and I have a little Sunday tradition: cocktails and conversation. The conversation usually revolves around boys, and the cocktails always are delicious. We're both busy girls, but we try to make time for a cocktail Sunday at least once a month. Once the imbibing is done and the giggling about whatever silly boys we're discussing has been exhausted, we end the evening with a little dinner.

This past Sunday, we hit one of my very favorite bars downtown, where we enjoyed drinks with names like Blushing Monk. Then we got fancy and treated ourselves to gourmet burgers at Burger Bar. It was all a delightfully yummy fun time, but would you expect anything less from the two of us?

Empty glass, sad face.

Big eyes, small sips.

The symbol of some mighty fine cheeseburgers.

Evening Song

2011-06-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday night, gentle readers. I hope you have had as a pleasant a day as I have. I slept in this morning, as I am known to do on weekends, and then snuggled comfortably under my comforter watching old "Sex and the City" episodes on DVD while some very rare June rain fell outside (it usually stops raining by late April or early May in San Francisco). I then spent a couple of hours chatting on the phone with my friend Jenny, whom I hadn't talked to in I don't know how long. Jenny and I used to take San Francisco by storm quite regularly, meeting boys and generally being fabulous gals about town, until she moved to Boston in 2003 to get a Masters degree. Once she finished that, she worked in Boston for a few years before migrating a few hundred miles south to work on her PhD at Johns Hopkins. Jenny is just a little bit smart.

This evening saw me singing a little number in an Evening of Song organized by a musician I know. It was kind of like a high school talent show, but for adults (mostly) and with more developed talent. I sang Matthew Sweet's "I've Been Waiting" (which Sober Nixon also covers, by the way), complete with back-up singers providing harmony. Other songs performed tonight included ditties by Burt Bacharach and Ashford and Simpson and several original pieces. My aunt and uncle drove up from Los Gatos to take in the show, and several of my friends came, as well. I felt quite supported, and I'm sure my mother would be at least a little bit happy I had a reason to go into a church.

After the songs had been sung, my friend Mary Beth and I went to Hukilau, a remarkably authentic Hawaiian restaurant nearby, for snacks and cocktails. In addition to our nibbles, we were able to enjoy more music as a couple of ukulele players entertained the crowd (along with one very awesome and precocious 7-year old on a couple of songs). So it really was an entire evening of song.

Singing Habit

2011-06-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

I write about my singing habit on this space quite a bit, gentle readers, so tonight I thought I'd offer you a pictorial history. Mercifully, I have chosen to shield you from photos of all the high school talent shows and musicals I performed in...mostly because I don't have any. This is a chronicle of my singing habit once I revived it in late 2006. It begins with the band I was briefly in with some co-workers that year to Daydrinker to the Sub Rosas to open mic performances to Sober Nixon...with a few karaoke shots thrown in for good measure. These pictures were taken at Bimbo's, Cafe Royale, Encore, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Blondie's, the Napper Tandy, a Cole Valley sidewalk on a sunny morning, Joxer Daly's in L.A., Doug's old house and the Rockit Room.

Singing makes me so incredibly happy; sometimes I feel like I don't want to do anything else. So here's to hoping my singing habit revival keeps going strong for many years to come.

(Some, if not all, of these pictures may have been posted on this space before. Please indulge any repetition.)

Do You Andalu?

2011-05-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Let's all wish Katya a happy birthday, gentle readers. Her birthday is today, and her birthday dinner at Andalu in the Mission last night was a smashing success. Imagine sipping all the sangria you can hold (both white and red) while plate after plate of delicious nibbles are ushered to your table. Your imagination is reality at Andalu, and it is all scrumptious.

Katya was surrounded by friends all weekend, including at last night's dinner. Sadly for me, I had to leave early because, as I mentioned in my last post, I had to work early this morning. However, even an hour and a half celebrating Katya at Andalu was good times.

Empty glasses? Worry not, that situation soon would be remedied.

Me and Frances with Birthday Girl Katya (photo courtesy of Katya).

Sangria, anyone?

Susana and Olena.

Jimmy, Julie and Rachel.

Mid-motion toast.

Roxane and Andrey.

Jack and Anne.

I kind of like the way this shot turned out. Believe it or not, that's the menu.

Kevin and Charlie. Serious faces.

Me and the Birthday Girl right as I was about to depart. I think the dopey, tired look on my face in this shot is in anticipation of getting up at 5 a.m. for work the next morning (i.e. today).

In other news, after work this afternoon, I went to a mini-rehearsal for the showcase I'm singing in on Saturday evening. It's an Evening of Song featuring, I believe, 30 singers, and I am one of them. I call my rehearsal today a "mini-rehearsal" because they only needed me for a few minutes. Plus, the musicians who are playing are so good, they needed virtually no time to learn the song I'm singing.

I am so excited! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Card Room

2011-05-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day weekend, gentle readers! (Wait, should Memorial Day be happy? Huh. Discuss.) I began my weekend with a little party on Friday evening. Frances hosted a bunch of us for poker, pizza and Pinot. It was great fun with all the cards we could play, pizza we could eat and Pinot we could drink.

I have to work tomorrow because there are no holidays in my industry (not that I mind; I love my job), but that will not stop me from heading into the Mission tonight to celebrate Katya's birthday. I can't stay for the entire celebration because I have to work earlier than usual on holidays, but if Katya can come to San Francisco from L.A. to mark the anniversary of her birth, I can swing by the party at least long enough for a toast and a hug.

I hope you have a marvelous weekend, gentle readers, and if you have the day off tomorrow, please enjoy it.

Pre-poker and pizza snacks. We already had broken into the Pinot.

Chris is a poker expert (honestly).

You're familiar with fish and chips; how about Pinot and chips?

Return To Paradise

2011-05-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

While I am well aware that I only recently returned from a wonderful trip to Hawaii, gentle readers, I already am planning my next sojourn. This afternoon I purchased airline tickets for a September jaunt. Normally, I wouldn't book a flight so far in advance, but I got a great fare.... the lowest I've seen in more than three years. I must give credit where credit is due and thank my friend Terry for tipping me off to this bargain. She bought tickets to Hawaii last night and shared the glory of the great prices she found.

So now that I have tickets in hand (not to mention a tiny bump in my credit card balance), I'll be spending the next few months imagining how lovely my vacation will be. All this anticipation may be torture, but I'll do what I have to do to endure. Soon enough I'll be enjoying the glorious sunshine, beautiful Hawaiian beaches, warm temperatures and delicious tropical libations.

(Photos courtesy of trueartworks.com and hawaiireporter.com. You've already seen all the pictures I took in Hawaii the last time I was there.)

Orbit and Ozumo

2011-05-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

As promised, gentle readers, here are a few images from my slice of San Francisco nightlife. A couple of weeks ago my friend Katya was in town, so a bunch of us celebrated with cocktails at the Orbit Room. Then there was Megageddon at Ozumo on Friday, of course. Going out in San Francisco is always a happy time, and fine friends make those times even happier.

The Orbit Room

Megageddon at Ozumo

Party Picture Preview

2011-05-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of photos from two recent social events to share with you, gentle readers, but there has been a tiny snag. My mature and wise computer seems to be resisting my attempts to install the software for my new camera, so I have to download (or is it upload?) my photos another way. This problem will be solved easily once I procure a memory card reader; I just haven't done it yet. However, I can tease you with a couple of Megageddon photos that I borrowed from the pre-Judgment Day birthday girl herself, Megan.

Enjoy these for now, and rest assured that I'll have that card reader soon.

Megageddon was a sophisiticated affair held at Ozumo, a Japanese restaurant just off San Francisco's Embarcadero. Here are just a few of the guests in attendance.

Me and the Megageddon birthday girl. I figured that a soiree at a chic urban hot spot called me for me to dress as though I were attending a garden party in 1957.

Three Birthday Parties and One Supposed Judgment Day

2011-05-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

We're heading into a big weekend here in the land of All Things Sassy. Three of my friends are celebrating birthdays, and... oh, right, the end of the world is coming. If you don't live in the Bay Area, it's possible you haven't been treated for the last several months to billboards announcing that May 21st, also known as this Saturday, will be Judgment Day. Or perhaps you have, given that this is a world-wide proclamation.

I noticed the billboards, which were paid for by the president of a local radio company who is making the Judgment Day claim, some time ago and pretty much ignored them. Then this week, Facebook started lighting up with people talking about end-of-the-world music mixes and fake looting parties, and I became annoyed by the whole thing. However, I changed my tune when I read this article of frequently asked questions about Judgment Day and the Rapture. I am particularly tickled by the formula that Harold Camping, the man making this prediction, used to determine that Judgment Day will fall on May 21st.

Luckily for me, my social calendar is full leading up to the end of the world; so I can full on party like it's 1999. (Although, according to Camping, the Earth will hang around for a few more months after Saturday; it just won't be a very pleasant place.) Tonight my friend Tom is having a little soiree in the Mission to mark the anniversary of his birth. Tomorrow evening my friend Megan is having a birthday party which she appropriately has dubbed "Megageddon." On Saturday night, assuming this Judgment Day thing doesn't pan out, we can celebrate with karaoke and ice cream in honor of my friend Eric's birthday. And finally, I have cocktail plans with my friend Christine on Sunday. I suppose if she and I are both Raptured, we can enjoy our libations in Heaven. If we've been turned to pillars of salt instead, I guess we'll be out of luck.

By the way, Judgment Day is supposed to begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday. To that end, is it wrong that I intend to spend some of my last carefree hours on Saturday afternoon watching reruns of "Beverly Hills, 90210" on SoapNet? That's not much of a bucket list, I know, but I do what I can.

(photos courtesy of REM and mayawap.com)

Book Review

2011-05-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

I talk about books quite frequently on this space, gentle readers, so today I thought I'd offer a few thoughts on some of the novels I've read recently.

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. One of the best books ever? Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but this 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner found a place on my list of all time favorite reads even before the Pulitzer committee recognized it. Egan masterfully weaves together characters whose lives intersect over the course of about 50 years or so, and the result is delightful. The chapters could stand alone as short stories, but they also handily connect to form a cohesive narrative. If you read one book this week, this month or this year, I'd recommend Goon Squad.

The Privileges by Jonathan Dee. I seem to be on the same wave length as the Pulitzer committee this year, because The Privileges was a 2011 Pulitzer finalist. A fact completely unknown to me when I ordered this book online back in March. I mentioned in an earlier post that The Privileges is really good, so this time I'll say it's mighty fine. A reader may assume that he or she wouldn't care about about the wealthy New York City family at the center of this story, but Dee's precise writing engages you and makes you care. There is one part of the book toward the end that I didn't like, but that has nothing to do with the book and everything to do with events of my life late last year. So I don't hold that against it.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I can see why this book is so popular: it's an incredibly easy read. I tore through The Help's 522 pages in no time at all. I enjoyed it, but when all was said and done, I kind of felt like I'd read a comic book. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it's also a little obvious. The heroes are obvious; the villains are obvious; and I would guess that any reader who didn't support segregation back in the early '60's obviously would feel good about themselves and their 21st Century sensibilities regarding equality. I remember reading a review of The Help when it was published, and based on that, I thought it would offer a more subtle and sophisticated take on race and class dynamics. No such luck, but that doesn't make it bad. Just a little ordinary.

Home Land by Sam Lipsyte. I've just started reading this one, and I'm not sure what I think yet. On one hand, the writing style is great, and Lipsyte has created an intriguing main character in Louis Miner. On the other, I'm having kind of a hard time getting into it. I'm only on page 28, but Home Land hasn't grabbed me yet. I have faith that it will, though, and I'll let you know how that faith works out for me.

Because I always have a queue of books waiting for me, my book shelf literally is overflowing with tomes I have yet to read. Coming up: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, Jennifer Egan's first novel The Invisible Circus, Bel Canto by Ann Panchett, Nick Hornby's Juliet Naked, the Collected Stories of Dorothy Parker and the memoir Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson on "Little House on the Prairie" (oh, that's right). And those aren't even all the books I have yet to read. If the day ever comes when I can't find stacks of new books, I will be very, very sad.

(photo courtesy of passingstrnge.tumblr.com)

Knockout Friday Night

2011-05-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, I met my friend Carolyn at one of my favorite San Francisco Haunts: the Knockout in the Mission. We had planned simply to chat and get caught up over cocktails and music (I hadn't seen Carolyn since her birthday party back in February), but then I arrived to the most wonderful surprise: happy hour karaoke!

The Knockout usually does karaoke on Monday nights, but this was a rare and completely unexpected (to me, anyway) Friday karaoke session. So I was able to start my evening by warbling a few songs on the Knockout stage. After the karaoke was done, I made the acquaintance of the evening's very nice DJ. I had gushed over his choice to play "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" by the Monkees, and he introduced himself to me. Any DJ who plays the Monkees is a friend of mine, so I made sure to sign up for his event email list.

Carolyn and I stayed for only one of the live bands on the bill that night before heading across the street for a late night snack of cheese pupusas. Before leaving, however, we had to make an appearance in the Knockout's photo booth. Of course. And by the way, the star of these photos is neither Carolyn nor myself, but Carolyn's dog, Widget. He was the star of the night, as well. Of course again.

Luck and Happiness

2011-05-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

It is Friday, the 13th, gentle readers, and to many a superstitious person that means bad luck. Well, I say "phooey" to such a notion. Luck is in the eye of the beholder, and I choose to believe that my luck remains good on Friday, the 13th. Also, I believe we actually create a decent amount of the luck in our lives, but that's another story altogether.

You don't have to stretch too far to see the connection between luck (random luck or that which we create for ourselves) and happiness, and I have been thinking a lot about happiness today. I was in an inexplicably crabby mood yesterday, and today I am in an inexplicably excellent mood. Who knows, maybe it's the magic of Friday, the 13th. Regardless, my mood has me thinking about a lot of the things in life, big or small, that make me happy, including:

A job I enjoy so much that I never dread the start of the work week.
My singing habit. Singing is like a natural anti-depressant for me.
Nice men who politely compliment me on my appearance, energy, clothing choices, singing talent or whatever else. On Monday evening I was hit on by two different men within the span of about two minutes while on my way to my favorite karaoke bar. They were both so respectful and sweet that I was nothing but flattered. Take note gentlemen: if you actually behave like gentlemen, we'll enjoy it when you talk to us on the street.
Good books. I have mentioned many, many times on this space how much I love to read. And purchase books. Currently, I have Home Land by Sam Lipsyte in my purse. I'm only on chapter two, but so far it's freakish and entertaining.
Good snacks and sparkling water, especially Perrier, which I drink by the truckload.
Exercise, even if my daily runs are slowly but surely morphing into brisk walks spiced with a little bit of running. It's still exercise, though, and I still run/walk at least three miles to four miles.
Sleep.
My plans to see my all time favorite band perform live in both San Francisco and Los Angeles this summer. Talk about a summer of love.
San Francisco's music scene. There are always lots of club shows and something for everyone, whatever kind of music you enjoy.
Pretty dresses and high-heel shoes.
Baseball. Even when the Giants lose, as they did today.
San Francisco's many good bars and restaurants. I'm telling you, gentle readers, this city knows how to live.
Jon Hamm. No explanation necessary.
Lots of friends who love me, even when I'm feeling crabby.
Hawaii. I visit Diva Mommy in Hawaii twice a year, and when I'm at home, I take comfort in knowing its there.
Reruns of the original Beverly Hills, 90210 on cable. Oh, yes, I admit it.

Okay, I'll end my list here, although there are so many things in life that make me happy right now. I've made lists like this before; so if you're a regular reader of this little chronicle, I imagine nothing here surprises you. Except perhaps the 90210. Well, what can I say? I'm not ashamed that I enjoy reliving that moment in deliciously bad 1990's television.

(author's note: I am aware that by virtue of being a healthy woman living in the richest country in the world, I am able to take a lot of luck for granted. I had no control over where I was born, and I'm grateful for the random turns of fate that have given me much of the privilege I enjoy.)

Congratulations Denise

2011-05-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Denise recently got a new fancy job in Los Angeles, and to celebrate, we all gathered at Jones in the Tenderloin last weekend to toast her fabulousness. While we certainly will miss Denise and her husband, Charlie, I for one, am psyched to have more friends to play with during the regular mini-vacations I take in the City of Angels. As for Jones, I'd never been there before and was pleased to discover that it's kind of a neat little nightspot. Unfortunately, we were there on a typically cold and windy San Francisco spring night and weren't able to take advantage of Jones' rooftop patio. Such is life, I suppose.

However, if having to enjoy our cocktails inside on a chilly night is our biggest problem, my friends and I have pretty wonderful lives.

I think this cocktail was falled the "Faint at Heart," or something like that. Whatever the name, it was delicious.

This sign cracked me up.

Me, Carla and Charlie. Carla's eyes are half closed here, but I think that makes her look sultry.

Bill, Julie, Irina and Jimmy. Irina was hiding behind Bill's beer on purpose; I have no idea why.

Charlie and Andrey looking like they're sipping milkshakes. However, those are cocktails.

Woman of the Hour Denise and me. I don't love this photo of me, but Denise looks good (even though she thought she looked drunk).

Kevin, Olena and a friend of theirs whose name I must confess I have forgotten. I had just met her that night.

Typical scene in my apartment at the end of the night: shoes kicked off in the middle of the floor. I do always put them away before I go to bed.

Another Chapter from Glorious Honolulu

2011-05-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

I am having the most relaxing weekend, gentle readers. I'm always so busy during the week with work, rehearsals and socializing, that sometimes I love to stay in on Friday or Saturday night. It helps me rejuvenate, and it makes me feel like I'm getting away with something. Since I went to Denise's going-away party last night, I decided to indulge in a little me-time this evening. And I'll probably do the same tomorrow.

I have a few photos from Denise's party to share with you, but before we get to that, here's volume two of my lovely Hawaii pictures. My only regret about accidentally breaking my camera in the middle of my trip is that I wasn't able to snap a photo of the water spouts I saw off Ala Moana during a thunderstorm my last night. They were really cool, but you'll just have to trust me on that one. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy these shots, and I hope you can feel the week of warm, tropical weather radiating from them.

Beach book number one of the week: Joanthan Dee's The Privileges. It is really good. Once I finished that one, I moved on to The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I'm not quite through The Help yet, but it's a pretty easy read, so I should have it wrapped up soon. It's also good and was rather perfect for the beach.

Ala Moana Beach Park.

More sparkly water, this time at Waikiki.

Diamond Head.

A tribute the to father of modern surfing.

More Waikiki sailboats.

Waikiki at sunset. I'm not sure why this picture turned out so grainy, but I like the effect.

Same bikini, different sun hat. Apparently, I like taking this kind of goofy photo of myself.

Late night drink specials. Since I tend to go to bed early when I visit Hawaii, being able to take advantage of late night pricing on occasion is pretty exciting for me.

Beaches, Bikinis and Sun Hats

2011-05-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Good evening, gentle readers. How has this week been treating you? To be honest, my life has been a bit of blur for the past 48 hours. Not only have I been settling back into my work routine, but I came home to a bit of a surprise. My landlord was having some work done on my bathroom while I was away, and it took longer than expected. So I have been living with no shower in my home for the past couple of days. It hasn't been the worst thing in the world, but it has meant showering at the gym, which did shake up my routine a bit. And I really only had half a bathroom, overall, as the work continued. Plus, there have been meetings to attend, errands to run and of course, that job I go to everyday.

Things are calming down, though. The meetings have been held; my bathroom is whole again; and the time has come to share some Hawaii pictures with you. Even though my camera died (okay, I killed it) several days before my vacation ended, I still managed to snap quite a few photos. So I'm going to split them between two posts. Consider this volume one.

Sunset at 30,000 feet (I took an evening flight to Honolulu).

Sparkly water at Ala Moana Beach.

Bikini and a sun hat. I look a little silly in this photo, but I was on the beach, so who cares?

Champagne hour. My mother, who you may remember lives in Honolulu, and I enjoyed champagne hour almost every day I was there.

Sailboat on Waikiki Bay.

Waikiki Beach. I stayed at my mother's place near Ala Moana for most of the week, but I spent a decent amount of time in Waikiki and stayed in a hotel there for a couple of nights.

I discovered a whole bunch of movie posters displayed on a semi-hidden side of a Waikiki hotel. I have no idea why they're there, nor do I know why I never noticed them before.

Waikiki as sunset approaches.

Oh, yes, of course there was karaoke.

That's all for now, gentle readers. Stay tuned for volume two. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend. I'm attending a going-away party for my friend Denise tomorrow night, and then I plan to replicate my vacation by relaxing as much as possible.

Twilight

2011-05-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been said that all good things must come to end, and alas, gentle readers my latest Hawaiian sojourn is drawing to a close. It has been a wonderful time, as my visits here always are, but reality beckons, I suppose.

This trip has been filled with much sun, surf and singing, as well as a few significant current events. Even though I am on vacation, I certainly was glued to my hotel television last night when news of Osama bin Laden's death broke. And on Thursday night I stayed up late with Diva Mommy to watch the Royal Wedding early Friday morning.

I mentioned in my last post that I have photos to share with you. The above is another one from my cell phone that I snapped in Waikiki on... Saturday evening, I believe. Unfortunately, I viciously (read: clumsily) hurled my "real" camera onto some pavement on Friday night and mortally wounded it. However, I was able to recover all the photos I'd taken up to that point from the memory card. So you'll still get to see them.

Okay, I'm off to enjoy the hours I have left before I return home tomorrow. I'll talk to you when I'm back in the Bay.

Just Like the Jeans...

2011-04-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Big news, gentle readers: this is post number 501 on this little chronicle! I only know that because Blogger told me I had 500 posts before I began this one. I suppose most people would have noticed earlier and made a big deal about post number 500, but that would have been so... typical, wouldn't it? And I'd like to believe I am anything but typical.

Anyway, I am writing this, the 501st post on All Things Sassy, from Waikiki. I'm on a little Hawaiian vacation this week, and it has been just lovely. So far, many hours have been spent on the beach (hiding under a sun hat, but that's just good sense), enjoying champagne in the middle of the day and singing a few songs in the evening.

I've snapped some photos along the way and will post them when I return to the mainland. Until then, enjoy this beauty I took with my cell phone yesterday at Ala Moana Beach Park. When you think of me over the course of the next six days, keep this image in your head. It perfectly illustrates my afternoons here.

Fifth Avenue Has Nothing on Us...

2011-04-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

Two posts in on day? Well, in fact, yes. Last night was Julie's birthday extravaganza, and today is Easter... which means my annual Easter brunch tradition. I've been brunching at the same Russian Hill restaurant every Easter Sunday for the last decade, and at this point, some members of the restaurant's staff have come to expect me. Easter 2011 saw my aunt, uncle, two cousins and three of my friends joining me for the festivities. While no one was wearing Easter bonnets, we created our own parade around a table of yummy food, delightful drinks and excellent company. Play your cards right, and perhaps you'll be invited to brunch with us next year.

Mimosas: the brunch beverage of choice.

My uncle David, aunt Mary and friend Steve.

My cousins Adam and Anna, who also happen to be father and daughter.

Of course there was chocolate, courtesy of Mary.

My lovely friends Mary Beth and Carla.

Salad with pecans, gorgonzola and flank steak. I could eat this salad every day.

Mission Birthday Saturday Night

2011-04-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Julie's birthday is this weekend, so of course we had to gather to celebrate. I donned a pretty fuchsia dress and joined the kids at Puerto Alegre on Valencia for margaritas and snacks. Once we had our fill there, we walked the party a few blocks down Valencia Street to the San Francisco Underground Market for champagne and more snacks. It was all very Mission hip and very reminiscent of my first few years in San Francisco when the Mission was my only nightlife destination. All these years later, the Mission remains one of the City's best neighborhoods and surely knows how to host a great party.

Jimmy, Birthday Girl Julie and Roxanne.

Tom, me and Carla.

Julie and her birthday cupcakes (which were amazing, by the way).

Margarita and a cupcake: meal of champions.

The San Francisco Underground Market in full swing.

Norman, Andrey and Carla.

Olena and Julie in a little mood lighting.

Some of the artwork that lined the Underground Market exit.

A self portrait I snapped upon my return home (and nearly blinded myself taking because I used the flash).

Songs To Sing

2011-04-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

Since I spend so much time doing karaoke (some might say too much time, but I would disagree), I figured it was high time I devoted a post to it. On Monday night I spent the evening singing songs with the friends I have made over the past year at my favorite karaoke den. One woman, Kate, was celebrating her birthday, and she was there with her husband, her sister Liz and Liz's fiance Victor, whom I happened to have met and become friends with a few years ago when he used to host a DJ night at a bar called the Attic.... before he even started dating Liz.

San Francisco truly is the size of a postage stamp, so these small world coincidences tend to happen fairly frequently.

Anyway, we merrily spent the evening singing, drinking and eating cake for Kate's birthday. I sang a disco version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (it's better than it sounds), "Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and one of my new favorite karaoke numbers: Natalie Merchant's "Wonder."

I'm not sure if these pictures do the evening justice, but they should at least illustrate the incredibly good time that can be had singing along with pre-recorded music tracks.

It's always important to know the protocol of the karaoke den.

My friend Kathleen made Kate's birthday cake. It was chocolate rum cake. Can you say yum?

My friend Amber spends even more time doing karaoke than I do, and she has an absolutely amazing singing voice.

Some more of my karaoke buddies, including birthday girl Kate in the center.

Sometimes a dance party breaks out. You just have to go with it.

Pacific Heights Sunday Night

2011-04-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

This evening I capped off a positively lovely weekend by getting together with my old friend Anne. Anne, who not only is fabulous but also happens to be a devoted reader of this blog, and I have known each other since the fourth grade. She has lived in the Bay Area longer than I have, and we used to hang out quite a bit when I moved to San Francisco in the late 90's. But a few years ago she got married, and then had her son. So her time is a little limited these days.

She found some time tonight, however, and we met at Solstice in Pacific Heights for snacks, drinks and girl talk. It was quite nice to get caught up, since the last time we saw each other was at my 40th birthday party more than a year ago. And it always is nice to stay connected to old friends.

I made quick work of my first Solstice grapefruit Bellini.

We didn't hang out in the smoke room, but it was, of course, good to know that we had the option.

Kobe beef sliders. They were a little rare but delicious nonetheless.

Anne and me. We don't look a day older than fourth grade, right? Well, maybe a day older...

As I mentioned, my weekend was lovely, overall. I watched some baseball, got lots of sleep and saw the production of Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit currently running at A.C.T. If you happen to be in San Francisco and want to take in a little theatre in the next couple of weeks, I highly recommend this show. If not, well, it's actually a touring show, so perhaps it will come to your town.

Lovely Engagements

2011-04-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well, dear readers, it appears that love is in the air! As is commitment. My friends Olena and Kevin have gotten engaged and had a little engagement party at Infusion last night. Ole and Kevin are just the cutest, sweetest couple, and we, their friends, couldn't be happier for them. Here's a photo of the soon to be husband and wife taken last summer at Andrey's birthday party in Las Vegas (I didn't take any pictures last night). Ole and Kevin are seated in the center and on the right. Andrey's mom is the woman on the left, and Andrey is behind the couch.

As for me, I'm not getting married anytime soon...not that I know of, at least. However, I am pretty fabulously engaged in life. Sober Nixon's rehearsals are going swimmingly. This week our guitarist Kenn binged (his word) on all of our songs, practicing and practicing until he had most of them down. He is such a good musician, and while more rehearsal is necessary, his guitar work sounds great. Add our drummer Ryan to the mix, and we're like a real band or something. I'm so excited for us to play a show! Once we're ready, of course.

In addition to music, there are just so many fun things going on these days. Plus, my Spring trip to Hawaii is fast approaching. I literally am counting the minutes until I will be lounging on a warm beach for eight delicious days. It will be so lovely, as it always is. If you ever want to improve your mood instantly, I recommend taking a little jaunt to Hawaii.

Parties and Music, Music and Parties

2011-04-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a bar on Broadway Street in North Beach, and believe it or not, it wasn't horrifying.

If you don't live in San Francisco, allow me to explain. North Beach is a charming little neighborhood nestled between Telegraph Hill and Chinatown, and during the week it is positively lovely. The weekend, however, is a different story. On Friday and Saturday nights, North Beach is overrun with weekend warriors looking for the next party, and these warriors often are anything but charming.

With all due respect.

The worst part of weekend North Beach is the stretch of Broadway between, say, Montgomery Street and Grant Avenue. These few blocks not only are dotted with strip clubs, but the element that tends to hang out at the regular bars between the strip clubs can be less than desirable. Imagine swarms of people whom you wouldn't want to know and who wouldn't want to know you.

So I was little hesitant about my friend Anne's 30th birthday party, which was last night at Monroe, a new bar nestled right in the thick of the Broadway madness. As it turns out, however, Anne's party was really quite fun. For one thing, everyone was there: Anne (of course), her husband Jack, Melli, Andrey, Carla, Charlie, Denise, Olena, Kevin, Juan, Gigi, Lina, Laura, Mike and Emmie, just to name a few. The list goes on and on. But Monroe actually is quite nice. Classy even. And it was pleasantly crowded but not packed to the gills, even at 11 p.m. on Saturday night. Perhaps that's because it's still new, but whatever. I'll have to go back before the weekend warrior swarms find their way there.

Today, 3/4 of Sober Nixon got together at my apartment for rehearsal. It was just voice, guitar and bass today, but we're rehearsing with Ryan, our drummer, on Wednesday evening. We'll be a solid band one day soon, I promise.

Then this evening I took in the sounds of my friend Michele's band, Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen, at Cafe du Nord:

Please forgive the quality of this photo. I didn't think to bring my camera, so I had to capture this shot with my cell phone. Tippy and her Paddlemen were the first in a long line of acts performing tonight to raise money for Japan earthquake relief, via the American Red Cross. I only stayed for Tippy's set and that of the next band, but my entrance fee still went to the good cause. The show is probably still going on, if you happen to be reading this within of few hours of me posting it.

This coming week should be full of more adventures, including singing songs (of course), another birthday party, some live theatre and dinner with an old friend from grammar school. I also went to junior high and high school with this friend, and we've seen each other plenty of times since then, since she only lives across the Bay. But it's fun to think that we've known each other since the fourth grade.

Finally, just over the horizon is my spring trip to Hawaii. Soon I'll exchange the chilly Bay Area for just over a week of warm beaches, mimosas and bonding time with my mother. Plus, a little karaoke because it would be shame to go a whole week without singing.

Mini Reunion

2011-04-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

My old, dear friend Traci was in town for business this week, so of course we had to get together and did just that last night.

Traci is a friend of mine from college. Sort of. I say "sort of" because technically, I went to college not with her, but with her boyfriend Bert, who would later become her husband (and now her ex, unfortunately). But Traci went to the University of Rhode Island, just a hop, skip and a jump from Brown, and when she and I met in 1991, we became instant friends.

After I graduated from Brown, I stayed in Rhode Island for a few years to begin my career. Traci, meanwhile, was finishing her undergraduate education and working as a nanny for a Rhode Island state senator, which I thought was very fancy. Those few years between my graduation and hers (after which she moved to Boston for a year and then attended grad school at Cambridge) afforded us lots of opportunities to go out and engage in all kinds of twenty-something debauchery. To be clear, our brand of debauchery probably was scandalous only to us and not objectively all that exciting. At the end of the day, we were very good girls... who may have done more than a few kamikaze and Jagermeister shots but not much else.

That brings Traci and me to our forty-something present, and last night we met for a delicious dinner at Amber India before retiring to the Burritt Room for cocktails. We talked about all sorts of things throughout the evening: dating, family, education, whatever. And of course, we did a lot of reminiscing about our salad days in Rhode Island and did our best to recreate those days by having more than a few cocktails. I think I drank more last night than I usually do in an entire week. However, I'm a major lightweight, so that's not really saying much.

Traci is coming back to town for work in July, and I all can say is that I can't wait to engage in even more of our good girl brand of debauchery.

The Burritt Room "Not Tonight" cocktail. So delicious.

Traci and me.

A few cocktails in, we moved on to "Cuzco Flowers." Dim mood lighting provided by the Burritt Room after midnight.

Tids and Bits

2011-04-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

While life continues to bubble along quite nicely here by the Bay, I have no earth shattering tales to tell. Not that that's a bad thing. Everything is really sunshiny in my world right now, and I find myself at least a little excited about what each day will bring. That may sound cheesy, but it's true. It certainly feels better than boredom or the blues.

That said, a friend of mine from college is in town, and we plan to get together on Friday night. After her visit, I should have some silly tales and fun pictures for you, but until then, I offer a series of random tidbits to tide you over.

(photo courtesy of bananasandhats.com)

I love big sunglasses, the bigger the better. They make me feel like Jackie O.
I'm still mulling over what to sing for the Evening of Song showcase I'm performing in come June. I'm leaning toward Matthew Sweet's "I've Been Waiting," but Sober Nixon already covers that one. It's so super fun to sing, though.
Speaking of singing, I've expanded my karaoke repertoire a little bit. "Only the Lonely" by the Motels has become my new favorite karaoke number, and I just added "Wonder" by Natalie Merchant. I really want to try "Fame" by Irene Cara, but I'm a little scared. Cheesy songs like "Fame" are perfect for karaoke, but they can be train wrecks if you can't pull them off... either with vocal ability or showmanship. We'll see how long it takes me to get up my nerve.
And speaking of Sober Nixon, we may have our first gig with the new line up next week! Well, with 3/4 of the new line up, anyway. It's our bass player's birthday, and we may play a few songs, sans drums, at his birthday party. That is, if we can work it out with the new guitarist. If the new line up doesn't debut next week, worry not, we will soon.
Last Saturday night I had two sets of plans but was desperately craving a little ME time. So I blew all my plans off and lounged on the couch. It felt positively delicious. Except that I decided to watch Sex and the City 2 on HBO. I'd heard that movie was bad, but it was worse than I possibly could have imagined. I fell asleep during part of it because I think my subconscious was trying to save me.
I've broken my own read-books-in-the-order-I-buy-them rule and have let A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan jump to the head of queue. I'm about 100 pages in, and I love it. Quite unlike Sex and the City 2, this book is even better than I thought it would be. Jennifer Egan may be my new hero.
I have become obsessed with Greek yogurt. I've seen in the grocery store for years, but I had no idea how thick and yummy it is. Plus, it has more protein than regular yogurt. I've been eating it all week, sometimes twice a day!

So those are your Sassyland nibbles for today. Like I said, nothing earth shattering, but lots of happiness. It's a good life; I highly recommend it.

Smack

2011-04-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

There are only a few months of the year during which I will tune my television to sports stations, and those are April through October. Otherwise known as baseball season. Outside of baseball, my television has no idea what ESPN or Fox Sports Net even are, and it all but reverts to static when it stumbles upon a regular channel featuring sports.

Baseball, however, is different. It's the only sport for which I inherited my father's love (he also adored football, which I hate, and my mother disdains pretty much all organized sports), and the only one I will make room in my schedule to watch. I will say that I do like soccer, or futbol as it is properly called, but I'm a bit of a fair weather soccer fan and really only pay attention once every four years during the World Cup. Really, when you come right down to it, all other sports could evaporate from the earth, and I barely would notice. However, I love my baseball.

Now that baseball season has begun again, the sun seems to be shining a little bit brighter, there is more happiness and music in the air, and everyone seems to be smiling more. At least that's the way I see it. That said, however, there is one thing I don't like about baseball, and that is the smack talking done by its fans. I'm sure this is a phenomenon common to all sports, but as I've just said, baseball is the only one I really care about.

About eight or nine years ago, I considered myself a fan of both the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's. I live in San Francisco, but Oakland is just across the Bay, so I figured the A's could be hometown heroes, as well. Now, I was told in no uncertain terms by a couple of my co-workers at the time that it was unacceptable for me to like both teams, but I dismissed that as silliness. Then something happened to me: I heard too much smack talk being uttered by A's fans. And by "A's fans," I mean friends of mine who loved the A's. They were constantly saying bad things about the Giants, or so it seemed. They were mad about the Giants newer, nicer ballpark; they hated Barry Bonds (keep in mind, this was a few years ago when Barry was still playing, as opposed to sitting in a courtroom fighting perjury charges); the Giants got too much attention in Bay Area sports. Blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine. They sounded like jealous teenagers, and frankly, all their yammering really put me off the team.

So I no longer am an A's fan. I haven't been to an A's game in years, and I never watch their games on TV anymore. And everything was fine until last fall when the Giants pulled off a little feat known as winning the World Series.

*photo courtesy of World Weblog Whizz

That brings us to the start of baseball's current season, and this weekend, the Giants are playing longtime rivals the Dodgers in Los Angeles. I now should mention that rivalry or no, I also happen to like both the Dodgers and the Giants. I'm from L.A. (okay, Pasadena), and the Dodgers were my original Boys of Summer. So that team will always have a piece of heart. However, I'm a home team kind of girl, as well, so of course I love the Giants. Love them. The smack talk has already begun with Dodgers fans (well, just one Dodger fan friend of mine, really) and a few stray A's fans charging that the Giants' World Series win was a fluke; the Giants belong in last place; the World Series win was fun for the whole Bay Area, but of course the A's are superior. Again, blah, blah, blah. Don't get me wrong, some of my Giants fan friends talk smack, too, especially when the Dodgers come to town, and I find that to be equally annoying. It's just going to be a very long season if all of this keeps up.

And if any of this silly smack talk causes me to abandon the Dodgers, I may have to issue some kind of smackdown of my own. One that probably only will involve me singing songs while considering anyone who talked smack to be "dumb," but it will happen in my head nonetheless.

Rock and Roll All Night

2011-03-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last night Sober Nixon rehearsed not only with our new guitarist Kenn, but also Ryan, our drummer... of sorts. I call Ryan our "drummer of sorts" because I'm not 100% sure he really wants to be in the band. He's already in another band (in fact, maybe two other bands), so it's still a little unclear whether or not he even has the time to be an official Sober Nixon member. He does seem to enjoy playing with us, though. So if he becomes part of the clan, I will be thrilled to have him.

Anyway, rehearsal last night was so much fun! We went through almost the entire set list, except for a few songs Kenn hasn't yet learned, and things continue to gel. I must say, it was amazing to be singing with people who know so much more about music than I do, especially Kenn and Ryan. These guys are real musicians, while I'm just learning. They may well elevate my game; at least I hope they do. The new lineup still isn't performance ready yet, but when we are, it's going to be significantly better than Sober Nixon's previous incarnation. Here are a few pictures from the evening that I snapped with my increasingly annoying piece of crap camera.

When all was said and done last night... after three hours of rehearsing... my abdominal muscles hurt like hell, but my throat felt fine, without even the tiniest bit of strain. Which is exactly what's supposed to happen when you sing properly (or close to properly). I may still be learning, but it appears I actually am learning something.

Rules

2011-03-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I... along with many others like me... got terrible news: the fifth season of Mad Men has been delayed due to contract negotiations. That may mean nothing to you, but I have absolutely no idea how I'll make it through the summer without Don Draper. I mean, just look at him:

In other news, you may or not know that I always play by the rules. In fact, my co-worker and friend Rebecca often affectionately teases me about my rule-abiding ways. I exercise everyday; I get a lot of sleep (most nights); I drink plenty of water; I don't do illegal drugs; I pay my taxes on time and honestly; I pay bills as soon as they arrive in my mailbox; I carry no debt; and I can't lie even when I want to because I have absolutely no poker face.

Recently, however, I found myself in a situation where I was tempted to break a few rules. At risk of being overly cryptic, I'll skip the details and merely say that I resisted the temptation, behaved in a way I am proud of and have come out of the situation unscathed.

So I think I've earned the right to stare at Don a little while longer. You can join me in the staring, if you like.

Raining and Pouring

2011-03-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Forgive me, gentle readers. I know it's been a few days since my last post, but it's been a whirlwind here in Sassyland.

For one thing, I think I'm going to have to become handy really quick and get my ark-building skills up to snuff because the Bay Area has been getting drenched over the past several days. It feels like it's been raining for about six months, but I suppose it's only been a couple of weeks. Plus, we had hardly any rain in January, while much of the rest of country was knee-deep in snow. So I suppose we are due for a little bit of winter, even if it happens in the spring.

In addition to the rain and craziness such weather brings, so much has been going on. Last night I attended a memorial for Brendan, my karaoke friend who died earlier this month. It was held at the karaoke den where I met him, and it was a little surreal, as memorials often are. Sadness, celebration and a whole lot of karaoke filled the evening. When I die (which will happen to us all eventually), I hope someone sings a little karaoke, regardless of where my memorial is held.

However, I am not dead yet, and things are going wonderfully in my musical life. I have mentioned the recording project my voice teacher and I have begun, and of course, we have a new guitarist in Sober Nixon. I get more and more excited about our new guitarist every time we play with him. We had rehearsal last Saturday, and I continue to be so very impressed. He's still learning the songs we cover, but he clearly is really talented and knows his way around a guitar and then some. Sober Nixon's last guitarist was great, but I think Kenn (the new guy) really is going to elevate us and make us sound a lot better than we ever have. I'll have to snap a few photos when we rehearse with our drummer next week and post them for you.

In addition to all of that, I've been invited to perform in an "evening of song" being organized by a musician I know. I get to sing any song I choose, along with other singers and musicians in the show in June. It will be just like the T.A.M.I Show, only without Jan and Dean and the go-go dancers. If you're in San Francisco the night of the show, you totally should come. Or least do some karaoke whenever and wherever you can.

(Photo courtesy of the Associated Press.)

Whiskey and Cake

2011-03-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today in San Francisco, we enjoyed the calm after the storm. Or perhaps more accurately, the calm between storms. After a seemingly endless couple of days of rain, the City by the Bay dried out at about 11:30 this morning and settled on partial sunshine. It was a far cry from last night when I ventured to the Mission in a gusty downpour to meet Kevin, Valerie and the rest of the kids for Margarita Club. If you've been to Margarita Club, then you understand why wind, rain and a trek across town didn't keep me away.

We're not out of the woods yet, however, as showers are forecast off and on for pretty much the entire work week. Welcome to Spring, my friends.

On this particularly pleasant dry afternoon, I met my voice teacher Robert for a lesson, and we started our recording project. I've secured permission from my friend Pat to record his song (which I mentioned in the last post), and Robert and I began working on it today. We're in the very preliminary stages of this project and haven't actually recorded anything yet, but I am so excited!

After my lesson, I walked downtown a bit and snapped a few pictures before heading over to the Castro for my friend Roland's birthday barbecue. The party was just the right combination of festive and mellow, and the line of the afternoon was uttered by Jimmy, who proclaimed, as he wandered over to the grill: "All I've had today is whiskey and cake!" Julie and I sampled the very fancy bourbon he was sipping and understood why Jimmy had eschewed most other sustenance up to that point.

All in all, it was a fantastic day and the perfect calm between the storms.

You are here.

My mother used to take me shopping at I. Magnin in Pasadena when I was in first and second grade.

F-Market.

MUNI Metro.

Firing up the grill, literally.

Mokie seriously eyeing Julie's wine.

The view from Roland's back door.

Birthday boy Roland and a few of the party guests.

Luck of the Irish

2011-03-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, gentle readers. Even though I am part Irish (along with many other ethnicities/nationalities), I must confess that St. Patrick's Day, as we celebrate it here in the U.S., is one of my least favorite holidays. It's like New Year's Eve with the amateur quotient turned up about 1000%.

Not at all fun.

There is an afternoon St. Patrick's Day block party in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood every year, and I used to enjoy that... about ten years ago. I think it's safe to say that I officially have grown out of any desire to hang out with drunken morons for hours on end.

What I do enjoy, however, are St. Patrick's Day snacks! My friend and co-worker Megan baked chocolate-mint brownies for all of us working today, and they were delicious. In fact, those brownies were so yummy they deserve their own holiday.

In other news, it is tax season, and that has put me in a very good mood. Before you start to wonder if I'm some sort of crazy masochist, I'll tell you that I'm in a good mood because not only have I already filed my tax returns, but I have received my refunds, and the money is safely nestled in my savings account. Such efficiency has made the taxman a good friend to me this year.

And finally, I'm about to embark on a little project with my singing teacher: we're going to record some songs. The idea is to write songs and record them, but we're going to start with a cover tune. I really want to sing and record my very favorite song from the San Francisco local music scene, so I need to contact the songwriter for permission. Luckily, this particular songwriter is a friend of mine, but I'm still a little nervous about asking him. It's an excellent song, though, so I'll just have to be brave. Then hopefully, I'll do it justice if he lets me sing it.

(Photos courtesy of Megan, the master brownie baker herself.)

Those Were the Days

2011-03-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

I must say, present day is treating me rather well. After a wonderfully relaxing weekend, I went out after work last night to sing songs, as I do most every Monday night. On this particular Monday, however, my friend Angie also was celebrating her birthday, which made the songs a little more festive and caused the evening to run a little later than a normal Monday of singing.

I also drank a little more than I should on any given school night and am a tad tired, as a consequence.

The rest of the week will be a bit more mellow before what should be a fantastic weekend of more singing, my friend Roland's birthday barbecue, live music, Margarita Club and maybe even some vintage clothes shopping. Oh, and last week I was summoned for jury duty, but I never actually had to go to the courtroom. After five days of checking to see if I needed to report, I was able to consider my jury service completed. Now, that is my kind of jury duty.

For some reason, all these good times today are reminding me of fun times in the past. So I offer you, dear readers, this walk down Sassyland Memory Lane:

In 1974 I was the flower girl in a wedding. My mother's friend Rhonda was getting married and apparently trusted me not to fall while I carried this basket of flowers.

I mentioned in my last post that I was a Girl Scout way back when. Here's proof (can you find me?). This photo was taken in 1980 or '81.

Jumping ahead in time a bit... When I was a junior in college I took a semester abroad and studied in Scotland. One weekend during that time in 1991, all the Brown University students studying in the United Kingdom gathered in Wales for a little excursion. And to stand on the edge of this bluff.

After I graduated from Brown, I continued living in Rhode Island. With all due respect to the Ocean State, I didn't last long and couldn't wait to hightail it back to California after just over four years. On the day before I returned west in November 1996, I enjoyed a farewell champagne brunch with some of my closest friends at the Providence Biltmore hotel. Do we look happily sated in this picture?

Christmas 2001. Big, multi-racial families like mine are the best.

I like this photo from my birthday party in 2002 because my friend Daryl looks like he is channeling Lenny Kravitz.

I am hardly fat now, but I don't think I will ever be this thin again. I almost look downright bony. This is my friend Renee and me posing at our friend Melissa's wedding in 2003. I still have that dress I'm wearing. I wonder if it still fits...

Rainy Sunday Bliss

2011-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

While I think we all can agree that gorgeous, sunny weekends are super fun because you can go out and play in all that sunshine, sometimes a rainy weekend day is pure bliss. Especially if you have no place you have to be on said day.

Yesterday was exactly that kind of day for me. The only thing I had to do was a little shopping (groceries, Walgreens and Pure Beauty), and I got all that done in about half an hour while the rain was just sprinkles. Plus, the Girl Scouts are out in my neighborhood these days, so I picked up a few cookies during my shopping excursion. A box of Thin Mints now is safely tucked in my freezer, with a box of Do-Si-Dos (known as Savannahs back when I was a cookie-peddling Girl Scout) taking residence in my cupboard. I wonder how long those boxes will last... Oh, I also did hit the gym to get a little exercise, but when your gym is two blocks from your front door, it's almost like working out at home.

Otherwise, I relaxed and enjoyed the extra hour of daylight, even if daylight on a cloudy day isn't quite as exciting as sunny daylight. I got all of my household chores done on Saturday, leaving yesterday free for vocal exercises/singing practice, snuggling up to movies like (500) Days of Summer and Oceans Eleven (the 2001 remake, not the Rat Pack film, but good nonetheless) and reading a book.

When you don't have to be out in the rain, fighting your way to work or trying to make the best of damp social plans, wet weather is a lovely thing indeed.

March showers feeding some March flowers just outside my kitchen window.

My backyard enjoying a Sunday afternoon bath. This photo also was taken from the dry comfort of my kitchen.

I add this shot as evidence that my books soon could take over my living space. Too bad they can't help with the housecleaning.

Pretty Drinks and Lovely Evenings

2011-03-13T00:11:00.000-08:00

I think I like cocktails not because of the delicious flavors and not because of the alcohol, but because they are so pretty. I met this particular cocktail on Friday night when Andrey, Carla, Olena, Kevin and I paid a little visit to the bar at the Four Seasons. (For the record, the cocktail was as tasty as it was attractive, and it came with candied ginger on the side).

Saturday evening saw me grabbing dinner downtown with my friend Mary Beth and then wandering over to the Burritt Room, where we quite pleasantly discovered that Franco Nero was playing. Good music, good cocktails and lots of giggling filled the rest of the night.

I'm enjoying all of this merriment in my world at the same time Japan is dealing with potential nuclear meltdowns in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami a few days ago. I like to keep this Chronicle light and happy, but what's happening in Japan is just awful. And scary. Plus, much like the death of Brendan (my karaoke friend who passed away a few days ago), it's a reminder that life is precious. The New Year's resolution I made at the beginning of this year was to pursue happiness, and I now am even more committed to doing exactly that. Because you just never know what tomorrow will bring, my lovelies. You just never know.

So embrace and enjoy life as best you can. That's what I intend to do.

Sobering

2011-03-11T17:36:00.000-08:00

Sober Nixon had a second rehearsal with our new guitar player last night, and things are progressing swimmingly. He's learning our set list slowly but surely, and he plays really well. Or least he seems to play well to me. Even though I played guitar myself for a few years back in the '80's, I don't claim to be any kind of expert. I'm so excited we finally found a guitarist we like, though. As much as I love my karaoke habit, I miss my cover band habit.

I'd also like to develop a song writing habit, but we'll take things one step at a time.

Far more sobering than Sober Nixon is the earthquake in Japan. Never underestimate Mother Nature, gentle readers. The good news, in my world anyway, is that my mother in Honolulu is fine, given that the tsunami generated by the massive temblor did little damage by the time it reached Hawaii. We also sustained minimal tsunami-related damage here in Northern California, although some boats and harbors have been damaged, and one poor fellow in Humboldt County was swept out to sea when he and his friends decided to head to the shore to take pictures of the tsunami. He is presumed to be dead.

May I say again: never underestimate Mother Nature.

I think all my new books really are starting to overwhelm me. The problem is that I'm impatient. I've been buying so many books lately, and I want to read every one right away. Last weekend I picked up a copy of Dorothy Parker's Complete Short Stories, and I have had to sit on my hands to keep from tearing into it.

However, my slightly obsessive habit of reading books in the order I purchased them continues. To that end, Dorothy has to wait, and I have to work through the many novels ahead of her.

So in an effort to move the book queue along, I have started reading two books at once. Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem is my new public transit book, and Robert Goolrick's A Reliable Wife now serves as my at-home reading. Because I'm reading them simultaneously, however, I haven't made much progress on either, and I can't really tell you how much I like either one yet.

Do you happen to remember an episode of "Gilmore Girls" when Lorelei teases Rory about bringing so many books she doesn't really need to school that she can't fit them all into her backpack? I'm not in high school anymore, but I may be the adult, real-life version of Rory.

Closing Chapters

2011-03-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

A chapter has closed here in Sassyland, gentle readers.

For the last five years, I have written a monthly column for one of San Francisco's neighborhood newspapers. It being a very small operation, the paper's publisher hasn't been able to pay me for my contribution, but that hasn't bothered me. I like to write (why else would I have a blog?), so I figured I'd do the column, which is a sort of a cool things happening around town guide, as a volunteer side job. I've spent 60 months tipping readers off to what I believe to be the best in live music, theatre, book signings, parties, museum exhibits and other San Francisco happenings. It's been a bit of fun, and every once in a while researching my column would lead me to a neat event I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

Good things sometimes come to an end, however, and I decided in January that five years of writing for free was enough. So my last column is running in the paper's current issue. It's the end of an era for me and the (few dozen at most) people who read my column with any regularity.

From now on, if you want to know what I believe to be the cool things happening about town, you'll have to ask me directly.

On a significantly more shocking and unfortunate note, I learned this afternoon that a major chapter has closed on a guy who frequented my favorite karaoke den in town. He died. I didn't know this gentleman very well; in fact, I didn't even know his last name. However, he was a staple at this karaoke joint and was very nice. He sang everything from Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin to Disney show tunes and 80's pop, and he would always work the crowd. He was young, as well... probably about my age. And yes, I still consider myself to be young.

I bring this up because it's a pretty clear example of how none of us knows what tomorrow holds. So live everyday and pursue happiness, gentle readers. We all get caught up in our routines and get stressed out and worry, but it's important take time to do things that make us happy. For me, those happy pursuits include singing songs, going to music shows, exercising, giggling with my friends, reading good books, crushing on silly men and visiting L.A. and Hawaii. In fact, I'm posting a picture I took in Waikiki a few years ago because that beach is one of the happiest places on earth, in my opinion. Just looking at this photo makes me smile.

I hope looking at it reminds you to pursue your own brand of happiness, whatever that may be.

San Francisco Saturday

2011-03-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

I hope your Saturday is treating you well, gentle readers. I have had a wonderful day after a Friday night of live music. In fact, I've discovered a new local band to love: The Bye Bye Blackbirds. They were first on the bill at the Hemlock Tavern last night, just before Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen, the band I had gone to see. Tippy was, of course, fabulous, but I also really liked The Bye Bye Blackbirds. I love it when I stumble upon good bands.

Today was combination of socializing and getting things done, and the weather was rather lovely (it's supposed to rain tonight and/or tomorrow). Errands, cleaning, exercise and mimosas make for a very lovely Saturday, and I snapped a few pictures along the way this afternoon.

Brunch with Scott (who wrote Fated, the book I gushed about in the previous post) and Brad. We did have food, as well as mimosas, but this photo should give you an idea of the tone of our meal. That's Scott's elbow in the background, by the way.

View from a MUNI bus. Given that I both live and work in the City, I spend a decent amount of time on public transit. So I see many views like this one.

The lily that guards my front door. With a lily just out front, I guess that makes my apartment a "lily pad." Don't worry, I won't give up my day job for a career in comedy.

I love that in San Francisco you can turn a seemingly random corner and all of a sudden have a view of the Golden Gate Bridge (or in some neighborhoods, the Bay Bridge).

A Most Excellent Twist of Fate

2011-03-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, I will just say upfront that I know the author of the book I currently am reading. However, that has no bearing on the gushing I am about to do.

You may remember from this post that on New Year's Eve I went to my friend Brad's party and chatted with his author friend Scott. Fated, which I bought on December 30th, is Scott's second novel, and it is so good. I'm only about a third of the way through it, but so far I absolutely love it. It's extremely clever and very readable. In fact, it's such a fun read that I almost wish I had waited until my Hawaii trip next month to crack it open. Fated would be a perfect beach book.

Even without a beach, however, Fated still is quite a good time, and I highly recommend it. Scott actually gave me his business card (which I have been using, ironically enough, as a bookmark) on New Year's Eve and asked me to let him know what I thought of his book once I read it. If he even remembers doing that, he probably assumed I didn't like it because... well, that was December and this is March. But as I have mentioned on this space before, I have to read books in the order I buy them, and there were a few novels in the queue before Fated.

Maybe Scott will be surprised when I contact him to tell him how much I like his book, or maybe it's been so long that he'll have no recollection of ever meeting me. Regardless, I'm glad fate (or Scott) brought Fated into my path.

Speaking of reading, I think I finally have to acquiesce that my book buying habit has gotten a little out of control. I've been in a purchasing frenzy over the last few weeks, and it's getting ridiculous. Since my local library branch recently got a fancy new makeover, I may actually get... gasp... a library card and start borrowing books instead of buying them.

Maybe, anyway.

In other news, my weekend is filling quite nicely with lots of fun things. Tonight I'm going to see my friend Michele, aka Tippy Canoe, perform with her band Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen; tomorrow my friend Brad and I are getting together for brunch and mimosas; and on Sunday I'll be doing some singing and then cocktailing with my friend Christine. I'd be jealous of the life I get to lead, were not mine.

Angels of the City

2011-03-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

Well, good evening, gentle readers. I am back safe and sound from my little L.A. sojourn, and while it's nice to be home, I always find it hard to leave Southern California. My trip was a bit on the mellow side this time around. I stayed with my sister Patti in Los Feliz, as always, but I hung out in that part of town the entire time, which is unusual. No jaunts to the West Side, no journeys to Disneyland, no day trips to my hometown of Pasadena. I kept this visit basically confined to Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Hollywood.

With one exception, that is.

On Tuesday night Patti and I did venture into Burbank to sing songs at place called Dimples. Dimples has to be seen to be believed. It's basically a karaoke dive bar filled with cheap, worn Hollywood memorabilia. Tuesday was "Men's Night," and as a consequence, the joint was practically empty, but I didn't mind. I sang four songs in just over an hour then bid Dimples goodbye and moved on to the next adventure.

As I mentioned in my last post, I continued practicing my photography skills by snapping a bunch of pictures during my mini-vacation. Have a look.

Pink sky and palm trees over Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake.

Malo Cantina, just before the frenzy of delicious tacos began.

The heart of Hollywood.

Capitol Records.

The famed Pantages Theatre. The Academy Awards ceremony used to be held there back in the 1950's. This week, Avenue Q is playing.

This is my favorite building in Los Feliz: The Los Feliz Manor. It's a fantastic art deco apartment building on Los Feliz Boulevard.

Even though I've never set foot inside, I fantasize about living in the Los Feliz Manor, should I ever move to L.A. Of course, if someone wanted to buy me one of the multi-million dollar homes just a block or two away from the Los Feliz Manor to live in, I wouldn't argue.

The Griffith Observatory and the hills below.

Rodney Drive.

And finally, sunset above the clouds as seen from my flight back to the Bay.

Walking In L.A.

2011-02-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

Greetings from glamorous Hollywood. Or Los Feliz, as the case may be. I'm currently on a little mini-holiday in Los Angeles, and so far it has been so much fun.

I arrived yesterday afternoon, just in time for the Academy Awards. While I watched it on TV, just as I would have in San Francisco, I was watching on a TV that lives only three miles from the Kodak Theatre. So I was practically there in person. Tonight, my sister Patti and I went to celebrate her birthday at Malo in Silver Lake, where every Monday is taco night. So yummy and so cheap on Mondays. You must try it. Unfortunately, the evening at Malo was not so pleasant for the cute hipster guy sitting at the table next to ours. It had nothing to do with the restuarant, but about halfway through his dinner, someone I assume to be his agent called and told him he had not been chosen for an acting job. He seemed pretty unhappy after taking that call. No one said Hollywood is easy.

I'm here in the City of Angels until Wednesday evening, and I've started taking bunches of pictures, which I will post upon my return to the Bay. Until then, it's sunshine and movie stars for me.

Our Castle

2011-02-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight I spent the evening in a castle. Edinburgh Castle, to be precise, on Geary Street in the Tenderloin. Should there be any doubt of this claim, I snapped the above photo of some of their beer taps.

My co-worker Bob turned 60 a couple of weeks ago, and bunches of us gathered at Edinburgh Castle tonight to celebrate. Yes, Bob had a 60th birthday party at a bar in the Tenderloin; he is that much of a rockstar. The party was an early affair, and we Bob-revelers pretty much had the place to ourselves from 6 p.m. until around 9. It was drinks, cake and fish and chips for all. The hipsters that started to trickle in beginning at about 8:30 or so looked at us with expressions of disbelief, but I'm thinking that's just because they just aren't accustomed to so many people being in the joint so early in the evening.

An oldies dance party began at Edinburgh Castle at 10:00, and I had every intention of staying to enjoy the tunes, but by 10 all of my other co-workers were gone (except Ted and Joe, who gave me a ride home), and I'd had two beers and a shot of Fernet. That's the equivalent of six beers and three shots for a normal person who is not the lightweight I am.

The party was fun, and I believe Bob had a great time, but tonight's soiree is not the most exciting thing going on in my world. Not even close. What is most exciting is that Sober Nixon has found a new guitarist! We've only played with him once, but I think he's going to work out, and I am just thrilled. In fact, that sound you hear is the shuffle of my feet as I do a serious happy dance.

So be warned, Sober Nixon has songs to sing and now a guitarist to play them. We just might turn up at a bar or club near you.

Beautiful Mornings

2011-02-24T18:17:00.000-08:00

I am not a morning person. I never have been. From the time I was I child, I always have preferred sleeping late, and frankly, I think waking up to an alarm probably is a form of torture in some part of the world. Or at least it could be.

However, for the past few weeks, I really have been enjoying my mornings. I always exercise before work, but lately I've been able to enjoy longer and more productive workouts because I've been getting up about 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. I also have time to eat a little breakfast at home, which I haven't done on a regular basis in years (my reasoning had been that exercise took the place of breakfast time). Plus, I have been leaving for work a few minutes earlier, making my commute significantly less stressful than when I engaged in my previous habit of stepping out of my apartment at the last moment possible before risking being late for work.

Not only has all of this eliminated the hectic, hurry-hurry-hurry-don't-be-late aspect of my mornings, but I've been in a noticeably better mood as a result of getting up earlier. My morning happiness has been bleeding further and further into the afternoon, and I credit the longer workouts and stress-free morning routine. (Of course, the euphoria does come to an end eventually, and at that point, I generally want an afternoon nap.)

The best part of all of this is that I've found that it really isn't hard to get up a little earlier. Since I have a difficult time getting up in the morning, anyway, those extra minutes really don't make a difference. And I'll trade 15 minutes of shut-eye for an extended period of morning-induced happiness any day.

**Note: This is probably quite obvious, but I did not take either of these pictures. I found them on the Internet, thanks to Google images. Neither my photography skills nor my camera are nearly so good.**

Hello, Lovers

2011-02-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

Normally, I wouldn't presume that you care about the crap I buy for myself, but I am so giddy with excitement over these purchases, I just have to share.

This evening the postman brought me the new purse I bought at sample sale on the Kate Spade website last week. Isn't it just lovely? I actually have the same bag in pink (also procured at a steep discount last summer), but black is better for nighttime use and always is in season. Not to brag, but including tax and the shipping fee, I paid less than half the original asking price for this little gem. Frankly, I couldn't have afforded it, otherwise; Kate charges a pretty penny for her merchandise.

I am so thrilled to have this bag, I can't even tell you.

Plus, the parade of books I have been ordering online is starting to arrive. I'm so looking forward to digging into this Sam Lipsyte novel. It will have to wait, however, as I have a queue of six books ahead of it. For some reason I have to read my books in the order I purchase them. I have no idea.

Life isn't all about shopping, though. There also is music! Tomorrow we're auditioning another guitarist for Sober Nixon. I'm really hopping it goes well, so keep your fingers crossed or pray to the pop music gods or do whatever you feel comfortable doing to wish us luck. Thanks!

If You Can't Save Ferris, Join Him

2011-02-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Presidents' Day, and while many people had the day off, I was at work. However, today I more than made up for that. While virtually everyone else was emerging from three-day weekend hangovers and returning to their jobs this morning, I got to sleep in.

You see, my dear friend Gabriella, whom I have known since the 2nd grade, was in town for business today, and we planned to meet for an early dinner at around 4 p.m. Instead of negotiating to leave my job early, I simply decided to burn a vacation day and enjoy my own personal February holiday.

After getting some exercise, I met my accountant for our annual tax appointment. Couldn't hurt to be a little productive on my day off, could it? That was done just before noon, leaving me lots of time to wander downtown in the sunshine. I procured a Specialties milk chocolate chip cookie for nibbling (if you've had their cookies, then you know), popped into Tiffany to admire all the jewelry I can't afford, visited Borders Union Square to, that's right, check on the liquidation discounts, and snapped pictures of things I see all the time because I am lucky enough to live in the City by the Bay.

Not bad for a Tuesday, wouldn't you say?

Market and New Montgomery Streets.

Tea time at the Palace Hotel.

The Ferry Building as the sun is thinking about setting.

Late afternoon bubbles.

Me and Gabree. Not the best picture of me ever taken, but it gets the job done.

As seen from MUNI: Pacific Heights once day has turned to night.

Nothing To Say?

2011-02-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

There is word that blogging could be on the decline. A recent New York Times article suggests that blogging is just so very 2005, with young people drifting away from the blogging habit. Our youth has become too busy to write lengthy blog posts, the article says, and they apparently are annoyed that nobody reads their blogs. If you refer to a recent post of mine about some criticism of this little chronicle, you'll see that a lack of readership doesn't bother me in the least. That just may be a sign that I'm not terribly young (the article does go on to say that people in my age range still enjoy blogging).

Another reason, according to the article, that traditional blogging is becoming less prevalent among young people: the popularity of Facebook and Twitter.

That's right, those social networking culprits are at it again. Apparently, more of us now are posting cell phone pictures of what we had for lunch on Facebook, instead of on blogs (I know you've seen those pictures in your Facebook news feed). And a 140-word Twitter update seems to have become more attractive than lengthy written discourse. I have to admit that I can understand this phenomenon. A couple of years ago both Facebook and Twitter distracted me enough to leave this site unloved and ignored.

All of this said, there are some (specifically, a blog or two) who dispute the article's assertions and say blogging is as strong as ever. If young people are leading the way, however, and the blog truly is on the decline, what about the old fashioned diary? Will parents and younger siblings everywhere no longer be tempted to tamper with the fake locks protecting books filled with the juicy, hand-written nuggets of adolescent life?

Forget any potential blogging decline, that would be tragic.

If you don't have any diaries to read, I can recommend two of the blogs I like: The Bay Area Brit and Metropolis. Enjoy them before we all become dinosaurs.

Another Saturday Night

2011-02-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

A rainy Saturday afternoon in San Francisco gave way to a very cold evening, but I kept warm over dinner and cocktails with the lovely and talented Chris, followed by beer and parlor games with some of the other kids. How many phrases, titles, or names can you think of containing the word "jack"? How about "happy"? Now try "hot". Oh, yes, we were those people at 21st Amendment last night. Play your cards right, and perhaps one day we'll let you play with us.

So many choices

The Lavender Splash: vanilla vodka, lemon and real lavender

The dinner was delicious, but the desserts were to die for.

Fed and happy.

Strong beers

Zeeshan and Carla

Heidi, Rico and Joel

Sweet Addiction

2011-02-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

I have an addiction problem. Some people are addicted to alcohol or drugs or sex; I am addicted to buying books. Heaven forbid I would walk into a library and borrow a book. No, I must purchase my literature and fill my apartment shelves and table tops with stacks of books.

A girl could do worse. With my addiction, however, comes a confession: I love Borders Books and Music.

Yes, it's true, my first choice for book shopping is one of those dreaded chain outfits. Make no mistake, I frequent independent book stores, as well. My favorite is Skylight Books on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles. I like that store best because the staff plays the most excellent obscure but accessible music on the store sound system. It definitely adds to the book buying experience. (Like I need anything to further encourage my book buying habit.) Green Apple Books here in San Francisco also is awesome. But back to Borders. You can imagine my distress when I learned that Borders has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Truly, it makes no sense to me. In my opinion, Borders should be able to survive on what I spend there alone.

To add insult to injury, I found out that the two Borders locations I frequent most in San Francisco will be closing. What is a book addict to do? Don't say go to the library. The upside to this dilemma is that I imagine the closing stores will have to liquidate their inventory, and that can only mean one thing: sale prices.

Sales are generally a good thing, but that leads me to another problem. My large book shelf already is full, and I'd like to avoid filling every surface in my home with books. Plus, I already have several recent purchases that have yet to be read and more on the way. In the last week I've ordered four novels from borders.com: Home Land by Sam Lipsyte, This Is Not A Love Song by Sarahbeth Purcell, The Help by Kathryn Stockett and the one I'm most excited about, A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. These selections have not even arrived yet, and already I'm thinking about hitting the doomed San Francisco Borders locations this weekend to check out the potential discounts.

I told you I have a problem.

By the way, I currently am reading Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him by Danielle Ganek. I just started it this week, but so far, it's pretty good. When all is said and done with this Borders store closings ordeal, I might need a forklift for all the books I may purchase.

I guess it's also time to buy a new book shelf.

Little Bits of Happiness

2011-02-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the little things in life are the ones that make us the happiest. For example, back in December, my friend Christine gave me a $25 iTunes gift card for my birthday. That's probably the best gift anyone could give me, aside from maybe a gift card for the nearest bookstore or a date with Jon Hamm.

What only cost Christine a mere 25 bucks has made me so happy over the past couple of months. I've been having the absolute best time shopping for music, both purchasing songs I hadn't heard before, like "Commit" by the Blakes (thank you, iTunes Genius recommendation), and ditties I'd forgotten about, like "Secret" and "Tesla Girls" from 80's new wave popsters OMD.

I also did a little digging and discovered Marianne Pillsbury, who not only graduated from my alma mater, Brown University, but also does an excellent cover of Prince's "When You Were Mine." With all due respect to Prince purists, I think I like this version better than the original. To be honest, I don't know any other Marianne Pillsbury music, but her Prince cover is top notch.

Other little things have put a smile on my face for the past couple of days, as well, such as learning that the Kate Spade purse I have been coveting for months currently is on sale, so I actually could afford to buy it. Happiness does not only come in the form of shopping, of course. Sober Nixon is holding a second audition with a potential guitarist tonight, and if this guy works out, that will make me giddy with joy. I had no idea finding a guitarist would be as difficult as it has proven to be, but I'm determined to have patience.

You can bet, however, that once the new Sober Nixon line up is complete, and we actually perform again, that will be one happy day.

Love and Chocolate

2011-02-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, my lovelies! I hope you are having a wonderful day full of love and joy. I am donning red, enjoying chocolates and generally riding the Valentine's Day high. Okay, at this point it might just be a sugar high, but I truly have been in a good mood since I got up this morning.

Back when I was in my early to mid-20's (also known as 13,000 years ago), I was fooled into thinking that I had to dread Valentine's Day if I didn't have a boyfriend on February 14th. How incredibly silly. Whether you're in a relationship or not, love is everywhere, and I, for one, always have a great time acknowledging that love every year. Plus, chocolate is delicious whether you're dating someone or not. If you need a help getting into the mood this holiday, I can recommend a few of my favorite songs about love. Off the top of my head:

The Very Last Time-- Pat Johnson and the Maydays
It Must Be Love-- Madness
You're All I Need To Get By-- Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell
Crush Story-- Too Much Joy
Hold Me Tight-- The Beatles
True Love-- X
I've Been Waiting-- Matthew Sweet
You've Really Got A Hold On Me--- Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (yes, it's a song about completely unhealthy, dysfunctional love, but that totally counts)
Sweet Darlin'-- She and Him
Be My Baby-- The Ronettes
Beneath the Blue Sky-- The Go-Go's
River Deep, Mountain High-- Ike and Tina Turner
Rhythm of Love-- Plain White T's
The Real World-- The Bangles

Tonight I'm going to continue celebrating by singing a few songs and enjoying a few cocktails. And knowing me, probably eating some more chocolate.

From Russia With Love

2011-02-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

The annual Russian Festival has hit San Francisco this weekend. My friends Andrey and Irina, both of whom are Russian, are working the festival on behalf of Russian Connections, a travel agency where Andrey works with Irina's mom. Not one to miss a party, I joined Irina and Andrey last night, along with a gaggle of our other friends, for opening night of the festival. Food, music and Russian tchotchkes were enjoyed by all. Oh, and of course there were flavored vodka shots. The chocolate vodka was my personal favorite. The festival continues all weekend, if you're interested, and I imagine there is some chocolate vodka left.

Everyone's A Critic

2011-02-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

In my continuing effort to keep this space up to date and not have a repeat of 2009 when All Things Sassy found itself woefully neglected, I really wanted to post an update this evening. However, it's been a pretty mellow couple of days featuring not much more than lots of sleep, exercise, work, a little bit of singing and my favorite television shows. Personally, I have enjoyed the time quite a bit, but none of it really makes for compelling reading. So I was stuck.

Then the universe threw me a bone.

A couple of hours ago, an anonymous reader added a rather scathing comment to my last post. I have to approve comments before you can see them, and initially, I assumed this one was spam. However, spam comments usually reference pornography or contain some kind of dubious link, and this comment did neither. Plus, it was obvious what whoever wrote it was familiar with the content of this blog. And let me tell you, he or she is most unimpressed with what is to be found here.

My first instinct, once I was done rolling my eyes, was to delete the comment. After all, why reward that kind of negativity, especially since the writer was too cowardly to identify him or herself? However, I read it a second time and found it to be really rather hilarious in its judgement. So I decided not to publish it as a comment but give it an entire post of its own and copy and paste it here. But then I started thinking about privacy on the Internet and the lack thereof, especially if you chronicle your life on a blog, complete with photos. That made me concerned that if, perhaps, the person who wrote the comment is crazy, then publishing his or her exact words might encourage further insane behavior, like stalking.

Okay, maybe I have an active imagination and have seen too many Lifetime made-for-TV movies.

In the end, I decided to merely paraphrase what the comment says because there is a reason I want to write about it. This gentle anonymous reader kindly suggested that I stop being so phony and vapid and post some real content here, such as what bothers and torments me, as opposed to focusing on shallow and silly singing adventures, parties or other activities I might enjoy. Were I to get real and take this advice, Mr. or Ms. Anonymous believes that I might actually get some readers. [Um, I'm going to take a moment to point out again that this person clearly has read at least parts this blog, but I imagine that's probably beside point.]

I bring this comment to your attention because it is true that I only choose to discuss parts of my life here. I've been found out. I'm not happy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Plenty of things bother me; I feel sad on occasion; and more than one stupid boy has been known to torment me in my day. However, I don't post about that stuff, and would you like to know why? Because it is boring and tedious. Nothing bores me more on a blog than a complaining author. Now, it is true, some blogs focused on serious topics can be quite compelling. Case in point: an old friend of mine from high school has breast cancer, and she is chronicling her battle on a blog. The result is an inspiring, frustrating and very affecting read. However, too many blogs are nothing more than a series of rants and whines that I find to be incredibly self-indulgent. Yes, even more self-indulgent than my parade of posts about singing and socializing.

The blogs I like to read highlight the interests and adventures of the writer. Interests like music, movies, raising kids, food, fashion, politics, whatever. That's what this blog is: a glimpse of what I enjoy in life. I blame no one for getting bored by all the posts about singing, but it's what I do. I also happen to be very smart, well educated, and I keep up with current events. So I'm certain I have plenty thoughts that many, even the anonymous commentator, would consider to be deep and real. But at the end of the day, I am an employed, healthy American woman... meaning I lead a rather privileged life. I'm not saying that's fair, but it's the way the world is, and I can't imagine anyone wants to hear me whine about my first world problems. I know I don't.

Therefore, you aren't going to read any whining... excuse me, about my torments... here. Don't worry, my feelings won't be hurt if you consider that position to be phony and vapid and want to move on to other blogs. My five readers and I will be just fine.

Beatlemania

2011-02-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite events in San Francisco, and one that leaves me feeling very talented every time, is the monthly Beatles sing along at a downtown cafe and bar. It's possible I've written about this event before, but if so, bear with me because its praises are worth singing repeatedly (so to speak). The sing along is basically karaoke with live accompaniment, and it's all Beatles! The live accompaniment usually consists of keyboard and percussion, but a guitar has been known to get into the mix, as well. The cafe bills this event as the Fab Four getting "piano bar treatment," but in my opinion, it's so much better than a piano bar.

Now, let me clarify one thing. I can croon the Beatles fairly well, and sometimes my renditions are quite lovely. However, the credit for me feeling so talented each time I attend the sing along must go to Joshua, the musician who runs it, and those four lads from Liverpool who wrote all these songs in the first place. It's not that hard to sound good when singing a simple but brilliant pop song that you've known by heart for decades. As for Joshua, he can transpose on the spot, so you always can sing whatever song you choose in the key that's right for you. If you don't what key you need, Joshua will take a few moments to figure it out with you. Plus, when someone gets up who is enthusiastic but perhaps pitch challenged, Joshua occasionally will change the key in the middle to match what the singer is singing (he's never had to do that with me, but I like knowing such a bailout exists).

I went to this little sing along last night, and of course, it was so much fun. I'd been doing a little traditional karaoke beforehand, so I was already all warmed up. I sang "I've Just Seen A Face" and "For No One" with a glass of Chardonnay in hand before needing to scoot away and head home. The monthly sing along makes me feel like all those times I sang Beatles in high school talent shows were not in vain. I certainly sound a lot better now than I did back then.

Super Sunny Sunday

2011-02-06T21:41:00.000-08:00

As you may be aware, there was a little football game this afternoon. Honestly, I don't give a hoot about football, but I do like parties. So I trotted over to my friend Megan's for her Super Bowl party, where, because I was born in Green Bay, I rooted for the Packers. Megan's affair was billed as a Super Snack Party, and she certainly delivered on those snacks. We enjoyed homemade spring rolls, chicken wings, 7-layer dip and cupcakes (and we all certainly will be hitting the gym tomorrow).

The Packers showed their appreciation for my support by having the courtesy to win the game, and I even managed to pay attention to a good portion of it. I tend to care about Super Bowl commercials about as much as I do football, but I did notice a couple of cute adverts, as well. I liked the Bud Light ad which featured the wild west characters singing Elton John and the "House" promo that referenced the 1970's Coca Cola commercial with Mean Joe Green. I imagine a "House" promo doesn't count as a real commercial, but I thought it was clever... even if I was the only person at Megan's party old enough to remember that Mean Joe Green Coke ad when it actually aired.

In my continuing effort to teach myself decent photography skills, I snapped a few pictures of the festivities. They hardly qualify as art, but they get the job done.

My beverage of choice. Who needs beer when sparkling wine is available? Plus, the Vitamin C in the orange juice makes a mimosa practically health food.

I have no idea if people are watching the game or commercials at this point, but they seem riveted.

Happy partiers.

Megan's chocolate-sour cream cupcakes. I bet they have these in Heaven.

Me with the hostess. Any occasion is the perfect occasion for me to don my Nanette Lepore red cherry dress, even a Super Bowl party in Megan's kitchen.

In other news, we enjoyed some amazing weather in San Francisco this weekend. Summers in the City by the Bay may be cold and foggy, but this February weekend saw nothing but sunshine and temperatures well into the mid-to-upper 70's. Take that, winter! Plus, I did a fair amount of socializing in addition to Megan's party. On Friday night I sang songs with my friend Ash and some of his buddies, and on Saturday evening I helped my friend Andrew celebrate his 40th birthday and his recent engagement.

I could get accustomed to a life full of weekends as lovely as this one.

Let the Sunshine In

2011-02-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

Life keeps bubbling along during our mild San Francisco winter. I went for a jog this morning and was treated to a beautiful view of the fog hugging the distant hills while my route was bathed in sunshine. I really wished I had a camera with me... and that I knew anything about real photography.

Aside from good weather for my morning exercise routine, all is the same in my world. The search continues for a new guitar player for Sober Nixon. Can a process be both encouraging and frustrating? If so, that is exactly how I would describe our guitarist search. We have a couple of leads so far, and I'm hoping for more. I figure the more potential candidates, the more likely it will be that one or two will work out. I also really want to start writing songs at some point, but I need a collaborator for that since I don't play any instruments (unless you count my voice). One step at a time, however. I need to get all the players in my cover band set before I start thinking about the daunting task of creating my own music.

The weekend ahead certainly looks promising. I'm looking forward to sleeping in, as I do every weekend, and the series of parties and other social activities that are shaping up. They include, but are not limited to, a classic soul dance party, a birthday party and a Super Bowl party. In all honesty, I could not possibly care less about the Super Bowl. However, it would be impolite to decline an party invitation, now wouldn't it? My thoughts exactly.

I now shall leave you with a photo of one of my biggest crushes on this, the 52nd anniversary of his death. Nerdy and a musical genius; I defy anyone to try and convince me Buddy Holly was not the perfect man.

February Forward

2011-02-01T11:08:00.001-08:00

At risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm going to repeat a sentiment I've expressed on this space many times before: January and February are my least favorite months of the year. However, before you roll your eyes in exasperated boredom and think something like, "Can't she just get over it already? January and February come every year..." hear me out. The good news about January and February is they are not infinite, and once February begins, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

You see, February has the courtesy to be significantly shorter than January. Well, just three days shorter, but I'll take those three days. So it goes fast. Several of my oldest and most precious friends celebrate birthdays in February, as does my one of my sisters. There really are only two significant birthdays in my world in January. Also, right about now I start noticing that the days are getting longer. Plus, something is happening tomorrow that I'm really excited about. I don't want to jinx it yet, but believe me, I'll tell you all about it if it works out.

All of this is to say that just the fact of February's arrival usually improves my mood. A few other things I'm looking forward to now that February has begun:

Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day, even though I rarely have had a really significant (or memorable) boyfriend on February 14th. Perhaps that's why I love it: no pressure. Besides, I look good in red and like candy.

The Academy Awards. I unabashedly love the Academy Awards, and this year I have seen four of the ten films nominated for Best Picture. That's rare for me since I am so lazy about seeing films in the theatre or even renting them. Usually, I just wait a year or two for any given movie to be shown on HBO. I'm rooting for The King's Speech this year, but that's hardly a risky bet. (I believe I need to say at this point that the Academy Awards and Oscar image are trademarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.)

Hawaii. I go to Hawaii twice a year: once in the spring and once in the fall. The official reason I go is to visit my mother, who lives in Honolulu, but why not enjoy the beach while I'm there? February is when I start thinking about and planning my spring trip. I even had a dream about airfares last night. Seriously. I snapped the above photo during one of my previous visits.

I had to add another photo from Hawaii because... why not?

I hope February 1st is treating your mood as nicely as it is treating mine. Enjoy the increasing minutes of daylight today!

Two Rooms: Rrazz and Burritt

2011-01-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday evening, dear readers. I trust you had lovely weekends. As, for me, I did a bit of karaoke after work on Friday, had a voice lesson this afternoon and spent the last Saturday night of January 2011 in the pursuit of live music.

The evening began at the Rrazz Room where San Francisco chanteuse Paula West (pictured above) is in the second week of an eight week run. I have seen Paula West many times before and have written previously about her shows on this very space. However, I cannot say often enough how amazing she is. Her voice is beautiful, and her performances can charm even the most cynical music aficionado. This particular run is filled with numbers from Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Oscar Brown, Jr., and Bob Dylan, among others. With cocktails in hand, my friend Terry and I soaked up every luscious note. It was like being transported to a jazz club of the 1950's (excepting the Dylan tune and a few others, that is).

After Paula was done, I bid Terry farewell and scooted the few blocks from the Rrazz Room to the Burritt Room for more live music. I was going to the Burritt Room show somewhat blind, as I hadn't heard either band on the bill before. It sounded interesting, however, so I decided to check it out. Let me tell you, I am so glad I did because I have discovered another band to add to my list of new favorites: The Allah-Las.

The Allah-Las (featured in the photo to the left) are from Los Angeles and play psych-pop with an obvious 60's influence, and I now love them. Their sound is somewhat similar to The 88, another L.A. 60's-esque band that recently captured my heart. If you want to win me over, play really good pop music reminiscent of the 60's, and I'll pretty much be yours for life.

The headliner at the Burritt Room was Nick Waterhouse and the Tarots. They're from San Francisco and are pretty good, as well. They have kind of a 1950's/1960's soul sound and remind me of Ron Silva and the Monarchs, another San Francisco band. I left before Nick and his Tarots were done because it was very crowded, and...well, I'm old. However, all in all, the show was great.

An evening of standards and new gems. Music hopping worked out well for me this weekend and perhaps is an indication that 2011 will introduce me to even more new favorite bands.

(Note: photos in this post courtesy of Paula West's publicity portfolio and L.A. Record. Also, no, I have no idea why the Rrazz Room is spelled with two "r"s.)