Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Summer in the City


This ice cream represents my summer eating habits. I made the mistake of buying a tub of Trader Joe's Coffee Bean Blast ice cream, along with a package of cones and have been rewarding myself with ice cream treats on a regular basis.

Rewarding myself for what?

Well, um...

Hard yoga classes?
Books read?
Signing the contract for my forthcoming novel?

Actually, I am just reveling in the wonder that is summer.

But speaking of books read:



I'm poring through them right now because I know once school starts my extracurricular reading will come to a halt.

My sister bought me this one last year and I'm excited to start it once I finish...


...this one, from a fellow UC Davis grad and someone I coincidentally sat across from at a writing event.

Have also enjoyed the following movies and plays:
















Thursday, July 10, 2014

Beauty by the Bay

Well, that was fun.

Had a great trip to the Bay Area, visiting Lafayette, Berkeley, SF, Petaluma, Redwood City and Menlo Park.  San Francisco was showing off with clear skies and perfect weather. I walked around like a tourist, taking pictures from every hill. Well, actually I WAS a tourist. It's been 20 years since I've lived there. SO HARD TO BELIEVE. I am in denial about the passing of time. An example of this is: when crossing the Bay Bridge, I picked through my purse for a dollar to pay the toll, completely forgetting that it was a dollar 20 years ago. It is 5 dollars now. Ooops.

It was great to see so many old friends, and new ones, too.


Twenty years ago I lived in this apartment (pic to the right) ------->
My unit was toward the back of the building, so I didn't have the Bay Windows, and also the building was grey and maroon when I lived there...
City Light Bookstore. It was so much fun browsing (and buying) in an actual bookstore. I'm so used to clicking on Amazon to purchase books, and even more frequently clicking on my Kindle to download books. Visiting City Lights and Green Apple, as well as some others, made me realize how much I miss the real bookstore community - the smell of books, the helpful advice of people... Above, my friend Amelyn poses for my pic by reading a book upside down. Book humor.

Beautiful Coit Tower.

Surprise visit with an old friend (Daniela) who happens to live in Redwood City...

Lisa's puppy: "GG". OMGG, I love this doggie. Such a cuddler. Those ears, that personality. 


Happy in the Bay Area.