relaxin' at coronado

my trip to SD during the 1st to the 6th was primarily work-related with smatterings of social stuff going on. (apologies for not meeting up with some folks.) because i stayed in the chula vista area, while work/social stuff was in the SD area, i made a point to just lug stuff around so i wouldn't have to drive back and forth. and coronado is a good place to just hang.

one of the places i enjoy just resting/listening to music/reading is over near the coronado ferry landing. there is a nice view of san diego.

after brunch, i headed over where there is a little beach and a lawn along a walk/bike path where one can just hang out ... and trees for just enough shade. lay on the lawn, look over at SD, look up at the trees.

so nice.

day ? (sunday) in SD - evening-ish

... at ono sushi, end of bar, large asahi, waiting for d&m for din. evening inventory since wed - flights at wine steals (pt. loma) + 2 spanish red wines, 2 v gimlets, 1 pomegranate marg shaker, 1+ glass wild horse pinot (?), and diet coke.

SD sunday with t & sha at ...

... hash house a go go for brunch.
(we missed ya, magz)

(i was actually on time for the 0930 meet-up. yea. i. was. early.) coffee drinks? smores mocha pour moi.

pour t? cinnamon roll a go go, and we all realized that stick was quite slender compared to other sticks todd has had cinnamon stick was quite a neat little accessory for his coffee drink.

pour sha? regular ol' latte. but she had quite the meal o' rama! uh-huh. something with hot red sauce type thing around the plate, the signature rosemary mega-sprig ... perhaps the HH original with smoked bacon, fresh tomato, fresh spinach, roasted red pepper cream and topped with two basted eggs ...?

two basted eggs. why yes! that's what sha had. food with two basted eggs. and t and i?

we were a bit less colorful. we didn't have two basted eggs. the signature sprig accompanied a #3 farm scrambles for me. t had something special-ish (to go with his stick, i guess) - looks kinda like an omelette thingy with ham, onions, avocado, and maybe other stuff. no basted eggs for him.

a fun time had by all - with or without two basted eggs!

wait! one other tidbit - thanks to t for the key words that allowed me to find the video on-line from his recent atlantis baltic cruise with his roomie! oh, roomie! (see, i'm nice enough not to post the video.)

day 3 morning-ish ...

... after a work-related public workshop event this morn, the quote for the morn, when someone asked the agency to consider making a change to the proposed agency action ...

"we'll consider that but not for very long."

day 2 yesterday-ish in SD ...

... work-filled day with fun in between. traffic-ish from chula vista to fave coffee place (influx) with a siting of artist-dude (but no belt-loop boy) while working on deliverable originally due tues (and yesterday was thurs?!). had to leave sooner than expected - did not finish deliverable prior to work meeting, which was at least totally productive. lunch with a. l'il shopping (nothing purchased, several pieces tried on) afterwards, just before re-influxing (and getting the way-yummy mango oatmeal cookie) for a l'il more work. then haircut with justin (whom we love-love-love) and quite the dish of topics with him. left at 6:15 from hillcrest to head up to carlsbad for client din-din mtg at bistro west (oh! the client for which the deliverable STILL had not been provided. thanks, client, for being patient and tolerant). back to chula vista ~ 10:45 pm (just as yesterday's late night) to chat it up with j and do a l'il more work!

Day 1 - evening-ish in SD

... and did a tasting + 2 glasses of wine - a malbec and some spanish wine (no se). phrase of the evening overheard - "you can't rape the willing." r as the tasting dude. met tanya. met michelle. saw wayne from way back in late '90s. checked out esca (pinot grigio, cab, syrah, zin). kelly is nice. next stop? - maybe macy's. then off to CV.

day 1 in SD - noon-ish ...

... touched ground. awesome weather. on the plane, started j.hodgman's "the areas of my expertise" on my ipod. (chuckle. smirk.) now on shuttle to head to gold to get my rental. perhaps a pedi afterwards. definitely the oatmeal/mango cookie at influx and work a bit. meet-up w/b, then meet-up w/r. dunno where for din-din. staying in CV at r&j's place while in SD. more later.

and around this time last year ...

hmmm ...?
that would be june 2006
always sunny in SD

[urban tree??? click pic.]

ahhh ... just reminiscing. wait. uhm.

uh ... hmmm ... i knew there was something (?) -
something else going on in the BA around this time last year

[details? click pic for some of last year's l'il details - via more links to links]

oh, the memories of good ol' butthead days.

it was begging the pose! i tell ya ...

... i am CERTAIN i am not the first person (and i will not be the last)
who chose this politically incorrect pose
at the fountain in del mar plaza in SD area.

wouldn't YOU partake?!
(or at least coerce guilt dare someone to do so)

l, r & i talked about my NOT (WAY NOT) posting this. however, r parenthetically commented ...

... (that's definitely a memory maker moment)
Happy Memorial Day ladies.

so i share this greeting with you all (uh ... like all 5 regular-ish visitors) ... as i am ALSO CERTAIN that IF i had a potential future in politics, THIS would NOT be the deal killer.

more in SD, day 2 (thurs)

... thursday was a big mix of activities - bkfast with l at champagne bakery, off to a mtg (APPS/CIT) at the SDAPCD ...

off to a lunch mtg with e to discuss current thoughts and rediscover my passion for my business and for establishing more balance ...

coffee + cookie (THE oatmeal mango cookie) at influx ...

back to t's for work, until t had to pedal off into the sunset...

then meet-up with ... l and r for drinks, din, dessert, and dish.




yes, there is a bit of a theme o' entertainment.

meeting up in SD

just a quick post about my wednesday in SD ... in my not-so-compact ford escape, as i drive over to my little SD area office ...



yup! my l'il office in cardiff (thanks, tanya!)


and then i took a l'il break at influx to meet with ben and catch up. (be strong, ben, for your sister!) before din-din.

met up with my friends, l & s, for din at vagabond (where else?!).


of course, had quite an awesome meal and great conversation.




after din-din ... met up with l for a night cap and more fun conversation.

cheers!
(and guess what this drink is?!)

(uh, that's b (on the left) whom we met.
he was sitting near l & me, imbibing,
and also in town for the meeting l is attending.)

(must sleep, now!)

in SD - saturday artwalk

artwalk

people. live music.

paintings. photography.

just a l'il sprinkle of

ceramics, glass, sculpture, jewelry.

i think i saw some prismacolor pencil. woodwork. sunshine. warm weather. strollers. mimes. dogs. printmaking.
spanky's porto toilets (and the spanky's attendant, also).
uh - lots of booths with stuff.

and kelly, f'sure!!! (surprise!)

absent a commission (still in thought), i will soon have plumerias in my BA home.
(it's the one just across from my elbow.)

oh.
food and new friends.
this is alex.
he lives in my former SD home. (tear)

(thanks, photographer mike,
and thanks for driving down from hermosa!)

in SD - day 1 and my room/board

... just had lunch w/a & r at lit'l pepper deli, coffee with b at influx, and drinks/din with r at zócalo & old venice. and for room & board, my former landlord's beautiful home - and fun kitchen / dining area!

get your spatial bearings
and stroll through the kitchen / dining area

hmmm ... i'm a l'il thirsty.

maybe i'll head over and sit at the counter

or i'll hang out in the dining area

where to sit? where to sit?

y'know, i should turn of the lights

there is enough natural light, eh?

o.k. - let me clean my glass

now i shall relax and play this instrument i found
after i fix the strings

or maybe i'll just enjoy the design

... and explore landlord's home some more!
tomorrow - artwalk!

artwalk '07 in SD this wkend (i'll be there!)

... yes. i will be there, as i was last year. am prepared for saturday - camera, cash, credit card, and sunscreen. at a minimum, i am excited that i will get to see kelly and adolfo. and of course, there will be some work time involved (given i'll cover the weekend from fri to mon in SD). there will be a casual and mellow ono visit to say "ciao" to kairou. and the rest of the time? i dunno. moving thru the life stuff, so i'm playing by ear.

SD dude in BA at OAK when i got back from DEN

"don't you just hate waiting for people?!"

i thought it was just the obnoxious smoker that was lurking behind me while i was curbside at OAK (aka the oakland airport).

turns out i actually knew the obnoxious smoker. he recognized me from my logo fleece. meet jason ... from SD. he was working for a client i had (scary-ish client, but interesting & challenging!)
[blast from the past, kinda, i guess.]

chance encounter? let's see ...

• me - coming back home from DEN
  
• jason - arriving from SD to attend an AWWA conference in oakland
  
• my ride was late ~ 1-hour; i was curbside at terminal 1 (and there is lots of curbside from which to choose)
  
• jason was smoking a cig at terminal 1, while waiting for his wife who was picking up their luggage at terminal 2 (like WAY the heck on the other side of OAK)

jason didn't know i moved up to the BA. anyway ... go figure.

good to see ya, meow-meow.

new shoes in SD with WAY tall person

this will (likely) be the last post about my new pair of shoes, unless there is some other opportunity (doubtful) that presents itself. i contemplated, "why the hell would i bring them to SD with me?" 2 simple answers came to mind:
. . . (1) i gotta wear shoes, and
. . . (2) i might as well wear open-toed shoes in a climate that is better-suited (at this time of year - errrr - all year round) for open-toed shoes and fabu pedis.
and i would later learn there would be a third answer.

i went for the "2 birds with 1 stone" approach.

have a 'business' meeting with the him, the buddy of delicate flower (aka bill n).

the banter between he (bill n) and him warranted a face-to-face with him ... or a face-to-chest(?!) with him. him's gotta be like 7 feet-5 inches or something tall with prime numbers. i mean, with my new shoes, i'm? what? 5' 11"? perhaps a bit of an over-estimate but i'm tall(er), dammit!.

a third answer later came to mind
as i sat/chat with him

. . . (3) him gave me a totally unsolicited compliment on my shoes.
chicks dig dudes who compliment shoes!

["I will hug him and pet him and love him and squeeze him and I will name him George."]