New Year's Eve

Cheers to a night spent with old friends, still close friends.

Kelly in the Sky Tram

A chilly day at the San Diego Zoo ends best with a ride over the park at sunset.

Christmas in Naples

It just doesn't feel like Christmastime in The Southland without a canal side stroll through Naples. The house with the miniature carnaval rides, the twinkle-lit palms, the mechanical singing santas and the candycane sweet view from the bridges- magical. The unusually crisp weather kept our evening walk shorter than we would have liked, but everyone felt like a kid again as we watched Zoe shriek in delight.

Valley of Fire

Napa's valleys are ablaze in autumn colors. As we drove up the Silverado Trail towards Calistoga, and over the hills into Sonoma's Dry Creek we watched the grapevines roll out patches of yellow, red and gold. Neat rows of trailing vines tied strong above tall, young trunks, eager to please both the winemaker and the passerby. In the rich gold light of fall, the leaves are saturated warm hues contrasting against verdant paths of green grass fed by the nightly fog.
We enjoyed an afternoon of driving through these valleys, sparkling in the indian summer sun. Stopping to enjoy the warmth of an 84 degree afternoon- in November. This was probably the most perfect three days of the whole year to visit this area. The leaves will be few and far between in a couple of weeks- if a storm doesn't come through first. Just to have a few sips of Chardonnay while looking out over the neat rows of rolling gold and red soaking up the last of this year's sunlight was absolute magic.
How would you spend your perfect day?

Weekend in Calistoga

Dead Bread

Halloween on 24th Street

Fall

The big news

Sure. Tell boss I'm pregnant.
So what? So, he'll understand why you can't help unload the van?
why you may need to lay down in your car for 15 minutes at lunch?
Why you can barely hold your head up and food down?
So he can be happy for you?
"God DAMNIT, Fairlight".
Oh yeah, nice response. What a sensitive, kind man.

downtime

I know I know, no posts. No polaroids.
What kind of a misleading blog is this?
I've been a little under the weather. for almost a month now.
I've been a lump on the couch. I spend most of my time trying valiantly not to throw up.
Trying to entertain myself with television shows- CSI Miami, Top Chef, House of Rock, MTV- man there is a lot of trash on TV, and I have been catching up on it.
It hit me hard when we left for Canada. When I think of that vacation, only last month, I feel sick at the mere thought of how nauseated I was. A sickly green feeling taints every moment spent in Marcia's beautiful kitchen, in an air conidioned Subaru driving through bright green forest, laying on the grass by a beautiful but disgusting smelling lake that no one else seemed to smell. Normally I would enjoy the feeling of the warm humid air as I walked through lovely old neighborhoods of brick houses lined with huge leafy trees and flower gardens. But I felt sick. One more step, don't pass out. don't barf. must get back and lay down.
Thank god we have so many people to watch Zoe, because I just can't do it. I'm dizzy all the time.
I barely made it to the airport in Ottawa. I just wanted to go home. I nearly lost the little breakfast I could choke down while waiting in the customs line. I barely ate anything that whole week, and once we got home it was like a hunger strike. Nibble on crackers? Euw. cereal? blech. Toast? I can't get it over my tongue. And so it went. The less I ate, the worse I felt, the worse I felt, the harder it was to eat.
I can't leave the couch, how am I going to go back to work? I have to tell my boss what's going on.

By the Lake

The road back to Ottawa

Two hours of cornfields and wildflowers passed by on the way from Montreal back to Ottawa.

La Prunelle

Dinner with the Procos clan at La Prunelle in Montreal.

Around Montreal

Old Montreal

At Grammy's Window

Meech Lake

Travel Day

Planes, trains & automobiles, we made our way across country and up to that foreign land of the north- Canada.
It was a long way to Ottawa. First we drove to Fruitvale Bart, then we ran through SFO just in time to save our seats from the Stand-by hoards (that was a long shower, Mark) unfortunately, our bags were not as lucky. After our full 737 to chicago we changed to a half full express plane to Ottawa, where we had both sides of the aisle to ourselves. Zoe read, looked out the window, napped & nibbled her way across country like a trooper. We timed bottles with take-offs and naps to follow. Nico & I traded Zoe back and forth and managed to relax a bit ourselves.

Under the Sycamore Tree

I hope when Zoe is older, she will fondly remember summers spent under the sycamore tree in Long Beach. On the peninsula, where you can enjoy waves on one side of the street, and the calm bay on the other, there is a huge old sycamore tree. Perfect for protecting baby skin from sunburn, the old tree has scattered it's shade over thousands of birthday parties and sand castles. The spot where all the mommies park their radio flyers. Zoe had a great time playing in the sand, splashing in the water and riding in her new pink boat. Just like her mommy, Zoe is becoming a real beach girl.

Pride Parade

Everyone glows with pride at the SF Pride Parade- the best parade in the country! Where else can you see trannies on unicycles, feathered club boys on rollerblades, Brides & brides and grooms with grooms, dykes on bikes and the best drag floats ever! If you want a good parade, for God's sake, go to the gays!

Dykes on Bikes (The 100th Post!)

Now, I can't take credit for the shot as I took it from the SF Gate (Photo credit to Mike Kane) but imagine my surprize when I saw my friend Jesse in The Gate!
Every year, we watch the Dyke parade from the 3rd floor window of Michelle & Robb's flat on 16th St. Michelle invited us over today, saying that Jesse was going to ride in it. With Zoe, heading into the City for parties on the weekend just isn't the same as it was in years past. So we remained in the quiet East Bay. We went for a bike ride in the park. We went shopping for groceries and pajamas and diapers. We watered the garden. We went out for tacos.
Meanwhile, people from all over have flocked to SF to celebrate their community, and the sense of celebration, and pride are infectious.

City Hall

Catering a business breakfast at the new San Jose City Hall.

Frameline

Aside from this being sunset on the solstice or the first day of summer (in addition to being the anniversary of Mike & Katie's wedding on the Matterhorn a few years back), it is also the week before San Francisco's big Pride Weekend (otherwise known as "Gay Christmas") and thus the perfect time for the Frameline Festival- a celebration of LGBT cinema. Tonight, Stacey and I celebrated my cousins' film, "Lesbian Pulp-O-Rama Goes To Sweden" which was honored with a spot in the film festival. Stacey and I met for a drink in what we once referred to as our "living room", the old Elixir for a beer and a rant about the catering world. We sat in our familiar niche next to the window as we'd done so many times in the past. Then we walked down to Pancho Villa for a pre-movie taco where Stacey became annoyed by yet another In-your-face crooning by the local "Mariachis" (I use this word loosely). After some abuse-by-accordian we made our way down 16th street for My Cousin Heather's Movie. I had hoped to get a shot for Heather of the Roxie Marquee with her movie's title, but I had fogotten that they don't have a Marquee. I wondered if that's why I never knew what was playing there. Is that why such a cool house is always on the verge of closing?
We arrived to a fairly full theater made up of about 98% females. We staked our spot near the front and prepared to see my family's name in lights. The first movie was short about an artist documenting Dinah Shore weekend in Palm Springs- Like lesbian spring break for all ages. By the end of that movie, I felt like an honorary lesbian. I was laughing, I was happy, free, I was celebrating my feminism.
When LPORGTS started, Stacey and I cheered as Heather and Anna's names came on the screen. We laughed with the running jokes, the constant stream of improvisational bits as we followed the theater troupe on their ride of fame in Sweden. Having never seen the skits from the show, I was thrilled to finally see their work in action. Seeing Heather on screen, as herself is just like seeing Heather at home. Making jokes and playing mini-parts with Anna, eating breakfast, talking about her work the way she shares it with her peers- not just her family. It was wonderful to see how their show touched the lesbian community in Sweden- and how much that touched the troupe themselves. I was beaming with pride.

Little girl, big world

Father's Day

Daddy looks for some "chin custard" at brunch


"Hurry up dad, I'm ready for my ride"


"Weeeee!"


High five

Kites

We spent the day in Santa Cruz, wanderng around downtown, and eating yummy greek food at Vasilis.
Zoe is really starting to let her will be known. As her interest in her environment grows, it's harder for her to let go of fun experiences. 3 times today, I had to drag her away from something, which spurned huge protest.
The first was a fountain trickling in front of Starbucks. Mommy, with a huge purse, and two lattes in one hand had to pull a yelling zoe from the fountain and back into the car while we were both young.
Second, on our way down the coast, we stopped to visit the beach near the pigeon point lighthouse. Zoe's feet kicked as she sprung from the car, lunging herself in the direction of the crashing waves. She pointed out to sea with her whole arm as if to say "Jesus guys, have you seen THAT!!!". She walked on the sand, toddling straight for the whitewash. I showed her that she should consider the ocean with great respect. "never turn your back on the waves" is lesson numero uno. Lesson number two was actually two lessons in one: "Zoe, just like with men, don't go running up to them enthusiastically- " I showed her that she could stand a few feet back and watch them carefully, always knowing that eventually, they will come to her. We combed the tideline together and spotted limpets, crab shells, snail shells and bits of seaweed. She was so upset when it was time to go.
The third time was when we went for a walk at Waddel beach. As we came out of the park towards the car, zoe spotted the fluttering kites from the kitesurfers. Mezmerized, she stared at the horizon, watching the arrow shaped kites with their brightly colored sails darting about in the air. We waved bye-bye and promised to come back and visit them again soon.
It seems that having that closure helps ease the separation. "Wave bye-bye!"

Sunday

Sunny Sunday brunch at La Note in Berkeley



Enjoying a cool spring evening by the fire on the patio.

Wedding Season

I have attended so many weddings by now. Family, friends, clients and catering I have seen a lot of weddings.
I have seen cheesy weddings, dramatic weddings, stuffy weddings and party weddings. I still love them.
I still cry at nearly every one- whether I know the family or knot.

All weddings work with basically the same script, though the direction changes. The costumes, the set, the lighting, the score, the actors are all different, but the story is familiar. Sometimes I am part of the stage crew. Sometimes I'm a member of the audience. Sometimes I'm the director. Once I played the lead.

Today, I played the photographer's assistant. Though it's a new role for me, I know the drill. This theater was a gorgeous old place in Downtown San Jose. The actors were beautiful. The audience adoring and jovial. The opening music, from Amelie, tugged at my heart strings- an accordian playing a melody that is both merry and crestfallen all at once.

ENTER- The Bride
(dressed in white with embroidered veil, B enteres church on father's arm behind young girl spilling petals from a basket)

Promises exchanged with The Groom, B & G make out to applause from audience. Cue slack-key version of "over the rainbow"

While the audience drinks cocktails during the intermission, we follow B&G around downtown SJ, snapping images of the doe eyed bride peeking out from behind white lace to burn kisses onto her groom's lips, forever tatooing them there. They walk through the center of the street, along the painted yellow line; all traffic stops to let them have their moment in the fading sun. It's only them. It's their day after all. As she walks along the sidewalk beside red brick walls and high voltage boxes, the shadow of the embroidered lace trim of her veil dances on the slender fitted waist of her dress. The setting sun showing off the fine detail of the embroidery. That shadow will never fall on her again; tomorrow she'll be a woman, a wife, a mother, but today she wears fine lace in the setting sun while traffic stops and she kisses her husband and basks in the warmth of it all.
The shutter clicks, wellwishers cheer from passing cars, diners in the windows of restaurants raise their glasses and smile as the group moves by. Only the swish of the bride's dress, starched peticoats underneath penetrate above the urban drone of traffic and distant freeways. And then, the sound of horns rises in the background... and violins... and guitar... and cowboy boots. The jangle of an army of cowboy boots and silver laden pants. Mariachis! Right there on a corner in downtown San Jose the bride and groom are suddenly enveloped by mariachis, much to the delight of everyone within earshot. Especially the people in the windows of the corner restaurant who have a front row view. The violinist's bow tickling the edge of the bride's veil. A moment later they are gone. The bride and groom return to their places on stage, in front of their audience for the next act. But for a moment they had just been married, and faced their whole life ahead, alone, together.

Cooking with Mr. Bear