One thing I forgot to mention about Mr. Coffee. He likes to change his email display name. Frequently. He started out as John Stoan. Then changed to Bonham Silt, Buckeye Standy, Blowfish Stillwater, Bongos Singing, and now Banks Studebaker. What the hell is up with that?

So, I keep trying to book my flights. Which is another way to say, I haven't yet booked my flights. I was a little worried about trying to book less than 2 week in advance. If I could just nail down an itinerary before it dematerializes, this still could work out ok. Although that's still not a guarantee. Even c-list celebs have to keep an aura of mystique, haha.

I bet this would work:

Radar controlled robo-falcon keeps birds away


"A fake falcon and a radar-activated cannon work better at keeping birds away from oilsands waste than the current system, according to research from the University of Alberta."

I think the Governator should jump on this bandwagon. Any press is good press in an election year. Which reminds me, why haven't I gotten my personal phone call from him urging me to vote? Now that I have Vonage I'll be able to post a copy of the message. It's pretty frightening. Maybe that would scare the pigeons, haha.

Oh yeah, I found the above link when I wondered if there might be an alternative to the classic fake owl pest deterrent. A fake owl would be pretty funny, which I like, but a fake falcon would be cool and different. Which is probably why they don't seem to be readily available.

p.s. - I dreamt I was there for the Halloween party and realized I still had to make rice krispee treats and pumpkin cheesecake tartlets. But I didn't have any of the ingredients and I was afraid if I left to buy what I needed to make them I would miss the party. That's the story of my life right there.

I only seem to have time to post telepathically these days. I hope you all enjoyed my latest 10, haha. Ok, here's a brief recap.

Stevil [inlink]twisted,425[/inlink] and I have gone to a few shows together. Somehow, they've all not worked out for one or the other of us. We're like star-crossed music lovers. I don't know what the deal is. Luckily all the shows were free, but still - I don't have time for this.

I had originally invited Mr. Coffee [inlink]twisted,433[/inlink] to see my friend Paul play the Red Vic last night. That also turned out to be a mistake. I did it on impulse - since I had declined his last two invites (the latest one being to a new 80s bar opening with free beer sponsored by The Onion). I figured it was my turn to go out on a limb and be accepted or rejected to keep things even. I was accepted, but in the most disturbing way ever. I think I've already alluded to having some reservations about him. I hate to judge someone (within reason) before I've met them. But he has this habit of making up cutesy (your opinion may vary) terms for things, which could be very annoying. Or maybe cute. But I doubt it.

Anyway, it was tolerable in writing, and untested in person so far. Then I got his email response to my invitation (below):

dang it! 80's is my favorite decade, and free is my favorite price! oh well.

My friend Paul Manousos is playing the Red Vic Friday. Wanna go?

L

His response is so over the top, it's not even funny:

well, hey dare and howdee!

i hope this email finds you in fine fikkle and amongst good spirits.

"yes, please", as my new orleans friend used to say (about just about everything, but that's nawlins for you)....

but more specific cali: "yes please", to a red victorola lisa's friend concert. how ami gonna know which ones chew? i guess it doesn't really matter. we can all just get along.

hey which 80's are your fave deck? 1980's? 1880's? 2080's? (wise guy, me)

That pretty much rendered me speechless. Long enough for him to renege (thank God!):

guess what. we have to go on not meeting like this. here's why: Dug Hlsinger and Bruce Ducheneau are playin' at SF's lovely eagle tavern fri nite:

www.sfeagle.com

with all due respect to yer pal, (and i checked his website and i like the music) when hilsinger plays, i simply have to go get my ears baked.

rats, i was looking forward to meeting you, and i continue to look forward to it, i'll just have to look forwarder.

Anyway, why does this have to be so hard? Now that I live in SF, I think I just have to get out there more. Meeting online is for the birds.

Although maybe once a year.

A few quick notes --

(e:Libertad) : You could get free wireless internet if you moved to SF. Although the cost of a few other things might go up. I would totally be into splitting the cost of internet service. Although, it would already be free, so that doesn't get you much. ;-)

I can't even try to keep up with what's going on. I had a pigeon control guy out here today. Pigeon control! It's like mind control, only with pigeons. Don't let me go there...

I went on this long rant (in my mind) about work last night. Luckily, I was no where near a keyboard, so you don't have to hear it. Yet.

(e:Paul) - who do I have to convince to have you all go to Burning Man with me next year?

Ever find yourself blogging in your head, but never quite committing it to pixels? That's been happening to me a lot lately. Maybe it's a sign that real life is taking precedence. But somehow it doesn't feel real.

Mr. Coffee did, in fact, ask me on a date. To power to the peaceful. (Un)fortunately(?) I had a prior commitment, so I couldn't make it. He also told me about a dream he had, and asked me what I dream about. Well, it's funny how you don't remember your dreams unless someone asks. It's been interesting remembering mine. I think now I don't want to meet him after all. It's almost certain we won't hit it off (I have reasons for believing that), but I look forward to getting his emails and composing mine to him. Is that so wrong?

Re: 9/11. I probably should have just stayed in today. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized the date this morning. I still remember when Brenda called me to turn on the TV. I couldn't believe it. It was so weird being so physically "removed" from NYC, even though it's firmly established in my frame of reference. A frame of reference that now has a huge hole in it.

Re: Battle of the sexes. You know what? Everybody is entitled to live their life the way they want to. Which may not be the way you want them to. So for fuck's sake, get over it!

That's all for tonight. Maybe I'll back-post more later. ;-)

My framed Matisse print fell off the picture rail and broke into a million pieces. This is one of the two prints Mark and I bought in Paris. When we split up I got this one and he got the other one. Maybe he's ready to trade now, haha.

From my latest craigslist correspondent:

Hey Lisa.

Camping with my family is such an impossible thing to imagine that I
had to just laugh when I heard you say that.

I have played around with mixing software: protools and performer, but currently am going to tape. i'm looking around for a computadora to record on, but kinda dreading the process: hours in manual madness when i just want to make music. have to do it, have to do it, i'll do it tomorrow.
(old wall of voodoo song.)

i'm sticking to my resolution to go to a different cafe every day.
kind of a comment on how many cafes there are in this hood. now i'm starting to write reviews. i've included my notes for your boredom.

okay, gots to get to work.

have fun with the fams.

josiah

- Muddy's [24/Valencia] (I bring my own cup) 20 oz for 1.35, best,
strongest, the benchmark

- Ritual [21st/Valencia] 12 oz. 1.75, weak/watery, pretty bad, over the
top social scene "Who wants to get dressed up just to go get coffee." - Overheard on the street.

- Phil's [24th Folsom] 12 oz. 3.00 plus 1 dollar tip: hand made
(individual drip) excellent/strong, if it weren't for the price and the distance this would be the one. Great funky hippie scene.

- Starbucks [safeway on market] (forget howmuch, not very good)

- Out of the Way [22nd/Bartlett in the mall] (2 week old place) "2.98"
plus 1; hand made, okay/weak, but nice place full of plants and good
hippie/latin vibe, but this place will fail.

- Little spot [23rd and Folsom] 1.50 for 12 oz. surprisingly strong,
Virginia recommended this joint cause it's fair trade coffee. Excellent for price/caffeine.

[reprinted without permission]

It turns out my last tetanus shot was in 1991. So I'm already living on borrowed time.

Seems like some other crazy things have happened. Oh yeah! I ran into someone I used to work with, like, 10 jobs ago back in Boston. I was at this Irish Pub with Larry to see his friend Mark's band play, and Beth was there with a friend who Mark had just moved in with. Freaky! I checked out her web site and it's like we've been living these parallel lives. If you've ever had one job that launched you on a particular path and everybody there later hooked everybody else up with the next job, you might know what I mean. Not to mention all the other hooking up going on. ;-)

What else? Oh yeah, this one contractor came in and asked me if this was a former crack house. Maybe it is, but that comment did not endear me to him. I get enough crap like that from family and friends, I don't have to take it from someone I'm going to pay to haul away the four layers of debris-encrusted carpet I just tore out. (Ok, my family and friends are pretty diplomatic to my face. But I know that's what they're thinking!)

Anyway, I wasn't sure I liked this guy, but he was here and ready to go. And when I asked if he had a shop vac he said I could borrow it, so that clinched it. I ended up buying my own girl-size shop vac later, but it would have taken me approximately 7.5 more years to suck all the crap out with just mine. Might as well just break a few more mirrors while I'm at it.

p.s. - wow, I just read everybody else's posts and realized just how boring my life is, considering getting a tetanus shot is one of the highlights. Oh yeah! I forgot to mention, my friend Beth also volunteers for the Marine Mammal Center, the same one where Kolby [inlink]twisted,11[/inlink] was rescued oh so many posts ago!

I went up on my roof today. I've wanted to for a while. But since you need a 14' ladder (which I don't have) to access it, today was my first chance.

Luckily I had anticipated the possibility enough to have my camera ready when the roofing guy asked, "do you want to come up?"

Confronted by the ladder, I wasn't so sure. But my previous intentions bolstered me enough to say yes. And once I was up the ladder, sheer momentum (and Victor's outstretched hand) got me past the scary moment of stepping sideways over nothingness to make that last step onto the roof.

Going down was not so easy. Stepping up over nothingness when you're almost to solid roof is one thing. Stepping down over nothingness to maneuver onto a ladder rung is quite another. I tried to talk Victor into moving the ladder down far enough so I could go down over the top of the ladder instead of doing the mid-air sideways maneuver. He didn't go for it.

For a minute I thought about having the fire department rescue me like a cat in a tree. But they probably would have left me there until I got hungry enough to come down on my own. That's what I would have done.

I made it! And I even have pictures to show for it.


My place is right on the fringe of downtown. You can see the dome of City Hall on the right, and the Transamerica pyramid on the left.


Downtown is impressive, but I really like the view of some of the neighboring Victorians.


Oh yeah. I discovered another tenant innovation. I should probably figure out how to work this since this will be my bathroom when my family comes to visit next week.

OMG. My step-mother Jean is so organized.

Hello Everyone,

I would love your help with a project that may be fun for you also. I am compiling a pictorial recipe book. An outline is attached. It is meant to collect your favorite recipes that bring back memories of shared times with friends and family. Ideas for menus, great parties (for kids and adults), holiday traditions and decorations. Anything you would like to pass on to each other and future generations is what I am seeking. I hope to also include pictures and some bio info.


A Collection of Recipes, Family Fun Ideas, Decorations, and Holiday Traditions from Friends and Family
including pictures and a little history about the people, places and items submitted

Purpose: Produce a journal of family and friend's recipes and traditions to pass on to grand children and interested family members and friends.

Process: Most likely a two or three step process. First, collect the contents; second, do a draft and insert photos; third, have the first printing done by Christmas, 2006.

Timetable: August-September- collect information
     October-November-design and production
     Early December-finalize first printing and run off

Outline of Possible Ideas, Content:
Favorite Recipes with notation as to who submitted, who they are, a picture of the person or how or when the recipe is best used. Example: Lemon Meringue Pie- Mom Alden's recipe with a picture of her and how she used to make it for Sunday dinner, usually with Chicken Fricassee'. Include recipe for Chicken as well.

Holidays-
Family traditions, menus, recipes, decorations
Example: Alden Family Thanksgiving- Pop Alden wrote a humorous account of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving along with a Blessing which I have. This will be included along with other memories of "Alden Thanksgivings", traditional menu and some favorite recipes.
Example: The description of the Wist/Olsen family tradition of a Danish Smorgasbord including the story of rice pudding and the nut.

Decorations: How to make something special-centerpiece, wreath, candles....anything unique.

Celebrations-
Celebrations worth remembering and sharing. Ideas, recipes, menus, decorations for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Super Bowl, 4th of July etc.

What I am asking for: Send or e-mail what you would like to share. Or, send your phone number and I will call you. I can scan and return photos, or accept them over e-mail. I will format everything. Things may be handwritten.

How to reach me:
         email: so&so@blah.net
         address: Misty Cove, SC
         phone: 864.555.5555
         cell (Verizon): 864.444.4444
(I love that she mentions the carrier so you know whether you get mobile-to-mobile minutes. I for one appreciate that.)