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Twisted's Journal

twisted
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12/16/2006 02:20 #36799

Photo Retrospective
Category: photos
My friends' dog Maggie died on Wednesday. They've really been through the wringer with her health issues the past six weeks or so. I feel so badly I couldn't be there for them more throughout this ordeal. I put together a photo collage and brought them some comfort food last night.

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It was really hard to go through all my Maggie photos knowing she's gone, but it was also comforting/cathartic in a way. I was already in photo collage mode with the family calendar production deadline being today. I had a few setbacks this year. Had to get Dad to resend his 33 emails each with 4-7 photos attached. Oh, they all came through loud and clear. Twice, in fact. (When my web host switched servers I got all my email since November 22nd a second time as a special bonus. Just what I wanted!) About half-way through the first round, I noticed he was sending them at low-res, and told him I'd probably need a higher resolution for print. He switched midstream, and I just figured I'd deal with it later. I have a bunch of his photos on my PC from when I rescued them off his 1G memory card that for some reason no one else could read, so I figured worse case scenario, I would dig through those and match them up with the low res ones he sent.

Well, he's taken about 5G more pix since then, so that didn't work. Anyway, then it turned out Kinkos online calendar maker is down until Monday, which would make it really hard to make my deadline today. Customer service said I could bring my photos into any Kinkos and they would honor the 20% off coupon. I know you might think who cares about 20% off? But when you're getting 5 calendars at $20/each that's like getting one free! Plus I need a deadline to finish anything.

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I hope there aren't any duplicates in here, because God knows there are tons of duplicates on my hard drive. And the spacing is really all over the map. But who cares, it's done.

leetee - 12/16/06 09:54
Awe, so sorry to hear about Maggie.. poor Maggie's humans. So hard to loose a "child" that way.

On a possitive note, the pics for your calendar look great! :O)

12/11/2006 16:10 #36798

bdays
Category: birthdays
Wow! That looks like quite a [inlink]metalpeter,755[/inlink] birthday bash! I don't even remember what I did for my 30th. Too bad I didn't have a blog back then, haha.

Oh wait -- now I remember! Thanks to (e:Jenks,130) that is. Guess it's never too late to start documenting your life. As long as memory serves, that is.

Better get back to it, then.

I've had a hankering for lobster (my typical birthday dinner request) for a while, so I headed down to the wharf and decided to play tourist in my own town for a bit.

Most locals would say it's nuts to venture anywhere near a tourist area on a weekend, especially in the height of Christmas shopping season. But it was fun, and beautiful, and tasty. I'm not jaded enough not to appreciate that.

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Only (e:j3sse) could probably decipher this pic, so I'll interpret for anyone else who may be interested. You can see Coit Tower lit up on the hill, with the pointy pyramid-shaped Transamerica tower to the right. The box-outlined buildings to the left get lit up every year like Christmas packages. And that's the start of the Western span of the Bay bridge on the far left. Boats decorated for the holidays along the pier in the foreground.

So for my birthday I found out I have a tree stump under my front sidewalk. You might think, so what? But turns out this tree stump was heaving the b'jesus out of the sidewalk, and lo and behold it's my responsibility to fix it before someone breaks their neck and sues me. Who knew? Anyway, I've been researching some options, thinking maybe I could take this opportunity to put in "permeable landscaping" (that's the term the SF Department of Public Works "Friends of the Urban Forest" uses, and yes, you do need a permit to do that, which doesn't seem that friendly to me).

Anyway, long story short, when the second round of upstairs demolition came along, I decided I'd better grab the opportunity to have four brawny guys haul away that damn concrete. I've been breaking it up and putting it in my garbage week by week. (You're not really supposed to do that, so don't tell anyone.) They made short work of it, and therein uncovered the root of the problem.

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The tree stump. I hope it's not still growing, but recent events might indicate otherwise.

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Here's a pic before the guys hauled away the concrete. Oh yeah, and a random car parked in front of my house with it's passenger window smashed in. Welcome to the 'hood!

p.s. to MMK -- Thanks for the birthday wishes! And for being a loyal reader all this time. ;-)

p.p.s. to (e:Paul) -- THANKS!


paul - 12/11/06 17:52
Did you actually get it? I never got a confirmation email ;)

12/09/2006 12:21 #36797

NSSN
Category: music
Definitely was a Not So Silent Night last night. It was so freakin' loud down on the floor even with earplugs we moved up to the balcony after Silversun Pickups and The Shins. Sound quality sucks on this video (and my camera didn't even have earplugs, haha), but here are some clips of the Raconteurs, Modest Mouse, and the Killers.

::Download Flash Video::



Have fun at the (e:Party) tonight!

12/12/2006 00:36 #36796

Cons
Category: shoes
Waddaya think?

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Only $60! I can make a pair to match every theme at that price!

p.s. - 15% of the net sales goes to (PRODUCT)RED

p.p.s. - if we could just get a portion to go to estrip, we'd be all set!
twisted - 12/12/06 20:03
Oh ya! That was so crazy. I never got a chance to smell one :::link::: before then took them down. The crazy thing (I think) is how different is that than if a bus stop was just outside a bakery? Does anybody complain about that? On the other hand, I agree it's obnoxious to bombard the senses of a captive audience. Although it's already generally acceptable to bombard the sense of sight (not saying I find it acceptable, but there it is). So can smell, and maybe sound be far behind? It would piss me off to have to listen to ANYTHING I don't choose while waiting for the bus. Smell, I don't know. Sight, I've given up on. Maybe sight has already become more passive? Anyway, I really haven't thought enough about it to form an opinion. Just to ask more questions.

Thanks for picking up on the Converse themes! The first one reminds me of estrip when I first found it. And the second one is definitely an homage to alink's "beach" theme. There's not much going on there since I left, although I'll probably renew the domain when it comes up again in February.

I hope you come out to visit sometime soon! Don't forget!
metalpeter - 12/12/06 19:18
That Bottom shoe looks preaty cool. But that got me thinking what about your site alamedalink on shoes also. That also got me think about how is that site going havn't been there is some time? I want to post some of the party pics from when you where in town on it but then I forgot. That reminds me I heard an interesting piece of news on the radio that I was wondering if you had more info on. I guess they where going to have adds on either buses or Cable cars that smelled but the plan was axed after about a week.
leetee - 12/12/06 09:16
I'm in... particularly a pair of chucks with the (e:Strip) Halloween theme!
mrmike - 12/12/06 06:28
I'd buy a pair

12/08/2006 17:41 #36795

Earthquake Insurance
Category: housing
I know, I know -- I haven't been keeping up with what's been going on with me lately. Mostly because, why would you give a damn? But also because, it would irrevocably dispel any illusion you may or may not have of "that twisted! living the life of luxury in San Francisco!" At least I have that going for me.

So anyway. Have you ever known something you didn't want to admit, and made up a convincing enough story that other people believed it too? And then somewhere along the line realized you're still going to have to pay for this mess, so you might as well come clean? Well, that just happened to me. Luckily, my general contractor is willing to work out a payment plan for the additional work I was hoping wouldn't have to be done, but obviously has to be done.

This may not make sense to anybody else -- and it's small comfort to me now -- but I consider this more of a rescue mission than an investment proposition. Guess I can't stand to see a great place that deserves more wasting away. Let's look at the pix one more time to see what I mean.

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Yeah. I really can't see myself making dinner in that kitchen.

Oh! My title. So my general contractor tried to convince me I have to gut the entire top floor apartment. I really wasn't thinking that was necessary. We debated back and forth. He had many interesting arguments. I think my favorite was, "we're due for another earthquake -- better to have drywall than plaster." Great! That's just what every homeowner wants to hear before sinking a bunch of cash into a renovation. I have a better idea! What if I take out earthquake insurance, wait for the "big one" to strike, then rebuild on the insurance claim? That seems like the right answer to that scenario.

Anyway, tonight it's off to see The Killers, Modest Mouse, The Raconteurs, and The Shins at Bill Graham Auditorium (within walking distance of my soon-to-be-condemned hovel). After that I'm on a strict austerity program.

p.s. - this would be a great time for that contractor boyfriend to materialize. Anyone?

p.p.s. - Happy Birthday Tony! And to all you other Saggitarians. Mine's on Sunday!


metalpeter - 12/09/06 11:10
I admit I don't know any of those bands music that well but I know the Killers and Raconteurs (If they are who I think they are) are preaty good that should be an amazing show. Oh yeah and a happy birthday.
imk2 - 12/08/06 23:09
youre going to see the killers!?!?!?! i'm sooo jealous!!
twisted - 12/08/06 20:15
Urban decay chic! Ha! I love that. (e:Leetee), you could totally get a job writing real estate ads out here! I guess I shouldn't be so hard on my little house when I think back on some of the other, um, unique places (e:twisted,262) looked at.

p.s. -- I am stoked for :::link::: Not So Silent Night! Will post pix later.
leetee - 12/08/06 19:26
Sweet show! Take pics?

Personally, i think your kitchen has a chic urban decay kinda charm...
jenks - 12/08/06 18:56
What?! The Killers, Modest Mouse, the Raconteurs AND The Shins?! All in one night?! How awesome!