California Dream 2000s: The environment, technology, art and design from San Francisco, California, 2000 to 2009.

Happy Holidays

I rarely talk about people I know here in the ol’ blog, which sometimes strikes me as strange since the relationships I have, with all sorts of different people, are so important to me.

In this case I have been specifically asked to be general.

Last week the company I work for had its holiday party in San Francisco. The following is a funny shot of men in suits getting wild, wild and crazy, crazy. They found funny hats and started dancing like the Village People. No policeman, though.

I asked the legal department at this company if it was okay to post pictures from the party. They said as long as I never identified the company by name (roger that), received permission from the photographer (got it) and received permission from the people in the photo(s) then it wouldn’t be a problem. Okay, so I’m doing a little “work around” on the last part.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Mid December

I didn’t have a proper camera when I was wandering around Russian Hill this morning, but I snapped a couple shots from my phone. They’re not great, but I liked the mood conveyed of a chilly, crisp clear day above The City.

I just finished watching the entire first Tales of The City series on DVD. I think the last time I watched it was something like eight years ago. It totally reminded me, again, of my own sense of awe when I first moved to SF and how naive I was. Mary Ann Singleton is a character that resonates. I keep meaning to track down Macondray Lane, the street that was the model for Barbary Lane, but haven’t done so yet.

I’ve also been meaning to take another walk around the steps on Telegraph Hill since I finally watched The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

There’s something about wandering SF on a weekday, away from work and the crowds, that I find particularly relaxing. Since I’ve moved to Nob Hill I’ve found myself exploring Russian Hill and North Beach more than I ever have before.

Another topic, of much excitement (to me at least), is the “new to me” steam radiator installed in my apartment. The previous one was an unusual “baseboard” configuration and didn’t work right. This one is a regular old cast-iron vertical unit that looks cool and actually works. Everything old becomes new, right? I’ve learned way more than I ever expected to about single pipe steam heating systems.

Checks and balances

Finally, the checks and balances in our system have kicked in.

Nice work Dems, and congrats to my representative Nancy Pelosi.

Now, here’s the important thing: Democrats, you haven’t done anything for six years; stand up and actually do something now.

Evening pictures

Critical Mass:

Market Street:

Critical Mass:

Turtle Fountain:

Always moving toward “more San Francisco”

It’s been a busy time for me lately. The main thing is that I’ve moved. I’m now living up toward Nob Hill. In my nearly ten years in San Francisco, I’ve lived in the Outer Sunset, then in two different places in Noe Valley, then in a highrise in the Civic Center area. Now I’m back in a traditional flat partway up the hill.

Over the years I’ve consistently moved from less dense to more dense neighborhoods. Today my walk to and from BART each day looks like something from the quintessential San Francisco portrayed in movies and on TV. I pass tall buildings and mid-rise Victorians and Edwardians. I go up and down steep hills with cable cars clanging past. I pass stores and clubs, big and small. I can either pass hordes of tourists or stroll down slightly quieter streets depending on which corners I turn at.

I’m much more centrally located now. It’s a short walk up to the top of Nob Hill or down to Polk Gulch. Russian Hill, Chinatown, North Beach and the Tenderloin are not far away. Views of the bridge or views of the bay are close at hand, though, unfortunately, not right outside my window. I feel lucky to still be here in this city that I’ve always wanted to live in, and I plan to stay awhile and continue to put down roots.

Snarky transit site

I’ve written some of my views supporting dense urban development, car sharing and public transit systems here before. Check out SF Cityscape for a wealth of information, and snitty commentary, on Bay Area transit issues and adsurdities.

Update: they removed their own articles and simply link to other sites now. Still useful, but not as interesting (or snarky) as it used to be.

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