Blog Archives

Last Sunday, we visited the annual San Francisco Flower and Garden Show at the Cow Palace. I believe this was our fourth year in a row, but the inventive gardens never fail to inspire us with ideas for our own garden.

Last Saturday, Jeff and I participated in a unique volunteer event sponsored by my company. We call it Cooking for a Cause…basically a group cooking class where we prepared food for 40 and delivered it to a local shelter.

The event was held at a hip cooking school in Berkeley called Kitchen on Fire…a fantastic, interactive environment started by two inventive foodies, Olivier Said and Chef MikeC. KOF is in the heart of the famed Berkeley “Gourmet Ghetto”…two doors down from Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse…THE epicenter of California cuisine.

During my trip to Northern Virginia a couple of weeks ago, I stayed at the McLean Hilton…an ordinary business hotel…nothing to write home about. Still, on this trip, the Hilton very much frustrated me.

On this trip, the air conditioning in my room wasn’t working properly, the high-speed Internet wasn’t functioning, and the two phones were inoperable. So, not only was my first night uncomfortable, but I could check email, and I couldn’t get a wake up call.

In the morning, I reported the problems to the front desk. I arrived back in my room around 10pm that night to find the room a bit cooler, but the phone and Internet still inoperable.

Same the next night.

Frustrating.

I’ve lost track of time over the past few weeks. Trips start running together like cold mashed potatoes that ooze into your peas and corn. Weekends are those pleasant after dinner mints that make you smile but fade too quickly and can’t cover up garlic breath.

But never fear, loyal readers…I’ve got some hotel photos for you 🙂

Patience.

And thanks for checking on me.

What a beautiful Sunday. Not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures in the mid sixties. Simply the perfect San Francisco winter day.

I started the day with a morning drive to Fort Funston, which sits atop ice plant-covered cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean. (If you look closely at the second photo, you can also make out the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge…not a shabby panoramic vista!) The bluffs are dotted with old artillery batteries, and on windy afternoons, Fort Funston is a magnet for hang gliders. But in the quiet peace of early morning, unleashed dogs and their walkers are in charge.

In the afternoon, Jeff and I ran errands in Marin County, and stopped on our way back home to view the City and the Golden Gate Bridge in the warm afternoon sun. The bridge was brilliant against a crystal clear blue sky.