Day 39 - Trying to Paint

I don't art much (as you can probably tell), but when I do, I use all the colors. 

Pride bridge

Day 38 - Running in a Line

Almost every time I go for a run, I run for three miles. Sometimes I run for a little more or a little less, but never by much. Three miles is like my comfort zone - I know that I can do it easily and quickly, without any pain.

Today, for some odd reason, I decided to keep going after I hit the 1.5 mile mark. I ended up running all the way to the beach. On the way back, my body felt heavy and tired, but I kept trekking on.

It was the first time in over a year that I'd run over seven miles. It felt good, but unfamiliar. At about 5 miles I wanted to stop and walk home, but I didn't allow myself. I'd run 3.5 miles one way and therefore, I had no choice but to run 3.5 miles back.

There are two types of runs - circle runs and straight line runs. Circle runs stay within a reasonable radius of your home so that you can quit at any time. Straight line runs go off in one direction, so that you have no option but to run at least that distance again on the way back. While the latter is more daunting, it's the only way to get stronger.

Day 37 - Les Amis

On our last day in Tahoe, I went on short hike near the condo with two of the strongest (and funnest) ladies I know. 

Claire demonstrating incorrect back posture

 Noticing that I caught that on camera

Admiring the scenery/I forced them to sit for this photo

Day 36 - Friends

These two ladies are just so photogenic (and adorable). The lovely Lake Tahoe isn't a bad backdrop either.

Day 35 - Joy

There are many different types of joy. The joy I feel when I step outside on a sunny day and feel the warmth of the sun on my pale arms is different from the beer induced joy, full of hugs and high fives, after a Warriors' Finals win.

I felt a joy today that I haven't felt in a long time. A joy that nearly brought me to tears, but instead continued to bring an involuntary smile to my face. When I witness evidence that human nature is possibly good, that people maybe do want love and fairness to prevail, I feel an unparalleled joy.

Unlike this rainbow that barely lasted long enough for me to snap a photograph, the joy I feel from the recent Supreme Court ruling will last a lifetime.

Day 34 - First Night in Tahoe

After a long week, there's nothing more relaxing than spending a few days in Tahoe with good friends. The drive was long as well, so I didn't get around to writing anything on Thursday night. But I did make sure to snap this picture of these three wonderful ladies, with their post-driving glasses of wine.

Day 33 - That time I checked my Clash of Clans village in the bathroom at work

...and forgot to turn the sound off, and then dropped my phone from the surprise.

Day 32 - Morning Jog

I ran into my dad on my way to work this morning. I was heading to the gym and he was on his morning jog. We chatted for a bit and I asked if he was heading to his office or to the gym. 

"No, I'm meeting Libby. She's on the F-Market, but I'm beating her." He gestured behind him, towards the out-of-sight train my mom was on.
"Meeting her for what?"
"Just to meet her when she gets off at her stop."

My parents do this thing where they walk down to Market and Church together. My mom hops on the F-Market, and my dad jogs along Market street. I'd always thought that he went straight to work, but apparently he waits for her at her stop, says hello/goodbye, and then goes to work.

I said goodbye to my dad and watched him race off. For a moment I felt sad; a pre-emptive sadness for the days when I won't see my dad on his morning jog, racing to meet my mom. 

It's strange when you feel so happy in a moment that it saddens you that the moment is only temporary. 

Day 31 - Secret Ingredient

Bill made a peach upside-down cake over the weekend. It was delectable. These days I often come home to the smell of something in the oven or on the stove. When food is made by someone you love, it somehow tastes better. If hunger is the best sauce, then love is the best secret ingredient.

Sorry, that was super cheesy. Mmmm cheese....

Day 30 - Father's Day

When I was a kid, my dad always made everything an adventure. He fashioned a castle out of large cardboard boxes so I could reign as the queen of Albertland. He made building blocks out of square pieces of cantaloupe and honeydew so that eating was an architectural endeavor. He loved any kind of creative challenge, even if it was simply figuring his way out of a jam.

This morning, after having Father's Day brunch, we went on the roof to admire the view. Someone accidentally hit the bag of leftovers, and it fell on to the awning below. My brother grabbed a box, and my dad, a broom, as they headed downstairs.

Whenever my dad completes one of his creative projects, or maneuvers his way out of a jam, he holds himself with a little more pride than normal. After rescuing the bag from a dramatic fall, he held his head high as he placed the food safely in the fridge.

Day 29 - A Full Day

On Saturday, I spent the morning checking out a potential wedding venue with my mom in Berkeley. Then I took BART back to the city to go to a baptism (pictured below), and then to a high school graduation party.

It's still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I'm getting married. The idea overjoys me, but also baffles me. I think part of me doesn't understand how much time has actually already passed me by.

I watched my friend from middle school stand with her husband as they baptized their baby boy, and then I raced across town to give a toast to a young man (who now stands over 6 feet tall), whom I used to babysit over 10 years ago.

It's only through other people - new babies, and children who grow into adults - that I understand the passing of time.

Day 28 - Closing Time Part Deux

When I was a kid, my brother used to take guitar lessons over on Fillmore and Pine. Sometimes I would take the bus out there with him and my dad, just so I could get a treat at the Boulangerie across the street. The pastries at this little French shop were some of the best that I'd ever had; colorful varieties of macarons de Paris, canelés de Bourdeux, and almost any French treat you could think of.

Years later that boulangerie became so popular that it expanded, and opened up several locations across the city. Like any successful business, it attracted the interest of another much larger business, and was eventually bought out by Starbucks.

Since the buy out, the quality of the food at these boulangeries has gone down slightly. While initially they were likely buying locally sourced, carefully selected ingredients, they now probably have to purchase in bulk from larger vendors.

When I found out that Starbucks decided to close down all of the boulangeries in San Francisco, I was sad, but I understood that it is the cycle of life in the business world.

I visited the Boulange near my work one more time recently. I enjoyed a grilled-cheese sandwich with a side salad, and bought 7 macarons, which came with a free hard-cover cookbook (a going out of business deal). As I flipped through the pages of beautifully photographed French food, I wondered what would take the places of all the soon-to-be vacant locations in the city.

Day 27 - My Favorite

My favorite restaurant in the Inner Richmond (a neighborhood filled with many delicious food options) is this tiny ramen and yakitori restaurant on 8th and Clement. It's a family owned restaurant that fits about 20 people. The inside is covered from floor to ceiling with Beatles memorabilia, and every third song or so that comes on is a Beatles song. Hidden on a side street, with magazines plastered on the windows, it's easy to miss or to mistake for being closed. It's unassuming exterior, inviting, warm interior and delicious food have driven me to become a regular.

Day 26 - Pique-nique

At least once a month I get together with three of my best friends to enjoy a French-style pique-nique. 8 years ago, the four of us all studied abroad in France for a year together. Even though a lot has changed a lot since then (and only one of us is married to a French man), I still am happiest when surrounded by good friends, food and wine. Although the wine is a little nicer, and slightly less abundant than it was during our French parties.

Not pictured: Claire, who was making us cookies.

Day 25 - Champions!

Two or three nights every week, for the past several weeks, I've spent hours eating bar food, drinking beer, and yelling at a big-screen TV. I've spent way too much money, and forfeited many mornings and nights at the gym, so that I can watch basketball.

In spite of being several pounds heavier, with a slightly lighter wallet, I'm glad that spent those evenings cheering with the masses. Although I have to admit that I'm looking forward to having my weeknights back.

Day 24 - The Ingleside

I was born in the Ingleside district of San Francisco. At the time, it wasn't a great neighborhood - located on the foggy edge of San Francisco, it had a relatively high crime rate. Although it did always have a neighborhoody feeling - something not every district in SF still has.

My oldest and best friend, Jean, now lives in the Ingleside with her husband, just blocks away from where I was born. I enjoyed a lovely dinner at their house on Monday night, and left feeling a little nostalgic. I realized how lucky I am to have such wonderful, lifelong friends. It's reassuring to know that amidst all the changes in my life and in this city, some things will always be the same.

Day 23 - Up 3-2

I just finished watching one of the most exciting games yet this post-season. I saw my first Warriors game ever with Amanda, so it's fun to experience this game and many of the others with her. Pictured below: the Warriors' biggest fan outside of Yancy's.

Day 22 - Outside Looking in

I went with my mom and Bill on Saturday to check out a possible wedding venue on Treasure Island. The island is quiet and relatively empty, which appeals to me. Although its greatest appeal is the view; there's no other view like it in the city.

As I stood at the water's edge, looking out over the wind-whipped water, I realized that sometimes you have to remove yourself from something to see the whole picture.

Day 21 - My Model Boyfriend

On Friday, Bill and I went to see Mad Max at the Kabuki. I brought my camera so that I could get at least one picture for the day. Before we got to far, I snapped this picture of Bill. Bill doesn't particularly like getting his picture taken, despite my insistence that he always looks very handsome. "Is that the only reason that you're with me?" he griped. "Because I'm a free model."

Day 20 - Perspective

I had a run in with a crazy cyclist this morning. He tried to run me off the road in response to something that I had done earlier in my ride. It was hardcore road rage, on the cycling level.

What upset me more than this man's dangerously irresponsible behavior was how much it affected me. I got into work, feeling like I was off-balance. I had a lump in my throat, inches away from bringing me to tears, that just wouldn't go away. I also had a fantasy that played over and over in my head where I threw my bike down and yelled "Wanna go?! LET'S GO!"

I wished that I could let it go, that I could shrug him off as just another crazy person, but I couldn't. I vented to a few people at work, and someone suggested that I file a police report. "What did he look like?" they asked. 

"A white guy, probably in his late twenties/early thirties, in a plaid shirt and sunglasses," I laughed. "So basically he could be anyone." At least I was laughing about it now.

A bit later I came across an email that was sent out to everyone at our company letting us know that an intern had been struck and seriously injured in a hit-and-run. I immediately looked up the news article, and it mentioned that although he'd suffered some serious injuries, he'd be OK. He was able to speak to the press, and one of his quotes really got to me. When asked about the driver, he said, "I’m not really angry. I just got unlucky.”

While he had every right in the world to be livid, and to want to track this person (who is still on the run) down, he instead brushed the accident off as bad luck. I've taken the words of this wise intern to heart, and realized that I should be grateful that I wasn't hurt.

Day 19 - The First Pitch

Bill's friend threw out the first pitch at the A's game today. It must have been good luck since the A's came back from a deficit to win it in the 9th.

Day 18 - No Picture Today

I was riding my bike on the way home from watching the Warrior's game when I encountered a skunk lumbering across the path in front of me. I stopped, realizing that I hadn't taken a picture yet today, and that this would be a good opportunity to do so. As I pulled out my phone, the skunk slowed down and raised its tail. I realized that I was allowing a couple IPAs to influence my understanding of animal behavior, and quickly peddled away.

Day 17 - Worth Stopping For

I'm having trouble thinking of something to write about today so I decided to leave you with a picture - another photo of the owl on Saturday. When I took it, I was disappointed, thinking that it was too dark. Although looking back on it, its actually become one of my favorites from that day.

It makes me wonder how many times I've walked through the park, or anywhere else for that matter, and completely passed by something worth stopping for.

Day 16 - October in June

I just got back from watching the Warriors game at the New Parkway Theater in Oakland. Even though they lost, the energy after the game wasn't downtrodden. There was a feeling of excitement and hope. This has so far been one of the best match-ups in Finals history (source:me), and the Golden State Warriors are in it. 

The past five years have been good years to be a Bay Area sports fan. The Giants have won three World Series, the 49ers made a comeback after years of being terrible (although less Harbaugh, I'm not feeling too hopeful about the upcoming season), and the Warriors have consistently made it to the playoffs after having been sub-par for decades. With the Warriors in the Finals for the first time in 30 years, there's a new vibrance in the Bay Area. As someone who grew up a Giants fan, it's something I recognize as the excitement that occasionally happens in October. It's been fun and exciting to experience it in Blue and Yellow for the first time in my lifetime. 

Day 15 - Anything but Lonely

Today was an unusual day for me in that I had zero obligations. Days like this are rare, and when they come around, I look forward to them ahead of time, thinking of all the things I'll get done. Although when the day actually arrives, I often feel restless and lonely. As someone who is rarely alone, I have difficulty seizing the day without a companion.

I finally convinced myself to leave the house and do something that I've been wanting to do for ages: find and photograph animals in Golden Gate Park. I grabbed my camera, and headed out the door, deciding to leave my bike; I always see more when I'm walking.

As I made my way through the park, I came across other photographers. One couple had their cameras pointed at the trees overhead.

"Is there a bird up there?" I asked.

"Yeah," said the woman. "An owl and her babies."

I looked up, and sure enough, at the top of the tree was a mother owl grooming one of her three fledglings.

"Wow." I sighed audibly.

The three of us stood and watched as the mother continued to tend to her children, occasionally stopping to look in our direction.

I commented on the superiority of the lens on the man's camera. He laughed, "I know it's a little ridiculous, but it gets good shots." I looked down at the screen on my camera. "Mine are OK," I said. "I think if I zoom in, I can see the owls."

"There's also a hawk nest just down the path," The woman said. "You can see two hawk babies"

"Oh, where?" I asked.

"We'll show you," she said, as she started to walk down the path. "Over here."

I followed them to a lookout where I could see the hawk in the distance, sitting on a tree. I was a little disappointed; it was much too far away for me to get a good picture.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, while looking through her binoculars. "She's feeding the babies."

"Cool!" I said. "Can't see much through my lens...but thanks for showing me."

"Here," she handed me her binoculars.

I took a look, and saw the majestic mother standing over the fluffy eyas (apparently the word for baby hawk) in the nest. After watching them for a bit, I gave her back the binoculars and thanked her and her boyfriend. "I should head home," I said. "But it was nice to meet you." They smiled and said goodbye.

I passed Stow Lake on my way out, walking tentatively by a gaggle of Canadian geese. The geese didn't seem to mind me, so I stayed and watched the turtles, ducks and a double-crested cormorant for a while.

I don't know if it was all of the animals I encountered today, or the nice couple watching the owls, but I felt anything but lonely on my walk back.

 "Cheeeeeese"

"Oh hello"

Baby owls or ewoks?

"Come at me, bro"

Day 14 - Getting Faster

Since I started this 100-day challenge, I've noticed a lot of positive changes. I'm more observant of my surroundings, looking more actively for things that are interesting or beautiful.

This challenge has been a great exercise, but it has also been difficult. I've had to force myself to think of writing as an obligation. I can no longer wait until I feel inspired or have energy to write; I must write, inspired or not. I've likened it to going to the gym when I'm exhausted. While I occasionally have days when I feel exercising, most days I have to force myself to workout. If I only ran when I felt like it, I would never get faster.

Tonight I'm exhausted, and I just want to watch the Netflix documentary on bears on the couch with Bill. I want to turn my mind off and allow myself to wind down. And while writing these few paragraphs has been a bit of a struggle tonight, it's somewhat nice to have a task and a purpose and so that when I do wind down, I can truly relax.

Day 13 - Under the Wire

I just got home from watching Book of Mormon for the first time, and realized that I have less than 15 minutes until tomorrow. Therefore, I have to write a blog post pronto. I was going to write about the Warriors tonight, but having missed half the game (due to having tickets to Book of Mormon), I decided that I should save that for another night.

Instead I will write briefly about Book of Mormon. With now only 6 minutes left until this day is over, I can't promise that this will be a very comprehensive review. Although I will say that seeing this musical was one of the few times where I went in with very high expectations, and those expectations were exceeded. It was hilarious, had a good storyline, and the songs were super catchy.

Well, with only one minute left, I'll leave you with this picture. If this doesn't look like high expectations, I don't know what does.

Day 12 - Summer Fog

During this never-ending (4-year long) drought, I've found that the city has changed. I go out to the Judah and 48th, a once a dead residential neighborhood, and see artisan cafes, serving pour-over coffee. I watch surfers walk by the cafe window, ready to jump into the cold Pacific, as I eat my $4 cinnamon-sugar toast. Dolores Park is no longer "the beach" because the beach is now "the beach." Every day is expected to be nice, and my friends from LA haven't complained in ages. 

While this all sounds wonderful, there's something that's felt off about this perfect weather. I don't know if it's partially a fear of global warming, or an awareness of the severity of this drought, or if it's just because it no longer feels like home. 

For the first time in what feels like year, we've had several weeks of consistently foggy weather. The city's cooled down, and consequently it's felt like it's slowed down. In a city that's changed so quickly that I feared I wouldn't be able to keep up, there's something reassuring about the white mist enveloping my home, quieting everything down.

Day 11 - The Mountain Lake Alligator

When I was 9 years old, someone abandoned a small alligator in Mountain Lake Park. The alligator became an instant sensation, and people from all around the city brought their cameras to try to capture snapshots of the little guy.

My dad was dead set on seeing him, and maybe even catching him. I remember taking at least one trip to the park, with my dad and brother, where we ventured off the path around the lake and bushwhacked our way to the secluded water's edge. We waited for what felt like hours; my brother and I started to get impatient and grouchy. Eventually, we had to give up the hunt and go home.

Someone finally trapped the alligator, and it was donated to the SF Zoo. It was exciting for a moment, but then a little sad; the mystery and intrigue of the murky Mountain Lake waters was gone. It was back to being just another lake in a city park.

19 year later, I live a block and half away from the park. I frequently jog through Mountain Lake to go to the Presidio, or the beach. The other day I was running by the lake, and decided to walk down to the water's edge, when a dark shadow passed in front of me. I looked down to see what must have been a 3-foot long catfish. It lingered near me for a moment and then it swam back out into the deep. 

While there may not be an alligator in the lake anymore, it's somewhat reassuring to know that there's still mystery in the water.

Day 10 - The Great Horned Owl

My favorite part about living in the Richmond is being so close to both Golden Gate Park and the Presidio. Walking out my front door, I could take a right and walk through the Presidio to Baker Beach, or a left and walk through Golden Gate park to the many meadows and lakes.

I've encountered coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks. I've watched red tail hawks, owls, egrets, great blue herons and bats. And of course I've seen mice, rats and squirrels scampering about, likely avoiding the circling hawks overhead.

Every time I come across an animal, no matter how big or small, I stop and watch them. Sometimes they run away, but sometimes they don't.

The longest I ever sat with an animal was when I encountered a great horned owl on a low tree branch one early evening. I was on a run, listening to Metric radio on Pandora, when I noticed her. She must have heard the pitter patter of my feet on the pavement, because her head swung around to face me as I approached. I stopped in my tracks and pulled out my head phones. Her glowing yellow eyes watched me while as I stood underneath her branch. I could see her chest rise and fall, as she sat, her eyes locked on mine. I've heard that you're not supposed to make eye contact with most animals - that it's threatening to them. Although as she stared at me, I felt calm.

Another runner came around the corner, and distracted us both. Our eyes unlocked and I put my headphones back in. I ran the rest of the way home feeling slightly more at peace.