Some of my Favorite Candid camera moments on Youtube.

Here are some of my very favorite candid camera moments on Youtube. The first is short and sweet:




The second takes some patience, but my favorite part is at the end:

Another lovely tea

In an effort to keep posting my favorite new recipes, I thought I'd share a recipe for a tea I had recently.

Flowering Rosemary and Lemon Tea

Cut a few sprigs (2-3 good sized sprigs- about 3" long each) of fresh rosemary. Slice 1/2 of a lemon (more or less depending on your taste) into thin slices. Put rosemary and lemon slices into a teapot. Boil some water (~6 cups) and add to mixture. Steep for ~5 minutes. The result: a delicate, refreshing tea that instantaneously makes you feel like you're at the spa. Only a hell of a lot cheaper.

Oh the joys of organization....

So, today I decided to re-organize my filing cabinet, and sort through the pile of "Important Things that Had Come in the Mail and Needed to be Filed (ITHCMNF)". I went through all of my old files, updated them, took the random papers out of their envelopes, and then shredded all of the superfluous things. I attacked that pile of ITHCMNF and noticed a safety recall notice for our new Honda Hybrid. Oops....luckily not a huge issue. I took all of the extra papers down to the garbage and put away my new file folder. Dang, I forgot how good it feels to be organized. In the last weeks, I've also gone through all of my clothes and filled three huge garbage bags with items to donate. My next task is to actually take them into GoodWill. I'll do that on Friday. After that, I'm going to go through all of my old CDs that I've kept since I was 14. Here's a random sampling of some of the titles in my old school collection:

Eurythmics Greatest Hits
Def Jams Rush Hour Soundtrack (What was I thinking??)
Superfly
The Music of Ireland (A gift from a guy I dated in college who worked at a record label)
Harry Connick Jr (UGH!)
Tool Undertow


Clearly, there is clearing out to be done. I'll convert what remains to Mp3 and get rid of all of these old discs lying around. I look back at the days when we proudly showcased our CDs in large towers or shelves. I still have one in our second bedroom. Nowadays, it's much more common to see zero CDs, since everything's on Mp3 now. I think one day our kids will see pictures of the 1990s or early 2000s and wonder what all of these oddly colored, plastic-coated thin boxes are....

'Toine Says: "Man, What the Hell Is That Smell?"

I Honestly Can't Figure out Which Is Worst?

And then subsequently why this exists?

Option #1: Odd Stock Footage:



Option #2: The Live Version

I Said I Would Post Every Day....

And, well, I haven't. It's been wonderful and invigorating to be away from my computer. I didn't realize how much time I spent on my computer until I stopped. Now, I can read, go outside, go to the YMCA and just hang out. It's been much more fun ;)

A few quick updates:

• I've had fun finally writing some reviews on Yelp. Here's my profile: http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=zAF6yw7Bz-U6fj8NXFa3gw
• I went to Walla Walla, WA on a bachelorette party with 7 other lovely ladies
• I went to Two Bunch Palms in Palm Springs with my two dear friends (The Amys) and my mom. Go now if you haven't been.
Scott and I have begun to plan our Around the World (dum dum dum!) trip itinerary. My first stab is the map above

• I read 8 books in one week. My eyes hurt for like 2 days.I've been going to the gym daily and even picked up a basketball. It'd been about 12 years since I've done that and it felt damn good!
• I went to the grand re-opening party for the Galleria Park Hotel with one of the lovely Amys. If you're in SF, you should stay here.

So, I'm now revising my initial promise to blog everyday. I'll blog when I can. Fair enough? I also encourage you to get away from your computer and go out there and live life. Go see a movie, read a book, cook a meal, have a drink with a friend!

Which is worse- bacterial or viral meningitis?

I had a wonderful day yesterday. The kind of day that makes you really supremely happy to live in such a great city. In the early afternoon I went to the Embarcadero YMCA (http://www.ymcasf.org/Embarcadero/) to join. I really liked the vibe- inclusive, community-oriented and diverse. There's a lap pool, machines and some interesting exercise classes. I'm going for real on Monday. After that I went to the Ferry Building and browsed through the shops there, looking at the imported wines, fresh cheeses, fancy organic honeys....mmmm... I got a cup of jasmine tea and read for a while. Then I headed over to the Embarcadero Cinema to see Painted Veil.

When I walked into the darkening theater at 3:30 on a Thursday afternoon, I could see a few heads poking above the seats. All of these heads were gray. This is not unusual- I tend to like movies where I'm most often the only person under 50 there. I sat down and listened to the conversation of two elderly ladies behind me:

Lady one: "So, I asked the doctor, which is worse: bacterial or viral meningitis? He said bacterial!"
Lady two: "Oh gosh. So will it get better if he takes medicine?"

Skip a beat a few minutes, conversation has now moved to bottled water.

Lady one: "I just can't seem to open the Crystal Geyser water! I can open the Fiji water fine, the Sparkletts, too. But not the Crystal Geyser!"
Lady two: "Me too!!! I buy it at Trader Joe's and can never open it"
Lady one: "I have a doodad to open the waters in my car but always forget it."

Sigh.

The movie was great- a twisted love story set in China in the 1920s. After that I walked to the MUNI in the golden glow of the late afternoon. I love San Francisco. It's fantastic to actually be able to experience it during the weekday instead of simply commuting away.

I said I would post every day....

So here it is. I just got home after sharing a glass of wine with my amazing friend, Amy. So, I'll fill you in on what I did today tomorrow. Buenas noches.