quasify

Fantastic day here today. Watched Colt take down the #1 Okies, fixed my dad’s photoblog stream and then walked up to the bridge to see some fleet week jet action. These machines are just awesome, unbelievable maneuverability and more than a little loud. It’s pretty much the least green form of entertainment I can think of (1,300 gallons of fuel per plane per hour!?), but still, great fun. Now, if the Red Sox could just settle down and win this thing, all would be perfect.

My plan for today was to do the construction of some furniture I bought yesterday. Assembly is probably a more accurate word as nothing Ikea sells really rises to the effort threshold construction implies. Though I have to say it does remind me to be appreciative for real craftsmanship of the type my grandfather used to exhibit and a thankfulness I don’t have to spend two weeks/months/years building a friggin’ chair.

After that it seemed advisable to actually leave the house (being gorgeous outside and all) and since the least laborious thing one can do on gorgeous day is go to the movies I yelped around a bit looking for walkable Coolidge Corner replacements (The Balboa & The Four Star seem like possibilities). The latter only being three blocks away, I went over there only to find the mastercard/visa stickers removed from the window. Cash only is for people with cash which is not me. I decided to walk north a bit, thinking to scout possible dog-park locations.

Eventually I saw two guys come out of a little path in a bluff so cut down there to find the main entrance to Baker’s Beach. Did I know I was moving within easy walking distance of a nude beach*? I did not. I stuck around for my first California-style Pacific ocean sunset.

The plan for tomorrow? Buy a monthly T pass then ride around on it all day muttering muni muni muni to myself until people think I’m crazy and I can convince myself to stop calling it the MBTA.

*Everyone had clothes on. I wouldn’t have even realized it without SMHB’s shot from last March.

Today brought the standard stress and chaos you might expect accompany the start of a new job in an unfamiliar city. Parking was impossible, cubicle non-existent, computer was broke, software unavailable, money for paycheck not technically in place yet. Fun stuff.

Two interesting things happened today though. This morning, I’m driving up the 101 from Palo Alto when a bird swoops across the highway maybe twenty feet in front of me, low enough that I think it’s lame and I’m going to hit it. A half-second later I realize it’s not a slow clumsy bird, but a hawk with a large rat or gopher still struggling in it’s talons. Awesome. Maybe more of this would be the solution to Allston’s rodentia problems.

The other - I stepped off the elevator at what I’m hoping is the right floor of my new office, look up to my left and see the view of the bridge above. It’s the first time I’ve seen the Golden Gate since I arrived in San Fransisco, and structurally it looks like JP got it right. I get the feeling I’m going to like coming in here - it definitely beats the view of the Tobin from CNY.

I may not have been surprised at the moment of maximal suspension of disbelief during a going away party my Boston friends organized last night at Big City (thanks B-pooh, enemy of the people!). But I definitely didn’t expect the waitress to show up at the 11th hour with a customized cake in my honor. I may have made some comments last night regarding the architectural accuracy of this representation but in the light of day with the power of GIS at my disposal I have to say, other than paint color quibbles, this is pretty spot-on accurate. It’s safe to say this cake has a rightful spot in the martinoz cake pantheon. Thanks to everyone who showed up and celebrated with me.