Best Internet Purchases of the Month

This month I bought three things I really liked online: two books and a roll of packing tape. Since I can't show the books because they're on my phone, I'll show the packing tape. It's covered with elegant faces drawn by Andy Rementer. This is the very package it came in, sealed with the very tape I ordered. He may have a few rolls left if you'd like some.

The two books were by Melissa Bank. She's only written two books: The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing and The Wonder Spot. Let's hope she's writing another one.

New Notebook

It's always exciting to buy a new notebook. This one's for my writing class which starts tomorrow.

We receive a daily prompt, then write from that prompt for 10-12 minutes. Then we email it off–exchange writing–with our partner of the week. This goes on for 8 whole weeks.

8 weeks, 8 partners, 56 pieces of writing. One of the pieces of writing might be good. One of your partners might be someone you're happy to have met!

Here's something I copied last week from somebody's blog. Was it your blog?

Instructions for living a life 
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
–Mary Oliver

I was trying to find out more about Mary Oliver and where that quote came from, and stumbled upon this:

When it’s over, she says, I want to say: all my life / I was a bride married to amazement. / I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

Colleen and Me

I got to meet Colleen Wainwright today!

Marilyn interviewed her a couple of weeks ago on La Salonniere. When I read the interview I felt an immediate kinship with her and what's more, I knew she would be able to solve all of my problems.

I asked to be her friend on Facebook even though she had posted a polite warning that asked you not to "friend" her if she didn't already know you.

We hit it right off and then she told me she was coming to San Francisco for MacWorld. I knew I had to meet her.

Today we had a divine lunch down in the dungeon at Out the Door. When we emerged back out into broad daylight (after making one stop at CocoaBella) I was pretty sure that most of my problems had been solved. I felt like I had spent four years with my life coach. But even better, I felt like I had spent much too short a time with a real friend.

Thanks, Marilyn, for introducing us.

Work in Progress

Two Bookish Creatures

Gina invited me to lunch to help celebrate her smash hit book.

In front of Pizzeria Delfina, she laid her cards on the table. She said she was going to order so many things that she was afraid there wouldn't be room for all the plates. She did, too. So just to be polite, I followed suit.

Here are some of the things we ordered: one pizza with scallions, guanciale, an egg, and pecorino; another pizza with house-cured lardo, cipolline, tomato and arugula; a citrus and walnut salad with fennel; grilled marinated brussels sprouts with ricotta crostino; a sardine special; spicy cauliflower with garlic, capers and Calabrian chilies; wine and cappuccino.

A couple of hours later we staggered out and agreed that it wouldn't hurt to go for a walk. We decided to meet back at my house. I wanted to show her the Coastal Trail. When Gina appeared at the door, what did she have in her hand but a huge bag from Tartine Bakery full of brownies for me and gluten-free treats (for Tom).

Do you like her? I do.

One of the oddest things happened. While we were walking on the Coastal Trail, she said, "I think we got married somewhere around here. Is this Land's End?" As we got closer to the Eagles' Nest, which is Tom's and my destination when we hit the trail, I said, "Do you think this might be the place?" She didn't think so at first, because they had approached the spot from Sea Cliff. But as soon as we got there she said, "This is the place!" And it was. It was the very place where she and Dr. Goat had tied the knot.

Gina at the very place where she and the doctor tied the knot.

A Picture of a Picture of a Picture

Work in Progress / Play in Progress

Moneybags

I know I shouldn't brag, but this is my new wallet. I found it at Macy's on the sale table for $5.00. Nobody was around to take my money, so I had to go over and pay for it at the diamond/fine jewelry counter. The artist is Hideyasu Moto.

Arctic Ocean Beach

Way Back When Again

When we got back from saying goodbye to Peter on Saturday night, we went down to the garage and retrieved the mail. A package! Inside was a book–a real book with pages–and a bonus laminated bookmark made by Jamie. The message:

Because you, my dear Ms. Davick, introduced me to these wonderful people way back when.

People are starting to call me dear and that worries me.

I probably did introduce Tales of the City to Jamie way back when because I liked him so much. He reminded me of the wonderful people in the book. I wanted him to move to San Francisco and try the city out for me. Jamie, you did move out here for a while, didn't you? But honestly, I tried to push the books off on anyone who would listen.

The reason I started reading the series was because the cover of the first book caught my eye on the library shelf–not because I knew anything about Armistead Maupin or the San Francisco Chronicle. I was strictly judging a book by its cover. Later it was easy to find the ones that followed because they jumped off the shelves too. (The cover above is not of the same vintage or design.)

Way back when, I never thought I'd be living here. Subsequently, Mary Ann moved away from San Francisco and I moved to San Francisco. Mary Ann and I are around the same age ... but I've always been a late bloomer and I haven't even owned a pair of Ferragamos yet.

But suddenly Mary Ann is back here visiting Michael. The heels of her Ferragamos are getting stuck in the paving stones on Barbary Lane. She's stopping in at Swensen's on Hyde, grabbing a turkey sandwich at the Searchlight, and dialing Mouse on her iPhone.

When Tom and I finally decided to move, I drove out by myself and he flew with Mabel. The car was packed to the gills, and the whole way out I listened to Tales of the City, More Tales of the City, and Further Tales of the City.

It Happened Again Last Night

I'm not getting much exercise because that little pile of shells and rocks was back last night. I felt like I must have picked up 100 pieces, but when I laid them out in a grid (that's what Barbara does) it was more like a gross!

We've only had intermittent internet service since the vandalism in East Bay two days ago. I've tried to relax about it, and yesterday it was nice in a way. But there have been so many questions I've had for the internet that remain unanswered:

How to store vodka

How many calories are in a walnut?

What time does Andronico's open on Saturday?

How to spell hors'edevores

If your 2nd toe is an inch or two longer than your first toe, are there special running shoes?