I REALLY miss the south. I just spent a week at home... it's still warm and comfortable at night. The humidity wasn't bad at all until you did something athletic (driving range). Saw old friends (KB and MC). MC got a new truck. Sigh. Played pool with the locals. Drank pina coladas.
Warm water, gentle breezes, pristine white sand. But unlike 80% of the country, I guess I do love my job -- my reason for being here in Cali.
It's not all bad -- but I guess I wish I could have spent even more time there. Took today off to recover from flying (joint pain) -- plus had my final electrical inspection -- and passed! All contractors gone for a brief while. Seeking a new roomie as we speak and have several good candidates. I do need to do that bathroom eventually but would never be able to find a contractor that fast.
If you have a General Contractor you can recommend, or someone specifically that has experience in bathrooms, please do let me know. I have a great recommendation on an electrician conversely if you need one in Oakland, just ask!
I finally get to see a rheumatologist on Monday. I still think it's just bad luck - not a real arthritis ;) But the wait was so long to see a specialist, I have to be grateful to get in at all. It's amazing how long the wait lists are in SF - almost a year for both seeing a good rheumatologist and an endocrinologist. That's why moving sucks - once you find good doctors, you hate to leave them! Anyhoo, medically, I'm doing fabulous. I do all sorts of work around the house with no more pain than the average jane.
Julian finally met the folks and all was well. Now I have to meet his family...
Ever been to Chez Panisse? I have to say that usually I am horrified by spending too much money on 'experiences' over something tangible. However. Mmmm.
Julian took me to Chez Panisse for our anniversary and it was positively heaven. After a light salad, I was served this heavenly, rich corn chowder with a bit of basil (pesto like) oil. Unreal. We then dined on lamb with marjoram and green olives, a potato straw cake and roasted eggplant. Follow this with a cheese course and a berry tart, and WOW.... heaven.
The night before I had eaten at Downtown in Berkeley - another high end restaurant with an unfortunate preference for seafood, but good nonetheless. Due to a friend who worked there, we made out like bandits with lots of free goodies. I can definately say I'd return again - I'd order the crispy confit of duck and a steak and the blue cheese salad. Yum. What can I say - it was a spoiled weekend!!!
Just spent a heavenly weekend with my sweetie. Worked lots around the house - I replaced an anti-siphon valve on my sprinkler system, tore out a hoard of overgrown ivy from the backyard, scrubbed down a hallway that leads to my roof so I can paint it, and probably more that I am forgetting!
Ever googled your own name? Well, just for those types of people, I'll share the following info. If you are related to them, shoot me an email sometime! My house was built in 1936 by a Michel T. Lopes. He appears in the Oakland city directories in 1935 with an address of 1819 7th ave. However, the building permit has his address listed as 1819 15th st. A wife, Frances L. Lopes, appears in the city directories starting in 1943. Michel was listed in 1935 as a foreman for S. Kulcher & Co. He was listed as a cabinetmaker in 1940 for the same company with a slight variation in spelling: S. Kulchar & Co. I spot checked a much later directory -- 1965 -- which showed that just Frances still lived there - listed as widowed and retired. The house was owner-designed (!!!), the contractor on the permit was ?Harry Glyman?.
It's located in what was once a part of the town of Clinton. The east area of the lake once was home to three towns: Clinton, Lynn, and Brooklyn. Brooklyn absorbed the two other towns, and later was annexed by Oakland.
Here is the scary part of my day at the library: this phenomenal home with intricatedly laid parquet hardwood floors with inlaid maple... was built for... $4250. I wonder if Michel and Frances Lopes could ever have imagined how much their home would some day be worth!