halloween

If I kept a list of favorite major holidays, Halloween would not make the cut. I know a lot of people just adore it; they go all out with decorations, costumes, pumpkins. We are not those people. We're more of a Thanksgiving kind of family -- we'll take mashed potatoes over candy any day.

That being said, I wish were going to a costume party this year. It's been two years since we last dressed up (as Kinsey and Joan from 'Mad Men') and I miss it.

Alas, as old married people in a new city (that will likely be overrun by drunk Giants fans due to the World Series victory parade this afternoon), we will be staying in tonight.

Hey, maybe we'll have a real trick-or-treater this year? Doubtful, considering there are like, eight children total in the entire city of San Francisco. But a girl can hope, right? (And buy candy just in case!)

Happy Halloween, kids.

P.S. This cracked me up:

muir woods

Last week, we went hiking with Dave's grandparents who were visiting from Chicago. Yes, hiking. For real. I almost had to buy new shoes for the occasion, but as it turns out, I do own one lone pair of boots with traction.

If you are ever in the San Francisco Bay Area, go to Muir Woods. That's an order. The National Park is but a mere jaunt north of the city (and if you are visiting SF, it is mandatory that you drive over the Golden Gate bridge anyway) and it is worth every extra effort. Everyone should see the redwoods at least once. They are utterly magnificent.

*Unfortunately, something went wrong with my camera. I not sure what happened and I ended up having to restore the camera to its original settings (ugh) to correct it. So yes, some of these are wonky, but I'm posting them anyway. Live and learn.

ninja dog

Margot is never where you expect her to be.

One minute she is curled up in the corner, the next she is sprawled out on the other side of the room. We never actually witness the migration, either; you just look up and - out of nowhere - there she is. Or isn't.

Yesterday, Dave and I were busy hanging photos when I canvased the room and dog was nowhere to be found. Naturally, I panicked. How does a lazy greyhound escape from a 16th floor apartment, exactly? They don't. But, you know, I feared the (completely illogical) worst.

We checked every room in the apartment (all four of them) and nothing. No Margot. What the heck?

And then, on the couch, buried under a pile of blankets, I noticed an adorable long brown nose poking out.

No idea how she ended up there. What a goof.

P.S. This always cracks me up.  

la dolce vita

"No city invites the heart to come to life as San Francisco does. 

Arrival in San Francisco is an experience in living." 
(William Saroyan)

Palm trees and eternal fall weather (boots without tights, what!!). 

Ghirardelli shakes and pink sunsets (really, like every night).

Yes, I will take it.

farmers' market

Buying groceries in our old Chicago neighborhood was a challenge. The closest market was over a mile away and when you don't own a car, it may as well be the moon. Especially in January. Brutal.

We eventually resorted to buying groceries online, which has its perks for city-dwellers, but required a lot of planning (not exactly my greatest strength). At any given moment, we would have at least eight cans of tomatoes in the pantry because I was paranoid we would run out. Discovering you are out of an ingredient in the middle of a recipe almost always ends in disaster. Have you ever tried to make chili without tomatoes? It just doesn't work.

And finding decent quality produce in Uptown? Forget it.

In California, however, I am in produce heaven. Heaven.

Not only is there a grocery store on the next block, there is a weekly farmers' market in the plaza of our apartment complex. I don't even have to cross the street. Amazing!

And for the first time in my life, we have had fresh flowers in the house for three weeks straight. It's the little things, guys.

I want to eat it all. And I plan to.