Miscellany from the week

This was the helpful clock at the Vancouver airport. Canadians have an innate sense of time.






George made this incredible baked eggs concoction yesterday. In nests of spinach and carmelized onions, eggs cracked in, topped with cheese cream and bacon and then baked! delicious.

I'm back from Canada

ohmigod it was super

posts soon...

Before I go to Canada...

Just for a week. For vacation. Hanging with some awesome Canadians. Maybe scope some real estate, just in case, oh kidding! So this is it for a week, unless we've got some downtime.

Things recently occupying my thoughts:

• The Election
• Two Plays of Mine
• The Huffington Post main headline font is too big.
• The Daily Kos: I just tried reading for the first time the other day. What the hell is that site? I feel like I'm reading blog for computer engineers. It's in code!
• Everyone's Facebook Status Updates
• I think I thought way too much about Sarah Palin for a week and now am ready to move on.
• I think I listened to the DFA remix of M.I.A.'s Paper Planes way too much and am now ready to just have it in the regular mix of plays. It's gooood, though.
• Side bends - hard!
• I do quite enjoy the Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich
• Vancouver
• The super delicious and incredibly cheap chicken dinner I had tonight at Limon Rotisserie
• My estimated tax payment
• Slings & Arrows: good!
• Last four purchases on iTunes: Stars by Ulrich Schnauss, Paper Planes (DFA Remix), Golden Age by TV on the Radio, Crush by David Archuleta
• my new iPhone. In particular, mastering the satisfying swoosh of the finger to unlock.
• Disappointed by the latest Project Runway and so so on the Hills and disturbed by the Rachel Zoe project
• I wish it was easier for me to find pants.

oh and

Did anyone else see the View today?

That was no fluffy interview

Happy friday!

Where I write, number five

Starbucks, Bryant and Mariposa



This is something more of an early 2008 haunt that kind of got replaced by Coffee Bar (which is almost across the street) but a need for air conditioning brought me back to what is perhaps the nicest Starbucks ever. It's nice because it's huge with a lot of nice, comfy furniture and worktables. The space was originally conceived of as a Starbucks concept called "Circadia" back in the late 90's. It served wine and beer and nicer food and then the dot coms busted and Circadia became Starbucks in a huge space. They kept the furniture.

Details: It's a Starbucks, so it has whatever your Starbucks has. Numerous tables including a few larger ones, a few outlets scattered about the building. Wifi if you're an AT&T customer, otherwise you have to pay for it. (which may be a good thing if you're easily distracted)

Pros: The Pike blend is actually better than the old one. Cinnamon Swirl coffee cake and the parfaits: also yummy imho. Lots of room, conversations are pretty muted, the music is Starbucks music (so, you know, pleasant songs like Feist and light Beck), and I feel pretty focused here. Air conditioning for those few days we need it here.

Cons: Corporate guilt if you're prone to that.

Misc: If you order a coffee "for here" at this Starbucks, they put it in a ceramic mug. I once was sitting next to a conversation where I thought someone was being fired if they refused to show up to work on time. It turned out to be a roleplay.

Where I write, number four

San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch



So this is my newest haunt to add to the mix'o'writerly places. The main branch is quite a handsome facility, recently renovated with lots of nice amenities though there seems to have been some odd choices in navigation logic which sometimes involves having to go down a floor before you can go up another floor. Still, it's becoming a winner in my book.


Details: Main branch of SF Public Library, next to Civic Center, BART station, and not too far a walk away from Saigon Sandwich. Multiple floors with long tables, light and outlet for each chair, private glass enclosed "study rooms" available, carrels in the windows, free wifi


Pros: Huge, well lit, clean, modern comfy worktables with great lighting, good chairs, lots of room and floors, room stretch out work. Nice airy options in the window. Air conditioned which is helpful on the hot days of September. Close to BART. No obligation to purchase anything. Interesting diaspora of people.


Cons: You can't officially bring food in, but I snuck sips of my Coke Zero while sitting in the more secluded carrel. Had to walk down a floor, laptop in hand, to pee. Interesting diaspora of people occasionally have a touch of an odor.

Misc: While working at a carrel, there was an old voice that would periodically complain about something from down the hall. I was never sure whether she was talking to herself or someone else and decided to follow a "do not engage" policy. The sentence I remember hearing (imagine older, weaker, smoke-affected voice): "Is he going to stay there all day? I think I'm going to vomit."