San Francisco is My Home

25
Jan

Life in the Rain

Author: kris, Category: Museums

It’s going to keep on raining all next week. Maybe forever. However, we cannot let the rain force us to hide in our houses — well, YOU can’t. I completely can; I work from home, after all. But for everyone else, life must go on. In keeping with this philosophy, I will from time to time present Stuff You Can Do While It Is Raining.

Here is one such stuff: visit the Randall Museum. You can see live animals, learn about natural history, find out about earthquakes, take classes, play in a treehouse (if you are a toddler), and right now the whole lobby has been converted into a giant labyrinth.

I also have an anecdote about this. My lovely British friend was here on a long visit last year, and looking for some museum work to plump up her resume and put her art history degree to work. She applied for and was granted an internship at the Randall, and was very excited — until her first day, when she discovered part of her job would consist of holding the tarantula. She eventually wound up working at the De Young.

At any rate, the Randall is open 10 - 5, Tuesday through Saturday, and admission is free. You don’t have to hold the tarantula unless you work there.

24
Jan

Furniture not from Ikea

Author: kris, Category: Shopping

I got invited into my upstairs neighbor’s apartment a while back and I’m still not over it.

I live in one of those — oh, you know what, this sounds like it’s going to be a horrible story about being assaulted by my neighbor or something, but it’s actually about furniture. Don’t panic. (She does not get eaten by the eels at this time.)

As I was saying, I live in one of those great old buildings whose residents have been in the same apartments for thirty years or more. They’re all friends, and they maintain our gorgeous garden together and everyone chats in the laundry room and puts up a tree at Christmas and is a genuine community.

The neighbor I speak of is one of the long-term residents, and over the years he’s decorated and re-decorated his home until it is, currently, a real stunner. My fellow and I, surrounded by the glowing ruby walls, the deep carpets and the rich tones of the wooden furniture, sighed regretfully over our own haphazard collection of hand-me-down pieces.

Most people I know, being in their mid- to late-twenties like me, are in a similar predicament. We’d like to have nice things, but we simply can’t afford them, and so we depend on the kindness of relatives who are trading up and need to ditch their old couch in a hurry. (Actually, we do have a few nice pieces. It’s not a war zone in here. But it could still be better.) If you, too, find yourself longing for some of the finer things, take heart: there are non-Ikea options that even you can afford.

Mickey’s Monkey is the junkshop of choice for cognoscenti in the Haight. Its collection of furniture spills out onto the sidewalk and is both funky and, in general, reasonably priced. You can find it at Pierce and Haight.

If you’re willing to venture a bit further afield, befriend someone with a largish vehicle and head down to Urban Ore in Berkeley. This large warehouse space (3 acres, or so they say) is packed to the ceiling with furniture of all descriptions. A lot of it is falling apart, scarred, or generally junky, but the great joy of mining is that sometimes you strike it rich. I myself found a beautiful huge dining room table there. And, of course, it’s all completely affordable because it’s all second (or third, fourth or fifth) hand.

If even these prices are a bit too high-end, then I suggest you consult the one-stop shop for most of us: Craigslist. Specifically, the section on Garage and Moving Sales. Artists are being priced out of this city all the time; it’s been happening for decades. When they go, they often sell their stuff, and it’s often quite nice. The city’s tragic loss is your living room’s gain.

23
Jan

Antiquarian Book Fair

Author: kris, Category: Events, Literature, Shopping

The Antiquarian Book, Print and Paper Fair is fast approaching. I know, I know: it seems like only yesterday that you attended last year’s Antiquarian Book, Print and Paper Fair. The older you get, the quicker the years seem to pass. Soon you will be attending an Antiquarian Book, Print and Paper Fair practically every darn day.

But seriously, folks. This Fair is not as nerdy as it sounds; or rather, it is exactly as nerdy as it sounds, and possibly more so, but it’s the fascinating kind of nerdy that makes even non-nerds sit up and pay attention.

Fans of first editions, ancient maps, rare old photographs, and anything else old and printed that you can think of will of course love this fair. But the truth is, even if you’re not keen on old stuff, anyone with an eye for aesthetic appeal will enjoy this. The fair is a testament to the craft of all things paper, a bonanza of book-related beauty.

Lacking thousands of spare dollars, I myself will attend to look rather than buy, but collectors and hapless rich folk should come with pocketbooks prepared.

The Fair will take place on February 9th from 10 am to 7 pm and on February 10th from 10 am to 5 pm. It’s located at 7th Street & Brannan.

17
Jan

The Stampede

Author: kris, Category: Groups

Note: both links in this post lead to fetish-related content. If you have a very strict office, I suggest you wait until you get home to follow the links.

Sometimes I worry that these posts I write — Opera House, bars, bands — aren’t accurately reflecting the originality that is the defining element of SF.

So today, I bring you The Stampede. The Stampede is a group of folks who like to get together for pony play. For those of you who never read Safe Word, pony play is when humans gear up in pony trappings (bridle, harness, etc.) and are treated like ponies by other humans.
As fetish play goes, this is on the delightful side. And as groups go, I really admire this one: the whole purpose is to offer people a safe, private place to act out their fantasies where they won’t be judged. (If you’re still shaking your head, ask yourself how many of your friends could refrain from judging you if you acted out some of your fantasies in front of them?)

Those who are pony-curious but still on the pasture fence about the whole thing can attend one of the Munches at Sparky’s Diner, where you can meet members of the group in a non-dressed-up environment. But if anyone reads this and attends a Munch solely to mock or abuse, I swear I will hunt you down myself and make you sorry. These are nice folks with a fascinating hobby. Be cool.

16
Jan

BRAINS! BRAINS!

Author: kris, Category: Events, Groups

Living in San Francisco isn’t all soothing bird walks and train accidents. Sometimes things get downright grim. Sometimes, there are zombie attacks.

Happily, the San Francisco Zombie Mob helps concerned citizens keep abreast of all this distressing undead activity. Check the website to find out when and where the next zombie attack is expected to occur.

Of course, zombies can also check the website, so they know when to meet up with their brain-seeking pals. Dress like a zombie or an ordinary joe to take part in these highly enjoyable little meet-ups.

Photo is courtesy of the Zombie Mob website. 

15
Jan

Bird Walks

Author: kris, Category: Events, Kids, Nature, Outdoors

I’ve been slacking on my promise to include some kid-friendly activities, but here’s a good one for older kids: birding walks in the SF Botanical Gardens.

This sounds like the kind of thing I might have dragged my feet through as a kid, whining and wishing to be back with my Nintendo, but the guide is an old hand at peaking kids’ interest and the gardens are actually filled with some pretty exciting things: ospreys carrying fish in their talons through the air, and all that “red in tooth and claw” stuff.

The walks are held on the first Saturday of each month. Meet in Strybing Auditorium at 10:00 am. Walks last a couple of hours and are free, but will be canceled if it rains. As an added bonus, you can hang around for a picnic lunch in the gardens afterwards, since this is one of the most beautiful and visually interesting spots in Golden Gate Park.

This photo was taken by Mike Baird and obtained from Wikipedia. 

14
Jan

Science: not just for the nerds anymore

Author: kris, Category: Museums

I almost went to the Exploratorium yesterday. This would probably be a better post if I’d actually gone, but we ran out of time. No science for us. Still, I was reminded that it exists and I thought I’d do the same for you.

The Exploratorium is a great big warehouse full of hands-on stuff that they tell me has some relation to science. All I hear is blah blah blah giant bubbles. The science is not strong with me, but even I love a room full of fun science experiments. Freeze your shadow in the shadow box or holler down the length of the echo tube. Or just run around like a crazy kid, too excitable to sit still at any one experiment.

Added bonus: you get to wander through the Palace of Fine Arts, home of a scene from So I Married an Axe Murderer, my after-prom party 11 years ago, and, of course, fine art.

11
Jan

Blah Blah Blah

Author: kris, Category: Comedy

Mark your calendars, comedy fans, for Kevin O’Shea is soon to host another episode of Blah Blah Blah.

This is a live comedy talk show. What IS a live comedy talk show, you ask? Aaaand…that is when I admit I haven’t been to one. Yet. My vision is of four comics, including the unsurpassable Sean Keane, sitting at a table on stage and being improvisationally funny at each other. For the record, that is Sean’s specialty. I have never known anyone so quick on his feet as Sean is.

The show takes place February 2 at 10:00 pm in the Dark Room Theater.  Tickets are $7, rating is three thumbs up, Groundhog Day is an underrated gem of a film. And that’s my story.

11
Jan

More trouble at the Zoo

Author: kris, Category: Landmarks, News

This summer I was struck for about two weeks with a fierce craving for the Zoo. I kept having this daydream about being there in the early morning, before the heat wave really picked up, and listening to the monkeys chattering at each other. I kept meaning to go but never got around to it.

I’m sorry I didn’t go then, because I’m feeling less and less inclined to go now. It’s not just the recent tiger escape, which killed one man and wounded others, and it’s not just that a snow leopard and a polar bear both almost escaped in the past week alone, although all this helps of course. Then, too, there’s my increasing suspicion that the Zoo is maybe not the most humanitarian place — a suspicion that any sane person feels on entering even the best zoos, and which is doubled by the reports of their reactions to animal misbehavior. The word “fire hose” is being thrown around a lot. Plus the keepers seem to be violently disagreeing with the officials’ take on what’s going on.

Anyway, I don’t know enough of the facts to be fully condemning, but at least for now I don’t want to support the Zoo — or be attacked at the Zoo. Congratulations, journalistic fearmongering: you have worked your crazy magic on this girl.

Zoo officials promise this bear won’t try to eat you:

Photo courtesy of the SF Chronicle.

10
Jan

Dolores Park Cafe

Author: kris, Category: Food, Mission

When was the last time you ate at Dolores Park Cafe? I went for the first time yesterday and was delighted to find some top-quality sandwiches (they’re still not Ike’s, but variety is good too). Usually if I find myself on that block and hungry I wind up at Tartine, but sometimes what you want is a giant, messy turkey, bacon, avocado and swiss on inch-thick bread. Right?

Also, sandwiches come with free chips. They don’t even warn you. You just pick up your sandwich and there they are: half a plate of really good potato chips.

It doesn’t take much to make my day. A good sandwich, surprise chips and a view of the park: it’s enough.

Image courtesy of the Cafe website.