Icer Air pics

Here are some of the cool shots from the event yesterday - Enjoy!










Jonny Moseley midair off the jump!










I can actually see my apartment from this shot!













Closer shot - you can see the crowds that came to see the event - very cool!









Couldn't pass up the "Wipe Out" shot!

It's Snowing!!

Well, not really - but Icer Air 2000 is in town - right up the street from my apartment - along with over 200 tons of snow (real snow - trucked in and also man-made from ice machines) - a group of the best snowboarders/skiers in the world - and the ever present (at least around my area) Jonny Moseley. So - today at noon - literally thousands of people are expected to watch Moseley and 20 other skiers and snowboarders ski down a snow covered ramp on Fillmore - soar off a ski jump at the Vallejo intersection - wow the crowd with midair tricks and - hopefully - land Green Street. Bales of hay will protect them from skiing into oncoming traffic if they can't stop in time. A lot of the residents of Pacific Heights are all bent out of shape because of the disruption - the 200+ tons of snow - the baracades - and all the people who will be in their little neck of the city. If you don't know - Pac Heights is the wealthiest area of SF - homes can go upwards of 15M - so to have 1000's hanging around your house - trampling what little lawn you might have - with the boarders pulling 360s past your multi-million dollar windows - yeah - i'd be a little peeved too - however - it's just too freaking cool to get worked up about.

Check out the photos i took this AM - sorry for the crappy camera phone pics - but it's the best i could do. Enjoy.






The ramp on Fillmore leading to the jump













That blurry mass at the bottom is the jump













Blowing fresh snow down the ramp












Shot of the making of the 10 foot high jump






I got invited to go to the after party - something private and fun with all the boarders - jonny - and interestingly enough from what i hear - jake gyllenhaal - but i'm passing - i'm not a snow bunny - i'm a city bunny...

Swish Swish Swish - K

Three Cheers for Insomnia

The bitch is back - and that bitch would be insomnia. I couldn't sleep last night - work is crazy - i'm getting my period - rich and i had a long talk (we're fine - just needed to hash some things out) - and the planning for this gala in Oct is beginning to take up even more time than i anticipated. I'm tired, exhausted, and yet I can't sleep. I'm supposed to go to dinner with friends tonight - a new restaurant - and i'm going to bail on the evening because i just need to sleep. I think i'm going to take Tylenol PM - see if that helps - maybe soak in a really hot bath. What's really bizarre is when i did finally wake up this AM after falling asleep for a few hours - i was crying. What the fuck. I've never woken up crying before. Weird dream about not being able to find my car - i was barefoot in an airport - but there were dentist's offices there - that geeky guy from that movie "can't buy me love" - can't remember his name - but now he's a total hottie on some tv show - he was a dentist - please - you know how dreams go - completely nonsensical. I think i'm just really stressed out - i've got 9 deals on my plate right now - plus another 5 that are closing the first week in Oct - and i guess my mind just can't settle.

I did buy myself something lovely though - a little treat at www.vivre.com - one of my absolute favorite sites. Totally amazing and decadent - everything they have is like a little piece of luxury. I treated myself to a gorgeous, velvet-lined box of carved black ceramic housing 12 beautifully embossed notecards and envelopes with scallop detail at the corners.
So even though going crazy - at least i'll have pretty stationary to write on while locked up in the sanitarium.

I'm hoping this will pass soon...

K

Separated at Birth

I wasted yesterday away watching tv - running errands - and napping. My last errand of the day was to do a little grocery shopping - nothing major - just needed a few things. I was waiting in line at the express checkout - and noticed a girl waiting in line at the next checkout aisle over. She looked EXACTLY like Shrek. So she didn't have the trumpet like ears - or the greenish skin tone - but her face looked exactly like his - just picture Shrek with long braids - et voila. I totally couldn't stop staring. So not nice - but damn - it's not often you see Shrek shopping at Safeway.

Poor honey. Someone needs to get her a spa day and a makeover.

Great weekend

I drank a bit too much on Friday night - it was Kevin's birthday - 35 - and we went to a restaurant in SF called "SuppenKuche" - it's an authentic german restaurant - the menu barely translatable - full of schnitzel, spatzle, sauerbraten, bratwurst and beer - that i understood. BEER. I'm not a huge beer drinker - more of a nice leggy pinot or cab girl - or an icy grey goose and tonic with a lot of lime. But when in rome...

There were ten of us at dinner - we had the large table in back - there is no formality here - it's open seating - you share your table with other diners when necessary - it's loud - the rooms filled with laughter and the clinking of glasses - smooth planked tables - benched seating and dried flowers and wheat hanging from the ceiling. Our group was large enough to have our own area - while we waited for the last 3 to arrive - we orded our first round of beers. I had the spaten. The beer is so fresh there - amazing - makes me actually appreciate a cold beer. The guys ordered HUGE steins of beer which held probably 3-4 pints of beer each. I finished the spaten pretty quickly - and while we ordered appetizers we ordered our second rounds and i got my tipsy little hands on one of those bad boys. I had to hold it with 2 hands - it was too heavy to drink like a regular beer. Once everyone arrived and the appetizers were finished we ordered dinner - which was delicious and another round of beer. We also opened the champagne i brought for Kevin and everyone toasted to his birthday.

After dinner - we stumbled - literally - over to the bar area - trying to organize and decide where to go next. We decided on a little dive called Place Pigalle down the street. It was kind of a hole in the wall - dark - with sunken couches and beat up coffee tables - 2 pool tables in the back and a long battered bar along one wall. We commandeered the L shaped section at the end of the bar - near the front door and ordered more rounds of drinks. And then more. People began to say their goodbye's and head home. Kevin still wanted to party - for good reason - so we put our sights on Balboa. I never made it though - too much to drink - my feet were killing me (damn stiletto's) - and i was tired and wasn't interesting in partying anymore. I called rich on my way home - he was laughing because he could tell from my voice how much i'd had to drink. I fell into bed around 1am.

Saturday was recovery - i was hung over. Big time. So i popped some advil - drank lots of water and chilled on the couch. I didn't feel better until that evening and while i had offers to go out - i decided to stay in. I saw the movie the Grudge a few weeks ago - i love scary movies - and this didn't disappoint. Very scary - creepy actually. It's a take on the japanese film - Ju-On - which means Grudge (from my understanding) - about a murder/suicide that happened in a house - the spirits stayed at the house - and take out their pain and suffering on all those who enter. Well, i've heard the japanese version was even more frightening - and it was on - so while rich was out at a friend's birthday party in the Village - i turned off all the lights - lit candles - sunk into my couch - and watched the movie. It was definitely scary - and i could totally see how they americanized the version with sarah michelle gellar. I'd recommend both actually.

Sunday i headed over to the farmer's market - there is one right near me - and bought some fresh peaches, strawberries, some organic field greens and 2 croissants. MMM. Went home - fussed about and then headed out to one of my favorite stores - they were having a huge sale and i couldn't pass it up. I've talked about this secret store before - the most decadent gorgeous designer goods at a fraction - literally a Fraction of the cost in the stores. I got a gorgeous watch - it looks like a sterling silver rectangular pill box - topped with 2 small carved flowers with center stones flanked by a pearl - and it has an alligator band. Very very pretty - i think it was originally marked at over $400 - i bought it for $41. But the best deal i found were the Christian Dior boots - MEOW - so fucking hot - over $1,200 in the stores - i picked them up for under $200. What more could a girl ask for. Um - could those BE any sexier??

I got a few other things - almost purchased a pair of D&G stiletto's but passed - but i did pick up a darling little top - sprinkled with opalescent sequins at the botton. Very cute.

My parents called and asked me to join them for dinner. My uncle bill is in town and i hadn't seen him in a while so i thought that would be great - my sister/her husband and the babies were having dinner with friends and we would all meet up afterwards. I headed to marin - we were going to meet in tiburon for chinese food - but it was closed so we went to Rooney's - great little local place. Had a nice dinner - met up with the babies afterward at the waterfront pizza place - and hung out. Played with the babies for a bit - the little one loves my hair - likes to hold it in his hands and rub it together - i think it's darling - but i end up with a knotted 'fro afterward once he gets done. We all said our goodbyes - i'm sure i'll see bill again before he leaves back to NY. Headed back home to SF with rich in my ear.

Work is crazy so that weekend was needed - i've got a charity event to go to on thursday - i'll update after that party - should be Fun!

Meow - K

Sanity vs Stilettos

A recent SF event to mark the nightly airing of Sex in the City had women lining up at midnight this past saturday in Union Square - sleeping in queue overnight (SF is not warm) for their chance - CHANCE - to snag one of the 1000 pairs of Jimmy Choo's being given away as promotion for the event. These women - not even guaranteed their size - spent hours - waiting for their chance to be handed a pair. Oh please oh please oh please...

WTF. Are you kidding me? If i happened to be down there shopping - not unlikely - the square is flanked by gucci - dior - saks - neiman's - loro piana - etc - and saw that madness - certainly i would check it out - however - i would never - ever - park myself overnight - outside - for a 'chance' to get a pair of Choo's. They're beautiful shoes - decadent even - but to subject myself to being one or two rungs on the social ladder above the 35 year old basement dwelling dungeon and dragon playing virgins who camped out in front of the WRONG theatre in LA awaiting the arrival of the latest Star Wars episode - is something i would never do.

To each their own - but the funniest thing about this whole mess is that now - swarms of girls are selling the shoes on craigslist - because they don't like the colors and the sizes are wrong. So after 8 hours in line - you aren't even happy with the result. Faaaaaabulous.

Go to Neiman's girls - you'll be much happier in the long run...

Insomnia - yet again

I have bouts of insomnia when i'm very busy and stressed out. It's end of quarter at work and i'm slammed. I'm working on about 7 deals right now - 2 global and the other 5 for the 'Americas'. I know i'll get more. That's guaranteed. I'm also working on the grand reopening of a San Francisco museum - a huge celebrity filled gala in October. I'm not complaining - i wanted to be on the Board of Directors - and i love it. It's just a lot of work. A lot. But who am i kidding, i'm hardly complaining about fielding phone calls from Nick Cage and Chris Issak - haha.

It's not so much the work - it's the byproduct which is the insomnia. The tossing and turning - eyes wide open - the clock taunting me - clicking away minutes and then hours. I was up for about 3 hours last night - restless and beleaguered by lack of sleep. I actually pulled my comforter off my bed and attempted sleep on my couch. For some reason, a different location other than my bed sometimes allows me to fall asleep. It worked this time, for about half an hour. Finally - around 4:30am i trudged back into my bed - curled up - and fell asleep. I slept so soundly that my alarm, which normally bolts me awake with progressively louder and faster chirps - sitting out of my reach so i actually have to get up to turn it off because it's that unbearably loud and annoying - failed to even stir me. I only woke when rich made his morning phone call to me - to make sure i was awake and starting my morning.

The one thing that made last night less pained were the beautiful roses on my coffee table (pictured below) - sent by rich yesterday - with the most amazing card. He surprised me at work with an afternoon delivery of 2 dozen multicolored roses - totally gorgeous. They made last night less tortureous knowing that part of him was there with me...

Rich's visit - recap

Rich left last wednesday and headed back to NY. I so did not want him to leave. It was so tough to drop him off at the airport - but with work mounting - for both of us - we had to say goodbye and return to our lives - living on opposite coasts. We had the best time - so much fun and i'll try to chronicle the days and nights as best as my memory serves.

Wednesday i picked him up at the airport - peppered him with kisses and hugs and headed back into SF to show him my city. He was pretty shocked at how small SF was - where were the skyscrapers - where was the 'downtown' area - where were the towering apartment buildings - well, darling, i live in the Marina - and there aren't skyscrapers and towering apts - there are boutiques and cafe's and and victorian duplexes and great restaurants and wine bars. I love my neighborhood. We schlep his stuff upstairs - hello 60lb suitcase - and head out to have lunch on Chestnut street. Lots of good restaurants to choose from and we decided upon Andale - great mexican food. Some chips, guacamole, sangria, grilled shrimp and a burrito maya later - we're exploring the rest of Chestnut. After a bit of walking around - we headed back to the apartment where rich took a nap. I put some of his stuff away - and then napped along side him for a while. We got up around 7pm and decided to go to Cozmos for dinner. Fun place - great vibe - has that NY/LA sort of feel. Dinner was wonderful - they have a new chef - thankfully - and he's done wonders for the menu! After dinner we headed back to my apartment and hung out for a while then fell fast asleep...

Thursday was spent sightseeing - we headed down to Chrissy Field - and walked around - it was quite foggy and really chilly (rich ended up buying a fleece to keep warm) - but we had fun. We walked along the water - took pictures along the pier - perused the giftshop/warming hut. I wasn't feeling 100% - my back was hurting me and so was my stomach - so we ended up driving around a bit and then heading back to my apartment where i took a nap. Woke up several hours later - still not feeling well - we decided not to go out - so instead we ordered chinese and relaxed in front of the tv. It was a nice mellow night. The next morning rich went out and got us breakfast from noahs - yum - and we decided to do a bit more shopping/sight seeing. We tried to get tix for alcatraz but they were sold out - so we ended up at the Masonic auditorium on Nob Hill - taking in the exhibit - the Universe Within - completely wild - amazing actually! Basically it's an exhibit featuring actual human bodies that had been 'plasticized'. Sounds disgusting and mind you - some of it was completely bizarre - but it was incredible at the same time. To actually see the inside of the human body - to see the arteries, the veins, the organs - how it all interconnects - each area defined by a different colored liquid plastic (that had hardened) - was really just so cool. If it comes to your town - GO.

After the exhibit - we did a little shopping and then ended up on Union street. I wanted to take him to Betelnut for dinner - but the wait was out the door - as was the wait for Home - so we ended up having a lovely dinner at Prego. We bought our tickets to see "The 40 year old virgin" prior to dinner - so after dinner we headed over to the theatre - stopping to window shop beforehand. The movie was hysterical! So funny! We headed home after dinner and fell into bed.

Saturday was spent sightseeing again - back to Chrissy Field and Fort Point - the Palace of Fine Arts and the Legion of Honor. Rich took some great pictures - i'm sure he'll post them. I have scattered some throughout this post - as well. I was a little nervous given that rich and my parents were meeting for the first time that evening - so i was a little preoccupied. We headed back to my apt around 5ish - i wanted some time to relax and get ready without being rushed. I chilled out - and spent a little over an hour getting ready. We taxied to the restaurant - Town Hall - owned by a friend - it's wonderful - and has gotten amazing reviews - despite being a bit noisy. My parents were a bit delayed due to the city setting up for the Grand Prix the next day (SF's very own tiny tour de france - usually Lance rides - but this year he passed). They arrived - the introductions were made and we were seated immediately. We had a great table with a view of the entire restaurant - and we ordered some wine while we decided what to have for dinner. The conversation flowed and everything was going well. PHEW! I was so nervous. But everything turned out okay. Dinner was great - and we took a quick tour of the mansions in pacific heights on our way home - mom and dad were cool - and the evening was just wonderful.

The next day - rich and i awoke to the sounds of the pace cars and the bicycles zooming past my apartment - very very cool - with an amazing view right outside my bay window. We just chilled out for a bit - knowing we had to be in marin to meet my dad. He and rich were heading to Oakland to watch the Yankees beat the A's. From what i heard - they had a great time at the game - watched batting practice - rooted for their team - ate 'game' food and cheered when the Yanks trumped the A's. I picked rich up at my parents house after the game was over. We stayed for a bit to say hi to my parents - dad took rich on a mini tour - and then we headed out - and headed home. Monday was Labor Day - and we mellowed out in the morning and then headed over to my parents for the afternoon. My sister and her husband, along with the babies were already there when we arrived. Everyone was in the backyard when we came in - and we joined them - taking a lounge for ourselves. I introduced rich to my nephews - my sister and her husband - and we all hung out and had a relaxing afternoon. Dinner was wonderful - grilled chicken - lamb chops - my mom's macaroni and cheese (which is simply amazing and so not like your traditional macaroni and cheese) - champagne and wine and sparkling water. It was a great afternoon - we had a lot of fun - rich and i played with my nephews - and he chatted with my sister for a bit. We left around 9pm - tired - sated - happy - and ready for bed. Although rich wanted to go out for a drink - i kind of convinced him otherwise... :) We decided to go up to my roofdeck and relax and take in the view - it's really beautiful at night.

Tuesday was spent working a little - until around 2pm - and then we hit Union street for some shopping - rich wanted to get his sister and parents some SF treats - so we headed to some of the cute shops. I ended up buying another pair of sandles ( i have 3 now of the same pair - they're awesome) - and rich picked up some great gifts for his family. After we finished walking around - we got a jamba juice to share and headed back to the apartment. Rich's friend - ari - was going to be stopping by - they hadn't seen eachother in a few years and i wanted to make sure we weren't late returning home. We got upstairs - put our packages down - and the phone rang. Ari was downstairs. Good timing! Ari was great! So nice - funny - genuine - just an all-around great guy. He stayed for a few hours - and we had a fantastic conversation. I really enjoyed meeting him. After we said our goodbyes - rich walked him downstairs - and i fixed myself for dinner. We were going to go to Bistro Aix - but the menu was somewhat lacking and the atmosphere a bit more formal than desired - we headed across the street from Aix to Izzy's - an awesome steak house. It's a regular place for my friends - we love it. I had the drunken shrimp and rich had a filet (i think...) - we had a private booth and had a great last evening in san francisco dinner together. Kevin called from the airport and we made arrangements to meet up - rich and kevin had to meet - they'd already spent time on the phone together - not to mention IM/email - he couldn't leave SF without meeting him. We would have actually spent a lot of time with him had he not flown to chicago on a whim to hang out with a friend who moved there last year. We finished dinner - and headed back to the apt. Kevin called from downstairs about 5 minutes later - and he came up for a quick hello. I was glad they got to meet. They're 2 of the most important men in my life :)

Rich started packing - pulling shirts from the closets, boxers and socks from the drawers - and i got sad. I didn't want him to leave. It had been too perfect - it's always so perfect. He told me not to be sad - that he'd be back soon - and i would be heading to NY in no time. We finished packing - and pulling his stuff together and climbed into bed. I curled up next to him - and fell asleep in his arms. Wednesday was a little hectic - i worked on the couch - fielding emails and phone calls while rich did the same - he finished packing and we headed off to the airport. ug. So hard to say goodbye. I dropped him off at united - helped him with his stuff - hugged and kissed him and tried not to be sad. It wasn't easy. But it's the way it is for the time being. We love eachother - and despite the distance - it's the knowing of what's to come that makes it bearable.

It's been hard since he left - i miss him. But i'll be in NY in october - and he should be coming back out to SF in december. So all is well. We had a great time - the visit couldn't have gone better - it was awesome! I can't wait to get back to NY - that city has my heart - in more ways than 1...

Must go - masses of work to do - very very busy week - i'll update later this week - lots going on.

Meow - K

Martha Martha Martha

When Martha Stewart verbally body slams the first contestant out of the running of her version of "The Apprentice," she'll substitute 'The Donald's' (ew) trademark "You're fired!" with the less catchy, "You just don't fit in". Huh? You just dont fit in? That's hardly a body slam - that's more like a finger flick to the forehead. Annoying, but inconsequential.

Given that Martha is a perfectionist - i can't actually believe that this is the trademark phrase she'll be hissing at her contestants on a weekly basis. I've taken it upon myself to give Martha a few options, something to think about while she's jerry-rigging her ankle monitoring system to the hind leg of her sleeping chow.

I'm sorry Kaitlen, but:

Your souffle fell flat

Your dogwood won't be blooming this Spring

Your potpourri simply isn't fragrant enough

The stitching on your tea kettle cozy isn't straight

Your jelly jar candles will not be lit

Your french ribbon wreath won't be hung this christmas

Rather than sound like the social chair at sorority rush - sorry heather, you just don't fit in - she can channel jeff probst and with a large bedazzled spatula in her hand she can announce "The WASPs have spoken - please return your monogrammed oven mitt and leave the Hamptons immediately".

Has a nice ring to it - don't you think...

Playing hostess

It's been a while since i've posted - completely forgot to write about the great weekend i had with Matt and Jeremy while they were out visiting. We had such fun! They arrived on Thursday and we made plans to have dinner on Friday night - as they put it - a glamorous dinner. And we did. They came over for cocktails first - we chatted - caught up - drank wine and nibbled on cheese. Dinner was at 7:30 so we had to grab a taxi and head to the Clift Hotel - it's an ian schrager property - think the royalton - the paramount - the sanderson - very chic - very glam - very fun.

Dinner was at Asia de Cuba - and we were seated right next to the opening to the Redwood Room. One of my favorite bars - gorgeous and dark - with tons of beautiful people. We were seated immediately - and had a great view of what was going on in the bar - as well as the restaurant. Matt and i love the tunapica - so we had to order - we also ordered the lobster ravioli and another delicious appetizer. For dinner i had the cuban spiced chicken and jeremy had - hmmm - what did jeremy have? I can't remember. Well, regardless - we all shared - and gossiped - caught up - drank and had a great time.

I asked the host to make sure we could get a 'living room' section in the Redwood room for after dinner drinks. They, as usual, came through so we wouldn't have to stand with the masses. After dinner - we ventured over to our seats in the bar - ordered a bottle of veuve clicquot - and settled back for some of the best people watching in SF. Hot boys and sexy girls are just littered all over that bar. There is something very cool about watching that whole spectacle - all the preening - the posing - the jockeying for position - literal and otherwise.

We talked about rich and his impending trip west (labor day weekend) - if i was in love (definitely yes) - when i was moving (a few short months) - was i nervous (yes and no) - do i ever miss matthew (um, who?) - and so on. We sat for about another hour - finishing our champagne...it was a great night. We made plans to go shopping the next day - jeremy had never been to SF before and i wanted to show him around. I promised to call them when i woke up and blew them kisses as my cab pulled away. I got home somewhat late - close to midnight - and called rich. We talked and i told him about my evening and tomorrow's plans. I fell asleep with his voice in my ear.

I woke around 11ish the next day - alcohol never gives me a solid sleep and i probably tossed and turned the last few hours. I called rich - took a couple advil - and then called the guys to see what was going on. We decided that i would pick them up - and we would head to Union Square for a little shopping. We hit gucci first - then dior - then i bought 2 pair of shoes - and two tops at Zara. Then to Nike town for jeremy - he was fiending for this coveted pair of shoes - something 95 - they only released like 900 globally and he HAD to have them. Well, they didn't - but the salesgirl suggested a boutique up the street that might - 'might' - have them - another suggestion was to try the Haight. Then we went to saks and Victoria's secret - we also stopped for a coffee. So we decide to hit the boutique in search of the shoes - and if they didn't have them - then we'd head to the Haight. Mind you, i can't stand the Haight - it's full of homeless kids and ratty old hipsters, dirty hippies who won't give up the summer of love - it basically looks like every day is laundry day in the Haight. Whatever missmash wornout crap that's in the back of your closet - throw it on - you'll look fine.

But i digress - we end up finding the shoes at the boutique - thank god, i'm out of having to drive to the Haight - but then jeremy says he wants to go - to see if they can find another pair. So, off we go. Jeremy is just chuffed to bits (love my london friends - always teaching me fun little sayings) with his new purchase. We drop him off in front of a skaterish store and try to find parking. We we meet up again - that store didn't have them - but others were suggested to him. So we're off - walking around - stepping over the skater kids asking for change - stopping to check out the giant legs positioned above a boutique - taking it all in - we had fun actually. There's definitely a lot to look at. Jeremy was unable to find another pair - so we ended up heading back to the car after a lovely serenade by the hari krishna walking up and down the streets - with their conga and tinkling finger simbals.

We head to chinatown for dinner - end up at a little place - Yeut Li i think - we ordered masses of food and ate until we could barely walk out the door. I dropped the guys off - gave them kisses and hugs and drove back home. They headed to Napa the next day and then drove to LA the following day. Had dinner at the Ivy - so jealous - love the Ivy. But i'm glad they had a great time and it was awesome having them here - showing them around - and letting them see why i love my city so much. You just can't beat it, well, except for NY...

Now and then

Christina Aguilera, never one to shy away from her feelings about her pop rival Britney Spears has basically stated that Britney's career is over..."she's let herself go - I can't see a comback in the cards". Ouch.

Have to side with Christina on this one...hard to believe this is even the same girl - what a difference a year and a white trash husband make:

Christina on the other hand, looks fabulous!

The new car

I've been asked to share and show a picture - so here it is - my new baby:


It's gorgeous - i dig it. Haven't named it - although my 4 year old nephew sammy thinks i should name it Mustafa - told him i'd think about that one.

Meow - K

Finally, a bit of good news

I had to say goodbye to Betty, my beloved BMW, on Tuesday and clear her of all my belongings in order for the insurance company to come and tow her away. SO sad. I was in the process of getting a new car - narrowing down my choices of what i wanted to test drive when i was hit 10 days ago. While i loved my car - i knew it was time to buy something newer, safer and under warranty. But this is not the way i wanted to see Betty go - smashed up - on a lift - headlight hanging out - hood bent and side crumpled from impact. I would have loved to have seen her go to someone who would have taken care as i did - or as a trade in - not as a conduit for salvaged parts. So, i gathered up my 'things' - laundry detergent, a pink pashmina, tokens for the driving range, some CDs, a pair of stilettos, a picnic blanket, etc - sat in her 1 last time - ran my hands along the steering wheel, told her i was sorry (yes, i actually did that) - and walked away. That was so hard - and i'm such a girl for getting attached to my car like that.

I took a few photos - i've posted 1 below...


But this is not a sad story, yes, Betty is gone, but - BUT - i did buy a fabulous Mercedes and i'm totally and completely thrilled with it! It's gorgeous - silver on silver - 4 door - all the 'bells and whistles' imaginable - as one of my girlfriends said 'it's sooooo you'. I'm still a little skittish driving - but that will pass. I love my new car! YAY me. :)

Other great news - i did get asked to officially join the Board of Directors for the league of museums in SF. I'm so excited! We're planning a huge gala event on Oct 22. It's the grand reopening of the De Young Museum after months of renovation - cannot wait! I'm on the 'celebrity and entertainment' committee as well as another and since i have the most event planning experience of the entire Board - i'm helping with the overall planning of the event.

Other than the usual adventures at work - all is well. Rich is coming out here at the end of the month - for a week - everyone is so excited to meet him! I can't wait to introduce him to all my friends, and especially my family. I'm planning a roof deck cocktail party - so we can all hang out and he can meet my dearest friends. Had dinner with Kevin last night at a place we all love - called Izzy's - great steaks ( i had the drunken shrimp as i'm not a meat eater) - and we talked and caught up - i picked him up at his place so he could check out the car - and we went to Balboa for a glass of wine - said hi to our Mayor who happened to be having cocktails next to us - he's always at Balboa - and then made our way to dinner. I'm supposed to go have ice cream with sammy, my sister and dad tonight - but i've decided to stay in and chill out.

Not much else to report - so i'm off. Meow - K

The Single Life

This was bound to happen - first was the Tamagotchi - the japanese electronic handheld pet, then came the Sony robotic dog, Aibo - then life-size poseable sex dolls created in the eye of their buyer for some carnal recreation - then the boyfriend pillow - hysterically chronicled by my boyfriend on his blog here - and now - wallpaper for singles. I am so not kidding.

Their website boasts that while people don't like living alone, many of them do - but they don't have to anymore...

"The single-wallpaper shows attractive, original-sized individuals, in different situations at home. Talking to yourself ? ­ Well, never again! And if once again someone pities you for the fact that you have been living on your own for many years, you can always say: "Why? I've got someone !"

My personal favorite is this girl - mainly because she looks like some of my friends. Plus she's having a cocktail. And i love her shoes...

All seemlessly conceived out of a need for connection - something to care for - along with a little kitsch. Surprisingly, this is something that didn't come out of japan - a hotbed of kitschy, over the top gadgets and sleek, ultra modern electronics.

Take a peek and get the party started at your place, even if you're the only one actually there...

http://www.single-tapete.de/maine.html

R.I.P. Betty

My darling little BMW got totaled yesterday by some bitch in a mini-van. A piece of shit mini-van. She tried to beat me to the intersection, as an oncoming car, to turn left onto Lombard. She didn't quite make it. Most likely because I wasn't turning, I was going straight. She hit me so hard i have major seatbelt bruises on my shoulder, down across my body and where the belt hits you as your sitting. Basically think of what the seatbelt looks like as you're wearing it - that is my lovely bruising pattern. My side hurts, my body aches, and the most disconcerting thing about this - besides losing my darling car and having to now assume a lease or car payments, is that i'm gun-shy on the road. I'm an aggresive driver - not reckless or irresponsible - but aggressive, aware, alert, etc. - and it was strange for me to be so overly cautious. I'm driving a jeep laraedo (larado? sp??) now as a rental - i like it because it is big - i feel protected in that giant. I also drove through the same intersection i was hit in yesterday. I know that sounds silly, but i had to do it.

This sucks, I loved my car - her name was betty, she was champagne colored and so pretty. And that bitch in a piece of shit mini-van took her out. I cannot explain how truly livid i am.

And yes, everyone keeps telling me how lucky i am - that i should be thankful i wasn't seriously hurt, that i could be in the hospital right now, or worse, so yes, i understand all these things - but i'm still livid and upset.

I don't want a new car, i want 'my' car back. Bitch.

I hate mondays.

K

Birthday Wine Tasting

We went wine tasting on Saturday - when temperatures peaked around 105 in the valley. A bit too hot to be tasting - but we piled on the bus and headed north to napa. The bus, again was stocked with beer, champagen, bagels, cream cheese, bottled water and great music. I finally got to meet kevin's new girlfriend - a total sweetheart named julie. There were a lot of people i'd never met as well - newcomers to our little outings - so the group was an interesting bunch.


We headed north to Healdsburg - drinking mimosas and catching up. Our first stop was Roshambo winery (pictured above). A very slick, modern location with a gorgeous view and mediocre wine. They did, however, have the best swag and a very cool vibe. We hung out, tasted, enjoyed a great catered lunch and the sun. The wine was really awful, so we were glad to leave and head on toward Armida - a completely different feeling than Roshambo. The tasting room was small and crowded and the staff were a bit too stiff. We asked to taste their famed 'Poizin' zin - they're response - um, there isn't an unopened bottle. Please. The wine we did taste was fair, not fabulous and their attitude put their average wine on my list of what never to buy. We boarded the bus - which at this point sounded close to death (fun birthday, yeah, i know...) and was incredibly hot considering we had a good air conditioning system. We headed to rabbit ridge. At this point it was around 105 degrees out. I was done tasting, opting for water and a cold beer instead. The tasting room was a little to homey and country for me - too much kitsch and crap around. I didn't taste the wine, so i can't compare to the others, but i did notice serveral people coming out with several bottles in tow.

We again boarded the bus to head home. It was hot. HOT. Our bus had officially turned out to be a piece - the fan belt broke - leaving us air conditioning-less - and with the windows unable to open - the ride home was dreadful. Truly. About a 110 degrees. It, of course, got worse, we lost most of the power to accelerate and it took us nearly double the time to get home. I, at one point, had my phone out to call a cab because we really did not think we would make it up the hill from Sausalito to SF.

Fun fun fun. So, we finally peter to a stop in front of kevin's apt and we all pile out. I probably lost about 5 lbs in water weight from sweating so much - and i felt like a giant salt like...

Some how - we decided to go to dinner - without changing - to Havana - a great and very authentic cuban restaurant on Van Ness in SF. We had a table of about 12 people - lots of cocktails and even more delicious food. It was awesome. However, I was exhausted and i just wanted to go home after we finished our main courses. Soon after we said our goodbyes, i flagged a cab and headed home. Exhausted, hot and salty.

Happy birthday to me.

Birthday Kitten

Meow Meow Meow

It's my birtday tomorrow - and i'm already starting to enjoy the day because of the amazing friends i have in my life. Rich sent me the most beautiful bouquet of roses - gorgeous - they arrived this morning, along with an awesome little note that was just so perfect. Thank you baby - they are so beautiful - MWAH. Literally right after the roses arrived, another package shows up at my door. I teased rich about getting me a bottle of wine - or a bottle of veuve cliquot (our favorite) - he said it wasn't him. SO, I proceeded to open it - still thinking it was from him - and oh my goodness - OH MY Goodness - but what do i pull out of the package - only a decadent bottle of Dom Perignon - vintage '96 - from my darling and amazing friends Matt and Jeremy! YAY! Champagne is wonderful - and there are a few that i truly enjoy - regularly - but a bottle of Dom - is just so special. Thank you thank you thank you!

How lucky can a girl be to be blessed with such wonderful friends. So very very lucky - on so many levels...

I'm heading to Napa tomorrow - as i did several months ago - aboard a bus full of friends to go tasting at a few select vineyards. Cannot wait - will be so great to see my 'boys' - I haven't seen them in a while - and it's always a guaranteed great time when we all do get together.


Here i am kissing the "Cline guy" on our last trip to Napa - he was really disgusting and made of some weird malleable plastic - it almost felt like skin - the winery had several of these 'guests' in and around the wine tasting room... kinda creepy - yet very entertaining after an entire day drinking...

I don't want to 'taste' to the extent that i did last time - and i'm hoping we will actually get to go out for drinks at Balboa once we return home. I wish rich was here so he could enjoy my birthday and wine tasting with me - but he's coming out for Labor Day Weekend and we have a slew of things planned. And honestly, it's just a day... we have the rest of our lives to celebrate.

Okay - i must go - off for a little birthday pampering in the form of a mani and pedi.

Meow

NY Wrap-up

New York was amazing. Truly. I'm finally recovering from the jet lag of which a nearly 4 hour plane delay only compounded. I'll try to back up a little bit and go over the last week of my trip. That saturday, rich and i headed to Soho (shock, i know) to do a little shopping and have brunch at Mercer Kitchen - we sat across from Keira Knightley (who looked bored, but pretty) and Neil Young was across the way. Lunch was wonderful as usual - and i discovered a new little cocktail called the Caiproska - so delicious - it's mashed black cherries, lime and vodka. I could have had several - but since it was so hot out - held off on the alcohol consumption. The rest of the day was spent wandering around the stores and finding yummy things to bring home to family and friends.

I'm still so tired and having difficulty remembering what we did - oh yeah - sunday we went to brunch at Panorama and then headed off to a very cool flea market (i love them - hear the ones in paris and london are to die for!) on the West Side - we spent a little bit of time perusing the tables - some shabby chic french country home accents and furniture, some handmade soaps, a table of limoges and herend porcelain, a lot of crappy jewelry, some nice jewelry, and a small farmers market off one end. It was dreadfully hot and humid - and we cut our perusing short and walked to the park down the block. Sitting in the shade - we talked and hung out - watched the dogs and people pass...it was nice and relaxing - and cool - which was most important.

I think we ordered in that night, can't remember...

Monday was work again - a deal was closing and i got 2 more - which made it a busy day. That night we went to Dos Caminos on Park Avenue South - it was so good! I love mexican food and this was undoubtedly some of the best i've ever had. It was delicious.

I'll cut to wednesday - i wanted to surprise rich with a nice dinner someplace fun and unusual. I spotted the central park boathouse restaurant on the way home on and thought it was a great place - on tuesday, in our cab ride home - we passed the boathouse and he said - ooh - i want to take you there! I played dumb, asked him what was there, etc...and he explained to me - a very romantic restaurant - on the water - with a beautiful view. Hmm - sounds good. :)
We head out on Wednesday night - and i finally reveal to the cab driver where we're going - rich was totally excited. We got there a little late - i had no idea you had to walk into the damn park - i wore, of course, high skinny heels, and teetered down the path to the boathouse - so we had a cocktail while they prepared our table. We took a few pictures - the night was gorgeous - humid - but not terribly. Our table was right on the water - and after we were seated we ordered another round of cocktails (too warm for red wine and i don't drink white) - and checked out the menu. The restaurant itself could easily be a 5 star if they tried - however, i personally wouldn't go back for the food - it was mediocre, at best. My grilled chicken resembled poached salmon (so much so that i actually had to ask them if it was indeed chicken) - and my tuna tartar was not quite chilled enough. However, the company was perfect. We finished dinner, despite the bad food and boorish waiter, and made our way back up the walk to the main gates.

While we were meandering up the path, handing the phone back and forth to each other (my parents on the other end) - what sounded like a loud explosion rang out - we stopped in our tracks, turned toward the noise and brilliant colors lit up the sky. FIREWORKS! I told my mom i'd call her back - and used my cell phone to capture the moment. It lasted at least 10 minutes - and was incredible. The philharmonic was playing in the park that evening and that capped off the grand finale. It was the perfect way to end the evening.

Thursday evening came around and we went to dinner at a cool little spot called Acme - it's all about southern, new orleans cooking. I spent a month in new orleans a few years ago while working on a deal for a client - and i have to say - Acme came pretty close to duplicating the flavor and selection that 'nawlins' is famous for. Sadly, i was exhausted - and while dinner was wonderful (with 2 dear friends) - i kind of tuned out toward the end of the meal and wanted to go. The restaurant was incredibly noisy - we literally had to yell at eachother - and my patience was wearing thin - so we paid up - and headed down the street for coffee. Afterward, we all piled in a cab and headed to our respective homes - and once home, i made a bee-line for the bed and fell fast alseep.

Friday was Balthazar - and it was incredible as always. We each started with the usual - i had the decadent french onion soup and rich had the escargot - and for our main courses, rich had the steak frites and i had the halibut - it was incredible. Adam Duritz - lead singer of the counting crows sat a seat away from us - with 3 other friends - i didn't recognize any of them. One guy - who looked vaguely familiar - had a huge ring on (thing superbowl huge) - so i think he was sports related - other than that - no clue about the others. Adam kept getting up - and with the narrowness of the space btwn tables at Balthazar - kept making the girls at the next table grab their wine and water bottles to avoid his ass from knocking them over. His hair is atrocious by the way - atrocious.

We made our way back home after that - snuggled up with eachother and fell asleep.

Saturday we called matt, jeremy and dave for a late brunch. We decided to meet at 2-ish at Mercer Kitchen - secured a corner table at lobby level (can't stand downstairs - too dark) and cocktailed the afternoon away. It was so great to catch up with them - initially it was just matt and dave, and then jeremy, who hadn't been feeling quite well, joined us later in the afternoon. We ordered some food - cocktailed - chatted and people watched - it was actually a perfect saturday afternoon! Once jeremy arrived - we ordered once last round, and headed out to the shops. I had to go to Louis Vuitton - it was 6:30 and they closed at 7pm - so we all made our way over there. I shopped a bit - picked out a few bags that i wanted - and asked the boys for their opinions. After selecting 3 - and noticing that we were the last people in the store - we made our way up and out and headed down the street to a very cool - hip little shop called Kid Robot - which carries 'toys' for adults, and no - you perv - not 'those' kinds of toys. Cool japanese anime, action figures, etc... we hung out there a bit - and then it was time for us to go our separate ways...

We said our goodbyes - hugged and double cheek kissed - excited to know that while my trip to NY was almost over, i'd be seeing matt and jeremy in SF in a few short weeks. YAY! Rich and i made our way back to the apt - had dinner - and spent the night wrapped up in eachother.

Sunday was hard - i didn't want to go. We got up early and headed out - i had a few things i needed to do and a seriously sexy pair of stilettos i had to buy at bergdorfs. We went downtown first - got a few things i needed and then made our way back uptown and then home. I packed - we played - fussed around the house - made sure i had all my stuff and then, waited. And waited. My plane was delayed. So we hung out some more and i finally made my way to the airport - where i waited even more. My flight was supposed to take off at 8:00 - didn't take off until 11pm. I couldn't sleep at all on the plane - so i was miserable and exhausted when we finally arrived in SF at 3:00 - i fell into bed around 3:30am and don't think i moved a muscle until my alarm woke me out of a dead sleep.

Long trip home - but the trip itself - the 17 days rich and i had together couldn't have been more perfect.

I spent yesterday evening at my parents - my sister and the littlest one were there as well and tonight i'm meeting with the board of directors for the league of museums in sf - i've been asked to join the board and am meeting 3 of the members - 1 of whom i know well - at Nectar - a chic little wine bar in my neighborhood. I'm looking foward to meeting some of the members tonight - and am hoping they 'officially' extend an invitation to be a Board member. A gala is planned for Oct 22 - the opening of the new De Young museum - and i know i'll have a lot of fun planning that event.

Nothing else to report except that rich is coming out to SF for Labor Day weekend and my parents are totally excited to meet the man that has so captured my heart.

Meow - K

New York New York

I'm in NY again, going on my second week. All is well. Rich and i are getting along perfectly, as this is our little 'test run' for the future. Besides his literally having to drag me out of bed in the AM (not a morning person), it's been a smooth week with no road blocks, let alone, bumps. I decided not to stay at the W this time, to forego the penthouse suite with the wrap-around terrace to stay with my honey. I couldn't have made a better decision.

We celebrated the 4th with friends - on their roofdeck - it was great. We had a wonderful dinner at Zoe the evening I arrived (july 1) - spent that saturday in Soho - with a delicious brunch at Mercer Kitchen and then a little shopping at Louis Vuitton. Rich jokes that as soon as i walk through their doors in Soho, it's like a jackpot going off - ding ding ding ding ding - they know they've just made their quota. However, i really only work with 1 sales associate - Jessica - because she takes care of me, shows me all the newest goodies and has the best understanding of what i want and what i'll buy. She's a doll.

The next day we woke up relatively late, hung out and then went to Eli's to secure a number of delicious items for a barbecue at rich's parents home in New Jersey. We each purchases her something at pottery barn the day before, rich a gorgeous candle and i got her fragrant infused oil with reeds - each in paper white scent. She loved them! It was a great day - we had a wonderful dinner - and ended up staying until nearly midnight. His family is fantastic.

The work week was just that - a work week. Short, but full. I had 2 deals closing, got three more and met the new regional VP on the east coast. Great guy - we had a productive first meeting, and i'm meeting the rest of his team next week. Everything is coming together for the transition to the NY office. They changed my badge so i can get into the NY office so i don't have to check in with security each day when i arrive. Baby steps.

This weekend is going to be mellow - there is a lot i want to do, but i'm not going to push. We're going down to Soho again today, there are a few places i want to visit before the weekend slips away. Next week will be very busy. A lot of work, 2 of the 3 deals i just got are closing so i'll be quite busy.

Rich is coming to visit at the end of the month. We're both very excited about his meeting my family, equally as much as they are about meeting him.

Have to hop in the shower or this day will disappear and the weekend will be half over...

Meow - K

London

The horrific events of 9-11 are again brought to the forefront as London recovers from a series of terror attacks this afternoon. I can't imagine the pain of not knowing if a loved one was safe or missing - or worse. My thoughts and prayers go out those who are starting down a path we are far too familiar with. I'm so very very sorry for your loss...

There are no words.

K