It only took me 38 years to discover that there’s little about turning another year older that can’t be made better by a fuzzy pink tiara and an adhesive mustache—and a few glasses of wine with good people. The glow-in-the-dark necklace is just icing on this birthday cake.
My building doesn’t allow dogs. But if it did, I’d want this one. Too bad I’d have to kidnap him from my parents’ house in Kansas City first. This is Duncan. Adorable, isn’t he? Mom and Dad adopted him less than a week after their previous Scottie, Dilbert, was put down. I hope they wouldn’t be so quick to replace me.
Look what I helped produce at work. Turtle power!
This, my friends, is the true measure of a city’s character: How trick-or-treat friendly is it? And it’s no surprise that San Francisco—a city where costumes are as common as yoga pants—topped Zillow’s annual list of the 20 best cities for Halloween loot.
Really, why would you want to live anywhere else?
I can sail! Or more accurately, I am now certified by the American Sailing Association and the good people at San Francisco Sailing Co. to crew for someone who can sail. It’s cold, it’s wet and, when everyone is working together, super fun. As someone who grew up landlocked and is still a bit wary of the ocean, I’ll probably never go on to become a skipper. But at least I know my jibsheet from my halyard.
September and October are San Francisco’s blood oath with Mother Nature. We put up with cold, wind and fog while the rest of the country works on its tan and, in exchange, we get two months of sunshine and warmer temperatures to carry us through the rainy winter. This year, as a fellow blogger outlines above, Mother Nature has dicked us over big time. I am a city girl. I never want to live in a place without people on the sidewalks, public art, a live music scene, ethnic food, amazing architecture.
But often it’s enough for me just to know those things are there. Like after a long Saturday of failing to make plans or even change out of my pajamas. About 30 minutes before closing time, it dawned on me that I could have been at the De Young/Academy of Sciences/Palace of Fine Arts/SFMoMA.
And then I thought, “Nah, too crowded.”
I love living in such a beloved city. I’d love it more if I felt the praise was entirely earned.
The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.
