Little trail of bread crumbs...

I've been blogging a little differently lately.
My literary hero, Jack Kerouac would be very proud
of the stream of consciousness writing that I have been creating
over on my tumblr site.

sometimes I have 15 little thoughts that I want to share with you.
but not a single big, well defined idea that I feel comfortable putting on a page.
so i got started with this new "micro blogging" site.
and i have to admit it is quite addicting.

I'd really love for you to stop by.
See what I'm doing today.
See what was on my mind yesterday.

Visit my Tumblr site here

Love,
M

In Pictures

There a little bits and pieces of our tiny home
that no matter how many times I pass by them,
they bring me an overwhelming sense of warmth.
I grabbed the camera and made my best attempt to document them for you.
So that you could perhaps, feel the same.

Let's start in our kitchen.
My best friend Natasha came last week and said this was her favorite spot.
Brent and I both had to agree with her.
The big oversized window is almost always open (although not in this picture)
and we can peer down on people as they walk down below.
Every now and then when I'm cooking dinner, I'll hear someone below say....
mmmm, that smells good!



Ahh! My fruitbasket! Isn't it the greatest shade of blue?
There is this old kitchen store on Divisidero, stocked to the ceiling
with old metal mixing bowls and cast irons pans,
delicate wedgewood cake plates and dented egg beaters.
I found this little beauty there and brought it home.
I wish it was full of fruit, but due to an always open (screenless) window
the fruitflies have found us,
so all the peaches and strawberries reside in the fridge for now.


All these birds! They're everywhere you look in this place. on the shelves, on plates, hanging rom the ceiling. Even our salt and pepper shakers are birds! This picture has two very special pieces to me. The alphabet block once served as a make-shift leg on my mama's fried chicken pan. I found it in the bottom of the box, and the mere sight of it made my mouth start to water! The little yellow plate has a story I'll save for another day. Lets just say, when I purchased it online I thought it was a dinner plate. Oh the adventures of ebay!


Well, I've got plenty more pictures to share. But I'll save a few for another blog tomorrow.

And on a completely separate note. I got a little overzealous with a box of blonde hair dye recently. I turned myself yellow and had to get the professionals to fix it:


Love to you all!
Melissa

Vinyl and Glass

we stumble upon everything.
the best restaurants,
the sunday farmer's market...
and today,
the once a year flea market that wraps around the perimeter of alamo square.

i bought bobby pins with old buttons glued on the ends.
our visiting friend, heather, bought old pictures in even older frames
and then, we found something we've been searching for for months.

a portable/ all in one record player.
an old 70's audiotronics classroom model.
we played the kinks, and van morrison, and bob marley, and muddy waters.
it was the sound we were missing in our little haven.

the crackling, organic sound of music.
there is something so visceral about it.
I caught Brent and the pups resting for a moment
and grabbed the camera to capture it.
I think Brent has had it up to here with my "videoing"



Earlier this week we visited the Chihuly exhibit at the De Young museum.
It was one of the most beautiful collections I've ever had the pleasure
of experiencing.
Absolutely magical.
A literal interpretation of Fantasia.

Here are a few of our pictures:

Right on Baker, Left on Grove.

Last week as we walked home from the grocery store
with canvas bags full of groceries slung over our shoulders.
I realized that in a collection of only forty odd days
we have been reshaped into new beings.

In the morning we rise and throw back the lace curtain
to see if our eyes opened before the restaurant across the street flipped
the sign in the window to {Open| Abierto}.

We wait for the elderly lady with the gray poodle to walk by
and we always nod and smile as she tells us the same story every time
about how that little dogs helps her get exercise despite her arthritis.

we think of as many similes as our brains can concoct
to describe the way the fog rolls in off the ocean.
like a quilt over the city streets, like the thick froth of my morning coffee.

we read the paper. and carry cash in our pockets because
every little hole in the wall restaurant here requires it.
We buy fresh flowers every Sunday
and save glass bottles to use as vases.

We have become accustomed to the sounds of living.
To the slamming of truck doors and the whirl of the street sweepers.
The metal ching ching of the zero emission buses connected to the wires above
and when someone starts yelling on the sidewalk, at nothing and everyone,
just because they can,
we rarely look up anymore.

This change....
it is such a dynamic and curious transformation.
The things happening to us.
Bound by the knowledge that brought us this far
and at the same time,
Affected to the core by this new impetus and
ten fingers full of unfamiliar experiences.

I like the way it smells at the very top of the park.
I miss my best friend.
I've never eaten so many peaches in my life.
I don't miss driving a car at all.

~M

things to share.

I wanted to post a picture of the yellow rose on our window sill.
Everything about this picture speaks to me.
The rose was taken from the unruly rose bush that covers the front of our building.
Everyday new roses in white and yellow and occasionally pink,
burst forth to greet me as I return from grocery shopping or a walk with the dogs.
They are a hopelessly joyful addition to my daily routine,
and occasionally, when there are plenty of them blooming,
I'll snag one to bring inside the house.




Another picture I thought I'd share,
Brent and I took our scooter (that I've named "Scootie Blue")
up to the highest view in the city, Twin Peaks.
It's a nice drive from our house, a curving, hilly climb
through residential neighborhoods.
We passed little corner grocery stores, flower shops and cafes.
When we reached the last climb to the top,
I was giggling the whole time and chanting "go, scootie, go"
because we have a really small scooter and it was chugging as best as it could
to get both of us up the hill.
The wind is incredible at the top. It feels almost as if it could lift you up in the air.
In this picture you can see one long strip of road right where my head is...
that is Market St, the lifeline street of San Francisco.



Love to all of you!
Melissa

Brent Cooks Dinner!

So Brent took it upon himself to whip something up for dinner last week,
and he looked so cute in there stirring a pot that I had to document.

For your viewing pleasure, Chef Jordan makes dinner:

Did you know that a plum/apricot hybrid is called a pluot?

Today on the way back from our morning walk with the dogs, we noticed that a street a block over from ours was closed.

"hmmm, must be road work" Brent said.

But I saw tents set up, and so I convinced him to be nosey with me. We turned around and walk down there and sure enough, they had set up a little farmers market. Apparently it happens every Sunday from here until September.

These are the sorts of moments that I love the most. Discovering something new and unexpected right in my own little corner of the city. Everyone in our neighborhood was there with their children and dogs. I just love the communal nature of the people here! We even have a little community newspaper called "The Western Edition" that is specifically focused on the interest of the people in the 2 square mile radius around us.

I started down the rows of vendors and filled my arms with plums and apricots and organic strawberries (which by the way are smaller than normal strawberries but TWICE as flavorful!) We bought new redskin potatoes and two bouquets of flowers for the house.

I came home and made beautiful little bouquets and put them in glass bottles all over the house. I can't stop munching on all this delicious fruit! I've been missing the great Raleigh Farmer's Market so much, and our little discovery today was just what I needed.

M

This is why I love the city

So this guy passed through our neighborhood on his journey to the golden gate. I'm just bummed we didn't get the opportunity to help him along the way. Too funny.


Click Here

Things I have learned since moving to San Francisco:

1. "Just over the hill" is not neccesarily the same sort of "hills" we're accustomed to in the south. I think a few of the hills I've walked up in this city could qualify as mountains along the blue ridge parkway.

2. Don't make eye contact with people on the bus. seriously, don't do it. It's not like in the south where you can smile and someone will smile back and then you just ride in peace together. Ohhhh nooo... here, if you make eye contact with someone, it's an open invitation for them to start telling you about the alien that abducted them from the park or that they're trying to become enlightened enough to write a new chapter of the bible. just put your ear phones in and look out the window.

3. Do not go anywhere ANYWHERE near a tourist attraction on a holiday. And I thought Wilmington was bad on memorial weekend. I've never seen a sea of people like the pack of folks who swarmed us when we made the oh so dumb decision to check out the fisherman's wharf on July 4th.

4. Walk! Living here has made me realized that there were so many places we could have walked to in Raleigh... but due to laziness and convenience, we always drove. I have seen such a change in myself in only two weeks... we walk everywhere, and it feels so good. Plus I notice things I would otherwise overlook like silly names written in the concrete and interesting posters people staple to the board outside the burrito shop.

5. Dogs fall in love with places too. I thought our dogs would be happy anywhere, as long as they were with us. I realized this week, sitting at the top of Buena Vista Park with the dogs that Gibson and Bailey are just as smitten with this place as we are. Bailey was laying in the grass, just sprawled out and happy as a claim, and Gibson had this giant smile on his face... ear to furry ear...

Also, I'm attempting to eat my weight in avocados.

yesterday was my last day of free-wheelin before I had to return to work.
And boy did we take advantage of the day.

We took our first trip over the golden gate bridge.
Believe it or not, I've been under it in a boat,
but until yesterday we've never gone over it.
A friend of ours picked us up and we headed North.

On the other side, we spent hours exploring the Marin Headlands.
This area is an old WW2 military base (Fort Cronkhite)
Which has been abandoned since the 1960s.
There were old bunkers, missle tunnels, concrete structures,
and miles and miles of wilderness.

We followed this tiny dirt trails all the way to the very edge of giant sea cliffs.
We watched seals lounge in the sun and deer graze nearby.
I can't even explain to you the beauty we experienced.
It was unlike anything I've ever seen before.
I felt like I was at the very tip of the world.

There was no one around for miles except sea birds and wild animals.
We even found this one place where there were tunnels underground leading from one concrete bunker to another.
years ago, the military stored weapons and munitions in these bunkers.
Now they're covered in some of the coolest graffiti art I've seen.

Later, we came down out of the hills and had dinner in Sausalito.
It is a beautiful town on the water,
but different than I expected.
I thought I'd discover a bohemian seaside community with organic markets
and barefoot boat dwellers and bungalow hippies.
Instead, It felt like a mini rodeo drive
with high end retailers,
million dollar cliff-side mansions,
and more luxury cars than I've ever seen in one small area.
It was charming, none the less
and we had the most delicious mexican dinner with a view of the water.

M

Home Sweet Home

I've got lots of pictures for you guys today! And best news of all, I'm writing this from the comfort of my own desk. The cable man came this morning and set us up with internet and cable TV. woo hoo!

Alright, so lets start the show...

This is what our first two days in our new place looked like. Nothing but suitcases and a little airmattress:


So fortunately, our furniture arrived on Saturday morning and we got to work, putting everything in its place. Here's a little tour of our itty bitty, happy little home:

Standing in the kitchen, looking into the living room:


Another of the living room, from the front door:


Our sweet as pie bedroom. Thankfully you can't see all the stuff we've shoved underneath the bed!!


In the bedroom, looking towards the living room:


I also attempted to take pictures of the kitchen and bathroom, but they're both such small spaces that you really can't get a good picture.

So that's our place. We love it so much! And everyday we open our windows and just enjoy the sounds of the city.

Melissa

Day four.

In less than 24 hours we managed to put most of our puzzle together.
We found the appropriate place for the couch,
hung a lifetime worth of photographs on our walls,
we found a spot for my great grandmothers china dishes in the kitchen
and slept as soundly as I think we've ever slept in our own bed,
in our own bedroom,
in our city.

Last night, just after we turned out the lights from a busy day of unpacking
Brent began to laugh.
My eyes were closed when I asked, what's funny?
You'll never believe what I just saw out our bedroom window, he said to me.
What?
A man in a wedding dress and blonde wig, pulling a suitcase just walked by.
We both giggled.
Oh San Francisco, how weird and wonderful you are.

Sometime during the night,
a neighbor decided to do some decluttering
and left a giant pile of odds and ends on the sidewalk beneath our window.
All night, and all morning,
people of all sorts have been stopping by.
Homeless people, eclectic middle aged women wearing purple and straw hats.
Moms with strollers, men in sandals and socks,
They've all stopped and rummaged through the free for all in front of our window.

They can't see us.
We're just out of sight up above them.
But I keep sticking my head out of the window to see who's out there now,
finding something to take home with them.

We couldn't help but join in,
afterall, the WHOLE neighborhood had atleast taken a look.
So we got ourselves a might fine bright blue milk crate.
And Brent bungee corded it to the back of our scooter.
And just like that... voila! We have a trunk for our scootie.

I can think of ten things I plan to put in it.
Like green curtains for our living room, and bananas, and
a new DVD player if I can figure out a place close by to buy one.

Today Brent and I took our first long scooter trip.
(a whole 7 minute ride!)
We took Fulton St. all the way west,
and landed at the ocean.
The pacific pales in comparison to the lovely, golden Carolina shores.


Everything was gray. The sky, the sand, the water.
And there were a million jelly fish on the beach.
But it smelled like the ocean,
and the breeze felt distinctly familiar
and there were dogs dancing in the surf.
And we were both happy to have the experience and
plan to go back soon.

We also saw a beautiful Windmill and a herd of Buffalo in Golden Gate Park


We hiked to the top of Buena Vista Park with the dogs
and got a glorious view of the whole city and the bay.
Check out this beautiful view!!


Here is Brent standing at the corner of our street Baker, and Haight St. The green area behind, and the stairs lead to the trails of Buena Vista park. How fortunate we are to live so close to such a beautiful natural area!!



So after our day of adventures, we came home, made turkey sandwiches with mac n cheese
and spent a really long time
just looking around our apartment,
with walls full of pictures of people we love and familiar things,
and tried really really hard to grasp the idea
that this is HOME.

PS. I just read this aloud to brent. Afterwards he said to me, honey, are you about to cry? And I said, No. Not at all. I'm just... so overwhelming happy. Just beyond happy right now. And he said... well, there's that... and the fact that you've been drinking wine. So yes, maybe a little tear did form in my eye... a mix of joy, sentimentality, and two buck chuck.

P.P.S. Brent and I both swear that Mr. Miyagee (from karate kid) just walked by! Goatee and everything!

Wax on, Wax off,
M

2 blogs. 1 day.

I think this is the best day I've had all year.
Just Brent and the dogs and a gallon of light green paint.
Our kitchen is a pale creamy green, and our bathroom the same.
And my elbows and fingernails match.

I am 10 feet from brent.
Facing him.
I am writing and he is singing and playing guitar.
The dogs are curled at my feet and my hip.
And I am astounded at how peaceful I feel right now.

Lately I've been battling anxiety.
More than I've had in a long while.
And I always try to think mind over matter
and bring myself down from the brink,
but still, they've been happening when I least expect it.
In the bed at 11pm, during breakfast, or just when I'm driving and stopped at a red light.

As soon as my mind has an inch of time to spare,
I'd start worrying. Consumed by what ifs.

Right now I'm reading a book
that's teaching me to let go.
To follow what this big world holds for me
and stop worrying about the future and just
really enjoy what is right in front of me , right now.

And that's what I'm doing at this moment.
I am enjoying the smokey voice of my husband
and the mellow sounds of his guitar.
I feel the warmth of my dogs curled into me.
And oh the joy I find in putting these words down.

I think this is the biggest thing I've ever done in my life.
Well, besides getting married.
That was probably the biggest.
But this is a close second.
I am days and days and miles away from anyone who can save me.
In this city, all I have is twelve foot ceilings, and my husband, and God.
And today, like the tide washes the sand clean,
I realized that I have all I need to be made new again.

Later I'm going to find a good place to do a handstand.
Just to make the day complete.

M

Afloat.

We are home.
our new home.
Yesterday was quite an experience.
Our little dogs, Bailey and Gibson did wonderfully on their cross country flight.
Making nothing more than an occasionaly whimper despite the fact that they
were stuck in small softsided carriers for more than 7 hours under our plane seats.

I've never traveled with so much luggage!
Four suitcases, 2 dog carriers, a book bag and my purse.
A cab dropped us off in front of our apartment
and our apartment manager was waiting for us at the door with key.
Once inside we dropped everything to the floor.
We were beyond exhausted.

But our excitement overtook our exhaustion and we grab the dogs leashes
and went exploring.
up and down the streets around our home,
criss crossing here and there.
Look! A Paint store!
A coffee shop!
A vet hospital right around the corner!

All the while, Gibson and Bailey were prancing on the sidewalks
as if they had spent their whole life in a city.
We ate lunch in a coffee shop/sandwich place/bicycle store.

Then we got down to business.
We had nothing in our empty apartment but our suitcases full of clothes and books.
and we knew we'd be needing somewhere to sleep for a few days until
our furniture arrives.

A taxi took us to Bed Bath and Beyond where we bought a single sized airmattress
(we only need one for three days and spending $150 on the full size one seemed excessive)
We bought a soft blanket, a pillow, and an ipod speaker station so we'd have some tunes.

Once we got it all set up we both stood there in silence.
Man, a single bed is really, really small.
We laid on it in the middle of the living room listening to music
and debating what to do next.

Brent suggested a bottle of wine to celebrate our first night home.
Minutes later, we found ourselves lying on our single mattress again,
sipping a really nice sonoma Cabernet straight from the bottle.
Our wine glasses have yet to arrive.

We debated dinner. It was 7:30pm, (10:30pm Eastern Time)
and I could barely hold my eyes open any longer.
We fell asleep when there were still bits of yellow sunset on our walls.

The two of us and our little dogs, all packed so tightly on a single sized airmattress
in the middle of an empty room.
Like refuges afloat on a life raft in the middle of an ocean.

I woke up in the middle of the night freezing.
It gets so cold here at night.
and I've yet to wrap my head around the fact that from now on,
my Junes and Julys will require scarves and occasionally gloves.

I am writing to you from a little restaurant across the street from our house.
We are all safe and sound and deliriously happy to be here together.
Today's adventure: paint the kitchen, and buy a portable space heater.

I miss you all already.

Love,
M

Wake me up in San Francisco

I didn't mean to go this long without posting,
it's just that I had no idea...
no idea
how much time this move would take from us.

Brent said to me over lunch today,
well babe, I think we are officially strapped into this rollercoaster.
We bought our tickets months ago,
but right now, we are tick tick ticking up that first hill of the ride.

His analogy was dead on.
strapped in we are.
Today our moving truck came.
They loaded our furniture,
our boxes,
clothes, all of it.
and drove away into the sunset.

as i write this I am sitting in a folding metal chair that i found in the storage room
all that's left are a few things to go to storage.
I am basking in the quietness of a house with no tvs or radio.
the dogs keep running room to room confused by the lack of furniture,
and my Ellie,
my big fat lover of a cat left for her temporary new home.
Brent's brother Jonathan and his girlfriend Debbie
have graciously offered to care for her for us.
I feel like I'm leaving a family member behind,
but I know she'll be much happier with a new puppy to lick and a big backyard to explore.

I can't believe we're less than a week away.
it seemed so far away for so long.
I'm too tired to write something cute or imaginitive right now.
I'm barely able to write competent sentence.

I have been traveling so much for work
that trying to balance this big move,
the flights and workload of my job,
and all the other needs of life have just worn me out.

I wish I could sleep for a week.

M

560 square feet of sweet heaven

Oh little bit apartment.


Finally, finally pulled these pictures off my camera.

Welcome to 561 Baker, our own little slice of San Francisco joy:

A Sunnier, larger picture of our building. I was standing in the door of a great little sandwich place when I took this picture:


Here is the yellow rose bush I fell in love with the day we went to sign our lease:



Step through the front door into the hallway that leads to our front door:


Our place is so small that it is really hard to get a good picture of the rooms. Here is the living room. I plan to paint it a really really light seafoam color:


Oh! The tiniest kitchen ever. but the good news is it has a full size range (some places we saw had tiny little stoves) and it has a dishwasher - a girl's best friend!!



This is our bedroom. We're going to keep it this pretty green color. There is one tiny closet in the corner.



And Finally, A picture of me and the hubby at Golden Gate Park. This beautiful piece of land is just a short scooter ride up Fulton St. from our house. There is a Japanese Tea Garden, An Arboretum, and acres and acres of the most beautiful foliage.




So now that you know what our place looks like, get your booty over to orbitz to book a plane ticket!! We just bought an awesome 1950's sofa that lays down into a bed...so we've got room for ya.

M

The internet is my homeboy.

My name is Melissa Jordan
I am a 27 year old wife, mother to two small dogs and completely obsessed with knowing everything.
I come by it honestly.
My father's nickname for many years has been "Professor Know it all"

and now, I realize that I've got the same insatiable need for knowledge.
But I'm selective in my quest.
I don't really care how you make a hydrogen bomb
or the exact date of Custer's last stand
but I will spend hours researching the last years of Emily Dickinson's life
and all of the various styles available in Duncan Phyfe antique couches.

2 years ago I could tell you every reason not to buy a 2001 BMW 3 series
and what recalls and deficiencies you could expect in a 2002 model.
2 months ago I became a know it all of vintage bicycle makers - old Schwinns and Raleigh bike styles and how many different seats were available for my vintage Murray Monterey cruiser.
Last week I learned that Minnetonka Moccasins offer 6 styles of women's boots.
My favorites were the ones with the silver studs.

Right now my obsessesion is all things San Francisco.
More specifically all things regarding the neighborhoods Haight Ashbury, NOPA, and Western Addition.
I have been living virtually in our neighborhood for a month now.
I know that Robert's Hardware employs a guy named Stan that can help you fix anything.
I know that the DMV on Baker St. is cleanest and friendliest in the city.
I know that 4 blocks away from our apartment is an organic grocery store with a nice bulk dried fruits section
and that there are 5 pet stores within a mile radius of our place.

I want to meet the two Middle Eastern gentlemen that run a corner store down the block.
Apparently they are the keepers of the neighborhood.
They keep spare keys for people who often lock themselves out of their apartments and give bananas to any child that steps foot in the door.

a month from today we will be in our new home.
on our new street.
with all of our new neighborhood places.

and I'll most likely be on the internet researching my next obsession.
Most likely, I'll be trying to memorize the bus schedule and the MUNI routes
but it could be organic dog foods or comfortable walking shoes.

I am a wealth of selective knowledge.

M

Honey mustard and fuel efficiency

Today over a 12 piece chicken nugget from Chic-fil-a
I started thinking about all of the southern delicacies that I am going to miss
in California, like:

bojangles.
and finding texas pete hot sauce on the grocery store shelf
and the ability to order sweet tea in restaurants
and fried okra
and eastern north carolina barbeque

but don't you worry about me.
because i've got plenty of new delicious places to discover.
that city has some of the best restaurants in the country.
and fresh crab and fish!
and the most amazing indian and chinese food.
I'll just have to do what my brother does and have mama
ship a gallon of texas pete out to us

and on a completely unrelated note...
guess what we're getting.



woohoo. watch out. Melissa on a scooter is going to be interesting.

Pretty darn cute isn't it?
don't tell Brent I called it cute. I've had to call it "vintage inspired" in order to convince him that this is the kind of scooter we need.

In NC, if you drive a scooter, it means you got a DUI
In CA, if you drive a scooter, it means you understand the absurdity of gas prices and the non existence of parking in the city.

I haven't been this excited over a two wheel vehicle since my friend Ashley got a sweet moped for Christmas when we were 10.

zoom zoom baby.

M

see for yourself

Just a short little blog today - Thought I'd put up a few pictures of our new neighborhood.

This is Haight Street.


Here you can find many eclectic shops, clothing boutiques, restaurants, etc.

One of the most well known vintage stores on Haight is called Wasteland. Brent's already scored a sweet '80s style puffy coat from this store:



As I've previously mentioned, there are a number of beautiful parks nearby. One of our favorites, Buena Vista Park, has gorgeous views of the city. Just look at this shot taken from the top of the park:


A well known landmark, the painted ladies at Alamo Square are also only a few blocks away:


I fly home today, so I'll be sure to upload the rest of the pictures from our trip.

M

Welcome home.

We are jumping off the walls right now.
I have to tell you all about our experience of house hunting.
First of all, this is the most expensive city in the country.
Second of all, it is incredibly competitive for good apartments.

So we show up to an open house and there are 20 people there.
And everyone is feverishly filling out applications.
and we visited one that we just love.
It had big windows, high ceilings, hardwood floors and lots of charm
the best news of all...
they take pets!

So we submit our application along with everyone else
and just held our breath and pray that they will pick us.
We looked at many other apartments afterwards,
but they were either in sketchy areas,
or had a weird layout or were far away or too expensive.
Today I looked at one where two... how do I say this nicely,
"unsavory characters" were yelling on the corner
and I had to step over a homeless man to go in the place.

"This isn't going to work" Brent said.
"I'm not leaving you in a place like this by yourself, we'll just keep on looking"
On the way back to our hotel we were feeling pretty
down and out.
We had one day left to lock in a place.
Just then the phone rings.
It's the leasing agent from our favorite apartment.
We were chosen to be the new tenants!

I can't tell you how good it felt.
It was like being told we won the lottery.
and in a way, I guess we did.

Our new place is on Baker Street
right near Haight Ashbury and NOPA.
Alamo Square, Panhandle Park, and Buena Vista park are all within a short walk.

Here is a picture:


We're going to sign our lease in 30 minutes.
We are dancing around and making "eeeeeek" noises
and just can't stop smiling.

More pictures to come!

M

Haight Street and open windows

My calves ache today.
My greatest hope is that I walk as much as I did yesterday, everyday.
I'll be down to my slim and trim college jeans in no time.
Yesterday we decided that we loved Haight Ashbury.
Of course we would, it's like living in a history book.

We looked at an apartment a few steps from a costume shop
and an outdoor restaurant
and the most wonderful little dog park where rottweilers and weiner dogs
frolicked in collective happiness.
We met a cocker spaniel named Mia.
I fed her some of the croissant I had hidden in my bag.
I could see my own dogs in that field and I felt easy.

Later, Brent and I hung out in the bathroom of our hotel room.
We're on the 14th floor over looking downtown and for some reason
the locks on our window is busted.
It's a big window right next to the tub,
so we've been opening and listening to the street musicians
and Brent bought his guitar
so he sang to me with his songs floating out the window.
I requested all my favorites
and admired the way his lips curl when he sings.
I couldn't even hide the pleasure in my face.
He looked so beautiful with the late afternoon light falling across him.

Both of our bodies are still adjusting to the time difference
and we ate dinner at what would be 11pm on the east coast.
We met up with some friends and I took them to Belden Place.
It's this little alley in between two buildings,
ball lights were strung from building to building above our heads
and we had 5 little restaurants all with al fresco dining to choose from.

We decided on the southern italian restaurant.
Our food was incredible and they gave us the most delicious bottle of chianti
at half the menu price.
They brought us complimentary tiramisu, the best i've ever tasted.
and our waiter, in his heavy italian accent said
“because you are the nicest table I've had all night”

I fell asleep early.
Dreaming of bay windows and dogs in fields and city buses.
Even as I sit in bed this morning, with disheveled hair and sleepy eyes,
I can barely lay still. The anticipation of this city
and all it holds for us,
stirs me to wake.
The city waits.

M

connecting them

well.
I've made it.
one half of the jordans has landed on the west coast.
Brent follows me tomorrow.

over and over I've worried,
have i prepared enough?
have i researched every single rental company there is?
do i have all the paperwork?
the right documentation?
what am I forgetting?

i am usually such an optimist.
but this has felt so much like a dream to me
that the whole time I've been expecting it to fall away and disappear.

May my next blog post find me back to my normal self.
I'm in the Los Angeles area for an event and feeling out of sorts.
This city evokes none of the passion that San Francisco does.
But I am impressed by the sheer size of the palm trees over my head.

8pm pacific time tomorrow.
I will meet my husband and the SFO baggage claim
and he will take my hand
and we'll find the next dot on our map.

M

pretty things

Whenever I move to a new space
I can't help but to want to redecorate.
I do my best to keep my favorite pieces
and add new ones to make it feel like a fresh start.

This move is going to make redecorating a must
as the amount of space and how it's utilize require a lot
of forward thinking.

Everything needs to have drawers or be convertible.
We're buying a new couch so that we have an extra bed
when friends and family come to visit.
I've been searching for weeks and Brent and I finally settled on this one:


Yes, I know it's 1970's orange.
But we're moving into a WHITE WHITE WHITE apartment
and if i can't paint the walls, I want color in other places.
The couch folds flat to sleep two people.
I think it's the coolest couch this side of the 21st century.

Our bedroom will probably be the size of a walk-in closet.
I say that jokingly, but it's really not far from the truth.
Our beautiful dark wood sleighbed and dresser just won't fit,
so I recently purchased a darling, vintage headboard and mom is
letting us take my great grandfather's tall oak dresser.
I've picked out this bedding.
I know it's a little girlie,
but like I said before...we need color!
and nothing reminds me of an east coast springtime like cherry blossoms.


I'll have so much more to tell you guys next week.
Brent and I will arrive in San Francisco on May 1st.
We have so much to do while we are there and I'll be sure to take lots
of pictures of our new abode so that you can figure out
where you're going to put your suitcase when you come visit us ;)


M

A helping hand and a heavy weight

I feel God's hands on us now.
Opening doors and windows and roads for us
as we move our lives across the country.

In the weeks since we learned of our move
we've managed to sell Brent's car and get an offer
on our townhouse.

Brent's recording for his second album will finish up
right before we leave.
Our tax returns are giving us just the right amount of money
to cover the hefty deposit that city living requires.

Even with these blessings, I still find myself lying awake late into the night
thinking of all the junk that is looming in our pull down attic.
And all the furniture we need to sell.
and my car. We've decided to sell my car and buy a good used Honda.
No need to pay so much money for a car we'll only need one or two days a week.

Next week we will make our way across the US to go apartment hunting.
We have seven days to find our place.

I am a mix of panic and joy.
I am doing all I can to remind myself
that in time it will all fall into place.

M

Imaginary taxi fairy

I've always wanted to ride a train.
a real life train on the tracks- horn blowing train.
and recently I learned that there is one
that goes from San Francisco to Mountain View (where my office is)
every morning - and has wireless internet so that I can work on the way.
and the best part,
it's called "the baby bullet"

So instead of fighting traffic in the mornings,
I'm going to be sipping my coffee, taking conference calls
and answering my emails from the comfort of a southbound train.

and the train accomodates bicycles
(it just keeps getting better)
so my darling bicycle, Josephine
can carry me from the train station to the office.

I have all these romantic notions in my head
about sipping hot tea in the sunlight of our bay window
and laying in the park with our dogs
and riding trains and bicycles.

I know things don't always turn out the way we expect
but right now, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a hot air balloon
shuttle to the post office and a stage coach pulled by unicorns to take us to dinner in the evenings.

I also hear there are leprechauns in the sewer system ;)

M

Dog friendly?

On my many trips to SF, the one thing I loved was how dog friendly everyone was.
Many restaurants allow dogs to sit at their owners feet while they dine.
It's not unusual to see a dog trotting along behind a shopper with hands full of things to purchase.
Dogs on public transportation, city streets, taxi cabs.
I even found a group on craigslist that has a chihuahua only play group at a local park.

So now I'm searching neighborhoods for the perfect apartment.
There are somethings that are a must:
1. must be in or very close to downtown SF (this is fairly easy considering the city is only 7 square miles)
2. must be in a safe neighborhood (Right now we're really leaning towards Hayes Valley, Mission, Castro or Nob Hill)
3. must have hardwood floors and a bay window (just because everytime I've dreamed of living there, my dream place had hardwoods and a lovely bay window to watch the world go by.)
4. must accept dogs.

It is SO hard to find a place that allows dogs. Finding a nice apartment that allows dogs cuts our options pool by almost 75%. For such a dog friendly town, dog friend housing is a scarce commodity.

Then of course, there are the "nice to haves" like being close to public transportation, a parking garage close by, a dishwasher, laundry facility in the building, etc.

But for now, I'll just be happy to find a place that allows our fur babies. Even the places that do allow pets require a huge deposit, a pet RESUME, vet references and pictures. Thankfully our pooches are under the 25 pound weight limit.

Gibson, our little chihuahua/papillion mix is looking at me right now. For the past week I've been asking him "Do you want to be a city dog? Are you ready to be a San Fran puppy?" I'm certain his answer is yes... if only the city will be kind enough to let us in.

M

the things that stay.

I've been walking around my house with wide eyes.
trying to mentally decide what should come along
and what stays behind.

My grandmother's china, our new crystal cake plate?
Those certainly will be safer here than across the country
on a truck to a earthquake prone city.

But what about my birdcage
and how many pillows will we need?
Will we have room for all our pictures
and our boxes and boxes of books?
Do we take the Hemingway and leave Neruda anthology behind?

I don't know where to start
or how to stop making these mental lists.
Last night before falling asleep I contemplated
10 different ways to get my african violet and our cat safely across the country.

Most of our things will have to stay behind.
Left to fend for themselves in a storage unit or a kind relatives attic
for a few years.

This weekend I bought a pair of shoes
and last night while attending the concert of a native San Francisco musician (Vienna Teng)
I scribbled this in my notebook:


I bought a pair of yellow shoes
with the specific purpose of walking uphill.

Brand new city shoes the color of sunday

I will eat sandwiches in these shoes.
And leave them by the front door on rainy afternoons.

You will loose me in a crowd
and find me again.
A flash of yellow against the gray concrete.

I will dance to car horns in these shoes
most likely fall down in these shoe
brush myself off, laugh in these shoes.

One million steps,
chasing life in these shoes.

Going. The beginning.

"It's simply a very romantic place. Just one look at any of those streets, and you couldn't be anywhere else -- it's so beautiful, and there's that location, and the sense of the free spirit. Who couldn't become ravenous in such a place?"

~Julia Child about San Francisco

I am going to keep telling this story,
so if you'd care to listen,
I hope you'll come back again.

Let me tell you how this all started.
I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I was raised 25 minutes outside the city.
I went to college 4 miles from the hospital I was born in.
and when I graduated, I had every intention of moving away.

But somehow, I landed this really fantastic job.
And the company was headquartered 2 miles from my house.
A half a billion dollar a year company, with 55 worldwide offices,
and I go to work in my backyard.

7 months into the role, they sent me to San Francisco.
I was expecting the same sort of vibe and buzz I had seen in other large cities.
Public transportation, an endless landscape of skyscrapers and coffee shops,
taxis, homeless people, moving moving moving.

But when I stepped foot on the sidewalk,
I learned I already knew the city.
I knew the faces that passed me on the street.
I knew which sandwich place would be my favorite.
Without knowing why or how, I knew the smell, the energy, the taste of the city.
It was like meeting the love of your life and knowing it immediately.

And so my love affair with San Francisco began.
I spent every hour that I wasn't working, just walking.
Wearing the soles off my shoes up and down the streets.
I'd wake every morning early, grab a cup of coffee and my scarf,
and find a tall building to lean up against.
I'd sit quietly for 20 minutes watching people pass on their way.
Meditating on the life of the place.

As the years passed, I found myself going back more often.
Thankful that a vast number of technology expos and conventions are held
at the Moscone on third street.
Airplanes across the sky, taking me back to the arms of my city.

Brent couldn't take my mad ramblings any longer.
It was time he understood.
The next time I had business in San Francisco, we bought a ticket for him to go along.
Just wait... I said. I wanted him to just know it. Feel it too. more than anything.

As I spent my days under the florescent lights of a convention center,
he was out walking the streets. Just as I had done before.
He was breathing in the life. Falling in love. Understanding.

How can we do it? We kept whispering at night before closing our eyes.
How can we make it happen?
I spent months researching jobs but didn't see anything that really felt right to me.
And so we began to band-aid ourselves against the realization that maybe we'd never make it.
We love Raleigh.
Love the charm of our small city, the joy of friendships, the closeness of family.
We had nothing left to discover here. But it was comfortable and happy.

We starting looking to buy a house.
Ready to admit our defeat and settle into a place with a nice backyard for the dogs.
Deep down inside, both of us knew the truth.
and we just kept on saying prayers

We kept looking at houses.
Nothing seemed perfect. Nothing screamed “I'm your house! Buy me!”
and then, like a speeding train...
news.
There is a marketing position opening in our West office.
And just as quickly. “It's yours. Pack your bags.”
I came home that evening and said... we're moving, I said. we're going.

It's a dream realized. And we're constantly pinching ourselves.
Currently, we're research what downtown neighborhood best fits us
and how much can we afford for an apartment.
There is so much to do here.
So much material stuff we need to shed before starting our new adventure.

Currently, I move between overwhelming excitement and the fear of leaving all I've ever known behind.
My friends are everything to me.
Who will I laugh with over a cheese plate and a bottle of Rioja?
Where will I go when I just want to listen to music and eat candy and feel warm?
My husband is my heart, but I need the love and support of my friends almost as much.
The light of my parents and grandparents, how long will it be between our visits?
I need to find a new pet sitter. A new hair stylist. A doctor.

So much newness ahead of us.
So many undefined things.
And yet, I find comfort in what is defined.
I have my husband, and my animals, and my bicycle – all together in San Francisco
And I'll still chase dust bunnies around our hardwood floors,
and complain about how long Gibson takes on potty breaks
and ask Brent to sing to me before we fall asleep.
We'll be in love. In the city we love.

We have so much to do before the end of June.

M