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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Staycation

Ahh, the commute. Where do I start? Nah, I'll spare you the deets. Let's just say I'm glad that the fur trim on the hood of rider next to me didn't get stuck to my lipgloss. And the girl that spilled the hot coffee didn't spill it on me. We were in some pretty tight quarters below deck, us swabbies.

At the Montgomery MUNI station, the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai Tourism Board have disguised lowly cement pillars to look like palm trees, and have covered the walls with posters reminding us that we can now fly direct from San Francisco to Dubai.

To be frank, it's not really something that's crossed my mind.

But I do have a vacation coming, starting on Friday (finally taking 2008's vacation)... for two whole weeks! I could use a change of scenery. (My boss is distraught, however.)

This is where I'll be:

It's hard to imagine a San Francisco before the Bay Bridge. But here it is, from 1929. And if you want to see how the bridge was built, check this out... it's really cool.

Yep, I'm having a staycation. One of those new dumbass phony words, right up there with play date and housemade.

Yep, I'm going to wear out my boots traipsing around town, and I'm sure I'll have lots of things to share with you. I just don't know what those things are going to be though. We'll both be surprised.

I have to admit that I was sad that I wasn't going to Paris like I had planned. I had hoped to spend some time with Tara, maybe swing over to catch up with Vanessa, and finagle a way to see Lala and Julochka. But the timing and the cash flow just aren't seeing eye to eye right now.

But given recent days here in my fair city, I think I'll find plenty of things to do.

I'm sure I'll do the cable car thing.


And it's not like we don't make our own fun around here, right?

***

I enjoyed an excerpt from this "Modern Guide to 'The City by the Golden Gate'":

“For women – suits, topcoats and small hats in the darker colors are appropriate. Light-weight apparel is seldom required. White shoes or slacks for street wear are not advised. For men – business suits, tweeds or conservative sports clothes are standard. White shoes, flannels or white formals are not in vogue.”

I will be sure to dress accordingly.

***

First travel poster available here.
Second travel poster available here.
I took that photo with the giant crazy legs on Haight Street (where else?). The cable car is on Powell Street.
Oh, and that vintage travel guide is from here.

And for the coolest time-travely site about San Francisco, check out Sparkletack. It's one of my faves and he has an amazing conglomeration of information for all San Francisco-ophiles.

***

ps.: I have a technical question for anyone who wishes to try to come to my rescue...
At home, I have an iMac running OS X 10.5.5 and for those of you bloggers who have the word verification text turned on for Blogger where the comment is embedded in the page, or Wordpres where there is a popup window (I know I'm confusing the hell out of you right now, sorry!), I can't see the gif to verify that I'm a human (I use Firefox but Safari does the same thing). Which means I can't comment on some of your blogs when I am at home, which is why you may have gotten an email from me with a pasted in comment. Or that you think I'm a diva who doesn't visit you. Because I do! I just can't say hi, especially if I don't have your email addy.

See how upset I am? It makes me feel like a slacker.

I can, however, comment from work, from a cheap crappy PC, but like I mentioned before, I won't be at work for two weeks. I tried going to some user forums and other people have the same problem, but I didn't see a solution posted.

So if someone can please help me out, that'd be super. Otherwise all of you out there can turn off your word verification for little ol' me.

ha ha. kidding.

32 comments:

will January 7, 2009 at 9:55 PM  

Turns out Firefox is better for a PC. Switch to Camino and be happier.

Of course not a glitches and goofy stuff will disappear.

Greg January 7, 2009 at 10:42 PM  

I saw the inside of the Emirates airplane on Flickr, and I'd be happy just taking a ride on it, and never actually leaving it. It is nicer than a lot of hotels out there.

The Pink Cowboy January 7, 2009 at 10:50 PM  

Darling tangobaby I hope you'll blog all the way through your San Franciscation. San Francisco is the one city I would love to live, so I will be a vicarious traveler if you take me . I have never been to SF, but I am saving all my pennies. Hopefully 2009 will be the year. I must confess I sat down for more than one hour with your photos in flikr. What a trip!!! I liked so many. BTW I have an old 1925 canotier hat, well I saw the pictures from the Gatsby breakfast and almost cried. May the gods carry me to city by the bay.

Julz of the World January 7, 2009 at 11:22 PM  

If you happen to wander west of Van Ness on California, please take a picture at 2020 California, an old Victorian that I called home many many years ago. I wonder if it still exists. Now the memories are starting to flow . . . . SF was everything a 20 year old from Seattle could wish for!

julochka January 8, 2009 at 12:08 AM  

i find dubai disturbing. it's an environmental disaster waiting to happen and the stuff they're building--indefensible environmentally (you can SKI there, in an entirely insulated indoor ski resort when it's 40+ degrees (C) outside! that's just wrong). but, i've heard that emirates air is heavenly.

i certainly hope you won't wear white out on the streets, it is after labor day after all...

and have you tried upgrading to OS X 10.5.6? i have encountered the problem occasionally, but i hit the little refresh arrow button thingie on the top of firefox and that usually does the trick.

Red Shoes January 8, 2009 at 12:28 AM  

Ooh! Does that mean we could have a photo walk on Monday, perhaps? What a treat that would be...

julochka January 8, 2009 at 1:27 AM  

oh, i forgot to say...happy staycation (even if it is a made-up word)

My Castle in Spain January 8, 2009 at 1:57 AM  

oh...sweetie..i remember you said you'd come to Europe in january. Hope it will be another time soon...!

i have to go now as i'm in a work rush but will be back..

eh..i think i know what you mean with this word verif. at times i have to do it twice to post a comment.

i'll send you an email later !

The Rambler January 8, 2009 at 2:01 AM  

I love San Fran. It's our second home for my local Hawaiian family. Which gives us every reason to crash at their place (cause that's how we roll :), and do the City thing.

Times have changed as we've grown older. Used to be driving in to the City at night, go to the clubs, have a crazy night. Now it's like we've been all over the city since the early AM and the kids are getting tired :)

I laughed so hard about the lip gloss and the fur thing. Too funny and so true.

Enjoy your not-going-to-work-cation!

Anonymous January 8, 2009 at 2:26 AM  

I look forward to viewing more of your wonderful city :-)

Cynthia Pittmann January 8, 2009 at 3:01 AM  

I am going to your vintage San Francisco, even if its a mental day-trip! ("daytripping")
So far I see 2 of my photo pics highlighted on your site...how did that happen? Beautiful work...funny and far-fetched...just enough to feel the art of your happening city!

paris parfait January 8, 2009 at 3:55 AM  

Well you know how much I'd love to have you here - but the staycation sounds right for the moment. And I'd love to have two weeks in San Francisco to do as I please! No doubt you'll find marvelous mysteries with which to entice us. xoxox

margie January 8, 2009 at 4:45 AM  

sometimes a staycation can be restful, productive, ambitious, lazy, really it can be anything you want!! last time we did that we treated ourselves to some spectacular restaurant meals given all the money we saved by staying home. one night we stayed in a hotel downtown. it was just as much fun as going away.

AssertiveWit January 8, 2009 at 5:34 AM  

you just made me miss home so much :(
I'm from Oakland and when I needed a break from my city, I'd hop on BART and do it moving to The City. I miss all that water...the pier...the shopping...I just REALLY miss California to tell you the truth.

Have fun on your staycation!!!!

Eternal Lizdom January 8, 2009 at 6:02 AM  

You live in a city where people choose to spend there Vacations... so it is the best place to do a staycation!

San Francisco is my all time favorite city- but I haven't been there in over a decade. Sad, I know. I look forward to someday getting my husband and my children out there.

I've always been a bit obsessed with Alcatraz...

vsm/whirling dirvish photography January 8, 2009 at 6:11 AM  

Oh, I'm with julochka on Dubai... the geologist in me cringes at every email slideshow depicting the 'feat' of architecture going up over there... idiots...
Anywho, have a great stayvacation and enjoy that beautiful city. Drink a few glasses of Cali vino for us!

Char January 8, 2009 at 6:11 AM  

happy staycation!! Sometimes those are the very best.

as for the other stuff - nope, sorry. I know jack about that stuff. but my email is bhamgirl717 at aol dot com.

just sayin' - if you need it and junk....or if you just want to chit chat sometimes.

Char January 8, 2009 at 6:11 AM  

ps - you should totally drive out to Muir Woods

Sarah January 8, 2009 at 7:06 AM  

stay-cations are great! look at the city like youve never been there before! :)

wish i could help you with the computer thing, but i am not speaking your language on the subject. :)

have a nice day!

sarah

P January 8, 2009 at 7:30 AM  

Oh, the staycation. The beloved, divine, wondrous staycation. I loved mine and you will love yours. Who needs Paris?

Brook January 8, 2009 at 8:14 AM  

even my HP laptop w/whaterver windows thing it has , has problems with thatr word verification thing sometimes. And My hubby will be going to a seminar/mini-vacation in San Francisco towards the end of February-doing Tai Chi at the Park and such. Yeah, yeah, I am staying home with the kids. Anyway I'll be sure to "uh hum" tell him where to go based on your travelogue. have fun!

Elizabeth January 8, 2009 at 8:15 AM  

I think you should have gone with Dubai.
Then we could have seen pictures of it.

robin laws January 8, 2009 at 8:32 AM  

play date has been bothering me for a long time now..but as a therapist i am bound to keep many of my thoughts to myself. so i am glad you gave voice to my thoughts. i never heard the housemade one.. i can't quite guess how that one works.
you are getting quite popular here, many new visitors have stuck around just as they promised. i can't tell if it is because you post things like that woman's huge legs or because we are now seeing a bit more of your own cute face. i'm gonna say it is the self portraits that are causing your fan club to swell. and your writing. always the writing being topnotch :)
i was just getting ready to e-mail this morning to ask about your plans for coming to portland for part of your staycation (this is a bad word) but i see you are already committed with your walking shoes :(

gosh i didn't know you were running Mac. i like that.. i have the same issues with only some blogs, Christina's new blog for one. others, not so much. i have no work around except to open firefox 3.0.5 which does not give me the same problem...

p.s. i encourage you to take down your comment moderation. now that the new year has begun i am ready to re-instate my instant gratification approach to life.

Mari January 8, 2009 at 8:46 AM  

Hi, I have a mac too, and lately the little word verification box is empty sometimes. So I just hit the publish your comment button, and all of a sudden it refreshes the window and the word appears, which I then enter and publish my comment! Not exactly a fix, but it works, Tango!

sonorossa January 8, 2009 at 8:48 AM  

One of my favorite SF spots is the area around Coit Tower with all of the staircases and vegetation and happy green parrots. I'm guessing you have some amazing photos of that area already.

The faux palm tree column really works for me. It's so un-SF. Hell, Dubai is so un-SF; maybe that's why I'm dying to go there. I am like a moth to the flame for kitsch.

Thanks for sharing your pictures, and enjoy your staycation! Let's do lunch if you can...

christina January 8, 2009 at 8:59 AM  

I'm sure you and that camera will find lots of adventures to get into. : )

Kath January 8, 2009 at 9:22 AM  

I am doing a fakation in February. I'm going back to Ottawa as Barry has work there. Ottawa in February is cold and damp and windy. So it's not exactly a staycation, I won't be staying home, but I'll be going back home ... I'm actually looking forward to it!

As for the comments thing? I really like open: name/url. Because Margie and I share, the typekey one doesn't work for us. Like Robin (Hi Tweety!) said, instant gratification is where I'm at!

xo

the default attorney January 8, 2009 at 9:45 AM  

Montgomery is my MUNI stop too.

I find the Dubai adverts visually enticing, but a bit strange, considering that Air Emirates has a "no homosexual" policy.

Those New Zealand ads before where also a bit off the mark too, when they portrayed SFers as having big hair and little dogs.

I took a week staycation after I took the bar. I bought a little book called "Stairway Walks of San Francisco" and fell in love with the city all over again.

I would highly recommend hitting all of the restaurants that get really crowded (Zazie for brunch, Delfina, etc.) at off hours. A much more pleasant experience.

~DokterKenny January 8, 2009 at 11:25 AM  

Apple Bottom Jeans...Coat with the Fur...the next thing you know the whole bus was lookin' at her! :-)

Nice start to the Staycation

msHedgehog January 8, 2009 at 1:16 PM  

word verification. Can you see our ID images, like my hedgehog -->, in the comments popup? Or are they hidden as well?

If they're hidden then it'll be a security setting. It asked you something like "show non-secure items?" and you said "no", and it remembered.

Christian Cagigal January 8, 2009 at 2:14 PM  

HI!
1) Sorry I can't help you with the blogger thing....=(

2)Yay for vacations at home! They can be more relaxing when you end the day in your own bed.

3)OKAY for like realz now WE HAVE TO HANG OUT NEXT WEEK! or maybe Saturday...?

4)D@#$D you take amazing pictures especially of the kind of strange and old objects I have come to love.

5)....sorry this isn't in email form but I can't get to my email from my work computer all of the time.....all of this to say.......come check out the new header picture on my blog =) It will be the front of the new postcard. My best friend (the film maker I told you about) just finished it. We used your pictures. I hope that's ok. We took a liberty with it but I think it will be right up your ally..... ;)I really do hope you like it.

Mucho Luv,
C

Yoli January 8, 2009 at 8:29 PM  

Girl, you need to come down to the Keys some time. I will treat you to a Mojito. When you are liquored up we can drive down to Key West and have you take pictures of Hemmingway's house. The cats look pretty cool with a buzz.