[Super Duper Fantastic] ISFP/INFP. 4w5. World Explorer. Super Hero. Rose-colored Glasses.

I love wandering into a random [somewhat, as I'd searched online for reviews first] place and finding something that just triggers happy feelings. Ian and RV were meeting up for their monthly [every-so-often, but should be more often than that] drinks. I tagged along after suggesting the place and fell in like. It’s not love yet because I haven’t seen it at other hours, but for a Sunday afternoon, it was nice.

My friend, Kara, recently started a blog called “I Love It, SF.” In it, she explores the great things about San Francisco and documents with brilliant photos and of course, writing. I’d really like to get back into that as well, capturing the moments that truly make life fantastic [superduperly so]. I recently replaced my point-and-shoot camera with the assistance of some friends on which one to pick out. This Canon SD780 IS is on its way to me now, so I’ll have photos to go along with stories!

Yes, it’s RED!

I didn’t really have a decided costume for Halloween until about an hour before a party Friday night. It became a pre-Halloween costume because the following evening [Halloween proper], we went over to RV’s mom’s house and watched a late night baseball game instead of joining in the festivities in SF.

I wore a random purple wig I’d bought a few months prior, a purple dress, and Slinkies for arms. Not really a specific character, just not my usual self. Several guesses for my outfit: Rainbow Brite, raver chick. I was aiming for a toy or purple-haired doll.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and didn’t really think our friends would go all the way to the Outer Richmond for the party, but it turned out quite well. Mateo and Robin live in a really nice house, Ian was DJing up some good music, and there was good company. I also met Valentine [the cat pictured] who must be the softest cat EVER. I ignored my allergies for about five minutes to play with him.

The party was a good time, and we didn’t get home until after 3:30. I ended up sick the next day though. Had pho with rare beef and tendon for lunch with RV and Theron, and everything was fine. Pilates and a long car ride later in the day triggered some undigested dinner though, so the rest of the evening involved resting up and watching the Yankees kick the Phillies in the behind. I’m not a huge follower of baseball, but since it’s the World Series, I paid attention. It only gets interesting when the teams are good, and the games are somewhat close!

Today, more pho with rare beef and tendon after getting an extra hour of sleep! And then as we headed down to the farmer’s market, we noticed that the Asian Art Museum was free [Target First Sunday!]. We walked through, looked around for a few minutes, and continued on our way to the farmer’s market where we picked up veggies and this lovely plant. It ended up costing more than the veggies that RV bought, but it will surely last longer!

Of course, I forgot to ask the woman selling the plant what it was. I know it’s a succulent, but which one?!

I’m working on incorporating more photos and daily life documentation, so if that’s not your cup of tea, read no further. ;-)

Just made an awesome investment in this book of savings. It’s the 2009 Green Zebra – San Francisco Savings Guide with savings on organic restaurants, eco-friendly products, yoga and fitness, spas, cultural activities, AND getaways.

I don’t usually buy coupon books because I tend to forget about it, and the spending requirements are a little crazy. Save $10 on $200 when I normally wouldn’t have spent $200. But looking at this book [which will last through the rest of 2009], there are a ton of coupons that I know I would use or that my friends would use! And it doesn’t take much to get the $25 you spent back.

Examples of savings include: Free breakfast at Sellers Market, free breakfast at La Boulange, buy one yoga class and get one free at multiple yoga studios citywide, Zipcar savings, free coffee at Philz.

Those are just a few… There are 175+ coupons in the book. There’s a monthly newsletter to sign up for AND a mobile program too. When you sign up, Green Zebra will email or text you when new savings/coupons come up, and you can just show the vendor your phone for the savings.

No, they aren’t paying me to blog about them. I get nothing. I bought my own book of coupons to use. I just think it’s pretty neat. If you’re in SF or the Peninsula [there's a separate version!], check it out. Or if you know me personally, maybe I will share my free coffee with you.

Yesterday was a beautiful and random day. Sure, it was really cold, and the wind chilled me to the bones. But spending it entirely with a friend [Hi Keane!] with no strict plan in mind, just ideas that popped up on a whim, was what made it fantastic.

It started off with an attempt to have lunch at the Fillmore Mexican Grill. Wasn’t sure why it was closed randomly, but I was able to get my salmon burrito fix today instead. So we ended up having lunch at a Thai place in the neighborhood that he had wanted to try for some time. We ended up missing Watchmen because it was only after running into two other closed restaurants that we found ourselves at this place. By the time we were done, the movie had already started, and there were no other showings nearby at the time we wanted to watch the movie.

Then we decided to hop on the bus towards the Mission and Potrero Hill. When we hopped off, we took a quick tour of Mission Dolores [something I've not done in the 25+ years of being in San Francisco].

After Mission Dolores for the first time, we found ourselves at Monk’s Kettle for the first time also. Grabbed some quick drinks before wandering to the Yerba Buena Gardens to kill some time before an event at 111 Minna. To continue with the day of firsts, we took the cable car up California to Bob’s Donuts, where I purchased my first two Bob’s donuts – sugar [for me] and glazed [for RV]. Donuts in tow and after a quick Whole Foods run to pick up some snack items for the following day, Keane drove me home.

I love random Sundays.

An update on the 101 in 1001 list:

060 – Visit the de Young and Legion of Honor before membership expires.
The day before New Year’s Eve, RV and I took a trip to the de Young Museum, and this weekend will be a trip to the Legion of Honor.

I’m just happy to finally make the most of the membership. A membership is about $80, and it allows me to get in with a guest. That’s $20 each time that I visit. I haven’t visited more than three times this past year, but each time, there have been special exhibits, and that’s $20 per person. $40 x 3, and I’ve made it worth my while.

Despite my love for the museums, I doubt that I will be renewing the membership for a while. There is so much to do and not enough time to go do it all. Maybe again in the summer when I have free time…

Party last night at Orange Photography.

An update on the 101 in 1001 list:

032 – Go on a photo excursion at least once every two months with the Nikon D40.
It wasn’t really an excursion. I just had the camera with me, but the intent of this particular task is to get myself out there and using the fancy camera. And that is exactly what I did. These were taken through a car window as RV and I were driving from SOMA to the Western Addition. It’s interesting to see how different of a scene one notices as a passenger, rather than the driver.

It’s foggy and misty outside today. Just a little bit romantic. It’s “wrap yourself up in a blanket and watch a movie” weather. It’s “going down to a coffee shop and sipping on some hot cocoa as you watch the sprinkling outside” weather.

Instead of working today, I decided to “clean my room.” So I ended up uploading photos from the Yelp event this past Thursday. There was a party at the Contemporary Jewish Museum with the theme based on their latest exhibit “Warhol’s Jews: Ten Portraits Reconsidered.”

The event lasted from 6:30 to 8:30, so in that time, attendees had a chance to run through the special exhibit. Definitely not as exciting as the rest of Warhol’s work. You know, the stuff he’s famous for, but still interesting. Here’s the blurb from the museum website on the exhibit:

Andy Warhol’s extraordinary series, Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, portrays a pantheon of great Jewish thinkers, politicians, performers, musicians, and writers. Included in the series are such celebrated figures as Sarah Bernhardt, Louis Brandeis, Martin Buber, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, the Marx Brothers, Golda Meir, George Gershwin, Franz Kafka, and Gertrude Stein. This exhibition is the first time Warhol’s original paintings have been shown on the West Coast as part of a major exhibition about the series and the individuals it portrays.

First shown at The Jewish Museum, New York in 1980, Ten Portraits was met with both critical response and praise. While many were skeptical of the artist’s intentions, others applauded his new language of color, geometric shape, and sharp line. The series represents an important and influential body of work as well as an homage to these extraordinary figures of the twentieth century.

Pop artist, Jenny Wehrt, had some of her artwork on display at the party.

There was even a fashion show for a local boutique with Yelpers as models. RV and Keane were asked to model! I didn’t get good shots of the runway, but I took a few videos. I was using a camera that I rarely use [even though I spent $$ and time looking for it a few years ago!]. Of course, I caught up with some of the models later on.

It was so much fun! For those who want to check out the exhibit, it is running through January 25, 2009.

What San Francisco has to offer never ceases to amaze me. The Indian summer is almost over here. Last weekend was already a little chilly, but it was followed up by a week of amazing weather. The fog is starting to roll in a little earlier these days, and the nights are much, much longer. There’s rain in the forecast for Halloween.

Soon, it will be time to hibernate!