Baby Alert Threat Level is Yellow (Eleva...

We’re standing by for a couple of friends who have a baby due January 9th. But as of now, we are on elevated baby alert due to some enthusiastic kicking, massive amount of recent weight gain and some possible Braxton-Hicks contractions. Because this is their first baby and because Grandma-to-Be may not arrive from Virginia if things start happening early, we are the back-up...

The Amazing Wine Making Topping Up Syste...

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a technical winemaking post. So here goes. Andy has perfected the ultimate homemade topping up system for wine for less than $200 for the whole system, which in the winemaking world is a huge bargain. A bit of background: when your wine is in barrels and resting, you want to make sure as little air as possible can get to it to oxidize it....

Miscellaneous Christmas Wrapping

I fell down on the job blogging during the Christmas season despite my pledge to blog thirty one times out of thirty one days in December for NaBloPoMo. Bad blogger. BAD. But despite lapses, it’s not too late for a quick wrap up of some of the highlights of Christmas 2008 in our small corner of San Francisco. I’d have to say, this Christmas counts as one of the best ever....

Another Reason Why San Francisco is Poss...

Every year I mean to do photographic justice to San Francisco’s famous “Christmas House”, and every year I fail. The house is just such a popular holiday sight that, if you are driving, you can only cruise by as the streets are filled with families and children and other spectators marveling at the sight. I always mean to hike up out of Noe Valley to the top of the...

Christmastime in the Castro

Christmas looks a little different around here. Classic street cars, Canary palms with Christmas bows and lots of sunshine. Happy Holiday Season from San Francisco’s Castro/Noe Valley area.   At the Delancy Street lot. Most of us get our trees at the lot run by Delancy Street, a locally grown foundation that helps rehabilitate drug addicts and give them job training. This...

Number One in Eastern Europe!

One bold claim I can make with absolute certainty of remaining unchallenged is that — as defined by breadth, depth and sheer volume — I have the world’s greatest and possibly most embarrassing Christmas music collection. And I’ve been sharing these gems. Yes, I’m generous that way. If you’ve been reading this blog or my cross-postings on NaBloPoMo...