I’m so we’ve acquired a new car. mini cooper s – convertible, and she’s/he’s adorable!! i’ve heard a few times that california is working well for me, and the car that loses it’s top so that beautiful ball in the sky can shine in is one more confirmation I am adjusting!!
back to the gender thing — do people do that or am I crazy feeling like this car has a gender, personality and requires a name?? felix, ninja, lucy, zuri (african for beautiful), betty, le pew (as in pepe)….all contenders. what do you think??
today we drove south on hwy 1 through pacifica and half moon bay to santa cruz. while I am missing the quiet beauty of my Issaquah home, the views here are spectacular. I had no idea there were ocean cliffs with beautiful sandy beaches minutes from where we live. maybe you give to get sometimes. loving this weekend!
finally, we are setting up our new place in san francisco. its small, cute, modern and we think it will fit us perfectly. it’s going to be a bit of a work in progress – but we want to get it together as soon as possible so that we’re able to enjoy it and the city. it’s only a 12 month lease so we don’t want to spend 6 months figuring it out, and then have 6 months to relax in it if that makes sense.
so we are in the Lower Nob/Lower Pac Heights neighborhood called “Polk Gulch“. it really is a little gulch or valley at the bottom of two amazing
neighborhoods filled with beautiful old mansions. there is some construction on the California Streetcar line right in front of our building – but it appears to be finished in our neighborhood, and the tracks are blocked off while the rest of the line is being upgraded. once it’s complete, we’ll have the streetcar as an easy way to get to Union Square/Ferry Building and downtown steps from our front door.
i’d definitely say we have a modern building (built in 2005), and not one of the traditional SF flats we had been hoping for. no worries though, there will be time to get into a flat, and i’m not disappointed with the amenities this condo has for us. the roof-top deck will be well used!!
we spent a good part of saturday receiving our household items from the movers. the truck looked half full and we really anticipated a few hours and we’d be done. LOL – funny us! it took about 4 hours, with 2 great guys unloading, and bringing up boxes
asking me where to place them. ‘mr’ took the taxing job of checking off the box numbers as they came off the truck – he did this while meeting and greeting almost everyone on the sidewalk as they passed. i think he and the movers entertained each other and our new neighborhood – and made the whole process a lot fun. i took the “super easy” job of unpacking the kitchen boxes, and figuring out where everything would go. [i should have chosen the moving box bingo job!] the number of kitchen boxes that were stacked up seemed never ending – i think i opened 8-4ft boxes (some with smaller box surprises inside), and 8-10 small boxes before the kitchen was complete. all i keep saying is – “we have a lot of stuff!!” our issaquah kitchen was 3-4 times larger than this one, but i managed to get everything creatively put away.
the rest of the place is still filled with boxes – everyday we do a little more, but with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70’s its hard to stay in and unpack.
a goal always helps – and with our first guests coming in a few weeks we’ll buckle down and get it done.
next post – our new neighborhood…
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black history month insert for this post…
i found this timeline on the biography.com website. take the test and see how well you know your history! leave a comment on how you did.
so it’s the end of work week 2, and san fran week 3 and im happy to report that the cold is nearly gone – and all else is as it should be.
work is taking shape and i feel a “lightbulb” moment coming. (translation: things are starting to connect, the full picture is filling in, the moment when i feel like i “get it” will be my lightbulb moment)
we are working on securing all the appts needed to set up our new home – the movers delivering our stuff from storage, do we go with cable or direct tv, and getting pg&e started. all of this takes $$$ and this relocation process has been a learning experience.
although apple is taking care of almost everything (and i am so appreciative of that!) – there are quite a few things we’ve had to cover ourselves, with the promise of reimbursement for some of the expenses. being reimbursed is great, but it still means there need to be thousands of dollars readily on hand to just live and get things done. for my friends and family if you ever find yourself in this ‘lucky’ yet challenging place, take that as a tip!
while i am living in the moment and trying to just enjoy each and everyday as it comes – i am looking forward to being in our new home, with all the things that are familiar and beloved surrounding me. i am looking forward to a sharing san francisco with the kids for the first time in a few weeks, and i am most looking forward to making the trip to capetown, sa to visit with my amazing auntie! 42 days – the countdown has begun!
we’ve done it! a new home in san francisco has been secured!! a spring or post winter cold has also landed squarely in my face. sinus colds are the worst, but our new zen like apartment is the best! we’ve lost about 500 sq ft, but gained access to one of the best cities in world, and we’re excited to be living in her heartbeat.
at the base of nob hill and pacific heights we will find ourselves in an eclectic land between two of the most expensive neighborhoods filled with amazing mansions and beautiful views. oh yes, the view from our rooftop is INSANE! we were so lucky to find the owners looking for “real” people (i guess we’re real) who were down to earth and they actually contacted us after we viewed it and left unsure. they felt like we were perfect for their place and wanted to make sure we had the option to take it before their open house. too cool, huh.
so through my stuffy face, and purelling my hands to protect the innocent – we’ve signed a one year lease and are set to move in early february.
amenities – bike room, bosch dishwasher, in unit w/d, california closets, fischer and paykel refrig (not sure how cool that is but it’s listed), ceasarstone surfaces, hardwood floors, gas fireplace, 2 bedrooms/2 full bathrooms, a block from WHOLE FOODS (woooohoooo!), and a block from my Apple bus stop – so sweet!
hoping all of this makes sense as i type through a nyquil haze….yeah baby! lol
how do you say goodbye to the only place you’ve ever known?
i’ve begun to appreciate the natural history I have about the city of Seattle and it’s surrounding area. things like remembering the man while he was in office for whom the best dog park in Seattle is named after – Warren G Magnuson. Knowing how important the Benoroya family has been to Seattle, enough to have the symphony hall named for them. the fact that there was a real International Worlds Fair held in Vancouver BC, and it was an “Expo” with countries from all over the world represented.
More memories – I saw Jerry Seinfeld at Giggles, was a regular at 2 hottest under age clubs back in the day- Club Broadway and Skoochies (sp?), and shopped with my parents almost every weekend at Sears & Roebuck on 1st/Lander before it was Starbucks. Who remembers the very first Nordstrom Rack in the basement of the original main store before they took over the old Fredrick & Nelson’s building?
Seattle I will miss you, with your beautiful views, your amazing way to make you want to pull your car over on a clear day headed south on I-5 when Mt Rainier smacks you in the face. who else gets cascades, and olympics, fjords, bays, and oceans, a dad who brought home salmon, trout and fresh crab from his pots? I am so grateful to my parents for choosing this remote corner of the world to raise me, to ground me in all things natural. I am only hopeful that my children will grow to appreciate the surroundings they’ve been blessed with. Seattle you are my home – now and forever.
hello San Francisco – I look forward to learning all that you have to offer!
she said, saw and ate 