September 2018
Summary: Daniel Nardicio's Bette, Bathhouse and Beyond event starring Amber Martin; Southern Decadence vacation with Andy, Chris, Jesse, Remi, and Patrick ends; I go in for one day of jury duty and then was dismissed for the rest of the week; ShangriLa with Stephen and Richard; Ryan family brunch at home; Folsom Street Fair with Patrick
Dates on this page
Sat Sep 1, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 2 of 8. Pre-breakfast: orange juice. All of us rode Lyft XL to Cafe du Monde for coffee with chicory and beignets. We had hoped to dine on the patio, but the line was too long. Instead, we waited in the shorter line to dine indoors, but after a few minutes we were asked to clear the area and wait in the longer line — there was apparently only one line for seated dining whether indoors or out. So next we waited in the line for to go orders. It took about 15 minutes. We ordered four orders of beignets (three per order), two large iced coffees for Chris and Andy, two hot chocolates for Remi and Jesse, small hot cafe au lait for Patrick, large milk for me. We took our food and drink to a park bench in the shade of the oak trees in Jackson Square. Afterwards we walked toward the river but were stopped by a train passing. We waited a bit but it did not seem to be clearing soon, so we instead walked Royal Street then Chartres Street. We visited the Beauregard-Keyes house, taking a terrific tour from a gay tour guide. Then we rode Lyft XL to Willie Mays Scotch House but the line was much too long. We rode the same Lyft XL to the Italian Barrel to get in the area of a few restaurants likely to be uncrowded. We ate at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. Maque choux, margharita pizza, iced tea, and Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company Southern Pecan beer for Chris and Andy; Hunter’s chicken, tuna salad, and Crispin cider for Remi and Jesse; crawfish and tasso pizza, lemonade, and pineapple mojito for me and Patrick. Garlic ciabatta shared with the table. Next we split: Chris G, Patrick, and I rode Lyft to the Ogden Museum; Remi, Jesse, and Andy browsed the French Market and also Andy later split from them to visit another friend also in town. At the Ogden, we visited the current exhibit: Salazar: Portraits of Influence in Spanish New Orleans, 1785–1802 Celebrating the New Orleans Tricentennial as well as some great works from a local competition. After the Ogden Museum, Chris G, Patrick, and I rode Lyft back to the Sonder. Patrick and I napped until the group walked to dinner at St. Roch Market: gumbo ya-ya from Fete au Fete for Patrick, Nola trio (red beans and rice, crawfish poutine, and shrimp and grits) from Fete au Fete for Chris, vermicelli bowl from T2 for Jesse, chicken shawarma platter from Torshi for Remi, ? for Andy, brisket pho from T2 for me. We walked back to the Sonder and rested. Daniel Nardicio's Bette, Bathhouse, and Beyond at Allways Lounge with Patrick, Chris G, and Andy T. The event mimics or recreates performances by Bette Midler and Barry Manilow that took place at the New York City Continental Baths gay bathhouse in the late 1960s and early 1970s (but without the police raids). Patrick and I met Alek and Javier from Phoenix, Steven, Evan. Amber Martin was accompanied by a terrific pianist named Harry. We were floored by the quality of the performances. She made us laugh and reminisce. One of the highlights of the evening was a particularly bawdy song by Lucille Bogan. To bed by 2:00 am.
Sun Sep 2, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 3 of 8. The group rode Lyft XL to jazz brunch at Muriel’s. Coffee for Patrick and Chris, sazerac and Muriel’s mimosa for Chris and Andy, Ramos gin fizz for me, Muriel’s bloody mary for Patrick, strawberry salad and eggs veney for Chris, Muriel’s house salad and Louisiana duck and chaurice hash for Andy. Muriel’s classic New Orleans three-course brunch menu for Patrick, Remi, Jesse, and me. Seafood gumbo and pork tenderloin for me, turtle soup with sherry and shrimp cakes with poached eggs for Patrick, with white chocolate bread pudding for dessert. We asked if we could see the Seance Room and was told that it was open. We spent a few minutes exploring it and other parts of the upstairs. Afterwards someone asked if St. Louis Cathedral was open. We walked over to check, but it was closed (and seemed to have been closed at least the entire weekend). Next we decided we would try to see the river since we couldn't yesterday, so we walked over to it and viewed it for a few minutes. A downpour began. We ran for shelter in the entryway of CVS on Decatur Street in the Jax Brewery building while one or two of us ran inside to buy something. From there we rode Lyft XL to the Sonder and rested. Remi had gotten a chocolate birthday cake and bubbles from Robert’s Grocery, so we each had a small slice. Next we walked to the Decadence parade, watching for an hour or two on Bourbon Street. Patrick took us to Voodoo Authentica and the French Market. We stopped nearby for a restroom break. At Loretta’s Pralines, we bought 3 pralines: 1 chocolate, 1 coconut, and 1 authentic for Chris, Andy, Remi, and Jesse to share. Rode Lyft XL home and rested. The group walked to dinner at Paladar 511. Drinks: orange whip for me, old man for Patrick, St. Hubbins for Andy, and sparkling and still water for the table. We shared appetizers: little gem lettuces, charred okra, and housemade egg yolk raviolo. Main dishes: pepperoni pizza for me and Patrick, farm egg and lamb sausage pizza for Remi and Jesse, crispy chicken roulade for Andy, housemade pappardelle for Chris. We walked part of the fruit loop having somewhat of a Goldilocks experience: Golden Lantern was too crowded, Double Play was too uncrowded, Good Friends just right. At Good Friends we got drinks and spent time drinking and chatting on the balcony and on the sidewalk in front of the bar. Remi and Jesse went home. The rest of us walked to Corner Pocket which was too crowded. Rode Lyft home.
Mon Sep 3, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 4 of 8. The group rode Lyft XL to City Park. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden was not open yet, so we walked around the park for a while. We returned to the sculpture garden but we realized that the southwest gate probably opens a few minutes after the main (southeast) gate opens. We walked to the main gate and entered and spent the next hour or so enjoying the garden. Next we rode Lyft XL crossing Bayou St. John to St. Louis #3 Cemetery. We walked in the cemetary for some time. Next we rode Lyft XL to Parkway Tavern for po-boys. Mango margaritas for Patrick and Andy. Iced tea for me. Patrick and I shared a roast beef po-boy. Fried oyster po-boy for Chris and Andy. Remi and Jesse ate a grilled chicken po-boy. Bread pudding with hard sauce and a banana pudding with vanilla wafers for dessert for Remi and Jesse. We rode Lyft XL to Carrollton business district where we walked and browsed in Blue Cypress Books. We stopped at Walgreens for water and a bathroom break. We rode the St. Charles streetcar inbound. Rain began to fall while the ride started, and it ended just before we arrived at Drip Affogato Bar. Patrick and I shared The Classique affogato (vanilla bean ice cream, crushed pistachios, sea salt, stroopwafel, and espresso drip.) Chris and Andy shared an affogato trio. Remi and Jesse shared a sampler platter of gelato. Next we walked to and visited Lafayette Square. We walked Julia Street, visiting a few galleries including Lemieux where we chatted with DeeDee. We rode Lyft XL home. Nap. The group rode Lyft XL to The Country Club for dinner. Cocktails: stress reliever for me, white negroni for Patrick. Patrick and I shared the crabmeat beignets for an appetizer, as did Remi and Jesse, and Chris and Andy shared the summer peach salad. Patrick had the duck fat roasted chicken for his entree, and unfortunately, we have no record of my entree, as it seems to have been left off the receipt without a charge, although Patrick seems to remember it being a pork dish of some sort. For dessert we ordered one chicory coffee affogato for the table. As we received our check we were starstruck to see Amber Martin, Daniel Nardicio, and company seated at a neighboring table. Afterwards we were given a guided tour of the pool area as well as—after it was cleared of guests—the chic and extravagent women's restroom with its custom fabrics and furniture, back-to-back sinks, private toilet stalls. The men's restroom is not as lavish. Rode Lyft XL home. While chatted in the kitchen at the Sonder, we enjoyed watermelon, a chocolate bar, and cider. Watched FOX8 news primarily for the excellent coverage of Tropical Storm Gordon, which was expected to eventually become a category 1 hurricane.
Tue Sep 4, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 5 of 8. Television news coverage of Tropical Storm Gordon led us to believe that it would not be a problem for today's flights for Remi, Jesse, and Andy, or for the rest of our vacation. The group checked out of the Sonder. We all rode Lyft XL to The Old No. 77 where we all dropped our bags then walked to brunch at Willa Jean. Patrick and I shared a fried chicken biscuit and a Willa Jean breakfast (eggs over medium, bacon, and cheese grits), coffee for Patrick and Chris, hot chocolate for Remi, peanut butter hot chocolate for Jesse, bloody mary for Andy, and chai latte for me. Avocado toast for Remi; croque madame for Jesse; sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit with pimento for Chris; fried chicken biscuit for Andy. We all rode Lyft XL to Louis Armstong Park and found that it was closed due to the storm. We walked to and visited the Backstreet Cultural Museum. We walked to Treme’s Petit Jazz Museum and found it closed. We walked to and visited the Jazz Museum at the Old Mint. Rode Lyft XL to The Old No. 77 and checked in. We showed the group our room then said goodbye to Andy, Remi and Jesse. We arranged plans with Chris for later, then unpacked and rested. Happy hour at CellarDoor with Patrick and Chris. We shared happy hour small bites and cocktails: cracklin’ red bean hummus with crisp pork cracklings and chili spiced popcorn. For drinks, Patrick had a Boulevardier and we can't recall Chris's drink or my drink. We three walked to dinner at Compere Lapin. Cocktails: juleps for Patrick and Chris and a lucian bacchanal for me. We shared sparkling waters and appetizers: conch croquettes with pickled pineapple tartar sauce, jerk corn on the cob with lime, and crispy dirty rice arancini with sour orange mojo. Curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi and cashews for Chris, adobo pork tenderloin with plantain crema and charred okra for Patrick, and roasted half chicken with rice and peas for me. For dessert we shared the absolutely amazing, mind-blowing soursop semifreddo with coconut and yogurt.
Wed Sep 5, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 6 of 8. We wake to mostly clear skies. Breakfast with Patrick at The Palace Cafe. We each had hot coffee and shared a yogurt parfait and eggs benedict. Our tour reservations at the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) get rescheduled to the afternoon because of storm warnings. We walked to and visited Louis Armstrong Park. Next we walked to and toured the Cabildo and Presbytere museums. We particularly enjoyed the Katrina and Mardi Gras exhibits. Light lunch and Cuban cocktails at Manolito: papa doble for Patrick, jazz daiquiri for me, and we shared the black bean soup, the cheese arepas, and the croquettas. At the HNOC Malinda Blevins gave us a fascinating tour of the Williams residence. We returned to The Old No. 77 and also bought bottled waters at a corner store. Nap. Drinks and a small bite at Arnaud’s 75: we each had two of their signature French 75s, as well as an el guapo fashioned for Patrick and a lani makai for me, boudin wontons to share. We visited The Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta where we saw Michael Watson with Alchemy perform Bye Bye Blackbird, The Beginning, Born Again, and more. We ate BBQ pork and red bean nachos and chicken and waffles with our drinks: 2 jelly roll mortons for Patrick, stevie wonder and hurricane for me. Walked back to The Old No. 77.
Thu Sep 6, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 7 of 8. Breakfast with Patrick at French Truck Coffee: everything croissant with chive cream cheese filling and cafe au lait for Patrick, ham and cheese croissant and iced chai for me. Walking tour with Glenn Louis DeVillier: When Empires Collide! Creoles, Americans, Pirates, and the War of 1812. We started from Antoine’s Annex on Royal Street, and it included the HNOC Williams Residence and the rooftop of the Royal Omni Hotel. We learned from Glenn a lot of interesting details of New Orleans history. On the tour he told us about a novel called Mandingo and a fictional plantation called Falconhurst, we briefly met Boudreaux at Antoine’s, and we stopped briefly at Leah’s for praline and brittle tastings and made a few purchases. After the tour, Patrick and I rode UberX to lunch at Cochon Butcher: we shared a carolina pulled pork sandwich and a side of mac and cheese. Patrick had Barq’s in a bottle, I had lemonade. We rode Lyft to Gracious Bakery where we met Chris G and rested briefly with iced coffees before a self-guided walking tour of historic Garden District mansions and nearby Lafayette Cemetery and Commander’s Palace restaurant. Patrick had compiled the tour based on internet research. We rested with drinks and bathroom breaks at Still Perkin’ at The Rink shopping mall. We continued the tour. When we were done, we walked Chris to his accommodations at Andy’s family’s timeshare at Wyndham on St. Charles Avenue and briefly toured the pool area. Chris returned to his room to rest. Patrick and I rode Lyft to The Old No. 77. Patrick bought two New Orleans t-shirts in the lobby then showered while I bought water from the corner store and rested. We rode UberX to a rooftop bar called Hot Tin, meeting Chris for a last round of drinks before our departure. We arrived early, securing seating on the patio before moving to a nearby table due to an infestation of ants. Wolf in sheep’s clothing for Patrick, Mexican firing squad for me. We said our goodbyes to Chris. Patrick and I rode UberX to dinner at Bistro Daisy. Gulf oysters poached in Herbsaint cream with bacon, fennel, spinach, and tornbread croutons and crispy leg of duck confit and roasted breast slicesover roasted mushroom choucroute with Riesling reduction and roasted shallots for Patrick. Soup du jour and mahi mahi fish of the day for me. Dessert: baked alaska. Drinks: La Rosette and Seelbach. UberX back to The Old No. 77.
Fri Sep 7, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 8 of 8. Breakfast at Josephine Estelle at the Ace Hotel (600 Carondelet Street) with Patrick: two coffees with milk, we shared a fritatta (smoked pork, collards, tomato, fontina) and a chocolate croissant: $24.26 before a $6 tip for Harold. This was likely the least expensive meal of our one-week trip to New Orleans. The Monkees and later The Beach Boys played from a nearby vinyl player. Afterwards we walked through the other ground floor rooms in the Ace Hotel, stopping briefly to view art on the walls depicting UFOs, aliens, a person dressed in zentai, photographs of Mulder (one of which includes a closed caption saying, "[believing intensifies]"), a traditional wall-mounted telephone with a cord running out the bottom ending in a USB-A plug and Apple USB mini adapter. We stopped at Rouse’s Market for a small gift for Sam: various packaged spices. We complimented cashier Trenella on her excellent bleached braids. Rested in the room. Checked out of The Old No. 77. We loved our stay in room 425, what they called an artist studio, for its masculinity, seemingly custom furniture, weathered brick facade, hardwired USB-A jacks next to the bed, Tivoli Audio Model Three BT bluetooth alarm clock radio, fantastic artwork by NOCCA students, lamps with metal toggle switches, leather and leather accents, great lighting options, great color design (The walls are white, the ceiling is a darkish blue, the emergency sprinkler pipes are fire engine red.), rainfall shower head, and much more. Internet was 6 Mbps down and 5.5 Mbps up—decent. We left our luggage at the hotel while visiting the National World War II Museum. We visited a lot of exhibits. Lunch in the American Sector Restaurant and Bar: iced tea for both. For Patrick: New Orleans shrimp po’boy (cornmeal fried gulf shrimp, green chile mayonnaise, grilled corn chow chow, french bread, sweet and spicy tomato glaze, kettle chips). For me: Belle Burger (fresh ground beef, brioche bun, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, house-made pickles, fries). About $48. We visited more exhibits. We did not see everything—that would have taken all day and maybe more. Picked up luggage from The Old No. 77. Rode Lyft to Louis Armstrong International Airport. Alaska Airlines MSY to SFO flight with Patrick. Again it turned out to be a Virgin America plane due to the recent merger/acquisition. To eat: we each had one of the sandwiches I had had on the way over.
Sat Sep 8, 2018
Slept in. Cleaned the bathroom. Began unpacking. Prepared packages for mailing. Errand: mailed two packages and bought stamps at the post office. Lunch at King of Thai Noodle: beef pad thai, thai iced tea: $18.50 after a $2.50 tip. Spent time at the library working on non-work things on my MacBook Pro. Stopped at Antigua Cafe for a large iced chai. Walked home.
Sun Sep 9, 2018
Breakfast: english muffin with butter, peach yogurt, chai. Nap. Drinks and dinner for a multiple birthday celebration at 15th Avenue House with Phil, Drew, Romy, Danny, Jonathan, Vic, Peter, Wayne, Quyen, Dave, Richard, Michael. Also met Raider and Efra for the first time. Paul joined us at the start and left partway through for another event. This was my first time eating on the patio. A gas firepit had been installed at the far end of the backyard, and we all spent some time around it drinking and chatting before retiring to the solarium for more of the same. Jonathan brought delicious persimmon muffins. We also had a cake that I think someone said was a sans rival.
Mon Sep 10, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: scrambled eggs, croissant from frozen, bacon, 8 ounces of orange juice. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Caught up on email. Asana task followup. Styling work all day: people listings. Lunch at desk: leftovers. Afternoon snack: white cheddar popcorn, coconut water. Rode UberX to SoMa. Met Patrick for couples counseling. Rode UberX to the Castro. Dinner at Saucy Asian with Patrick: saucy asian bowl with soy sauce chicken and creamy banana soda for Patrick, island style combo poke bowl and water for me. Afterwards we had a round of drinks at Midnight Sun.
Tue Sep 11, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: scrambled eggs, bacon, sliced pear, half english muffin with butter. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Styling work all day: people listings and microsites identity retheme. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: Good Eggs trumpet mushrooms with sweet corn and green bean succotash to which Patrick added bacon, Hint cherry, red wine. Recharge Medical work: editing. House chores: dishes and folded laundry that Patrick had washed earlier.
Wed Sep 12, 2018
Walked and rode Muni downtown. Reported for jury duty, getting breakfast along the way at Mint Cafe, the cafe inside the courthouse building. Turkey sausage, cheddar, and egg on croissant; large chai latte: about $10. After a lot of waiting and the introduction and a long roll call of names, I was let go and do not need to return for jury duty for the rest of the week. Wifi in the assembly room was so slow it was like being on a modem. I tried running speed tests twice. The first time (nPerf) it started but errored out: failed to connect to the server. The second time (Speedtest) was similar: the connection was so poor that the test failed to complete. I had no signal from T-Mobile probably because the room was in a basement level. Home. Recharge Medical work: editing and USCIS poster flyer work. Nap. Dinner at home with Patrick: Good Eggs open-faced sandwiches with sprouted rye and pickled eggs. Watched Get Out (2017) on Netflix DVD with Patrick, popcorn, and cocktails (kahlua, disaronna, and milk over ice).
Thu Sep 13, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: yogurt with cinnamon, nuts, and diced apple; one slice of warm chocolate bread, one slice of warm banana bread with pecans. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Selected BADcamp sessions. Styling work: people listings, microsites identity retheme. Lunch to go from Beautifull!: teriyaki wrap with chicken, coconut water: about $18. 2018 and Beyond microsite edit for Michelle and Cindy. Styling work: issue queue issues. Met with Eric and Susie to review comps for microsites identity retheme. Styling and template work: microsites identity retheme. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: Good Eggs tortellini salad with sun-dried tomatoes and feta, Hint, red wine.
Fri Sep 14, 2018
Breakfast at home: one slice of warm banana bread with pecans, one sliced apple, water. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Task followup: Calpoison Spanish course, sign templates for Julie E. Styling work: microsites identity retheme the rest of the day. Lunch at desk: leftovers. Afternoon snack: sea salt potato chips. Calendar management: Calpoison content strategy meeting setup via Doodle. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: chicken pot pie. Watched Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series part 9 on purchased DVD with Patrick.
Sat Sep 15, 2018
Slept in. Breakfast at home: one toasted english muffin with butter, one and a half slices of warm banana bread with pecans, 8 ounces of milk. Napped most of the day due to exhaustion. Today Patrick made italian cookies two ways: one with sesame seeds and anise, the other with an almond button and vanilla. Early dinner at home with Patrick: delivery from Shanghai Dumpling King on Ocean Avenue (415-231-0721) via Seamless: wonton soup, green onion pancake, combo chow mein, sweet and sour chicken. They delivered a 4:26 pm order in about 20 minutes—a miracle. $42.02 before a $5 tip. Dessert: Three Twins Dad's Cardamom ice cream with Patrick's sesame cookie. Watched Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series parts 10 and 11 on purchased DVD with Patrick. Patrick went to bed. I successfully mended two articles of clothing: one was a pair of boxer shorts that had developed a vertical tear (resolved with the sewing machine), the other was a blue sweatshirt that had developed a hol(e)y left elbow (resolved with hand stitching a fabric scrap). Made a sign for the Good Eggs delivery person to point them to our door instead of our upstairs neighbor's door.
Sun Sep 16, 2018
Breakfast: two slices of warm banana bread with pecans, milk. Made an appointment with the DMV for my Real ID. Word on the street is that the best time to go is middle of the week—Tuesday through Thursday—and middle of the month and not just before or just after a holiday. My appointment is set. Edited, uploaded, and organized photos to Flickr, including photos from Southern Decadence. Did some cleaning of exterior walls. Put out yesterday's Good Eggs sign. Received the Good Eggs delivery; the sign worked. Cut my hair, showered, rested. Dinner at home with Patrick: taco night, red wine, water. Watched The Comedy Lineup with Patrick, set 2, Matteo Lane, Kate Willett.
Mon Sep 17, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: Martha Stewart's muffins with dried cherry, dried blueberry, and pecans; yogurt with diced plum; hot earl gray tea with milk. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Parnassus. Got my free flu shot from UCSF. Briefly visited the OSACA and the Dean's Office Administration and dropped off Patrick's Italian cookies with almond button. Said hello to Ravinder whom I encountered in the hallway. UCSF shuttle from Parnassus to Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Dropped off Patrick's Italian cookies with almond button for Eric and Levi. Calendar management. Microsites identity retheme work. La'Trece encountered a small, gray mouse in her office today. Rode UberX to SoMa. Met Patrick for couples counseling. Rode UberX to the Castro. Dinner at Starbelly with Patrick: gentleman caller for Patrick, margarita verde for me, corn and something dumplings, bread and oil, pizza with bacon—jalapenos only on half: $62.06 before a $10 tip. Food was excellent. Restored stuffing in my Nest Easy Breather pillow, undoing the unstuffing from August 18.
Tue Sep 18, 2018
Sleep seems much improved, so the lesson learned is that with an adjustable stuffing pillow you have to pay close attention to determine the correct filling amount. Breakfast: one plum, one peach, water. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Reset the SMC on my 2017 MacBook Pro because I recently encountered "unplug the accessory using too much power to re-enable usb devices" twice on different days. Closed completed tasks. Siteimprove work. Resolved a problem launching OLPPS with help from UCSF IT. Lunch at desk: leftovers. Styling work: microsites identity retheme. Content work: OEIS people updates including three photos. Task followup. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: turmeric yogurt chicken and zucchini over white rice, water for me, San Pell for Patrick, red wine for both. The Comedy Lineup with Patrick, set 2: Janelle James and Aisling Bea. Dessert: we each had one small scoop of Three Twins Dad's Cardamom ice cream and one of Patrick's sesame italian cookies. Recharge Medical work: built email campaigns and sent them to Drew and Alyssa for review and approval.
Wed Sep 19, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: Martha Stewart's muffins with dried cherry, dried blueberry, and pecans; fruit salad with diced asian pear, plum, and peach; coffee for Patrick; hot earl gray tea with milk for me. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Parnassus. No styling work today. Followup with various tasks: investigated whether the JACS website was still current and found that it is not, provided hardware recommendations to Cindy who needed a new shared laptop for OSACA, did some testing with a Powerpoint problem involving graphics I had mastered from files provided by an outside vendor, investigated the feasibility of adding hyperlinks to our orgcharts: the result is that it's not easy for us to do while maintaining a reasonably efficient workflow and providing a user experience that is ideal. Did other orgchart and people page work. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: jackson wonder beans with ham and rice, water, red wine. Late snack: one small piece of dark chocolate with cherries and almond, blue corn tortilla chips. For at least the past several months I have been troubleshooting a strange problem in which Command+Tab seemed to do nothing for a long time but really was simply delayed by 30 or 50 seconds. When the problem happens the Dock also failed to appear from its hidden position upon hover. Command+Option+Esc might bring up the Force Quit Applications window and I would force quit Finder but that would neither immediately nor permanently resolve the problem. Today I tried "cd ~/Library/Preferences; mv com.apple.dock.plist ~/Desktop; killall Dock" and that did not fix it; the problem still occurs.
Thu Sep 20, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: scrambled eggs, hash brown, biscuit, bacon, 8 ounces of orange juice. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Again encountered "USB Accessories Disabled" notification from OS X after plugging my MacBook Pro to my Belkin Thunderbolt 3 docking station. However, if I close this the USB drive I have attached to the docking station still seems to work as expected, so the error message seems bogus to me now. Sprint standup. Followup re: hyperlinks in orgcharts (no good way to do this that meets all my requirements). Completed a MacBook Pro 13-inch purchase for Cindy in Bearbuy. Chatted briefly with Bo about PCMA. Resolved a problem with duplicate taxonomy terms by merging. Styling work: microsites identity retheme. Errand: bought eggs and a small chocolate bar at Bryan's. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: pappardelle ragu with roasted pork, water with lime, red wine. Dessert: Patrick's not-chocolate-mousse. Recharge Medical work. Late snack: two small bites of a fruit and nut chocolate bar.
Fri Sep 21, 2018
Breakfast at home: one biscuit with apple-anise butter, one plum. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Styling work all day: microsites identity retheme. Lunch at desk: leftovers, water. Chatted briefly with Eric about comps. Rode UberX to Noriega Street. Met Patrick at A Desi Cafe, but the restaurant was unexpectedly closed tonight. We walked up and down and up Noriega Street trying to be seated at restaurants that were too full before deciding upon Lanna Thai: fried wontons with dipping sauce, daily dinner special for Patrick, Friday dinner special for me. For dessert, we shared an order of banana fritter with vanilla ice cream. All the food was delicious. Service was very slow. $44.30 after a $7 tip. Rode UberX home. Watched The Comedy Lineup on Netflix instant watch with Patrick: Josh Johnson, Emma Willmann. We particularly liked Emma Willmann's set.
Sat Sep 22, 2018
Breakfast with Patrick: Esalen maple-walnut breakfast cake but with pecans instead of walnuts, one peach. Spent several hours attempting to hem a tank top and failed because the seam kept popping and all my troubleshooting didn't fix it. Lunch: leftover pappardelle ragu. Worked on populating journal entries for the Southern Decadence trip. Snack: sweet maui onion snack rings (a Funyuns knockoff). Nap. Dinner at home with Patrick: Good Eggs roast chicken and bread salad, Hint. Rode UberX to SoMa for ShangriLa Goes Commando! Pre-Folsom Fair Event, meeting Stephen and Richard there. Met or encountered Lee, Jezebel Patel (we talked about GAPA Runway and sewing projects), Jai (we talked about community health), Vasily (first time to The Endup and just moved to SF from Sydney and works for Goldman Sachs), Danny (also recently moved to SF), Bo, Eric, Chris W and Rafael, David and Derek, Steve D, Keith H. Jezebel Patel did a terrific job hosting a dating game with bachelor Mr. GAPA Christo Roma. DJ Shawn P opened, DJ Andrew Gibbons played after hours. I chatted at length with Samuel mostly about psychology and geeky computery things.
Sun Sep 23, 2018
Light dusting and vacuuming. Brunch at home with Patrick, Sam, Kerry, and Mom Ryan: asparagus fritatta, buttered grits, baguette coins and butter, Esalen maple-walnut breakfast cake but with pecans instead of walnuts, coffee, orange juice, Hint blackberry. Washed lots of dishes by hand. After they departed Patrick and I walked to the library and back to return and check out books and to get a replacement library card. Nap. Dinner at home with Patrick: Good Eggs sweet potato souvlaki with yogurt sauce, red wine, Hint. Watched on Netflix instant watch with Patrick: The Comedy Lineup (Max Silvestri, JR De Guzman) and The Standups: Joe List. They were all good, but I particularly liked JR De Guzman. Stopped using Notational Velocity for macOS because it failed twice in 5 weeks to sync. Instead, I will log in to the Simplenote website to reach the data in my account.
Mon Sep 24, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: brioche toast with butter; yogurt with fresh raspberries, nuts, and other fixins; 8 ounces of orange juice. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Finished revising build experience explore artwork for Cindy. Followup with OSACA purchases for Zoraida. Styling work all day: people listings and microsites identity retheme, working with James who has just returned from two weeks of vacation in Europe to prep people listings to go live. Lunch at desk: leftovers, water. Met Patrick for couples counseling. We rode UberX to the Castro. Dinner at Anchor Oyster Bar (415-431-3990, 579 Castro Street) with Patrick: cup of clam chowder and crab cakes entreee for Patrick, prawn cocktail and corvina sea bass with grilled vegetables special for me. To drink, two glasses of rose each. We sat at the bar and enjoyed chatting now and then with a 25-year regular of the restaurant who was finishing an off-menu panko-encrusted petrale sole and a glass of wine. At the end of our meal we expressed interest in a white cote du rhone (we had only ever seen red before) and, with our permission, were immediately served complimentary tastings. It was delicious, and we liked it better than the rose we had ordered. We hadn't been here since 2014, I think mostly because the long lines scare us away, but it seems true that if you arrive early at or close to when they open you can get in pretty easily. As with our last visit, the prices seem extraordinarly high, but I feel that it's worth it nonetheless for what seems to be very reliably perfect seafood experiences and friendly and attentive service. $120.27 before a $25 tip. Afterwards we bought wine and bourbon from Castro Valley Wine Company then rode UberX home.
Tue Sep 25, 2018
Breakfast at home: one asian pear, one leftover slice of fritatta, 16 ounces of water. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. 1:1 with Eric. Styling work all day: microsites identity retheme. Lunch at Rigolo: mushroom and gruyere burger with fries and pickle slice, water from my water bottle. Muni was a 20-minute wait when I was ready to leave work, so instead I rode Uber Pool home. Dinner at home with Patrick: Good Eggs one-skillet pork chop with pears and red onion. Reviewed Aug 31 and Sep 1 journal entries with Patrick for accuracy. Unloaded photos from my iPhone X. Uploaded photos to Flickr.
Wed Sep 26, 2018
Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Styling work all day: microsites identity retheme. Lunch from The View Cafe: one steamed bun with egg, chicken, and pork sausage; one pork and shrimp dumpling, water from my water bottle. Rode UberX to SoMa. Met Patrick for dinner. We intended to dine at Basil Thai, but we arrived 30 minutes before its opening time. Instead we dined at Rocco's Cafe: we shared bread with butter and olive oil, chicken parmagiana with side of penne, half caesar salad. Iced tea for Patrick, iced water for me. Service was very good. I liked the food but Patrick thought it was ordinary. Patrick and I attended Folsom Forever Film Screening: Raising Funds and HPV Awareness at The Eagle followed by LDG Presents: Reasonable Pup Play with PupBoss at Mr. S Leather followed by Mr. S Leather Presents: Dirty Alley at Powerhouse. At the film screening we met baker Otto from Honolulu. At Powerhouse we met flight attendant Dario from Montpellier.
Thu Sep 27, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: oatmeal with fresh rasberries, dried currants, and nuts. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Sprint standup. Recently the phone number 613-482-3937 aka 1-613-482-3937 has repeatedly called my work telephone trying to send a fax but I'm not expecting a fax. I don't want to try reaching someone in person about it because I suspect scammers are using this to verify a voice line connected to a person that can be sold to others. I submitted a request to IT to see if they can block this number. Styling work all day: microsites identity retheme. UCSF shuttle from Laurel Heights to Mt. Zion. Lunch at Yum Yum Hunan: hot tea, hot and sour soup, orange sesame beef with egg roll and steamed rice. My fortune: Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?" Walked back to work, stopping at the San Francisco Fire Department Museum along the way. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: pork and beef meatballs and spaghetti in marinara. Afterwards we watched Hot Fuzz on Netflix instant watch. Oddly enough, it kind of reminded me of Wallace and Gromit.
Fri Sep 28, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: eggs, bacon, and english muffin with butter. Walked and rode Muni to UCSF Laurel Heights. Styling work: microsites identity retheme. Lunch at desk: leftover spaghetti and meatballs. In the afternoon I helped Mandy resolve a problem with setting up nested tabbed structures content in the Residencies website, and I also merged master into the microsites identity retheme branch following an update to PHP 7.1. There are still some issues to resolve. I hope it will be okay. Rode UberX home. Dinner at home with Patrick: beef, turkey, and bean chili with cornbread and green salad. Nap. Rode UberX with Patrick to SoMa for Taboo: Puppy Play Dance Party (Folsom Edition). Patrick got a giveaway muscle shirt—white with the Taboo event logo. Rode UberX home. Late meal for me: star pasta in tomato sauce from a can.
Sat Sep 29, 2018
Breakfast at home with Patrick: brioche breakfast sandwiches with egg, shredded cheese, and arugula; 8 ounces of orange juice. Rode UberX with Patrick to Mr. S Leather for Geared Up: The Infamous Folsom Party at Mr. S. This was the first year they held a free beer garden with DJ in the neighboring alley. When we arrived it was crowded in the garden and very crowded inside the store. Drinking was permitted only in the garden whereas in previous years it was permitted inside the store. Sexual activities were permitted only inside the store and not in the garden. We encountered Stephen and Richard and met their friends Calvin, Patrick, and Lex and chatted for a while. Patrick met Mr. S Leather employee Jonathan, who seemed to have taken a liking to him. Patrick and I shopped inside the store a bit but didn't find anything we immediately wanted to buy. We decided to leave for a bite to eat and maybe return later. While leaving we encountered a very long line—perhaps 20 minutes—to retrieve the bag that we had checked in order to enter, and this made us decide to not return. We walked Folsom Street trying to find someplace we liked for lunch. We looked in at El Capitan Taqueria and Anton's Pizza and Deli but neither looked like they had a restroom that we could use. We looked in at Trademark and Copyright but it was too loud and straight. Late lunch at Extreme Pizza (415-701-9000, 1062 Folsom Street) with Patrick: Dr. Pepper and mushroom pepperoni slice for Patrick, unsweetened iced tea and italian sausage slice for me, and we shared a small caesar salad: $21.67 before a $1 counter service tip. Afterwards we went to The Stud but it was not yet open for the event that was starting soon. To kill time, we visited Lone Star—Patrick's first time to this bar. We drank margaritas on the back patio, which was crowded. A man named Danny complimented me on my shorts and we chatted briefly. Patrick and I returned to The Stud for The FIGA: New Film-Jonesy/Jamie C Knight, DJ set-Gayle Rubin. We had to stand at the bar, but it was a short film and at least we were able to see and hear okay. The film was about the history of fisting culture in the South of Market area of San Francisco which developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Afterwards we walked to Oasis, encountering José along the way. Patrick and I saw Baloney, an all-gay, nearly-all-male revue, perfect for Folsom Street Fair weekend. The show is an R-rated set of sexy and humorous vignettes. The production was terrific and entertaining—great music, sound, lighting, performers, emcee. I was struck by the creativity and variety of scenes. Along with our drinks we ordered gyoza and a rainbow roll which took a long time—perhaps 45 minutes—to arrive. During act 2 Patrick volunteered to be taken onstage, and he received a lap dance while blindfolded. Afterwards we rode UberX home. Late snack: blue corn tortilla chips.
Sun Sep 30, 2018
Rode Lyft to Folsom Street Fair with Patrick. We donated $10 each at the entrance. We encountered Stephen, Richard, Calvin, Lex, Timmy D, Drew, Richard, Michael, Wayne, Vic, Peter. We shared a non-alcoholic drink called Ice. We ate bbq chicken on a stick with garlic noodles. Half chocolate half vanilla soft serve ice cream dipped in chocolate shell from Mister Softee. We shared a strawberry-lime rum cocktail. Dinner at Basil Thai (415-552-8999, 1175 Folsom Street). Neither of us had been here for years. Complimentary shrimp chips to start. Hot thai tea for both. Crab and pork pouches with dipping sauce. Next they brought us two dishes but one was mistakenly not ours. We had trouble getting our server to understand the issue but eventually it was resolved. Sea bass with baby bok choy and mushrooms, wok-seared sliced beef, side of roti, side of sticky rice. Food is very delicious. Service is very attentive. $68.19 before an $11.00 tip. Rode Lyft home. The Lyft app estimated our ride home at $30 but when the ride ended it turned out to be $54. I submitted a review request to them and an hour or so later I learned that they refunded most of the difference—nice.