April 2025
Summary: Continued setting up new home.
Dates on this page
Tue Apr 1, 2025
Breakfast at home: yogurt with golden raisins, toasted coconut, sliced and toasted almonds, flax meal, sliced mint, mexican vanilla; hot water. Not feeling well due to itchy eyes, so I napped most of the morning. Lunch at home: I prepared for myself tomato soup from a box with sliced chives, side of bread with butter. Did changes of address for various accounts online. Unloaded photos from my phone and archived them. Dinner at Tanglad with Suzan and Tim: seafood combo pho and hot tea for Suzan, combo pho and hot tea for Tim, five-spice chicken with rice and viet hot coffee for Patrick, five-spice chicken with garlic noodles and vegetables and hot tea for me. We caught up after having not seen each other in a few weeks or more. Our server forgot to bring us our drinks, but we were busy talking we almost didn't notice. Somehow they got Tim's order wrong and he had to wait an extra 5 or 10 minutes for his dish while the rest of us ate so that our food wouldn't get cold. We tipped normally even though they did not deserve it. We happened to be seated next to local writer Steven Bracco. Afterwards Patrick and I returned home and researched purchasing a new coffee table, setting lightweight painters tape on the floor to outline where it will go and what the size will be. Patrick went to bed. I stayed up researching. Later I went to bed but then had trouble sleeping, perhaps due to the long nap in the morning.
Wed Apr 2, 2025
Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself a grilled chicken breast sandwich with lettuce and white cheddar on burger bun, hot water to drink. Housecleaning and maintenance: removed scratches from the living room floor with a dish soap solution and rag, removed squeaks from door hinges for all lower level doors, vacuumed the secondary bathroom exhaust vent and washed its cover, cleaned the outside of the washer and dryer with dish soap solution, vacuumed some lower level floors, spot-cleaned the carpet in the primary bedroom hallway. Lunch with Patrick and a subset of The Syndicate at Hot Johnnie's Smokehouse (4077 18th Street). Patrick had the crispy jumbo shrimp po'boy with house chips and a Topo Chico, I had the sourdough pastrami sandwich no cheese with waffle fries and unsweetened iced tea. We sat in the back where it was unusually warm due to the plastic house covering the patio. I stopped at Cliff's Variety for hardware then returned home to continue new home setup and cleaning. More coffee table purchasing research. Shopped online for supplies that Cliff's did not have. Dinner at home with Patrick: I prepared tofu and mushrooms in black bean sauce over steamed rice. Hot water to drink. Afterwards we watched Everybody's Live s1:e4 with John Mulaney on Netflix then we began rewatching Andor season 1 (s1:e1).
Thu Apr 3, 2025
Cleaned the primary bathroom. Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself two eggs scrambled with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sliced chicken breast, white cheddar, and dill with a side of rustic sourdough toast and butter; hot water to drink. I took apart one Anderson window crank to see how it worked. It came apart by undoing a single screw. There was a lot of metal dust inside. I vacuumed and washed the parts. Wiped the closet surfaces with dish soap solution after Patrick emptied it to organize it. Restored the window crank to operation. Cleaned dining chair feet then applied felt pads to them. Mounted the silver square mirror to the dining room north wall using a 75-pound, earthquake safety, three-pin gold hanger. Nap. Shower. Patrick and I rode Muni to our first time to Downtown First Thursday on 2nd Street between Market and Howard Streets. We had intended to meet Suzan and Tim there, but it turned out to be too crowded, and we were unable to meet. It did not help that the Apple Maps feature embedded in Messages failed with error "No Location Found" when attempting to show me the location that Suzan had shared. I encountered Edgar M and chatted briefly with him, and he met Patrick for the first time. I thought I saw Phillip H but wasn't sure. Upon entering we were confused and uncertain whether anyone was supposed to check the free tickets we obtained through Eventbrite. There was a long line at the nearby info booth, so we asked there and were told that we did not need to check in anywhere. The ticket lets us spin a wheel for a prize like a gift card. It was a long line, so we skipped it. We got our IDs checked in order to get wristbands. We saw people waiting in a very long line to get a (free?) tote bag screenprinted on the spot with I presume a design of your choice among the six or so choices. We saw a man in an amazing articulating dinosaur costume fitted with light blue el wire. We quickly browsed all the food trucks but then decided to dine in a restaurant because we didn't want to stand in the cold while eating. We dined at North India: prawn biryani, kashmiri chicken, plain naan, two masala chais. The biryani was very spicy, but we did not complain. Service was earnest and awkward. For example, the manager seated us but knocked over the rose vase which spilled water across the table. Fortunately the water didn't land on either of us. He was nonchalant about the accident, and I don't believe he apologized. Later a server asked to take my nearly empty chai cup and when I hesitated because I couldn't remember if I had finished he changed his mind and even though I said he could take it he walked away. Another server smiled more than a beauty pageant contestant. The food was delicious but the biryani too spicy for me and no indication that it would be. The restroom is in a regrettable condition. The restroom door handle is loose, and there were other small maintenance issues I now cannot recall. We walked to entered 111 Minna Gallery and encountered an excellent lion dance performance. We saw Bob the Drag Queen perform as DJ, and I especially enjoyed Sir Mix-a-Lot's Baby Got Back. It started to get too crowded for us, so we left to less crowded spaces. We tried to get drinks anywhere, but every place had lines or crowds that did not seem worth it to us. We encountered the karaoke stage and heard two different singers who sang unpleasantly. I had to plug my ears. A DJ near the Market Street entrance played and scratched over modern electronica and was really good. Eventually we tired and walked and rode Muni home. Patrick went to bed. I stayed up and cleaned a pan I had burned at breakfast. I used Comet, Noxon, and Brasso. Comet was the most effective. Noxon is best for finishing. I have only started using Brasso and have not yet decided how best it is to be used.
Fri Apr 4, 2025
Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself a turkey sausage and cheddar sandwich on english muffin, one sumo orange, hot water. All day: continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Lunch with Patrick at Hi Tops: Patrick and I went to happy hour with a subset of The Syndicate at Churchill: Emery, Timmie D, John B, John L, James. Afterwards we minus Timmie dined at The Rustic: beet salad, burrata caprese add prosciutto, pappardelle special x 3, campanelle bolognese x 2, salmon piccata. Dessert: we shared tiramisu, blood orange sorbet, chocolate budino. Drinks: wine, water, mocha. Patrick and I walked home. Some of the others continued to Badlands or went home.
Sat Apr 5, 2025
Breakfast at home: half croissant; yogurt with blueberries, toasted coconut, sliced and toasted almonds, mexican vanilla; hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Hung artwork in the living room and upper level hallway. Hung a clock in the dining room. Removed laundry from the drier that Patrick had washed and dried earlier. Lunch: leftover pizza from last night's dinner, water. Patrick and I bought door mats at Cliff's Variety. At home, while taking photos of them on the balcony, I briefly met our neighbor Daniela. Later Patrick and I shopped online for furniture and made some purchases. Vacuumed in the office. Dinner at home with Patrick: rigatoni with broccoli and lemon and capers, hot water. We watched Daredevil: Born Again s1:e7 on Disney+. I organized photos of things to sell or give away. Patrick went to bed. I washed some dishes. Updates for home devices. Late snack: one TJ's mini cheeseburger from frozen. I think sometime today while I was on the balcony a squirrel came onto the railing just a few feet away from me and paused to study me while I studied it. After a few moments it darted back into the nearby tree then a few moments later it dashed along the railing to another tree, and I didn't see it again.
Sun Apr 6, 2025
Breakfast at home: yogurt with blueberries, toasted coconut, sliced and toasted almonds, mexican vanilla; two slices of rustic sourdough toast with salted butter; hot water. Continued and completed updates and backups for home devices and websites. Cut my hair, showered. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Lunch at home: I prepared for myself mushrooms and tofu in black bean sauce with leftover steamed rice, hot water. In the afternoon Patrick and I sorted items in the garage: donate or give away, sell, trash, keep. Dinner at home with Patrick: hard-shell pork tacos, hot water. I washed dishes, started the dishwasher, and cleaned. We watched Andor s1:e2 on Disney+ then part of Nate Bargatze: Full-Time Magic on Paramount+.
Mon Apr 7, 2025
Breakfast at home: sausage patty on english muffin with white cheddar, hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Lunch at home: leftover rigatoni with broccoli and lemon and capers, hot water. Posted many items for sale online. Afternoon snack: unsalted cashews, seaweed, water. Walked to dinner at Anchor Oyster with Patrick: we shared a caesar salad and the small cioppino. Pinot grigio for Patrick, sauv blanc for me. About $100. A very satisfying meal. Walked home. Continued posting items for sale online. Set up Patrick's computer speakers. Shopped online for a bathroom night light that fits my current requirements.
Tue Apr 8, 2025
Breakfast at home: yogurt with blueberries, toasted coconut, sliced and toasted almonds, mexican vanilla; hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Walked to lunch with Patrick at Mezze and Mooore: lamb kebabs rice plate for Patrick, chicken kebabs rice plate for me. We ordered mint lemonades. A long time went by even though we were only the second table seated. Maybe 20 minutes or more? The first table had only two persons. Our food arrived. Very shortly after we were told they did not have mint lemonade and instead gave us tiny Limonatas ("same value"). However, all food and drink were delicious. Patrick's lamb kebabs were extremely tender. The chicken kebabs were not extremely tender, but they tasted fine enough. The meals were huge, but we essentially finished them. Afterwards we walked to Whole Foods for groceries. I hadn't been shopping for groceries in a long time; Patrick usually does all our shopping. We filled four reusable bags and walked home. Snack: Whole Foods peanut butter cookies with milk. Patrick napped. I completed a service request for the heating system which I cannot get to work. A woman came to pick up shelving that I listed for free online. She also took a chalkboard, a coat rack, and garden supplies. She's opening an arts and crafts cafe called Sunset Commons in late May at 17th and Irving. Late dinner at home with Patrick: spanikopita from frozen, St. Germain cocktails. Dessert: Whole Foods pistachio cookies. We rewatched Andor s1:e3 on Disney+ then finished watching Nate Bargatze: Full-Time Magic on Paramount+. Patrick went to bed.
Wed Apr 9, 2025
Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself pork sausage with celery, onion, and carrot and a hash brown; grapes; hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Today someone came to pick up a microwave oven that we gave away. Lunch at home: I prepared for myself a deli chicken breast and cheddar sandwich on sourdough with mayo. Hot water to drink. Listed more items online to sell or give away. Organized the western half of our living room and set up my bookshelf which acts as a standing desk. Dinner at home with Patrick: asparagus, chives, and peas salad with soft-boiled egg and lemon vinaigrette, hot water. We watched Everybody's Live s1:e5 with John Mulaney on Netflix with dessert: cookies from Whole Foods deli. Someone came to pick up reptile heat lamps that I gave away. Late snack: grapes.
Thu Apr 10, 2025
Breakfast at home: Whole Foods mini deli waffles; yogurt with blueberries, grapes, toasted coconut, sliced and toasted almonds, mexican vanilla; hot water. Prepared for our new home's first guests. Prepared for giveaway pickups. Late morning snack: Patrick had cheddar on sourdough toast with tortilla strips. I made a deli chicken breast and cheddar sandwich on sourdough with mayo and dill. Hot water to drink. Sam, Kerry, and Mom Ryan came over to enjoy king cake saved from Mardi Gras in the freezer. Afterwards we talked in the living room and gifts were opened, including a set of four panels of Asian artwork sent by Tony. We also received two furniture deliveries. One was expected today. The other was expected on Saturday and arrived earlier than expected. I also successfully gave away DampRid and containers and a door draft stopper and an old Ikea door mat. Rode Uber to dinner with Patrick at Sorrel for their five-course tasting menu. 1. mt lassen trout, fines herbes, koji, yogurt. 2. wild pea shoots and chrysanthemum, artichoke, strawberry. 3. doppio, beef cheek, madeira, agrodolce. 4. black cod, fig, coastal spinach, sea lettuce butter. 5. thai tea, black sesame, salted cream, popcorn. There were options to add oysters, perigord truffle, wagyu striploin, sunchoke basque cheesecake with kaluga caviar, and einkorn berry tagliolini, but we chose to not add these. We added the premium beverage pairing and the half Liberty Farms dry-aged duck with honey and fennel. All food and drink and service were excellent. We rode Uber home.
Fri Apr 11, 2025
Breakfast at home: yogurt with grapes, toasted coconut, sliced and toasted almonds, mexican vanilla; hot water. Patrick and I unpacked and assembled a new coffee table named Chadwick. I unwrapped and began perusing The Visual History of Type by Paul McNeil, part of a housewarming gift from Brandea and team. The book is gorgeous and fascinating. I was interested to happen upon pages 312 and 313 which display a typeface called University of California Old Style created by Frederick Goudy in 1938 for University of California Press. For lunch we walked to Tartine Manufactory. Patrick had an omelette with side salad and a mocha. I had a turkey club sandwich and a chai latte. My sandwich included diced crispy chicken skin which added an interesting crunch. It was a bit messy to eat because of the bread's holiness, but it was also extremely delicious. Afterwards we browsed at Heath Ceramics, buying nothing. Afterwards we took a factory tour of Dandelion Chocolate. Our guide was excellent. We tasted many different kinds of chocolates, observed the entire process, tasted fresh cacao beans and nibs, and enjoyed chocolate drinks and a matcha-chocolate cookie in the Bloom dining room. Walked home, relaxed. Later I was too full from lunch and skipped dinner. Patrick had a plate of charcuterie and cheese and fruit. We watched Daredevil: Born Again s1:e8 on Disney+ then we rewatched Andor s1:e4 on Disney+.
Sat Apr 12, 2025
Breakfast at home: chicken-apple sausage, hash brown, one egg over easy, english muffin with salted butter. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. I can't remember what I ate for lunch today. Patrick and I walked to dinner at Suppenkuche with Tony Q, Tadija, Phil, and Drew. We ate: lentil soup, deviled eggs, potato pancakes, jagerschnitzel, wiener schnitzel, sausage entree, forelle (sauteed trout), kasespatzle, side of red cabbage. Afterwards we walked to Arlequin Wine Merchant and shared a bottle of champagne. Phil and Drew returned home. Tony and Tadija drove Patrick and me to the Castro. Patrick went home. I joined Tony and Tadija for barhopping. We ended up at Badlands where we had one round of drinks and dance a while before we called it a night.
Sun Apr 13, 2025
Breakfast at home: chicken-apple sausage, hash brown, one egg over easy, english muffin with salted butter; hot water. Napped. Lunch: one pear. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Set up a new power strip behind the sofa with a long cord. Patrick and I removed packaging from the media console and broke parts of it down for disposal. I gave away a Harmon Kardon portable speaker and speakerphone. Dinner at home with Patrick: Greek pasta salad with feta and olives, water. We rewatched Andor s1:e5 on Disney+. Patrick went to bed. Facetime chat with Lani and Dex. Late snack: half deli chicken breast sandwich with cheddar, mayo, chives, lettuce; water.
Mon Apr 14, 2025
Breakfast at home: yogurt with mint, toasted and sliced almonds, mexican vanilla, sliced banana; chicken-apple sausage; hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Lunch: I prepared for myself fried rice using leftover steamed rice, mushrooms, green onions, corn off the cob from frozen, peas, ginger juice, and soy sauce. Patrick had yogurt with fixins. Patrick and I removed a door-hinge-mounted shoe rack by Hingenuity from behind the primary bedroom door. I walked and rode Muni to a doctor appointment and back. I gave away a bookcase, a wooden cassette rack turned into a spice rack, and a blank vinyl banner. Dinner at home with Patrick: pan-fried salmon with tomato, corn, and avocado salad; hot water. We rewatched Andor s1:e6 on Disney+.
Tue Apr 15, 2025
Did some troubleshooting with the dishwasher. A plastic part had come loose but I did not know where its proper place was. ChatGPT made a good guess, but it was not correct. Breakfast at home: yogurt with mint, toasted and sliced almonds, toasted coconut, mexican vanilla, golden raisins; hash brown; chicken-apple sausage; hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. I cleaned the primary bathroom bath tub. I removed the shower head that came with the home and installed the shower head we were used to from the old home as well as the hand spray with extension. I did some deep cleaning of some of the tub components, including removing a lot of gunk and a bit of hair from the jet intake. The diverter was sticky, and after disassembling it and cleaning it well it seems to work noticeably better. I cleaned the bathtub again. Lunch: leftover greek pasta salad, hot water. All afternoon and evening: I shopped for a new television. I installed cable raceway to partially hide a power cord running from the west wall along the south wall and to the couch in the middle of the room. I chose to avoid using screws because if I remove this later I didn't want to have to fill holes with wood putty and sand and paint. I also chose to avoid using the provided double-stick tape, which is too strong of an adhesive. I used this in our previous home, and it was so difficult to remove that it tore the drywall, leaving a horrible scar. Instead, I used gaff tape, which I think will remove fairly cleanly even after a long time. I vacuumed and cleaned the area. I uninstalled the white-bordered, square upstairs half bathroom mirror and moved our square, silver, baroque-inspired mirror from the dining room to the upstairs half bathroom since I did not like it reflecting light into my eyes when I was at my dining table seat. Dinner at home with Patrick: Delfina margherita pizza from Epicurean Trader with Spanish salame, hot water. I gave away a Twelve South BookBook for the 11-inch MacBook Air (2010-2015). We watched Daredevil: Born Again s1:e9 (season finale) on Disney+ then various YouTube videos. Patrick went to bed. I processed dirty dishes then started the dishwasher. Purchased a new TV. Late snack: half deli chicken breast sandwich with cheddar, mayo, and chives; water.
Wed Apr 16, 2025
Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself a two-egg omelette with shredded pepper jack cheese, chives, sour cream; sourdough toast with salted butter; hash brown with ketchup; hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning. Trash management. Repositioned the square, silver, baroque-inspired mirror in the upstairs half bathroom to be 4.5 inches higher so that Patrick's head would not be chopped off when he used it. Used live chat to submit feedback to Amazon about a recent delivery in which the driver was smoking a cigarette while handing me a package and cigarette smoke gives me instant headaches. Also the packaging smelled strongly of cigarette smoke inside the box. I began adding more listings online to give things away. Walked and rode Muni to Stonestown Galleria to give Patrick space at home. I lunched at Boudin Sourdough Bakery and Cafe: turkey and cranberry sandwich with sea salt potato chips, Dr. Pepper. I shopped and did not find any clothes I liked that fit me. Walked and rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: basil and ricotta ravioli with lemon-alfredo sauce and fines herbes; hot water. We watched Everybody's Live s1:e6 with John Mulaney on Netflix. Patrick went to bed.
Thu Apr 17, 2025
Breakfast at home: leftover avocado with corn and cherry tomato on toasted english muffin with shredded jack cheese, mini waffles with butter and maple syrup, hot water. Patrick and I walked and rode Muni to shopping on Sacramento Street where we enjoyed visiting all the upscale home furnishings stores and bought nothing. We lunched at Spruce, sharing a crispy chicken salad (which reminded us of schnitzel) and a burger with fries with mezcal cocktails. Afterwards we browsed in Laurel Village before walking and riding Muni home. Patrick napped. I managed communications and logistics for giving items away. We were still full from lunch, so our dinner was light: creamy tomato soup, full bowl for Patrick, half bowl for me, crackers, hot water. We watched various YouTube videos including fan videos of Lady Gaga at Coachella 2025 then rewatched Andor s1:e7 on Disney+. Patrick went to bed. Weeded previous recipients in Apple Mail (Window menu, choose Previous Recipients). Installed macOS Sequoia 15.4.1 on our laptops.
Fri Apr 18, 2025
Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself a thin turkey patty (from frozen) sandwich on english muffin (from frozen) with scrambled egg with chive and cheddar cheese. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning all day. Prepared for new furniture delivery. Doctor appointment via Zoom. Patrick accepted the furniture delivery while I was waiting for or with the doctor. Lunch at home: leftover veggie fried rice, hot water. In the afternoon I gave away a chair cushion and ankle/wrist weights. Drilled holes in the bottom of the media console then inserted electronic components. Dinner at home with Patrick: we walked to Sushi Time then visited Castro Night Market for the first time. The night was very cold; felt like 50 degrees. We walked through and bought nothing and returned home. I was too exhausted to watch television. To bed early.
Sat Apr 19, 2025
Breakfast at home: plain yogurt with blueberries, toasted and sliced almonds, toasted coconut, mexican vanilla; hot water. Continued new home setup, organizing, and cleaning all day. I gave away exercise mats, a double towel rack, a garden hose holder, and a pot rack. Lunch: I prepared for myself a black forest ham and cheddar cheese sandwich with mayo, dijon, and lettuce; hot water. The new television arrives. The delivery includes unboxing, setup, and removal of packaging. They forget to remove one large piece of cardboard, but it's not too big of a deal. After they leave I reconfigure power and HDMI cables and test the TV's 50-watt 2.1.2 speakers against the HomePod. The HomePod easily wins. I installed the washlet in the secondary bathroom. I removed moss that had been growing in a Chilewich door mat which we will use on the balcony after it dries. Dinner at home with Patrick: Martha Stewart's oven-baked chicken and rice with swiss chard; hot water. Cocktails: lemon margaritas with cointreau. We rewatched Andor s1:e8 on Disney+.
Sun Apr 20, 2025
Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself pork sausage scramble with two eggs, mirepoix, and mediterranean vegetables, all from frozen except the eggs. Hot water to drink. Continued new home setup. Patrick and I hung a Chinatown artwork in the dining room. Later I napped and Patrick visited his mom and Kerry. I met him at Wooden Spoon, but it was too crowded, so we instead brunched at Bar 49: we shared shrimp and grits and french toast. Aperol spritz for me, mimosa for Patrick. Afterwards we shopped for home furnishings along Valencia Street, buying two pillows and a throw at Black and Gold. Walked home, stopping at Ritual Coffee along the way for a vanilla cardamom latte for Patrick and a chai for me. I replaced a 15-foot HDMI cable with a 6-foot one because it was too long. Later, dinner at home with Patrick: leftover rice with vegetables and chicken stock with one small piece each of battered cod from frozen. Hot water to drink. We watched various videos on Apple Music. We rewatched Andor s1:e9 on Disney+ then What We Do in the Shadows s6:e4 on Hulu. Patrick went to bed. I covered the logo on the new television with black gaff tape. Late snack: tiny bowl of mac and cheese using leftover macaroni, butter, milk, and cheese powder. Water to drink.
Mon Apr 21, 2025
Breakfast at home: I prepared for myself tomato soup with rosemary and a baked potato with shredded pepper jack cheese, sour cream, green onions. Hot water to drink. Continued new home setup. Patrick and I mounted two small frames in the primary bathroom. Napped. Lunch at home: I prepared for myself yakisoba with fresh spinach, broccoli from frozen, and shrimp from frozen. Hot water to drink. Research for purchases: bath robe, patio furniture, patio umbrella. Afternoon snack: pretzels, unsalted cashews, water. Dinner at home with Patrick: sausage and spinach tortellini soup, hot water. We walked to the nearby liquor store for two flavors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and some Cracker Jack. We rewatched Andor s1:e10 on Disney+.