Amazing views on walks to work

Alright, alright, alright… I’m finally getting used to living here. I’m happy to go to my very expensive and very SF apartment home at the end of a day. I’m seeing more and more people I know on my walks w/my dog and meeting more lovely people in the neighborhood. It’s becoming ‘home’. Car hasn’t been broken in to in the last few months. Things appear to be settling.

I’m actually quit happy about the weather. I like fog and being able to bundle up… I don’t miss the 100+ days of LA and sweating constantly. I like being to walk to so many places. I found my dry cleaner, my waxer/pedi lady, my little spot for coffee I hit on my way to work where they know me, my spot for the best deviled egg or martini. Again, settling!

Another thing you really don’t see coming is the expectation you have on your old friends that you left back in the previous city. In your old city you saw/chatted with them daily. When you move many fall to the shadows and don’t reach out again. Not sure if it’s outta sight outta mind? Or you were just the one to start those conversations and if you’re not there to do it, they become less and less. It’s a tough one to grasp at first. It was for me. Having to make friends at 40 is weird. BUT, happily, I am. Old friends reconnected, new friends to hike with, drink with, shop with and even just gab away with over wine. Some stick, some don’t… you make your way through that part of the process slowly.

There is a lot more DIY in this city…something I’m not too familiar with. But I did try to pickle some veggies. Turns out I’m not a bad DIY’er!

Green & yellow string beans, cauliflower, small red potatoes, radishes, beets and carrots. This recipe from the Food Network was simple and rather delicious if I might say. And the beets make it really pretty.

Another adventure along the way…about 2 months ago, I found a dog. Yes, found. In a city as dog friendly as SF, apparently people toss them aside too. I found this guy one afternoon walking my hound- no collar, no leash, nada.

This scraggly little guy looked like he’d be out on his own for weeks! Hair was so long he could hardly see. Matted hair with twigs and who knows whatever else I had to cut away. No chip nor any responses to the various places I listed the little guy. As much as I fell for him, this guy needed a home. So after 3 weeks of looking and posting a fabu friend of mine couldn’t resist his face and offered to take him. After his 3rd bath and another bad hair cut to get him to this cuteness he went to his new home.

I’ve seen more abandoned dogs in SF… but at least one was taken off the streets, fed and cleaned up.

Martinis and whiskey drinks seem to be big here. I wasn’t into rye drinks before but maybe due to the chill of this SF air, the whiskey makes you a little warmer. I use to think the mixology thing was annoying and took far too long to get a drink. Now I have a bit more of an appreciation. In fact so much that I had to take a pic and tell you about the amazing bartenders at Park Tavern and their way-too-easy-to-drink-yummy manhattans.

It’s easy to order more than one…but not totally recommended 🙂 Enjoy!

So alright, some interesting times I’ve written about over the past year. I’m sure there’s more ahead. Exploring this part of Cali is on the list for the next few months so I’ll let ya know what I find out. More soon.