the weekend in review

I just woke up from a 2+ hour nap this afternoon, and I am still feeling a bit grogggggy. I really needed it! I can't seem to get to bed before midnight even on work nights, and I find myself disoriented and confused at work. This is partually because I only go in every other day... remember how disoriented you feel on Monday after a particularly intense weekend? Well, my whole life is pretty intense, and so is my job.

My dreams were excellent and instructive, although I have already forgotten them. I just remember having a certain consciousness periodically throughout like, "oh, that means I don't have to do any more work on that project." or "oh, that means I am on the right path" regarding thus and such. Good stuff.

After a lovely brunch at Tam's house, we attended a walking tour of the Octavia Blvd project sponsored by WalkSF and Transportation for a Livable City (TLC). The weather was fantastic, and I walked in my tank top, skin slathered in sun screen. (I think I managed to avoid a burn.) I had a tour of this area once before given my Allan Jacobs (the guy who designed the new Blvd.) when he was my teacher at Berkeley. That tour focused on the design components and decisions. This one on the political process, which was really interesting. Tom Radulavich (ED of TLC) said a couple things I wanted to put here:
* "Traffic calming" is a direct translation from the German. However, in Germany, it means slowing cars to pedestrian speed. Here is means slowing cars to 15 mph, which is still dangerous for children who play in the street.
* Middle class SF flats (Victorian and Edwardian style) take up the entire floor. Working class flats have multiple units per floor of the building. You can tell a lot about what an neighborhood was intended to be by how the units in the buildings are designed.
The Blvd is going to be great, and I look forward to it being extended backwards to behind Mission Street. BTW, I believe we use the word boulevard from the French, but they don't use it that way at all. For example, the Champs-Elysese is an Avenue!

It's still really warm in my apartment from the hot day, but I don't mind. I'd like another soy hot chocolate, but I am not sure that I should.

Last night Ria and I had a lovely Ethiopian dinner and then wandered along Valencia Street (which I heard today is going to be redesigned with wider sidwalks. I hope they can provide better separation between the bicycles and the street this time). We went to a couple galeries, and saw some interesting art. We also crashed a musical performance at one of them, which I learn later the other people had paid $25 to attend (but there were not chairs). I am really starting to appreciate the art scene here, and I am looking forward to getting myself involved in it more. There is a gallery co-op near my house, and I am considering joining it.

Yesterday, I was on fire. I got all sort of things done that I had been putting off for months. There are, however, a few more items that are critical: homework for my 2 classes and my taxes. My life is so different now than when I used to do my taxes within days of receiving the W-2. I am even sort of nearing our April 15 deadline. Yikes!

Grace and I had coffee in Dolores Park to discuss our adventures in internet dating. Not that there is much to tell, but she is going to keep track of her statistics to help me with my book I am going to write about it. baby steps. We saw a golden retriever puppy that nearly broke the heart of every person laying eyes him. You know that I mean!

If you are not already bored to tears, I have one more small weekend item to tell you about: Happy Hour with the Oakland planners. I learned some interesting things, found a venue for future events, and caught up with some of my buddies. And I still got home in time to watch all my taped TV shows for the week.