Jealousy

Surprise! I haven't had much to say lately. But there are a few issues I would like to catch you up on... if you're still even reading this after my long silence.

Sultan said last weekend that jealousy can be a good thing because it keeps you both on your toes. I disagree completely. I believe that jealousy is an ugly awful feeling that destroys everything it touches and indicates that a couple isn't giving each other the type and quantity of attention they need. I feel a little jealous most of the time, but when something happens to make me feel more jealous, I can feel my claws come out and my loving self crawl away.

Another friend broke up with a guy a while back. He told her he needed more reassurance (that wasn't the reason, btw). She said that the very fact that she made him feel insecure indicated that they weren't a good match. Yes, some people make us feel perfectly safe. Other people make us feel deeply unstable. Unfortunately, I usually love more the people who make me feel unstable; there's something to lose.

I'm growing peas and chard in my kitchen. They'll migrate to my garden plot once they're bigger. But the sight of their tiny selves fills my heart with dread and worry. I guess if one died, I could just plant another. But I want to be the kind of person who cares about each plant, and, anyway, I don't have much choice in the matter. It's how I'm made. Likewise, if your lover runs off with someone else, of course you're hurt. And of course you'll meet someone else too. Finally, of course, my priority right now is to keep these plants alive. The things I do to make that happen, like watering them and keeping them in the sun, are much more constructive than the way I respond to jealousy.

Yellow Dress

Not long ago, Michelle Obama went to work in simple sweater sets from mainstream clothing manufacturers. Earlier this week, her husband was sworn into office, and she wore a magnificent gold-yellow outfit by a Cuban-born designer. We loved it!

Likewise, this gorgeous woman rode down Valencia in a yellow dress with black jacket and knee-highs. I know what I'm shopping for this weekend.*

*At Mission thrift stores

Wheel Chair Wheel

A guy had this bike at Alioto Park in the Mission a while back. I asked him about it, and he told me it was a rare Italian model. He'd been working on it for months. The front wheel is a re-purposed wheel chair wheel -- he said he began this trend which is now all over the city. It's better because it doesn't go flat.

Green Dress

If you do an internet search of "green dress" you realize that the two words mean so much more together than separately. There's Madonna's hairy green dress, Jennifer Aniston's, Kiera Knightly... I could go on. Someone even wrote a poem about a green dress.

John Singer Sargent did a water color called "green dress" that sold for almost half a million dollars in 1999.

John Waterhouse did a green dress painting too.

Finally (at least when I stopped reading), I learned it is a drug reference from the Dallas area popularized by party-crashing drag queens in the 1970s. Who knew a simple item could have so much meaning!

Tourist Vogue

When people come to visit SF, I encourage them to visit the beach, the bridge and the Ferry Building. A rental bike is perfect for a spin in Golden Gate Park like these ladies have figured out. This visitor looks so chic in while peasant skirt with brown hoodie and leggings.

handle bars/brown

This lovely lady caught my eye as she rode along in short brown skirt, knee highs, blouse and shades.


I've been thinking about handle bars lately. Which style is most comfortable? Hers look good, but probably only for around town. I started riding a 10-speed in high school with standard drop bars. When mountain bikes came into style, I was thrilled to be upright. More recently, I started doing long (30-100+ miles) recreational rides with drop bars again, and I get a pinch between my shoulder blades that no amount of bike fitting seems to fix. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Random quote

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
—Jack London

Repeat Impressor

Some people impress me every time I see them. According to Meligrosa, this is Jasmin, and I see her around the Mission all the time. Here she's biking in Noe Valley wearing a skirt and the same coat as the previous post.

A Libra

I was trying to slip discretely away from Carfree Happy Hour when this gorgeous yellow bike caught my eye just outside the door. I asked its owner about it and turns out he's been working on it, slaving over it, for months. He should be proud. I'm proud for him.

A few minutes into the conversation, he said, "I'm a Libra," which confused me because we were talking about bicycles not astrology.

I laughed.

mysterious gentleman

KT and I were grabbing a drink with a few friends in the Upper Haight when this dapper gentleman rode up and locked his bike just outside the window.

"Quick," she said. "Where's your camera?"

Now, I have 2 cameras. A newish SLR and a point-and-shoot I bought 5 years ago. My point-and-shoot, which I keep in my purse for emergencies, has a few quirks including that sometimes the lens doesn't open all the way... like it did that night. The good news? I think the resulting look lends a sort of mysterious curtain to the shot that goes well with his black garb and hat.

VV Profile: Kristina Sherwood

Occupation: Actor (working/aspiring) and Business English Teacher
Hometown: Lake Crystal, Minnesota
Neighborhood: Paris 10th Arrondissement - Canal Saint Martin
Helmet or no helmet: Doh! no helmet. stupid, stupid girl.
Describe your bike: VELIB! - heavy, sturdy frame, three speeds, lights, basket and a bell all courtesy of the city of Paris
Favorite color: earthy colors...blues, greens, browns...
Describe your personal style: depends on the day...I'd say classic with tones of hippie-chic, punky-brewster, professional Parisian, or Girl Next Door...i love knee high boots, leggings, skirts, hats, scarves...
Describe your cycling experience: nervous. haha. If I have a wide open road or a clearly defined bike line, I'm lovin' it. If I'm weaving between traffic, I'm a hate hate hatin' it.
Favorite artist: no music on the bike...gotta be alert! but when I'm not on my bike... Radiohead, Feist, Devendra Banhart, Beirut, and this week Kings of Convenience, Matt Elliott, and Jose Gonzalez...

more pandhandle vogue... 2

Switching your handle bars on a regular bike for children's clown-style bars has become a style. People enjoy sitting upright when that's hard to come by here, and it looks cool and eccentric. This woman was pleasantly color-coordinated above her custom-cool-ized bike.

cute commuter

Picture this:
dress shirt and tie
slacks
jogging shoes (??)
10-speed with rack
messenger bag
helmet

No wait, you don't have to. Because here's a picture:

OK, fine, it's another cute boy on a bike. So, sue me. No, wait, don't.

Thanks.

purple shoes/pink purse

Another photo from earlier in the year. This woman either has a liberal sense of color (which I applaud) or this is some kind of hybrid outfit based on something else before/after her ride.

Between xmas and New Year's

Nothing ever happens between xmas and New Year's. This is my feeling. I mean, I've been dumped between xmas and New Year's. The Chronicle ran an article about a couple who met on New Year's eve to encourage people to go out. (Kathleen said "I don't think people need encouragement to go out on New Year's." But it turns out she is planning to stay home. I'm at home now, and I'm terribly bored and lonely.

I just listened to This American Life #370: Ruining It for the Rest of Us. I learned that a team can be ruined by one bad apple: a jerk, a depressive or a slacker. A really good leader who listens can ameliorate the negative influence. I'm not sure that's something I can cultivate. I think it's something a person is born with. The show said something else interesting: "Nothing is so big that it can't be ruined. Entire civilizations have been ruined."

Let's extrapolate. Are things ruined by being a jerk, a depressive or a slacker? Are all things ruined those ways? Having managed to ruin most things in life at one point or another, I can see that in myself. But when I look at conflicts I've had with others, Sometimes it seems like they ruined things also by not listening. Accepting all 4 characteristics, I think we've covered all ways of ruining things. Can you think of others?

The flip argument is that some things aren't meant to live. I never wish I had stayed with my high school sweetheart. Some things become ruined because they were never the right thing. Some jobs, apartments or friends are not meant to last. They serve their purpose, and then everyone moves on to something that's a better fit for that next moment. Maybe there is a time and place for measles too.

Thank goodness tomorrow is nye. I don't think I can handle any more limbo.

folding bike/business man

I saw this guy in full suit and tie snoozing on BART earlier in the year. He struck me as the perfect businessman/commuter. He didn't even loosen his tie before beginning his nap.

Tour de Fat... a little late

Tour de Fat was last summer. So, I'm grossly en retard as KT would say. It's the end of the year, and I have a few days off work which gives me time to go through photos of the year. Lots of people say "Better late than never." At least, I have that going for me! I'm not never. Consider this a "year in review" post (among others).

This girl was adorable in her green with green bike and purple tights.


This guy with old fashioned bicycle needs no commentary.


Yay bikes. Yay pink. Yay cowboy boots.


Loved the mini-skirt and the socks.


I caught this lady post-fat texting a friend while waiting for another using the facilities on the panhandle which, incidentally, I don't recommend.

Random quote

Doing a little housekeeping over here... or at least, I hope I'm starting to clean house. These words are jotted on a scrap near the computer:
"Nothing says mediocrity like an unblemished record of employment."
Sounds like something Garrison Keillor would say...?

what i learned today...

My alarm went off at 9:30 this morning (after I re-set it when it went off at 6:30) because I had to move Marie Lyse's car at 10. Now I don't have to move it again until Tuesday. Amazing how easy it for this religiously carfree woman to slip into the concerns my car-full friends have.

I listened to NPR for a while this morning. They discussed the Story Corps Project in honor of the national day of listening when people are asked to spend an hour listening to their loved ones. One recorded story was of a couple, deeply in love, Danny and Annie. I jotted down a quote from Danny (may be inaccurate), "No matter how bad your day was, (when you're married) you always have a shelter to come home to....Being married is like living in color, you never want to go back to black and white."

The next Forum was about the Science of Happiness. They discussed all the usual things like doing things outside yourself, getting exercise and being grateful. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of new information, but I guess that means I'm now a happiness expert. My mother gave me for xmas the book How We Choose to Be Happy. I'll be sure to let you know if I learn anything.

First In - First Out

This is just a cool photo from my files. I shot it last spring. She's probably wearing something totally awesome too.