Saturday, November 29, 2008

Our traditional Christmas


It may be early and you may judge us, but I love Christmas and I'm trying to teach Jym to love it too.
We spent all day cleaning, putting up the tree and wrapping gifts.
We may have even watched a little Snoopy Come Home on the Disney Channel.
Here are the fruits of our labor.
Yay Christmas!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

California Days

This may be a rather long blog post, but don't worry, it's a picture essay (heavy on the pictures) chronicling my adventures in San Francisco (well, the PG ones, anyway!). I'm a little behind, so I won't blog about the conference until tomorrow when I have some better pictures.






After walking through Chinatown and across Lombard Street (pictured right, the so-called "crookedest street in San Francisco" - this is not the super-crookedy part) ....





...I made my way to Fisherman's Wharf. The first thing I did there was visit the Aquarium. A very interesting place indeed, with the mission to "Save the Bay" from pollution, overfishing, etc. They have many kinds of sharks here, three of which don't even need to actively swim to breathe - a very rare shark trait indeed. I also petted a ray.


The aquarium was beautiful, and I had worked up an appetite, so I went for lunch on the pier. Lunch consisted of a dozen raw oysters and a bloody mary that would make a gay man cry. Clearly, I enjoyed it, and also topped it off with a final oyster shooter.































After that spectacular meal, I rented a bicycle, with the mission to bike across the Golden Gate.

On the way, I stopped at the old fort which is stationed below the bridge. This was a serious military outpost in its older days.









After crossing the bridge, I coasted down into Saucilito (which is where I think protected witnesses must be hiding out). I got a sandwich at a deli and had a picnic on the beach. 82 degrees.






It was so hard to leave, but luckily, I didn't bring my heart. It is still in Medfuh with my girl. GOODBYE, San Francisco!



That bicycle ride really wore me out. It took about four hours and I took a ferry back across the bay. Waiting at the train station and waiting on the train was a combined four hours of hell I could have done without.


Thankfully, the Sheraton is a fabulous hotel. Lots of bath goodies, nice big room with a long desk for blogging, amazing room service, and yes, a heavy terry cloth robe in the closet.












This is the antipasto sampler and a bottle of VOSS sparkling water. Hey, I am in California, right?

Friday, November 14, 2008

Full moon over san francisco

I made it to s.f. In one piece. My observations so far:
1. The moon off the water next to the bay bridge coming on the airplane was spectacular.
2. Even clear across the country they have my delicious harpoon winter warmer on tap.
3. Crime rate here must be low - none of these people are scary or even cause alarm. Maybe im just not finding the right hood.
4. S.f. Is kind of small!
5. I can get a caesar salad delivered to my room until 3am.
6. I am in a t shirt and still hot.

Enjoy the pic - it was taken from the roof of the hotel (i might not supposed to have been up there). If it is sideways I will right it from blogger when I return to the hotel (i might be checking out the night life right now).

I promise a stunning set of real digital camera pics tomorrow. I will wake up, go for a run, take a whirlwind tour of s.f., and head to mountain view for the convergence08 unconference.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I volunteered for this?

You bet your sweet ass! This country needs to lower the bar for allowing people to get involved in politics. By helping at the polls from 6:30 to 8:30 at least I am doing a little something extra.

Do it!

Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Goodbye Salem

Things are back to normal and I'm headed to work on the train. What a great weekend!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Autumn in New England

... and BKDM is up to his usual shenanigans.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Halloween in Salem - everything it's cracked up to be

O-M-G. What a f***ing awesome time. Truly Amazing. I love Salem and want to move here (then why don't you marry it?). They close down the streets and the whole town goes crazy. Below is a picture essay presenting a few of the many horrors and wonders of the time from the witch museum to the after hours debauchery.

El Dubb and I browsed more witch stores than you can shake a (broom)stick at. However, we were disappointed with the witch "museum", which was more like a Here-is-why-you-should-love-witches cultural center.

We made friends with several fab gay boys including the moustached Marie Antoinette (who's husband was a giant piece of cake that said "let them eat me.") We talked to this Marie Antoinette, and he told us without the moustache, he'd just be another queen in a dress. We agree.

Not many pictures of this, but we had a very romantic stroll along the wharf and a healthy, romantic dinner together.
If you ever wonder - "who is the BloodKillerDeathMan....."

A "Hay Maze?" Awesome - I wish I had a child!



A Giant 1100 and 24 lbs pumpkin!!









my beautiful bride, Anne Boleyn. I don't know where that "other" Boleyn girl was, but this one just came back from the guillotine.





Some of my favorite costumes from the night! Oh how I LOVE to celebrate the dead.






































And what better way to end the night than with that age old traditon, bobbing for apples, at an after-hours party.