Election day's almost here and I can hardly wait! This cycle has been so exciting. The greatest thing the Bush regime did for the American public is make politics exciting again. I voted by mail in ballot and bypassed the enormous lines. Now it's time to do what I do best and watch some serious t.v.:) Wolf Blitzer, Larry King, Chris Matthews.....yeah baby!
Life as I know it has slowly been returning to normal. Having been happily unemployed for the past seven months, the rigors of returning to the real world are giving me the bends.
Although I did not attend any of the "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass" festival in the park this weekend I was able to see a little of the charismatic stylings of Bonnie Prince Billy at the Sweedish American Hall. Despite the sold out status, I was able to score a seat on the balcony rail, giving me a birds-eye view of the band below. Between songs Mr. Billy reassured the crowd that his fully grown beard was not purely for asthetics but that it in fact had magical powers.
Saturday on my way to the Bike Kitchen I caught a glimpse of the "Love Parade". This german tradition has really seemed to take root in San Francisco. Scantilly clad women and men alike take to the streets in force, trying to relive this indulgent and seemingly dated trend of the ninety's. I guess as long as people keep having sex and doing drugs there will always be a generation willing to pick up the bass heavy torch of dance culture. Quite honestly, it looked like more fun than I could handle.
Later that evening I indulged in a little more age appropriate sushi dinner. I sought out this particular restaurant because they made there own tofu. Not only was the tofu fantastic but so was everything else. Until this dinner I had all but written off sushi. Since the cuisine was invented it seems as if it's quality has been in constant decline. Or maybe I was once more willing to pay top dollar for a mediocre effort on behalf of many establishments because the excitement of an exotic raw fish dinner picked up the slack where quality and service were supposed to be. Along with a delicious bowl of freshly prepared tofu I ordered a plate of assorted seaweeds, hamachi sashimi and a live scallop dish that was served with a side of broiled scallop liver, wich I had never heard of or ever seen. Apparently this part is often discarded.
"One mans trash is another mans treasure."
Life as I know it has slowly been returning to normal. Having been happily unemployed for the past seven months, the rigors of returning to the real world are giving me the bends.
Although I did not attend any of the "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass" festival in the park this weekend I was able to see a little of the charismatic stylings of Bonnie Prince Billy at the Sweedish American Hall. Despite the sold out status, I was able to score a seat on the balcony rail, giving me a birds-eye view of the band below. Between songs Mr. Billy reassured the crowd that his fully grown beard was not purely for asthetics but that it in fact had magical powers.
Saturday on my way to the Bike Kitchen I caught a glimpse of the "Love Parade". This german tradition has really seemed to take root in San Francisco. Scantilly clad women and men alike take to the streets in force, trying to relive this indulgent and seemingly dated trend of the ninety's. I guess as long as people keep having sex and doing drugs there will always be a generation willing to pick up the bass heavy torch of dance culture. Quite honestly, it looked like more fun than I could handle.
Later that evening I indulged in a little more age appropriate sushi dinner. I sought out this particular restaurant because they made there own tofu. Not only was the tofu fantastic but so was everything else. Until this dinner I had all but written off sushi. Since the cuisine was invented it seems as if it's quality has been in constant decline. Or maybe I was once more willing to pay top dollar for a mediocre effort on behalf of many establishments because the excitement of an exotic raw fish dinner picked up the slack where quality and service were supposed to be. Along with a delicious bowl of freshly prepared tofu I ordered a plate of assorted seaweeds, hamachi sashimi and a live scallop dish that was served with a side of broiled scallop liver, wich I had never heard of or ever seen. Apparently this part is often discarded.
"One mans trash is another mans treasure."
Looking more and more like a scooter every day. Unfortunately the project is now at a standstill. Potentialy I could run her with just a couple of more turns of the wrench, but alas I am out of money and I wouldn't even think about taking my baby out on the road without insurance. It'll be another month before I get the money together but the wait will be worth it.
While I was away on my cycling trip Christopher and Andre were busy finishing the paint on my 1976* Vespa P125.
As I raced through the last leg of my tour, I did so with no regrets, knowing I would return, leaving a trail of blue smoke!
Ciao vespa!
No sightings of Oprah or Mr. Obama but I did spot the Blues Brothers. Man!! Jake has lost a lot of weight.
As a dedicated coffee tourist I was brought to Chicago's north side to visit Metropolis another Chicago roaster. While not as polished as Intelligentsia, Metropolis offered a high quality yet somewhat more accessable cup of coffee amidst stacks of fresh coffee waiting to be roasted on site. In my way back to Logan Square I got a chance to see Wrigley Field and savor a chicago style hot dog. Maybe next time I will try the Italian Beef but seeing as it was only an hour before dinner I decided to save myself.
A good cup of coffee has this magic ability to make me feel at home where ever I am. When I arrived in Chicago I only had one can't miss destination in mind and that was Intelligentsia Coffee. In the heart of down town this Chicago roaster is a world class coffee shop cranking out cup after cup of competition level espresso. The Batista recomended I try the food at Pastoral, a charcuterie located a block away on Lake St. Between cups of coffee I tried there daily panini " peachy pork" that consisted of roast pork, peaches and blue cheese between two slices of pressed sour dough.
This is Warbux Mopeds in Chicago. In the window was this "Nightmare on Elm St." theme bike(the picture doesn't do it justice. And I briefly met the owner Leo and got a shot of him with his Puch top tank bike that he had painted like a WWII fighter jet.
Living in San Francisco I am certainly spoiled by the vast array of cuisine available to me, but when it comes to greasy-spoon American fare nothing beats a good diner, and when it comes to good diners O'Rourkes is the best. There are many imitators who see fit to serve up carnival food hoping to capitalize on the nostalgia of the "freight car diner" but when it comes to soul and authenticity nothing beats this American classic. O'Rourkes is one of the country oldest "silver front" diners and "home of the steamed cheese burger". However. I know them primarily as a great breakfast spot.
A few years ago O'Rourkes suffered a fire that luckily left this historical monuments chrome facade fully intact. I returned to find the interior tastefully remodeled while maintaining some of it's classic appeal. Unfortunately there was no lunch menu available on Sunday, so I was unable to fullfill my dream of steamed cheese burger for breakfast, but I was supprised and delighted to see an expanded menu of breakfast items including a full page dedicated to Irish style plates. Ultimately I settled on a plate of eggs served over colcannon, a sort of fried hash made of mashed potatoes, cabbage and carrots.
"ten thousand welcomes!!!"
