Life Begins at 30

Girl geek, through and through.

A meme is making its way around my Facebook friends called "25 things about me."  I resisted it at first, but have so enjoyed reading the lists of my friends that I decided to participate yesterday.  Below, a taste of the things that I posted:

1. I've been a girl geek since the beginning of time. I went to computer camp when I was 8. The point of the whole week was to program the "turtle" - a small green triangle - to move around a computer screen.

2. I went to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama when I was 12. I really, honestly, wanted to be an astronaut. My mom turned herself inside out to be able to afford sending me.

3. I was a camper and a counselor-in-training and a counselor and a director all at the same summer camp. In so many ways, that camp formed who I am.

4. In junior high school, I used my computer class to write a "matchmaker" program which was basically a randomizer which matched the names of 8 guys and 8 girls (input)-- and then told us who our boyfriends were going to be. It didn't really work, but provided endless hours of entertainment.

5. I know, without a doubt, that starting a blog five years ago changed my life. The friendships that have come out of it, and the ways that it has expanded my life -- personally and professionally -- would not have happened without my blog.

6. The day I realized that I was more comfortable in San Francisco than I've been anywhere in my life was the day I knew I was home. And it wasn't until I was here for about four years.

7. I once sat 3rd row at the Coliseum in LA to see U2. We had gotten our tickets by being first in the wristband lottery at Tower Records in Long Beach. It was the best concert of my life.

8. The second best concert of my life was Dave Matthews Band at the Santa Barbara Bowl in 1995.

9. I am acutely aware of how lucky I am to have two grandparents still alive who are such an important and active part of my life. I am going to be devastated when they are gone, but at the same time I feel so fortunate to have had them here for so long.

10. I won a school-wide spelling bee in 5th grade because I knew how to spell parallel. Then I lost in the district-wide because I didn't know how to spell delicatessen.

11. In order to go to sleep, I usually take 4 to 5 digit numbers and factorize them down as much as I can in my head. So ... 12345 = 2469 x 5 = 823 x 3 x 5 ...etc. It's comforting that it takes all my brain power to hold the numbers in my head which means that I can't fret about anything else.

12. I really, really love living alone.

13. I don't think that my palate is that great when it comes to wine and spirits. I know what I like, but compared to my friends I couldn't tell you how a wine tasted a year from now, or much about its nose. And it's definitely not for lack of trying -- I've had some fantastic teachers and opportunities.

14. I have OCD about magazines. In stores, I won't take the top magazine (too many germs) and if there's only one left, I will rarely buy it.

15. And I hate when people read my magazines before me. I blame this on my college best friend who used to read my magazines before me in college and tell me all the juicy parts, so there was nothing left for me to read. :)

16. I can't stand entrees that have any sweetness. Keep your raspberry purees, your sweet marinades, and your honey glazes away from my proteins, please.

17. I decided last year that I don't like tripe. But in order to confidently make that decision, I forced myself to try it at four different places around town first. Yep, definitely don't like it.

18. I won't buy kitchen appliances on eBay that could have ever been used to process a body part. Blenders, cuisinarts, pots and pans are all out. I blame this weirdness on watching too much CSI.

19. One of the most fun, most joy-filled things in my life is watching some of my best friends have children. I am endlessly fascinated with, and in awe of, what amazing mothers they are all becoming.

looking back on 2008 (indulge me in some navel-gazing).

happy new year from mom and me, long beach airport, long beach, ca.  december 08.

"I don't really know yet how I felt about 2008 in a grand sense."

I wrote an email to a friend last night and talked about my ambivalence about 2008.  Sometimes, I have a clear picture of how I felt about a year.  2005 was great.  2006 was terrible.  2007 was better.  2008 was ... I don't know.  And I guess it's not important to know.  I am really looking forward to 2009 -- I know that for a fact.

As I have in the past three years, I posted my favorite tastes of the year on Bay Area Bites.  I realized after posting yesterday that I missed one of my favorite bites: the roasted cauliflower dish at Ubuntu.  I can't wait to return and have that again.

I wrote fewer posts to this blog in 2008 than ever -- a price that was paid as I turned my attention to writing for Serious Eats, posting on Twitter, taking 10,000 photographs, and continuing to write for Bay Area Bites.

I had some huge accomplishments in the eat local world, including writing for a national publication and being interviewed for an AP article that was published in about fifty publications this week.  My excitement about the AP article had nothing to do with my quote in it, but was much more about the balance with which the story was written.  Eating locally is becoming a part of the mainstream lexicon, and it is no longer a fringe movement.  For my tiny contribution to that, I am proud.

The blog post series that I was most proud of writing this year is about Slow Food Nation and was written for Serious Eats.  Writing about the event really forced me to evaluate the event in a (hopefully) coherent manner.

In 2008, I turned 35.  I have often heard people talk about 35 being a transitional age, and I really feel it.  I feel strangely more comfortable in my skin, and less apologetic about who I am.

I didn't travel a ton this year, but I did take a couple of trips along the west coast.  A spontaneous trip to Portland (can you say 24 hours notice?) was a highlight, as it was spent with great friends and crawling the town for fantastic food.

 

In 2008, I gathered a group of friends who went to approximately 18 different drinking establishments to try the best cocktails in town.  Dubbed "book club," we met on Wednesday nights throughout the summer and had so much fun that we extended the cocktail research through the fall.  A complete report about our adventures is coming up on Serious Eats.  My favorite cocktail of the year?  The Sungold Zinger from Range.

In 2008, I worked on the flickr 365 project, with a goal of taking a photo every day for a year.  I stopped at photo 279 because I lost track of my days.  But the intent of the goal was achieved as I now carry my camera everywhere, and taking photos of everyday things is second nature.  I truly think that my photography practice deepened with this project, and I really recommend it to anyone who would like to further their photography.

Come to think of it, 2008 was a pretty good year.  I can't wait to see what 2009 brings.  Safe and happy celebrations to you all.  Thanks for your support and readership in the past year!

lists for my life

I have a not-very-environmentally-friendly habit of using these lovely stock cards to make lists for my life.  I guess that the eco-friendly part is that I usually start one and then fill every square inch with notes before I start another.  I had the urge to take a shot of the list I started today and show it to you all because it's a great example of the disparity of my life right now.  Half of those notes are for my day job, while another half are for my writing, blogging or Eat Local Challenge passions.  I'm usually totally fine with the chaos, but it's a little hard to wrap my brain around these days.

It's 10 p.m., and I still have several things left on that list.  So I'll just leave you with a list of things I'm loving right now. 

- Bar Crudo which I finally went to for the first time this weekend. I can't believe it took me this long to get there.  I took my friend who was in from the Central Coast and it immediately became her favorite SF restaurant.

- The amazing bloggers who are taking the Eat Local Challenge.  They are unbelievably inspiring.

- This episode of This American Life.  If you've ever wondered what the last days of a grassroots political campaign are like, listen to this.  It's brilliant.

- Massa Organics new almond butter.  Delicious.

- iTunes Genius which is helping me remember corners of my iTunes library I'd forgotten about.

- The dim sum vendor at the Marin Farmers Market, which almost had me driving the 15 miles just to have more this Sunday.

- The really comfortable and competent Bar Drake at the Sir Francis Drake downtown. 

- Boccalone's pancetta.  Tasty salted pig parts of the best kind.

What's new on your list of things you love?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mother has a very. big. birthday today.  I sent her a note last night asking her if she was ready to say good-bye to a decade.  "It's all about hello," she wrote back.  In the past week she went camping, did a trust fall, climbed a wall, and participated in a ropes course.  What a way to say hello.

20 things to do in 30 days - final update

Swinging in Alta Vista Park, camera on self-timer

As you probably remember, I wrote a list 29 days ago of 20 things to do in 30 days.  On the eve of my 30th day, the truth is that I am not going to finish all twenty things.  But I had a great time along the way. 

Two weeks ago, I walked 5.5 miles to Ocean Beach and took a fun photo series along the way.  I took a photo every five minutes, and ended up with a series of 24 shots that take you west across the city.

But I was still stuck on a food to eat that I'd never had before.  As happens often in my life, Sam was an angel who presented herself in this situation.  "Have you had marmite?" she asked via text late one night.  "No, perfect!"  I texted back.  Marmite was something that I was actually excited to try, and I thought it accomplished the goal nicely.

"I'm working on a tasting for you," Sam said mysteriously a couple nights later.  Then last week, I received a package.

In the package were containers.  There was no note, but I knew it was from Sam, and I knew the containers, marked "YUK", "GOO", and "GAG" were different marmite flavors.  I asked her how to try them, and she emailed me a primer from her sister's blog about the perfect way to spread marmite on toast.

I took careful notes over several tastings and then emailed her:

I liked
Goo then
Yuk then
Gag.

Generally I liked them, and will have any of them again.  Sam confirmed that Goo was original marmite, then Yuk was champagne marmite and Gag was Guiness marmite.  I think I am a marmite convert and will be buying a little brown jar for myself sometime soon.

Attempting to finish 20 things in 30 days was a blast.  I will continue to work on the tasks I didn't complete, and took such joy in the ones that I did.  I would highly recommend it to all.

20 things, update

A few days ago, I posted a list of 20 things that I would like to do in 30 days.  Six days later, I've been able to accomplish a few of them.

I've posted every day on at least one blog. Each post hasn't necessarily had a ton of substance, but I think it's getting me back in the habit of daily communication, which is a good thing. If only twitter counted, this task wouldn't be quite as difficult.

This week, I was able to unplug all day Saturday. I actually answered my phone, but the main goal was to get me off of the email --> facebook --> twitter --> flickr --> bloglines cycle that I can sometimes take in order to be up to date with what's going on in my network. This task was sadly hard for me. I put this one on the list with a definite purpose -- I need to remember what it's like to not be tied to my smartphone, and to know that the Internet will go on without my constant checking of my favorite sites.

I ended up writing a letter this week to a neighbor that I've never met. This wasn't exactly what I was thinking when I wrote this task, but it definitely fits.

I actually was able to kiss two babies this week! The first was Diner #3, and the second was Sadie, the darling daughter of my best friend Jen.

I am a bit stuck on #20. I'm considering natto. A friend gave me a pack of gu today and suggested that be my food. In an ideal world, I'd like it to be an entire food that I haven't had, instead of a version of a food. For instance, this week, I had salted caramel ice cream from Bi-Rite for the first time (I know, I can't believe I waited this long either). While it may qualify for #20, I feel it's a cop out as it's just a different version of ice cream, which I am very familiar with. Any suggestions on a food I may have never eaten?

Also, did you all see that Sam posted her own list?  It's a trend!

20 things to do in 30 days

the golden gate bridge through presidio trees, originally uploaded by jen_maiser.

A couple of months ago, I picked up a copy of Sasha Cagen's book To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal about Us.  It's an inspiring book -- a collection of lists from strangers, and since reading it, I have written many lists for myself.

Cagen also has a blog, and last week she posted a list that caught my attention.  It was a list by a woman who wants to do 30 things before she turns thirty.  I turn 35 in about a month, and thought that I would tag on to this fabulous list.  What better way to ring in a new half-decade than by accomplishing some fun things leading up to it?

I'm excited about this idea.  Lord knows that I have more than I can handle on my plate at the moment, but these things seem fun and feel self-indulgent. A few things on my list are personal, so I've blanked them out.  I will keep you apprised of my progress as the month goes on.

20 THINGS TO DO IN 30 DAYS

1.  Post a day (post on any blog counts).
2.  Unplug for an entire day each week.
3.  Kiss a baby.
4.  Find 10 photos that will make a series.
5.  Take a self portrait.
6.  **********
7.  Photograph a stranger.
8.  **********
9.  **********
10.  Write a letter.
11.  Random act of kindness.
12.  Find a class to take.
13.  Write a thank you.
14.  Write an apology.
15.  Swing at a playground.
16.  Walk to Ocean Beach.
17.  Call an old friend.
18.  Do a volunteer project.
19.  Bake something.
20.  Eat something I've never had.

help from mommy

Last night, I hosted a Commonwealth Club event in Palo Alto.  I interviewed Jesse Cool in front of a good-sized crowd, and all in all it was a really great evening.  I find Chef Cook Cool (don't call her chef) to have a really refreshing point of view when it comes to sustainable eating, and will be talking about it more here within the next few days.

I had the support of a few great friends (and a new friend) who tagged along with me to Palo Alto, and as we arrived at the event I started to relax and know that everything was probably going to be okay.

******

My mother got a Blackberry recently.  This is giggle-worthy if you know my mother.  It's funny to put her in the same category as some of my friends when she buries her head in her Blackberry at all hours of the day.  Except that she has to concentrate.  Very hard.  But to tell you the truth, I kind of like it.  We now text a little ("My thumbs hurt," she texted me one day after a couple of back and forth exchanges) and I get pretty frequent, random emails from her.

******

As I walked into the event last night, my phone whistled and I looked down to find this oh-so-helpful email from my mom.  Nice to know that she had my back.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: help from mommy
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2008
From: O.
To: J.

Here are some food jokes to warm up the crowd:

Q: What did the cannibal order for take-out?
A: Pizza with everyone on it.
________________________________

Q: What do cats call mice on skateboards?
A: Meals on wheels.
________________________________

Customer: Do you serve crabs here?
Waiter: Yessir, we'll serve just about anybody.

******

The evening ended with a lovely dinner at Tamarine.  I was a pain-in-the-neck customer as I kept calling to make our party bigger and bigger, and then we arrived 15 minutes late.  The restaurant couldn't have been more gracious at any step and the dinner was delicious, comfortable, and wonderfully paced.  The appetizers arrived right away, which was perfect as we were all starving and the rest of the meal came out in a relatively relaxed manner.  One benefit of having a wine maven as a friend is that she brought along a couple of really outstanding wines. 

******

I had a full-circle moment as trying to explain to a friend who all 10 people at the table were, and realizing how many of my roots come from Chowhound - the website that many love to hate.  Though the site sometimes drives me crazy, I am convinced that I would not be the person I am today (blogger, writer, food advocate) or know the friends I do today were it not through becoming a member of the Chowhound community when I arrived in San Francisco eight years ago. 

******

I am still thinking about our meal today, especially the clay pot black cod, the lemongrass bass, the delicate coconut rice, and the enveloping support that I felt from friends new and old.

"A lot of hooey"

I was on the phone with grandma last night telling her about my trip to Las Vegas this weekend.  A friend is one of Bette Midler's Harlettes and so a visit to see her perform was combined with a birthday blow-out for my good friend Staci.

Grandma loves Las Vegas so had a lot of questions about what we did, and how everything was.  "It was great," I told her, "but I spent way too much money."  She agreed that it could be very expensive, but that it's possible to do it on the cheap. 

"It's just that there are so many restaurants there now that are run by famous chefs that you end up wanting to go to nice restaurants the whole time," I told her.

"Let me tell you what I think about that," she interrupted. "It's a lot of hooey."

"I like the Bellagio buffet," she continued.  "It's the best place to eat in Las Vegas.  I don't like Emeril and Wolfgang and all of those famous guys.  Their food doesn't even look that good."

To hell with Michelin and one accolade after another.  Grandma has spoken.

Lotta Jansdotter Printing Party

All photos by Jen Maiser.

On Saturday, I went to Craft Gym because Lotta Jansdotter was in town hosting a printing party in honor of her new book.  It was a blast to be surrounded by so much color and creativity, and fun to see so many designs.  Not only did Lotta use her own stencils for this (free) event, but she has several stencils in the book -- a very generous move on her part. I am looking forward to trying out some printing projects at home.