Postcards from all over the freaking place: First stop, San Francisco

It's true that very often this blog is a barometer for my life. It's not just the details I pour out here or the stories that are a gauge for how I am doing, what our lives are like. It is how often I show up. For the past few weeks, the reading is nothing more than busy.

Some of my time away from Sassafrass has been a challenge. Some of it has been amazing. I've been to California twice in two weeks, had a round of antibiotics to treat some hard-hitting bronchitis (my second since June, when I looked like I'd been using my forehead and all available sinus cavities to pound on death's door), been on television once and on the radio airwaves three times, and made my way on to some crazy, conservative websites with an apparently controversial post I wrote. I'm tempted -- or rather, should-should-shoulding myself -- about going all the way back to Thanksgiving and fill in all the gaps.

But really, that would just bore the you-know out of you and make me a little insane to try to call up all that old stuff when Christmas shopping lists, end-of-year expense reports, and all kinds of naughty and nice thoughts are crowding my brain.

Instead, let's skim past San Francisco first:

• I was completely engrossed in "It Might Get Loud", a fabulous doc centered on guitarists Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. Each musician has his own very quirky tastes, process and journey from classrooms and garages to the stage and studio. I was most compelled by Jack White, with his raw voice and blues fascination and handwritten, scrawled lyrics and pending marriage proposal to me. But watching the three of them harmonize on "The Weight" was a bit of rare bliss on a cross-country flight. Rent, rent.

• Time passed but I got two (maybe three) laughs out of "4 Christmases" on the plane (and you wonder, Vince Vaughn, why you and I will no longer be lawfully wed?).

• One great evening in SF began at this restaurant. The food was phenomenal (don't ask what I ordered, I just ate whatever my friends put in front of me) and I had the best cocktail I've tasted in a long, long time (all kinds of coconutty, limey, gin goodness). And because I adore the details, I have to tell you that the high-gloss hardwood floors in this place are just as gorgeous as the art on the walls.

• Just before I had to say a teary goodbye to one of my favorite cities, I met up with some of my very favorite and most glam lady-friends at Lime. As if bottomless pomegranate mimosas were not enough reason to book a table at this clubby wonderland with the pink Christmas tree and "Single Ladies" drowning out the conversation, three words: Best. Bacon. Evahhh. I'm not kidding.

• Put on your mirrored earrings and fave 80s mini-skirt, go there, sit at the cute bar and order a ginormous pile of bacon and a bottomless mimosa. If your date thinks it's disgusting, you are clearly brunching with the wrong man.

• I stayed at the Clift, which has simple, pretty, modern rooms (with Tang-colored Lucite nightstands that have no place in my home but should) and funky chairs placed throughout (I adored looking at these, which greeted me every time I walked the four steps from my room to the elevator). A cab driver told me the hotel is haunted, but the only evidence of that I saw was in the legendary (or so I'm told) bar that was crawling with cougar love and (ahem) halter-topped professionals and young Eurotrashy boys sucking down the mojitos.

• I peeked in a few boutiques, wandered through a few galleries, drank a lot of coffee and got a very brief  tour through the serene Asian Art Museum. And since I was there for work -- a delightful appearance on "View from the Bay" (the clip will be up soon), my real job was to talk healthy eating and holiday weight gain (followed by some more boozing and noshing). It was too quick, but it was also the second stop in the state within days. As much as I would have loved to stay a few more days, I was anxious to get home to my boy.

Plus, I will be back in May, for a very exciting, somewhat terrifying running relay I've signed on to do with a few more of those favorite blogging ladies. 

So...SF is now covered. Next stop? Let's go ahead and skip over the hacking cough, meds and neti pot routine and move on to some more fun fashion stuffs. See you then!

Psst! Have you commented on this yet? You want to. Trust meh.

Comments

[GoodHonestMen.com]

I love "It Might Get Loud." It's nice to know that you love it, too. =)