Come on over

Remember this room?

 We started thinking about "re-styling" this room when we found out my Aunt would be coming for a visit. I'd had a job for nearly a year and we'd saved some money and most importantly, I got a credit card with no interest for a WHOLE YEAR.  Don't worry, Dad, I have the money to pay it off today if I had to.

 I had thought about putting the bed where the drum set is but V thought it might be weird to have your head right under a window and have to wake up with the bathroom right next you.  The bathroom is going to be a whole other makeover.  It's cheap 70s style with dark wood paneling, beige plastic "tiles" and the tiniest pinkish sink.

 See where the bed used to be and the door-less closet?

 I went with a quick fix for the open closet with grey linen curtains from Ikea that I hemmed to size.  The lamp base is Italian!  I found it in a thrift store two years ago (!) and have been looking forever for a shade that works.  I wouldn't recommend lamps plus because the salesman at the store was 70 years old and argued with me about the white. He wanted me to get a beige shade and told me that getting a white shade would be like matching plaids and stripes.  He was talking to the wrong lady.

 Records, records, records, and more surfboards.

 Now the bed is tucked in here. The photo is a deer bed I took in a field on the North Coast and little side table houses my flip up ancient metal Singer sewing machine.  I still need to find some art for above the table.

 We moved the turntables out of the guestroom and into the main room and put the records here after I repainted the cinder blocks turquoise (of course)

 New ceiling fan and blinds and a striped rug covering the newly painted floors.

Little vignette on the credenza.  That's my grandparents on their wedding day.

This credenza was the least expensive piece of furniture in the antique store and V talked the guy down a bit too. I was sold on the drawer detailing.

Five of the six surfboards on display. The 6th one is a longboard and doesn't fit.

Guest toiletries and towels.

Growroom to guestroom

We are still mid-project on the kitchen cabinets and have other little projects in the back of our (my) mind but our current focus is the guestroom.  Since I'm working we have some more money coming in.  The last time I posted was around the time I was promoted and working 9  or 10 hour days.  After working all day I had zero interest in more than eating dinner with V and going for a walk and/or flopping on the couch.  I'm finally understand the processes in my job and have (sort of) learned to manage my time in a job where everything is urgent.  I was also keeping busy with my writing class and tried yoga.

This weekend I looked at paint colours and carpet samples and got a quote for new carpet to replace the current burned and stained one.  I want to go budget but even budget isn't cheap.

The room was a grow room and then a place for squatters before V bought it so the carpet is a mess. Our cats have also added some new puke stains to the mix.  I want a lighter carpet since the room is kind of dark but don't want it to get dirty.

 Worst blue paint.

 There's a 6th surfboard under the bed.

Stains, a cat on a garbage bag and a piece of wood covering a hole in the wall.  I'm not sure how I'm going to fix that.

Listening to:  6 mix with Grandmaster flash on BBC 6.

Best

Oh dang!  The Major Lazer show might have been the best thing I've been to ever !!! *.  People were losing their minds.  Some lost their minds (and their meals) before the show even started.  One fool was lumbering around/dancing in his sweat soaked shirt and I thought, "that guy is going to be trouble".  Minutes later he pushed people out of the way and seriously sprayed some vomit over the floor and probably some people.  Disgusting.  The funniest part was when another dude started dancing in the puke, not knowing what it was, because it helped him slide and dance around.

Thennnn, we went to the after party.  Those girls by the window were shaking it and dude outside were staring with their mouths open.  So great.  I love Oakland.

I want this outfit for Palm Springs.

*In line with the George Michael concert and getting married at SF City Hall.

Positive spin

This week has been a little off and I haven't been feeling so great but instead of whining too much, here's the positive side to things.

1. I am lucky to have a job.
2. Studies have shown that migraine sufferers have above average intelligence.
3. My cats are healthy.

Party times

I've declared the rest of September birthday party time for myself.  It started on Friday after work when we drove to Oakland to see Micachu and the Shapes and Animal Collective.  During the show I had to elbow some people out of the way and there was a kid who kept crowd surfing over and over.  Another guys jumped over the fence separating the upper level of the floor from the bottom level and ran towards the stage like the Hulk, pushing people out of the way as he went. Some guys glasses fell off, someone got a foot to the face and a lot of feet were stepped on.  Jay and Natalie were there too!  Good times.

The stage design was a giant mouth with teeth facing in towards the stage that changed colours.  Cool dude.
After the show we were starving.  V had been to a place called Dogwood, down the street from the theatre before.  Have you been?  Their website describes it as a spirits driven meat sanctuary specializing in hand crafted cocktails and house made charcuteries.  What on earth is a meat sanctuary?

I had a cubanito grilled sandwich on a thin plate with cornichons and dijon mustard on the side.  Delicious.  There was a big mason jar in the clear bar fridge that was labeled "gum" and looked really cloudy.  Our bartended told us it was a sweet flavouring used in old timey drinks but it looked like there could have been some dentures soaking in there.

We checked in at the Marriott pretty late and our room was next to the elevators that went all night long.  At first I thought the noise was maybe from the BART because it was so loud but then V reminded me that we were on the 17th floor.  I didn't sleep that night and because of the cost of the hotel, I complained.  The guy at the front desk first offered free breakfast, and when I said no, he offered 2000 hotel points.  I asked him how many points I'd need for a free stay and he said 20,000.  USELESS.  When I asked if there was anything else he could do in my nicest exasperated tone, he talked to his manager who said they'd refund the room.  Later, I got a voicemail saying they'd refunded half the room so I may be  forced to write an old fashioned letter of complaint, just like my Dad used to do (and probably still does).  Plus side: we had a nice view of Oakland from our room.

The Eat Real Food festival was going on at Jack London square.  There were probably about 100 food trucks throughout the park/waterfront and a lot of tents with giveaways.  I wanted to try so many things but there was just too much there.

We tried the empanadas from El Sur

This was funny.  We didn't eat here.

Cute mascot

Surfing lobster at a chowder food truck.

Scenic walk along the waterfront.

A cozy spot for a nap.

Secret pup photo.

Sad pig.

Nearby happy pig buddies chewing on lettuce and spitting it out.

Bhel puri in a paper cone from Soul Cocina.  So good.  I want to make this at home.  It reminded me a little of the tea leaf salad from Burma Superstar that everyone, myself included, loves so much.

We went to Berkeley for a couple of hours to see the freeeeee Micachu show at Amoeba.  I picked up a few more tiny lunch boxes (two with polka dots, and one with flowers) at the Daiso and contemplated buying some knee high socks at the Sock Shop.  The guy at Peet's coffee shamed me when I asked for the restroom key by loudly asking, "ARE YOU A PAYING CUSTOMER HERE?".  I said, "YES I AM NOW FORK IT OVER!"

Feather hair extensions.  Fug.

We walked around Merritt lake, saw some pups, birds, people walking a tightrope and a man shadow boxing.  On the way back to the car we saw the Cleveland Cascade and walked up to see the plants.  By that point we were hungry again and went to dinner at Boot and Shoe service.  They have wood fired pizzas and fancy drinks.  They make their own tonic there so I had a vodka tonic.  Golden and tasty.

Throughout the day V had three cups of coffee and a Monster energy drink and wanted to have a dance party when we got home.  

And then some of us had had enough and wanted to go to bed.

Oaktown

I've never spent that much time in Oakland but we're staying overnight this weekend in a hotel that was deemed "Cheaper than the hotels in San Francisco" on yelp and tripadvisor. Where do these people stay in San Francisco?  A lot of the reasonable Oakland hotels have bad reviews and are in sketchy neighbourhoods.  Either that or they're $400 a night.

I got a (sort of) good deal at the Marriott near the Fox theater.  We're going to Animal Collective and I don't want to drive back home after the show.  Have you heard their new album? It's so good.  I love it!  It's streaming on their website here

What should we do in Oakland?  Hike? Where should we eat?  The only places I've eaten are Homeroom, and more recently, and unfortunately/desperately, at the Taco Bell that locks its doors at 8 at night, doesn't have bathrooms and has drug deals in the parking lot.

Night and Day

We went to the Hot Chip dance party in Oakland last night.  I loved it!  I felt like a nerd after because I was semi-contemplating not going because of having to work the next day/today.  YES, ME!  It was funnnnn and work today was totally fine.  Going to shows like this makes me wish I lived in a bigger city although Sac does get a lot of good shows before bands get big.  The drive home from the Bay after a week night show is kind of lame on a week night.

Sincerely,
Grandma