Music Madness: Fauxcella Recap

I don’t know how I overlooked it last year, but I learned in 2012 about “Fauxcella” the phenomenon that occurs in between and immediately preceding/following the two Coachella weekends, in which every band in the universe schedules dates in the Bay Area. Although I didn’t cough up half my budget to travel down the peninsula to see Radiohead, I did catch the following shows:

Jeff Mangum at Fox Theater: Disappointing due to the fact that this was a bad venue/artist match. The Fox is just too big for a very intimate singer/songwriter. With no seats on the floor, and Mangum sitting on the stage, you couldn’t even see more than an occasional glimpse of a pageboy cap between the crying hipsters. No doubt he’s an extremely talented artist, and we probably wouldn’t have The Decemeberists without Neutral Milk Hotel, but not a memorable show for me.

Mazzy Star at Regency Ballroom: I wish I could tell you how awesome this show was. I’m sure it was. I, unfortunately, was kept distracted by two extremely rude and socially inept British tourists the entire night. Hope’s still got it though, and I’d totally go see them again, but hopefully with different company.

Pulp at The Warfield: OMG. OMG. Seriously. I love Jarvis Cocker. This was the most amazing show EVAR. Heart heart heart! Like like like! No, really, I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing Pulp was. They didn’t ride off nostalgia, they actually rocked it. Hard. And Jarvis IS one of the best frontmen in rock. He possibly humped every item on the stage. Someone also legitimately threw a bra up there. In the running for my show of the year.

Wild Flag at The Fillmore: Carrie Brownstein is probably the coolest person on the planet. Is there anything that woman can’t do? I saw Sleater-Kinney at the end of their days, so awesome to catch a female supergroup at the height of their powers. Rawk.

Tune-Yards & St. Vincent at Fox Theater: Caught this the night after the SFIFF performance. Tune-Yards always kills and even brought adorable children on stage with them, but Annie Clark (St. Vincent), holy shit, stole the show. Ingrid remarked that she reminded her of a female Prince, and I have to agree. I saw her with Wren a few years ago in Milwaukee, and she’s truly transformed into a rock STAR. Definitely up there with the best guitarists I’ve ever seen. I will be adding St. Vincent to my NOT TO MISS show list henceforth.

Girl on Film: SFIFF Recap

It’s true, my life is always going 2,000 miles an hour. But I figure, just in case you only do have one life, you may as well make it count (this is why I always took 18 credits in college — I was paying for ‘em anyway).

So after a super busy first quarter of my year with job stuff, I threw myself right into my favorite hobby – film festival immersion. When I lived in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Film Festival (and its predecessor) were a huge, formative part of my life. Some of my favorite memories and best friends came out of attending and volunteering. When I moved to SF in 2011, it only made sense that I’d get involved with “the film festival” here. Of course a year later I’ve discovered that this city has a film fest practically every weekend, although the San Francisco International Film Festival remains the grandaddy of them all.

The program and volunteer shifts came out while I was completely immersed in my work event, so I didn’t do as much pre-planning and research as I usually do beforehand. That led to a completely different type of festival experience for me, mostly because I inadvertently signed up for over FORTY hours of volunteering. Whoops. I feel bad canceling shifts though, so I sucked it up and stuck out my time management error.

You have to love an error that leads to reconnecting with awesome people you met in previous years, making new friends, accumulating random anecdotes about crazy people in rush lines.

Of course, I also did manage to see 13 screenings over the 14 days of the festival. Here’s a quick recap:

Farewell, My Queen – Take it or leave it twist on the final days of Marie Antoinette. Decadent cinematography and costuming, solid acting, but much too slow for my take. The drifting between fantasy and reality, while interesting, didn’t contribute enough to make the film noteworthy.

The Exchange – Israeli existentialist “comedy.” Don’t recommend seeing after a surreal 24 hours with little sleep. Won one of the fest’s awards, but I’d probably only recommend it to philosophy majors and those who thought the creepy puppet scenes were the best part of Being John Malkovich.

Wu Xia – RECOMMEND! Can’t recommend enough! From the director of Perhaps Love, one of my favorites from Milwaukee a few years ago. It’d be like if Christopher Nolan made a western. Engaging story, fantastic acting, funny, tragic, kickass action sequences. Go see it!

Merrill Garbus, Tune-Yards & Ava Mendoza score Buster Keaton shorts – This will never happen again, but you should’ve been there. Groundbreaking band complementing groundbreaking comedy? Win-win for everyone.

Last Screening - Lindsey, I’m sorry I dragged you to this in the pouring rain. Homage to French New Wave, but without the charming quirks. It’s like if Weekend was all the final act in the woods, without following the appropriate slow buildup along the road to crazytown. Apparently the other “Late Show” program, Headhunters, was fantastic. Ah, well.

The Third Man – Embarrassed to say I’d somehow never seen this classic film. But seeing a 35mm on the big screen at the Castro is a pretty good way to pop that cherry. Of course I loved it. It’s fucking classic for a reason. Oh, the golden age of movies. Sigh.

Your Sister’s Sister – Probably my favorite flick of the festival. I wasn’t a HUGE fan of Lynn Shelton‘s Humpday (I liked it, just didn’t salivate), which I caught at Milwaukee’s film fest, but I feel this took the best parts of that and added more. Yeah, it was mumblecore/hipster fare, but in a good way. A bit of a fantastic storyline, but the real and believable acting carried it. Gorgeous Pacific Northwest shots too, adding that extra character of scenery into the film. This one doesn’t have mass appeal, but if you’re a film buff, see it for sure.

Liberal Arts - Torn on this one. A bit too Garden State for me (10 years later, this is for the thirtysomethings), but I suppose I’m hypercritical of films for and by my generation. I did overidentify with Josh Radnor’s character (both his messed up personal life and his hatred of Twilight), but I found the overall tone of the film a bit too gratingly twee. Everyone will see it, non-cinephiles will think it’s the best thing ever, I’ll roll my eyes, whatever. It is worth seeing for the fabulous Allison Janney though. And it may get more people to read Infinite Jest.

OK, Enough, Goodbye – The film title pretty much is my review. Like a less-funny Napoleon Dynamite if Napoleon was a cranky, selfish, middle-aged Lebanese guy. I always struggle with liking movies/books where the characters are all detestable (see: Match Point, Wuthering Heights), unless they make up for it in comedy – this walked the line. It definitely had potential, but it got too off pace and didn’t quite sell me entirely.

Somebody Up There Likes Me – My opinion of the film is a bit clouded by the fact that the director was such a total PRICK during the Q&A that I think half the audience probably lowered their votes. The dickish humor translated great into a quirky comedy, reminiscent of other Austin outputs Bottle Rocket or Office Space, but not into audience relations. I recommend, but see it in distribution and not when you have to deal with an uncomfortable post-film discussion.

17 Girls – The biggest “surprise” of the fest for me. I described it as Juno meets Heathers or The Craft. Seriously creepy adaptation the 2008 story from Gloucester, MA of a group of high school girls all getting pregnant at the same time. Directed by two French sisters and relying on a cluster of unknown teenage actresses, the film maintained a dark, rebellious tone that kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend this one.

John Dies at the End – I haven’t read the book, but I’m sure the weirdness of the film adaptation will please fans. I can’t comment on the story, since it’s supposed to be nonsensical. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Army of Darkness. Nerdy teenage boys will love it.

Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey – Accessible “rock” doc. No sex, no drugs, mass produced rock n’ roll. A nice rags to riches tale. It is what it is. But I got to work stage security for JOURNEY. So that was, yeah, weird.

32 by 33: April Check In

Opening TYPO | Photo Credit: Amber Gregory

About a week late, but last month was slightly insane with running the Oakland Half Marathon AND running a two-day conference. Here’s my report (sorry no links yet): 

1. Pay off one source of outstanding debt
   Nothing in March, but I’ll have a great update next month.
2. Coordinate one outing a month in a different San Francisco or Oakland neighborhood.
   Spent some quality time in Oakland. Hit up the Imperial Stout Fest at Beer Revolution (3/24) and returned to the Golden Lotus & Fox Theater on 4/10.
3. Visit one of my five remaining states (Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Alaska)
   No progress.
4. Read one book per month.
   Finished Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Also quickly read Tiny Fey’s Bossypants.
5. Curate and share one playlist per month on Spotify.
   2012 v.3: Best of March Tracks and Kicking a Goat’s Ass (Someone misread “Goal” for “Goat” on that and it stuck).
6. Write one min. 1,000 word creative piece per month (essay or fiction).
   Big time fail…I’d like to be ambitious and say this rolls over…so I’m looking at 4,000 in April.
7. Interact with a stranger every day. Try and update My Stranger Project.
   Blog STILL not being updated because Tumblr’s app is terrible, BUT doing my best to be cognizant of who I interact with.
8. Discover and share something new every week.
   I’ve been really bad at keeping metrics for this, but I am always sharing onTwitter & Facebook. Again, I need to hold myself more accountable.
9. Attend one concert per month.
   Creators Project (3/17): Zola Jesus, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Squarepusher, LCD DJ set at Fort Mason; Sharon Van Etten/War On Drugs (3/21) at Independent; Jeff Mangum (4/10) at Fox Theater
10. Do yoga once a week.
    3/18/2012 (yin), 3/19 (restorative), 3/28 (restorative), 3/29 (ashtanga), 3/30 (meditation @ Hanuman), 4/1 (restorative)
11. Cook something once a week.
    Been REALLY bad about this due to my busy schedule. I did make a tuna casserole for my Mad Men premiere party.
12. Go out to a bar/restaurant by myself once per month.
    Mad Dog in the Fog (3/15 & 3/16) during March Madness; Toronado (4/8)
13. Try a new beer once per week (resurrect Beer Broads).
    Again, having issues with Tumblr, but also haven’t been tracking. 3/18: Drake’s Pale Ale; 3/24: Imperial Stout Fest – Stone, Block, Oskar Blues, 4/10: Widmer Dark Saison
14. Use my road bike once per month.
    No ride on my road bike, but took my new Jamis down to Lake Merced for a nice long ride.
15. Try a new hike once per month.
    Just didn’t fit into my busy schedule. Boo.
16. Spend the night in six other California cities/towns.
    No progress, but have a May overnight on the calendar.
17. Achieve something major professionally.
    Successfully pulled off the inaugural TYPO San Francisco meeting attendance and other goals!
18. Go to an 18 reasons event once per month.
    Schmendrick’s Bagel Education
19. Have a new Totally Not For Mom story once a month (feel free to request password if you are not related to me).
    Wouldn’t you like to know? Ha. This is on track. Oh, is it ever.
20. Make a new San Francisco/Bay Area friend a month.
    Made a lot of new friends through the TYPO conference. Excited about keeping this goal up!
21. Volunteer for something new each month.
    Sunday Streets, Asian Film Fest
22. Use my digital camera at least once a week.
    Really should’ve made this a once a month goal. Have pics from Easter I need to upload.
23. Go to an art event, film screening or lecture at least once per month.
    A bunch of film screenings in March: “This Is Not Love” (SFAAF shorts), Jake Shimabukuro Doc & Performance (SFAAF); “The Island President” (3/20) (SFFS)
24. Go out for a “foodie” meal at least once a month.
    Maven (3/19) with Ingrid.
25. Kiss a South American. (This has been an unofficial goal for several years, as it’s my last remaining inhabited continent. I figure by making it official maybe I’ll be more motivated.)
    Continues to be elusive.
26. Be the kind of person you don’t meet everyday, every day. (Thanks Derek for this one!)
    I’m trying! (But hoorah for abstract goals).
27. Walk down a new street in SF each month. (Thanks Mary Ann!)
    I didn’t note if I did or didn’t. Whoops.
28. Learn who each of the San Francisco supervisors are and who/where they represent. (Thanks Jodi!)
    I really need to get a hustle on learning this.
29. Pamper myself with a massage, facial or mani/pedi once a month. (Thanks again Jodi!)
    Got a haircut before my conference!
30. Befriend someone over 60. (Thanks Sadie!)
    Achieved in Feb!
31. Buy something for a stranger once a quarter. (Thanks Dave P!)
    Disposed of my Disposable Film Fest Tickets to a twitter stranger, Gave an uneaten breakfast to homeless kids
32. Send a letter or card to a different person once a week.
    3/19: Monica D.; 4/2: mom & dad; 4/10: WI Dept of Revenue

 

 

Scoutaversary & SanFraniversary

Both my Scoutaversary and SanFraniversary have passed since I last updated. I’m officially a terrible blogger. Or just a busy one.

Here’s a summarized update from my one year email:

A year ago Saturday night, March 11 the amazing Jane picked me up from my empty Milwaukee apartment and put me on a plane to my new home in San Francisco.

What a year it’s been! I could not have gotten through it without the support of each person on this email. My incredible family and friends new and old, whether I’ve known you for decades or for days, this huge transition only showed that no woman is an island.

I enter this second year in California with a resolve to give back more, as I’m so incredibly thankful for the opportunities I’ve had. I recently attended The Volunteer Center of SF’s Board Match event to find out ways to get more involved with area non-profits after current projects wrap up…those being:

MARCH 25: OAKLAND HALF MARATHON FOR TEAM CALICO

It’ll be my second year running this race and supporting CALICO, which advocates for abused children in Alameda County. My friend Marley from high school got me involved with the team and the cause. I’m thrilled that my parents may be able to make it down and see me run my fourth (!!!) half. My goal is to raise $500 to help out this critical organization and I’m about 20% there. If you can help at all, it’d be much appreciated!

Donate here: https://calicocenter.dojiggy.com/mcarnold

APRIL 5-6: TYPO SAN FRANCISCO

My professional life has been busy, busy, busy since October and dedicated primarily to bringing Europe’s premier design conference stateside. I’ve had so much fun working on marketing the conference and getting partners and sponsors involved. Still doing my FontShop duties too, so it’s been an awesome challenge. If you know any designers in the Bay Area, definitely encourage them to check it out.

JULY 15: TEAM CHALLENGE NAPA TO SONOMA HALF MARATHON

Yep, I got involved again. This year I’m not fundraising, but mentoring four runners and helping them raise money and awareness for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. I’m excited to be involved in this great group again and keeping myself in check on Friday nights so I can be up early for Saturday practices

I look forward to sharing these adventures with you and hearing about yours. Here’s to another year of music festivals, outdoor excursions, international experiences (within my city and abroad), art and film, food and drink, and crazy stories!

And a blog I started around my Scoutaversary (I celebrated by seeing the Alabama Shakes (above) with Mary Ann.)

A year ago last Thursday (1/26) I hopped a plane to San Francisco to see if it was really feasible for an accidental wisconsinite like myself to make it work in my dream city. Thanks to the help of so many good friends, the “scouting trip” proved successful and I returned (with an awesome job) six weeks later.

My evening was so magical that I feel the city is STILL convincing me to move here.

On the way home, a random group of neighbors flagged down me and other cyclists on The Wiggle to offer free “reflectivizing.” With sewing machines and irons set up to attach reflective tape to bags and clothing, this group expected no charge but the promise to be safe. “We are all over 40 and can’t see,” one of the seamstresses told me. “We want to be able to see you.”

After a quick room clean, roomie chat and raincheck on pie, I headed downstairs to meet MAB for our friend date night. I wanted to get to The Independent early to score good positioning for the sold out Alabama Shakes, since the opener sounded decent enough. This in mind, the 45 minute wait at Nopalito wasn’t going to cut it.

I suggested we wander down Divis, passing up trendy restaurants, the dive bar with an Ethiopian food sign caught my eye. MAB quickly concurred, she’d been to Club Waziema several years earlier and never realized where exactly it was. We split the veggie combo and I sipped an Ethiopian lager in my quest tot try to new beers. Initially service and food were quick (it filled up when we were debating getting more food), so we got to the venue with plenty of time.

The timing played a key role in us scoring absolutely amazing seats for the show, which exceeded all expectations in blowing my mind.

32 by 33: March Check In

Remember how I told you I’d keep you posted on my 32 by 33 goals? Covering both Jan/Feb & Feb/March in this post, as I was a little preoccupied with travels (above) in February! I know I’m a few days late for March too, but I swear after April 6 I should have some semblance of a life back.

The good news is that I’ve been (sorta) keeping a spreadsheet to keep track. The bad news is I really need to reduce the weekly/daily goals next year. Hard to get around to everything! Still, having these govern my life is pretty fun and keeps me trying new things all the time. Links are included until I ran out of blog time!

1. Pay off one source of outstanding debt
   I paid off my iPad, but that was new debt incurred this year, so I’m not counting it.
2. Coordinate one outing a month in a different San Francisco or Oakland neighborhood.
   Jan/Feb: Night on Divis (1/25 – with Mary Ann): Ethiopian dinner at Club Waziema , The Independent for Alabama Shakes, post-beers at The Page.
   Feb/Mar (2 outings!): Tenderloin (2/25 – with Andrea K.): dinner at Jasper’s, cocktails at Gold Dust Lounge, NoisePop show at Great American Music Hall | Chinatown (3/3 – with Mary Ann & Kirstin): delicious vegan dinner at Enjoy Vegetarian, Chinatown Ghost Tour (I won tix through SF Daily Secret), weak mai-tais at Li-Po Lounge
3. Visit one of my five remaining states (Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Alaska)
   No progress, though I do have several people lobbying me to go to a gathering in Mississippi in October.
4. Read one book per month.
   January: Vicky Swanky is a Beauty by Diane Williams, Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook, Fun Home by Alison Bedchel
   February: Hinduism: A Beginner’s Guide (for background in India) by Klaus K. Klostermaier; The first half (it’s 1,000 pages!) of Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts</li>
5. Curate and share one playlist per month on Spotify.
   2012 v.1: Best of January Album Tracks
   2012 v.2: Best of February Album Tracks & 2012 Death Montage
6. Write one min. 1,000 word creative piece per month (essay or fiction).
   Big time fail…I’d like to be ambitious and say this rolls over…so I’m looking at 3,000 words in March or 4,000 in April by this point
7. Interact with a stranger every day. Try and update My Stranger Project.
   Blog not being updated because Tumblr’s app is terrible, BUT doing my best to be cognizant of who I interact with. In January I participated in a Stranger Dinner and that set the tone for my year in some ways.
8. Discover and share something new every week.
   I’ve been really bad at keeping metrics for this, but I am always sharing on Twitter & Facebook. Again, I need to hold myself more accountable.
9. Attend one concert per month.
   January: Alabama Shakes @ Independent (1/26)
   February: Warren Hellman Tribute (2/19); NoisePop Festival: Flaming Lips/Release the Sunbird (2/21); Born Gold/Grimes (2/22); Sister Crayon & Built to Spill (2/23), Giggle Party, Hollerado, 20 Minute Loop, Imperial Teen (2/24); Hospitality, Big Sleep, Built Like Alaska, Archers of Loaf (2/25)
10. Do yoga once a week.
    Jan/Feb: 1/14, 1/16, 1/9, 1/26, 2/2 (combo of both Hanuman Center & Yoga Garden.)
    Feb/Mar: 2/27, 3/8 (Yoga Garden)
11. Cook something once a week.
    Been REALLY bad about this due to my busy schedule of half marathon training and insane work projects. In February I did make a mean kale & cauliflower dish, as well as a batch of roast asparagus with meyer lemon & goat cheese.
12. Go out to a bar/restaurant by myself once per month.
    Jan/Feb: Toronado & The Page (1/25)
    Feb/Mar (I think it was more than this): Toronado (3/4)
13. Try a new beer once per week (resurrect Beer Broads).
    Again, having issues with Tumblr, but also haven’t been tracking. I did cram SF Beer Week into 24 hours in February, but need to start noting new beers I try!
14. Use my road bike once per month.
    Got in an awesome ride with my friend Ken in January over the Marin Headlands. Time slipped away from me in February.
15. Try a new hike once per month.
    Did a lot of walking/climbing over ruins in India (spans both Jan/Feb & Feb/Mar). Nothing hard core, but I’m counting them as hikes until I get my ass back in gear to hike here.
16. Spend the night in six other California cities/towns.
    No progress, but plans for May, July and September taking shape.
17. Achieve something major professionally.
    Waiting for this conference to be done, then I’ll post!
18. Go to an 18 reasons event once per month.
    Jan/Feb: Chocolate Tasting with Dandelion Chocolate (1/31)
    Feb/Mar: Dinner & Conversation with Novella Carpenter & Willow Rosenthal (2/29)
19. Have a new Totally Not For Mom story once a month (feel free to request password if you are not related to me).
    Wouldn’t you like to know? Ha. This is on track.
20. Make a new San Francisco/Bay Area friend a month.
    Thanks to a post-Stranger Dinner brunch in January, I ended up finding a great new group of friends, many of whom just moved here from further north in California. Great to have new concert and exploring the city buddies!Darian & Ritu couldn’t have done any better organizing a pre-wedding tour in India. Our whole group bonded beyond expectations, and luckily four of the others life in San Francisco!
21. Volunteer for something new each month.
    Jan/Feb: Rice Paper Scissors Dungeness Crab pop-up dinner
    Feb/Mar: SF Green Film Festival, SF Asian American Film Fest
22. Use my digital camera at least once a week.
    Been VERY bad at this outside of India. Any creative ideas on how I can mix this up?
23. Go to an art event, film screening or lecture at least once per month.
    Jan/Feb: SF Ballet Opening Night, Museum Member for a Day Day, “Cultural Dance” in Kharjuraho, India
    Feb/Mar: A Second Story opening (2/23), Urban Farming Reading (2/29)
24. Go out for a “foodie” meal at least once a month.
    Jan/Feb: Bar Jules (1/11)
    Feb/Mar: Jasper’s (2/25), La Mar (3/4)
25. Kiss a South American. (This has been an unofficial goal for several years, as it’s my last remaining inhabited continent. I figure by making it official maybe I’ll be more motivated.)
    Continues to be elusive.
26. Be the kind of person you don’t meet everyday, every day. (Thanks Derek for this one!)
    I’m trying! (But hoorah for abstract goals).
27. Walk down a new street in SF each month. (Thanks Mary Ann!)
    Jan/Feb: Church Street between 18th & Market
    Feb/Mar: Chinatown Tour
28. Learn who each of the San Francisco supervisors are and who/where they represent. (Thanks Jodi!)
    I know my new one, but I really need to get a hustle on learning this.
29. Pamper myself with a massage, facial or mani/pedi once a month. (Thanks again Jodi!)
    Jan/Feb: In-Symmetry Massage (1/21), Stork Skin Therapy Facial (1/24), Kharjuraho Aruyvedic Massage (2/9)
    Feb/Mar: Jabalpur Aruyvedic Massage & Facial (2/15)
30. Befriend someone over 60. (Thanks Sadie!)
    As luck would have it, I ended up rooming with the groom’s mother, Annette, on the India trip. After turning the room upside down looking for a passport (not mine), we’re bonded for life
31. Buy something for a stranger once a quarter. (Thanks Dave P!)
    I guess I better get on it this month!
32. Send a letter or card to a different person once a week.
    Need to track timing on this, but doing fairly well.January: Mar, Jane, Aunt Eileen
    February: Kat, Jason, Catherine, Heather C.

Megber For a Day

In case you weren’t aware, I’m having a passionate love affair with the city of San Francisco. It’s pretty easy to have an all-day date with oneself with the city on your arm.

Today was such a day. I managed to get up early and get morning Vinyasa flow at Hanuman Center. Practicing yoga there seriously feels like getting a hug from the universe. I had a nice phone catch up with Jane on the walk back home and then it was time to take advantage of the coolest deal ever – “MEMBER FOR A DAY” DAY. Since I’m a member at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), I got free admission all over the place. I managed to hit up:

• The Cartoon Art Museum
• Museum of the African Diaspora
• SFMOMA
• YBCA
• Contemporary Jewish Museum
• Museum of Craft & Folk Art
• Asian Art Museum

I was particularly keen on getting to YBCA and the Asian Art Museum, as both have India-related exhibitions at present. YBCA’s The Matter Within: Contemporary Art of India contrasted nicely with the Asian Art Museum’s Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts, both giving me a nice prep to notice both the modern and historical textures when I travel in just two weeks!

After the museums closed for the evening, I strolled to a massage appointment in Potrero, opting to stop at Bombay Bazaar for a Cardamom Rose ice cream cone. Yum. The massage at In-Symmetry was much-needed, my calves are a mess. Luckily I also had time to stop at Sports Basement and buy The Stick to roll out future tightness.

Alas, it wasn’t entirely a perfect day. I grabbed a cab to get to the Sundance Kabuki Cinema, only to find out my cab money was a waste – The Artist was sold out and nothing else started for hours. I walked home and soaked in the city, but realized I was content to nestle in for a cozy evening with myself at home. After all, tomorrow is going to be a little bit crazy.

32 by 33

The party’s over and I’m sinking steadily into my 32 year old skin. People have been asking where my new set of goals are for 32 and I’ve been hashing them out. Got some input at my Double Sweet 16 Party last night and filled in the remaining gaps with social media suggestions. Some I’ve carried over from my 31 by 32, but many are new, and many are San Francisco-related.

Like last year, I’ll try and post monthly status reports around. Thanks everyone for holding me accountable!

1. Pay off one source of outstanding debt.
2. Coordinate one outing a month in a different San Francisco or Oakland neighborhood.
3. Visit one of my five remaining states (Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Alaska)
4. Read one book per month.
5. Curate and share one playlist per month on Spotify.
6. Write one min. 1,000 word creative piece per month (essay or fiction).
7. Interact with a stranger every day. Try and update My Stranger Project.
8. Discover and share something new every week.
9. Attend one concert per month.
10. Do yoga once a week.
11. Cook something once a week.
12. Go out to a bar/restaurant by myself once per month.
13. Try a new beer once per week (resurrect Beer Broads).
14. Use my road bike once per month.
15. Try a new hike once per month.
16. Spend the night in six other California cities/towns.
17. Achieve something major professionally.
18. Go to an 18 reasons event once per month.
19. Have a new Totally Not For Mom story once a month (feel free to request password if you are not related to me).
20. Make a new San Francisco/Bay Area friend a month.
21. Volunteer for something new each month.
22. Use my digital camera at least once a week.
23. Go to an art event, film screening or lecture at least once per month.
24. Go out for a “foodie” meal at least once a month.
25. Kiss a South American. (This has been an unofficial goal for several years, as it’s my last remaining inhabited continent. I figure by making it official maybe I’ll be more motivated.)
26. Be the kind of person you don’t meet everyday, every day. (Thanks Derek for this one!)
27. Walk down a new street in SF each month. (Thanks Mary Ann!)
28. Lean who each of the San Francisco supervisors are and who/where they represent. (Thanks Jodi!)
29. Pamper myself with a massage, facial or mani/pedi once a month. (Thanks again Jodi!)
30. Befriend someone over 60. (Thanks Sadie!)
31. Buy something for a stranger once a quarter. (Thanks Dave P!)
32. Send a letter or card to a different person once a week.

 

2011 Musical Wrap Up

The Magic That is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

As with every January (darn birthday on the 11th), this year is off to a busy start. I realized I never posted my year-end lists to a blog (just to a listserv), so here they are in all their glory. I am working on getting a goals list together for 32, as I just wrapped up a crazy Year 31.

Top 10 2011 Albums

For the first time ever this is completely female-artist or female-fronted heavy, which is kinda awesome for the state of women in rock. And I had a girl power year. Oh, and Lydia Loveless moved up the list when I got dumped on New Year’s Eve Eve, because I was feeling a little jaded when I made the list (although it’s really all good now).

10. Eleanor Friedberger – Last Summer – Witty storytelling and catchy hooks

9. Zola Jesus – Conatus – Appealed to my inner goth.

8. Cults – Cults – Something that sounds Phil Spectory without that whole murder thing hanging over it.

7. The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar – Great guitars and really impressed me live.

6. Wye Oak – Civilian – It’s just really beautiful to me.

5. Lydia Loveless – Indestructible Machine – See above. Plus this album is just fun. Thanks Craig for forcing me to become a fan.

4. WILD FLAG – Wild Flag – Because if Sleater-Kinney released an album it would’ve been on my list too.

3. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake – Never really “got” Paula Jean before, but this album really hit home for me.

2. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy – Gorgeous album and her guitar skillz rule.

1. Tune-Yards – WHO KILL – Because it doesn’t sound like anything else out there. And they blew me away live.

Check these out on Spotify, if you’re curious.

Top 10 2011 Concerts

It was a huge shift for me as I moved from Milwaukee, where it was fairly easy to go to every show – or at least one a week, to San Francisco, where the number of shows sent my head spinning and curbed my concert addiction (probably a good thing for my pocketbook). I live dangerously close to The Independent and though no 1%ers got me the $5,000 year pass for Christmas, I plan to try and hit up a show a month there in 2012 (yes, I will be at Alabama Shakes). For me, many of the shows weren’t just about the performance, but the overall experience, so here’s the list:

10. Jens Lekman, Cal Academy of Sciences, September 29 - I’m a sucker for Jens and I couldn’t think of anything nerdier than seeing him at a science museum.

9.  Robyn, The Rave, Milwaukee, February 12 - Not just celebrating it as the last show I saw at this awful venue, but Robyn is a great performer. I’d just gotten my job offer in SF and this was a fantastic way to dance out my giddiness. Plus, I made the embarrassing montage video (cuz it’s the kind of awful venue that does those).

8. Bright Eyes, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, San Francisco, September 30 - Caught the end of M. Ward and transitioned into Bright Eyes for my first time seeing Conor Oberst & my first HSBG. Had a great spot by a tree, was wonderful.

7. The Decemberists, Outside Lands, San Francisco, August 13 - Foolishly almost skipped this set because I’d seen them so many times. They never ever  disappoint.

6. The Joy Formidable, Outside Lands, San Francisco, August 12 - Didn’t really know what to expect and was really impressed, this show definitely informed them cracking my top 10.

5. Mucca Pazza, Turner Hall, San Francisco, March 8 - My last show before I moved from Milwaukee. You can’t not smile at crazy marching bands, no matter how hipster it may be. Great way to say goodbye to a lot of my music nerd friends there.

4. Sharon Van Etten, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, March 27 - FINALLY got to see her. Was not disappointed. Strange show for me as I was still new to the city and ran the Oakland Half that morning, crying was inevitable.

3. Tune-Yards, Outside Lands, San Francisco, August 14 - Got there early, scored an awesome spot up front, proceeded to be blown away.

2. Wallpaper., Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, July 23 - Straight up FUN show with great people. Album was totally my guilty pleasure jam of summer.

1. Active Child, Old St. Pancras Church, London, UK, October 19 - It was in a medieval church, lit by candles, there was a harp, and only about 100 person capacity. I was pretty much was in a music video.

Honorable Mentions:

• Beck, Tipping Point Gala, San Francisco, May 19 – I volunteered at this swanky thing and got to see part of the private concert (and my long overdue first Beck show).
• Micah Schnabel, Grant & Green, San Francisco, November 3 – Hadn’t seen any of the TCG guys for YEARS (used to be part of Craig’s Upper Midwest crew), so I made the trek to North Beach to catch Micah. It’s so great to see somebody you know have progressed so far musically.
• San Francisco Music Festivals - Bummed I only got to catch Sharon Jones at Stern Grove, definitely need to make it more next summer. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - hard to believe it exists. Magical. Outside Lands - Heard horror stories about past years, but thought it was one of the best run giant $$$ events I’d been too (though beer selection needs vast improvement).
• Live Music Everywhere in SF - I love just walking down the street and being lulled into a bar by great music. The Saloon is ridiculous. Club Deluxe is a gem. When I first moved here and was apartment hunting I stumbled into Cafe International on a random rainy Sunday afternoon and was impressed by the band. Sigh, as you can tell, I’m kind of in love with San Francisco.

Spotify playlist of memorable tracks from my Top 10 Shows.

Happy New Year!

Starting the New Year off with a recap of 2011 – amended from a mass email I sent out.

San Francisco on New Year's Day

My New Year’s Eve Facebook status was:

“…2011 HAS been the best year of my life, hands down. I achieved my #1 life goal. I ran two half marathons. I went to PARIS! I love my job. I love my home. I love my friends near and far, old and new…”

I achieved my #1 life goal. 2011 was the year I embarked on my life’s biggest adventure yet…packing up 12 years of life in Milwaukee and moving to my dream city of San Francisco (a goal I’d held since I was 10 years old). What a ride it’s been. Next life goal? Take a year off to travel around the world before I’m 40. Eight years to make that happen.

I ran two half marathons last year and both for good causes. Oakland in March for CALICO and Napa to Sonoma with Team Challenge. Signed up again in 2012 as well, and getting more involved with the causes, helping out with both teams. Thank you so much for those who supported me in my fundraising for them. This year the financial commitments won’t be so huge, but you will be subject to my social media activism to help others meet them.

I went to PARIS! When I moved to San Francisco, I was grateful enough for my good fortune this year. So the fact that I got to travel to Europe for work in October was just delicious, delicious icing. I spent 8 days in London for a conference that I will help replicate in SF in October, but beforehand I took some PTO and went to Paris. I’d never been and I really can’t wait to go back.

I love my job. I’ve had the privilege of building my own position and I’m really able to grow professionally. I’ve gotten to work on really cool projects with awesome people. Working on a huge conference for April, so will be throwing myself into it even more.

I love my home. I was so nervous about living with people again after holing up solo for three years. San Francisco has showed me how awesome cohabitating can be. My roommates, Rob and Sadie (and her boyfriend Omar, roommate 3.5) are amazing human beings. I also have the pleasure of having two cute pups living under the same roof. Grendel & Howard are awesome companions on the rare occasion I am at home and relaxing. I live in one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world in a house filled with art and good vibes. And I’ve been fortunate to have good homes my whole stay here – a huge thanks to Ritu and Darian to putting me up my first month and town, as well as Sabina, my wonderful sublet roommate as I got settled in!

I love my friends near and far, old and new. I feel like my bonds with many friends in Milwaukee have really strengthened since my move and I’m grateful for this. I am grateful for the hodgepodge of folks who have visited me too, whether couchsurfing or in town for work and looking me up. Of course I’ve also loved rebonding with my existing network of friends in the Bay Area and seeing Portland folks much more often. So wonderful to get to know everyone again. Meeting new folks is always an adventure, but I’ve met some incredible ones here. 2011 had the potential to end on a real downer note (I’ll spare you the details – let’s just say I’m single and ready to mingle), but my friends both locally and via the magic of technology made sure I had the happiest New Year ever.

I can’t wait to see what 2012 will bring! I already have my trip to a wedding in India approaching in just a few short weeks. What are YOU looking forward to?

Bikes & Bundling

I found myself bumming a bit this weekend. Not just because both my best friend and my boyfriend have left for their respective holiday vacations already, but because I was missing my favorite event of all time, Milwaukee’s Santa Cycle Rampage. I’m sorry SantaCon, but you’ll never hold a candle. A huge thanks to my friends who shared the inebriated experience via the magic of SMS.

Although it did not have EPIC written all over it, I did get a nice group ride in on Sunday evening. I decided to hit the streets for the SF Bike Coalition‘s Holiday Lights Ride. It was neat to see the contrast of all the bike lights with the holiday decorations we rode by. We covered parts of the city I’d never been too and I couldn’t find again. We hit Sea Cliff at some point. There were lots of hills. No bar crawling and more of a family event, but still something to fill the void. And we still elicited smiles from passerbys.

The event ended in a very generous couple’s yard in the Inner Sunset, where we shared treats and drank mulled wine or hot cider. I talked with a very nice couple from across the Panhandle about triathlon training and learned there’s a pool at USF‘s Koret Center that has community memberships. Those Jesuit schools should partner up on reciprocal alumni memberships. Hmm….

In other news, I’m all prepared now for my next trip to Tahoe. Stopped by the awesome Pop Outerwear showroom (tucked away on Waller, it’s a must-visit if you’re in the Haight and looking for unique and fashionable mountain gear). Their hours are a little funky, but you can tweet them and they’ll be around (that’s what I did). Pricing in the showroom is quite a deal and they have a 100% return policy. The couple that runs it is super nice, knowledgeable and great at customer service. I bit the bullet and got a parka, snowpants & fleece. But I’ll be looking good!