Tender. Juicy. Delicious?

"I can throw an orange like a baseball, but I can't eat a baseball like an orange.

Let that be a lesson for you."

~Jarod Kintz

A Zebra Is The Piano Of The Animal Kingdom

First let me start off by saying... ewwwww! And I can't say that LOUD enough or with too much emphasis! Just ewwwwwwwww! I spotted this tasty looking cube steak while out shopping with Alan at a supermarket offshoot of a famous discount store. For discretion purposes I will say the name of the store was "MalWart. I am not using the real name because, conveniently, the name of the supermarket was not on this tasty looking beef. The tags had the beef marked down for quick sale because the expiration date was getting close, but even with the savings of $3.04, I decided I didn't need the cube steak that badly... or any other meat from there for that matter. Too bad, I have a great recipe for Swiss Steak, and that was going to be for dinner. We settled on Spaghetti Marinara, with some delicious zucchini and onions. Sigh. It was good. Really good!

Mood: Disappointed About The Swiss Steak/Happy About The Spaghetti Marinara.

~Me :)

Come Into My Parlor, Said The Spider To The Fly...

"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the Spider to the Fly,

 "Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy."

~Mary Horwitt

~The Spider And The Fly: A Fable

I am not big fan of spiders, mind you, but I kinda loved this pretty little green spider I spotted on a white flower in Golden Gate Park. 

Don't you just love it's shape?

The Spider And The Fly: A Fable

"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly;

"Tis the prettiest little parlor what ever you did spy.

The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,

And I have many pretty things to show when you are there."

"O no, no," said the little fly, "To as me is in vain,

For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."

"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;

Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the spider to the fly.

"There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin,

And if you rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in."

"O no, no," said the little fly, "for I've often heard it said, 

They NEVER, NEVER WAKE again who sleep upon YOUR bed."

Said the cunning spider to the fly, "Dear friend, what shall I do, 

To prove the warn affection I've always felt for you?

I have within my pantry good store of all that's nice;

I'm sure you're very welcome; will you please to take a slice?"

"O no, no," said the little fly, "kind sir, that cannot be;

I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see."

"Sweet creature!" said the spider, "you're witty and you're wise,

How handsome are your gauzy wings, how  brilliant are your eyes!

I have a little looking-glass upon my parlor shelf,

If you'll step in one moment dear, you shall behold yourself."

"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you're pleased to say,

And bidding you good-morning NOW, I'll call ANOTHER day."

The spider turned him round about, and went into his den,

For well he knew the silly fly would soon be back again:

So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly, 

And set his table ready to dine upon the fly.

Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing, 

"Come hither, hither, pretty fly, with the pearl and silver wing:

Your robes are green and purple; there's a crest upon your head;

Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead."

Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little fly,

Hearing his wily flattering words, came slowly flitting by.

With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,

Thinking only of her crested head - POOR FOOLISH THING! At last.

Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast.

He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,

Within his little parlor; but she ne'er came out again!

And now, dear little children, who may this story read, 

To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed;

Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye, 

And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.

 

Mood: Content

~Me :)

So Close To Paul Rudd, And Yet So Far From Paul Rudd...

"The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot,

so you have to work it all out for yourself from the clues."

~Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures

Yesterday, I grabbed the cameras, and the hubby, and we headed over to San Francisco to chase down Paul Rudd. Well, not chase him down per se, but rather to find the location of where his new movie, Ant-Man is being filmed. It was fairly easy to find really, once again, like a couple years ago when Blue Jasmine was being filmed in the city, Twitter, and On Location Vacations provided the time and the place to be! In yesterday's case it was at the corner of Java street, and Buena Vista West. Just off Buena Vista Park, and the Haight/Ashbury district of San Francisco. In other words, one of my favorite neighborhoods of the city!

Unlike two years ago, and my stalking... um... enthusiastic pursuit... of  Woody Allen, I was able to find Woody, and walk on the same side of the street as he was, in-between time for him to be inside making movie magic! I could have walked right passed him had I wanted to, but yesterday, it was NO DICE. The closest anyone could realistically get was about a half a block. Which I did, but I didn't get to see Paul Rudd or Michael Douglas, or any of the other stars of Ant-Man, and add them to my folder of candid celebrity moments. 

But all was not lost. I was able to buzz the neighborhood and get some photos of the cameras and some long shots of the general area. I love the behind the scenes stuff, and really enjoy all the technical details, so I am a happy girl! It would have been fantastic to have a photo of Paul Rudd, but for me the fun is in the photography safari, and what you might see along the way! Driving through Haight/Ashbury you have the opportunity to see almost everything, and there was one or two sights that caught my eye, but we will speak more on that later. For now, enjoy the shots of the Ant-Man filming that I did get. They aren't stellar or anything, but it is a cool memory for me. 

Yesterday, I was only a half a block away from Paul Rudd. That doesn't happen every day!

Ant-Man Gallery

Buena Vista West and Java Street

San Francisco

August 20th 2014

 

 

 

 

And now a look at the neighborhood and street where the filming

 was being done by way of Google Maps...

 

More and more films and TV shows are being shot in and around San Francisco, so this is far from my last chance to have some fun chasing down movie magic!

The fun, for me, is definitely behind the camera!

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

Oooh... an intriguing update! The photo on the left is of the first official "Ant-Man" photo, posted on Marvel Entertainment's official Twitter page.The picture on the right is a photo I did yesterday in the Buena Vista Park area. Did I accidentally photograph Ant-Man's van? Interesting!

:)

Joey Says Relax

"Cats Are Connoisseurs Of Comfort."

~James Herriot

~James Herriot's, Cat Stories

 I have already posted this photo to Twitter, so if you have seen it I apologize for the repeat. I just figured that it deserved to be seen. Joey is such a cuddly, sweet, funny little cat, and I couldn't be happier that he came our way. He is very nearly integrated into the family, by October he will finally be able to spend the night out with the family, as opposed to being put in his room at bedtime.

Dylan no longer hisses at Joey when he walks by.

Hendrix no longer hisses at Joey when I pet him.

We are a family.

And our three boys help Alan and I cope a little better with this crazy world.

Joey Says "Relax"

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Art About Town: Foster City... "On The Wing" By Artist Bob Bennett

"The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time.

Always listen to the art."

~Junot Diaz

"On The Wing" By Artist Bob Bennett

Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park

Foster City, California

Photographed February 2nd, 2006

Public art is my refuge, and maybe one of the great loves of my life.

I am planning on photographing a lot of it during the remaining part of summer.

Fair warning... Ellipsis is going to be a bit art heavy!

:)

Mood: Quiet But Content

~Me :)

Art About Town: San Francisco, "Apples" By Gustav Kraitz and Ulla Kraitz

"There must always be two kinds of art: escape-art, for man needs escape as he needs food and deep sleep, and parable-art, that art which shall teach man to unlearn hatred and learn love."

~W.H. Auden

Another from the archives, but never before posted, "Apples" by artist Gustav Kraitz. It sits in the sculpture garden at the DeYoung Museum, in Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco. The DeYoung is my favorite of the San Francisco museums, although I do love the Legion of Honor as well! Oh my, art is my refuge, and I find myself needing more and more of it. I hope to get out with the camera this next week. I have located a few more from the Hearts In San Francisco series, and there is a new film scheduled to be shot in the city mid-week. 

Ant Man, which will star Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas. I can't even imagine how surreal it would be to actually run into Michael Douglas on a street in San Francisco, after growing up watching him starring as Inspector Steve Keller, on The Streets of San Francisco! LOL. How fun would that be? Maybe I should try to locate as many different types of art as I can find along my travels next week. 

Yeah... climbing into the art sounds like Heaven.

Good idea methinks.

It's a plan.

Mood: Quiet but Okay.

~Me :)

Lion's Mane Jellyfish

 

"I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, 

where we can talk freely and build our castles by the sea."

~Bram Stoker, Dracula

These beauties are called Lion's Mane jellyfish. I love their wild color! I could have stood all day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, just watching them dance around in their little blue world, all day! I think on that day there were maybe 10 different displays of different kinds and colors of jellyfish, but I kept coming back to these! Somewhere, buried deep in the archives, there is a short video I did on that day, I will post it sometime if I can find it! Anyway, I am thinking about jellyfish because we have been experiencing an unusual amount of jellyfish washing ashore all along the California coastline. Most recently, Ocean Beach in San Francisco, saw thousands of Velella velella jellyfish finding their way onto the beach. They are a gorgeous blue, which almost looks like glass, rather than a sea creature! I am wanting to try to get over to the coast early next week to maybe photograph them. You see, unlike most other jellyfish, the Velella velella don't have stingers! 

Wish me luck on my journey, it seems like my mind is going in so many directions lately, and we are getting to the point of the year when I feel at my most restless, so my focus could completely change by then. Plus, there are several other possible photo ops in the city next week, any one of that would make my inner photographer happy! The is some filming being done at Union Square on Monday and Tuesday for the new Paul Rudd film, Ant Man, and I have a list of some public art that I have been meaning to track down for the longest time. When I am feeling emotional, like I have this past week, I find that climbing into art makes it all seem easier to take. I sure need that about now... a coping mechanism. I just want to float about like an orange jellyfish, happy and content in my own little world, riding on a soft blue wave.

Trying to keep from beaching myself.

Mood: Quiet

~Me