Art About Town: San Francisco... The Bay Lights, By Leo Villareal

The Bay Lights

By Leo Villareal

October 2013

 

"San Francisco is the longest lasting love affair of my life. 

Her beauty inspires me anew each day and

  I am very thankful to be able to live here

 on the edge of the continent in what I feel is the heart of the world."

~Nicole

 sfheart.com

The Bay Lights, on the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge, is the largest public art sculpture in San Francisco, and it is probably the most beautiful piece of public art I have ever seen! Those tiny, sparkling lights twinkle from dusk to dawn, at least they have for the last couple years since their debut in March of 2013. But for the next year, or so, the tiny lights won't be shining. You see, all the little LED bulbs are needing to be replaced, with longer lasting ones, because what started out as a temporary art project, has turned into a permanent part of San Francisco! In early 2016, when the lights comeback on, they will be on for good! I, for one, will miss them terribly. There is nothing quite like those beautiful lights, especially on a warm autumn night. I took the picture above on a night just like that. Alan and I took a dinner cruise on San Francisco Bay, and sailing toward those lights was nothing short of magical. A cool bay cruise, some romantic lighting, the sight of the most beautiful city in the world, and the right someone to share it with! That's the stuff of happiness!

San Francisco

October 2013

Shame on me! I had begun to take those lights for granted! When the lights come back, I think I will be doing a lot of photography of the lights, and the beautiful Bay Bridge. 

I love it so much!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Whew! That Was A Close One Harrison Ford!

"Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have

 when they wake up from a nightmare."

~Alfred Hitchcock

Yesterday, Thursday afternoon, CNN broke into it's usual afternoon programing of  generally horrifying events, to bring it's viewers BREAKING NEWS of a specific horrifying event... "HARRISON FORD INJURED IN A PLANE CRASH!" My first thought after seeing the pictures of the downed plane was no, no, nope NO! Harrison Ford does not get to die on me. NO! Like it was his choice to, or within my power to prevent. I can't seem to keep a favorite show on the air, let alone keep all my favorite actors in perfect mental and physical health. But see, I am still smarting over the death of Robin Williams. Now I know, it's completely different. It is. I know that. But here is the thing, life is difficult. Sometimes, really difficult, and when it is, I like to escape into a movie, or a TV show and just get lost in the script. Does that make sense? Of course it does. Who doesn't love a good movie? And when it comes to the movies, who does it better than Harrison Ford? 

Just A Few Of My Favorites...

The Conversation

 (Go See It On Netflix NOW)

American Graffiti

Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back

Return Of The Jedi

Working Girl

Blade Runner

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

And My Very Favorite

What Lies Beneath

I know, the reviews for the movie were mixed, but in general, I like to make up my own mind. There, I said it. Sometimes I think they over analyze a movie to the point that it isn't possible for them to find a movie they would actually like, let alone recommend one to us. Why do folks want to take the fun out of films by over thinking them? Go to the theater. Buy yourself some wonderfully unhealthy bucket of almost-butter buttered popcorn, and a hot dog, and a large unhealthy drink, sit back, and get lost for a couple hours. Let go. Stop nitpicking. Forget you are the smartest person in the theater, and clap at the end of the movie, like I did, at the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark. When Indiana Jones said to Marion... "Don't look" as the Nazi's opened the Arc Of The Covenant, I didn't look. I heard it being opened. I could tell something BAD was happening, but damn it, Indiana/Harrison told me "DON'T LOOK!" And when Indiana Jones tells you not to do something, YOU DON'T! And I didn't for years after! Then one day, I accidentally saw that part of the movie, when it was used as a clip on At The Movies With Siskle and Ebert. 

Sigh.

I was kinda pissed at Siskel and Ebert for a while after that!

Just kidding. Kinda.

Anyway, I got a little taste today of what it might be like to lose another great like Harrison Ford. It will make whatever day that is, the worst day since... well... in a long time I am sure. I know I will never be ready to let go of those people who made my life better, just by sharing their talents of acting or singing or writing or painting. The arts, and the artists, make life bearable. There is no replacing the uniqueness of it. Sitting here, right now, I can't think of who would have played a better cad in the Robert Zemeckis's film, What Lies Beneath than Harrison Ford. No one could have at once been the right kind of sexy intellectual charmer, loving husband and father, devoted friend, or dedicated researcher, quite like him, and when all that amazing virtue, turned into the selfish, egotistical, maniacal, jackass of a husband, I think only Harrison Ford could put that little extra chill in the performing the character.

That's why I have it on VHS, DVD, and GOOGLE PLAY, so, it can be seen all my devices. It's my favorite escape movie. I have a story about why it's my favorite movie, but I will share that a different time. But briefly, it was released in 2000, not long before something devastating happened in my life, and that movie, and the brief escape it gave me during that awful time, helped immensely. It will always be my favorite Harrison Ford movie, at least until I see him in the new Star Wars film coming out later this year! LOL. Who knows? It my change my mind, Han Solo was always quite the cutie manly man. Shrug. 

You never know about these things, I don't wanna over think it.

Feel Better Soon Harrison Ford!

Mood: Thinking About Stuff, But Good.

~Me :)

I Can Has Cheeseburger Slider To Go?

"Be the cheeseburger you've always dreamed you could be.

 That's the advice I'd give to any hamburger running for political office."

~Jarod Kintz

This Book Has No Title

There is something unusual in that crow's mouth, I only had a moment to get this shot, but after I did I was so glad I had made the effort. I was at Ocean Beach, it was cold out, and lunch time, so there were lots of people bundled up, while enjoying their picnic lunches. Not and unusual sight,  when this bird had a swooped down and grabbed a cheeseburger slider out of the box lunch being enjoyed by a particularly amorous couple, it caused a bit of a stir. Curious... isn't it? Imagine making off with someone elses slider, but leaving the french fries behind. 

Who eats a slider without fries?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Ellipsis Misses Vol. 1 Episode 1: Carly Misses Her Cat

"Today you are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than YOU."

Dr. Suess

Happy Birthday To You!

"A Learning experience is one of those things that says, 

"You know that thing you just did? Don't do that."

~Douglas Adams

The Salmon Of Doubt

So... stuff happens. Flat tires happen. Head colds happen. Dropping a fork of spaghetti down the front of your low cut dress happens. Spontaneously dancing in front of a group of strangers in San Francisco happens. Walking around all day, looking for your sunglasses, only to realize just before going to bed, that you had them perched on your head all day... happens. HELL... running over yourself with a car happens... I know that for sure! Being given food poisoning by your boyfriend's mother can happen, and it does more often than you might think. Walking around with a piece of pink fuzz, fresh of your brand new pink fuzzy sweater, sticking out off your nose, happens. If you own a cat, he probably will wipe poop off his butt on your brand new duvet cover, at least once in your relationship.They can also ignore you more masterfully than any living entity... in the history of living entities. You haven't been ignored, until you have been ignored by a cat who loves you! It happens! Even SHIT happens.

And last, but not least, Fibromyalgia happens. 

So, what's this all about? Well, the other day I was looking through my archives for a photo I haven't posted before, because, well, I have been in some pretty bad pain from the Fibromyalgia, and there is little to nothing I can do about it, except ride it out, and hope for the best. I am really struggling with it. I got a mild case of food poisoning, in early January, and my Fibromyalgia has been raging ever since. I have had small remissions from the pain, here and there, but I have been in more pain that not. But just because I have been in pain, doesn't mean my creativity has to stop with the rest of my body. So, while I can't get out with the camera as much as I want to, I have other options, like making a cartoon graphic of my life, by way of Bitstrips. 

I think it will be entertaining, and it will be a humorous look into what life is like in my cave. I am starting out slow with it, and like with my blog, I plan to let it evolve into what it will. Now, this doesn't mean I will never post new photos again, in fact I am hoping to post some new stuff as early as tomorrow. HOPING. We'll see. Sometimes I have to just put on extra clothes, and grab all my cameras, load up on the pain killers, pretend I am a normal person! Alan does everything he can to make life easier on me, and he encourages me to soldier through the pain. He is amazing that way. So, wish me luck!

And now, the first installment of 

Ellipsis Misses

Carly Misses Her Cat

Funny story, we live in a small cottage, which would make one believe it would not only be easy to keep clean, but that it would be an easy place to find all our your cats in. Neither is true. My cats can find the most interesting places to have there "alone time" in. Like the old soup pot I keep on top of the refrigerator. Dylan will get up there and curl up. I can't tell if he is in the pot or not, so I have to do a good bit of kitchen mountain climbing to find him. But then there are other times when he holds folk concerts from the bathroom tub. That's not his alone time, so much as his creative mode. Which sounds exactly like you would expect a slightly bitchy cat would sound while airing of his grievances in an ear piercing tone. 

But I get it, and I would join him in the bitching if I could. But sometimes I just want my orange cat by my side. Mr. Pissypants gets me. And after that one time, he got out, and decided it was a good idea to go exploring in the neighbors yard I have been a bit over protective. On that particular adventure he decided it was a good idea to bitch slap a dog big enough swallow him in a single gulp. He's a tough, no nonsense little man, who snuggles me, but doesn't hover. Who bitches daily, but also listens... and purrs. And sometimes that is exactly what I need. It's better than the strongest pain killer... well... almost.

Funny how when you get to be my age, 
simple things, like finding your cat, can make you really happy.


One thing you can look forward to about this new series,
 there will be less wordiness, and more pictures.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Art About Town: Berkeley "Earthsong For Berkeley" By Po Shu Wang

"One ought, ever day at least, to hear a little song, 

read a good poem, see a fine picture,

 and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

I know, I know... it was only a week ago when I did an Art About Town post, but I have been busy, working on a couple projects that I will be showing off soon, but for now, I did an updated photo of another piece of art that sits along Shattuck avenue... "Earthsong For Berkeley" by artist Po Shu Wang. This piece is amazing, not just because it looks like a giant tuning fork, it's special because it actually is a giant tuning fork! It's interactive in that there is a small bell, at the bottom of it, that when rang, produces a particularly lovely sound. Unfortunately this piece was recently vandalized, and the original sound is no longer available.

 It's a shame when any piece of art is destroyed. Art can be such an amazing learning, and healing influence in life. I can only imagine the tortured soul that would do something like that. It's so unbelievably sad. I truly believe that art in school is a very important part of a child's development, and maybe if there was more money going to that purpose, children would be able to express themselves in less destructive ways. I was so thankful when I grew up for all the teachers who had encouraged me to pickup a crayon, or a drawing pencil and, of course, my camera. I have done a lot of healing through my photography. I will always be thankful for that, and for each piece of public art that I am able to photograph, and see in person! 

 To read more about Earthsong For Berkeley, click here.

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)

Yum

"Be careful what you feed your body 

and consider what you feed your senses.

 Both provide you sustenance that makes you who you are."

~Simon Boylan

This Monday's post, but it's being written on Sunday night. Why? Well, I have been posting in eastern time since my old AOL days. My niece, who lives on the east coast, loved to look at my pictures before going to bed, so, I always tried to post my photos at around 10:00 PM her time. She still views my photos, and reads my posts, but it doesn't have to be on her schedule, so I don't have to set my posts up the night before anymore, but I am so used to it at this point, I don't know if I could change it if I could. You see, my Sunday nights were forever sealed in stone when Alan's schedule put him permanently on the graveyard shift on Sunday nights and every other Monday night!

 So, where would I be without my late Sunday night meal? This Sunday night consisted of Baked Chicken Breast, and Orange Carrots. For dessert... an amazing Fruit Salad. All my favorite fruit, late at night, after a light meal. Delicious! And hey, it's photogenic also! The thing is, while I have to watch my sugar consumption because of my Type 1 diabetes, I know my body always feels better with the right kind of fuel. It's all about a healthy balance in all things. I am not perfect... but I am working on it!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Sex And The City: Season 4 Episode 2 "The Real Me"

"When real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep walking."

~Carrie Bradshaw

(Sarah Jessica Parker)

Sex And The City

Season 2 Episode 4 The Real Me

The other day, Alan and I, were discussing what our favorite TV moments have been. As you can probably imagine, we have different ideas on what makes a perfect TV moment. His are mostly "guy" moments, and I tend to identify with the ladies. It all works out, and gives us plenty of terrific lines, situations, and scenarios to debate. One that we both really liked came from, Sex And The City! Season 4 Episode 2 titled, "The Real Me." In this episode, Carrie is asked to be in a fashion show that is a mixture of professional models, and real people, like Carrie. At first she believes she will be wearing a very elegant blue sequined dress, but at the last minute it is swapped out for a pair of flesh toned jeweled underwear and a blue satin coat. An already nervous Carrie now has just a couple minutes to pull herself together, so she can hit the runway alongside the likes of Heidi Klum. And HIT THE RUNWAY SHE DOES, after one of her very high heels breaks, and she falls to the floor of the catwalk, becoming, "fashion roadkill."

 Humiliating, but survivable, because she didn't just give up and go away, she got back up and finished her walk. While this episode plays out four different perspectives of what each of the ladies thinks of themselves individually, Carrie is the one who drives the point home that no matter what, at the end of the day, when a real human falls down in life, they will get back up, and keep moving. I love the message of the episode. I love that each lady, when faced with a fear of some sort, not only did their world's not end, but they discovered something new about themselves, and grew as a person for having stared down the fear and met a personal challenge or goal. Carrie's message was the kind of human truth that male or female could identify with. I believe, hands down, this was the best episode of the series. I never get tired of it's message. And it is definitely in my Top Ten favorite TV moments of all time!

Well, that's my favorite moment from Sex And The City. 

Now it's your turn, did you have a favorite moment,

 scene or full episode of the show?

How about a different show?

Do you have a favorite TV moment that stands out for you?

Sometime I will have to share about

 the main reason I watched the show...

THE CLOTHES! OMG... THE CLOTHES!

 #1 Sonia Rykiel  #2 Dolce And Gabbana  #3 Roberto Cavalli

AND OH  MY GOD THE SHOES

Manolo Blahnik

Cutest shoes ever!

 Carrie Bradshaw loved shoes they way I love purses.

Click the link at the top of the post

 to see a clip from the episode "The Real Me." 

 There are some rumors that HBO might be doing a reboot of the series, which I think would be amazing! I would love to see the ladies dealing with the kind of issues ladies our age deal with. Ageism, menopause, wage equality, health issues. Women in our demographic have been really overlooked, it's time to demonstrate how relevant we are! Sex And The City is just the type of iconic show that can do just that! With style!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)