Friday Randomness
What is with the ads on the New York Times? For some reason I do not use my NYT app to play Connections or Strands (but I do use it for Wordle. Why?) Since I’m looking at it on a browser, I get ads. I mean, this little lamp is cute enough, but clearly not a dog.
A few pictures from last week’s protest. I thought those of you with youngsters might get a laugh out of the 6-7 sign. Clever.
I liked this one, and the chant that went with it stuck in my head…’No ICE, No KKK, No Facist USA!’
I liked this coordinated group, ‘Signs of Fascism’. The first signs are danger signs, the later ones are ways to save Democracy.
Other randomness…
I was thinking about Birchie being in New Orleans, and of her love for oysters (when she was in SF we went to a little neighborhood seafood joint hoping for some oysters on the half shell, but they didn’t have any on their menu). Ted and I used to love oysters from the gulf region, but then heard that it’s better to eat cold water oysters, like from Washington state, if you’re going to eat them raw. Thinking January waters in the gulf might be safe, I did a google search, and AI gave me the answer above. Dumb. Do you eat them, and THEN cook them at a high heat? I wish my google searches didn’t automatically pop up dumb AI answers. Anyway, Birchie assured me via text that she has been enjoying a lot of oysters on her trip, thus far all cooked.
Remember when I bought this plant at the Farmers’ Market back in August? To say it is not going well is an understatement. It came in one of those cheap plastic pots that plants come in, and I planted it in the little pot on the left. It did not thrive. I thought maybe it was not draining well, so I replanted it. It doesn’t seem to have helped. I should probably throw it out, but there’s a bit of green left, so I’m giving it a chance. Please, if you ever decide to give me a gift, do not make it a plant.
I’ve been binge rewatching Emily in Paris. I’ve always been lukewarm on this show, but then I watched the newest season and decided I wanted to watch the rest from the beginning, since I remembered so little. The plot is dumb, the clothes are fun but I never see Emily wear the same thing twice (how does she have the space for the clothes, let alone the money? She does mention Rent the Runway once…maybe that’s it), but Paris…oh, Paris. Je t’aime.
Yesterday Engie announced her Cool Bloggers Book Club read will be The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton. YAY! Color me excited. I’ve read two books by Wharton before (The House of Mirth and Ethan Frome – links are to my reviews way back almost 20 years ago) and am stoked to read this. I started by checking my bookshelf to see if I had it, which I did not, but I found 2 copies of Walden. Why? WHY? Not a fan. Ted says he had to read it in grad school, so one was his. The other looks like it belonged to my dad, so I will keep that one. Will I ever read it? I doubt it. I feel like I read it in High School.
But YOU GUYS, I’m totally burying the lede here, BECAUSE there was a cool blogger meet up in San Francisco yesterday, when Allison and I had lunch and did some book shopping! We first went to City Lights Books, where I procured their last copy of The Age of Innocence (sorry Allison!) and she procured a couple of other books, then we went to a lovely pasta lunch, then strolled around and had a delicious Stracciatella gelato. Oh yeah, we rode the cable cars!
I used to worry when meeting bloggers, what if we don’t get along? What if they are not as they seem? What if we don’t have anything to talk about? I haven’t worried about that in a long time, so when Allison said on her blog that she had a last minute trip to San Francisco with her husband, I jumped at the chance to get together. I’m so glad I did, it was a beautiful day, the sun was out, and Allison is great company, the right kind of low key and fun for me. I had a wonderful day. Thank you for finding time in your schedule, Allison!
Picture taken from my seat on the cable car, where the Powell/Mason line meets the California Street line, and you can see down California Street. You can see the Bay Bridge in the background, along with a bank of fog that’s been pesky but thankfully did not ruin her visit to the Golden State.
Sights seen around North Beach. This North Beach sign, which is a nod to the famous Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, since we were at the base of…Telegraph Hill.
Beautiful pastries at an Italian bakery, which we did not try because we were full from lunch and barely had room to share a gelato. But we managed.
While in front of a Catholic Church, we saw a Franciscan monk! I think he was getting ready to move his car, because a few minutes after this, we saw him pulling up in a little car and getting out, then going into the church.
We popped into a beautiful shop of Italian pottery, and I saw this sweet sign.
I liked this music, a nod to the jazz music of the beat era in North Beach.
After I dropped Allison back at her hotel on Union Square, I headed back to BART for my trip home. Looking at my email, I saw Nicole’s post about her book, it’s available to buy! As soon as I got home, I looked in Bookshop.org, where I saw two options. I bought the one on the right as fast as possible.
Lastly, here is my copy of The Age of Innocence. I’m looking forward to reading it!
Happy Friday everyone.
42 Comments
nance
Yay! You had a Blogger MeetUp with Allison! I know you had fun. What a great opportunity; I’m so glad she had the time to hang out.
I love raw oysters and will continue to eat them despite AI’s incoherent blatherings. It’s rare that I get them (no pun intended!), and always at a reputable restaurant. I feel like it’s a sin to cook them.
Thoreau…sigh. I assiduously and successfully avoided him, both in college and my teaching career. I’m actually not sure how. He was excerpted in an American Lit anthology we had in college, but I barely skimmed it. YAWN. Same with teaching AmLit–no way was I inflicting him on my sophomore honors, and my junior regs would have mutinied.
Nicole’s book! Exciting!
J
Oh Nance, there used to be a restaurant in San Francisco, The Elite Cafe, that had a New Oreleans vibe (I assume, never been there) and delicious Cajun food. Sometimes we would go and get shrimp, but I have very fond memories of sitting at the oyster bar and eating tons of oysters on the half shell and drinking Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc (who am I kidding, I was young, it was probably white Zinfandel) and the oyster shucker would sometimes give us a few for free, and delicious gumbo…gosh, I miss that place. Long gone. We used to have these realy fat, creamy oysters, Apalatchacola, and they were so good. From the gulf, but then we read it was safer to get them from Washington State, some folks had died (not from that restaurant, I think in New York) eating gulf oysters, and I don’t think I’ve had one since. PLENTY of raw colder water oysters though! PLENTY.
AC
Somehow monks driving cars seems odd.
I think we get to know people pretty well through blogging, at least their values and beleifs.
J
I know, right? And the idea that he was just moving his car (which is SUCH a big city thing to have to do, because often you end up parking in a metered zone or something) made it even more odd!
Lisa's Yarns
That right there is an example of what is wrong with AI. That makes zero sense. Of course. My latest annoyance is that my iPhone summarizes texts that i receive. I do not need a summary of a freaking text. It is so short! Do not give me a synopsis! Gah! How lazy are we to need a synopsis of a short text? SIGH.
But I am thrilled to read about your IRL meet-up with Allison! I have yet to have a blogger meet-up disappoint me! People are always exactly as they seem on their blog, but it’s even better because we can talk about unbloggable things and there’s no small talk – you can dig right into conversations with substance!
J
The stuff that AI puts out is rarely 100% correct. And key parts can be wrong, like in my example. If my phone started summarizing my texts, I might cry. Time will tell.
I’m with you on blogger meet ups, they’ve always been great! I haven’t ‘known’ Allison very long, but still it was long enough to have plenty to talk about.
StephLove
I’m jealous you got to meet Allison. Our sons went to college a half hour apart at more or less the same time and then hers went to grad school at my son’s college while he was still there and we thought surely it would work out to meet at some point, but even so we were never in upstate NY at the same time.
I do not recommend Walden. I do recommend anything by Edith Wharton. I keep pitching her to my book club, with no success.
J
Oh, goodness, that’s sad that you never were able to make it happen! Allison told me that she met up with Nicole at a Canadian blogger conference…perhaps twice? Do you remember the days of blogging when there were conferences? There was one in San Francisco once, for BlogHer, but I didn’t go. I felt overwhelmed at the idea, and I don’t think any of my blog friends were going to be there.
Jenny
What? Nicole’s book is out??? How exciting!!!
And… Allison! From her blog I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t be fun to hang out with. Sounds like you guys had a great time.
I read Age of Innocence a long time ago, loved it, and am looking forward to reading it again. I might even have my old copy??? Also, I read House of Mirth around the same time and still think about that book occasionally- so good.
J
I know! I knew that her book was coming, but didn’t expect it to be yesterday. YAY!
I’m looking forward to Age of Innocence too.
Birchie
I remember the days when I got nervous before meetings bloggers IRL, and I think that ended around meeting #2. My only worry now is that I will lose my voice from talking so much. Yay for the meetup with Allison!
Reading is super hot right now! I’m reading Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny, and my hold for Heart the Lover came in so that’s going to be next. I ordered Nicole’s book yesterday as soon as I got the news, so I’m just waiting for that to come in, and I’ll pick up Age of Innocence in time for bookclub. I think I’ve read Wharton, but I don’t remember any of the books. I’m hoping for Gilded Age vibes!
J
So many good books! So many good bloggers!
NGS
Okay, but I low-key want the cat lamp.
YOU MET ALLISON. I’m so incredibly jealous. I just know she was as great as I imagine she is.
J
The cat lamp is definitely cute. Just not a dog.
Allison is perfection, as expected.
Meike
Sounds like a pretty fabulous week! I am still sad that I missed last years meet-up with San and Birchie (why did they have to mess up the gas stove right that day?). I love the coordinated signs pictures and your San Francisco outing looks really fun! I am going to try to read along as well.
J
It was sad that you missed that for sure! Maybe we could get together with San sometime? We could go to her, she could come this way, we could meet in the middle (not sure there’s a lot in the middle, LOL)
Meike
There is the Davis Arboretum I always wanted to go to. I feel like I read a positive review about it somehwere at some point. It’s almost half way? Sometime in the spring would be nice.
J
Let’s make it happen! That sounds wonderful!
Margaret
Monks have cars?? I don’t know why that surprised me. I love that clever 67 sign! I’ve never been disappointed in a blog friend meet up. We know so much about each other already. I too am a killer of indoor plants. If I don’t, Mari nibbles on it and I have to hide it/trash it.
J
The monk with the car was a shock to me too. I mean, I didn’t expect to see a monk in San Francisco, to be honest. Maybe he was borrowing it? He was talking to a woman ahead of time. I wish we had been really rude and snoopy about the whole thing.
Elisabeth
I cannot wait to get Nicole’s book (I ordered it last night, but it won’t arrive for a few weeks… womp, womp)!!
I have loved each and every blogger meetup I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of. Everyone seems to be exactly like they appear to be online which makes this instant connection sparkle even though it’s the first time meeting face-to-face! I’m so glad you were able to make it all work and get together at the last minute!
J
Are the sellers in the US? Mine is supposed to come tomorrow. Seems unfair since both you and Nicole are in Canada!
Michelle G.
This post lifted my spirits so much, J! Seeing those protest signs made me feel so much emotion, especially the one that said We ?? America. Because I do so much, and what is happening is so awful, I can’t bear it. I will not give you a plant if you promise not to give me one either! I can’t keep anything alive! And hooray for Nicole’s book!
J
These protests really cheer me up, Michelle. Though yeah, there are other things that I would like to do on Saturdays.
Ernie
With winter in Chicago I can only dream of reaching out to say I’M HEADING TO CALIFORNIA. Sounds like a fun meet up. I was gifted a very nice lily in May by a family whose baby I watched. Her name was Lily. It did not take me long to kill it. I also tried changing to a different pot.
J
I’ll bet that the warm weather of California seems like a dream to much of the country right now.
Melissa
I think the AD and the stupid AI response are just two parts of the same coin. It looks like the ad’s text was AI-generated.
I love your photos around SF. I really enjoyed the two times we’ve been there. All the blogger meetups make me very jealous, sitting here on the other side of the world!
J
I suspect you are absolutely right about the ad being AI generated.
Do you have any blog friends in AU? Wish we could all come there!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
So much fun and joy.
Well, not the first part. It shouldnt be neccessary to show up and fight for democracy.
I am always a bit anxious meeting blogger in real life but I have always gotten along so there is no reason to be.
Excited for our bookclub.
J
I agree, it can be worrying. But I’ve given up on that, because every time I’ve met a blog friend, I’ve met a real friend. <3
Allison McCaskill
IT WAS SO MUCH FUN JULIE!!! I used to wonder, long ago, how much you could tell about a person from their online persona, but I have literally never met someone IRL that I knew first online and had it be jarring or disappointing in any way. It’s also such a treat to wander around a place with someone who is from there. Thank-you so much for coming into the city and making the cable car ride happen.
J
I had so much fun, and am so glad that you made time for me while you were here! I agree, I have never met an online friend and not had it be wonderful.
Suzanne
You and Allison got to spend time together!!!!!! How wonderful! I love the photo of you too.
Like Engie, I am now kind of in love with that cat lamp. Do I need it? I might.
Love the monk encounter.
J
I think the cat lamp would be purrfect in your library. How meta would it be if Lenny knocked it over?
San
OMG, I hate AI (mostly). I had these contradictory “answers” pop up WAY TOO MANY TIMES.
This is amazing that you were able to meet up with Allison and spend time with her in SF. You’ve clearly taken advantage of cool bloggers passing through! I hope we can make another meetup happen this spring.
J
Meike said we should meet in Davis, what do you think?
Stephany
I still get nervous before meeting bloggers, haha. I mean, I get nervous before MOST social things, so part of that is just my social anxiety.
You seem like the best tour guide! I definitely wanted to be hanging out with you two!
It is heartening to see the protests, even though the news is so, so dark. I finally deleted Instagram from my phone because all I was doing was doom-scrolling and I needed to get OFF THE APP. For a little bit at least.
J
Good job deleting Instagram! Doom scrolling is bad for your mental health.
Daria
Sooo many thoughts….
1. I NEED that lamp. Clearly, I do.
2. Maybe the oysters are cooking in our bellies? lol
3. How incredible to meet up with a fellow blogger!!
4. I love that picture of “North Beach” and all the motorcycles lined up underneath. So cool.
J
I think I should get a commission, everyone wants the cute cat lamp!
LOL about the oysters cooking in our bellies.
Yes, I’ve been lucky to meet up with several bloggers! It helps to live near such a beautiful city!
I remember seeing so many Vespas and motorcycles when I was in Italy, so I loved seeing them lined up in the Italian part of the city. We only went over the border from France to Italy for a day, so I haven’t seen much.
Gina
Yay for meetups! So glad you had a fabulous time! I still remember our meetup! It was so wonderful to see all of my favorite NorCal people! I adore each and every one of you still!
For some strange reason, I can’t do raw shellfish. I can only pull of clams in chowder. Yum.
I wonder if that cat lamp actually looks like that in person. So many of those things look nothing like the photo.
And those signs are great. Sigh. I wish I had 1/10 of people’s cleverness.
J
I remember our meetups too, Gina! Berkeley and again in LA when we came down to see another blog friend, Tracy, in a play. Now Tracy lives in Texas, Cherry lives in Pennsylvania, Dorothy is a 4 or 5 hours from here and has 2 grandkids. Only Liz and I are still in the same area. None of them blog anymore, which is funny to me because it was Cherry and Dorothy that got me into it to begin with.
I wonder about the cat lamp too. It’s an ad on NYT, not FB, so maybe?