Cat Scratch Fever

The cats are pretty stressed without our usual furniture, but they adapt remarkably well. Taking them on the plane tomorrow should be interesting....Thank God for kitty drugs.

Gracious Friends

I'm a little late on this post, but it's necessary for me to GUSH over what incredible people we've met along our lives, including these past two and a half short years in San Francisico. Example: Grace and Lauren (although I met Lauren on a plane a few years ago on the way from New Mexico to San Francisco. By coincidence, I work with Grace, who has been friends with Lauren since they grew up together in Michigan! Small world...).

Grace so charitably volunteered to make dinner for Lauren and I two weeks ago to see me off and just to celebrate friendship, food and good wine. After indulging on with a variety of cheeses with a sparking Gavi, she made us an incredible pork roast with apple-onion marmalade, fresh salad and couscous. A nice light dinner for a girls' night out. I love these people!

Feast for the Eyes, Food for the Soul

It's been such a busy time, preparing to move, sorting and closing things out, still working well over 40 hours a week--it was just time for a break today (Friday).

My good friend Susan and I escaped reality for a few hours and visited one of my favorite SF museums--The Legion of Honor. It was a half-day well spent. It's one of my favorite things to do, spend a day with Susan geeking out over art. I always feel like an empty cup that's finally been filled.

This time around, I was particularly--and surprisingly--taken with the Japanese works on paper, but I'm too lazy to find them right now. It's been a long, long day....

Shhhhhh....

This weekend was the 10th anniversary of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers--good friends of Jon's--so we joined them in celebrating at their brewery in Potrero Hill. They have so much fun with their labels and their Prohibition theme. Check out the tricks in costume (and of course, us):

Happy Birthday Matt!

This weekend we stayed in a gorgeous home on the Russian River with friends to celebrate Matt's 40th birthday--6 months early! Nice job on the surprise Megan!

Megan arranged for a fire truck to drive us around and taste wine at some of the finest Sonoma wineries: Gary Farrell, Rochioli, Armida. My personal favorite was our picnic at Rochioli--no fuss, only two wines to taste, and some great sandwiches outside on their lovely picnic tables in the perfect weather. We were treated to a Sonoma airshow with freaky flying stunts. Fun to watch.

It was great fun to meet Matt & Megan's friends Sam and Heather, and to hang out with some old favorites: Scott, Liz, Cousin Tom, Becky, Marilyn and Rich. Thanks for such a great weekend guys!

Val's Last Supper

The loft is officially empty. We have two more nights here before boarding a plane with the kitties to Albuquerque! It's strange hanging out in an empty space--all we have left are some random utensils and our air mattress. It's very echo-y, echo-y, echo-y in here....


I chose takeout sushi from Nama on King Street for my last supper in the loft tonight:



We will be going to Zuppa for dinner tomorrow night--our favorite neighborhood restaurant. Hooray!

Top 10 Reasons We'll Miss San Francisco

10. Major League Baseball (not necessarily the Giants, just the energy of living near AT&T park while Barry Bonds broke his record--although we'll always root for them!)

(Barry Bonds hitting his record-breaking #756 home run, SF Chronicle photo courtesy of Carlos Avila Gonzalez)

9. The coast

(one of our many hikes overlooking Mavericks, near Half Moon Bay)

8. Fresh seafood, especially oysters and sushi.

(Photos courtesy of Sarah J. Gim, Slashfood.com and easysushi.net)

7. Wine country

6. Excellent restaurants and fresh local meats, cheeses and produce within walking distance.

(SF Ferry Building photos courtesy of Sarah J. Gim, Slashfood.com)

5. Chinese New Year parades

(SF Chronicle photos courtesy of Christina Koci Hernandez )

4. Did we mention the food?

3. Andy's Orchard - Thanks to Lauren and Eric who turned us onto this place just a few weeks ago. Really, if you live in the Bay Area, you must make the drive to take a harvest tour. You'll never forget it...

2. San FranFreakshow (aka Freak Show Frisco)

(Raiders fan, SF Chronicle photo courtesty of Chris Stewart; "amish gone wild" at Bay to Breakers 2005; Gay Pride parade, SF Chronicle photo courtesy of Eric Luse)

1. And of course: our cherished Bay Area friends and family. We'll miss you all so much!