March 30, 2008

Builders and shakers

The winner of this year's Pritzker Prize, Jean Nouvel, is the architect behind one of my favorite buildings in Paris, l'Institut du Monde Arabe. It has gorgeous clean angles and delicate details, and I spent hours wandering around it and drinking delicious mint tea in its Café Littéraire in 2004. Had no idea who designed it until the NYT told me today.

The institute isn't the easiest place to photograph, but I tried a few times. Will scan and post those when I get back next week from a brief and slightly insane trip.

Off to the airport!

March 26, 2008

Commute

Most mornings, I'd rather run. It wakes me up and gives me the sense that I've done something important for my body before I spend 8 or 9 hours working with my brain. But in terms of just getting from one place to another place when driving doesn't make sense, walking is it.

It's about 3.5 miles from home to my office. It's beautiful walking weather today, sunny and cool, so when I got to the subway station I just kept going.

I didn't realize there's a pretty big farmers' market at Civic Center. Don't know if it's every day or just Wednesdays, but they had all the same stands as the Noe Valley and Grand Lake markets. Funny to see the scene I associate with young yuppie families and organic foodies transplanted to a grimy spot downtown.

Between Franklin and Fourth, Market Street smells like waffles and pot. After that, it smells like buses and retail.

When people ask what music I listen to, my standard answers are blues, jazz, hip-hop, some rock and electronica, etc. But I think it's time to officially declare myself a fan of angsty/intellectual guy folk/rock (AIGFR). That's what I felt like hearing this morning, and it turns out my iPod is overflowing with it: Mason Jennings, Bon Iver, John Vanderslice, Jack Johnson, Hudson Bell, M. Ward, Mike Doughty, Iron & Wine, Red House Painters. Maybe the acronym will catch on.

The only downside is that it's really hard to go inside and sit down after being out in the world like that. Maybe the sheer volume of work on my desk will help somehow.

March 24, 2008

Magic hour

I was in a nearly empty bar with my empty wallet, in August heat somewhere in the South. I knew it wasn't the best idea to leave it sitting out for a while, but there was nobody else within 10 seats and I'd been watching it the whole time. The fraying leather case was still there, but everything inside had disappeared. Was I being filmed? Was Uri Geller a fan of happy hour?

Must have been some sleight of hand, and now there was nothing I could do. I began running through the list in my head: driver's license, credit card, Safeway card, REI card, Social Security card (why was I carrying that?), a card for the movie place near my house. But not my debit card.

Hey! I started a tab, so it's behind the bar. Sweet. One less call to make before I wake up.

That's what happens when you read this and this right before bed.

March 19, 2008

André the giant has a dictatorship


I added a few more Mission snapshots over on Flickr,
plus some portraits from our St. Patrick's hijinks.

In non-photographic news, I'm almost done decorating my apartment. Hooray!

March 17, 2008

Maggie, may I?

I'm pleased as punch to announce that San Francisco magazine, where I toil over a hot proofstand for hours a day, has been nominated for a bunch of Maggie awards, including Best City & Metropolitan magazine (for the third year in a row!).

Our feature story from last October, "It's Oakland's Turn," also got a nod for Best Special Issue. As a former Oaklander and a big fan of the city, I was really proud of the coverage we put together—it took a lot of epic workdays to make it happen.

So please cross your fingers on May 2, because there's nothing people like more around here than shiny, shiny awards.

March 11, 2008

The sun's not yellow, it's chicken

On the way back from Fort Mason tonight, I took a right turn onto McCoppin for no particular reason. Unless curiosity is particular. I just wondered where it went.

Well, it goes to Valencia via the longest traffic light in the universe—tied with the four-way light at 51st and Telegraph in Oakland—and it's the secret taxi gateway to the Mission.

There were three cabs in front of me and two behind me, like aggressive, identical chaperones, all the way along Valencia from Duboce to 22nd. I could have turned off in a few places, but I didn't. I was too pleased picturing little green Gibson running with the kings of urban driving. Does he secretly want a herd? Or, more likely, to to be the black sheep in a herd. Vroooom.

Golf psychology aside, it was cinematic, or at least I imagined it was.

I realize I've been saying that a lot recently. I'm not sure if it's because my life is actually getting more dramatic or just because my adjective supply is running out. Which might be a hazard in my line of work, so please cross your fingers for the drama.

March 04, 2008

Where I've been lately

1. In the February sunshine at Baker Beach
2. In the February sunshine in Seattle (thanks, global warming!)
3. Walking around my new neighborhood, eyes to the ground

Right now, I'm superglued to my desk working on the April issue, so that's all for today.

A tip for anyone who gets to exit buildings now and then: It's still gorgeous outside. Please give the sun my best.