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My friend David

~ janerclare ~ Leave a comment

 I heard his laugh before I’d even met him. It came tinkling down the wooden steps from the apartment above where my friend lived. It was a cross between a cackle and a giggle, and just a little bit, ever so wonderfully, dirty…you can tell a lot about a person from their laugh! All I knew was that this was someone I had to meet… . What I didn’t know at the time was that this person, with this incredible laugh, was someone who would effect my life forever.

He eventually cruised down those wooden steps, and in to my friends apartment, preceded by an adorable ball of blonde fluff (a labradoodle named Bella) and a very good-looking guy named Sean (his boyfriend). His name was David, and it turned out his smile was even more captivating than his laugh.

There was something about David. I’m not sure I’ll ever figure out exactly what it was…but I quickly felt like we’d been friends for a long long time. Some kind of wonderful connection, that made us laugh at the same stuff, speak to each other in stupid voices and descend in to general silliness at any given opportunity. But not just that. Though we were the same age he seemed so much wiser and more worldly than me, perhaps because he was! I felt that I could talk to him and ask him about anything, without judgement for not knowing – it was just his way. I was interested in everything he had to say whether it was what his family would make to eat at thanksgiving, the working conditions of loggers in Alaska or being a Jew. He taught me about piroshki’s, American politics and drag queens. Man I loved talking to him.

When we moved here from the UK we were unsure we’d ever find friends. Not just any old friends, really good ones, the kind that are for life, not just for Christmas (parties). We’d lived here just a year and we’d only really met two good ones. But when David and Sean walked down those wooden steps and in to our lives, it wasn’t long before that two became four – four whole friends (which would eventually become six a little further down the line)! Over the next couple of years we lived a bit of a whirlwind; camping trips, skiing, Palm Springs, festivals, wine tasting, whale watching, eating (always eating), drinking, games, dancing, proposing (David proposed to Sean on Christmas Day 2014!). Living as if our lives depended on it, and as only ‘out of towners’ can. And then just as quickly as they walked in to our lives they told us of their plans to leave the city… .

We were going to lose two of our wolf-pack to Seattle, for good reasons of course, and I was so excited for them but the selfish part of me was utterly gutted. And so the day after Christmas Day 2015, through blurry eyes, and with tear stained cheeks, we waved goodbye.

But David and Sean were planning their wedding so we distracted ourselves with that – something bright and shiny that would be happening in just a few short months. They made a couple of surprise visits to SF in the meantime where we spent lovely days enjoying each others company, and eating of course! Then we threw caution to the wind and booked a weekend with them in June, just over a month before their big day! They took us to all their favorite places…they wanted us to see why they loved Seattle…and we did… . That weekend seemed to go on forever, I wish it had, it was wonderful! And then the bubble burst.

I was driving to work. My phone rang. David was in hospital. It was about a week before their wedding.

I’m not sure I can write all of what happened next, it’s not my story to tell and quite frankly it’s too hard. So I’ll stick to my part… .

They cancelled the wedding which was due to take place in Seattle.  But we made the trip, in the hopes, if nothing else, that they would feel our love and support. And it was whilst I was waiting at the airport in SF that my phone rang, again. David had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

It was a strange and emotional trip. My niece was born that same weekend. We all managed to remain up-beat in the most part. We distracted ourselves and did our best to enjoy their city and make the most of our trip, which we knew they wanted us to. Then we got a message from Sean. David had asked if we would all go and visit him in hospital. We couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t been able to see anyone. I’d prepared myself. I even wore a t-shirt with abeach scene printed on it which reminded me of Hawaii, one of his favorite places. Kind of stupid I know but I wore it in the hopes that this bit of sunshine may brighten his day just a little, it was all I could think of that I could ‘do’ (I would come to find over the next months that there was very little that I could in-fact ‘do’ to make anything even just ok). The visit was short, and though he was obviously really ill and being pumped full of, goodness knows what (I didn’t know what), he joked and told us where we should visit and what we should eat. He even gently scolded Sean for not giving us the right information, in his opinion! Still the same David, it was good to hear, though he looked rather different from the last time I’d seen him. I didn’t really know what the implications of Davids diagnosis were, not really, and I’ll always be grateful for not knowing. As it transpired, others knew. They knew what it all meant. What’s the saying ‘ignorance is bliss’ well in hindsight it really really was, for me anyway.

Sitting on the tarmac waiting for our plane to take off back to SF, at the end of the weekend, felt so wrong. So I booked a flight back to Seattle in August, then and there. I didn’t care, I just did it.

I kept a constant stream of messages pinging in David’s direction. I knew he was bored out of his mind in hospital so I’d send him anything that I thought may bring a smile, that smile, to his lovely face. He’d praise me for my use of gay colloquialism, I’d send him photos of hot, Scottish male nurses!

August came and I arrived at their beautiful home and began ‘doing’. Shopping, cooking, playing with Bella (who I love, love, love). I finally felt just a little bit useful. The hospital eventually released him, and so our weekend began. At the centre of everything was that thing that we talked about so often, food! Having not really been able to eat for almost two months, he was a man on a mission. The Swedish bakery for pastries and Challah, delicious savoury treats at a nearby pub, and a bbq. He was very specific about that. A bbq with chicken and Kielbasa.  We had text so often about the day when he’d be out of hospital and relaxing on their back deck in the sunshine with Sean and Bella, this was his moment. It was what he’d visualized while the doctors had pumped his body with drugs. And he was doing it, finally. He dozed in the sunshine while we cooked and talked. Unfortunately a day or so after I left, he had to go back in. In fact that weekend in August would turn out to be one of the very few short visits home David would be able to make over the months that followed.

I forget the order of things exactly over the next couple of months. I’m not sure I want to remember. My phone rang. And then it rang again. It wasn’t good news.

Once again I found myself booking a flight to Seattle for Friday 18th November. David was feeling miserable but was looking forward to us visiting for ‘a big hug and smooch’. But on Tuesday 15th, my phone rang, again.

I changed my flight and flew on the Wednesday, heading straight for the hospital. I was on my own. The waiting room was crowded but peaceful. I recognized a couple of people from Facebook photos, so I knew they were David and Sean’s ‘crew’. In normal circumstances this would put me completely out of my comfort zone, a room full of strangers, but these weren’t normal circumstances. And so, though totally out of character for me, I introduced myself. I was hugged and welcomed like an old friend. They told me to go to David’s room but when I got there the door was shut and there was a sign saying not to enter and so, ever the rule follower, I didn’t (his sister Lisa and I would joke about this later). I found a nurse who knocked and let me in. Sean’s lovely face smiled a tired but loving smile and he immediately brought me to David’s bedside, where his family sat vigil. He wasn’t conscious but could hear, I was assured. And so I spent the next few days at the hospital. In the waiting room reading, getting to know his lovely friends and family, and visiting with him. Talking to him, sometimes lighthearted silly stuff, sometimes more meaningful. I felt most at peace at the hospital, surrounded by what seemed like an endless stream of people coming to see him. Though there was more than one moment during that time when I felt like a bit of fraud…some of these people had known David forever, I on the other hand had only had the pleasure for less than three years. It didn’t matter, his beautiful soul had captured us all under it’s spell. Getting to know all his people, particularly his family, over those few short days felt like some kind of beautiful plan that David had made. Like he always intended us all to meet and see why he loved each of us, of course we all would have done, at their wedding.  All the usual barriers were broken down because we all so needed ‘this’, whatever ‘this’ was. Looking back it all seems a bit like a dream, it’s sort of hard to explain but there was just so much love in that hospital. I know David could feel it.

On the Friday night their next-door-neighbours arrived at the hospital with the other love of David’s life – Bella Beyonce! Sean snuck her in to his room with the help of some incredible nurses (despite a strict no pet policy). It was one of the most beautiful moments, she knew just what to do and climbed carefully on to his bed, she was so calm (not her usual MO!). She needed to say goodbye too.

I will forever be grateful for that time, and those moments, and for Sean and his family so generously and graciously sharing David’s last days in such a special way.

At about 7am on Saturday 19th November, my phone pinged.

Right up until my phone rang on Tuesday 15th November I always believed that David would recover. I was convinced of this, to me it was a fact. I guess if I’d probed and asked more questions I may have been able to prepare myself a little better but as it happened I had just a few days, which I suppose is more than some ever get.

The flight back to SF after that trip was very difficult. I was in the window seat, eyes streaming as we took off, and as we pushed through to the other side of the clouds a circular rainbow appeared around the tip of the wing, it took my breath away. Then as we circled above SF waiting to land, I saw another rainbow, this time a vertical one, pushing through the thick cloud towards the ground.

Afterwards, I read a bit about grief. One piece in particular stuck with me. The writer likened grief to ocean waves (I love the ocean so perhaps that’s why this particular analogy resonated). They said that each day was like a wave, and that every wave was different, but that you eventually learned to deal with each one, and then just when you least expected it a big outsider would come in and crash right over you. This has been and still is my experience.

 

David was a remarkable human, one of my very favourites. I love(d) him for many, many reasons. He taught me so much. Of course I didn’t realise that’s what he was doing at the time. He probably didn’t either. I just thought I was hanging out with a funny, gorgeous, kind and intelligent man, which I was, but only in hindsight do I see the effect he had and continues to have on my life. I see so much of him reflected in my everyday, he’s never far away. I was and will always be heartbroken that he is no longer here.

Miss you big time my friend xx

David and Sean did get married, in David’s hospital room in an intimate ceremony officiated by David’s lovely sister, Lisa. Though David is no longer here in body, they will celebrate their one year anniversary on 17th July 2017.

 

 

How can I keep from singing?

~ janerclare ~ Leave a comment

Since performing in the chorus line of the village production of The Wizard of Oz at the tender age of seven, I have secretly/not so secretly harbored the desire to pursue a career in show biz…a rockette…Rizzo inMunchkin 19891
Grease…Dorothy…to be honest I’d have been happy singing in the chorus line forever… ! Now I’m no Rachel Berry (well duh, of course I love Glee) so realistically this dream was never going to be my reality – also the thought of auditioning brings me out in a cold sweat – but I can hold a tune.

It has only been since moving here though that I came to realise what I
enjoyed most about my brief dalliance with ‘the biz’, was singing. I dabbled in choir at primary school, winning an actual competition with our Joseph medley! This continued at secondary school. I even scored a solo singing MJ’s Ben, much to my sisters’ glee…see what I did there. So when a friend mentioned that she had found a choir that didn’t require auditions, and that joy of all joys they were running a summer programme called ‘Broadway to Beatles’, I signed up sharpish, along with said friend and another for good
measure – strength in numbers and all that!

Despite its glorious headline I knew we wouldn’t be recreating scenes from Glee, Pitch Perfect or Sister Act 2 (some of my favourites). I also figured our age would probably tip the average, but to be honest I didn’t care and nor did my partners in crime. Cut to our very first rehearsal and my predictions on demographic seemed spot on, though with the surprising (to me) addition of a sprinkling of under and slightly over 40 year olds…well of course if we loved to sing why wouldn’t others our age(ish), duh! So, we’re each handed a stack of sheet music (eek hadn’t had to read music for about 15 years, turns out it’s not quite like riding a bike!). Irrational fear sets in, what if everyone here is a professional musician, how am I going to sing from sheet music (I mean they do it in Glee but as we’ve already established I ain’t on that level), what if I actually can’t sing…! Then ‘boom’ I’m taken right back to being seven again – violin lessons, Saturday music school, ballet lessons in the drafty village hall – because in to my vision enters a woman. The kind of woman who commands attention just by entering a room. The kind of woman who, with just a ‘look’, can silence a room of 40 plus cackling adults with too much to say, and one who reminded me exactly of my old ballet teacher, the original school ma’am! Tall, slender and immaculate, though minus the orange hair and lipstick! She would be our leader, and though something about her scared the shit out of me (possibly her ability to tell grown women off without a second thought), it weirdly made me feel comfortable, I liked her immediately.

After a very American style round of introductions – where you live and how long you’d sung with their choir (some for over 25 years!) – we got to singing and started to make our way through the summer repertoire. Beatles Medley (no problem), All That Jazz (mini fist pump), You Can’t Stop the Beat (awesome –  always wanted to learn all those lyrics) then horror as I realise our formidable leader is talking about solos…! Now had this been a choir in the UK I’m pretty sure at this point, even if you’d thought ‘yup, I can nail this’, heads would have been lowered and eyes averted or at the very least you’d wait to be asked, because you’re British and you can’t possibly claim that you’re good at something, especially not in front of people. But this is ‘merica ya’ll and in ‘merica shit goes down differently. Hands were raised, people stepped forward and said they’d give it a try, wait, what!? It was so refreshing to see such non-arrogant confidence – and they were really, bloody good!

Anyway back to our rigorous rehearsal regime! It became clear pretty quickly that there was a reason our formidable leader needed to be, well, formidable. Because trying to keep 40 plus people (particularly women) focused for two hours of rehearsal is much like herding cats. As soon as we would stop singing conversations would begin, and because the majority of our merry band were over 65 what they thought were subtle, whispered exchanges were in fact rather loud ones. This was all met with hilariously cutting comments and quite frankly ‘looks’ that could turn milk – from our leader. Ever the goodie two shoes, and because I’m able to converse in whispered tones, I managed to avoid her wrath! I also came to realise that she had incredibly high standards and was notoriously hard to please. Now whilst this provided us with many amusing moments listening to feedback and remarks, that bordered on insulting, it also meant that we started to sound really bloody good. Summer progressed, as did the confidence I had in my ability to sing (mainly due to the fact that I wasn’t asked to leave), and before we knew it we were in the throes of performing to our ‘warm-up’ audiences at residential homes in and around Marin (very rock and roll!). It was amazing to see the affect our singing had on these people and hearing all their compliments afterwards.

Inevitably the day of the BIG concert rolled around. I’d expected to feel nervous but for some reason, knowing I was singing with others, meant no sweaty palms for me, no siree, I was actually excited!  Excited to sing and excited for our friends to hear what we’d been up to for the past ten Tuesday evenings. Knowing the high standards that were expected of us meant that we were all pretty determined not to let our leader down. The performance seemed to be going quite well, the applause seemed genuine, She even smiled a few times but what happened during our final song – a wonderfully happy, slightly cheese song, entitled Why we Sing – I most certainly wasn’t Singers Marin 1expecting. Tears formed in her eyes as she was conducting…whether they were because we’d made one too many mistakes, the fact that it was all over or our beautiful singing I’m not sure but she was clearly moved, and the fact that we had made that happen felt pretty incredible.

Since this first session we subsequently signed up for the delightfully named ‘Holiday Singers’ which I was desperately hoping would involve some sort of victorian costume and a lantern on a stick…it did not…it was dead Christmassy though! We then decided in January to join the slightly more hardcore ‘Wings of Song’ the repertoire for which scared me to death. I didn’t know any of the music so would have to learn everything from scratch…oh yes, I forgot to mention that we have to learn ALL the words and music off by heart! We also took part in a choir festival in Berkeley where we joined other groups to form a choir of 180 and workshopped with a Grammy Award winning conductor no less!

Now I’m not a miserable person, I’m generally pretty upbeat and feel fortunate to live the life I lead but it hasn’t escape me that this singing lark seriously affected my mood – it made me feel so happy, uplifted and content. And it turns out that’s not just coincidence, it’s actual scientific fact that singing makes you happy, and it doesn’t end there, the benefits seem to be endless. On that note I’ll leave you with some words of hilarious wisdom that were bestowed upon us by Alice Parker at the choir festival previously mentioned (turns out she’s a bit of a big deal in the world of choral composing!). She explained that she was absolutely certain war would end and the world could live in peace if only, at the first sign of conflict, the countries involved would immediately swap children’s choirs!!

 

A Tale of Two Cities – London meet San Francisco

~ janerclare ~ Leave a comment

A short time ago it was put to me, by an LA taxi driver, how great it must have been to have moved from London to San Francisco, because he imagined the two cities were very similar… . I found myself nodding along, as you do, but then I checked myself and half said half shouted ‘NO!’, a little too abruptly. He looked a little frightened, and I quickly scrambled to explain myself, apologising for my less than polite outburst, as only a Brit can. But I desperately wanted him to know that, while it was great that we were able to make the move to SF (ish – we live just outside), the two cities, and the people that live there, in my opinion weren’t similar at all!

We left London after a fairly long stint, slightly exhausted and frazzled by the monotonous commute, endless grey days, the cost of living and lovely but grumpy people always ready to give you hell for no good reason whatsoever! We had fallen out of love with it and we certainly weren’t making the most of being there. We completely took for granted all of the wonderful things that make it unique.

We arrived in San Francisco’s Bay Area very ready for change. A change in pace, lifestyle…weather. What we found was exactly that. We carved out our own Californian life, and we’re probably a bit healthier, a bit more positive and a bit less likely to give someone hell if they were to accidentally bump in to us! That said, each time I’ve visited London since leaving, it has surprised and thrilled me – I have got the love back!

I guess this must have been why I was so determined to make sure that my LA taxi driver knew what set the two cities apart…in my opinion. So I’ll explain to you some of what I explained to him, though probably slightly more eloquently and in a less shouty voice. First things first though. I love them both. I love them both in different ways and for different reasons.

London

  • Art – In spades. Museums full of the stuff, literally bursting at the seams with archives so extensive that there will never be an end to what can be seen, and the best bit is it’s FREE.  I cannot express how fortunate we are in the UK to have so much exposure to the arts. Whether that’s seeing it in museums. FREE museums. Or being taught it at school. I recently found out that art isn’t a ‘required’ part of the curriculum here in California – what a shocker!Vass Land London Private View  David Hockney Arrival of Spring
  • Fashion -A fellow British immigrant once described walking through a bar in SF only to be looked up and down by a group of ladies who smirked and giggled at her outfit – a pretty average high waisted skirt, heeled boots etc.  She noted that they were all wearing what seems to be the standard uniform of skinny jeans and converse, and they made it pretty obvious that they were not too impressed that she had dared to push these boundaries. Now, people are usually pretty friendly here so I wouldn’t say that this is typical behaviour, but it kind of illustrates my point. To ‘dress-up’ here is not the norm. It’s acceptable to wear your gym clothes to a restaurant and a heel is rarely seen (possibly on account of all the hills!). Anyway, I totally took for granted that London is so cutting edge and accepting when it comes to fashion, and that it is accessible to pretty much everyone. That even the high street stores have their runway ripoffs. That it is ok to experiment and that it is ok to try something new without being ridiculed.
  • Public Transport – I used to whinge about tube strikes, the central line, late buses, cancelled trains but now…oh how I long for the Piccadilly line and the number 38 bus!
  • NHS – perhaps more of a general UK thing but, I miss it. The freedom and security of being able to see a doctor with no self-diagnosis necessary…priceless…literally. And knowing that, at said doctors appointment, you won’t run the risk of paying for tests or medication that you don’t necessarily need.

SF (ish)

  • it doesn’t feel like a city – well not as I think of a city. It feels more like a town or a group of conjoined villages, all different in their own way. It doesn’t have the same massiveness of London or New York. It doesn’t have that, sometimes slightly, lonely/exciting feeling that you could get lost at any moment. It’s more gentle, laid back, quiet. Kind of like a beginner city…I hope that’s not taken as an insult…it’s certainly not meant to be.
  • landscape – It’s amazing. This city, seven-by-seven-miles, and at the tip of a peninsula. A writhing ocean on one side and a turbulent bay on the other. A city whose limits include rocky islands surrounded by great white sharks and a prison perched on top of an island. A city built on hills so huge that, when looking back at it from the bay, you double take gobsmacked that the skyline in front of you is actually real.
  • location – I don’t think the number of truly incredible places that we’re lucky enough to have on our doorstep will ever get old. From giant redwood trees, stunning stretches of coastline and the rolling hills of wine country to the lake and mountains at Tahoe, epic landscape of Yosemite and mysterious Farallon Islands.Farallones
  • innovation – I’ve come to realise that the tech industry and Silicon Valley (just a few miles south of SF) is met with the same ‘love it or hate it’ attitude, by locals, as Marmite. My feelings are mixed. Perhaps because I’m not local and so have the advantage of seeing it from both sides, without the emotion. That said, one of the things I do love about living here is the thrilling feeling that something’s always on the verge of being discovered!

So this is how I see it right now, after living here for just over two years. I do wonder whether I’ll feel the same a few more years down the line…I’ll keep you posted!

 

Sean’s Avocado Kale Salad aka California in a Bowl

~ janerclare ~ 3 Comments

This weekend I found myself talking with friends, rather too animatedly, about my love of avocado’s…turned out they also loved them so I didn’t feel like too much of a weirdo!  I have always loved avocado’s but my love has definitely grown since moving to California where they always seem to be in abundance, amazingly large and beautifully ripe. I love that, when in season, I can get two or three for a dollar and, if I stop at a roadside fruit stand sometimes 10 for a dollar!!! I’ll quite happily eat them for every meal – with eggs for breakfast, on toast for lunch and in a salad for dinner.

We’ve tried them every which way (I think) but one of my favourites is in a salad that I have dubbed California in a Bowl, because it not only uses avocado but also a sprinkling of toasted almonds, and every Californians favourite leaf, kale. Apparently the new kale for 2015 is cauliflower but I don’t think CA has fully embraced this new veg trend yet! Before I share I will divulge that I snaffled this recipe from a friend, and I’m hoping he won’t mind if I share it with you…

Avocado Kale SaladSean’s Avocado Kale Salad                  aka California in a Bowl

1 Avocado

1 Bunch of Kale           (Lacinato/Dino works best)

2 Tbsp’s of Toasted Almonds

1 Clove of Garlic                                 (or more if you prefer)

1 Lime

1 Tbsp Mayonaise

Olive Oil

Crush garlic into a paste (using a mortar and pestle if you have one). De-stem the kale and slice thinly. Roughly chop almonds. Peel, pit and slice the avocado. 

In a small bowl, combine mayo, garlic paste, juice from half of the lime, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Avocado Kale SaladIn a medium bowl, add kale, a bit of juice from the other half of the lime and a dash of olive oil. Tenderise the kale scrunching it with yours hands. Combine kale, chopped avocado and almonds. Add as much of the garlic mayo dressing as you like. Toss.

You can also substitute the lime with lemons and mayo with Greek yogurt, crème fraîche or sour cream. 

Top Tip: to ripen avocado’s put them in a paper bag with a banana, if you have one, and leave for a day or two.

Enjoy!

Treasure Island!

~ janerclare ~ 1 Comment

The first time I heard someone mention Treasure Island I assumed they must be talking about a pirateesque theme park. Luckily before I embarrassed myself by actually verbalising this (that’s that out the window then!) I found out that it’s a real live place! I know right, grown-ups actually called a legitimate piece of land Treasure Island! It sits pretty much in the middle of the San Francisco bay, and is joined to the mainland on both sides by the Bay Bridge. Anyway, once I found out that it wasn’t a theme park I was more than intrigued. Then I found out that EyeEm* were holding one of their bi-annual global meet ups on the Island, with the chance to get some behind the scenes access! Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to visit.

So apart from knowing that we definitely weren’t visiting a theme park we knew nothing at all about Treasure Island. Nevertheless I imagined it must have seen at least a bit of pirate action or some other such dodgy dealings. Our rendezvous was behind building 180 next to the entrance to the Treasure Island Museum – to which we surprisingly found no signs! Luckily there was a very knowledgeable someone there to greet us and who gave us the 411 on TI…

  • the island is completely man made.
  • it was named Treasure Island because it was rumoured that the silt and rock it was made from contained gold – though no one has actually ever found any!
  • it was built for, and played host to the 1939 World’s Fair.
  • after the World’s Fair the plan was for TI to be used by Pan Am for its flying boats or ‘Clippers’.
  • it was due to become San Francisco International Airport before it became a naval base in 1942.
  • it has been used to film numerous films including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Flubber.
  • it has recently become an official part of the City of San Francisco and is about to undergo huge redevelopment.

…so not quite the highly dramatic and turbulent history I had imagined!

Our first stop was building 1. A massive horseshoe shaped structure which was being set-up for a very elaborate nautical themed wedding complete with six larger than life model seals, a rowing boat and a 12 foot high lighthouse! It turns out building 1 was originally intended as the Pan Am Airways terminal, after the World’s Fair ended. It’s absolutely enormous with beautiful art deco features but dominating the interior is a, slightly odd, mural that spans the entire width of the building, which depicts the naval history of the pacific since 1813 and into the future. It seems such a bizarre addition to an otherwise architecturally impressive building but, they seemed pretty proud of it so, who am I to judge.

Grateful for the chance to escape the staring eyes of the mural we scuttled Worlds Fair 1939 Ticket Bookonwards and down through a maze of underground corridors – very much what I imagine a nuclear bunker might look like! Now for those that don’t know I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to history – one of my favourite places in London is the Imperial War Museum – so I found the idea of the next part of our visit rather thrilling. We were invited to see some of the museums archives and spent just over an hour checking out some of the pieces in their collection. There were some interesting things but I guess I couldn’t help but compare them to the collections I’ve been fortunate to see at other museums, and if I’m honest I guess they fell a little short for me (controversial!). I do realise my comparison is pretty unfair though given the support and funding available for both. That said some of the printed stuff from the World’s Fair was pretty cool.

We surfaced, in desperate need for fresh air and stopped to admire the view over towards San Francisco. We were very lucky it was such a clear day because, as far as a view of the city goes, it doesn’t get much better than this one!

View from Treasure Island to San FranciscoMy first and I suppose lasting impression of Treasure Island, the parts that we were able to see anyway, was that it looked and felt like an elaborate set from the The Walking Dead (my current Netflix obsession). There was a distinct feeling that the place had been abandoned, that every living being had perished or had ‘turned’, and was lurking ready to sink their teeth in to the back of my neck….ha! No but seriously, I’m interested to see how it’s redevelopment pans out and hoping that they make it a bit more visitor friendly, whilst making sure the people that actually live there aren’t ousted as a result! I am also looking forward to returning for the legendary flea market, a cheeky wine tasting or two at one of it’s urban wineries…and who knows, maybe even a large nautical themed wedding!

*EyeEm is a photography community and platform. A place for photographers of all abilities to share, interact, and learn more about taking pictures on any device. EyeEm’s photo Missions and partnerships allow photographers to showcase their original works around particular subject matter.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

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WCinco_de_Mayo,_1901_posterith a move from London to California came a whole new calendar of  holidays. One of those is today ‘Cinco De Mayo‘ – ‘5th of May’ in Spanish.  Now you don’t actually get the day off but they make a bit of a song and dance about it…literally.  In the US Cinco De Mayo is a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage though the day actually commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Right, that’s the history lesson over for the day (phew!) though you can read more about it here if you’re feeling particularly studious.

IMG_20150504_151327258Anyway, as with most holidays, I usually get most excited by their inevitable relationship to food. So when He told me they were having a bbq at work to celebrate and that everyone had to bring something I felt that was my cue to get on Pinterest… .  I wanted to avoid anything high profile as I’ve come to realise that people are quite particular about their Mexican food here and didn’t want to cause Him any unnecessary embarrassment by getting it wrong, so I thought I’d try my hand at something sweet. I’ve made these Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes before but I needed to make something that would stand up to the sunshine. That’s when I hit upon a recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies – genius! Granted, they are by the very un-Mexican Martha Stewart (with a few of my own tweaks) but they are very addictive and pretty easy, considering my aversion to baking.

For those of you that are interested here’s a link to the recipe I used and below are the things I did slightly differently.

  • I used 1 cup of white sugar and 1/2 a cup of soft brown sugar in the cookie dough mixture.
  • Double roll the cookie dough to give a bit of an extra kick.
  • If you like the idea of a little more spice, sprinkle the remaining sugar and spice mix over the top of the baked cookies, once they’ve cooled.
  • For those that don’t measure in cups this article with conversions from cups to grams is pretty handy.

Enjoy!

 

Friendtrips

Point Lobos State Reserve California
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You spend years forming friendships, people come and go, so by the time you hit your 30’s the bunch of misfits you’ve naturally selected over the years are friends for life…they’re not going anywhere.  Then you go and move half way around the blinkin’ world and find yourself without…no-one to go for a drink with after work, invite for dinner, go for brunch, girls night, play rounders with in the park(!).  So you start from scratch, take a deep breath, and put yourself out there hoping that some of those you meet aren’t complete nobbers!  Two years on (literally to the day) and we have thankfully met some great people here and made a few friends.

So, when one of these new found friends decided to up sticks and move to NYC, explaining that she planned to drive there – oh sure it’s only 3000 miles (actually her chosen route was over 4000 as it turned out)! – and invited me to join her for the first leg of the journey I wasn’t going to say no.  It felt like a big deal, her leaving, so to mark it by doing something big (ish) seemed a fitting way to say goodbye, for now.

Our road trip began in Monterey at the patio bar of the InterContinental hotel which was all Bloody Mary’s, white wine spritzers and chat about whether the guy playing the acoustic set actually had ‘the voice of an angel’ or whether in fact it was his dazzling smile that we were wow’d by! That night we ate at Hula’s, a brilliant place with the most amazing fish soup I ever had – seriously if you ever find yourself in Monterey go there, and then prepare for the food coma that follows!

Day two and we drove, Thelma and Louise style, to Point Lobos for a ‘hike’. I say ‘hike’ because I have come to realise that in California ‘hike’ is used to describe pretty much any type of walk and that ‘hiking trails’ are usually clearly outlined paths (sometimes paved) that just happen to be in an area of natural beauty. I will therefore describe our jaunt that day, slightly less dramatically/American, as a walk. This aside it was completely beautiful. The ocean was the colour of blue Gatorade and the views incredible – apparently “the greatest meeting of land and sea in the world”.

cinderella motel hollisterDay three we headed inland, towards Sequoia National Park, via Hollister. I’m not sure what we expected from Hollister but apart from a few cool old buildings it seemed a bit dead.  We did however come across The Cinderella Motel which looked uhmazing! Complete with Cinderella dolls lined up in the window, a small model carriage out front and themed rooms we thought it would have made a wonderfully tacky overnighter!

General Sherman Tree Sequoia National ParkWe finally arrived in Three Rivers, just outside the park, and headed straight in like a couple of tourists in our shorts and t-shirts – neither of us thinking to check the weather.  As we drove higher and higher the temperature dropped lower and lower and on seeing the remnants of the last snowfall we started to worry that we perhaps hadn’t quite dressed appropriately. We would not be deterred from our mission however, to see the largest tree in the world.  Sure enough on leaving the cosy confines of the car we were greeted by a freezing blast of air and scrambled to put on whatever clothes we had, which caused a ripple of stifled laughter from some other, better equipped visitors! Another ‘hike’ led us towards the afore mentioned tree – The General Sherman.  As we approached it really didn’t look that impressive, we were all like ‘I’m sure I’ve seen bigger at Muir Woods‘ and ‘there are definitely bigger ones in New Zealand‘ blah blah.  What a pair of complete morons, as if some scientist had got the measurements wrong! Anyway, as we arrived at the base we both fell silent (finally!), it was an absolute beast, you had to practically lean at a 45 degree angle to see the whole thing. Needless to say we took loads of photos, none of which really capture its true size but hopefully these give you some idea.

Day four we head south, through more of the park and on to Bakersfield. Not the most inspiring place on paper but we made the most of it.  Home to the worlds largest shoe (apparently) and The Kern County Museum.  Kind of a living history jobby with a whole village of historic buildings, from dentists to jails, that depict the life of early Californians. We thought it was pretty cool…not sure what that says about us! Our home for the night was the recently renovated Padre Hotel, the newest but oldest hotel in Bakersfield, which first opened in 1928. If you find yourself passing through, I’d definitely recommend a stay.

Day five and it was further inland towards Las Vegas. We power through, amusing ourselves by looking for weird and wonderful things to see along the way. Then we see a sign for Peggy Sue’s Roadside Diner, quickly google it and decide ‘we HAVE to stop’. If, like me, you feel you grew up in the wrong era you will love this place. It’s a totally legit 50’s diner. So with great joy I perched at the counter telling myself that, though not totally out of the question, it was pretty unlikely that at any moment the entire place would break out in to a Grease style song and dance medley – can you only imagine! It was all I could do to remain cool, desperate to order “a double Polar burger wit’ everything and a cherry soda wit’ chocolate ice cream” (Grease ref. for those not in the know), I settled for a hamburger and coke!

Worlds Largest Thermometer Baker California

After all this excitement our journey continued towards another roadside gem…The World’s Largest Thermometer, in Baker. After prancing around taking a few pictures and venturing in to the gift shop for a chat with a giant vulture we were pretty giddy which, as it happened, was set to continue because on leaving Baker we happened upon the Alien Fresh Jerky store…only in America!

Some time later and we see Vegas on the horizon. A drive down the strip to see The World’s Largest Coke Bottle (of course!) would mark the end to this first leg of her journey and my departure.  And so after five glorious days of sights seen, world’s largest’s visited, burgers eaten, margaritas drunk and 650 miles driven, we bid each other farewell (sad face).

 

 

A Tour of the Tales

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You may remember a couple of posts back that I mentioned the amazingness that is Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City. A series of novels that tell the story of a group of all-sorts making their way through a tangle of sex, drugs and love in San Francisco.  Beginning in the free-loving 1970’s and literally ending on a high in the present.

I don’t know whether it was because I recently moved here or just that they’re really bloody good but I was hooked and read all of them, desperate for the final book in the series, The Days of Anna Madrigal, to be released.

Any hoo, with the books read and the miniseries watched I went in search of my next TOTC high. To my joy I found Tours of the Tales aggghhhhh! Actual walking tours of all the places old Maupy talks about in the books – massive geek alert! So off we trotted, myself and the dark haired one (who got me hooked on TOTC in the first place and who is as obsessed as I), in the pursuit of happiness on, the evocatively named, Tour 1…  Here are a few snaps of some of the highlights, from one of the best days I’ve spent in SF since we moved here! I would also be as bold to say that even if you’ve not read the books at all this would be a great walking tour of SF anyway, with some incredible views, providing the fog doesn’t roll in of course!

Ice Cream stop at Swensen’s
Swiss Orange Chip (Mary Ann Style) – Look how happy!
Wild parrots of Telegraph Hill
Superman Building!
Barbary Lane aka Macondray
We whispered all the way down
Maupys inspo for the Barbary Steps
Angry poodle guard dog! not part of the tour
Totally awesome views, sans fog!

 

 

let them eat cake!

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So for some reason my other half volunteered me to make a friends birthday cake.  For those of you that don’t know I’m not really a baker, the only cake I can usually be bothered with is Nigella’s Guinness Cake – the best cake in the world and about 10,000 calories per slice but totally worth it! Anyway…I can cook and I’m not bad at that but for some reason I don’t generally have the patience for baking…it’s too precise…too much can go wrong, and the results cannot usually be improved by covering in hot sauce!

It wasn’t just any birthday either, it was her blinkin’ 40th (she’s much, much older than me!!). Her husband, delighted to be handing over the responsibility, tells me that he doesn’t want anything fancy just a banana cake, with cream cheese frosting and jam in the middle…fine, fine and fine…then he casually drops in ‘oh and if you can just pipe Happy 40th Birthday on the top, that’d be great’ – yep, good one!

So I find my recipe on Pinterest (where I spend far too much time), decide that one cake won’t be enough so double everything, whilst at the back of my mind plotting a sneaky way of avoiding having to pipe anything.

And this, my friends, is what I ended up with…an oval chalkboard and sticky backed letters with a ’40’ sprinkled on the top.  Definitely cheating but so much better than the alternative!

I was pretty happy, until I realised I had to transport this bad boy 80 miles, up to St Helena in a limo-style party bus, where we were celebrating said birthday! Anyways, the birthday girl and her husband seemed very pleased and it tasted pretty good…as did the numerous glasses of wine I drank in relief of a slight dicey culinary mission accomplished.

So for those of you that are interested, here is a link to the recipe I used and below is how I adapted it to make a layer cake.

  • Use a 9 inch, spring form cake tin.
  • Double the cake ingredients and make two cakes. Though it was more time consuming I mixed two separate batches of batter to make sure the layers would be the same height.
  • Bake the cakes for 1hr and 30mins (or until cooked all the way through) and then transfer them to the freezer for 45mins like she tells you to.
  • Double the quantity of frosting.
  • Using a sharp bread knife even off the top of the bottom layer.
  • Put it on a 9 inch cake board. Cover it with a layer of frosting and some raspberry jam, warmed a little on the hob.
  • Then flip the top layer over so the bottom is facing upwards (if that makes sense).
  • fill in the gap where the two layers meet, all around with frosting, then cover the rest of the cake starting at the top and working your way down the sides.

where to begin…

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Since moving here we’ve managed to cram in a whole heap of stuff – I should have started this baby ages ago – so to bring things up to date I thought I might do a bit of a run down of some of the highlights! Imagine it kind of like one of those cheesy end of year tv specials but without the ad breaks.

One of the lures of moving here was that we would live only 20 minutes away from this (left) and three and a half hours away from this (right). The novelty hasn’t worn off yet…I’m not sure it ever will.

Coachella = Awesome…that is all…2015 tickets are booked.

So after surfing here for almost a year, in freezing cold Norcal water, we decided for our honeymoon we wanted to try surfing in warmer waters. Hawaii seemed like the obvious choice but when our surf instructor, turned friend, affectionately referred to as ‘surfer Dave‘, mentioned he was headed to Costa Rica and that we should join him, we were sold!

Camping on the Sonoma Coast. Totally seduced by the idea of flinging open our tent flaps to be greeted by these views.

We pitched our tent on the edge of a cliff.  Needless to say as our eyes drank in the amazing view they were also slowly blinded by the bucket loads of sand being whipped in to them by, what I’m certain could only be described as, gale force winds! Note to self, next time pitch better!

Yosemite is an incredible place, it literally looks like the set of a prehistoric movie. We were totally in awe and can’t wait to go back, though perhaps not in September – 107F made for a pretty sweaty few days.

We have come to realise that the US loves admin – fact. So after completing endless forms, medical tests, retina scans, fingerprinting and after proving that our marriage was not a sham…our Green Card arrived!

hardly strictly bluegrass San Francisco

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – we were told it was one of the things you have to do in San Francisco before you die…we now know why. Highlights included St. Paul & the Broken Bones, chips (fries, if we’re going all American) dipped in vanilla milkshake and ‘special’ strawberries. We took the visiting parentals along too, they loved it!

 

I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to armistead maupin tales of the citybooks and have been known to forgo meals in order to finish a particularly compelling story. So when a fellow immigrant recommended Armistead Maupin‘s Tales of the City, I was instantly hooked and busted through the whole series. If you’ve not read them then do it, now! Turns out it was also made in to a miniseries AND he’s just released the final book in the series, oh joy!

Beach Blanket Babylon San FranciscoBeach Blanket Babylon is a San Franciscan institution and ‘the longest running musical revue in theatre history’  no less.  I’d wanted to see it before we even moved here. ‘Spectacular’ is one word I’d use to describe it and ‘awesome’ another. Even the very skeptical male company, convinced to join us with the lure of Italian food and wine, thought it was ‘bloody brilliant’.

 

So many lovely things and many more besides.