Real Peeps

Point Reyes Station feed store offers chicks for $2.75. I want one, if they stay small and cute like this.

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Dandelions

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Redwood Forest

Armstrong Redwood Forest in Gurneyville.

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Sonoma County Hills

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Princess Amy

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Our Villa

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Ahhh the Ocean

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Giant Seaweed

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Sister Soldiers

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Ocean Get-Away

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Sonoma Coast Villa

Marlene and I have arrived at our weekend get-away in Bodega Bay. We are so impressed with the place which is like the Catskills in California.

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Sleeping on the Couch

Now that my apartment is fitted out with furniture I am taking full advantage of every piece. Although I borrowed my friend Leah's air mattress, for Marlene and Mandeep's visit, I am sleeping on the couch. Now this may sound like I've been pushed out of my own bed, but no, it is rather that I've generously given it up to the mother-to-be.

The unexpected benefit of sleeping on my non-pull-out-super-long-couch, is that I am actually sleeping better than in my own bed. How can this be? Over the past year I have developed a shoulder injury and the physical therapist and I have deducted that it may be how I sleep on my side. The couch doesn't allow me to sleep on the injured shoulder and the result is that I'm not tossing and turning all night. Now, how to replicate this healthier sleeping style when I get my bed back?

It's Family Time

My sister Marlene and Brother-in-Law Mandeep are visiting me in sunny California for Memorial Day weekend. Today I inducted Marlene into "urban living" by taking her all around my neighborhood and then walking to a doctor's appointment.

On the way we chatted about all kinds of things and then were interrupted when we spotted a tiny mouse that reminded of us when we had pet mice. We supposedly had two boys but then they had babies. How progressive. We had a good chuckle as Marlene is pregnant. Marlene is super fun hanging out because she is in a food shopping mood. For the record, Marlene hates shopping and in her "new state" she loves it.

Now we're going to see the movie Babies. Full baby indulgence. I love that it is family time.

Mystery on City Hall Plaza

A giant copper sculpture has been installed in the San Francisco City Hall Plaza and it is bigger than life. Absolutely beautiful. I think it is related to the Shanghai exhibition at the Asian Art Museum, located just across the street.

Did you know?

Two of my Fashion Marketing and Management students at the Art Institute of CA-SF shared this video with our class during their presentation on globalization. Mindblowing.

Man o War

The oil spill in the Gulf Coast breaks my heart. Why aren't we protesting? Shouldn't we be boycotting. This is disgusting and outrageous situation. Here's an image of a Man o War jellyfish that washed up dead on Louisiana Shore - image from CNN. View CNN's photos of the spill and its impact.

View of SF from Dolores Park

I'm in San Francisco to attend a party celebrating my friend Lisa's graduation from college. She pursued a career as a professional modern dancer and now that "she's retired" from dancing she went back to school.
The views are beautiful here in Noe Valley. It may be sunny but we are wearing wool coats. Welcome to May in SF.
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Mexico in UN Plaza

The view from my Career Development course's classroom window. The Art Institute sits in UN Plaza and someone spray painted Mexico on the walkway.
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Oakland Glows

City hall is shining!
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Back on Ike

Fiona is not out of the picture but Ike is back in. My first ride on him in months. Now that my interim job is coming to a close and the weather is improving, I'll be taking Ike out for more spins both here in Oakland and San Francisco.
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Room with a View

I was substituting for the Store Operations instructor today and loved the class and classroom. As the students worked through a case study on Sax Fifth Avenue I put on some Pandora music. It blended perfectly with the sounds of Market Street just outside our window.
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IPad Touched

Here I am trying Dave's iPad and you can see my blog post via twitter.
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Chloe Turns One!

My favorite little girl, Chloe, turns one today. Her smile is so beautiful. She got it from her amazing parents Rachel and David.
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Suburban Shots

View images I took this morning of Suburban Oakland, along the Piedmont side of Piedmont Avenue. Again, shooting from the hip, allowing my eye and hand to be attracted to the light. Loosening up.

Entrepreneurship. And Innovation in the Arts

My presentation for Theatre Bay Area at today's annual conference. Something about seeing it "on the screen" that makes it real. Or! At least bigger.
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Dosa Gigantica

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Bhatura at Vik's

Lovely Indian food at Vik's with Hisun. The perfect topper to our evening at New Century Chamber Orchestra enjoying an evening of Copeland. I even purchased my first subscription series! Does that make me an adult?
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Ben and Cheryl Cook Frosting

Who knew that frosting could be so much work, fun and mess. Cousin Ben and Cheryl took the frosting experience to a new height for his birthday cake by blowing out the blender with a spoon to its blades. Thankfully, I don't eat chocolate.
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238 ESP

Am I psychic or just sensitive to the numbers 238, which happen to be my favorite numbers?

The woman on line in front of me at Trader Joe's had a huge cart filled with eats and I kept wavering about staying behind her. At one point I even switched lines and then switched back. When her purchases were finally tallied the checker covered the total and asked her if she wanted to guess. I said, "238" and the checker said, "are you serious? The total is 238.38. Did you look?" Nope, I had just guessed.

This has happened to me twice before with 38, both with people who have a March 8 birthday (38), as I do. Both times I simply said to the person, who I had just met, "your birthday is March 8." It came out of nowhere and it was correct both times.

I asked the Trader Joe's checker his birthday and it is April 2. So that wasn't it. He then said, "don't read my thoughts and tell me what I'm thinking now."

When my order was processed he asked me to guess the total and I was way off. It was $51, probably the most I've spent in Trader Joe's in years.

There is something about 238 that speaks to me, literally.
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Year in the Making

Finally completed a strategic plan that took one year exactly to research, facilitate and write. I'll miss the client.

Now to celebrate with Fish Tacos!

View of Twin Peaks from Noe Valley

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Oakland’s Journey From Seedy to Sizzling

Last weekend the Oakland Museum of California re-opened its doors to much fanfare, in fact, 31 hours of endless partying. What a scene! I was blown away by the crowds, the vibe and once again spotting Amy from Project Runway.

Oakland makes me proud. I've lived here on and off over the past 13 years and am encouraged by the cultural scene that has developed. Let's face it, Oakland is the coolest city in the Bay Area, or should I say the hippest?

Check out this article from the May 2, 2010 New York Times titled Oakland's Journey from Seedy to Sizzling. If you can't take the heat, step aside.

Want to know the latest about Oakland Arts Buzz, join the Oakland Museum of CA twitter feed, where I first learned about this NYT's article.

Urban Landscape 5-3-10 Kaiser's Oakland

Inspired by the documentary film Beautiful Losers, I went for a walk around my block this morning and started taking photos again. To un-block myself and stop over-thinking, I shot-from-the-hip. I first started doing this in high school and took some of my most interesting shots this way. What it means is holding the camera away from your face, just by your side and shooting without looking into the view finder. It really loosened me up. The few shots that were more "composed" were less interesting than the ones that I took with the camera acting as an extension of my "attention".

Checkout the images on www.amykweskin.com. Here's the link to today's shoot.

Do These Count as Meals?

Lately I've been having some pretty strange meals. Here's today's menu review:

Breakfast Part I at 10am - blueberry pancake (normal)
Breakfast Part II at 12pm - cold, leftover blueberry pancake (semi-normal)
Lunch at 3pm - Ben & Jerry's peanut butter ice cream sundae (protein counts as a meal?)
Dinner at 7pm - sprouted peanuts, guacamole and chips (the night is young, perhaps I'll have more of a meal)

Last week I had turkey bacon and peanuts for dinner. Bachelorette living at its fullest.

Instant Stay-Cation

Spontaneously took a stay-cation for 2 hours by driving over to Oakland's Jack London Square and renting a kayak at California Canoe and Kayak. I had to be pre-qualified because of the wind on the Oakland-Alameda estuary. Love that I've taken a sea kayaking course.

Out on the beautiful water, which wasn't even choppy, I instantly felt calm and relaxed, even when paddling near giant container ships. A sea lion came over to say hello, as well as some jet skiers and fellow kayakers. The weather today is absolutely perfect for a day in the Bay.

Being out there made me remember how much I love the water. A house/condo/apartment near the water, or even a houseboat, would be the ideal next living arrangement.
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What's With the Accent

How bizarre that at yesterday's baby shower one woman asked me if I was from Eastern Europe and another said I had an accent. Am I morphing, living dual lives, de-evolving? When I told them Connecticut they said, "oh, that makes sense." That was weird too.

New Style of Self Portrait

The first self portrait I've taken or shared in a long time. This time from the side.
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Diaper Cake

My friend Miche's baby shower and her mom, Maureen, made a diaper cake. It isn't chocolate.
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Two Year Anniversary

Today is my two year anniversary of being back in the US after living in the UK for two years. It has been a fast and slow two years. Every day has been a learning experience and I have to say that I'm quite happy and comfortable with my life. More than comfort, I'm inspired, motivated and moving towards my goals.

Just now I realized that I was supposed to be in the UK today, completing a week-long trip, which was canceled due to the "volcanic cloud". How interesting that I would have been returning to the US, yet again, on the 1st of May. Cycles? Repeat? I interrupted that dance, or at least nature intervened to change the steps.