today, tomorrow and the next day...

this past weekend was one of the first weekends that i've had some time to just relax and not have to run around. makes me feel like i'm living again!

it was a beautiful sunny afternoon in SF - had brunch at Modern Tea and then headed to Capsule SF: a Street Festival of Design in Hayes Valley for the afternoon (photos: top - fun felt buttons, $12 a pop; bottom - cool view of design structure at festival). it was so nice to just walk around with friends, sit in the sun and not have to think about work or errands for once.

it's funny what it takes to appreciate a weekend like this. i've been working hard - getting the lay of the land, trying to prove that i can do my new job well. i've been trying to convince myself that i am starting to feel settled (i'm not). and things like this past weekend give me some semblence of normalcy. and when i visit schools, i'm reminded how easy life used to be as a kid. right now, i'm thinking - oh, man, gotta do my laundry, pay rent, when's my car insurance payment due, i have to book my flight home for the holidays and the list goes on and on. not that it's hard or unfortunate. it's just what life has become for someone at this stage in my life.

and as an adult, it's so easy to let days and months go by without really thinking about what each day can be about, the opportunity that each day holds. i've been at my job almost 3 months now - it sounds short, but imagine the impact i could have made if i made every day worth its while.

i'm reading the alchemist right now (i know, finally) and came across the quote, "when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises." and though not mind blowing, it's very true. at the end of a long work day, i don't usually remember that the mail guy made a funny joke just to make me laugh this morning or that i had appreciated the sunny morning drive coming in today. i come home and usually think about how tired i am and how much stuff i need to catch up on and then i get caught in the weeds.

but look, today was a good day. i talked to my boyfriend, caught up with an old friend, emailed my sister, registered to vote, accomplished some things to impress my boss. life is good. it usually is. we just have to remind ourselves that it is.

the initiation fee continues...

2 months and 4 days since I've moved back.

39 days i've worked since graduation.

28 days since i've seen my boyfriend.

$245 i've spent in parking tickets.

priceless.

i found my heart in SF...

at last, i'm starting to feel whole again. had a weekend of good food, lots of good friend time and some adult-errandy things that have to be done, but make life just that much easier (still no time for laundry tho, and boy do i need to do it).

on Saturday, I did the SF MOMA Scavenger Hunt with my other teammates as part of Team SuperTasters. :) We were one of 52 teams selected out of 207 who applied and the 10-hour day included going into porn stores to find paddles, bartering with some guy at the UN Plaza for his dreadlock, making poo out of clay, carving a horse out of a carrot and trying to get a hold of a mattress, toilet and skull. Needless to say it was a fantastic experience. But alas, we did not win the $4K prize money. That's okay. it's about team work and fun right? (man, that 4 grand would have been nice...) If you want to check out the actual clues and our answers: http://www.snarshad.com/sfmomascav/sfmomascavenger.html

We did, however, get some of our goods displayed in the museum exhibit that's going on today through Oct. 3rd! So if you are in the bay area and get the chance to check it out, it's our claim to fame! Some pics from the event and what's displayed at SFMOMA: http://flickr.com/photos/misocrazy/sets/72157594308036778/

Today, i had a nice day of brunch (Ti Couz), visiting the exhibit and going to Target and the grocery store (I LOVE Target). little did i know that getting a trashcan, some handsoap and a towel would make me so happy (esp when my life didn't have those things yesterday).

I'm starting to feel it now. my life getting back into the groove of things. getting to enjoy and take advantage of all the things the bay area has to offer.

just a few weeks ago, my girlfriends and i took a long walk through golden gate park. Some of the things we encountered: chatting with some old guys who were racing their little remote control boats in the lake, the new De Young observatory and museum, the Power to the Peaceful Festival and the Yoga for Peace folks doing yoga on the grassy hill - only in SF! there are usually also hang gliders taking off at the edge of the park towards the beach and kite flying too. i love this city.

the other thing that i'm excited about is really starting to engage with my friends again. i've been kinda hiding since i moved here a couple of months ago because i just felt unsettled and overwhelmed with having no apartment (until last week!) and just starting a new job again (which i still love!). the nice thing is realizing that here, there are all the friends i have known, those i'm getting to re-know again, and the many interesting ones i'm just starting to get to know. it's like a feeling of the familiar and the new all at once.

good times. sf...i'm home.