2013 is already proving to be better with bookings rolling in.
We have spent the eve playing games, watching Dr. Who an the Twilight Zone. The kids had sparkling apple juice.
I am excited about this new year in spite of the excess taxes and dumb new laws.
I can't say 12 was a completely rotten year...business wise it wasn't the best. But the love and kindness of friends (like JC an Bill) and family have made it a blessed year.
I want to share the love of Christ this new year w/all whom I meet.
Be blessed and happy 2013.
I wrote the above New Year's Day. Since then I have booked several shows for the summer tour and sadly had to turn down a fundraiser show in Alabama; they wanted a larger circus show with big animals and a tent. We're a smidge too small for that.
Cynthia wanted to do her yearly pilgrimage to SF so she, two of her friends and Miles (and me) hit the road 5am on the 2nd for a full day in the City By the Bay. We left early to try and get early bird parking rates. (the rates have gone up from $20 all day to $33 and early bird was changed from 9am to 8am at the lot we usually use. So we drove around and found a 9am early bird lot for $10....oversized $20......We were oversized. Turned out the lot was closer to our starting point (Pier 39) than our old lot so it turned out OK. (on one more note EVERYTHING in SF is more expensive this year: Parking meters $4.00/hour and no more free after 5pm. no more plastic bags in the city and if you want a paper bag you pay 10 cents....not for the store but as a city fee. Mix that with the already higher sales tax given a 1% boost by the state and balabing balaboom your broke before you know it. High overhead of the city also makes the prices for anything outrageous as well. )
Since we got to the Pier early, and no shops but the coffee shops being open, we watched the workmen load in the boxes and containers for the various shops and restaurants. And then went around their trucks to get a few pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, etc. The sea lions never close so we enjoyed watching them frolic, scratch, stretch, but mostly lay around barking. One other note on the wildlife: the seagulls and pigeons are really fat in SF.
Though Cynthia (and James and Mami and the kids) have all gone on my walking tour of SF (I used to live and work there) Miles had never gone; it was his first. It was his first cable car ride too (which is also a dollar more expensive over last year.) The coolest thing about the cable cars is the technology and equipment are all authentic from the early days of SF.
below are the pix of the SF trip.....out of order but I will put captions....first here was our tour....Pier 39 then Fisherman's Wharf, a stop at Boudin Sourdough Bread Factory while I hit the fishmonger row to get my traditional calamari salad, a few stops at stores in the area (including the touristy ones) and then down to Ghiradelli Square for a free sample of chocolate, we enjoy the street performers as we pass and drop a buck in if we like them, we then get in line for the Cable car and ride it to Powell Street near union Square, More shopping,and a quick piece of pizza pie at Blondie's then we walk through China town up to little Italy and down to the financial district around Telegraph Hill (made the mistake of going over it to visit Coit Tower one year....nearly died), back down to the Embarquadero to the piers and then to the van. We then drive to Japan town for lunch and shop hopping. Then back in the van we head to the Sutro baths, Cliff House, and Ocean Beach for the sunset. On this trip we added a trip to Stoneridge Mall, a shopping mall near SFSU. It sure has gone high class since I went there back in college. Next we drove to my old home of Westlake, Daly City where we shopped and I gave the kids a tour of where their mom and I lived when we first married. Then we added a trip to South SF to go to a great Asian Market where we picked up Japanese food ingredients for Mami. Back to Westlake we drove, passing the hospital where James was born. Back in Daly City we stopped by the very old but very delicious Joes of Westlake where we ate spaghetti and then went home. The waters at Joes have always looked like mobbed up waiter...the white shirts, bow ties, back apron and accents.
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Below is our newest artwork almost finished.
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