costa rica - day 2 - la fortuna

we originally planned to do the challenging hike up the dormant cerro chato volcano saturday morning, but persistent rain and overcast skies prevented us from doing so. and despite december being the start of dry season, we've had nothing but rain for the first two days; consequently, we opted to hoof it to catarata rio fortuna waterfall - just a 3 mile jaunt roundtrip thru the rainforest from our eco lodge. a few pics of the scenery along the way:




the local in the bottom left pic above was preparing a pig on his table, but once he saw me pause to snap a photo, he proceeded to kindly hold it up for display. top left below is a local and his pet parrot laura...




arrived at the waterfall around 10:30am and forked over $9 for entrance fee - steep, mind you, but well worth it as the view is simply breathtaking.




saturday afternoon brought about ziplining for the first time, so you best believe i was excited. there are a number of canopy tours in the arenal/la fortuna area, but sky trek was the tallest, so sky trek it was. the package deal includes transportation from/to your hotel, so we were whisked away at 1pm, picked up a few stragglers along the way (including groups from boston and san francisco) and were headed up for our 2pm excursion. sky trek involves taking the tram to the surrounding treetops, then ziplining your way down a exhilarating series of 8 cables totalling 1.7 miles in all.




it goes without saying, but it's quite the incredible thrill ride canvassing the rainforest at top speed with nothing underneath your feet... dinner was at soda la parada for whitefish ceviche, churrasco and a couple of imperials:

costa rica - day 1 - la fortuna

took the 12:40am flight out of LAX on friday and arrived in san jose on at 9:40am. we decided to take the public bus to la fortuna de san carlos (where we would be staying for the first 2 nights of our trip) so we cabbed it into town to take the 11:30am bus. despite the fact that we could have taken the bus from alajuela (where SJO is), we sprung for the further journey in order to secure a seat. luckily we had, otherwise we would have been standing on the packed bus with our bags. total fare was US $4 for the 4-hour ride.



arrived at the station in la fortuna around 3:30pm and phoned the manager of the cerro chato eco lodge, where miguel (owner/manager) gladly picked us up. the lodge consists of about 13 individual cabins about a 15-minute walk from a main road. miguel, his wife carmen and their charming children miguelito and carmencita welcomed us with open arms and took good care of us.




after washing up and settling in, we strolled into town for groceries and for dinner at a local soda (family-run restaurant), consisting of nachos and carne asada. just about every meal in costa rica comes with rice & beans, so that will go without saying for the rest of the trip:



post dinner, we opted to visit the hot springs at the springs resort & spa, about an 8km ride from our hotel. i tried to secure reservations at eco-termales, but the exclusive joint only allows 100 visitors per session and the night session was booked long ago. the springs turned out to be incredible, as the resort takes advantage of its proximity to volcano arenal. individual pools range in temps from 76 degrees fahrenheit up to 103, so the variety and intimate feel lent to a gorgeous setting. pics didn't register too well, so here's a crappy one along with the dessert of tres leches afterwards...

holiday cards 2010 - part III

finished all of my cards and dropped them off at the post office this afternoon. hallelujah! a few more snaps of the process:



it took me a beat to get the ribbon ties just right. first ones i cut too short, then the knot in the back where you have a small window to adhere to the card wasn't flat, etc. the circular labels took a bit of trial and error, but i was pleased with the end result. the main thing is i'm done! what a load off my back...

holiday cards 2010 - part II

this past saturday i put in a full day of work dedicated to my cards - basically putting on my hard hat and punching in at the office. most of my time was focused on getting all the individual parts ready for assembly - thus a total of zero cards were output despite 7 hours of activity.



seeing as it's december 20, i'm going to have to haul @$$ in order to get some of these out by today. the unfortunate part is, they've become so labor-intensive that i won't be able to send out as many as i'd like. so if you don't receive one, please accept my apologies - it's by no means any indication of importance - rather my inability to start early enough and to make them fast enough...

holiday cards 2010

after much consternation - it seems like it gets harder and harder each year - i've decided to take my talents to south beach. i mean i've decided to make my own holiday cards for 2010. i've taken the plunge to varying degrees of success these past 4 years, but it's become a rite of passage... a christmas precedent, if you will... so i can't let my peeps down with store-bought cards this late in the game.


it's an arduous undertaking - especially while trying to plan the upcoming trip to costa rica - but hopefully i'll be able to look back on december 26 and be proud of my decision. until then, here's a sneak peek of what i've been up to in terms of this year's design...

eats - A-frame

took a trip to restauranteur roy choi's newly opened A-frame in culver city and enjoyed one of the better dining experiences i've ever had in socal. billed as a modern picnic, it expands on the hip & casual vibe previously set out with choi's kogi/alibi room and chego, and the food is more of the same - asian-inspired but with a twist.

the space is actually a former ihop locale, gussied up to utilize the gorgeous architectural structure of its namesake. the interior resembles a contemporary ski lodge with its birch-tinged walls and cozy confines.

seating takes advantage of its space constrictions with its liberal use of communal tables, which is an added bonus. we sat next to a friendly couple who were equally excited to be there, so all of us ended up eating family style since we ordered distinctly different items.

we opted for the:

* island farmer's salad (shaved maui onions, tofu, fried garlic, seasonal fruit & ginger shoyu vinaigrette)
* blue crab cakes (w/ginger lemongrass creme fraiche, baby lola rosa perilla leaves and eaten like a taco)
* cracklin beer can chicken (peruvian style w/century egg, salsa roja & salsa verde)
* kitchen fries (purple sweet potato, yam, korean sweet potato w/kimchee sour cream & sea salt)
* fried apple pie w/southern comfort caramel & cheddar ice cream

A-frame
12565 washington blvd.
los angeles, CA 90066
http://aframela.com/

a GIANT thank you

Dear Giants Fans,

On behalf of the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, I want to thank you for your support during this remarkable season. You stood by us through the nail-biter games that Duane Kuiper famously described as "torture." You so thoroughly embraced this team and its gritty style of play that the players and coaches came to see their home fans as true partners.

When the Giants won the National League West title by beating the San Diego Padres on the last day of the season, the team took a lap around the park to shake hands and celebrate with the people they saw every day in the stands, the ones who "never stopped believing." The players, coaches and everyone in the Giants organization are grateful for the extraordinary bond we enjoy with our fans.

After 52 years of waiting, the San Francisco Giants won its first World Series Championship. When Brian Wilson threw the final strike in Arlington, Texas, and Giants players leapt with joy and amazement, so did Giants fans everywhere. The triumph is so thrilling and satisfying because all of us own a piece of it, from the diehards who weathered bitter nights at Candlestick Park to recent converts in Panda hats and black beards. None of the 2010 Giants players landed in our clubhouse by happenstance. None of the extraordinary performances was born of luck. Our scouts, analysts and coaches drafted and developed the best young talent in baseball: Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey and Jonathan Sanchez. During the winter and throughout the season, General Manager Brian Sabean found key players to fill specific needs by making strategic trades, signing free agents and plucking solid contributors from the waiver wires. Manager Bruce Bochy arranged and rearranged the pieces, using 126 different lineups during the regular season. Most important, he melded players of vastly different personalities, nationalities, skills and experience into a single unit that focused on one goal: Winning.

As thrilled as we are to win the World Series this season, we are already back at work, looking toward tomorrow. Our goal is to field a contending team every season. We are committed to developing the smartest, most skilled and most prepared players in baseball. On and off the field, in dugouts and cubicles, hotdog stands and ticket booths, the "Giants' Way" means working hard and working smart to build the most successful franchise in Major League Baseball.

Through this wonderful, improbable season, your loyalty and passion energized every player and coach. When we chose "It's Magic Inside!" as our slogan for 2010, we had no idea how true those words would be. From all of us at the Giants, thank you for sharing the magic.

Sincerely,


Bill Neukom
Managing General Partner and Chief Executive Officer

today's lunch

and here is today's lunch, courtesy of chasen kuyo ('chasen' is the bamboo tea whisk used to make a bowl of matcha) at zenshuji temple...

SF giants - world series champs

a lifetime pursuit has finally been realized with my giants taking out the rangers to capture their first ever world championship for the city of san francisco. a quick recap of memorable events over the years:

johnnie lee lemaster. mimicking the batting stance of C milt may



receiving my first croix de candlestick.

veni. vidi. vixi. indeed.




will 'the thrill' clark's HR in his 1st major league at-bat in the astrodome.

landing my first gig at candlestick park. chillin in section 23 with the rest of my fellow vendors. trying to see carnation chocolate malts on a wednesday 7:35pm game against the montreal expos at the stick with an announced attendance of 7,902, yelling "ice cream here!" while fans in parkas wrapped in blankets peer out with icicle stares. candy maldonado's misplayed ball against the cards in the NLCS.

mike krukow's eephus pitch.

kevin mitchell's bare-handed catch of a fly ball down the LF line against the cards. watching my buddy frank ask dave dravecky for his autograph when his left (pitching) arm was in a sling. talking to SS jose uribe before a home game, then having him dart away to take a dump. sprinting home from school to catch clark's game winner against mitch 'wild thing' williams in game 5 of the NLCS against the cubbies. the thrill's 1.200 slugging percentage in the series. in attendance at game 3 of the world series when the earthquake struck at 5:04pm, racing on to the field and remembering the look of terror on everybody's face.

the arrival of barry "US" bonds.

matt williams' 33 HRs at the 1994 all-star break threatening the all-time single season HR record before the strike prematurely ended the season and his pursuit.

trying to catch game 6 vs. anaheim while in maui participating in jay's wedding. when i raced away from the proceedings to find a bar, my elation at a 5-3 lead turned to horror after scott spiezio's 3-run HR in the 8th.

at dodger stadium when bonds was at #754. going to the concession stand with a friend attired in dodger blue and her hearing catcalls of "honey, i feel sorry for you!"

2010 - broke the streak of the giants losing every game i've attended at dodger stadium (previously 0 for 5) on an improbable come from behind victory. stressing about playing game #163 in san diego on a monday, then traveling to atlanta for #164 the next day in the event of a three-team tie. taking the division on the final sunday, the same sunday i arrive to scale mount whitney. 2010 world series champs. elation, tears & pride. so this is what it feels to be a winner...

eggleston at LACMA - opening reception

headed to tonight's opening night reception at LACMA for william eggleston, recognized by many as a master of color photography.



i've seen the documentary short entitled "william eggleston: photographer," which gives a neat overview of his process and method in capturing images. he seemingly has a haphazard, almost arbitrary style of taking photos, and his rule of taking only one of each subject is quite remarkable.

** update **

last night's event was definitely a highlight, as not only was it my first time visiting LACMA, but i also got to meet eggleston himself - looking dapper in a cream colored suit w/black bow tie. i was also introduced to a few of the museum heads who are arranging next weekend's panel focusing on his photography...



plus, it afforded me the change to ride in the coolest elevator i've ever been in - a clear, exposed artistic jewelcase the size of one's living room:



www.lacma.org/art/ExhibEggleston.aspx

on to the world series!

saturday night's game 6 against the phillies had me in the throes of a coronary, but i held it together long enough to see brian wilson's called third strike on phillies' slugger ryan howard. i've never been more proud of a group of guys coming together in my life - congrats boys and go get em on wednesday!

mount san jacinto - another peak?

snapped this after taking the tram to the mountain station at 8,516 ft. was tempted to make a quick jaunt to the san jacinto peak (at 10,834 ft., the 2nd highest in socal), but alas, we were there on vacation and i deserved a break after my assault on mount whitney the week prior...

eats - norma's (parker palm springs)

made reservations for sunday brunch at norma's which sounded like a must-do in palm springs. the outdoor patio alone got me from jump, and since temps were already in the low 80s at 11:15am, it provided the perfect backdrop. it's a beautiful space with striking whites and bold yellows and oranges, yet strategically covered up top to prevent the heat from permeating.



the menu - at least for breakfast - is basically fine dining diner food, if there is such a thing. they start us off with complimentary shots of their fresh pineapple smoothie (top right above), which is refreshingly cold and delicious.

we decide to order one breakfast item and one lunch item, so it's the papaya brown butter cinnamon crepes and the rock lobster salad & mango w/citrus vinaigrette:




norma's at the parker palm springs
4200 e. palm canyon dr.
palm springs, CA 92264
http://www.theparkerpalmsprings.com/dine/normas.php

stay - desert star hotel

drove to palm springs on saturday to celebrate heidi's birthday, and came away utterly impressed with our stay at the boutique desert star hotel.




first off, a lot of hotels in the desert are sold out on the weekends, and most have a 2-night minimum stay on top of that, so there weren't a bevy of options that i was faced with. but davy (the manager) was extremely accommodating via e-mail earlier in the week and made an exception to allow just the one night (saturday). he offered an additional $20 off the room charge, so i was sold.



there are just 6 bungalows at this charming retreat, but each suite is distinctive it its own right. the style is mid-century - it opened in 1954 - but updated with modern touches. ours was bungalow #3, a 572 square foot oasis of soothing relaxation. the bedroom opens to a private patio thru 12-foot glass sliding doors, and it can be separated from the living room by an accordion wall.

outside near the heated salt water pool were about 40 DVDs to borrow, so after dinner we selected 'sideways' and 'notting hill' and called it a night. the question isn't if i'm coming back, it's how soon...

desert star hotel
1611 calle palo fierro
palm springs, CA 92264
www.desertstarhotel.com

on to the NLCS!

SF giants vs. philadelphia phillies
game 1: saturday, october 16
tim lincecum (16-10) vs. roy halladay (21-10)