Archive for the ‘San Francisco’ Category
Posted by keithosaunders on September 9, 2010
We were finishing up dinner and I was about to throw the remaining scraps of my meal into the garbage when all of a sudden my son called out, “Dad, no! It goes in here.” He was pointing to a 16 inch hard plastic green pail. I stared in disbelief.
“Good sweet Mordecai, you don’t mean…”
“I do.”
COMPOST!
You see, my friends, garbage in the Bay Area is no laughing matter. They take recycling seriously in these parts and you either get on the bus or get out of town.
We’ve got three garbage pails: One for regular garbage, and one for recycling, which conveniently encompasses most plastics, glass, and my personal favorite, foil. These pails are not large and if you overfill them the garbage men will leave the excess at the curb. Then there is the green compost pail where we put the food and lawn scraps. The entire crowd of them get picked up by three separate trucks on Wednesday.
As you can see there’s a lot of pressure on garbage day. First of all, don’t forget to put the pails out on Tuesday night. Second of all, don’t forget about the pails.
The first two weeks we were here the garbage men left the pails halfway full. I was wondering if this was some sort of neighborhood initiation or hazing. Perhaps they wanted a tip. “Thanks for taking care of me, Nunzio.”
Fortunately my neighbor appears to be an expert on the topic and he informed me that sometimes the bags adhere to the bottom of the pail. Yesterday I was able to observe the pickup process. I learned that the garbage men do not actually handle the garbage! The trucks are equipped with hydraulic prongs which lift the pails upside down and into the truck.
I realized that I simply had to put the bag on bottom, which had been sticking, onto the top. It worked like a charm. Yesterday’s garbage pickup was 100% successful and today I feel like a million bucks!
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Posted in San Francisco | Tagged: Bay Area, garbage, life, reclcling, San Francisco | 3 Comments »
Posted by keithosaunders on September 4, 2010
Like most parents I dread going into a parking lot because of the drubbing I receive at the hands of my nine-year old daughter upon the sighting of any Volkswagen. Somewhere along the line it became de rigueur to deliver a punch to the nearest person after seeing a Volkswagen Bug, although my daughter has amended the rules to make it any model.
Here in the Bay Area I have seen a lot of old cars. I suppose that the mild California winters have allowed for greater preservation — they don’t deal with the rust that ensues from salted roads. Many of the cars I’ve seen have the blue and gold license plates from the 70s. Some, like the one pictured below, even have the old black with gold lettering plates of the 60s.
Coming out of the market yesterday I noticed this old Volkswagen Bug which had the passenger seat removed, allowing for a makeshift backseat. I ended up having a conversation with the owner of the car, now 70, who had earned his living as a Volkswagen mechanic. He was the original owner of this 1965 model and the car has over 500,000 miles. He also has a 1968 model with roughly the same mileage. He has recently replaced the engine, but unfortunately, thanks to a shadow, my photo doesn’t do it justice. It was amazing seeing a shiny, brand-new engine inside of this classic old car.
He is moving to Idaho where he can fly fish full-time. He’ plans on driving both vehicles the 1,000 plus miles.
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Posted in San Francisco | Tagged: Bay Area, California, life, punchbuggy, Volkswagen, volkswagen beetle | Leave a Comment »
Posted by keithosaunders on September 1, 2010
Keitho shows you the Bronx!
You’ll hear such hits as,
I’m Making a Left, Just Deal With It
Changing Lanes Over You
and
Reversing Off the Bruckner
Phone now and receive the bonus track, I’m Jiggy with the Jughandles of Jersey.
Act now while supplies last.
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Posted in music, San Francisco | Tagged: Bronx, driving, KTEL, New Jersey, San Francisco | Leave a Comment »
Posted by keithosaunders on August 28, 2010
I love to drive. I grew up in a driving city, Los Angeles, and as a musician I’ve logged thousands of hours in my car. Here’s the thing: When I get in my car I want to move. I’m not saying I want to speed, although my wife would disagree. I do, however want the feeling of forward momentum working towards the goal of an efficient arrival.
New York drivers are all business behind the wheel. If the light changes and you fail to step on the accelerator, well you’re going to get honked, and deservedly so. If someone wants to pass you, they pass you. They’re in more of a hurry than you are and that’s fine – I respect that. I was all for it as long as I was not put me in any danger. What did I care? I would never see them again so there was no point in carrying a grudge.
If I was driving down Park Avenue and there was a cab on my left, I half expected him to cut me off to pick up his fare. I was looking out for him, and do you know what? He was looking out for me too. In another situation I might have to cut him off. So we would honk, scream a few choice curse words, and be on our way. That’s life.
Here in the Bay Area, when it comes to driving, their pinkies are up. Last week I had to get over to my left quickly and I changed lanes just a tad closer to the vehicle behind me than I would have liked. As I was changing lanes I could see the driver’s face. It was contorted with rage and indignity. You would have thought I had run over his grandmother, rather than cause him to decelerate a mere 2 miles per hour. I can imagine him recounting this grave injustice to his friends over latte.
Yesterday I really acted out. I was like the James fucking Dean of the Bay. I was at a four-way stop sign waiting for the car in the perpendicular street to go. As is often the case when several cars are stopped at opposing stop signs there was some hesitation. Boom! I went for it. That’s the way I roll…I’m from New York. The kicker was that the perpendicular driver didn’t seem to mind – at least he didn’t honk. The driver at his opposite stop sign, however, to my left, took up his cause. As I was passing her she not only honked, but wagged a finger at me.
A finger wag?! Who does she think she is, Bill Clinton? There’s no finger-wagging in driving!
This is going to take a little getting used to.
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Posted in San Francisco | Tagged: barbeque, Bay Area, life, San Francisco | 2 Comments »
Posted by keithosaunders on August 23, 2010
Everyone went to sleep at 8:30 and since we do not yet have our furniture I decided to take in a movie. I was happy to find that the local movie theatre is only a couple of miles up the road. On the way I passed three bars, two greasy spoons, and a bowling alley, all of which I intend to visit. (maybe not the bowling alley, but I did notice a sports bar attached to it so…)
I think it’s key for me to find a good bar to hang out in, the ultimate goal being that the bartender know my drink and have it waiting for me by the time I reach the stool. Heh…stool.
The sports bar that i mentioned brought up a perplexing quandary. Now that I’m on the west coast most of the games, particularly the teams I care about, begin way too early for me in the day to start drinking. You can’t begin drinking at four in the afternoon unless you are Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend, or Nick Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. Then you start as soon as you awake.
In New York I had my sports bar in the Village. It became my Wednesday routine to arrive at 8:30-9:00pm, just as the early games were getting into the middle innings. That way I could see the end of the early games and the beginning of the west coast games.
Here on the west coast I can only see the late games, since showing up at 4:30 would put me in town-sot territory. Unless there’s an opening for town-sot. I could use the gig.
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Posted in baseball, San Francisco | Tagged: bar, jazz, life, movie, nichlas cage, ray milland, San Francisco, the lost weekend | 1 Comment »
Posted by keithosaunders on August 19, 2010
After 3,653 miles, 10 states, 2 countries, and countless fillerups, we have at last alit on Key Route blvd in Albany, California. We are very happy to be reunited with our son Jake, who is sporting a new hair style and now has a pierced ear – a new look for a new town.
Our new house is charming and spacious, and unfortunately lacking any furniture at all, save for two queen-sized air mattresses which were purchased today at Target. The movers say that they will call us the day before they deliver our furniture. Using this formula I have deduced that the soonest they will arrive will be Friday. We are faced with the very real possibility of not having furniture until Monday. That’s a lot of meals out. Where’s an automat when you need one?
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Posted in road trip, San Francisco | Tagged: albany, California, life, moving, road trip, San Francisco | 2 Comments »
Posted by keithosaunders on July 18, 2010
We’re three weeks away from our departure to the Bay Area and we have settled on a route. We’re going to leave from our Upstate house (Ulster county), drive to Niagara Falls, stay over on the Canada side, and continue west, re-entering the U.S. at the Motor City where I’ll be wanting to go to a Tigers game. After the inevitable veto we’ll continue west into Chicago where we’ll spend a day or two with my brother, providing he agrees to allow the dog to enter his house. We’ll pick up interstate 90, which will take us through Minnesota and South Dakota. We plan on driving through the Badlands, but eschewing Mount Rushmore in favor of the Gand Tetons in Wyoming.
If all goes according to plan we should arrive in the Albany, California sometime around the 19th of August, just in time to begin preparing for my 50th birthday bash. I’ll have six days in which to meet west coast buddies to invite to the party. I’ll have to get right to work and hit the bars immediately. Isn’t there an iphone app? – Insta-friends?
In the meantime we’re working on buying a larger vehicle for the trip west. It looks like we’ll buy a minivan — a Mazda 5. I have long resisted this final foray into middle-aged life but it is now impossible. Even I have to admit that with three kids and a dog it is needed. We’re leaving my beloved Honda wagon back east. Not only does it have nearly 200,000 miles, but it would not pass Cali emissions tests. Anyway, its radio has stopped working. I think that one your car radio has given out, it is akin to the fat lady singing. It’s over.
Our New York apartment is still not sublet, which is a source of stress we could do without. So now I am calling on the blogosphere: There is a great three bedroom with East River and Manhattan views available in Long Island City! You will not be disappointed.
There you have it. The state of the move. T – 22 days.
What an apartment!
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Posted in life, San Francisco | Tagged: apartment, Badlands, Bay Area, Chicago, Grand Tetons, life, Mazda, moving, New York, real estate | 2 Comments »
Posted by keithosaunders on July 1, 2010
Next month my family and I will be driving cross-country to our new home in the Bay Area. We’re going through the most stressful period now as we still do not have a tenant for our New York apartment. Besides finding a tenant the most pressing issue is planning our road trip. We’ve got to get across with two adults, two kids, and a Labrador.
Today I walked into my local AAA with the hopes that an agent could plan a more interesting route than simply driving west on I 80. Here’s how it went.
I asked if AAA would be able to come up with a trip-tik from New York to San Francisco.
”Sure, you just take I 80 the entire trip.”
I asked if there were any points of interest along the way and he said,
”Well there’s the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and an amusement park a little bit west of there –besides that, there’s nothing until Utah”
I asked him what about Chicago and he replied, “Oh yeah.”
An acquaintance mentioned to me that there is google software, possibly tied in with google maps, that will chart a trip that is interesting and tailored to your wants and needs. I understand that the software will also let you know where good restaurants are, as opposed to fast food joints and chain outlets. Has anyone ever heard of this, and if so where can I find it?
Is it quixotic, at this stage, to opt for state roads over interstates? We’re not going to be in a great hurry to get across and would prefer to see beauty over the corporate drudgery of the interstate system.
How about driving with a U-Haul? Have you had good or bad experiences with this? Is it dangerous when it comes to crossing the Rockie Mountains while towing a U-Haul van?
All information will be greatly appreciated.
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Posted in San Francisco | Tagged: AAA, driving, family vacation, moving, road trip planning, road trips, San Francisco, travel tips | 1 Comment »
Posted by keithosaunders on June 22, 2010
I was driving home from my gig last Friday, a birthday party which was held at the Four Seasons restaurant on the east side of Manhattan. The bass player was with me, and as I was pulling onto the 59th st Bridge all of a sudden a cab cut directly in front of me from the right. I couldn’t move to the left hand lane since there was a car directly to my side. I had to brake, swerve, and accelerate, all within the span of a second. The bass player calmly noted “You’ve got your New York chops.”
The truth is that maneuvers such as this happen every time you drive in New York. We don’t look at it as a big deal. It’s reality. When I’m driving downtown on 7th Ave I expect the cab on my right to dart in front of me to pick up that fair. He, in turn expects me to squeeze in front of him in because my lane is ending due to construction. He’s looking out for me, I’m looking out for him. No big deal. Sure, sometimes we have close calls. That’s what the horn is for. We use it liberally.
I haven’t yet moved to the Bay Area (still seven weeks to go) but my wife and I recently spent a weekend there looking for homes. During that time I had my re-introduction to west coast driving, and let me tell you, I do not have my California chops yet.
In New York when I want to change lanes, one of two things occurs. Either the person to my left speeds up and passes me, or he slows down and lets me in. Either way is fine with me. I just want to change the damn lane. In Cali the drivers jealousy guard their lane. They will not budge one inch and I found myself having to force the issue by squeezing in. inevitably they would become upset and shoot me a scowl or give me the finger. Apparently one must plan for his lane changes well in advance.
The other thing that bothered me about the driving habits out there was how often the light would change and the driver would not notice. And you don’t honk there — it’s simply not done! So you just sit and stew waiting for the driver to wake up. Here in New York we would be all over the horn. “Cmon! Move it!” The driver at the light might respond with a hearty “Aw, blow it out your ass!” But you know what? It works. In the end everyone is happy — no bottled up aggression here.
Just this morning I witnessed an all-time classic New York driving move. It was executed by my wife’s 91-year-old great-uncle Ralph. I drove my mother in law and her friend up to Ralph’s place in the Bronx where he was waiting to drive the three of them up to another friend’s house in Westchester. I pulled over alongside the curb, and I don’t know why, but Ralph pulled his car out of his driveway facing the wrong way. He was pulled over a few feet from my car but he was facing the oncoming traffic! How did he do it? Why did he do it?! These are mysteries better left for the ages, but I’ll tell you this: I tip my cap to Uncle Ralph. He executed the move perfectly, with confidence and conviction. I couldn’t have pulled it off. It takes a native New Yorker to have the wherewithal and the moxie. Take that, California!
[Ralph's car is facing the white SUV.]
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Posted in New York City, San Francisco | Tagged: 59th st Bridge, 7th Ave, bass player, Bay Area, gig, jazz, Manhattan, music, New York, New York City, New York drivers, Queensborough Bridge, San Francisco | Leave a Comment »
Posted by keithosaunders on May 24, 2010
I spent this past weekend in the Bay Area looking for places to live since I’ll be relocating there late this summer. While I was there I couldn’t help but notice that the driving style was very different from that of New York City. I do a lot of driving — always have, having grown up in L.A. — so I feel very attuned to the road.
In New York we’re usually running late and in a hurry. We tend to drive a little bit too fast on our small, crowded highways, and we like to weave in and out of traffic. We liberally (no pun intended) honk our horns, and do not take offense to being honked at as long as the honk is brief and to the point — not a sustained wail.
In the Bay Area the roads are generally congested and people drive close together, but at slower speeds. I found it very difficult to change lanes as people usually wouldn’t make room. For some reason, New York drivers expect you to change lanes and are usually accommodating. The Bay Area drivers jealously guarded their lanes and I could tell they considered it an affront when I had to force my way in. These were the only times I ever heard car horns this weekend.
That’s right, they never honk their horns unless they are mad at you, the catalyst for this anger being the aforementioned lane change. If you are at a red light and you haven’t noticed that the light has changed, don’t worry. They will not honk, but wait patiently for you to notice. This is clearly not a honkable offense out west which is much different from New York. Here, if you don’t move the split second after the light changes you are reminded immediately.
I’m interested in other impressions. I admit that this could be all in my head, or perhaps I’m just an impatient driver.
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Posted in New York City, San Francisco | Tagged: Bay Area, cars, driving, L.A., New York City, San Francisco, traffic | 3 Comments »
