I so wish I had my own

Don't tell Libby.

I loooove thise blog, it has the prettiest pictures (such as these). Enjoy!

addiction

The odds seem pretty good that after a bomb burrito or torta session someone always walks away doubled over with mysterious stomach cramps.  And yet, we go back for more again and again, to El Farolito (for the very brave) or Cancun (my fav) or El Metate or La Taqueria etc. etc. etc.  the list goes on!  Despite the obvious adverse effects of my burrito addiction (calories? gastrointestinal repercussions, fullness lasting 6 to 8 hours, etc)  I am getting anxious thinking about what my taqueria options will be when mimoun and I move to NY in February.


I love that so many people on my google image search for "mission taqueria" took similar pictures to this one, ie. check out this wonderful experience awaiting my tastebuds

stargazing

the veil nebula...more info

Lucy has become an expert at stargazing lately.  We pulled out the start charts a few nights ago, and she cleverly identified the mysteriously bright ball on the southwest horizon as Jupiter.  How neat! If you are also an aspiring astronomer, you can actually take classes or simply stop by for public viewing times at the observatory in Sugarloaf state park in Kenwood, CA just a short drive north of San Francisco.

hella prepared

 

Finally, please enjoy this awesome website = Astronomy Picture of the Day

comfy

I hope everyone had a lovely thanksgiving!  Funny pictures of my family coming soon...

I really like the new options this winter for dressing really comfortably. Here are a few of my favs.

Awesome selection of tights from Gap (scroll all the way down).

  

These stretchy skirts from american apparel look rather uncomfortable on the model, but if you buy them in a more forgiving size, they're actually really comfy, ie. with tights and boots.

Emy and I love these non-constricting "bralettes"

And what a fun holiday dress. 

from madewell

sushi party

Last week mimoun and I went to a delicious sushi dinner at our friend's house in the castro, up up up by portola. We all reminisced about the giants winning season and feasted on homemade tempura and roll after roll of caleb's amazing (of yourstruly) creations.  Thanks for the invite dudes!

mimoun and nate's roll - amateur, but delicious :)

house dog marley was reaallly into the food

robyn

To my complete shock I had a totally awesome time at the Robyn show tuesday night. Funny enough, the concert coincided with my starting a twitter account tuesday morning, so be forewarned that the first @noratheexplora_ tweets are rather clouded by delicious cocktails from John's Grill (incidentally the only delicious thing there) and the collective joy I felt dancing like crazy with the rest of the Robyn fans.

I don't have kids, thankfully, but if I did...

I would do this freaking adorable project with them! This is coming to you via me via Creature Comforts via Bella Dia. How I love re-blogging.

Okay, perhaps a it's a little complicated...

beautiful san francisco

emy in the park. isn't san francisco beautiful?

how adorable are emy's pets? tucker and commie, snuggling on the couch

delightful sunday

hello friends, I hope you're all having a relaxing and lovely day.  Someone on our street is playing tinkly jazz music on their piano and its drifting in through our windows.  I love how the eucalyptus surrounding our apartment makes it feel like a tree house. 

nick and nora

I simply love all things Nick and Nora.  I love the escape to a marvelous world of living out of hotels, drinking martinis all day, and solving mysteries before the end of a dinner party, in an evening gown no less.  Read the book first if you'd like, The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett, and of course read The Maltese Falcon (also by Hammett) if you're in the mood for a delicious and suspenseful san francisco mystery.

My friend Laura and I both agree we could look at Porter Hovey's love blog all day. 

Thanks for finding this picture! 

soul power

hello friends! what is everyone up to this weekend?  It's supposed to rain all weekend in SF, but in the spirit of the blog's title, I shall not let it detract from my adventure seeking!  Tonight is the weekly opportunity to boogie down to your favorites at Acme Bar's "East Bay's Got Soul."  And I have really wanted to go for so long. Perhaps tonight is the night I will find someone who wants to take a short, easy BART trip over to bezerkeley. 

visitors!

Isn't it the best when friends you love come to visit?  Can't wait to see my emy lou this weekend xoxo

hip drop

Mimoun and I had an excellent dance party last night to the Soul Jazz records compilation, "New Orleans Funk - The Original Sound of Funk 1960-1975."  Lucy bought it for mimoun last Christmas and we still put it on all the time.  I couldn't find a live video, but here's one of my favs.

tennis

Last night mimsy and i were super excited to remember that Tennis was in town and playing at the Utah. Mimoun hadn't seen Patrick and Alaina since touring with them in August, so it was fun to eat donuts and catch up after the show. I love this video that our friend put together of their song "Cape Dory."  

Video belongs to Richard Law. Music belongs to Tennis.

lucy's birthday celebration

After a slow morning of Taylor Swift music videos (I might as well be honest!), Mike, Lucy, and I started at Indian Camp in the Tilden Park nature area and hiked up up up the Peak Trail to an awesome panoramic view.  We're talking about trying to do a once a month sibling hike - there seem to be an endless amount of epic trails.

san pablo reservoir

looking north

lucy and mike in the "Peace Grove"

Finally, a delicious picnic in the free tilden botanic gardens.

baclava desserts! my favorite thing on earth

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

smart octopus!

 an adorable octopus making a clever coconut-shell home... I didn't realize the academy of sciences webpage had all these fun science videos. enjoy!

long overdue park day

the living roof

Mimoun and I used the veterans day holiday to visit the new academy of sciences.  well, I suppose it's not new anymore, but it's so different from the dark, looming halls I remember my cousins and I running around in as kids.  I loved being surrounded by giant chloroplasts in the planetarium movie - Life: a Cosmic Story.  We wrapped up the lovely afternoon feasting on sushi and tempura at Ebisu before biking home.   Next stops for non-native mimoun include the Legion of Honor, the MOMA, and the de Young.  Are we missing anything?

I don't think Julian's done a cover I don't love

Video - Julian Lynch - Come As You Are

terry malts

Last night, after an OK vietnamese dinner, mimoun and I biked up to the Hemlock on Polk street to see our friend Phil's band Terry Malts.  A side project of the primary band Magic Bullets, it's a more punk rock sound but with the same head bobbing effect.  I really like "I'm neurotic" and "where is the weekend." It reminds me of something that would be on the Angus soundtrack, which is excellent.

Tape, thanks phil!

birthday gift...

Lulu is finally entering her 20s!  Seems like she's been about 25 forever, but she ends her teen years on November 24th.  We're having an early celebration this Saturday at the berkely botanical gardens, and I want to have an extra special and useful gift to give her.



the herb garden



I think I'll be able to find something on Etsy, where you can shop by color. How clever!

asparagus, magenta, ochre, midnight blue...



california hot springs

Like many marin-ites, there are few things I love more than soaking in a hot tub. Before mike and I move to new york next year, I thought it would be such fun to visit some california hot springs.  I stumbled on this funny, yet useful, homemade website with an awesome map. 

click on the map for a version you can zoom

really like the perspective of this article on Slate. enjoy!

shanghai alley cat

not jeff, but what a neat trick!

When mimoun and I last left off with our friend Jeff a year ago, he had just started tinkering with his fixed gear bike and taken it on a few rides around Shanghai.  Now, he's completely immersed in the People's bike scene and regularly races around the (terrifying) streets with a group of fellow die-hard riders. Check out the review of this year's Shanghai Alley Cat race. The pictures of the race and skills competition are awesome! (you will spot Jeff in the pink telletubby costume...) How cool that the energy and community biking creates seems to be the same all over the world.

sick :(

In the middle of a home made red curry dinner and "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" (action movies are one of the rare genres mimoun and I can agree on) I started to feel a terrible cold coming on.  It's been three days and I am stilllll feeling ill.  What is your get better trick? 

perhaps some Guatamalan chicken stew?


Warm madewell things to bundle up in

And maybe some bi-rite ice cream...  it feels so nice on my sore throat.

picture from here. thanks!

Hope everyone's taking their Vitamin C!

everybody loves a parade

This somewhat disappointing picture should give you an idea of how much I could see at the Giant's World Series Parade on Wednesday.  While it may have been awesome waving from a cable car, I was surrounded by a group of angry little league dads yelling at their diabolical sons, "There's nothing to see yet goddammit!" and shoved by drunk people elbowing their way to the front "Aaaay sweetheart, remember me?" By the time the players were rolling by in their cable cars, I couldn't see a thing. Maybe caught a glimpse of Jonathan Sanchez's eyebrows.  Much better pictures here and here and here. Enjoy!

best seats in the house

events

The renegade halloween show saturday was a great success.  The wonderful hosts of the night, who own the event space the Common, sure knew what they were doing and I can't wait to see what goes down there next.  People were spilling out of the doors of the "secret" show to see the "secret" bands, and everyone showed up in really well thought out costumes (my favorites were the sister wives in long peasant dresses and their mormon husband).  Thanks to fellow partiers for your enthusiasm and lack of too-cool-to-wear-a-costume-ness, and general good behavior.  What a great halloween!

Tonight Dominant Legs, Melted Toys, and Holy Shit are playing at cafe du nord.  See you there!

oh happy day!

Last night the Giants won the World Series for the first time since 1954.  Walking down the streets, high-fiving everyone, it reminded me of being in DC when Obama won the presidency in 2008.  Oh, the collective joy! The exhuberance soon got out of hand however, ie. "SF Giants win World Series after 56 years, riots follow" Mimoun saw some delirious fans, or regular hooligans, light a matress on fire at the corner of 22nd and Mission. We ended the night eating left over halloween chocolates and watching Edgar Renteria's game winning home run over and over and over and over...



photo graciously provided by this random website