Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Two Men on My Mind --- Day 2/201

Walk: Palace of the Legion of Honor, Laurel Village, Trader Joe's
Distance:  3 Miles

Returned to the Impressionists on the Water show at the Legion of Honor today, and began thinking of two French artists.  One, Modigliani, was born in Italy but did most of his artistic work in France.  Actually born into a bourgeois Italian family fallen on financial ruin, upon reaching Paris he spectacularly abandoned all genteel trappings and cultivated a reputation as both an alcoholic and drug addict.  He was both, but seemed to revel in his debauchery rather than mask it.  He fathered a child but didn't marry, and when Modigliani died of the addictions and a lingering lung disease at age 35, his je ne sais quoi/common law wife (?) (nine months pregnant with their second child) killed herself the next day.  A dark,sad, tormented life whose tragedy went past just himself .

The other artist, Gustave Caillebotte, was also born into a bourgeois family, but his was exceedingly wealthy on both his father's and mother's sides.  Vis-a-vis the arts, he used his wealth to patronize many of the Impressionists who were his friends.  To become a renowned skillful sailor and boat designer.  And to hone his considerable talent as a fine artist.  (In my opinion, he stands as tall if not taller than any of the Impressionists.  Another entry maybe).  He never married, also died quite young at 45 a noble soul all the way through.  Thirty six paintings from his extensive collection form the core of the Musee D'Orsay's Impressionist collection.

No artist's biography is that artist's work.  Mistakes of understanding are made this way.  But the bare bone facts of these two artists lives did capture some part of my mind today.  We'll see what might come of that.  Always a provocative experience looking at art; unexpected encounters...




Amedeo Modigliani Photo.jpg
Amadeo Modigliani






Gustave Caillebotte



Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Copy This --- Day 2/200

Walk: Mindful Body
Distance: 10 Blocks and teach yoga class

Copying all these documents makes me Sooo uptight, and I just realized a huge reason is that it brings back memories of so many of my first jobs.  At Time & Life, Life Advertising: "CIWT, xerox these and send them to all our clients." On Capital Hill, Congressman's office: "CIWT, Go upstairs to the machine, robo copies of these and send them to all our main constituents." On various political campaigns, "CIWT, take these shoe boxes of note cards, copy the addresses, make labels and send to all potential voters."

Cinderella, Do this.  Cinderella, Do that. Etc, etc.  Guess some people have it in them to work their ways up from the copy room.  Not CIWT; she didn't have a clue.  I am simply not corporate; no wonder I was ready to do anything to avoid bureaucracy.  Enter a host of other 'careers' which might show up on CIWT's pages.

Monday, July 29, 2013

When I grow older... Day 2/199

Walk:  JCCSF
Distance: 16 blocks, take yoga class, take pilates lesson

Went to Red 2 the other day, and, like I always do when I see her, I re-decided that when I get old (wink), I want to be Helen Mirren.




Victoria in Red 2


Helen in Red

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Fair is Fair, Sometimes ---Day 2/198

Walk: Fort Mason (Renegade Craft Fair), Japantown (J-Pop Fair), Kabuki Theater (Red 2)
Distance: 4 miles

I go to craft fairs in two minds.  I try to admire and get into the art and crafts before me; expand my mind if nothing else.  I often talk to the artists.  But, especially as a former art salesperson and writer, there is a pull toward sadness.  The artists are often so talented, earnest, responsive to their personal visions, and it sort of breaks my heart to encounter this because I know the art world to be very, very difficult.  And I know most artists have no to very little idea how to promote themselves and what the art business world is like.  Even professional salespeople have hard times promoting themselves; it is rough to cold call, be rejected to your face, etc., but salespeople know this is the name of the game.  Often artists don't; they can be overwhelmed and hurt in so many ways - ie, they have obstacles they don't even know about yet - but I do.

Anyway, tenderness behind me I enjoyed a couple of San Francisco Fairs this Sunday.

I got some fashion tips:


Crochet pizza hair clips from the Renegade Craft Fair at Fort Mason


Some things to buy for my boyfriend when he arrives - from the J-Pop Fair in Japantown


A possible new direction for my art collection after K. Libbey Nash


My for real favorite artist today (in iphone photo with reflection).  Her name is Julia Lucey.  She has an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and a fine hand and heart for wildlife, the natural world and our interconnections with same.  I hope she finds galleries/collectors - maybe in Minnesota, Montana, and good wildlife type galleries wherever...www.julialucey.com.




Saturday, July 27, 2013

Magenta Surprise --- Day 2/197

Walk: Mindful Body, Lafayette Park, Union Square
Distance: 2.5 miles and teach yoga class

More Andy* surprises.  Don't know what those magenta flowers are blossoming on on their long, skinny stalks.  But they sure are cute.  Nice to come home to these uplifting new arrivals after smallest ever Saturday class as students visit good weather, families back East, summer homes.




* See Day 2/179 if you're curious who Andy is.

Friday, July 26, 2013

$15 Facial --- Day 2/196

Walk: Union Square, Fillmore, Mindful Body
Distance: 3 miles and teach yoga class

Have you ever noticed your face or other classmates' faces after yoga class.  People look absolutely radiant, glowing as if they have just had a facial.  Good price too.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

PDF --- Day 2/195

Walk: 0
Distance: 0

Still crunching.  Have to accumulate documents for someone.  Why or why don't I know how to make a pdf file?  All these things - bank statements, etc - are in my computer, and if I knew how to make such a file, I could just send it to the person.  But, no, no I don't know how, so I have to download and copy all these things.  Pages and pages, days of pages.  Modern life, not so modern ciwt.  (But getting there...)

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Crunchies --- Day 2/194

Walk: JCCSF, Fillmore Street
Distance: 28 blocks and take Pilates Reformer Lesson

Crunching Abs in first Pilates lesson using the actual reformer machine.  Big - BIG difference from doing a Pilates mat class.  Then home to crunch numbers.  It's been a while on both abs and numbers.  Wine time...



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Nineteen --- Day 2/193

Walk: JCCSF, Mindful Body
Distance:  2+ miles, take yoga class, teach yoga class

From the Free Dictionary by Farlex:
nine·teen  (nn-tn)
n.
1. The cardinal number equal to 18 + 1.
2. The 19th in a set or sequence.

[Middle English nintene, from Old English nigontne; see new in Indo-European roots.]

nine·teen adj. & pron.

From 1, 2, O students 11 years ago, my 3:00 Tuesday yoga class grew to 19 students today. It's been a slow steady evolution but, wow, I could barely believe it when I walked in.  Record to date. Breath by breath, pose by pose always remembering...


Monday, July 22, 2013

Go East, Young Woman -- Day 2/192

Walk: JCCSF, Trader Joe's, Pets Unlimited
Distance: 3.5 miles and take yoga class

A yoga student recently returned from the quintessential summer vacation: Upper State New York. She sent photos of a few of the sites she visited.




Glen Iris Inn, formerly the country estate of William Pryor Letchworth, and part of 1,000 acre Letchworth State Park which he donated to the State of New York in 1906.
http://www.ddtvl.com/newyork.htm



Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin complex in Buffalo, New York (1903-05; Prairie Style)
This is just the front of one building.  The complex extends to the side and back forever (26,140 feet to be exact). Other than our Marin Civic Center, I didn't realize Wright created large, sprawling buildings, particularly residences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_D._Martin_House

Sitting in the fog and wind out her, the pictures and stories of her trip made me yearn to be there - humidity, heat, mosquitoes and all.
http://www.fingerlakes.com/about

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Home Aloneish --- Day 2/191

Walk: No, Sunday
Distance: Puttering distance

Today I was going to go to a movie but something came up.  Yay!  I love being at home with my myself (and Callie).  No matter how much time I spend there, how many projects I do, there are always things to completely absorb me. Especially on a blustery, gray Sunday.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Jay --- Day 2/190

Walk: Mindful Body, Opera Plaza Movie, MAC Apparel
Distance: 6.5 miles and teach yoga class

Well, would you look at the time.  Like Ricky Jay I made it disappear today.

Of course no one is like Ricky Jay (or ciwt). Saw the documentary on him today: Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay.  Based on a New Yorker article/profile about 6 years ago but there is nothing like seeing Jay, master of deceit and consummate performer and personality,  in person.  You won't learn the secrets of any tricks because that isn't the way of such people, but you can't help being pulled in by the spellbinding world of (honest)  deception practiced at the highest level.




Friday, July 19, 2013

Golfer's Drives --- Day 2/189

Walk: Not much 
Distance: 8 blocks, home yoga, hit bucket of balls

Another 'summer' day in San Francisco, so headed again over the Golden Gate first to Peacock Gap, 40 minutes/23 miles from the city, to hit another bucket of balls.  (Possible CIWT entry on that coming up) Then remembered a couple of Marin roads/sites I've never been on/to in my over 40 years of living in the Bay Area.

The first is China Camp State Park on San Pedro Bay Road just beyond Peacock Gap.




A Chinese shrimp-fishing village thrived on this site in the 1880s. Nearly 500 people, originally from Canton, China, lived in the village. In its heyday, there were three general stores, a marine supply store and a barber shop.
Fisherman by trade in their native country, they gravitated to the work they knew best. Over 90% of the shrimp they netted were dried and shipped to China or Chinese communities throughout the US.  The museum at China Camp Village helps tell the story of these hardy shrimp fisherman.


The second is closer to the city, the Paradise Drive Loop, or as bikers might say 'P-Loop' or Ploop, one of the most popular Bay Area rides. 
http://community.sportsbasement.com/archives/paradise-loop/



The names of the roads that intersect with Paradise Drive are often variations on Eden, Valhalla, Heaven's Gate so you can imagine the views are spectacular and varied.  Must a be exhilarating to ride in such beauty.  But since I was driving, I also found it a bit white knuckle because the road is narrow, the shoulder is soft, the curves are blind and the riders are many.   



So much for my two hours in Paradise-Eden, time to head back over the bridge to 'summer' in the city.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Tunnel Vision --- Day 2/188

Walk: Around a bit  
Distance: 8 blocks, hit 2 buckets of balls at Peacock Gap

At this time of year ("summer"), there is often a dramatic difference in weather conditions between San Francisco and Marin.


Waldo Tunnel entering Marin from the city


Waldo Tunnel entering San Francisco from Marin


The gorgeous culprit

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Fire Me, Please --- Day 2/187

Walk: JCCSF, Presidio Driving Range
Distance: 1.5 miles, take yoga class, hit bucket of balls

Sliding slowly around my mind for things to write about today.  Maybe that editorial in the NY Times about the dental assistant who was fired for being beautiful?  But I can't really wrap my mind around that (or the article about how all those little things that keep slipping our minds really might be early dementia after all.  Gawd, certain topics should be banned from publication).  Looks like a slow night for ciwt.  So, fire me - puleeze...




Tuesday, July 16, 2013

It's in the Cards --- Day 2/186

Walk: Mindful Body (2), Presidio
Distance: 2 miles, hit bucket of balls, teach yoga class

I have a friend who has been a reader of Tarot cards for decades.  I've always assumed he takes these with a grain of salt, but received an email yesterday with an essay (by?) explaining the deep and vital importance of Tarot card information.  I didn't read it.  Taking Tarot readings so seriously sort of stays with me though. Can't quite integrate it. Oh well, since it's almost Alex/Jeopardy time, I researched whether there is a Jeopardy Tarot; turns out the closest card to that is the 5 of Swords.




There are lengthy descriptions of the way this card can be interpreted; the bottom line is as follows:

The advice of the Five of Swords is to pick your battles. You may be tempted to fight every conflict to ensure you get your way, to prove that you are right, or to defend yourself when you are feeling challenged or threatened by another person. However, most experts agree, choosing your battles wisely is a much better way of life than battling out every disagreement. Not only will picking your battles lead to a more peaceful existence, it is also more likely to strengthen your interpersonal relationships.

Sounds like pretty good advice...(Any disagreements?)