the seat of power gets cushier...

...while the workers take cuts. What am I talking about? Well the recently-hired City Manager where I work (the City of Larkspur), has been impressing on all employees that the City budget is in a state of "structural deficit." We know what that means -- that in the near future we worker bees are going to be hit with cuts. But the infuriating thing is that while talking about being compelled to dip into reserves to balance this year's budget, the City Manager went and bought himself a new $900 leather chair! I know there are stories like this in the news every day, and each time I say "shame on you" to the mighty for thinking that the boss is entitled to spend money to make things, well, cushier (never mind the hefty salary) while the folks at the lower level fall further behind.

bike to work day/bike everyday!

Yesterday was the 17th annual Bay Area Bike to Work Day. There were "energizer stations" along most routes that bike commuters use. This one was at Breaking Away Bicycles in Ross, where I was handed a musette bag containing nifty little gifts. My favorite is the handout from our library system, "Ride To Your Library: Selected Titles About Bicycling". I put in a request for a fun-sounding book, "Eat, Sleep, Ride: How I Braved Bears, Badlands and Big Breakfasts in My Quest to Cycle the Tour Divide." And the Cliffbar was thoughtful. Three cheers for Bike to Work Day!

going after grunge

When you look at the patio furniture on our back patio you can tell we had a very wet winter and spring. My little power washer was great at blasting off the algae. Now we can once again enjoy sitting out there (although there is a chance of rain again tomorrow, Mothers Day).

flea marketing

The Alameda Flea Market has been around for decades and it's the biggest one in Northern California. Yesterday my daughter and I went--not super early like people who are on serious missions--but by mid-morning we were there, poking among the stuff of about 800 sellers. We thought things were pretty pricey but here's what we purchased for 5 bucks, a terrific bold tiny tray, definitely often used by its previous owner. My kind of beautiful.

garage sale find!

It seems the winter rains are finished--we haven't had rain for a week and today was beautiful and sunny. So that means garage sale season is starting! Here's what we found at a sale on our walk home from the coffee shop. A black, like-new, Restoration Hardware bistro set, perfect for the months of outdoor living that are ahead.

more painting

Painting the walls and ceiling in the hallway isn't exciting to anybody but me (I love how white paint reflects any glimmer of light). It's turning into a 3 coat job, one of primer and two finish coats. By the weekend it will be done and back I go to painting trim--there are four doors in this little hallway! I made a detour and painted glossy black this long-ago garage sale find. The more I look at Scandinavian interior blogs, the more black and white I want. The search is on for a black and white striped cotton runner for the hall. First thought was Ikea but no luck.

best in Seattle area

We go there to visit our kids...and go to a couple of great bakeries. Macrina has three bakeries and cafes in Seattle. Just take a look at the fantastic cookies in the window of the 1st Avenue location. There is always bunching up of people at the counter, waiting a turn to buy to take away or to eat at the cafe. In my carry-on coming home yesterday I had a crusty loaf of Apricot Bread, also Olive bread and a sweet streusel-topped fruit bar. The macaroons got eaten well before flight time.

We had breakfast at the Bread Peddler in Olympia. This bakery-cafe is another busy place so picture-taking has to be very quick. Fruit tarts, brioche, "chocolate shots", scones, bread pudding, muffins, however to decide? And beautiful breads too, we grabbed a baguette and whole wheat/rye loaf. Oh my, I love to eat in and around Seattle!