Hijinks @ Namu

Originally uploaded by js_hale

Peter, Todd & Andre were striking a pose for the camera-phone. The highlight of my birthday was finding my long-lost camera phone under the backseat of our car - it's a good thing that I have willing subjects (even if they're a little goofy) who indulge me.

Namu is a fabulous little place in the Richmond - I think it's owned by a team of young Japanese & Koreans. Very tasty, expertly prepared fusion bar cuisine - the place reminds me of some nouveau-style izakaya I've been to in Japan. We're going back!

Sailing on the bay

It was my dad's and my birthday this past weekend (clockwise: me, Pat, Dad, Peter, Pat's girlfriend Colley, Mom) - as one of our mutual birthday presents, Dad treated us to a 4-hour sail on the San Francisco Bay. We had not done it in years, and Peter had never sailed on the bay before, despite having grown up in Tiburon! Our rent-a-skipper took this picture. He did the heavy lifting, and we all pitched in with tacking and steering. Stopped on Angel Island for lunch - after a couple hours of being on the water, a burger never tasted so good! The "4-hour tour" ended up being more like 7 hours, due to high winds on our return trip - still, it was great fun.