monkey monitor

monkey monitor
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

only in Japan....

My group and I were led around Akihabara this afternoon by Ren - had an awesome time.

Me missing Peter

I brought this picture of us from Christmas - that (and my imagination) going to have to do for just a couple more weeks....

Taiko game

Coco and "Jiji" playing a taiko game.

lazy Sunday

lazy Sunday
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter and I took the bikes down to the beach in the Marina and laid in the sand. This was an unbelievable day, weather-wise. We've hit those precious few, magic days in the city when you hardly ever need a jacket. soooo nice.

Heather's b-day party, La Barca

Heather's b-day party, La Barca
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

It was a fun night - dinner was followed by dancing at Comet Club, which is only as good as the crew you're with. In our case, the sheer awesome-ness of our group would have made any place fun.

Ack-cho

akcho
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Far more entertaining was the outfit sitting across from me on the bus AFTER leaving the Farmer's Market!
When I was in college in New York, we used to play a version of "There's your Dad" - we'd find the funkiest-looking dude and instead of saying "There's your Dad," our code for it was "Ack-cho Daddy," or simply "Ack-cho." So for everybody who reads this blog (all 3 of you out there)..... "ACK-CHO!!"

SF Farmer's Market

SF Farmer's Market
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Went to Language Exchange bright & early this morning & stopped by the Farmer's Market on the way home. The prices are surprisingly steep, but I managed to find some smallish Fuji apples for $.60/pound - not bad.

Me and Annabanana, Christie Winery, Sonoma.

Barrel Tasting 2007

Another awesome Barrel Tasting event - I think it's the 5th year that we've been doing it. This was Peter's first time, and we had an awesome day. A little less food than in previous years, but that usually all depends on which wineries you go to. Tasting Notes from this year are as follows: Geyser Peak: Meritage 2005 Barrel was awesome - it will be on the market in 6-7 months. I'm definitely grabbing a bottle as soon as it's available. Ferrari Carano: they did NOT do barrel tasting this year, but we stopped by anyway and picked up one of my favorite discoveries, the 2004 Fume Blanc - it got a 91 in Wine Spectator, and I had brought a bottle up to Thanksgiving Dinner at Peter's brother's house. Ferrari's 2005 Syrah was also pretty good. Dutcher: this was a new one. The barreled Cabernet was good, and the Gold Metal 2005 Zinfandel was also good. Dry Creek: this was a bummer compared to previous years, there wasn't much that impressed us. However, they had a very decent table wine for about $8 called Regatta that we picked up. It has the kind of flavor that will go with anything. Rued: pronounced "Roo-ed." Another new one - they had a GREAT, unusually fruity 2005 Zinfandel that will be released in October. I put my email address down to get the release notice. Everett Ridge: we know that their chardonnays and sav blancs rock. Their Zin was also good. I picked up a reserve chardonnay while I was there. Limerick Lane: Anna wanted to stop here, and she usually chooses well. we liked the '04 Zin, and we bought the '97 Zin just out of curiousity, since that was supposed to be a great year overall. The crowining glory of the day was CHRISTIE, a new winery just opened in 1993. Everything I tried was awesome - standouts were the cabs (both the '03 and the '04) and the '04 chardonnay. Sublime....now we just have to pick out the right foods to go w/ all our wines.... a nice problem to have!

Flowers for the patio

These are Peter's favorites. There was only 1 of these in a deep, velvety red. We had to cover them up the other night to protect them from marble-sized hail. Weather has been wacky lately, but the flowers are surviving so far!

Flowers for the back deck

flowers
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Our weekend was incredibly productive. We got flowers for the back deck, and also got most of my things from my old place in the Mission. It was a very productive weekend!

Trip to the nursery

Peter and flowers
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter and I went up into Marin County to get some flowers and plants
for the back deck. Peter got super-busy and arranged them all & look AMAZING.

poochers!

poochers!
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

We were visited by Charlotte Gaynor, a breeder of Golden Retrievers who lives in Santa Cruz. She brought Mom and Dad (Ritze and Radcliffe) over for a visit. We went walking in the park - cannot WAIT to get a dog now!!

Sushi and Sake Tasting

IMGP0571
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Brother Patrick came over last night for some store-bought sushi and sake sampling. The hands-down favorite was the tiny white bottle of Hakutsuru, right behind Pat's elbow. I had received it as a gift for visiting the brewery in January, so I had expected it to be mediocre - shows what I know. It was really smooth and flavorful. Other standouts were the corked sake in the middle called "Fujioka Shuzu." This was a less refined sake that we preferred to drink at room temperature, versus chilled - the sweetness was more pronounced that way. Tasty! Peter plated the sushi, and developed a new appreciation for the artistic flair and precision demonstrated by the pros. I made the miso soup and the shiro-ae spinach salad (still perfecting that one) and the bamboo shoots came from Nijiya supermarket in Japantown - now that I live w/ Peter, I only have to walk a few blocks to get there!!

Me & Peter - hiking in Marin

Me & Peter - hiking in Marin
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Hikin' on President's Day Weekend

The winds were high and the scenery was spectacular!

Valentine's Day Feast 2007

V-day feast1
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter had an excellent idea for Valentine's Day - leave work early, go get massages (yes, ladies, HE made these plans!), walk down to Whole Foods and find the best surf-n-turf combo that money can buy. The filet was cooked to PERFECTION, and the lobster (flown in from Canada) was so tender, I daresay it was as good as any lobster you could find anywhere in the world. Sides were wild rice (Uncle Ben's - don't laugh, it was GOOD) and steamed asparagus. All of it washed down with a Grgich Hills merlot....I was in food ecstasy.

happy couple in Tahoe

happy couple in Tahoe
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Peter took me to Heaven(-ly) in Tahoe this past weekend. I hadn't skiied in about 8 years. By the end of 3 days, I was doing small moguls, which was AWESOME. Can't wait to go again!

Shiro-ae

IMGP0553
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Back at home

IMGP0552
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

I made Niku-jaga (肉じゃが) shiro-ae (白あえ) for dinner last night. It's part of my new resolution to cook more at home & try to re-create the absolutely phenomenal home-cooked food that my good friend Hiroko makes.Fortunately, I have a willing guinea pig (Peter) who thinks I'm an excllent cook - lucky me! I also had shin-mai Japanese rice on hand, which was fantastic. AND we cracked open the KAGATOBI sake that I brought home from Japan - it DOES have the most amazing aftertaste that suggests the flavor of uni (sea urchin)! It's delicious, but it absolutely must be served chilled.