Didn't I

Even though I work at this great dance studio here in the city, I seriously miss the dance class that I used to go to in Atlanta. My teacher, Susan, had converted her attic into a dance studio. It was blistering hot in the summers and freezing cold in the winters. It didn't matter. It was such a beautiful space and class.

I used to bicycle there a little bit early so that I could sit chatting on her porch before going into class. It was sitting there one evening in early June that I told her about the possibility of moving to San Francisco.

I loved that everyone felt welcomed and able in her class. There were beginning dancers next to professional dancers. Susan has an amazing ability to see people moving and communicate what they are doing. And she always picked great music for her combinations. I fell in love with this song by Darondo while dancing to it in her class. Since I'm being nostalgic, I thought it fitting that the first video I found of it was a guy free style dancing on his street in San Francisco. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

SF Botanical Gardens

Pre-historic plants and vibrant colored flowers, oh my!

Japanese Pagoda in GG Park

Here's another intriguing spot that Martin and I found in Golden Gate Park.

My Body is a Cage

There are some songs that, when played in our apartment, Martin and I have to stop what we're doing and simply enjoy by dancing, singing and improvising. Here is a video of one of these songs. And the video is a great combination in of itself - an amazing song by Arcade Fire with a great spaghetti western, Once Upon a Time in the West, where Peter Fonda plays a truly amazingly evil character. I felt the need to share.

I'm getting better at this picture taking thing

Some shots I took from that same Sunday in the park.

Swing Dancing in GG Park

Every Sunday, when it isn't pouring down rain, a group of swing dancers goes to Golden Gate Park and sets up an informal dance & lesson near the DeYoung Museum. An old friend of mine from high school is a swing dancer (and science teacher) out here in San Francisco. The other weekend, Martin and I were walking through the park, and we stumbled upon the swing dance. And there was Ben. We talked about how strange it is that we're a year away from our 10 year high school reunion. We talked about bad TV shows where I keep unexpectedly seeing another person from high school. And, of course, we danced.

Rockin' the bob!

By which I mean, I got my first San Francisco haircut! These were taken on the day it was cut. I haven't quite figured out how to keep it as "in control" especially now that it's raining and therefore humid. Oh the trials and tribulations of having thick, wavy hair but liking short, cute haircuts.

Been feeling a bit reclusive

Maybe it was moving from a Monday through Friday work schedule to a Tuesday through Saturday work schedule. Maybe it was the sudden shift in weather from sunny and warm to cold and rainy. Maybe it was the increased amount of work Martin's been doing because his company will be releasing an update on their product soon.

Then again, maybe it wasn't anything in particular. In any case, I'm back for a while. I've set some posts to go off over the next few days with some videos, thoughts, and pictures that I've collected over the past few weeks.

For starters, here are some pictures of the delicious dinner of red curry with eggplant and tofu that I made for us tonight and of the egg-less chocolate cookies I made yesterday afternoon. I guess I've also been feeling domestic :). Please note our fabulous dishes that my friends made me two years ago for my birthday. I still love them and use them everyday!