The Good Life

Life is too short to put up
with people who slow you down
or bring you down.
We all need to put more things into
our life which not only
brings us joy but new challenges as well.
I love what I do and the company I keep.
Everyone who knows me, knows that
I enjoy a good laugh,
whether with friends over a glass of wine
or catching up with Seinfeld.
Most everyone knows that I dabble
in the challenge which the game of golf
presents and of course, everyone knows
that I enjoy a good meal. I am surrounded at home
with people who have a passion for cooking
and I too have taken a dip into the pond.
Recently it was Japanese, then homemade pasta...
don't even ask how good are my burgers...
an academic approach-perhaps
but adventurous none the less.

The outdoor season at our house is fast approaching,
and while on my days off, I will still be found mowing
and blowing around the yard or
hitting balls on the greens
I may at the same time,
have a pot of something brewing on the stove
or readying something for the grill
and always, relaxing under the sun.
No matter how you choose to do it,
just make sure ...you to do it and enjoy it.

Charles In Charge

His on may be taking a bit of the limelight 

away for now, but Prince Charles is the epitome

of polish when decked out in a double breasted suit.

He always gets this right.

 A gray double-breasted suit with a sky blue dress shirt (a backbone of the Prince of Wales’s wardrobe, ), is timeless. Ratchet things up by matching your tie to your eyes and you’re approaching style icon status. 

Now, it's not for me and frankly, most would have 

a difficult time pulling it off, but if 

you're into salads,  nothing wrong with a fresh picked

pocket square.  via Gilt

Platinum Dirt

Seriously, this is one of the cleverest, 'new to you' lines

 I've seen in a long time.

 Oakland fashion designer Dustin Page and special events entrepreneur Aaron Parrish found yet another source for recyclable clothing materials: vintage auto upholstery. Their company Platinum Dirt makes one-of-a-kind VIN (vehicle identification number) jackets out of leather salvaged from junked luxury cars. "One car makes one jacket," says Parrish. Hood ornaments are made into zipper pulls, and each jacket comes with a facsimile pink slip with the car's history. The biker-tough aesthetic of VIN jackets appeals to green-design celebrities Jamie Foxx, Jeremy Piven and Adrian Grenier, who each own one. VIN jackets start around $1,300 each. Handbags are about $350 each. For more information: platinumdirt.com.

via SFGate

Green Day

Happy St Patrick's Day 2011

So many ways to celebrate, so little time.

It might not stop raining in time for us to find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but it is St. Patrick's Day  and this year we may need any excuse to knock back a few pints of Guinness. Time to dig up that old "Kiss me I'm Irish" tee and channel your inner Irishman or woman. Here are a few good picks for celebrating:San Francisco Style:

Buena Vista Cafe: If you're not up for downing Guinness, head over to Russian Hill for Buena Vista's famed Irish coffees (they come in more varieties than you knew possible). 2765 Hyde St, (415) 474-5044. Website
Durty Nelly's: Nestled among the Asian restaurants of the Sunset District, this little outpost is the real deal. True Irish ex-pats frequent Nelly's; if you're not Irish already, you will feel like you are after spending some quality time here. 2328 Irving St, (415) 664-2555.
Irish Bank: There's a full day of activities planned for St. Patty's, doors will be open at 9 am for the truly Irish among us. Their annual Block Party always promises a good time, so bring your dancing shoes in addition to your drinking hat. 10 Mark Lane, (415) 788-7152. Website
The Plough and the Stars: If live music and traditional jigs are what you're after, Quinn, Autumn Rhodes & friends will be performing here starting at 7pm. 116 Clement St, (415) 751-1122. Website
Phoenix: Since it's The Mission's hippest Irish Bar, it must be the city's as well. Avoid the Financial District's block party and make friends with hipsters over a Harp or Smithwick's. 811 Valencia St, (415) 695-1811. Website

And if you choose to stay in, you can't  do much better than 

this Irish import...

The Commitments

Play it  safe.

Iron Man

It never ceases to amaze he that on any given day,

I see so many many whose shirts have clearly not

been properly ironed -even when done professionally..

With practice the benefits, far out weigh the effort

of a hand pressed shirt.

After all, if you're going to invest and wear 

good shirts, it's the least you can do.

Then  of course, once you get that down,

you can move on and  explore the sport (YES!)

of extreme ironing...

"Extreme Ironing is the *sport* (you decide) of taking an iron & ironing board to locations not conducive to ironing, and pressing a few items of clothing.

I first read about the Japanese Extreme Ironing Club when a Japanese man ironed on top of Mt Fuji, then discovered that it is truly an international phenomenon, with a website and international chapters. Clifftop Ironing… underwater ironing…bicycle ironing… car ironing – nothing is too extreme for these bad-boys ‘n’ girls of the domestic arts." via With Malice

His Ride His Story

From a recurring column in 

the San Francisco Chronicle...

Charles Ostrofe, 79, is a retired electrical engineer who owned a consulting firm specializing in public-safety communications. He was born and raised in San Francisco, educated at Santa Clara University and has lived in Oakland for 40 years.

I acquired my 1960 Mercedes 190 SL roadster in 1971 for $1,700. It was in moderately good - but far from pristine - condition, and had 97,000 miles on the odometer. I had been in the Army in Germany in 1955 when the model first came out. I liked it very much, but it was beyond my budget. So, much later (at the beginning of my middle-age fantasy years), I picked up an old 190 SL. I fully expected it to be unreliable, expensive to maintain, uncomfortable and impractical, and that I would get rid of it in short order. Obviously, that's not what happened over the years.
After a couple of years driving the car, my confidence in it improved, and I took my two children, camping, skiing and on many long trips. The Mercedes had a jump seat big enough for an eight-year old behind the two regular seats.



Statistics:
The 190 SL was produced from 1955 through 1963, with very few changes over those years. It was a "baby brother" to the iconic 300SL Gullwing, and was produced on the same assembly line. About 25,000 190s were made over those years, as compared to only 3,000 300 SLs. Many aspects of the design are very similar between the two cars.
The 190 SL was not designed to be a "sports car" - it has a 1.9-liter engine and is quite heavy at 2,600 pounds, so one cannot "toss it around" like an old Austin-Healy. My Mercedes is more of a high-speed touring car. It is quite comfortable, well-sealed, relatively quiet and has a good heater, power brakes, and other amenities. And - most importantly - it is a daily driver, not a trailer queen, and it is a pleasure to drive it everywhere.


Read more, See more: SF Gate

Hipster Bingo...

for all those times you'd rather not

get down to with the old folks.