San Francisco

Last Sunday I went to San Francisco, which is a little less than two hours away from my home. My main reason for the trip was an evening concert in the Union Square area. Also on my itinerary were the Ferry Building (my first visit) and possibly Pier 39.

I drove an hour to Dublin/Pleasanton BART. I bought a ticket for $12.00 to cover 3 planned BART rides for the day. I sat alone most of the 45-minute trip, scooting over to leave room for another passenger as the car filled. A man got on in Oakland and sat next to me. I asked him where he was headed today. He said he was going to the Gay Pride Parade. I said I had heard about those. I told him I was going to the Ferry Building. Just a couple of stops later the train arrived at Embarcadero, the man and I wished each other a good day, and I got off.

The Ferry Building

When I got above ground, I could see the Ferry Building plain as day, just a few blocks away at the end of Market Street. I sure didn't need the F Line streetcar to get me there. With the Gay Pride Parades this weekend the streetcar was not running on Market, anyway. Piece of cake!

About a block from the Ferry Building was a group of tents with vendors selling their wares. I didn't stop to look. Once in the building, I strolled the halls. It turned out the place was kind of a mini-mall with lots of little food stores, restaurants and a bit of retail.

Sur La Table

I spied Sur La Table, a cooking store. I couldn't recall if I'd been in one before, but I'd heard about it a lot on PBS cooking shows. The store was filled with beautiful things for the kitchen. My daughter-in-law Laurie, a wonderful cook, would love this place! I text messaged her, letting her know I was there, asking if she needed anything. I've been looking for a bag to carry my lunch in to replace the plastic grocery sacks I usually use. I bought a ChicoBag, reusable and washable, made of umbrella fabric, about the same size as a grocery sack. It wads up and tucks into its own little fist-sized bag, which is attached to the inside. Very nice! My pretty peacock blue lunch sack was $6, a steal for a fancy store in San Francisco. It had been a while since I text messaged my daughter-in-law but I hadn't heard back, so I left the store. I could go back if I needed to.

http://www.chicobag.com/p-16-chicobag-original.aspx

I checked out the rest of the stores, then went outside in search of the outdoor barbecue place I'd seen on Food Network. The pictures below are from the bay side of the Ferry Building, where commuters catch the ferries to other cities around the Bay.

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

San Francisco Bay

On the bay side of the building were several restaurants, some with open-air dining. There was a book store, as well. I never did find the barbecue place. Darn it!

Miette

I went back inside to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I checked out Miette, a bakery, which I was sure I'd seen on Food Network. I chose a bag of lemon shortbread cookies. I looked at the chocolates for my daughter-in-law, but passed on them due to the very warm weather. They wouldn't have survived the trip, I'm afraid. Sorry, Laurie. As I paid, I told the cashier that I'd seen them on Food Network. She said they'd been on Cupcake Challenge. (I'd seen the show, but I don't think they won.)

It was time to get some dinner, so I headed back toward BART to catch a ride to Powell Street station, a couple of stops up. On the way, I checked my phone. I had a text message from my daughter-in-law about what she needed from Sur La Table: "Two of everything! I love that store!" I laughed. I stopped along the way to look at the tent vendors, who sold art, jewelry and such. I saw an art piece that I liked, but didn't buy it. I didn't have the money, and it would have been difficult to carry around.

As I walked the couple of blocks, I realized how much I missed being in San Francisco. It had been a couple of years since I'd been here. I've been through it on BART several times on the way to Pacifica, but it's all underground and you don't see anything while you're there. I love the big city. I love the hustle and bustle. I don't mind all the people, even the crazies and the homeless. I love the noise of the car horns, the buses, and the sirens bouncing against the skyscrapers. I love it all! Why did I wait so long to come here?

Back on BART, I was aware of how fast the train moved while I tried to gauge how far we traveled. I was so glad I'd chosen to ride rather than walk. I was at Powell in a couple of minutes rather than maybe half an hour. Once off the train, I headed for the food court of Westfield Mall, which connects to BART. I checked out the various restaurants, and was disappointed to find that Asquew Grill was no longer there. I considered a crepe place, but chose Buckhorn Grill, where I ordered a tri-tip plate. It was really good, but the food court was quite noisy. I kind of wished I'd eaten someplace quieter. Oh, well...

It was time to head for the concert at Hotel Nikko. I walked a block on Market Street and crossed to Mason. According to my map the hotel was just a couple of blocks up. The street was pretty quiet, not many pedestrians. I saw several homeless people along the way. Normally they don't bother me, but I was a bit uneasy and I decided I didn't want to go back along the same route after the concert, especially in the dark. I knew Powell Street was just a block over, and I knew it was busy till late at night.

I found Hotel Nikko at Ellis Street and took the elevator, which didn't tell me which floor the Rrazz room was on. So I chose the floor for check-in, which happened to be the same floor as the concert room. I looked for a restroom to change my shoes from tennies to dressy, to comply with the upscale casual dress code. Up till now I had my dressy shoes in a telephone book bag, all tucked into my big purse (which my daughter-in-law calls my Mary Poppins purse). I had planned ahead and wore black pants and a pretty t-shirt, so I was good to go. And get this...I put my tennies into the telephone bag, then into my new ChicoBag. The tennies wouldn't have fit in my purse, and the ChicoBag would be much more acceptable than a telephone book bag. Always thinking.

I went to get in line to be seated for the concert by Spanish guitarist Ottmar Liebert. I stood there for a couple of minutes by myself while the maitre d' seated another couple. He came out and said You're not Debra, are you? Astonished, I said yes. We walked into the room, a small nightclub setting with 156 seats. I told him I didn't expect to get a table by myself. He said I wouldn't get a table by myself, but he'd put me in a neighborhood with some nice people. He seated me at an L-shaped table for six, and introduced me to the four people already there. He also named several other people in the room.

While we waited for the show to start, I got to talk to my tablemates a little. There was a couple from Oregon, who did most of the talking and a younger man next to them who was pretty quiet. The chair on my left wasn't filled yet, and the older man on my right barely talked the whole evening. I tried several times to engage him in conversation, but he was either very shy or just didn't want to talk, so I didn't push. Eventually the sixth table guest joined us, a young man from San Jose. He was the most interesting of the group, able to talk to all of us (except my silent neighbor) and I enjoyed listening to him. He seemed to be savvy about music, art and antiques, and knew something abouts quilts, as well.

All the while, the maitre d' would bring in new guests, introducing about half the room each time. Apparently he guessed many people's names out of a hat. I figured he guessed my name because I came in as a single woman, but there were several of us, and he guessed several single men, as well. He even guessed groups of people. How did he do it? He was amazing, a show within a show. The lady at our table asked him what his name was. Dartagnan. The lady wondered what kind of a name that was. Her husband and I said it was from The Three Musketeers. The lady thought it might be made up. Why would he make up a name? Maybe his mother loved literature.

The concert began, Ottmar Liebert playing solo guitar, which surprised me a little. His recordings seem to have other musicians with him. He made his own percussion by thumping on the guitar and he was enough on his own. Although I have several of his songs on my Ipod, I didn't recognize many of the tunes he played, which he said were from various albums. I could see only his right hand, as his left hand was blocked by a couple of heads. I never did get to see the left hand, which was a bummer. But the music was beautiful. There's something about Spanish guitar that strikes a chord with me, so to speak.

As Ottmar played, a photo slideshow displayed on twin screens on the wall. I wondered if the photos were of Spain. The first several dozen photos featured bright yellow in each one. As it turns out, all of the photos were taken by Ottmar himself. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which could explain the Spanish look. Other photos were from other parts of the United States and the world, and even included backstage photos from concerts. The color theme changed throughout the slideshow to red, blue and other colors. I mentioned it to the arts guy next to me, but surprisingly he hadn't picked up on it.

During a couple of breaks, Ottmar talked a bit and answered questions. He is from Germany, but has a heritage of Hungarian and Chinese, too. He started as an art major, but the fumes from the darkroom made him sick, so he changed to music, having played guitar since he was a young boy. In Germany, students could take one-hour group guitar lessons for just $20 per semester. Ottmar said his teacher must have seen something in him, because he would teach the group for half an hour, then send the students away while he spent the last half hour giving Ottmar a private lesson.

The concert came to an end. I asked the quiet guy next to me if he had far to go home. He said yes, by airplane. That statement kind of confirmed the hunch I had that he was there on business, that the concert was a way to kill time and he that wasn't necessarily an Ottmar Liebert fan. I didn't ask for any more details. As he got up to go, he said Take care. I said You, too. I gathered up my belongings, and asked the other quiet guy if he had far to go. He said Yes, South San Jose. I said bye and headed out of the room. Ottmar Liebert was selling CDs in the foyer, with Dartagnan assisting. I said Thank you, Dartagnan. I'm sure I'll be back. I stopped at the restroom, then headed out to the street.

I took a side street to cut over to Powell Street, where there would be a lot of foot traffic and would be safer for a woman alone. The sun hadn't gone down yet, and I decided it was too early to go home. At Powell, I headed up the street (and I do mean up) to Borders books. I arrived a couple of blocks later, headed to the crafts area and pulled an assortment of quilting books. I made my way to the cafe, ordered the equivalent of a Starbucks caramel frappucino, then sat down at a table to read my books.

About an hour later I left the store without taking any books home. I headed down the hill to Powell Street BART where I got on for the ride back to Dublin/Pleasanton station. The car was kind of crowded and I sat next to a man who was sleeping. As we got close to the end of the line I wondered how far he was going. I hoped he was listening to the driver calling out the stops. If necessary, I'd wake him up at Pleasanton. A few minutes later he sat up and looked around. I asked him where he was getting off. He said Castro Valley. Is that next? I asked. He said yes. Since I was sitting on the aisle, I said I'd move to another seat. As he walked away he said Good night.

A few minutes later the train arrived at Dublin/Pleasanton, end of the line. An hour drive home, I got back around midnight. It was late, but I had Monday off.

I love San Francisco. I've got to go again soon.

Traveling Today

I'm off to San Francisco today. I'm going to see Ottmar Liebert, a Spanish guitarist, this evening. Before the concert I'm planning to go to the Ferry Building, where I've never been. If I have time I'll go to Pier 39, as well. Britex Fabric is closed on Sunday. Darn!

This weekend there are a lot of Gay Pride parades that are tying up Market Street, which will make getting around a little tricky once I get off BART. The F line has limited service today but I think I have it figured out. It's just a quarter mile from Embarcadero BART station to the Ferry Building, and I can walk that. I can walk back to BART, and ride to Powell Street station, which is a short walk to Hotel Nikko for the concert. If I add on Pier 39, the F line is available from the Ferry Building.

The concert room is small, just 156 seats. There is no assigned seating, more like first come first served. The tables are set up nightclub style, and I doubt that I'll be able to get a table by myself. Hopefully I'll get to sit next to some nice, interesting people. We'll see.

I expect to get home really late tonight, but I have tomorrow off, so I can sleep in.

Sacramento Adventure

I drove to the Sacramento area yesterday. My main purpose was to see a Yanni concert in the evening. I left in the early afternoon to do a couple of other things in the area before the concert.

First on the agenda was lunch, and I drove 10 miles to have Round Table Pizza buffet lunch. I love Round Table! I left very full, and headed out to the highway for Elk Grove, south of Sacramento. I got to Elk Grove about an hour later, and kept my eyes peeled for Joann's on Bond Rd. A friend told me that this Joann's was really big, so I had to check it out.

I pulled into the shopping center, and spied a Panera restaurant close to Joann's. I love Panera! It's a bakery/soup and sandwich restaurant, with a Starbucks kind of feel. The nearest one to my house is about 20 miles away, but one should be opening in my own town soon--probably very near me, since I live within a half mile of a major shopping area. Normally I can't pass up a Panera, but I was still stuffed from lunch, so I didn't go in.

I went into Joann's, and it reminded me of the one in Stockton, about an hour from where I live. The stores are about the same size, I think. I bought metallic thread in blue and gold, for quilting Scrappy Stars. I don't know which color I'll use yet. I'm a beginning machine quilter, and although the gold would add a lot of sparkle, it would also show every mistake in my quilting. The blue would be a little more subtle and hide more boo-boos. The thread was half off, so I bought both colors. I also bought a freemotion machine quilting book: Mindful Meanderings by Laura Lee Fritz, half off with my coupon.

Next on my itinerary was Country Sewing Center on Elk Grove Florin Rd., just a few minutes away from Joann's. As I pulled into the parking lot, I wondered if this was the same quilt shop I'd visited years ago, but in a different location. I went in and started looking around. It's a nice shop, well worth visiting. I asked the lady if they had always been at this location. She said they'd only been there a few months, but they'd been in a different location for many years. They're the only quilt shop ever in Elk Grove, so this had to be the same quilt shop I visited maybe 10 years ago. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by.

I saw some metallic thread just like the ones I bought at Joann's. I asked the lady if I needed special needles for this metallic thread, and she said I needed metallic needles. I bought a package for a little less than $5--my only purchase there.

My next stop was IKEA in West Sacramento. Getting there was going to be tricky. I'd never been there, and my map was pretty sketchy--just an overall view of several freeways and a few major streets. It was far from turn-by-turn directions. My familiarity with Sacramento is pretty minimal, but I'm adventurous. I headed out to the freeway, took a couple of connections that seemed right. I got myself into the situaiton of having to take the first exit for West Sacramento, not knowing if this would work or not. At the stop light, I turned away from City Hall (which sounded like the old part of town) and drove and drove. I was hoping to see a big IKEA building come into sight. After a few miles I saw a shopping center that looked promising, so I pulled in. No IKEA. The road seemed to dead-end into a ballpark, so I decided to turn around and go back.

Back to the intersection where I started, I made a turn that seemed good. A little way down the road was a nice shopping area, which I noted but kept driving, and driving, and driving. Before long I stopped seeing buildings, and was surrounded by farmland. I said to myself: I am...officially...in the middle of nowhere. I wasn't afraid, though. This was an adventure.

After a few more miles, the road ended with choices of freeway and freeway. Okay, now I was nervous. There were a couple of gas station/convenience stores nearby and I decided it was time to ask for directions. I told the lady at the register that I was trying to find IKEA. She said that was easy. All I had to do was get on the freeway Sacramento Reno East, and take the first exit. Really? I was that close? Amazing!

After missing the turn the first time, I turned around and got on the freeway. Not feeling completely confident, I drove a short distance when I saw IKEA. Yippee! I kept an eye out for possible dinner places while I made my way to IKEA, but nothing sounded very interesting. The IKEA store looked small from the outside, but once I started walking around, it seemed just as big as the Emeryville store I've visited several times. I text messaged my daughter-in-law Laurie to see if she needed me to pick up anything. She asked for a roll of paper for my granddaughter's Reghan's easel. I happened to be picking up the same thing for Reghan's easel at my house. Not a problem. I spent close to an hour wandering around, but didn't buy anything more than the two rolls of paper.

I needed to get to ARCO Arena for the Yanni concert next. Once again, my map wasn't much help. And I wasn't really sure where I was, but I thought I saw a sign on the freeway saying it was the right one for the airport, which wasn't far from ARCO. It was a very short drive when I saw the arena off the side of the road. Man, that was fast!

I had time to get something to eat, so I drove along Del Paso in search of dinner. I saw another Panera. Really, two in one day? It was an option if I didn't find something better. I pulled into a big shopping center and spied Tuk Tuk Restaurant. I didn't know what it was, but it sounded interesting. I decided to try it. It's a nice place, with candles. I felt underdressed, with my jeans and tennis shoes. I had nicer clothes in the car for the concert, but I decided I would be okay.

This was a Thai restaurant, and I like Thai food. I chose Cashew Chicken cooked wok style, which turned out to be very similar to "the usual" that I get at my favorite local Thai restaurant. It was delicious, and I'd definitely come back again. Sorry, Panera, I don't think I'll be stopping in today.
After dinner it was a short drive to ARCO Arena. I changed my pants and shoes in the back of my car. Nobody was around, but I hurried as quickly as possible. I made my way into the Arena and found my seat between two couples. I asked the lady on my right if she'd seen Yanni before. She said her husband was his friend. He's Yanni's friend??? She said no, he's a friend of the violinist. Wow! I said you have to be a really good musician to play with Yanni. The husband (in a thick accent) said his friend played in chair number one. Double Wow! The husband asked me if it would be possible to go down and talk to his friend. Backstage? I said probably. He asked if it would be better before or after the show. As a performing musician myself, and since the show was starting in a few minutes, I suggested after.

The show started, and I experienced this rush of emotion, and I cried a little. It doesn't happen at every concert, but it did this time. The Yanni I'm used to hearing is mostly instrumental, with a touch of vocals. For this concert, he added words to some of his classic numbers as well as some new ones. I'd say two out of three pieces had words. Personally, I prefer no words, but I still enjoyed the concert.

A few songs into the show, the violinist did a solo. The guy and gal next to me cheered. He was great! He was featured in several solos and duets, and each time the guy next to me would stand up and cheer. It was so fun to watch. At one point, Yanni said the violinist was from Armenia. At another point, Yanni mentioned an Armenian instrument, the duduk. The guy and gal next to me applauded. They must be Armenian, too. I still don't know exactly what the connection is, whether they came from the same area or if they met in America.

During the intermission, I talked to the lady on the other side of me. This was her first time to see Yanni. She said she was interested in learning the violin, and that the violinist was very inspiring. I told her about the guy next to me being his friend. She was blown away. She and I had a nice conversation about music, and she offered me some of her popcorn.

The concert was nearly over, and the orchestra was playing encores. The introduction to a piece started, and I said to the lady I love this song! I hope nobody sings! She laughed and said it was her husband's favorite song. (No singing, thank goodness.)

As we were getting up to go, I asked the Armenian lady if they were going to go down and try to talk to the violinist. She said yes. I hope they got to talk to him.

Back out to my car, I had to figure out how to get on the freeway to go home. I saw the shopping center where I had dinner, but I must have missed the turn. I drove and drove until I convinced myself I'd gone too far. I turned around, made my way back, and finally got on the freeway for the drive home. I had a great day.

Video Sample of Samvel Yervinyan, Main Violinist for Yanni:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1IvsYF3QHA

Pacifica 2009, Day 3

Today is my last day in beautiful Pacifica. I get up a little early, buy coffee and a pastry, and head to the beach to eat my breakfast. It's a gorgeous day. I don't stay out too long, because I want to get some sewing done before I have to check out.

Square in a Square blocks for the southwest quilt

Mock-up and a couple of views of a tic-tac-toe block
(I did a mock-up in blues and yellows, too, but forgot to take a pic.)

I sew as long as I can, but have to quit to get packed up and checked out by 11:00. As in the past, the manager agrees to hold my suitcase for a while, since I didn't bring a car. I appreciate that.

I sit by the ocean a little while, then walk out to the highway to catch Bus 112 to Serramonte Shopping Center, where I plan to have lunch and do some window shopping. I want to eat Mongolian BBQ and check out the Naturalizer shoe store.

On the bus, I double check with the bus driver that he stops at Rockaway on the return trip. Yeah (as in duh). This only my second time on this bus, and the first time was by accident. I don't want to get stranded or have to walk half a mile out of my way.

After a short ride, the bus pulls into Serramonte Shopping Center. The food court is close by and I survey it for the Mongolian BBQ. Not finding it, I check out the mall map. The restaurant should be near the doors where I came in. I check again. Still nothing. Weird. I look at the map again, then back to the food court. Then I see it...a walled off area where a restaurant should be. Oh... Posted on the wall is an eviction notice. That doesn't sound good. Okay, guess I won't be having Mongolian BBQ today. Darn it!

Nothing else in the food court really gets me excited, so it's out to the mall map, again, to see what other possibilities there are. Elephant Bar sounds really good, with its Asian-style cuisine. There's one close to my house, and I've been there several times. I order Shanghai Cashew Chicken. Man, is it good.

After lunch I find the Naturalizer store. I don't try on any shoes, but I know where the place is now, and I can stop on another trip to Pacifica.

I need to get back to Rockaway and collect my luggage. I catch Bus 112, and when I get a couple of blocks away from the bus stop, I pull the string to let the bus driver know I want to get off. Amazingly, he passes the stop. What the heck?? I look at him and he looks at me. At the next stop, I walk to the front of the bus and ask if he stops at Rockaway. He says yes but I waited too long, and he couldn't stop in time. Bullpuckey. There's no way I can walk back from the transportation center, which is the next major stop. It's half a mile, and over a big, steep hill. I ask if I can ride back with him (reading between the lines, without paying again). He says, sure, but there's a 20 minute layover. That's fine with me.

I wait at the bus shelter, and when Bus 112 pulls up for boarding, there's a different bus driver. I ask if there's another Bus 112 and he says no. I don't want to pay another $1.75 for a half mile ride, and I explain my situation to the new driver. He lets me on, but he's not very happy.

A short ride later and I'm off at Rockaway. I pick up my suitcase from the motel office and sit at the beach one last time. All too soon it's time to head toward the highway for the bus. I use the public restroom, because it's the last time I'll see a decent bathroom for the next hour and a half. Then I stop at Hoffmann's wine and snack shop to see owner Alice, who I met on last year's quilting trip. I chat with her for a few minutes, then out to bus 110. Bus, BART, then an hour's drive home.

Bye-bye, Pacifica! See you again soon.

Pacifica 2009, Day 2

It's a little overcast in the morning, but eventually the sun comes out. Here's what I can see as I sew at my little table. The ocean is less than 50 steps away, on the other side of the parking lot.

Not far from my door is this beautiful view.

After a couple of hours of sewing, I head out for some lunch. There is a great trail that ends up at Hwy. 1, near the restaurant where I plan to eat. Recently I have been reading Maria Peagler's Color Lessons at her website quiltsandcreativity.com. I've begun a color journal, collecting samples of colors and color combinations that I like. On this trip I am trying to pay attention to examples of those in nature. The following pics are some inspirations I found on the trail.

California Poppies--Brilliant orange!


Bright yellow--one of my favorite colors

This inspiration is not so much color, but design. The long line of the branch interested me.

Near the end of the trail (or the beginning, depending on your point of view) are several miniature landscapes. The color combinations were pretty.

More calla lilies

Here are some tall spiky red flowers.



Pink, red, white, yellow and green

Gorilla Barbecue, near Hwy. 1 and Reina del Mar. I heard about this place a few months ago while watching Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri. When I mapquested it, I found out it was just around the corner from Guerrero's Taqueria, where I've eaten several times. I've passed this red train car many times on the bus, but never noticed it. How could I have missed it? Anyway, I'm here for lunch. Sorry, Guerrero's...maybe tomorrow.

Gorilla Barbecue doesn't have dine-in, but there is a nice little picnic spot up on the hill above it. That's where I ate my ribs lunch. Yummy! There's enough food for two, so I'm taking some back to my room.

View of Gorilla's from the picnic area

I know this doesn't look like much. On the way to lunch, I saw a beautiful black bird with a brilliant red on its chest perched on a wooden pole. Before I could get my camera ready, the bird flew away. On the way back, I saw "him" again (or one of his friends). He landed in this grassy area, and I tried to get a picture. Oh, well... I definitely want to make a quilt from his colors--mostly black with spots of bright red.


Here are a bunch of pigeons hanging out at the parking lot near the beach. They kind of looked like people standing around.

During the afternoon, I did more sewing for the southwest quilt. Here are a bunch of Square in a Square blocks that I knocked out today. For dinner I have cold leftover pizza and ribs. There's no microwave in my room, but I can deal with it. There's no sunset to be seen, because it's so overcast. It's freezing cold outside, and all I have is my light sweater to keep me warm. I wish I hadn't chosen to leave my wool coat in my car at the BART station--an hour away. It's hard to believe it's almost 100 degrees at home.

Tic-Tac-Toe block from Quilter's Playtime

In the evening I work on Tic-Tac-Toe blocks. I should have some time to sew again tomorrow morning before check-out.

In the background is the intersection of Hwy. 1 and Reina del Mar, where the trail ends.


Lots of different colors here, but the tall red flowers really caught my eye.


This pic is for my daughter-in-law, Laurie, who loves calla lilies.
She likes them so much, she had one tattooed on her foot!



Blues and yellows, another favorite combo


The globe clusters intrigued me.


Pinks, blues, red, yellow and green

Pacifica 2009, Day 1

Here I am again in Pacifica, California, just a few miles south of San Francisco. I'm here for my second annual quilting-by-the-sea trip. My birthday was just a few days ago, and I'm thinking of making this a yearly birthday tradition for myself. Since I was traveling here by BART and a city bus, I stuffed everything into one suitcase: fold-up cutting mat, iron, toaster-sized sewing machine, lots of fabric, my tools and notions...oh, and a little bit of clothes.


Here's my sewing machine station. I'll be working on a couple of projects while I'm here. I may have stayed in this room last year. The motel manager thinks so, and it took a lot less time to set up my stations, relocate the alarm clock, etc. I didn't have to finagle with the extension cord behind the headboard, either.

Here's my ironing and rotary cutting station. Each drawer holds the specifics for each project, just to be a little organized.

One of my projects is a southwest-themed quilt. Here are a few nine-patch blocks that I made for it. My design wall is a towel over the TV screen, weighted down with telephone books.

There was a beautiful sunset tonight. I saw about 15 minutes of it. The water was an exquisite turquoise, with golden highlights. I remember this same look from a sunset from last year's trip. Gorgeous! I think I need to make a quilt in those colors someday.

Another pretty view of the sunset.

Despite the near-100 degree weather at home, it was pleasantly cool in Pacifica. I wore a sweater much of the time. This man decided to go for a dip. Brrrrrr! For dinner I ordered a pizza from Round Table. My favorite!

My other project is working from the book Quilter's Playtime. Here is Hopscotch in progress. More sewing in store tomorrow.