Sabbatical is Over

The job hunt is over. Yay! I just accepted an offer from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and I start March 10th. I started focusing on larger organizations for jobs because I wanted the stability and benefits that those would bring. I spent enough time at small non-profits and thought, I better go for something that I could *gasp* stay at until I retire. I'm finally growing up.

The job is my dream job. The official title is "Program Operations Manager" and I will basically be doing the day-to-day operations of their Nurse Fellows Program. The job is actually very similar to what I did in Seattle, working with health professionals in education and training.

What I'll be doing at UCSF is specifically for nurses in a three-year program and doing a lot their grants management. I'll have to learn the UCSF system and get used to the bureaucracy, everyone kept mentioning that in the interviews so I'm bracing myself. I could not have imagined a more perfect job and organization. I'm looking forward to it all. The majority of their funding is from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation so they are more like a non-profit under the UCSF umbrella - how perfect is that for me.

Life in San Francisco for us continues to be...AWESOME! That's me to the right saying how awesome San Francisco is. I love clipart.

Weather report for those of you in Ohio and the rainy Pacific Northwest - it's gonna hit the upper 60s next week. Today is sunny...again and in the upper 50s to mid 60s. Woo-hoo, San Francisco is FAB-U-LOUS.

Dinner with friends with a side of dosa

Another reason why we love this city so much is the food! It's even better that Tim has a good friend who is going to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) up north. That means we get to see Aaron every now and then and eat at great restaurants with him. He loves food we love to eat - it's perfect.

Last night Aaron's girlfriend, Aparna, was in town so we met up with them for dinner at Dosa in the Mission (cool funky neighborhood). I just learned that dosa is a South Indian crêpe. Learn something new every day. Aaron and Aparna ordered the Paper Masala and their dosa was a humongous dosa rolled up. If it wasn't rolled it would have been as large as our table for four. I have never seen anything like it. I'm sure Aaron will put pictures of it on his blog so if you're interested go to à la minute. Here is a random picture of what I'm talking about but not the exact dish they ordered last night.

We both had such a great night. I know I keep telling everyone - but we love this city. I was just saying to Tim that there is such an energy to San Francisco. And it's positive. It's not as stressful or glamorous as a Manhattan, definitely not as hot and muggy as a Chicago (yes, I will never forget our horrible trip there this past summer) but just perfect for us. We are still getting to know the different neighborhoods and with each new find is a new adoration. And of course we love that this is a foodie city and we love food so there could not be a better match. I cannot believe all the fuss I made about moving here. It has been worth it though and I know what dosa is now! I'm becoming so worldly just by living in San Francisco.

Dancing with the Stars

No hiking for Tim and I this weekend. There was a big "storm" so we hunkered down. Instead my bff Francis came over for a Dancing with the Stars sleepover. Tim refuses to play the Wii game with me, I think he said it was lame. Chris if you are out there, can you believe your brother said it was lame!? Isn't he awful.

Well, Francis and I think it's addictive - we LOVE IT! Just as I was down to playing the Wii once a week if even that, Chris told me about Dancing with the Stars and how much she loved it. I finally got out and got the game and now I will never leave the house again. At least until I get bored of it like I did with the tennis. Hopefully if that day ever comes, Wii Fit will be out by then.

The bff sleepover was fun as usual. There is nothing better than having your best friend be a gay guy. At least for me there is nothing better. And he's a Hawaii boy! Ahh, perfect. I can speak my native tongue with my bff.

The storm wasn't as bad as they thought and it ended up being just some rain and wind. It was just like a regular winter day in Seattle. That equates to storm watch here.

The clouds have left us and now it's sunny again. I love this city!

Hiking in San Francisco

Another beautiful weekend another awesome urban hike. Tim wanted to go a bit farther on the hike we went on last weekend so we packed a backpack this time for the 8-mile hike ahead of us. Even though this was an urban hike and we wouldn't be too far from...anything, we thought it would be a good idea to take some water and snacks. Once I get hungry it's all downhill and I become the grouchiest person ever.

Tim learned from last week's hike that I need to get food into me before we start because once my energy gets low, it's no bueno. So we filled up on Chinese pastries and were off. Man, that made the difference because I was going fast this week. We did our 8-mile hike in the same time it took us to do last week's 4-mile hike.

We started on the same path and took the coastal trail but then kept going down to Ocean Beach. Once we hit Ocean Beach we took a left and walked through the Golden Gate Park. We are so tremendously lucky to be living in the city. We have the best of being close to the water, the parks and of course cheap dim sum. It doesn't get any better than that.

Looking at the map we started 3 blocks east of Park Presidio on Lake and then walked to Lincoln Park and Land's End. Then we headed south passing the Sutro Baths and Cliff House. The picture of Tim above is just before we hit Cliff House (restaurant for casual and formal dining). Awesome retro building. Once we hit Golden Gate Park we just walked northeast until we got home.

So easy, so nice, and good exercise. We love San Francisco!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Since Tim was saying that our blog was looking like a political blog for Obama I'll tone it down and write about our weekend (vote Obama). It has been absolutely gorgeous here, sunny and in the 60s, so we took advantage of the weather and went out for an urban hike on Saturday.

Our hike started at our apartment and we walked northwest to see views of the Golden Gate Bridge (Obama took the last 8 state nominations - woo-hoo)and the coast. It was absolutely gorgeous out for our 2 1/2 hour walk . We were out for so long that we had to get a lemonade and cookie from a little outside stand manned by two little kids and their dad. I love this neighborhood! And also stopping at a European grocer for some lunch. Can it get any better in this neighborhood?!

On Sunday we decided to get out of our most wonderful neighborhood and go north to Tomales

Bay for hike. It was about an hour drive north for us and Tim got to drive on the windy roads with his Mini and loved it. It took longer to drive then to do our "hike". The hike was a mere 2.8 miles with 500 foot elevation. My mom just went on a hike that had a 3,000 foot elevation gain so I'm a little embarrassed to call our hike a hike. I guess it was more like a walk (as a state legislator, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws).

The drive was probably one of the best things and we got to see yet another part of our new state. There were a lot of cows on the drive and Tim even stopped on the side of the road and starting mooing at them. I thought, oh my god my husband is some weird hickster, but I think he was showing me some kind of cow game of his youth.

As he mooed the cows stopped eating and stared and some even started running toward us. Poor cows, they're not so smart. Tim honked his horn at them at the end of his mooing (I really didn't understand that but he said he was honking at them so that they would know that the car and his mooing was not a real cow) I thought - they look like happy cows. Not so smart but happy. Ahhh, happy California cows, that sounds familiar...

It's true - those cows do look happy and now I'm craving cheese. I kind of didn't get those commercials but being out and seeing them I totally get it now. We're looking forward to another gorgeous weekend and hopefully a real hike.

OBAMA '08!!!!

Asian Americans for Barack Obama

Yes We Can - Obama '08

Vote Obama - Be the Change

I usually don't get into politics but after the Bush administration, I have been propelled into being more active. With that I am telling people to vote for Obama. It was difficult for me as a woman to choose Obama over Clinton but Obama inspires me, and hopefully he will inspire those in Congress to come together and make sound policy for the betterment of this country. I want to be proud to be an American rather than shame a loathing I have felt for the last seven years. I feel Obama can make this a better country and make me proud again.

Tim and I have been watching the debates since Tim was undecided on who he would vote for. My god - we're actually looking into what the candidate's platforms are!? After looking at them and listening to Hillary Clinton back pedal and lie about her vote for the Iraq war, I cannot back a candidate who has not been consistent, cannot admit a mistake in judgement in her political career, and who is still playing partisan politics. Yes, she is trying to join the "change" bandwagon but she is part of the old order and we are in a new time and in that time we need someone like Obama to lead the country. No more partisan politics please, just good domestic and international policy.

I'm sick of a government that has skewed its policies to benefit the special interest groups and 1% wealthiest. And since we are on the topic, I have to say I love Bill Cinton, BUT here is a little tidbit about his economic policy. This is from an interview with David Cay Johnston of THE NEW YORK TIMES on the Bill Moyers Journal:

Bill Clinton gave the super rich, the 400 highest income people in America a big tax cut. They were paying 30 cents out of each dollar of their income to the federal government when he came into the office. When he left, it was down to 22. Bush has lowered it to 17. Now, first of all, notice you're probably paying more than 17 cents. May well be paying more than 22.
Clinton gave an eight cent tax cut and Bush only gave them five cents.

There are more of Bill Clinton's policies that have gone bad (think NAFTA) but I will keep this on a more positive note. I would be more than happy to see Hillary Clinton up there leading the country and as a woman I would not be more proud to see her as our president, but right now this country needs another kind of leader and that person is Barack Oabama.

Sure his health care policy is not as strong as Clinton's but he is the kind of leader that would be able to say, hmmm, maybe that was not the best policy, and he could and would make changes that would be the best for the majority of the people. I think that is what has inspired me the most. Obama is a man of integrity, good judgement and humility. He does not have the political hubris I am so sick of.

If you are interested in listening to Obama go to YouTube. The CNN LA Debate between Clinton and Obama is a good one to hear each candidates' platform and if you want something inspirational check out the Obama South Carolina victory speech. I loved it but Tim was a little put off by it. I think all Obama speeches are great though. It seems to cleanse my cynical sarcastic soul. If Obama can make me positive then that man has some healing powers that we all need.

Barack Obama is a charismatic inspirational leader and someone who can lead this country into the change we so drastically need. Vote Obama and be the change.