Month: June 2007

Pittsburgh: My US Open

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We had time before the airport Limo arrived on Saturday to check the Internet for US Open tickets. There were all kinds of sites offering tickets, but I couldn’t get to the actual tickets without making a commitment… didn’t want to do that. Price ranged from $5 to $750. I was looking at a Monday practice round; they gotta be available for walk-up. I hadn’t even decided to go, have to get the lay of the land in Pittsburgh.

Sunday, I checked with the concierge at the Radisson Pittsburgh Green Tree, where we were staying. There will be Shuttle buses to Oakmont from the Omni William Penn in Pittsburgh — that’s one of the NAEYC conference hotels — there will be shuttle buses from our hotel to the Omni. Good. Later in the day, I was at the Omni William Penn and checked with the concierge there. He said there would be shuttle buses from there to Oakmont, but he didn’t have the details. The doorman would know on Monday.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision over dinner Sunday night. I’ll go. I’ll catch the 7AM shuttle with Carol and catch the Open shuttle to Oakmont from there.

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A passel of women waited with us for the first shuttle bus on Monday morning. No bus. Traffic, we were told. Continue reading “Pittsburgh: My US Open” →

Pittsburgh Manhole Covers

I joined Carol in Pittsburgh last weekend at an early education conference. As we walked three blocks back to the hotel after dinner on Monday with Sarah, Carol’s colleague at the SF State children’s center, Sarah enjoyed pointing out the disparate manhole covers we passed. It reminded me of a brain-teaser:

Why are most manhole covers round?

manhole1.jpg1 Continue reading “Pittsburgh Manhole Covers” →

Where Do You Get Your Chicken?

Murray McMurray day old chicksOur chicken comes from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa via the USPS as day old fluffy little puff-balls. Most of these buggers are from the “Barbecue Special” package of broiler and fryer types (we call them Meat Blobs); the brownish fuzz-balls are Red Leghorns for our layer flock; and that grey guy is the “Special Chick” which is a free addition to every Murray McMurray order, who almost always turns into a rare-breed rooster — a neat way for Murray McMurray to get rid of the chicks that no one orders. By the looks of this guy, I’m guessing we got a crested Polish breed of some type who will eventually have a “top hat” of feathers.

After this first important day of getting them out of the little shipping box and into a run with water and feed and a heat lamp, they will spend about four weeks down in our barn basement under the lamp until they feather out. Then they will transfer into our “chicken tractor” which is a simple 10′ X 4′ chicken wire box with no bottom. They will eat grain and grass and bugs for another six weeks in the “tractor” until the Meat Blobs are slaughtered and put in our freezer. The layers will be put in with the rest of our laying flock.
Continue reading “Where Do You Get Your Chicken?” →

My Life in a Box

In March 2005, the idea was conceived that each professional staff member (there are 12) put together a 3 dimensional shadow box to represent important happenings in his/her life. About a month later at IKEA were small shadow boxes perfect for our task.

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The boxes were purchased and handed out as “here’s a summer project,go for it”. When the staff came back together in September, nary a box had been attempted much less completed. The idea languished until March of this year when the staff began to plan for our annual Spring Break retreat. We decided to spend a day working along side each other putting the boxes together.
Continue reading “My Life in a Box” →

SFIFF50 DAY SIXTEEN — Friday

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Head ‘em up, move ‘em out

For some reason, my Scooter turned right on Polk, then left on Filbert to the Presidio and through the Presidio to the Film Society. I was going to a nine o”clock wrap up meeting. As I approached the building, it looked freakin” deserted. Wait a minute, the meeting is at the Kabuki!

I walked in late and Graham Leggat, the Executive Director, was going over some specifics of the load-out. We have to have all our stuff out of the building by 1:30. He then launched into an extended, gracious and heartfelt thank you to all us staff, as only he can do.

That left the load-out. The Publicity gang started moving boxes of file folders, the file cabinet, lamps, chairs and all. Richard had it totally organized and in no time we were back in the Presidio.

Nice Festival.

Would you do it again?

That’s what Tiffany, our National Publicist, asked me once the Festival dust had cleared.

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Publicists three: Tara, Cindy, Tiffany

Continue reading “SFIFF50 DAY SIXTEEN — Friday” →

SFIFF50 DAY FIFTEEN — Thursday

Paste up, La Vie en Rose

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Last Red Carpet before the spectacular La Vie en Rose, described by the director (short, chubby, 30ish, with an eyebrow ring, a backwards cap and an entourage of about eight French people) as a portrait of Edith Piaf, not a bio-pic. It’s now in distribution in the US after playing in many major Festivals, including Bro Tom‘s Atlanta Film Festival. La Vie en Rose is a must-see, Piaf fan or not.

Non, je ne regrette rien.

SFIFF50 DAY THIRTEEN — Tuesday

Sorting, Cooking

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I spent the afternoon sorting press clippings to get ahead of Bill, who is targeting clippings to be sent to individual filmmakers.

Then on to my real fun, cooking Cotelettes de Porc au Cidre and Kale Mashed Potatoes for Carol and Sarah before they went to see Gardins in Autumn.

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When they left I took a “half-hour nap,” and was conked out until 2am.

SFIFF50 DAY TWELVE — Monday

Audience of One

A watching day, not a working day.

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Gazowsky in Italy with wife (left) and daughter

Visit these links for a full description of Audience of One, then an irreverent review/commentary. They will get you in the mood to relate to my comments below.

Michael Jacobs, the director was present for a Q&A after the film. It was amazing to me that he shot the film by himself and put it together with the help of a part time editor.

Imagine, he heard about Richard Gazowsky, pastor of the Voice of Pentecost Church in San Francisco who had been told by God to make the finest movie ever made. Jacobs went to a service and said to himself, “I want to make a film about this guy,” and asked Gazowsky for permission to document the making of Gravity: The Shadow of Joseph.

Okay, it’s one thing to follow a guy around San Francisco for a while, but Gazowsky was going to Italy with his whole cast and crew to film for two weeks. When Jacobs confirmed that they were actually going, he bought his own ticket and followed.

Now that takes balls!

I hope Jacobs gets distribution, so you all can see it. It’s bizarre and funny and sad, and like nothing you have seen before.