A digital travel diary. · WP v1.15 · Updated
While developing my SF Bay Area Events search program, I discovered Raphaël Feuillâtre was playing at Stanford's Bing Concert Hall. I listened to him on YouTube and looked up his program, and it matched my interest in classical guitar. . Born in Djibouti in 1996 and raised in Cholet, France, Feuillâtre trained at the Paris Conservatoire. He attracted international attention in 2018 by winning the…
Read More: Raphaël Feuillâtre: Latin Passions
I replaced my old Reverse Osmosis system with a WaterDrop X8 about 6 months ago, and the WaterDrop X8 signaled (with a blinking light and audio) that the F2 Filter needed to be replaced (normally every 6 months). . I chose the WaterDrop X8 system specifically for the ease of filter replacement, which was a major pain with my older RO system. When I received…
Read More: Fixing WaterDrop X8 Filter
My friends and I decided to bike the long stretch along Canada Road, from Woodside to Sawyer Camp. Bicycle Sunday normally closes a 3.8-mile section of Cañada Road between the Filoli entrance and Highway 92 to motor vehicles from 09:00 to 15:00. . . . . We parked at the nearby Woodside Elementary, and I changed into road cycling clothes. This would be my first…
Read More: Cycling from Woodside to Sawyer Camp
Gunhild Carling’s performance at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco was a terrific night out for fans of traditional jazz—from Dixieland and swing to big-band classics—and for anyone who appreciates musicians as entertaining to watch as they are to hear. . . . The Swedish-born multi-instrumentalist, singer, and entertainer, often dubbed the Queen of Swing, brings together dazzling musicianship, vintage jazz, playful humor, and theatrical…
Read More: Gunhild Carling at Biscuits & Blues
Today, after test-riding the X-Lab RS7 road bike and the X-Lab GT8 gravel bike at the local Sports Basement in Almaden (the shop finally had both bikes in stock), I decided to buy the RS7 base model in white, size large. At $2099, it offers the best value and felt excellent on the road. . I considered the X-Lab RS7 Di2 version with electronic gear…
Read More: X-Lab RS7 Road Bike
For our 25th Anniversary dinner, I initially booked Evvia, but had to cancel because Inna felt unwell. When I tried to book another day, I could only reserve outdoor tables, which worried me due to the cold weather. I decided to try dining at Le Papillon—a restaurant I visited decades ago. I made a dinner reservation for Saturday, October 24, at 19:00. . . On…
Read More: Anniversary Dinner at Le Papillon
With the promise of continued beautiful weather (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in Santa Cruz, I planned a Saturday morning cycling trip around Happy Valley (using Komoot as my guide). . When Alex arrived at 09:00, we loaded his bike into my Toyota Sienna and headed to Gateway Plaza in downtown Santa Cruz, where we'd start our ride. . On arrival there, we unloaded the bikes and…
Read More: Cycling to Happy Valley from Santa Cruz
We haven't been to Carmel-by-the-Sea in a while, so we decided to revisit it on Saturday. . . We met up with our friends at our favorite Mad Dogs & Englishmen Cafe, which has nice bicycle sidecars on display. . . After sampling a few pastries and enjoying delicious cappuccinos, we walked down to the beach. Although it was mid-October, the weather was beautiful and…
Read More: A Day Trip to Carmel
For my 58th Birthday, Inna treated me to a delicious dinner at Dalida Mediterranean in San Francisco's Presidio. . Inna booked the earliest available table for Sunday, October 11, at 19:30. We couldn’t reach the restaurant by phone to request an earlier time. Although we arrived about 40 minutes early, we weren’t seated until our reservation time.. Since it was getting dark, we decided to…
Read More: Birthday Dinner at Dalida
A.C.T.’s North by Northwest (playing at Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco) feels like a production whose theatrical ingenuity outpaces its storytelling: an accomplished cast, inventive stagecraft, and considerable comic energy, but an uneven relationship with Hitchcock’s suspense. Whether that sounds entertaining or frustrating depends on how much you enjoy seeing a familiar thriller turned into playful physical theater. . . Plot and ending spoilers follow.…
Read More: North by Northwest at Toni Rembe Theater
