Opening Day on San Francisco Bay

 Opening Day on San Francisco Bay - April 29,2012.

A perfect day for a parade of boats along the waterfront. Today local sailors celebrate the traditional opening day of the boating season on the bay. A lot of the fun is seeing how the boats are decorated, so our vantage from the top of Russian Hill is not optimal. Still. the increased activity on  the bay is fun to watch from here. Binoculars also help.

About an hour compressed into a minute using Lapse It - pro on my Android.

Chron coverage:

"...about 115 vessels of all types - from small sailboats and luxurious million-dollar yachts to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's historic yacht "Potomac" -- heralded the start of the bay boating season in a colorful procession along the waterfront from Crissy Field to Pier 39. Bernt said the yacht "Enchantment," representing the Ebony Boat Club of Antioch, won the parade's best overall prize. Its crew members donned uniforms of Buffalo Soldiers, and also dressed up as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other White House dignitaries. On another yacht, decked out as a pirate ship, the skipper actually walked the plank and jumped into the bay in front of parade judges. One sailboat that apparently cut into the parade route carried a sign reading "Occupy Alcatraz." Boaters dressed in blue blazers, red ties and white yachting slacks lined up on their vessels to salute their fellow St. Francis Yacht Club members watching from the shore."

More pics from afar....

Eagle Ridge Golf Course

Rick and I played  in the Oracle Golf Club tournament Eagle Ridge in Gilroy.  No live blogging this round. We had real golfers our group, and it tends to annoy them.

These shots from the 12th tee will have to suffice documenting the round.  As I recall it was one of my better drives, and Rick put it in the water.

RZ - 111
MW -  117


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Landsmen Dinner - St. Francis Hotel

Attending the Landsmen Dinner is becoming a regular event for me. At least I get some use of the tux.

The most recent dinner was in the "Top of the Tower" Alexander Room at the St. Francis Hotel. Honorees were Vida Blue of the Oakland A's and Captain George O'Brien of the USS Carl Vincent. Met my usual dining buddies Lee and Doug at the event.

Apres' Golf at the Tee Off Bar and Grill

Annoyed by the lack of draft beer at Lincoln Park grill, we walked 1 block down Clement to the Tee Off Bar and consider the question of when I should give up golf.

On the menu: 

"The Badda Bing"

"Italian sausage burger with sauteed onions, bell peppers, marinara & provolone cheese"

Yoopers will recognize this as a "cudighi" sandwich.  First time I have ever seen one on a menu west of the Mississippi river.  The barkeep did not believe me when I explained the real name and history of the sandwich.

Oh yeah... scores...

Other Mike: 91
Rick: 97
Real Mike: 107

Just another day of bitter disappointment and humiliation on the golf course.

A good time was had by all.



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Not the usual 17th hole portrait.

We forgot.  Instead we went with this shot from the 18th tee looking back at the 17th green.

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Rick's trick shot on 14

No golfers were harmed in the filming of this shot. Miraculously, the ball cleared the trunk.


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The Other Mike out of the trap on 13

To 8 feet. He says this was a "pro shot".  Still a bogey.


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13th tee

Believe it or not, and this photographic evidence notwithstanding...

This swing resulted in a decent drive to the top of the hill.

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At the turn

MS 47
RZ 51
MW 54


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Rick out of the trap on 8

tough lie

But he gets out

Eventually

My classic corkscrew finish...

...offended the golf gods on 6.

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The other Mike tees off on 4...

...into a seeming solid wall of fog.

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Rick tees off on 3

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Live Blogging Lincoln

I am playing with 2 optimists.  Note the shorts and fog.  Roy is MIA and moves straight to the top of the Unreliable Golfer List with a last minute cancellation.



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1906 San Francisco Quake Survivors

 

More pictures from the early morning 1906 Earthquake commemorative event at Lotta's Fountain. The landmark became a meeting place for separated family and friends in the aftermath of the great quake.  I was quite pleased with myself getting down to Kearney and Market by 5:00 AM, despite a late evening the night before.

Lotta's Fountain - Then and Now

Carl Nolte says every San Franciscan has to do this once. I can  now check it off my list.

 Neither of ex-mayors made it to the early morning event, but the current mayor did.

There were quite a few more people than I expected, The highlight of the event was seeing the two survivors present:

Add caption

Hundreds remember 1906 quake, honor survivors
"Firefighters and cops in old-time uniforms milled around while residents in top hats and cutaway coats pretended they lived in the early 20th Century. Bleary-eyed politicians espoused preparedness and admired the grit of those the survived the quake and rebuilt San Francisco.

The main focus of the morning was the two present survivors, George Quilici, eight days from turning 107, and Winne Hook, 106.  Quilici and Hook were both infants when the San Andreas Fault slipped at 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, and the 7.9 quake rumbled toward the city. The quake set off fires that tore through the city for three days, leaving the heart of San Francisco in ruins.  Neither Quilici nor Hook remembers the devastation. He was only 11 months old when the fires burned his father's saloon at Columbus Avenue and Bay Street to the ground, and Hook was all of 2 months old when the quake rocked her home in San Jose.  But that didn't stop well-wishers from doting on them like rock stars as the two sat with bemused expressions in the back of the city's 1930 black Lincoln."

Tradition dictates that celebrants convene at Lefty O'Douls for breakfast and Bloody Marys after the ceremony. Who am I to buck tradition?

George Quilci 107

Winnie Hook 106

 Time for a nap.

More on the event and an interesting selection of earthquake aftermath photo's linked here.

Lotta's Fountain - Annual Commemoration of 1906 SF Earthquake Survivors

 I've been here 30 years and never been been down there. If get up in time, I am going in the morning.

Fete for '06 quake survivors a nod to past, future

Carl Nolte, Chronicle Columnist

They were only small children in 1906. Now they are part of our cultural heritage, men and women to be honored. The ceremony at Lotta's Fountain starts just before 5 Wednesday morning. It is something every San Franciscan should attend at least once - like running the Bay to Breakers, or walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, or attending opening night at the Opera.

UPDATE: Why not?  Carl says all San Franciscan's should attend at least once.

This is my year to go. Heading down the hill...

Two centenarian survivors made it this year. More pics later.

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CURE for Epilepsy Benefit at Four Seasons Hotel

You couldn't take two steps without tripping over an ex-mayor

 We were invited by friends to join their table at the second annual CURE for Epilepsy benefit at the Four Seasons Hotel.  Quite a few local luminaries were in attendance, including the two former mayors Gavin Newsom and Willie Brown, David and Susan Axelrod, Reid Hoffman, Tony Gonzalez, as well as current mayor Ed Lee.  Oh yeah - our City Supervisor David Chiu was also there.  It's a great charity and (despite political differences) kudos to the Axelrods for the fantastic work they've done on behalf of  this cause.

These are not very good quality, but snapped a few pics with my  HTC smartphone. 

This was interesting to watch...

Gavin Newsom buttonholed David Axelrod for about 10 minutes.  I mean  - Gavin was rolling - rapid-fire and non-stop. Axelrod did not say three words during the whole harangue. He just kept nodding. Now, I'll admit my observational sales skills are a bit rusty, but - just judging from the body language -  Newsom was selling hard, and Axelrod wanted to be someplace else. No idea what he was saying, but couldn't help but wonder what just what Lt. Governor Newsom was pitching.  Maybe he wanted David to be the first guest on his new show.

 

mmm - Baked Alsaka

More and better pics linked here.

At Perbacco Restaurant and Bar...

...for a "client appreciation" luncheon.We didn't have the option of ordering off the real menu, but the wild mushroom risotto and chocolate mousse cupcake with meringue was pretty darn good. We felt "appreciated".

Seated upstairs, we had a birds eye view of the kitchen and food preparation in process. We'll be back to Perbacco at some point to sample the full menu for dinner.


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Watching the dock go in on Shagcam

This is usually my job. 

 This year I had the pleasure of watching Roy and Jeff put the dock in on ShagCam. 

I am exhausted just watching and my back hurts. 

I need a nap.  

Great work guys!