The Sunday Chronicle

For over 12 years I have enjoyed my Sunday mornings reading the San Francisco Sunday Chronicle. It started as a Christmas present from my parents, along with an individual French press coffee maker, when I was living by myself in my studio apartment in Cow Hollow. I would spend those Sunday mornings curled up in my arm chair reading every inch and page of the newspaper while sipping my home brewed coffee. Who knew, I might find inspiration for my next trip hidden inside the Travel section or learn about the hot new trends in the Style section. The rest of the day was spent working through the weekly crosswords in the pink section, while trying not to sneak a peek at the answers.

After a quick pause while in Zurich (delivery over there would have been a bit decadent) I resumed my subscription and routine (thanks again to my presents) when I returned to San Francisco. With Martin still in Zurich, I once again enjoyed my newspaper and coffee each week, only this time with a little more focus on the Real Estate section. Martin and I were looking to buy a house.

Fast forward two years and my Sunday mornings were spent in our newly purchased house in North Beach with the weekly Chronicle while Martin was out on his weekly six hour bike ride. I still loved the Real Estate section (marveling at how lucky we were to buy our home when we did) however I spent a few extra hours savoring the Food and Wine section. I loved cutting out the recipes (although in honesty I think I have only made one or two of the many saved) and I would immediately book reservations for any featured restaurant that looked good. Thanks to the Chronicle we checked out multiple three star restaurants before they were overly popular and you could no longer get a reservation.

This past weekend I realized just how much of a constant the Chronicle has been in my life but also how much my reading experience has changed over the years. With two kids spicing up our lives, my leisurely Sunday morning routine has been upended. I still read the First Page section (taking in the national and global news) and I now actually glance at the Business section to see if anything is pertinent to my job. The Travel section is just a mocking reminder that we no longer travel anywhere but Germany to see the family. And the Food and Wine section just tells me about all of the amazing new restaurants that have opened that I will never go to.

Yes, I still read the newspaper and drink my morning coffee, however it is either broken up over the course of the day (when I get a quick break or when Oskar goes down for his nap). But more than likely it is the over the course of the week and sometimes on the following Saturday that I am finally able to enjoy the pleasure of the Sunday Chronicle.  In fact as I write this, last week’s Chronicle is staring at me to be read.   By the time I get around to reading it the only thing still relevant is the Pink section and the faithful crossword, which I am happy to report takes less cheating these days than when I first started the routine.

Aussie Uncle Greg

Good friendship last forever, pick up where you left off like no time has passed and continue to evolve as your lives change directions through moves, relationships, jobs, marriage and children. It is these friendships that you have to cherish and enjoy when you get a chance. And this past weekend I realized how lucky I am to have it not only with my girls but a few men I have known along the way, including Aussie Greg.

I have known Greg for almost 20 years and have had some incredible experiences and memories with him: debachery in Costa Rica, visiting him in Australia, my first visitor after moving to Zurich and him coming to our wedding in SF. Our friendship has been based on a mutual love for travel, good beer and fun times with friends... so I was little worried about him coming to stay with us given the significant change in my lifestyle over the past 20 years. I mean, when planning for his visit we were talking about having a big night out and my current bedtime is around 9pm.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about... I think it did help that he was slightly jet lagged (after flying in from Japan) and was battling a slight cold.

We spent Saturday around the house (thanks to the rain), and in the break in weather, Oskar showed him one of our two playgrounds, we grabbed Chinese food for dinner and wrapped up the evening with beers at home. And I was still in bed by 9pm. We caught up like no time had passed since we last saw each other. And even better Oskar became his instant shadow…waiting at the door Sunday morning for him to wake up, walking down the streets with him saying “wait for me Greg” and making Greg play with his him and his toys.  It didn’t take long for Aussie Greg to officially morph into Uncle Greg.

And, like all family members, we have promised Oskar that we will go to Australia to visit him next.

Fire Sale!

Store is closing, everything must go!! Or at least that is how it feels now that Alva is starting to outgrow her clothes and gear.

Being mentally done with having kids, I have embraced the joy of purging and have found the exercise to be somewhat therapeutic. Four weeks after giving birth, and officially fitting back into normal clothes I packed up all my maternity clothes and gave them to our friend who was pregnant with her second. She had previously mentioned that she hated all of her maternity clothes from the first pregnancy and made the mistake of saying she would be interested in taking mine. We loaded up our blue wagon and dropped them off at her house with a promise from her to give them away when she was done.

With Alva we didn’t buy any new clothes and were instead gifted countless boxes of girl’s clothes. These along with Oskar’s old clothes have been stored under our bed waiting to be used. We are now on the six to nine months clothes and still have half of the bed full. However I have enjoyed the thrill of packing up the cute clothes that no longer fit and gifting them to the next wave of new mothers... Two bags to Joanna when she was in town, one bag of the really cute boy stuff to Buldrini who is the only one of my friends having a boy right now and three bags of clothes to Tipton.

And as of the gear… well that went to Tipton who is due in April and made the mistake of asking for advice on what to buy or register for. I did her one better and promised her everything that we no longer needed...the side sleeper, the rock n play, the second ergo baby with infant insert, mobi wrap, hooter hiders, nursing pillow, baby mobile. While we filled her car and made space on our house I let out a huge sigh of relief: we were officially done with all of this stuff.  It was such a relief and rush. 

And like any junkie looking for their next fix, I have already started to bag up the next round of clothes. Consider yourself warned, if you are pregnant or have a newborn, expect to leave any encounter with me with a few baby items. Poor Julia came over for a play date last weekend and left with a maternity jacket (found in the back of the closet) and a KTan wrap.