When I lived in Boston, I was enthralled by their Fourth of July celebration at the Esplanade. Sadly, I won’t be there to enjoy this year’s 35th anniversary celebration, but I thought in order to get into the holiday spirit, I’d spend some time finding out what some other cities have planned for 2008’s […]

Posted on June 27th, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: Chicago, Oahu, San Francisco, Vacation | No Comments »

Halloween is a huge deal at our house. On May 1st my nephew and I were already discussing our Halloween costume options. We are freaks.
So, despite the fact that it’s May, it’s not too early to begin planning a fall trip for Tomo. And what could be more fun than a […]

Posted on May 22nd, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: Restaurants, San Francisco, Vacation | No Comments »

For the past three years, I have meticulously sought out every last Oscar-nominated film, seen each one, read professional reviews of them, compared those assessments to my own opinions, and eaten roughly $6 million worth of popcorn.  All of this served two primary aims:  1)  Entertainment, and 2) It enabled me to win each year’s […]

Posted on February 25th, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: San Francisco | 1 Comment »

At long last, I’ve been discovered by Hollywood.  But don’t worry, I’ll still remember the “little people” that helped me get to where I am today. 
How did I launch my movie career, you ask?  Quite simply:  They came to me.
I live in the Castro in San Francisco, a neighborhood that’s been transformed over the past […]

Posted on February 2nd, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: San Francisco | 5 Comments »

Yes, it’s true – none other than yours truly came close to doing hard time recently.
What’s that, you say?  A nice boy like me, running afoul of the law?  Impossible! 
A bit of background info is in order. 
As most of you know, I recently moved to San Francisco from New York, where turnstile “jumping”on the subway […]

Posted on January 31st, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: San Francisco | 2 Comments »

I recently went to the San Francisco Symphony for the first time for a performance of Beethoven’s 4th Symphony.  Before I can comment on the music, I have to address the matter of the conductor, San Francisco’s much-beloved Michael Tilson Thomas.  At the risk of sounding like a jaded old queen (an accusation that’s been leveled […]

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: Restaurants, San Francisco, Symphony | 2 Comments »

I saw the movie Juno last night, and I have question for those are more insightful than me:  What’s the deal with the title? 
And no, I’m not a complete dummy — I know the mythological ’story’ behind the name, and yes, I heard the title character’s explanation in the movie; but I can’t help but […]

Posted on January 4th, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: San Francisco | 4 Comments »

 
My mother would be proud:  It’s been many a year since I’ve darkened the door of a church, but that’s just what I did on the last Sunday of 2007.  For the record, let me state that I profess no theistic beliefs, nor am I a fan of organized religion.  But the Sunday “celebrations” at […]

Posted on December 31st, 2007 by Thomas
Filed under: San Francisco, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Ah, the glamour of city life:  The elegant manifestations of culture, the glittering cocktail parties, the sophistication of one’s fellow urban denizens.   These are the reasons one lives in a major city, yes?  They were a big part of the draw for me, particularly when I was growing up on my family’s farm, dreaming of […]

Posted on December 13th, 2007 by Thomas
Filed under: San Francisco | 1 Comment »

San Francisco abounds with unique and unusual things to do, which typically does not include something as traditional as on opera.  But operas can be innovatively suprising, as I discovered recently.  Tuesday night was the final installment of  my San Francisco Opera mini-subscription, and this time it was Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.  I’ve always found […]

Posted on December 6th, 2007 by Thomas
Filed under: Opera, San Francisco, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »