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Thursday 30 November 2006
	It's playground time at school. Here's Isaac with Sarah, Alejandro, and others tickling Sebastian. I haven't heard such laughter - from all involved - in a long time! Isaac working on his pinans wearing his new Black Belt Club black gi (or, in Korean, dobuk). When my boy is on it, he's really on it. Go, Isaac, go! Today is a somewhat special day: all Hapkidoka are being promoted. On the edge of the mat, under the flags, are the Hapkido belts waiting to be awarded. Three of the four belts are ours. Isaac gets his Hapkido green belt from Mr. John Nuygen (1st dan), with Mr. Carlo Valero (4th dan) and Miles Ceralde (1st dan) looking on. Lila gets her Hapkido purple belt. Now it's my turn to get my purple belt. There'll be celebrating after class this evening! The kids get to pick the dinner venue; they pick Zona Rosa in the Haight-Ashbury. I guess it's burritos tonight. Each kid loves to order their own combination. Aunt Pamela came to the dojang this evening, and she's eating with us too. That's her in background, with the ponytail, with Rose in the foreground with the kids. Despite the drizzle starting, I dash outside to get a photo of Pamela and the kids through the side window.
Tuesday 28 November 2006
	Lila loves taking photos with my Digital Cameras. While I was on the mat she snapped Isaac in Hapkido class. Thanks, sweetie-pie.
Saturday 25 November 2006
	It's an early Saturday morning. The kids asked that we eat breakfast out, at Orphan Andy's. Both really crave the chocolate-chip pancakes. Lila eats her chocolate one chip per slice of pancake... ...while Isaac saves most of his chocolate chips at the end, savoring the pancakes with butter and maple syrup. We're planning on heading down to the Hyde Street Pier (to meet friends), but we're early and so we have time to head over to Pier 39 to watch the seals. Lila's impressed. On the pier, Isaac teaches these Chinese twins all about boats while Lila and Serafina watch. Fearless climbers, Isaac & Lila clamber aboard the Hyde Street Pier paddle wheel. The kids are hungry, so we head over to Boudin's at Fisherman's Wharf for some coffee and hot chocolate, bread, and soups. Isaac redeploys the top of my bread bowl. Here's the two families at the center of Fisherman's Wharf, sated and happy. If you're in the area I suggest trying Sabella and LaTorre, my favorite place to get fresh crab and calimari, especially the outdoor stand; eschew the others places.
Friday 24 November 2006
	Thanksgiving #2 at the in-laws; this is the post-feast view. The turkey was great, the flatiron was unbelievably tasty, and the dessert - both cake and baklava - was exceedingly pleasant.
Thursday 23 November 2006 - Thanksgiving Day
	It's Thanksgiving Day, and we've got few plans. We thought we'd be at a friends' house, but that seems to have fallen through. The in-laws are heading out to a farther branch of the family tree, and Dziadziu and Zofia are heading over to Polish friends. Still, the house smells wonderful. I've been cooking for tomorrow's Thanksgiving feast with the in-laws. Here's the Sephardic "brisket" I've been making. (It's actually the flatiron cut; brisket seemed to have much too much fat to my eyes.) Several folks have asked, so I promise to post the recipe. My sister, Felicia, and I have been talking about getting together today. They've been busy unpacking from their recent move. Somehow things came together and the table is cleaned off; here we're enjoying a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast.