alex’s Neighborhood

My brother took me surfboard shopping this week, and after some quality time spent lying next to this 7'11" South Point epoxy board... I just knew it was the one... My Very First Surfboard! (Also the reason I will not be donning any new clothes or eating out for the next couple of months. Luckily there's only one outfit you wear in the water so it don't matter!)

The gorgeous tart (the dessert, not Julie) was made with love by Colleen.

Book #25 in 2008: In the Woods, by Tana French

I enjoyed reading this New York Times' best seller so much that I absolutely did not want it to end. Of course, when it did end, I was actually slightly disappointed (for reasons I will let you discover yourself, lest I give too much away.) An intelligent and savvy mystery with well-developed characters and an intriguing plot. (Another book w/ two woven mysteries: a past mystery directly involving the narrator - who is a murder detective - is (maybe) connected to the murder of a 12-year-girl in a Dublin suburb.)

An interesting note: The story is told in the 1st person past-tense - so the narrator actually knows the ending of the story as he's telling it - which makes for a unique perspective as the mystery unfolds.

Don't read too many reviews on this one or you'll find out more than you want to. A psychological thriller worth checking out.

A few months ago I started getting into my reader, adding a ton of subscriptions and making plans for less TV.  Not too surprisingly I've almost entirely been ignoring the tech feeds (not great for work) and have been engrossed in many design, fashion, photography and art blogs.  Apparently I've rediscovered my inner design goddess.  In my next life I want to make something with my hands as a career. Until then I'll just blog about it: On Maiden Lane. The site is still work in progress as I figure out the colors and stuff.  

These are the most recent photos I've used as wallpaper on my iPhone:

Currently, my wallpaper is this:

I took it at my birthday party this year at The Homestead, probably one of my favorite bars in San Francisco.  You can see the little "H" stamped on my wrist.  I had just moved back to the city about five days prior.  The beer I was drinking was dark with coffee and chocolate flavors in it - in short: delicious.  I played a bunch of songs on the jukebox that night.  Even though you can't see them, lots of my friends were there.  This photo makes me really happy.

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It's a panel on transparency and they haven't let Scoble speak yet. FTW!

Book #24 in 2008: The Girl's Guide to Surfing, by Andrea McCloud

Definitely worth picking up if you're a kook (beginner surfer) like I am. Even though it's geared towards girls - it wasn't over-the-top. (I saw another book called "Surf Diva" or something and I had to pass - I mean, isn't the point of learning to surf to NOT be a diva?)

Anyway - this book had lots of useful information including what to pack in the car before a surf trip, different types of boards, how to load your boards on the car (fins face front - I definitely did this wrong the first couple of times), surf etiquette etc.

Sure, it can't actually help me CATCH waves, but it gave me a good sense of what to expect when I get out there and advice on when it's time to call it a day.

No nonsense. No talking down. Just the facts, ma'am. The illustrations are pretty cute also.