I've been very busy trying to settle into my new job. Feel like I'm making progress, and almost know what I'm doing this week (week 4). The work is challenging, it benefits birds, the people are terrific, you can't beat the commute (5 blocks!) , and, considering the state of the economy, I feel very lucky to be gainfully employed.

Nonetheless, it's been difficult to adjust to working full-time again. I work 9am - 5:30 pm with a half hour lunch break, and the nature of my job is such that I work like crazy all day and never come close to getting everything done that needs to be done. I'm hoping that, at some point, I'll get in the groove and be able to make time to do things like cook and update the blog and get in a garden this spring - which is closer out here than I think. I'm still amazed at mild winters and having tomatoes ripening on the plant in our yard in January. I hear spring migration is about to get underway, and it's time to start thinking about what I'm going to plant outside!

In the meantime, here are a few recent photos that haven't yet made it online:


Saw this van near ultra-trendy 4th Street (maybe I should start a series on super-tricked out autos - there are a lot out here!).













We had a really nice (but too short) visit with Brian's mom, Pam...













...on which we took Morty to the dog part at Point Isabel. (He enjoyed it much more than this photo would suggest. Really.)













On my last free Friday before starting work, Brian and I took the train into San Francisco to see the miniature San Francisco model train exhibit at the SF Botanical Gardens.











Lots of people came to see the model trains (it was a pretty neat exhibit).















One of my favorite random shots in the botanical gardens.












Beautiful ornamental ironwork on the pathways at the botanical gardens.














Carnivorous pitcher plants, with Brian in the background.













We stopped at the merry-go-round on the way back to the train; way cool!