Alys D.'s Profile

I greatly agree with Eileen L's review. Prompt response, courteous & polite demeanor, and a subtle air of being simultaneously professional and empathetic. In the midst of an emotionally trying event, Dr. Bolivar managed to do what was necessary for our elderly cat with enough swift, gentle ease to make it as painless & calm as is possible - for both us and our pet.

I appreciated his ability to remain seemingly in the background while working around us, so that we could focus on the moment, but communicating just enough to make us aware of what to expect so nothing came as a surprise. I realize now that his service extended beyond that day -- because having such a peaceful experience definitely softened the healing/grief process.

My only recommendation would be to perhaps consider in advance that billing is reviewed (in an understandably brief manner) at the end of the visit, so whomever with the composure to be able to review costs should be prepared to do so.
Overall, a positive experience. I would certainly recommend.

My experience with this office was brief but very positive.
I was referred here in the midst of a mild optical emergency (piece of contact broken off and lodged in eye. Ugh.), and they were able to fit me in quite promptly and successfully take care of the problem. I thought that the amount charged was reasonable, and the staff members were all very kind. Not much more you can ask for.

Ugh. Going into Denny's (out of late-night desperation), I guess you kind of get what you deserve. I got mine: Pain in my insides like I could barely believe a mere 3 pieces of buffalo chicken strips could elicit.

The only entertaining highlight of my visit was that the printer apparently malfunctioned and thus our bill was simply a blank piece of paper. At that point I wasn't sure if it was just the vile chicken causing vision loss.

Never again.

No fun and games here, this review is serious business: I feel extremely dedicated to spreading the gospel of CCCSSF to the poor, indebted masses.

As opposed to those potentially bogus or money-mongering "debt consolidation" commercials all over late-night TV, this is a legit service aimed at eliminating debt through incremental payments over a predetermined period of time. They'll analyze your income, expenses, and debt to create a tailored Debt Management Program that combines everything into one payment per month on the schedule of your choice. You can set the payments to be deducted via direct deposit from your checking account, to make it even more painless.

They take a small cut to support their service, but it is minimal and absolutely worth it when weighed against what you would be paying creditors otherwise. They make a contract with the creditors for you, which in my case meant reducing my interest rates from 22-28% to only 7-10%, saving me thousands of dollars in interest over time. I just completed the first year of my DMP and it has been a thrill to watch my balances go down over time and to not have to worry about a thing other than just making the single payment every month. Also, you're assigned a counselor that you can contact as needed with any concerns, and can update your information and account on their web site.

Seriously, highly recommended.

4am on a Sunday morning (or what still feels like Saturday night, at least until the sun makes the change of day apparent), southeast part of town, craving a sandwich: this is where I was brought. And I'm glad that I was.

They don't make the specialty hot sandwiches at such an hour, but they'll whip you up a very nice cold cut complete with chips and [kind of mediocre] potato salad for only something like $6 or so. Don't pass on the peppers; they really do make the sandwich. Add to that a literal wall of cold beverage choices to make for a happy insomniac.

I'm sure it would taste just as good at a more sane time of day, but there's something special about getting REAL food in the middle of the night. They have my thanks, and most likely, my return business.

Hall of Flame fits into the same category of judgment as previously given to Senoire's pizza; i.e., they're nothing fancy, but they get the job done and are my go-to for that given foodstuff.

In this case, they get 5 stars for fulfilling my delicious burger needs.

On both of my visits thus far I've gotten the Humdinger burger but with a turkey patty. Sauteed mushrooms, onion, cheese, plus all the other fixings = magnifico. It's perfectly messy and juicy if eaten right away, though I imagine they might get soggy if you tried to hold on to them for too long. But why would you want to do that anyway?

The fries are nothing special but I usually never have room for them anyway after the burger. I also admit that both occasions that I've dined here have been in the midst of one of those omigod-I-haven't-eaten-in-12-hours-I'm-gonna-pass- out moments, so my judgment might be slightly skewed, but there's no doubt I'll be coming back here.

I would feel more rightful in giving a one star rating had I actually had the privilege of trying Sparky's food, which I did not, since my friends and I got up and left after waiting 45 minutes for some chili cheese fries and a salad.

It was indeed 2am--most likely a busy time for such an establishment--but was notably a Thursday night rather than a Friday or Saturday. Mis amigos and I were not rowdy or particularly drunk. We ordered fairly simple items. One friend did, however, take all of the sugar packets off the table in bitter protest after the nearby tables that had arrived after us got their orders first.

I'm going with 2 stars in hopes that this was a rare occurrence rather than the rule, but just barely, since a more appropriate response to your patrons leaving disappointed would be something along the lines of "sorry guys" rather than "peace out!"

So down with the Indian-style chicken pizza. Pizza with ginger, tandoori chicken, curry, cilantro -- SO down. If I was to criticize anything it would be that the crust isn't entirely fabulous, but whatever.

The Plan: Order your take-out at the counter, grab a beverage at Trouble or Java Beach, briefly chat with drunk man standing outside 7/11, return to pick up your order (ready on time), jaunt down to the beach with your food in tow, consume. 'Tis all part of the Sunset district lifestyle.

Ok, so these days I can't go more than a week without my fix of Taro flavor frozen yogurt. Since I'm uber-Caucasian I'm still not even quite sure what taro is, but whatever it is, my taste buds are a fan of it. Plus I can put peanut butter chips in it, and caramel sauce, and pay 39 cents per ounce for it. Done deal.

I kept coming back because the yogurt has--in the time since my first review--become less runny. It's still not to the point that I would trust packing it to go; definitely an eat-immediately type of arrangement, which is not tough to do since this yogurt is so addictingly delicious.

They have gelato (non-self-serve) as well if that's what you're into.

2010 was my first Coachella (a little late to the game, I know), and as I process it a couple of days later, I'm torn as to how to judge my experience.

The festival and the on-site camping left me with 2 completely different tastes in my mouth; the former being mildly sweet and the latter being horribly sour. I'll spare the entire nightmare story, but can guarantee that Goldenvoice will be receiving stern complaints from my camping party (and undoubtedly from the hundreds of other pissed-off folks we encountered) for the horribly unorganized and mismanaged parking and camping setup. One car of my friends had arrived the prior night so I was well aware that we'd likely experience a 2-3 hour traffic backup before getting to our camping spot. However, I never could have imagined following our 8-hour drive from San Francisco with a 9 HOUR parade of bullshit to obtain the camping space that we held a ticket for, including clueless overworked festival employees giving us incorrect directions to camping lots that didn't exist for hours until a new lot was approved since they had run out of room (??). This resulted in us missing all the artists we'd wished to see on Friday. I fully intend to request a refund for the first day of the festival, and a partial refund for camping.

Good camping things: Bassface camp, free arts and crafts tables, abundance of bathrooms, employees who stood guard day and night to keep our stuff/cars safe, colored spotlights that were a spectacular aid in finding your campsite when you're delirious at the end of the day, friendly people.

I never imagined that I would, in my lifetime, wait 45 minutes in line for the use of a hose (since the actual shower line was far longer), pay $8 for shaved ice afterward to avert passing out from the heat, and flirt with a camping lot attendant in exchange for use of his generator outlet to charge my dead cell phone. Coachella, woo!

That said, the festival itself (once I finally got out of the damn car and could attend it) was fun. The different tent setups were great, set times were clearly listed, the light productions and sound were quite good, the grass surface was a nice change from other dust/dirt-laden festivals, it wasn't terribly inundated by sponsors and commercialism, and I saw a lot of great shows in a short amount of time. The transitions between acts were prompt and on schedule.

Gripes:
The term "beer garden" suggests imagery of a variety--a potpurri, if you will--of drink selections. Heineken vs. Heineken Light doesn't count. Blegh. I guess they must have paid a lot of money for that sort of exclusivity, but damn, they couldn't have gone with a worse beer. Also, $12 for a single 10oz. Jack and coke. Ouch, even for a San Franciscan.
Would have liked to see more shaded areas and lounge-like spaces outdoors.
The water policy. For a festival that aims to "drastically reduce water waste," requiring people to dump out their water bottles prior to entry only to refill them at a spout a few steps later is just plain wasteful.
I can't speak from experience, but everyone I've talked to who attended in previous years said that the crowds this year were far more ridiculous. Hopefully they don't allow it to keep getting bigger unless they proportionately increase the services and workers there.

In conclusion, I might be back next year, but I'll definitely be weary of on-site camping. $300 for the festival pass still seems a bit steep.

Oh, and FYI for those who care: The average age at this event seems to be quite young. You know something's up when the barely-23-year-old feels like she's on the upper end of the curve.