Kathleen "Electric Feel" B.'s Profile

My first review in quite a few years and a very well deserved one!

After an exhaustive search for the *perfect* hair and makeup artist for my July wedding, I finally found Amy.  I sent so many e-mails and left so many messages for other artists and Amy responded to me within 24 hours.  How refreshing!  She was straightforward from the get-go:  She let me know what services she provides, who and what is involved and how much.  No nonsense, which is much appreciated when you're trying to deal with 10 other vendors.

#1 sign I was in love: my "dry run" consultation at her house was SO great.  It totally put me at ease that my wedding day look was going to turn out great.  It was also a fantastic opportunity to get to know Amy and by the time she was done, I felt like we were old friends!  Amy did a great job listening to what I wanted, looking at my sample pictures and taking pictures of her own in order to remember exactly what I wanted when the Big Day came.  

#2 sign:  She is prompt!  I think I asked her to come to my hotel room at 9am on wedding day and...what do you know...there's a knock on the door at 9 on the dot!  She also brought her fantastic, beautiful, knowledgeable assistant Heather for no additional cost.  These two are seriously bound for the big leagues- they should do runway stuff because they are THAT GOOD.

#3 sign:  My girls, moms and I looked AH-MAZ-ING.  I'm talking h.o.t.  Even my makeup shy mom was rocking a full face that looked perfectly natural.  Everyone's hair and face lasted through the sweaty dancefloor numbers and into the afterparty.  

I have since recommended Amy to friends of mine (I attended another wedding she did and the ladies looked great there, too.  No suprise.).  I will continue to recommend her to everyone I know.  Not only is she HANDS DOWN the best makeup/hair person out there, she is a sweetheart and really knows her stuff.

When I'm cruising the Westfield food court for free samples at 12:15 pm on any given weekday, I'm always surprised by the line of hungry shoppers waiting to get their Pad Thai on.  Surprised not only because these people are still shopping at Bloomie's in this economy, but also because Coriander doesn't normally hand out freebie tasters.  I mean, why the heck would you wait in line for food that you haven't even gotten to taste!  I decided I must get to the bottom of this (looking into espionage as my next career move).

I ordered the Pad Thai and basil chicken, which came with a side of rice, for $8.95.  The portions were HUGE and I was happily devouring my food until I realized that I had given up fried foods for Lent.  Damnit.  Two days into Lent and half a pound of fried basil chicken later, I decided that 40 days of shame and self-denial were really not an option anyway.  Plus, as they say, Lent is just a time to determine which additions I may still have some control over.  Clearly, fried foods wasn't one of them.

Hands down the BEST doctor I've ever been to, optometrist or otherwise.  From the initial phone call to schedule an appointment to the follow-up call after I had seen the doctor, I felt completely at ease and satisfied with my experience.

Stacey is extremely warm, friendly and thorough.  I had a small issue with insurance coverage, but she called the insurance company as soon as they opened on Monday morning and took care of it for me (past experiences at other practices have laid that responsibility on my shoulders).  She called me right away just to let me know it had been taken care of.  

Once I showed up for my appointment on a Saturday morning (note: I had called to schedule the previous Thursday afternoon and was able to get in ust two days later!), the staff was efficient and knowledgeable.  All of the equipment is top of the line and you don't even have to go through the annoying process of getting your eyes dialated as they have a cool machine that takes a pic of the back of your eye.  Every test and machine was described to me, which is great since I get a little weird when it comes to things coming at my eyes.

Dr. Stamper himself is just an all-around great guy and doctor.  He is easy to talk to and really explains every aspect of the visit and the test results.  We switched contact brands and have been so happy with his recommendation.  He gave me a free pair to test out and we scheduled a follow-up appointment the next week.  It's great having a doctor that really cares about how the contact fits and feels.  

Bottom line, don't even think of trusting your eyeballs with anyone else!  Dr. Stamper and his family are the best.  Period.

File this under: great place to recommend to Midwestern, Southwestern, Canadian, Central Mexican or Russian friends in from out of town.  Pesce has DELICIOUS fresh fish that is sure to impress those out-of-towners ("we live right next to the ocean, best. fish. evarrrrrr.") and locals alike.  

Great space for a date or small group of friends.  Be SURE to order the tuna tower with yummy chunks of ahi and avocado.  Almost all of the main dishes ordered were superb and got rave reviews.  One person ordered the vegetarian risotto dish, which I'm sure was delicious, but no friend of mine would order a veggie dish at a seafood restaurant, so I can't be sure.  Pesce also usually has a great drink o' the day.  That night's drink de jour was a raspberry mojito with big chunks of fresh raspberries and a healthy dose of rum.  Right up my alcoholic alley!

Whether you sweat like Lindsey Lohan at an AA meeting at the thought of cooking or you embrace your inner Mario Batali, City Discount is sure to have something for everyone.  From simple tools like cutlery, mixing bowls and oven mitts to heavy duty braisers, mandolines and sauciers, you're sure to find everything to make you look like Julia Child (or at least impress your Valentine's date) in the kitchen.  

I picked up a great stainless steel rondeau and it is better than any cookware I've purchased at Williams Sonoma or Sur.  I've been shopping around for a pot like it and have found similar types at other stores for over $150.  I purchased mine for $49.95. The friendly owner even solidified my decision by stating that she has owned the same rondeau for years and uses it for all types of cooking, braising and roasting.

The beef I made in it turned out delicious and even my Valentine commented on my culinary prowess, although I think the apron + high heel combo helped...I can use all the help I can get in the kitchen!

"But he's not God's cat, he's my cat... let God get his own if he wants one... not mine... not mine." --Pet Semetary (circa 1989)

You really can't help but think of the cinematic masterpiece that is Pet Semetary when walking through this nostalgic slice of yesteryear.  The idea of a pet cemetery is pretty intriguing, especially since the old Presidio officers allowed their children to keep pigeons and ferrets as pets.  Brilliant!

"Here lies Pudgy. The best pigeon ever."

5 very enthusiastic stars.  Anyone who trains a dog (and a cat and a rat, for that matter) to walk around stacked on top of each other deserves nothing but the highest praise.  

Dog + Cat + Rat = pure genius

Then end of 2008/beginning of 2009 found me eating lots and running very little.  And by little, I mean a total of FIVE miles in as many months.  The exciting new-marathoner-luster had definitely worn off after a few grueling months of training, a broken foot and general dislike of waking up early.  

But wouldn't you know it...January 09 rolls around, and with it, a fresh new list of resolutions that are sure to be broken within about 1 month.  However, I KNEW that I needed to get back to running and it would be a resolution that I could keep.  The weekly e-mails from the club that go out are inspiring and get me pumped up to run long on the weekends.  Although I reaaaaaally hate waking up at the crack of dawn on Saturdays (which means no drinky drinky on Friday), I enjoy my time running around when the city is still sleeping.  

+23847 stars for the discounts at Sports Basement! Nice!

I'm not sure if you happened to pick up a copy of January 13th's SF Examiner, but if so, you may or may not have flipped to page 7.  If so, you may be wondering who that graceful "model" posing in Jessie Square under the headline "Going Sleeveless in January" was.  

Wonder no more, gentle readers.  That "model" was, indeed, yours truly.  (I use that term loosely as above mentioned "model" was actually caught by an undercover photographer while she had her mouth agape, mid-lunch).

-1 star because the lighting wasn't exactly right off the blades of grass to fully accentuate the beauty.*

*Extra copies were secured.  Signed editions available for a nominal fee.

Yes, I *did* just elbow your 7 year-old in the head to get a better view of the Rosetta Stone.