Katie B.

7/5/2018

These folks are amazing! Dmitry was knowledgeable, responsive and friendly. He was able to get our temperamental Bosch dishwasher back in business in no time and for a reasonable price. I will definitely be calling on these guys again - highly recommend!

2/15/2008

• First to Review

Minnesota Public Radio, notably MPR's 89.3 The Current, has been the BEST thing to happen to me musically in a decade. Even though I live in San Francisco, it's still MY radio station (streaming on the Web) -- it's that good. It's 24 hours of non-commercial, fresh, alternative music with REAL DJs that pick their own music and make their their own commentary. Thank you Barb Abney, Marc Wheat, Jill Riley, Bill Deville, Tony Lopez, Mary Lucia, Ellen Lynde, Steve Seel, Danny Sigelman, Mac Wilson and others for turning me on to new music every day and saving me from becoming one of those people who get stuck listening to nothing but the music of their youth. YOU ROCK!  (Oh, and P.S., I must admit that it always tickles me to hear you say "it's 14 degrees outside" when it's usually warm and sunny here -- I'm sorry!)

2/13/2008

OK, here's my chance: I'm flipping you the triple bird, Yellow Cab!!!  I called THREE times and WAITED for you to pick me up in front of the grocery store with my two-full-bags-of-groceries-I-can't-carry-more-than-5-feet-because-I just-had-surgery. I stood there for more than an hour, as I watched countless empty Yellow Cabs pass me by without even looking. Who the f**k do you think you are? Is it rush hour? It's the middle of the afternoon on a Monday. Is there some special event going on? Perhaps there was some stupid cab driver's convention I didn't know about. I have never been so ready to cry and pissed off at the same time. You may be wondering how I finally made it home: I called my sister-in-law and she came to pick me up. The only good thing that came out of this experience is that, while I was standing there watching my milk curdle and my butter melt, I noticed that there are a lot of cab companies in the City I haven't even heard of ... So, I'm DONE with you Yellow Cab! Screw you and your easy number to remember ... I'm gonna program new cab companies into my cell phone RIGHT NOW.

12/13/2007

We eat at Little Star Pizza at least once a week ... I take that back ... We get take-out from Little Star Pizza at least once a week. We always get the thin crust (we are "thin crust" people). We always get a large and say we'll save the leftovers for tomorrow (yeah, right). We always get our pie "his n' hers" style (my husband likes classic, while I'm a more mushrooms-and-olives fan ... however, we are often tempted -- and never disappointed by -- the special pizza of the day). I always tell myself, after the second slice, that I deserve a third and then rationalize my decision by reminding myself that pizza has vegetables in it and is, from that standpoint, good for me. Afterwards, I always feel a little full and a little bit guilty, promising myself that next time I'll show more restraint ... Because, Lord knows, there'll be a next time.

12/13/2007

• First to Review

OK, I hope you never need a place like this, but if you do, UCSF Hematology/Oncology Clinic is one of the best of its kind. Yes, you'll have to navigate the system to get an appointment. Yes, you'll have to wait awhile to get your blood & vitals taken. Yes, you'll wait quite a bit more before you  see your doctor. But, when it's your turn, it's your turn -- and your doctor will take your case to a team of doctors so that they can all talk about what your best treatment options are, etc. etc.  Plus, the nurses that run the clinic are FANTASTIC. I can almost say that I look forward to going to my treatments ... (Did I just say that?)

9/1/2007

I bought a high-end range and rangehood from CG Appliance back in December 2006. When they delivered and "installed" the range back in March, the install guy told me he couldn't hook up the rangehood because the ducting was the wrong size. "You'll need to call a plumber for that," he said. What do I know? So I called a plumber and, when he came out, he said that the place I got the rangehood from should have supplied an adapter ... Long story short, I called CG Appliance back and they scheduled the install guy to come out again. This time, he brought the part, but said he couldn't install it because the hole in the cabinet needed to be cut to make it fit ... "Isn't that what install guys do?" I wondered. I guess not.

As I type this (in Sept. 2007), my poor husband, with electric saw, ducting tape and tin snips in hand, is laboring to try and make this $$$ rangehood work. Guess what? The part that the install guy brought isn't even the right size ...

I leave you with one parting thought: If you pay too darn much for a kitchen appliance shouldn't the seller see to it that it gets hooked up properly so you can use the darn thing?

7/10/2007

• First to Review

Parque Ninos Unidos would get five stars, if it opened its gates with any regularity. The sign says "open sunrise to sunset," but you can't count on this park to open before 9am and I've waited until almost 10am and left (with kid in tow screaming "Park! Park! Park?!") in frustration. Big kudos for the big kid/little kid separated play spaces, the well-stocked bathrooms and, most of all, the Spanish/English sing-a-long on Mondays (2 classes, 10:00am and 10:30am).

7/10/2007

If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I'd say My Gym is pretty much Gymboree without the creepy clown ... A GREAT thing in my book. Although most parents seem to like Gymboree, I took my then six-month-old to a free trial class and it kinda freaked me out. I liked all the activities, but I was urked by a lot of the cheesy marketing stuff that went with them. My Gym has all the great activities without the hype and my one-year-old LOVES it. Hooray for market share-free play!

7/10/2007

Talbots Toyland has all those toys you've wished for while browsing in other lesser toy stores and big box stores that sell toys. No junk here, just good quality toys (indoor & outdoor) and hobby stuff for all ages. They've got classic, well-made toys like miniature fire trucks, buses and airplanes ... shape sorters (crafted from real wood, I promise!) ... several types of red Radio Flyer wagons, Kettler trikes and bikes. And TRAIN STUFF galore ... You can even buy single pieces of generic track (works nicely with Thomas, Brio and others!) from grab bins. I'm telling you, I get giddy when I think of all the possibilities for fun that lurk within that 30,000 square foot space! When I go shopping for my 1-year-old, I feel like we've landed in Wonderland itself.

1/22/2007

Citikids is another one of those great urban baby/kids stores ... cute, way too expensive and irresistible just the same. Highlights include parking out front (although be prepared to do battle out front with other parents for one of the 4 or 5 spots) and a toy section that has a good selection of wooden and other well-crafted toys. Also, they have the best selection of Robeez I've seen and more than a few brands of white cotton undershirts and onesies.