Loft Beds are a sleeping solution

When I was a kid, they called it a bunkbed, but now it's known as a loft bed, and they’re not just for children anymore. Since I am notorious for snoring, Angelina has been sleeping upstairs a lot, and I’m thinking that getting a loft bed might be the solution. They have so many cool designs and configurations nowadays, and the prices are reasonable, so maybe that’s the way we’ll go. Then, we have a major decision to make – who will get the bottom bunk?

When Will the Next Big One Hit? And Who Will Be Prepared?

Here in earthquake country, emergency supplies are a big deal. We’ve had two huge earthquakes in San Francisco, one in 1906 and one in 1989, so you never know when the next big shakeup is just around the corner. That’s why Angelina and I are buying an emergency preparedness kit, complete with battery-free lights, vacuum packed food and water and first aid kits. That why while SF falls down all around us, we’ll be safe!

An affordable place to live

With real estate prices through the roof here in Northern California, Angelina and I are looking for a place to live where we might be able to afford a home. One of our friends told us recently about Ellijay real estate and it sounds like a great place to live. It’s in the hills of Georgia and features log cabins nestled amongst gentle green mountains, with sparkling creeks, a moderate climate, full of natural beauty, clean air and low stress living. Sounds like the antithesis of busy, bustling, expensive San Francisco. And best of all, the homes there are affordable!

This Week's Restaurant Review: Cafe Zoetrope in SF

Café Zoetrope is owned by the legendary film director and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola, who made films like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s named after his famous production company and is located in the majestic Sentinel Building in the heart of San Francisco’s North Beach. Like an entertaining movie, this place has an opening, a plot and a fulfilling conclusion, all of which will send you home saying “Bravo! Bravo!” Café Zoetrope pulls you in with its warm and inviting décor, wows you with professional and attentive service, and then satisfies you with its fine Italian cuisine. It’s a delightful little European style café with a great menu and an extensive selection of Italian and California wines. Memorabilia from Coppola’s films adorn the walls of Café Zoetrope, including the pieces of cotton Marlon Brando stuffed in his mouth when he mumbled his lines as Don Corleone in The Godfather (just kidding). Café Zoetrope offers dining both inside and out, with heated sidewalks, which enable patrons to eat in the night air of San Francisco, regardless of how cold or foggy it may be. The menu at Café Zoetrope is varied and fun – from hearty pastas to creative appetizers and small dishes – all the way to great pizzas and calzones. We have been there several times and tried numerous items, but the Spaghetti alla Putanesca ($11.00) always stands out. It’s a wonderful combination of fresh homemade pasta, tomato sauce with olives, capers and garlic. Another pasta dish of note at Café Zoetrope is the Linguine alle Vongole ($14.50), with fresh clams, white wine, parsley and red pepper flakes. This is not your standard spaghetti with canned clam sauce, which is what you’ll find throughout North Beach. Café Zoetrope’s version of this traditional dish is exquisite, with fresh ingredients and a pasta that’s perfectly al dente and to die for. If you like things like Broccoli Rabe ($4.25), sautéed in olive oil, garlic and shallots; Sauteed Crimini Mushrooms ($4.75); and Radicchio ($7.00), consisting of treviso radicchio, with an orange and balsamic dressing, then this place will knock your socks off with its simple and elegant approach to just about everything on the menu. The pizzas at Café Zoetrope are also outstanding – from the basic Pizza Marinara ($9.00) to the Pizza Quattro Stagioni ($12.50) with fresh tomatoes, ham, olives mushrooms and basil, you can’t go wrong with these amazing pies – people who know pizza will love these marvelous creations. There’s nothing too fancy here, but everything I’ve tried has been excellent. Café Zoetrope is located at 916 Kearny Street in San Francisco, and is open every day for lunch and dinner. Their phone number is: (415) 291-1700.

Painting an Old House

Angelina and I are seriously thinking about painting the interior of our house here in San Francisco. The paint is chipping in a bunch of rooms, and the kitchen ceiling actually collapsed on my head the other day. (ouch!) I found a great web site for picking paint colors, and it’s been really helpful. They have a bunch of pallets for you to choose from and they show you how it will look on your walls. Picking the colors for this old house (which was built in 1888 and has survived two huge earthquakes) will be a lot of fun. I just hope we can hire a painter to do the actual work!

North Carolina, Here I Come!

I just talked to my cousin who lives in Richmond, Virgina, and he said that next year the entire family is going to spend a week in Outer Banks, North Carolina. I had never heard of the place, so I looked it up on the Web, and the place looks awesome. They have what they call Outer Banks Rentals out there, which are beautiful vacation homes that you can rent at reasonable prices, with swimming pools, stocked kitchens, big bedrooms – some of these places are like estates. We’re going to rent a big one and just relax for a whole week – fishing, swimming and just kicking back! I can’t wait!

My prediction for tonight's BCS Championship Game

I would love to see Ohio State lose, because I always pull for the underdog, but I truly believe that the Buckeyes are the best team in college football this year. I think Florida will be able to score a few points against them, but in the end, Ohio State's offense will just be too much for the Gators to overcome.
FINAL SCORE: OHIO STATE: 34 FLORIDA: 20
(But, in the meantime, GO GATORS!!)

Album Cover Wars

This is an amazing and esceedingly disturbing video clip. Someone who is very demented and obviously extremely creative put it together. It must have taken countless hours to conceptualize, edit and produce this 2 minute-plus video, and for that reason alone it's worth watching.

Is Romo the New Buckner?

Tony Romo basically blew the game for the Cowboys yesterday and their season ended. I'm not saying it was as dramatic or heartbreaking as what Bill Buckner did, but it's right up there. Sure, maybe the Seahawks could have come back and won it, but the fact remains -- this guy choked and will be known as Mr. Bobble for the rest of his life. How he handles it will be the defining factor. Life throws us curves and if we can hit them, we win. If we can't -- we strike out!

The NFC Wild Card Playoffs

Some NFL teams waltz into the postseason, while others sneak through by the skin of their teeth. The two dominate teams in each conference get to watch the playoffs on TV this week, but everybody else in this exclusive tournament is playing today and tomorrow. The Bears, Saints, Chargers and Ravens are the luckiest ones, but the way things went in the NFL this season, I think every team should just feel grateful to be there. Yesterday I did my AFC Wild Card Weekend selections, so today it’s the NFC.

NFC

Dallas at Seattle

Both these teams are lucky to be in the playoffs and should be thankful that they’re playing each other. The Seahawks are by far the weakest team in the postseason, in my opinion. They have the talent, there’s no denying that. And the team’s core offensive players – QB Matt Hasselbeck, RB Shaun Alexander and WR Darrell Jackson – are all healthy, although Jackson continues to be bothered by a turf toe. But, if they are going to win, the Seahawks will have to pass the ball and take advantage of the Cowboys’ suspect defensive backs. Dallas has surrendered 14 TD passes within the last month, so they can be defeated in the air. The Cowboys, once seemingly a lock to win the NFC East title, limped into the postseason and will have to do just about everything right to win this one. QB Tony Romo has looked terrible since the New Orleans debacle, but I believe that RB’s Julius Jones and Mrion Barber, along with WR’s Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton will generate enough offense to upset the hapless Seahawks.
FINAL SCORE: COWBOYS: 24 SEATTLE: 17

New York at Philadelphia

This will be the most entertaining of the four Wild Card matchups this weekend, in my opinion. Philly QB Jeff Garcia saved the day and the Eagles’ season when Donovan McNabb was injured, and the Eagles have soared since. There’s no team with more momentum, which is huge during the playoffs. With RB Brian Westbrook and TE L.J. Smith to complement Garcia, this team is poised to make a run. Conversely, the Giants are a team in disarray, but because they’re so talented and just grateful to be in the playoffs, I think they’re going to give the Eagles a tough game. NY QB Eli Manning shows moments of brilliance, and RB Tiki Barber is going to be playing like it’s the last game of his career (which it could be.) I like Philly in this one, but only because they’re at home and have the better defense.
FINAL SCORE: EAGLES: 17 GIANTS: 14