Get Prepared!

Look what i got in the mail today! FREE!!

Thanks Red Cross!                                                                        

SFCARD

SF NERT

Makin’ Dog Food

I’ve recently discovered that my little rescue dog, The Burrito, is actually a foodie trapped in a burrito shaped body. Who knew?!? A trillion years ago, i used to cook for a cat i had (cuz i was a hippy duh. WAS.) and it had such an amazing & almost immediate effect on her over-all health (energy, coat, body shape, less prone to fleas) that i decided to try it for The Burrito. Here’s  a picture of the basic ingrediants:

They vary a bit every time, as i’m trying to keep the right proportions: about 75% protein (eggs, tofu, chicken, beef, turkey), 15% fruits & veggies (i’m lazy, so i typically get ones that i can grate – apples, squashes, pears, zucchini) & 10% grains (not whole wheat though! brown rice, amaranth, oatmeal, quinoa, etc). Plus, i also add brewers yeast, a green powder, bone meal & fish oil.

Cooked up, grated & mashed all together – easy peasy! Heck, if i can do it, anyone can do it. It’s so easy, only takes about 1hr. to make 10 days worth of food – i get 3 yogurt containers full, and if i didn’t overfeed my dog (ack. i like them on the chubby side, what can i say?), it would probably last 2 weeks. But the best part?!? Look how darn excited she is.

Frickin’ Burrito.

Summer is Ridiculous.

What not to wear:

I know it’s hot and not that i should be one to talk, but WTF. Seriously.

Signs that ROCK:

Please note that the neon sign says “We Care.” Jesus wants you to pump iron. (thanks KLM for braving the crazy man & humoring me with a few drive-bys.)

“She has 1 foot in San Francisco & 1 foot in the bayou”

I may blow it by even posting about it, but I gotta brag ’bout my mad skillz….plus i love talking about music, especially when a show is as awesome as last Saturday’s with Tab Benoit, a New Orleans blues man (well, technically from Baton Rouge), at Great American Music Hall.

The deal: i have a bizarre knack for winning free concert tickets. good thing too, working for a nonprofit and all, there’s no way i could support this music habit.  But this may be the best accidental win – I was getting over a cold last week and passed out super early, like 5pm….i woke up groggy & thirsty at 1am, stumbled around, then back to bed – right then the radio said to call in for tickets, i did and won, and promptly fell back to sleep. The next morning, i wasn’t sure if it had been a dream or what, but after googling the musician’s name, i saw when and where he was playing and crossed my fingers that there were tickets at the door.

The Show – Tab Benoit: KLM & i got there an hour early (totally by accident – thank you Sudafed, makin’ me all crazy ‘n shit), but it was some great people watching…we were the youngest fans there & what an eclectic crowd! (very Ben Lomond-isk, Santa Cruz County) He’s relatively young, had on the most hideous polyester red shirt (was it a dragon? a snake? an inflamed intenstinal track??) and a croc skull on the speaker but DAMN that boy could wail! And so many different styles, but done so well – he had a honky tonk style (it may have been the whiskey but i was in a bar in Austin), a Stevie Ray Vaughn husky voice & wailing guitar song and then a old delta blues style.

Show was amazing, if you haven’t had a chance to check dude out, he apparently comes through Bay Area quite a bit, check out his site here.

Lunchin’ with Rowdy Retired Boxers

Last Friday i was invited to the most amazing lunch EVER. On the 2nd Friday of each Month, a group of retired boxers and baseball players meet up at the Italian-American hall on Russia St. (off Mission St.) in the Excelsior District.  

I had no idea what to expect – one of my friends (and a client through my work) had invited myself & my (brand new to SF) Americorp members to join her at their monthly meeting. The Italian-American hall is a nondescript building with a little bar and a tiny hall of lunch tables organized in a giant ‘U’. I got sucked into a conversation with Jack, a very dapper older man literally being ripped off by a drug addict whom hasn’t paid rent in 6 years (yes. i’ll be following up on that.), when i noticed that my friend was buying my Americorp members bloody marys – well, when in Rome (or something like that…) 

After chatting in the bar for about 20 min, we got called into the hall for lunch (3 choices: tripe, veal or snapper – $15). There were about 30 people, the majority were between 60-80 and were men, primarily Italian or Irish but every single person was so friendly and welcoming (even to a big homo like me). The meeting was called to order with a boxing ring, the bank statements were read by a 7ft giant, named Spider Joe Burke (of course i have his card), and there was so much fun bantering, one-liners, respectful flirting (in only the way older men, especially Italians, can get away with), boxing references, jokes & general statements that i was basically laughing for 3 hours straight – seriously, i can’t remember the last time i had that much fun (the freely pouring red wine was nice too). Granted, the picture doesn’t even show the general rowdiness, but check out Spider Joe – dude is HUGE! and sweet as hell…

There was much gin & tonic drinking, shit talking & a whole lot of ‘whatdhe say?’ – it was a rowdy group of older guys (and gals) and i can’t wait to go back.They were so stoked to have guests, especially younger ones, and the company was so fantastic that i just may pay the $15/year membership. So, if you’d like to be my lunch date, just let me know!

PS…my apologies for the crappy picture…i recently broke my camera, am saving my pennies for a new one & am stuck with my phone camera till then.

“Gourmet” food trucks to hit The Hub!

Or, McCoppin St. isn’t just for crackheads, drug dealers & baby thugs…I’m so frickin’ excited! Tasty food carts will be parked on the dead end part of McCoppin St. (that butts up against the Duboce 280 exit) on Saturdays from 11am until 10pm (starting Sept 25th) Wahoo!! I’ve been hearing all kinds of rumors about that dead-end, that there will be a sculpture installed there, a community garden…

Check it: http://www.sfcartproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/OTG-McCoppin-Flier.pdf

I heart this neighborhood – which i’ve been told has been called The Hub, Deco Ghetto, Central Market & the Pink Triangle (ok. well, so my pals made that up – cuz from my doorstep you can see the LGBT Center…and i thought i couldn’t get any gay-er!). I’m always looking for more info about this ‘hood, so if you know of a community group, neighborhood association, or the ‘real’ name, let me know!

WHICH, reminds me – i’ve been working with Kika’s Treats at Off the Grid’s Fort Mason location (Friday nights from 5-9pm) and it’s a BLAST! It’s chilly as hell people (layers! layers you damn Mission-heads!) and not nearly as crowded as the Mission District food fests…a huge selection of food (sweet & savory), tasty beverages, everyone’s super sweet, the lines are manageble & the public library’s used bookstore is next door (picked up Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart for $7 – if you like Confederacy of Dunces, you’ll dig this). So, stop by! i’m the inappropriate loud-mouth at Kika’s booth…(i’m working to buy a new camera – which is a whole other story).

More importantly – buy Kika’s treats. they’re delicious, she’s amazing & we all love supporting local businesses, right? http://www.kikastreats.com/ and for more info about all the great locations where Off the Grid is working, check ’em out here: http://offthegridsf.com/

I heart Jane Jacobs. And the Civic Center Resurgence.

  Thinking about chapter 14 and the Civic Center public space…

So – i’ve been slowly reading (and i mean s l o w l y …there’s a lot there. savor it people) Jane Jacob’s awesome urban master piece, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” and chapter 14, ‘The curse of border vacuums’ basically deals with spaces in an urban environment that create these dead-end spaces (by being hard ‘borders’) where constant & diverse traffic can’t cross through (which generally keep areas ‘safe’)…thus, resulting in a “running down process” that spirals downhill and can become what Jacobs quotes from John Cheever (pg. 161):

“North of the park you come into a neighborhood that seems blighted – not persecuted, but only unpopular, as if it suffered acne or bad breath, and it has a bad complexion – colorless and seamed and missing a feature here and there.”

Just last last week i was strolling down Market St. to return my library books at the Main Library*, maybe it was the toasty brown tempature and lat summer lighting, but the Civic Center was buzzing with activity – the market was closing down, but tourists, residents, crackheads, students, bizness peeps, and more were wandering around, casually enjoying the golden light filtering along the concrete and pigeon coated statues – i mean, check out this photo…how fun does this look?!

Ms. Jacobs talks about borders (large parks, Universities, hospitals, civic spaces, etc) that create these dead ends that can have a downward spiral (think: unsafe to hang at night, lots of crackhead activities, etc) – and while i totally agree, in fact can think of tons that fit that description (SF General, most SF Highschools, 280 at many points, Junipero Serro Blvd, City College, Muni train homes, the Federal building downtown, etc.) and generally i would dump Civic Center in there (what an urban planning nightmare) but lately some really exciting things are going on, including:

• Art Market – Thurs from 12-8pm
• Farmers Market – Sundays and Wednesdays 7am-5pm
• General Randomness – according to this blog, there was a Republican Rally at Civic Center – go figure! http://sfciviccenter.blogspot.com/
• (more to come! i know there’s more…just had too many beers on labor day…)

 If you haven’t read the book, and you love all things urban (wish you understood why some neighborhoods gel, like Valencia St., Clement St & West Portal, while others limp along pathetically like Ocean Ave, parts of SOMA, & the Market strip near my hood), Jane Jacobs is your gal. Just startin’ on her second book, i’ll keep you posted….

That’s it. Look, even The Burrito likes it. >

*(WHICH -if you haven’t been to the downtown library branch, visit it as soon as you can. it’s amazing and all things a public library can be – so much beautiful natural light, so many books to get lost in, an impressive media center, historical section and used book store up front…not to mention the community rooms below and cute cafe with sweet staff-ers)

Will there be a funeral for New Leaf?

After 35 years of serving LGBT seniors in our community, I’m devastated to announce that New Leaf Senior Services is closing their doors October 15^th. This amazing organization has been providing mental health and social services to 1,300 clients a year. Personally, I loved volunteering with the holiday events, the ‘friendly visitor’ program, great newsletter & referral service and was incredibly inspired by the staff (especially Jan and Patricia).

This is truly heartbreaking. Budgets have been cut relentless across the city (among city agencies and nonprofits) over the last 2 years and are most often aimed at the most vulnerable populations here in SF (ex. In-Home Supportive Services slashed, Dept of Adult & Aging Services slashed, The LGBT Center’s near closure, Excelsior Senior Center closing, not to mention the countless programs closing, staff laid off, etc.).

Maybe you’re wondering…Why is this a problem?

• Isolation among seniors is a huge issue – I see on a daily basis the dramatic difference in the health, mobility & mental capacity of my active seniors vs. my homebound seniors.
• Gay seniors are often forced back in the closet – gay seniors often face discrimination from senior housing (and peers in the housing), care givers, case managers, or doctors. Couples that have been together for years have been forced apart due to the senior housing not knowing ‘how to handle them’. (Like any other married couple, thank you!)
• Senior issues are everybody’s issues – how we treat the most vulnerable of our population says everything about who we are. Plus, we’re all going to be there, or our parents, cousins, neighbors, friends…
• Really, you need more?! Well, you’re just a heartless turd and should stop reading this blog immediately.

But this is good motivation for me to compile some articles and info I have on gay seniors – statistics, discrimination, etc. Check back, I’ll add more within the next week.

 Here is a picture of where they used to be (morbid, I know. I’m dramatic like that. Plus I go by it on the way home everyday.) I’m so sad, that I couldn’t even finish reading their official closure letter, which is here: http://newleafservices.org/files/Press-Releases/New-Leaf-Closure.pdf

Facebookin’ Grannie…

Ok – admittedly i’m super excited about the NPR Aging series…it feels a bit like stumbling on a treasure trove of information and i can’t wait to post it on my work blog & twitter page. And on another note, clearly i’m a nerd – a 30something that is as obsessed as i am about senior issues at some point just needs to own it and move one.

So moving right along….seniors using social media has exploded! Which is awesome – i think it really has the potential to help certain people with isolation, such as the disconnect most seniors feel from younger family members and keeps them engaged in learning new technology. According to NPR, a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project shows that seniors using social media has risen from 22% to 42%…Check the story below (and how cute is this picture?!)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129475268

Which brings me to another topic – one of my community partners at work is Marie from the San Francisco Community Living Campaign, who is piloting a social media platform in SF that was specifically designed for seniors by a Canadian group. As community based computer labs are sprouting up all over San Francisco (and being monitored, mapped & supported by a computer focused nonprofit, Community Technology Network, link below), the opportunities to shrink the digital divide are increasing. Check out SFCLC’s awesome social media for seniors, Tyze – hit ’em, support their work, share the info with an isolated senior.

SF Community Living Campaign – http://sfcommunityliving.org/tyze.html

Community Technology Network – http://www.ctnbayarea.org/

Wire Tappin’ Seniors! (or how i missed my flight)

INTRO: So, this is actually a really embarrassing story (and i’m NOT easily embarrassed)…in fact, there’s a good chance no one but the United Airlines Customer Service lady (and you, lovely interweb-ians) that i burst out in tears in front of will hear this story.

I was sitting at SFO WAY early (thanks to my roomie as i’m time impaired) for my New Orleans flight this past Tuesday, listening to KALW (amazing programing, check ’em out www.kalw.com) and NPR was running a series on aging, which is the population i primarily work with and am very passionate about. I was so frickin’ excited that i was listening raptly while furiously writing up the following blog post, completely caught up with the volume cranked up…and missed my flight. Like, watched them roll MY plane away – once again, ADD behavior had gotten the better of me. How humiliating. Not to mention the $130 i had to pay to rent a car to drive from Baton Rouge to New Orleans – it is shocking how hard it is to travel between the 2 cities (well, after 7pm at least) even though they’re only 80 miles apart. Sidetrack – so, here’s my story, most likely anticlimatic after all that, but a great program…listen in, the link is below.

STORY:

The concept of aging in place is finally getting much needed discussion and innovation, especially with the retirement of the Baby Boomers (dubbed the ‘Silver Tsunami’) and the resulting strain it will put to the City, community & family resources (WHICH is already in great demand and short supply). Waiting for a plane this morning and listening to KALW, NPR has an Aging series that is super interesting, covering a variety of issues, from senior volunteer ‘Villages’, to Facebookin’ grandmas and employers changing work policies to allow for caregiving for Boomers. (more on this!)

So, check this out – no longer is the leading senior technology the ‘I’ve fallen & can’t get up’ emergency response  ‘necklaces’, but rather wire tapping social workers…or more specfiically, 24 hour house surveillance via ceiling cameras monitored by off-site managers (apparently not in the bathrooms or bedrooms though). Wowzers – so monitoring is by a rotating staff of trained case managers that will regularly report in to adult children, a  spouse or police if the situation warrants, all for a ticket price of $600-$1000 a month. Best part: if the client, such as adult children, wants they can log on and spy (oops, ‘check in’) on their parents. Haha! NPR interviewed the Fitzgerald family, check the interview out here:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129104664

Very thought provoking…

• Fulltime caregiving is exhausting, stressful and can be very isolating, especially for the senior spouse – but this system allows a higher functioning spouse to get a break, hang with friends or just have much needed time off
• While the cost initially seems high, it’s still much cheaper & less disruptive to all concerned than most of the current options available – nursing home, assisted living or a family member needing to move in
• Legal concerns – if something happens (client falls, has a heart attack, etc) resulting in the client dying at home (which is ultimate goal, right? who wouldn’t prefer to pass away at home?!?), family members who have not yet emotionally dealt with the inevitable death of their loved one perhaps would sue the company, for whatever reason.
• Which makes me think that the observations are most likely recorded just in case of such a situation, which also makes me wonder what happens to those recordings. I’m not particularly paranoid, but am uncomfortable with private video recordings – seniors can be a vulnerable population and i’m ALWAYS mindful of who i’m sending into their homes at my job.
• But it’s also really exciting in that clearly technological innovation (well, innovation in general – architecture, urban planning, ) is shifting to address the impending ‘Silver Tsunami’ and personally I can’t wait to see what’s developed to support seniors aging at home and in place.   

Thoughts? Concerns? Grammatical Errors?