TSG's Year In Review

Well, not really....there were grand plans for a end o' year photo retrospective, but we got lazy and ended up with the much less complicated "one picture from each month" format instead.  

Thanks to everyone who stopped by in 2013! 

This Year's Low-Brow Holiday e-card

Follow-Up: Giant Santa still AWOL in WG



We are slightly dismayed to report that Giant Santa and his Giant Sled have not made an appearance on Glen Erie Drive. We're afraid that the old-style St Nick may have been banished to the island of misfit giant Xmas decorations.  As you can see, a not-so-giant Bumble* is filling in, but it's just not the same.


*we bet this one doesn't even bounce.

Rustic Rudolph Relinquishes Reign

Every holiday season, TSG cruises down to check out the multi-house string of ramshackle giant reindeer on Glen Erie Drive.

The bizarrely huge 'deer and the requisite oversized Santa/sleigh rig (visible way in the background) are a touchstone of Xmastime in the neighborhood.  Something you sort of count on, like maybe the swallows returning to Capistrano every year.

This year TSG was shocked to see a major "upgrade" -- the old school reindeer have been replaced with what appear to be some kind of pre-fab cut-out looking things. Progress? Maybe, but in our opinion the old ones had a funky charm that can't be matched by the new cookie-cutter version.  The new ones are probably a bit more kid-friendly, though...those big brown monsters could be kind of scary looking to an unsuspecting youngster.

One Good JibJab Deserves Another

MVTF Redux (aka TANKS-Giving Weekend 2013)

We recently discovered that the collection of the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation was being transferred to the Collings Foundation (the guys who tour their WWII era bombers around the country, selling rides to people like TSG).

That means that the largest privately-owned collection of tanks, half-tracks, armored personnel carriers and the like will soon be heading back east. Most of the more than 200 vehicles will be sold at auction, the rest will anchor a new museum in Stow, MA. An end of a era in the Bay Area--we'll never see the likes of this magnificent local attraction again.

 So, to pay our last respects, we made the trip up to Portola Valley this weekend to get in a last look.

Choice of backing track for today's slideshow inspired by the final scenes of one of our favorite movies, The Matador (and what's with the stuttering audio on these uploads...can't seem to find a fix...Grrr!).


UPDATE: Due to copywrite issues (we think), TSG had to re-post the video slideshow sans music backing track. Rats.

New video link: http://youtu.be/HQaGz_GbaXY

Don't Go Shopping Today--Watch This Instead!

TSG's T-day video project:

Things you might see at the Good Guys Car Show in Pleasanton 

or the Woodland Auto Collection in Paso Robles.

Friday Nite Quickie

Tenaya Lake

What The Cool Kids Are Wearing

Alternate title: Veronica Mars Backer Booty 

P.S.  TSG has an extra shirt (size "large") and a set of stickers available...free to a good home. Offer good for a limited time only. Void where prohibited by law.

The Goldsworthys, they're in the...

Spire, Tree Fall, and Wood Line

...Presidio, and they're pretty dang scooby. After hearing that Andy Goldsworthy's Tree Fall was open for public viewing, TSG decided it was time for an expedition to see his three installations that are scattered around the grounds of The Presidio. As readers know, TSG is a big fan of dendroids,so we had a great time wandering around and checking out Andy's enviro-art pieces.

 

10 Faces 26 Seconds (kind of a Halloween video)

Plus! Bonus photos!

Finger Fiends

TSG and pals, mid-60s
(courtesy E Carter Archives)

They're coming to get you, Barbara!

Where Have I Heard That Before?

Random folks groovin' to Queenie Eye

Like most Macca-ites, TSG has had "NEW" in heavy rotation the last week or so. One particular, seemingly-throwaway line in the song Queenie Eye reminded us of something, but we couldn't quite put a finger on it.  It goes, "O-U-T spells out...that's out!"

And it's been bugging us all week, until, for some reason, the answer popped into our head while watching Paul and friends bopping around at Abbey Road.  It came to us in a flash...hey, that's a line from "Christmas Time Is Here Again"! Apparently its a sing-songy phrase from an English children's game.

Having solved our little ear worm mystery, TSG is glad that we can go on to other more important things, like figuring out how to use certain Halloween props in our next blog post.

Whoa Nellie!

As in the Whoa Nellie Deli--a favorite of travelers to the Mono Lake/Lee Vining area for years.
TSG's inaugural visit proved to be extremely tasty.  Pictured: The Grilled Veggie Sammy, with a few french fry hangers-on...so to speak.  

Street Art

Or perhaps more accurately, sidewalk/dirt art.

(Seen on the corner of Pine and Hicks)

A Nice(?) Bookend To Last Week's Post

Seen on the walk home from a delicious repast at the Dia de Pesca taqueria.

(try the breaded halibut tacos, they're scrumptious!)

Why? Y Not?

The next time you're headed down to OPNM to commune with the cacti (or Rocky Point for Spring Break), be sure to stop in.  Disclaimer: "The Bull" moved on years ago, and Steve and Sandy probably aren't around anymore either.

Today's Bonus Post

 

Betcha can't guess what this is!

  

Portrait(s) Of The Blogger As A Young(er) Man

Shoot 'em Up

M45 Quadmount (aka "The Meatchopper") 

and friends hanging out at the Estrella Warbird Museum

A Day At The Beach(es)

Alternate title: wet sandy and rocky things you might see driving from Pacifica to Santa Cruz. There are several dozen beaches along the route and we still haven't seen them all. We're working on it though.

Pier Review

This one, located at Pillar Point Harbor, is kind of scenic, but we have to knock points off for being inaccessible to roving photographers. It does have the distinction of being adjacent to the northernmost instrumentation site for Vandenburg AFB (radome visible in the distance)and the infamous surf spot, Mavericks. Our score: 2/5

NorCal Fish Art

Featuring the "FishArt on Lamposts" exhibition put on by the Siskiyou Arts Museum of Dunsmuir, CA.

Another McCloud Post

A cloud atop Mt. Shasta, from somewhere along the McCloud River Scenic Loop.

Get Offa

Today's RoadPic

Portola Expedition Discovers New Lands, New Technology

Expedition: 1769 / Mural: 1993 / Photo: 2013

You'd Better Watch Your Step...

...when you're wandering around old outbuildings and taking pictures of random junk on windowsills...

Take a close look at the bottom corner of the building, in between the garbage can and the pail...

...you can imagine TSG's surprise when our little friend here gave us a courtesy rattle. Thanks for that, and thanks for not biting even though we almost stepped on you.

And here's this week's bonus nature photo--taken just a few minutes ago, this guy (Cooper's hawk?) was quite upset by the plastic owl we have on the front porch. He must have spent 20 minutes trying to scare that fake owl away before finally giving up.

The Weirdest Video You Will See Today

Not Necessarily Of A Feather

Night Herons, a gull, and a fake owl hanging out at the Shore Cliff Inn

When Pigs Surf

Seen in Mo's BBQ, Pismo Beach

SSSBSV

San Simeon State Beach Seaweed Variations

Sort of an homage to Andy Warhol*, 
but not really.

*seeing as how it was his b-day yesterday

The Return Of The Small Faces

Some old
Some new
Some borrowed
Some I have no idea who
The hell they are.

Link to (possibly) more zoomable image

Tourists, Coit Tower Overlook, July 2013

 

Wanted To Post This Yesterday...

..but the technology was not cooperating. After multiple hours of mucking about, TSG failed to get the backing track to sync with the length of the video clip.

 Oh well. That's life in the no-budget video production biz.

This time out, The New Main Street Singers accompany us along the byways of Marin and Sonoma Counties.

301 14th Ave, San Francisco

A cool looking building* just around the corner

from the House of Bagels on Geary St. 

*Congregation Beth Sholom

Another Day, Another Beach

Eleven Beach Ave

What Is 65' Tall & Made Of 340 Bikes?

It's not an obelisk, it's a Cyclisk!

(monument created by Mark Grieve)

Sign Me Up

Seen while strolling around Santa Rosa

Something You Might See @ the Alameda County Fair

Well, to be honest, you probably wouldn't see this unless you happened to be the photographer's brother.

Red White and Moo

Happy B-Day USA!

Today's Mystery Photo

Not Again!?!?

Dateline San Jose, CA: Yet another tree-smashing-a-car story! The latest incident occurred last night near the Winchester Mystery House. The driver suffered some injuries, but is expected to be okay. The wooden assailant this time out looks to be a pine tree of some sort. TSG was not able to visit the scene--these photos are from coverage on the Murky News and ABC websites.