Sue Grafton, RIP -- December 30, 2017

I was sad to learn that Sue Grafton has died.  We were at Bay Books in Half Moon Bay many years ago and the owner recommended the first book of a new series, A is for Alibi.  I bought it for my wife.  We wondered what would happen when the author got Z.  I suggested AA is for Aardvark.  I bought her each volume as Grafton published it.  This year I bought my wife Y is for Yesterday.  Grafton did not finish Z is for Zero.

Grafton refused to sell film and television rights, and told her kids, and I presume her husband, that she would haunt them if they sold the rights after she died.

Book: Few and Chosen: Defining Giants Greatness Across the Eras -- December 12, 2013

We were visiting Half Moon Bay last month and chanced to stop at Bay Books, a wonderful store.  The owner saw my Giants cap and led me over to the sports shelf.  He mentioned that his uncle had been an executive with the San Francisco Seals. 

He strongly recommended the book Few and Chosen: Defining Giants Greatness Across the Eras by Giants great Bobby Thomson and Phil Pepe.  I took his advice and bought it.  I enjoyed it greatly. 

As Bill James has pointed out, many old ball players like to say the game has gone downhill since they played.  Bobby Thomson was not that way.  He includes players up to the era of Matt Williams, Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds. 

Thomson told many stories about the men he played with, and the men he met during later years. 

Seabiscuit Pursues a Giant Reindeer #3 -- December 2, 2013

I took a day off today.  I took the new cat to see the vet and get her second feline distemper shot.  Everyone in the office had to come in and fuss over her. 

After I brought her home and sat with her for a bit, I went Christmas shopping.  I drove to Tanforan, where I took this photo.  I bought some kitten food and some gifts.  I went on to Hillsdale, had lunch at Panda Express, and did more shopping.  Then I drove over the hill to Half Moon Bay and did some more shopping at the pet goods store and Bay Books. 

Ferry Eureka at the Hyde Street Pier -- November 9, 2013

In 1890, the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad built the ferry Ukiah to haul passengers and freight cars from Tiburon to San Francisco.  After the SF&NP merged into the Northwestern Pacific, Ukiah's terminal became Sausalito.  Ukiah was damaged by overuse during World War I, so the government paid for it to be rebuilt.  The resulting boat, renamed Eureka, was almost entirely new, except for the walking beam engine.  Eureka was designed to carry automobiles on her main deck.  She served the NWP until 1941, when it abandoned ferry service.  During WWII, Eureka carried troops.  After the war, she carried Southern Pacific passengers from Oakland to San Francisco until a crank pin snapped in 1957.  She became a jewel of the collection at the Hyde Street Pier.   

I took this photo of Northwestern Pacific ferry Eureka at the Hyde Street Pier in October, 2001.

Today we took a drive to Half Moon Bay and had lunch.  We bought a book at Bay Books.  Traffic was heavy heading back north.  

Alley #17 -- March 13, 2011

Chelsea Place is up Bush Street from Burritt Street, where Sam Spade's partner was killed. I like the bricks on the building on the right.

It rained today. We took a quick trip to Half Moon Bay to buy some presents at Bay Books.