10 things I am thankful for
Posted in Discourse on Fri Nov 24, 06 by Kyle under Miscellany.
Good friends
This one really goes without saying and doesn’t need much elaboration.
Dover Books
I love Dover books. They are relatively inexpensive and are full of amazing inspiration for design. They also are a really important source of historic documentation. Their reprinting of old design texts allow us to easily read and look at texts that are old, expensive, and rare enough that they would be almost otherwise impossible to acquire. From obscure historic clothes patterns to the books of architectural drawings of entire buildings Dover books have it all.
Bargain Books
One of my most favorite things in the entire world is finding a good book at a cheap price. For example, I recently had the luck to come across a nice copy of the large catalog book of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for $2.50. This may not be as exciting as finding an amazing antique French clock at a yard sale or being given a set of Herter Brothers furniture by you nice old neighbor lady, but such little deals do make for a contented afternoon.
Estate Sales
Okay, I know that this one is kind of morbid and morose to some. Not everyone enjoys buying up dead people’s possessions, but I do… I love estate sales. Primarily because you can find so many amazing things at them, and you can often get a good price. Another reason I like estate sales is because you get to enter someone’s house, see what the house looks like on the inside, and get a glimpse into the way the inhabitants lived.
Crazy stores piled high with stuff
I think every town has at least one of these kinds of stores. It’s not quite a thrift store, but neither is it nice enough to be an antiques store or gallery. These stores are usually literally packed to the ceiling with old stuff, nothing particularly valuable, but fascinating enough to spend an afternoon looking through. As much as high-end stores where everything is very elegantly displayed and sorted, I enjoy the process of hunting and finding just-the-thing.
Sushi
This one is pretty simple. Wether it is your standard California roll, inarizushi or unagi, I love it all.
The Decemberists
Who wouldn’t be thankful for the Decemberists…?
Museum memberships
Since I’ll probably never own a Thomas Cole landscape, a George Caleb Bingham genre scene painting, or a Herter Brothers mantelpiece I’m happy to say that I can at list pay them a visit at the deYoung Museum most any time (as long as it is before 5pm of course…)
Bikes
I love my bicycle and bike rides. Especially in Golden Gate Park on the weekend when cars are banished from the park roads.
San Francisco weather
I have to admit that I’m not always thankful for San Francisco weather. Especially when it involves cold dreary rain. But when I look at weather for the rest of the country and it is far too cold for even the slightest possibility of rain, then suddenly I am a much happier and more content person.