Row, row, row your boat

It seems a moral imperative, when living in such proximity to beautiful nature like that on Lake Merritt, to find a way to truly enjoy it. For me, the answer to that call has been the Lake Merritt Rowing Club. Over the past few weeks, I've enjoyed (and sometimes endured) the introductory rowing crash course, sans collisions. Now, equipped with keys to the boathouse, I can enjoy my sunrises on the lake en route to the office. The views are nothing short of stunning, even if my cell phone can't accompany me to document those moments of serenity alone on the lake, whose waters are disturbed only by my oars and the paddling pelicans.

The joys of starting the day at the Lake Merritt Rowing Club

The circus is in town!

The circus is in town! And it's quite literally just next door. So, what better way to celebrate than with a work trip to a nearly NSFW extravaganza on the last Friday of September? We had to blow that Q3 social budget somehow or other.

Neuralink goes to the circus!

I was especially excited by the suspended pole performance. In case wasn't tough enough when solidly rooted to the ground. Wow!

We definitely moved to the right neighborhood.

At home in Oakland

I'd been so proud and pleased to call that beautiful tower in the heart of SF home. It offered stunning views, and was the perfect place to welcome Nicolas to America. But, with an office moving to the complete opposite edge of the Bay and five people in a two-bedroom starting to feel cramped, it was about time to start thinking about Nicolas and Emilienne's Big Move 2019. (It's what we do.) 

Goodbye, luxury living (in close quarters) in the heart of SF.

With both Nicolas and myself commuting the same way across the Bay, we had to see what lie on the other side of said Bay. I can't deny I had my misgivings. As someone not originally from California, I arrived here with the idea of Oakland as San Francisco's grittier little sibling. When I saw just how gritty San Francisco could be, I didn't have the appetite to venture further into the grit. But Oakland's reputation doesn't do justice to the Oakland of 2019. What we found when we finally crossed the Bay Bridge was a vibrant, artsy community with great breweries, ice cream shops, and a gorgeous lake. There was no getting around it: it was time to pack our bags.

Our two champion moving assistants

Hello, Oakland!

Prices are lower than in SF, if not by much, and the rents over here allowed us to upgrade from five to just three people in a 2-bedroom, while still having more leftover at the end of each month. For the first time since leaving Brighton, I finally have a living room and a dining table. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed them. We've now got a great stack of boardgames and we've finally begun hosting friends. For the first time since moving to California, it's starting to feel like home.

Our new living and dining room! No more Ikea-shelving-walled-off "converted" third bedroom for us! And we've swapped our old Civic Center view for one of our private pool, where people of all ages and colors can be heard having fun throughout the sunny summer weekends. Definitely a homier touch.

Our new bedroom, complete with the latest incarnation of the charmingly creepy Alice-in-Wonderland corner, carried over from our Lewes Crescent Brighton days.

Our new fancy walk-in closet. Cue the ooh-ah, ladies. I was a little afraid at first about the cats having access to all our stuff, but they've been surprisingly forgiving on this front.

And finally, the new bathroom. Gets the job done, and hides a surprisingly larger amount of storage than the previous place offered.

Not only do we have a charming new home but the neighborhood ain't too shabby.

Oakland has that artsy vibe that had drawn us in to Brighton

Lake Merritt, about 5-10 minutes' walk from our new home, is a lively weekend hangout from humans, their four-legged friends, and all sorts of wildlife including the American White Pelican, North America's second largest bird, boasting wingspans of 9-10 feet!

And finally, a shout-out to my partner in crime, who's moved with me more often than either of us have cared to. I found this gem on the new commute that inspired our move.

Take me out to the ball game

Photographic proof of Nicolas's first time enjoying America's favorite pastime, against the Yanks no less! I guess that takes him one step closer to his green card, whenever that thing emerges from the depths of US immigration services.

My Frenchman's first baseball game: Oakland A's versus NY Yankees

PS - Oakland won.

A quick swing back East

Just before Our Big Move - 2019 Edition, we had a few days for a quick swing back east. The brief visit left us with just enough time for an afternoon on the beach,

Jersey Shore, baby!

a family wedding,

Dan & Arina finally tied the knot! And Grandpa's still got the dance moves!

and a couple of days to explore the nation's capital.

Nicolas's first trip to DC!

It really wasn't the proper vacation we wanted or needed, but at least it was a couple days to catch our breath before the chaos that awaited us on the Left Coast.

The cat's out of the bag!

It's official! The cat's out of the bag⁠—sort of. The blanket ban on social media still stands. As for the Big Day, it was ultimately anything but, at least for those of us on the inside. But the word is out and we finally got to see what the world had to say. and by now, I expect our butts are mostly recovered from those concrete floors. So for all the blood, sweat, and tears that brought us to last night, cheers!

Corgi Con 2019

I just attended what is quite possibly the greatest free activity in San Francisco: Corgi Con. I'd heard talk about this last year on the very afternoon that it had happened. Heartbroken to have missed it, my attendance at this year's event has long been in the works.

Imagine nearly 1000 loaves of enthusiastic fur waddling around the beach, dressed to the nines (and occasionally competing in the most ridiculous corgi Ninja Warrior event imaginable). My heart was exploding and my iPhone didn't have enough battery to satisfy all my photography needs. All in all, a Saturday mid-day fluffed to perfection.

SO MANY CORGOS!! 😍