feb 25,2008. a live recording at the hotel utah in san francisco!have a listen here. i start about halfway through the podcast.

Nov 1, 2007. yes. it is true. san francisco has stolen my heart. july and august took s. and i on a city shopping trip from austin, texas to san francisco, onward to portland, oregon and upward to vancouver. all via choo-choo. it was looong, romantic, depressing and invigorating. we have discovered some things about the great cities and trains of our countries: 1. austin, despite words contariwise, has very cheap, good public transportation and kind bus drivers that will pick you up if you've got tired feet even if you're not at a bus stop. austin is not weird like they claim to be. 2. portland is like western massachusetts and has more pedal power per capita than any other city state. 3. vancouver is expensive. with the canadian and american dollar at par with one another you can easily spend 4.00 for a coffee and 4.50 for a train. the mountains are beautiful when the sun comes out. 4. San francisco is ours now and we love it and hate it like an it-hurts-so-good lover. 5. freight trains go much faster (and not backwards) than passenger trains. the so good parts: you can bike over the golden gate bridge into rural, quiet marin county in a matter of minutes and be surrounded by rolling california hills, sandy beaches and red wood forests. there's never a dull moment: free music festivals, sunday afternoon performance art on school buses, naps on the beach, dance classes, city-wide compost, wind surfing and a year-round growing season. the it hurts part: rental costs. the housing search takes months and will make you cry. the competitive job market will turn you into a data entering temp worker. brooke is afraid of earthquakes. all this is to say that I am a bi-coastal girl now and may be playing a bit more on the west side these days but the east remains dear and close,so close that you may find me in your local cafe this December. Check your email soon for a December New England tour. all good things, brooke