I’m nearing the completion of my first month here at Charles Communications and already feel like part of the gang. It’s been incredible to tap into the knowledge and experience of the awesome ladies I work with. Between Kimberly, Amelia, Susan and Olga there is no lack of PR savvy, humor and general polish. Our intern, Katie, has also been a huge help to me, as well as being a fun co-worker…sadly, her internship finishes at the end of this month and she’ll be moving on to a summer internship at an international non-profit in Washington, D.C. called the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy. She will intern there through August when she’ll head to the other Washington (state) to catch Tom Petty perform at the Gorge(ous) Amphitheatre, before kicking off her senior year at University of San Francisco. Katie’s been a huge help and everyone at CCA will miss her!* * * Earlier this month CCA organized a blogger tasting at the recently opened San Francisco Wine Center. The Wine Center is a very groovy wine storage facility; they’ve taken the 55 degrees and revamped it for the modern wine collector. SF Wine Center has storage space to fit all shapes and sizes of one’s wine collection, ranging from modest, high-school locker sized, to large wheel in the pallet rooms. As a bonus they’ve also outfitted the joint with two fabulous entertaining/hang-out areas. The more covert communal room is tucked into the back of the facility and has a woodsy, poker-night vibe. This room is dual-purposed; beautifully designed lockers surround the heavy wood table in the center of the room. This would be a great place to host an impromptu gathering; one could head to the Wine Center after work with some friends and open a bottle of wine or two straight out of their locker. The other room, near the front of the building is equipped with a full kitchen, seating lounge area, and an expansive table that can comfortably seat 12. It was in this room, with a terrific San Francisco skyline view that we were able to taste a selection of terrific wines that Brian and Richelle had pulled out for us. My favorite wine was the most delicious Sadie Family 2004 Columella from South Africa, followed closely by the 2005 Pinot from J.K. Carriere, Willamette Valley, Oregon. * * * I’ve been so busy moving into my new apartment and getting the lay of the land at my new job that I’ve hardly had time to take in the incredible arts and culture that San Francisco has to offer-and what enticed me to move here in the first place. One activity I have managed to squeeze in was viewing the Annie Leibovitz show at the Legion of the Honor. The show was more touching than I expected it to be. Disclaimer: at the beginning of the show you’re face to face with a photo of Cindy Crawford dressed in nothing more than boa constrictor. However, the collection also includes a series of photos that Leibovitz took to document her close friend Susan Sontag’s losing battle with cancer, as well as photos of Leibovitz’s dying father. It’s incredibly moving. For comic relief in the midst of all of this heaviness, pay extra close attention to Dubya’s belt buckle in the photo of him and his pals at the White House.
Tonight I’m leaving work a bit early to try for counter seats at Citizen Cake before seeing Program B of the New Works Festival at SF Ballet. It should be incredible!