Photo 1 (from left): This is the front page of the menu at Black Bear Diner in Emeryville. A newspaper junkie like myself really appreciated the attention to detail based on the locality. We grabbed dinner here because we’d often seen the Black Bear Diner chain on random road trips, but this is the first one that is relatively close to us. Tuesday is a random day for errands, but it was the only evening David had off from work, so we took advantage.

Photo 2 & 3: These pocket pies were my nearly tardy attempt at celebrating Pi(e) Day, cobbled together from pie crusts and apple pie filling I just happened to have on hand. They were OK in terms of taste. Frankly, no better than the apple pies from McDonald’s, but the novelty of fancy-looking pocket pies went a long way. I bought the pie mold from Williams-Sonoma a while back, but I rarely indulge in making pies so it just gathers dust in my cupboard.

Photo 4: My friend Donna, her husband, and two other friends drove up from LA for a weekend visit. And as her brother likes to say, “We raged.” I actually don’t like drinking very much and partake in it sparingly, but at least this time we were sort of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the rest of the city. Aside from the drinks at the sushi restaurant, we hit up four other bars in North Beach, and the guys finished up in a bar in Pacific Heights.

A slightly more eventful week than last. To be honest, the last few weeks have passed in a haze, as I juggle three jobs and full-time classes. I probably mention that too often but it’s the reality of my life.