Union Square Christmas Ice Skating 2009

The Union Square ice skating rink was filled with skaters on the last Sunday shopping day before Christmas.

The opportunity to skate as well as Christmas shop attracted all ages and all abilities of skaters. Some glided elegantly, some wobbled and some tumbled! But everyone was enjoying it.









'It's great! Very well organized,' said dad Philip who was taking his five-year-old daughter, Maddy, around the ice. It was the first time he had taken his daughter ice skating and she was enjoying it.

The ice rink will be there until January 18.





On another side of Union Square, students Brendan and Ryan were trying to raise a few extra bucks by offering a photo opportunity with 'Santa's Sled Dog.' Handsome three-year-old Titan, an Alaskan Malamute, was decked out in a Christmassy harness.

Pics were being charged at $1, only just as Brendan and Ryan were settling down in the corner of the square, they were spotted and moved on by security.







Shining out onto the square, was the four-storey tree in Neiman Marcus, that rises into the stained-glass dome.

And facing the square was Macy's with it's customary wreaths and trees lighting up the store.

Adoption Windows

When Jackie left home this morning, she little realised love would be in the air.

She was only going to do a few errands, but instead there was a match that could have been made in heaven. For in Macy's, Jackie
met Clifford.

And soon, with a few formalities completed on paper, Jackie and Clifford were going home together, if not hand in hand, then hand in paw.

For Clifford is a beautiful white and ginger kitten who was nestling on his ownsome in a cage - until Jackie came along.

Inside Macy's the SF SPCA - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - are administering the adoption of kittens, puppies, cats, and dogs, alongside their showcasing of pets in the much-viewed Christmas Adoption Windows.

'I came out to do errands and walked by to see the cats. Unfortunately, I fell in love!,' said Jackie, an older lady who preferred not to have her photo taken. 'I'm always falling in love with cats. And dogs!' she added.

So much so, in fact, that Jackie offers free dog-walking services to her neighbourhood.

Isn't Clifford a rather big name for a little kitten? I ventured.

Jackie agreed. 'I won't keep the name,' she said. 'Maybe I'll call him "Cliff".'

As Jackie sat completing the adoption process, Joan, the Outreach Coordinator who was helping her, said Clifford was two-months-and-one-day old.

His adoption is one more in a very successful Christmas event. Already numbers at the beginning of the day had totalled 289, surpassing last year's total of 277. This included 282 kittens and seven puppies.

People were continually walking by the adoption desk, making inquiries or popping into the small room nearby to see the pets in cages. 'It's been a really crazy day for a Monday. We didn't expect!' said Joan.

Of the numbers she said, 'We're absolutely pleased, especially with the economy!

'We're hoping to break the 300 mark and I think we will by Thursday - New Year's Day when the Windows close - but not our all-time record which is just a little over 300,' she said.

When people like Jackie adopt, they fill in a survey which aims to assess the type of home environment a cat will be going into. One of the questions caught my eye....'I would consider my household to be like.....A library...Middle of the Road...A carnival'!!!

Once the paperwork has been done, though, kittens are lovingly placed into cardboard carriers and are free to go to their new home, but with dogs more time is needed to match them with families. Hence the adoption numbers show that of the 289 adoptions, only seven are for puppies or dogs.

Today's windows had the most appealing triplets of chihuahua 'mixes'. Named Millie, Maggie and Missie, they are one month and 28 days old.

'I've met the mum, she's a chihuahua mix, she was very tall, very leggy for a chihuahua,' said Joan who is hoping to have more idea of the missing breed as the pups get older.

pics show: Joan reaching out a hand to Clifford in his box; Abigail, one of the SF SPCA helpers giving Clifford a final cuddle before sending him to his new home; Santa Claus announcing the latest tally; Millie, Maggie and Missie

It's Christmas - Again! Sales (1)

Santa has had less than 24 hours in his bed after his exhausting round-the-world schedule but already San Francisco shoppers are preparing for next Christmas!

Thousands of shoppers had descended on the centre of the city by mid-morning and one of the most popular buys, judging from the queues, was Christmas decorations.

Macy's had performed a considerable feat by having taken down most of their decorated trees from their Holiday Lane and laid out the ornaments in open boxes - ready for eager shoppers. Not that all of their sales items were popular.

Kelly, a young woman of refined taste when it comes to tree decorations, was shopping because of the 50 per cent reductions. But she was disappointed at the quality of what was on offer. She was looking for higher priced items that would retail normally in 'the high 20s' of dollars, but today she couldn't find them.


'I think stores are not buying more expensive ones,' she said, also saying, 'We're noticing every year they seem to get smaller and smaller.' She held up a three-inch gold coloured ornament by way of illustration.

She used to purchase designer ornaments by Polonaise and Christopher Radko but these appear to have disappeared from Macy's. Instead, in her basket that she displayed for the pic, were trinkets worth originally about $17 dollars.

I asked if she had shopped before Christmas or if she had saved her spending for the sales, and she said that she had shopped beforehand as well.

In the queue in the Holiday Lane was Liana holding several overstuffed bags of already purchased goods - 'they're for my mum' - she said, just as mum Lily appeared.

Like Kelly, Lily had spent in the stores before Christmas but was back with a post-Christmas glow that would light any tree. 'The sales have been pretty good. It's tempting!' she said. 'But the time to get here is early because the sizes are limited.'

Lily, however, had triumphed with 40 per cent reductions on a cashmere and Elie Tahari sweaters, and a pair of Ralph Lauren pants - trousers - for $50 that would sell at full price for $300.

'We've also shopped before Christmas because the stores had 40 per cent off,' she said, pointing out, though, that in these credit crunch days some of the best bargains had sold then.

'But we're tired and we're ready to go home!' she concluded, heading with a patient Liana in tow to the cash registers.

Around the clothing departments, there were many signs advertising reductions from 40 to 60 per cent.

Not everyone in the store was there for bargains, however. Angela and George were having fun climbing into a replica Santa's sleigh for a pic.

'We're on holiday, this is our first few minutes in Macy's,' said Angela.

The couple are from Norwich, England, and spent Christmas in the city as part of a ten-day holiday here. This is the first time they have visited San Francisco.

pics show: Christmas decorations are very popular; queues in Holiday Lane; Kelly's ornaments; George and Angela take a sleigh ride.

For more reports see next blog

Paris Hilton Launches New Perfume

Looking like Fairy Tinkerbell herself, Paris Hilton enchanted hundreds of fans yesterday in Macy's store.

There to promote her new perfume, Fairy Dust, she was signing autographs and posing for pics with the first 300 people to purchase her gift pack.

With an hour's late arrival, she emerged at about 1 pm from behind a curtain in the perfume department to
applause, the excited clicking of cameras and frantic waving of cell phones as the crowd strained to capture a glimpse or an image of her.

The queue of people filled several aisles and stretched almost to the doors.

Paris was introduced by Macy's West President, Harvey Harrison. He described her as an artist, actress, author and clothing designer and said she had produced a scent to 'capture her fairytale life.'

Wearing a dress with a low-cut white bodice, sexy centre peephole! and pale sea-green skirt, Paris welcomed the crowd, gave a coy little wave and sat down at her desk to begin signing autographs and posing for pics.

Around her was a troop of security men and two police officers.

First to step forward was Katie.

'I'm nervous. I really like her,' she said immediately afterwards, and you could see her trembling. She clutched a print of the Fairy Dust promotional poster which Paris had signed and the gift pack.

For the privilege of the occasion, Katie had paid $135 dollars. Inside the gift pack were three small bottles of Paris' perfumes, Heiress, Can Can and Fairy Dust, that retail at $45 dollars each, but also there were free bottles of Paris for women and Paris for men, two little black bags and a soft toy, Tinkerbell the chihuahua, modelled on Paris' pet.

What did Katie think of the new perfume?

'I love it!' she said, and she was led by staff to the far end of the department to wait to collect her prized photo with Paris.

Not far behind Katie was Regan. 'I love her! She's my favourite!' she enthused. Of the perfume, she said, 'It's the best perfume ever! It's great!'

Karla, carrying Bella the chihuahua, thought so too. 'She's hot! she said of Paris, and the perfume 'smells really, really good!'

But it seems not only were the young enamoured. One elderly lady queued in a wheelchair and when it came to her turn to have her photo taken with the heiress, Paris hopped down from the desk and posed with her arm around her.

Seeing Paris there, she looked prettier than in the heavily made-up posed shots of some of her videos and model pics, and with her blonde hair - and perfect teeth! - she did light up her signing area.

She chatted to her fans with a natural vivaciousness and I'm sure put some at their ease, and yes, she pouted for a few shots with the guys!

For Paris fans, they had a day to remember.

For more reports, see next blog.
For an album of pics, click here