We recently purchased some nice teak patio furniture from a little place off the 101 freeway in Mill Valley and have been very happy with them. While not inexpensive, we did experience a couple of small problems, one with a fold-up table that had some loose slats and just recently with the hinges on both of the loungers.

Each time we have called them, they are very pleasant and happily send one of their guys over to take care of the problem. Today one of the fellows came over and fixed a loose slat on one of the loungers. I can’t tell you how seamless the repair was. If you didn’t know where it was done, you’d have a hard time locating the fix.

So it is with great pleasure that we highly recommend this business for their GREAT follow up after the sale!

Terra Teak and Garden
258 Redwood Hwy
Mill Valley, CA 94942
(415) 331-1603  

- Mick Orton

Gas prices are killing us, and you thought the $5 bridge toll to go over the Golden Gate Bridge was high enough; think again. The Golden Gate Bridge District is about to try and raise the toll, not once, but twice. So not only will people coming from Marin County have to pay an additional $1 to cross the Golden Gate, but if they do so during what they are calling peak hours in the morning and afternoon commutes, there will be an additional charge of $1! This is their way to get a double increase without calling it so.

The San Francisco Chronicle has a story from today that explains it better than I can. But what the geniuses at the bridge district didn’t take into account… afternoon traffic is LEAVING the City… and that is the FREE direction! So is this toll to pay for the extra wear and tear on the bridge? I don’t think so, and this plan proves it. Once they realize that they are not getting nearly enough in revenue from the afternoon traffic, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another toll increase. After all, those Bridge District Supervisors (who make an awful lot of money already) need those raises!

The photo above was taken by a talented photographer, Garry Heather, from his flickr photo album.

- Mick Orton

It was taken from Dog Patch of the sunset. Our featured artist this article is Sean Mulholland. His website may be found at www.seanmulholland.com. He says this about himself:

I’m a new media whiz based out of San Francisco. Right now I’m the Director, Emerging Media at Atomic PR, one of the leading tech PR agencies in the SF Bay Area.

Since the ‘net blew up in the 90′s a lot of media has been called ‘new’ at some point or another. Whether it be the explosion in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, affiliate marketing, search marketing, or the current Web 2.0 buzz, I’ve worked with it all. I’ve built legal and profitable P2P seed networks in the very early days of BitTorrent, worked extensively in search with blue-chip clients such as Boeing and Starbucks, managed affiliate programs in the PC gaming industry, and have extensive search, blog and social media expertise.

While strategy is important, it takes good creative to allow even the best strategy have any hope of success. Going beyond my techie side I hold a BFA from the Academy of Art University and am solid in web design, film, video, sound, and photography. Some of my more successful work was a project for Gap Kids that won an American Advertising Federation Gold Addy Student Award, and a documentary on SF designer Colleen Quen which was picked up by Current.tv.

When not in the office, I continue my obsession with new media at home by managing a popular urban culture site with my wife (Grooveeffect.com). When I don’t have a computer screen in front of me, you can find me dodging traffic on the streets of San Francisco while atop my trusty road bike.

Take a look at his website. We think you’ll enjoy the photos!

- SFResidence

You’ll find out on Thursday which talented San Francisco photographer took this stunning sunset photo from his Dog Patch studio!

From time to time we will be showcasing various artists, photographers and writers in the Bay Area and featuring some of their work.

Click on the picture to bring it up to full size and enjoy the detail!

- Mick Orton
Marketing Director

Parking is a huge issue in San Francisco, and bumps and scrapes are all part of the game. So what can you do when you want to get rid of scratches and dings and keep that new car appearance or if you’re trying to get it ready for sale?

We have a fantastic guy who has performed miracles on our vehicles; we swear by him! And it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to have it done!

After sideswiping the garage one evening several months ago, I took the paint off my front fender. We were given the name of a fellow who comes to your house and does factory quality paint repairs right out of his truck. It only took a couple of hours and the car looked like new again!

Then recently one of our partners returned her car to us, and we wanted to sell it. Before putting the “For Sale” sign on it, we had Patrick come and do both front and back bumpers which had taken a beating from City parking. Now it looks like new, and we will probably get top dollar for it!

What’s his name? Ironically enough, it is Patrick Carr with Automotive Touch-Up. He can be reached at 415-806-3214. Tell him Janis sent you!

- Janis Stone