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by Andy
Evangelista First
appeared 10 December 1998
G-Strings, Gospel and Holiday Lights
 Combining passion and creativity can make for some unique gift
ideas, as exhibited by some talented UCSF employees at last week's holiday crafts fair at
Millberry Union. Christy Apelin, a secretary in mail services, is more avid than the
typical SF 49er fanatic. She not only crafts wood carvings with photos of Jerry Rice and
Steve Young, she designs shoes, purses and women's underwear decorated and glittered in
49er emblems and colors.
At the fair, she sold a couple of 49er-decorated G-strings and a bra. She brought them out
as samples, but they were easily her most popular items and grabbed quickly by holiday
shoppers. A 49er season ticket holder, she first designed the undergarments six years ago
as something goofy to display at tailgate parties. (She emphasizes that she doesn't model
them.) They've been a hit since, and both women and men (for their girlfriends, they
insist) are equally eager to place orders. She's working on getting a license so she can
sell the stuff in bunches. She has samples ready to go of men's briefs and boxers for the
football fan who has nearly everything. How nutty is her family about the Niners? They
have a towing business, and the cab of their main truck is painted to look like a 49er
helmet.
 Another popular gift item at the fair -- for the Beanie Baby
collectors who think they have it all: specially made bean bag chairs and sleeping bags so
that Glory Bear, Princess Di, Bones the Dog, and the others can lounge comfortably and
warmly wherever the stuffed creatures hang out. Those were hand-crafted by Diane Ayres, an
administrative nurse in the Medical Center's ICU.
Choir's Big Time Performance
The UCSF Gospel Choir will join two other groups to back up big-time pop stars Peabo
Bryson, Melissa Manchester, Oleta Adams and Christopher Cross on Dec. 14, 15 and 16 at
Davies Hall. It's part of the SF Symphony's Colors of Christmas concert. They'll get their
own spotlight, too -- the UCSF choir will open the second half of each show. Showtime is 8
p.m. Check the Symphony's website (http://www.sfsymphony.org/)
for ticket information.
The Day the Lights Went Out
Some observations during Tuesday's power outage, (other than the obvious -- we're lost
without computers, coffee and ATMs), when pockets of Parnassus got power boosts from the
campus' own plant:
In Millberry Union, the restrooms had light to go with the running water, but the blowers
that dry your hands did not work. No paper towels, but the garbage was full of toilet seat
covers that worked as hand-drying substitutes.
In the lounge near the Moffitt cafeteria -- long lines for the only working microwave
oven, but in the same room, the vending machines weren't operational.
Campus people, mostly in good moods, were chilly from hanging around outside waiting for
lights to go on. They could have gone to one of the MU conference rooms, which had power
and a vendor selling alpaca sweaters and scarves.
In the Library, you couldn't check out a book or the catalog -- the computers were down --
but some staff read by flashlight. In the School of Dentistry building, most morning
appointments were canceled -- some general exams were done, but if your visit required
suction or the drill, you were out of luck (see ya later).
Tree Time
Laurel Heights and the SF people who enjoy a longtime holiday tradition are hoping there
is no repeat of Tuesday's power failure on Thursday. That's when the 30-foot high,
1500-bulb Christmas Tree will be lit up. The tree will be lit 4 p.m. to midnight and 5:30
to 8:30 a.m. through Jan. 1, except on Christmas and New Year's Eve and Day, when it will
glow 24 hours.
Keep it Clean
The campus is leasing space on the I-level of Millberry Union (where the old Quick Copy
office was located) to a laundry, dry cleaning and alteration shop, but it doesn't have a
name. Empact! is holding a contest to name the new service.
Mario Carmona, marketing manager for the Bookstore, has submitted these entries:
"Chancellor Martinizing" (in honor of the campus' previous leader),
"Nobel-Prize-Winning Cleaners," and "Office of the VCDCL (Vice Chancellor
for Dry Cleaning & Laundry)." Anonymous entries include "UC No Stains
"and "You See How Clean My Scrubs Are."
Entry deadline is Friday, Dec. 11. Send them to Empact! by email (empact.mps@quickmail.ucsf.edu) or fax to
502-4749. The winner, which will be announced the week of Dec. 21, gets lunch for a week
at any of the campus eateries (doesn't include Panda Express).
The Eye is waiting to see the price list of the new shop. If services are too pricey, the
place might be called "Taken to the Cleaners" or "Losing Your Shirt."
Readers: If you have any items or suggestions for this
column, send us an email: andye@itsa.ucsf.edu. |
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