2009-12-08 
 

san francisco spirit




















Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Labels: san francisco, travel

* posted by me at 4:00 PM

(0) comments



2008-11-15 
 

necessary post

I can't stop coughing and sneezing and my body has sprung a constant snot leak that finally turned into a minor migraine this morning. I didn't get to go in to Boston myself as I planned, but I have to say my piece to the tens of folks who read this. Not because I feel I need to change your mind, most of you are already on my side, but because it needs to be said in as many places and with as many voices as possible and I will not be a silent Who.

Today there were rallies. in Boston. As you can read in the article, some folks ridicule us for speaking up here in Massachusetts where our right to marry is still valid.

To those folks and also to those who are saying that the voters in California already decided and we should leave the protests to them, I have this to say. The incredibly large sum given to the proponents of prop 8 by the Mormon Church which is located in Utah nullify any of your out-of-state support arguments. As for the vote, it was a rather narrow margin that allowed that bill to pass. If it hadn't been for the hate-filled, negative advertising funded largely by out-of-state agencies that blitzed the airwaves the week before the election, the majority may have cemented the marriages of my friends in California vs. putting them into a state of uncertain limbo.

I am for equality. I'm not looking for the government to force churches to accept gay marriage...just that they be recognized by the government the same way that my brother's recent union to his wonderful wife is recognized. If that means taking away his right to marry and coining a new word for those rights, I'll be happy about it. Marriage, they argue is a religious thing...so coin a new word for it...say PARTNERING or some such, and let that be what we call it from now on...for everyone both gay and straight. I want to be very clear here, recognizing civil unions - while a step in the right direction - is too close to a certain "separate but equal" philosophy that still leaves me as a second class citizen. It's marriage (or partnering if that's what it takes)or nothing. We will keep marching, we will keep standing up for ourselves, and we will eventually win. As I pointed out in an earlier post, this seems to be a generational issue and I have no doubts that it's a matter of years, not decades before this becomes an issue to be studied in history books, not current events.

So to all my brothers, sisters and siblings in-between who went out in support of equality today, I say thank you. I couldn't make it in person, but I was there in spirit. We're here, we're queer and we're going to be equal!

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, politics, rant, san francisco, the gay

* posted by me at 9:16 PM

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2008-08-06 
 

adrift

The rain's falling gently outside and the temperature has settled down to a respectable 74. It feels like a San Francisco morning, albeit a bit warmer than I remember.

The job search continues. I think there's some light at the end of the temp tunnel with a some potential copywriting gigs, but I'd rather not count that batch of nuggets until they're fried. My stomach's still a bit in knots from an experience earlier this week where I almost could've had a job except for the fact that I was overqualified. I've heard it a few times now and I can't help but wonder if that's the job search equivalent of saying, "It's not you, it's me." during a breakup. The truth is that it usually IS you.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 9:24 AM

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2008-07-24 
 

dog days

It's been hot. Very hot. Then it rained buckets. Thunder, lightening and sheets of water drenching me from hair to shoes. Twelve years in San Francisco allowed me to forget that "rain buckets" is not a hyperbole. Now it's cooler, but humid. No, not humid, muggy is a much better word. As if summer waits around the corner each morning to clobber you the moment you leave the house. We haven't hit August yet and I'm already tired of summer.

One thing about San Francisco, it never stays the same season for longer than a few weeks before giving you a break. Unsettling at first, but I sure got used to it.

Labels: boston, dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 12:31 PM

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2008-04-28 
 

raindrops keep falling

One of the biggest differences between Boston and San Francisco is the weather in general and rain in particular. F'rinstance, it's raining today. It will probably rain next week. It will rain off and on over the next month. It will also rain every once in a while during the summer.

In San Francisco, it stops raining in March and doesn't start up again until November. Sure, there are days with a fog so heavy that you might think it was raining if you're not used to the fog, but the seasoned San Franciscan knows the difference.

G and I both like the rain, but having a heavy downpour with May just around the corner is a bit disconcerting for some reason.

ETA: Serendipity strikes. Did my obligatory tagging of two back entries, and one of them was this bit I wrote several years back about the seasons of San Francisco.

Labels: blogging, boston, dose of mikey, linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 6:11 PM

(1) comments



2007-10-08 
 

pause

Took yesterday off from the packing mania. We both needed a bit of a break. Ended up walking through the Castro Street fair with TNTP. Beautiful day, good company, plenty of eye candy and chicken on a skewer. Yum!

Also confirmed that our sofa has a new home. (It was originally going to be a junker sofa that this couple was using in their "chill space" at the fair and would then dump when the festivities were over.) They decided to use their own sofa in the booth instead, and ours has a new living room to inhabit. It was very good to us, so I'm glad it's found a happy new home.

Oh dear, I'm anthropomorphizing the furniture. Just goes to show my current state of mind.

That was yesterday. This morning we got right back into it and packed up about half the kitchen. The second half awaits this afternoon. Oy!

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 3:21 PM

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2007-10-05 
 

fore!

Incoming! Boxes, boxes, boxes. Our apartment has become a maze through which we wind our way. All the time hoping one of the more precariously balanced boxes doesn't come crashing down.

Moving is not a good time for two pack rats to try to dump stuff. Out of the hundreds of books I've packed already, I've managed to remove four from the running. This hardly counts since three of them were old French grammar books from back in the 80s.

Clothes are also a problem. While it would be easy enough to follow the rule of tossing anything not worn in the past year, many of the clothes that would affect are oxfords and dress pants that may soon again become a necessary part of my daily work wear.

On a happier note, we were searching for some boxes listed on craigslist and ended up grabbing ice cream cones at Mitchell's. Best ice cream in San Francisco. Another advantage to moving away. Treating ourselves to to all the good things that will soon be far away.

That came out sounding a bit sad, not meant to be. I know there's plenty of good stuff waiting on the other side of the country.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 8:19 PM

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three, is the magic number

Today, for the first time, I got a little panicky about the move thing. Not about the whole pick up my life and transfer it three thousand miles away part of it that one would guess I'd panic a bit over. No, I started worrying about boxes. Will we really have time to pack it all away in just a week?

The answer is, of course, yes. If we do a little bit each day, we should be fine. Anyone want a slightly used Ikea Couch? You cart it away and it's all yours.

In other news: Got a little nostalgic for the fun times I've had in the Haight while doing an errand today, so I snapped this as a little reminder.

Labels: 1000 words, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:02 AM

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2007-09-14 
 

100 things

It seems that no blog is complete without one of these lists laying around somewhere. I'm going to be kind and give it a page of it's own so that you can feel free to ignore it if you wish. Also, please note that the page this links to has been available since March. I just now realized that the entry announcing it never got published. That said it, I reread it today and it's still all true.

RANDOM LIST OF 100 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, g, memes, memory lane, random review, rant, reading, san francisco, sharketing, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 8:18 PM

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2007-07-28 
 

ever after

G and I attended a performance of Into The Woods the other night at CTA Crossroads Theatre in Walnut Creek. It's small venue in the suburbs and, I have to admit, my expectations weren't that high. That said, they really put on a good show. I've absorbed enough theater from various friends that I could go hypercritical on certain things, but I truly enjoyed myself too much to do that.

Grant you, I've always had a soft spot for this particular musical...and not just because I ended up sleeping with one of the princes after the first time I saw it in my early twenties.

Retro apologies to POC, with whom I was supposed to be visiting at the time...and gratitude too him too for not kicking me to the curb for being such a selfish prig. Would it help all 8 of my loyal readers to know that the gentleman playing the prince also played the part of the wolf? I mean, how could I resist? And he made me feel excited- Well, excited and scared. Point is that POC is one of my best friends and I haven't heard from the prince in well over a decade.

Into the Woods also accompanied me on my cross country odyssey and hearing songs from it usually fills my head with images of wide flat plains, Santa Fe, the Colorado Rockies and a certain corner of the Grand Canyon.

But I digress...back to the performance. I was very impressed by some of the actors. The Baker, in particular, sang beautifully and managed to look so sad towards the end that I wanted to jump up and give him a reassuring hug. (Yes, we were that close to the stage. Due a severe back up at the Caldecott Tunnel that added TWO HOURS to the normal 30 minute drive we were ushered in through the backstage area and into the front row. Only missed half of the first number and were rewarded with the ability to see the entire cast up close and personal.)

I also have to give a thumbs up to the witch. While I caught one or two of the other actors mimicking the intonation and/or actions that I know so well from the American Playhouse DVD version, the witch made that part her own. In my mind, no one will ever top Bernadette Peters' iteration, but very interesting to see a different take on it.

To sum up...I'd forgotten how much I love live theater. Between Into the Woods and last weeks' treat viewing of Kiki and Herb, my new goal is to see much more of it. Avenue Q will be in SF over the next few weeks and I'm going to try to coax G to see that one next.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, memory lane, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 11:28 PM

(5) comments



2007-07-24 
 

riding into the future

Ended up in Hayward today for work. Once finished, I had a choice. Retrace my route back home via 880 and face the stress and delays that trucks and tractor trailers visit upon that stretch or reverse commute over the San Mateo bridge. I chose the later.

I rarely take this particular bridge and had forgotten that the first 5 miles of the 7 mile span are quite low to the water with only a three foot barrier between myself and the bay. Like you're riding on the water.

Sometime during my early teens, before I even had a license, I had a reoccurring dream that I was driving across a vast expanse of water on just such a road with the only difference being that the dream bridge was even lower to the water and had no barrier. The dream never frightened me, but I would wake up exhilarated and with the knowledge that the future held endless possibilities.

Traffic was super light today on that westward expanse, so I turned off the radio and let the rhythmic hum of tires on reinforced concrete take me into the future.

Labels: dose of mikey, memory lane, san francisco, spirit

* posted by me at 11:05 PM

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2007-07-15 
 

walk the walk

We walked in the SF AIDS Walk today. It was slightly overcast and pretty much perfect weather for walking. Thanks again to everyone who donated! There may be a picture later, but no promises.

(Oh, and vacation last week was lovely, but more on that later.)

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco, shout out

* posted by me at 6:47 PM

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2007-07-02 
 

another fine tale

I received my first birthday gift this year about a week before my birthday from TNTP: a signed copy of Armistead Maupin's Michael Tolliver Lives. The inscription reads, "Happy Birthday Mikey!" (So very cool.)

Now, I know this will sound typical, but Maupin's Tales of the City books are a big part of why I ended up in San Francisco. I'd always felt a pull towards Northern California, but usually pictured myself at Berkeley. After reading the series, there was no doubt in my mind that I'd end up in San Francisco instead.

I've reread the original books several times each, yet always felt a bit unsatisfied upon finishing them. Mostly this is due to the fact that the final book of the original six, Sure of You, always left me feeling flat, as if there was a chapter or two left untold. Michael Tolliver Lives more than makes up for it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the original run. It takes place almost 15 years after Sure of You, but catches us up on important events that happened in the time between 1987 and today.

While I'm the sort of person who could have easily read this in one sitting, I forced myself to put it down on several occasions because it turned out to be exactly what I needed to be reading after the long interval. I wanted to savor each new piece of the story and live with it for a while before moving forward. Rather hard for me to do, but very worth it in the long run. I can close my eyes and see the characters again, a little more aged but no less loved.

And…that's all you'll get from me. Don't want to spoil anything

I would recommend reading at least one or two of the originals first if you haven't already discovered them. While I loved this addition and am now inspired to run through them all again myself at some point in the near future, I really can't judge how well it stands up on its own. I've lived here in SF too long and imagined interacting with the characters too often to really know if there's enough exposition in this latest edition to yank someone unfamiliar with the rest of the series into the book. (I believe there is, but –as you may've noticed– I'm a bit biased on this point.)

Either way, I say, "Go forth and read!"

I would like to add one quick note to the publishers. The correct spelling is Duboce Park….with a "C" not an "S". A minor distraction, but rather glaring to someone who lives in the Triangle himself.

Labels: dose of mikey, memory lane, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 9:52 PM

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2007-06-30 
 

opening night

The song Be My Guest from Beauty and the Beast has been waltzing through my head most of the day. I can't tell if it's annoying or not.

In other Disney (and Pixar) related news, G convinced me to see Ratatouille tonight, and I'm very glad that he did. Not that I didn't want to see it, but we rarely see a movie on opening night because of the crowds and lines and general anxiety of being too late. Okay, my anxiety about being too late has a tendancy to drain the fun from an evening like a rat sucking on a grape. (see the movie)

Tonight went very smoothly, as if the universe was greasing the wheels for us. Random free parking spot just half a block from the theatre. Immediate seating in a very busy Mel's Drive in that had a line waiting in front just five minutes after we were seated. After dinner, a short 20 minute wait in a line that was only 15 people long when we joined. By the time they filtered us up the escalator, the line was snaking around the building. Easy to grab seats in the double wide legroom section. Very funny movie with an appreciate San Francisco audience. Cuddly company. (that would be G, not the rats, though the main character does display the prerequisite look that will translate very well into a plush toy) Overall, a great night out.

But Be My Guest is still buzzing in the background. I think I'll just kick back and enjoy it.

Other than the obvious, and in this day and age almost necessary, merchandising potential, I have to say, Brad Bird's done it again. Ratatouille gives off a different vibe than The Incredibles, but it's no less interesting.

I give this movie 9 gourmet cheeses out of 10.

Labels: dose of mikey, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 3:27 AM

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2007-06-26 
 

the rest & best of the weekend

So, after it's inauspicious beginning, the weekend improved dramatically. G and I did end up spending some time in the gayborhood enjoying the vibe. Had steak frites at Chow out on the patio, wandered into Harvest for some birthday cupcakes, and then went to the movies. Shrek the Third, while amusing, doesn't quite stand as tall as the first two.

Deciding to make it a full on movie night, we got home and watched Marie Antoinette. Loved it. I remember it getting some mixed reviews, but can't quite imagine what the fuss was about. Was it deep? No. Did it tell me anything I didn't already know? No. Did it really make me want to see Versailles? Yes.

I gave myself today off as a bit of a birthday present. We made mac and cheese for lunch, did a bunch of crosswords and then went over to Baskin Robbins to cash in our free birthday cone coupons. Ended up down at Ocean Beach because it seemed like the right place to eat ice cream. Gorgeous day today. Walked up and down the beach well into the evening just talking and showing each other interesting flotsam and jetsam. We stayed long enough to watch the sunset and then took our chilled selves home to warm back up.

Reminder to those of you out there experiencing that event called "summer"...while there were some brave folk out there jumping in the waves, I had on jeans and a sweatshirt during our walk and never felt too warm.

All in all, turned out to be a pretty wonderful weekend.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, g, linkage, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:22 AM

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2007-06-24 
 

pride

Planned on spending this weekend enjoying the various pride events and celebrating our birthdays, but ended up spending yesterday afternoon in the emergency room with G. (He's fine, turned out to be chest wall trauma which the doctor explained was mostly a painful nuisance and not something serious. With the help of some Vicodan he had a happy birthday after all.)

We did plan on going to the parade and celebration today, but an overflowing toilet has made it doubtful that we'll make it in time. I'm not too disappointed since the past 12 years have left me a bit jaded with the festivities, but it's good to remind myself that what we have here in SF is special, especially when small town America is still pulling crap like this.

via TNTP

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 5:22 PM

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2007-06-07 
 

mini reunion

M was in Oakland for a wedding this past weekend and I got a nice little bookend visit with her on either side. We caught up with A and L (and their adorable daughter).



This past weekend was actually our 15th year reunion, but none of us was on the east coast to celebrate. Kinda nice that the timing coincided.

In other M news, we talked...a lot, but it always seems that we end up with a million more things to say when it's time to part. She treated me to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Actually the very first time I've been since coming to SF 12 years ago. Wonderful place, but a little tourist heavy. Still, we had a great time.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 5:00 PM

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2007-04-06 
 

screwed

Living so close to wine country and having a fondness for a good red wine, I can't help but get caught up in the latest debate raging through the wine world.

Actually, it's not a new debate. I first learned of it several years ago on our trip to Costanoa, and it may be even older than that. We had a Bonny Doon wine there that had a screw cap and a little advertising piece that explained why screw caps were, in fact, superior to the cork. It explained that most wineries won't switch because of the stigma screw caps seem stuck with: that of only being used on cheap inferior wines.

Since then I've encountered more and more brands that employ a screw cap. Some of them excellent wines. In fact, most have been as good or better than the corked wines within the same price range.

That said, there's something in the experience of decorking a bottle that I miss when opening up one of the screw tops. I'm sitting here with a perfectly fine Syrah on the desk waiting for me to take another sip, but the screw cap opening of the bottle lacked something that leaves me feeling just a touch deflated. I suspect I'm missing the mini ceremony of getting out the corkscrew, placing it carefully over the head of the bottle, making sure the twists are true, and then the satisfying POP as the bottle releases the cork. A mini winegasm if you will.

Seeing that cork is less environmentally friendly, I'm not going to advocate we keep it forever. Change can be hard, but is often for the best. Still, I'm glad that this change seems to be moving along slowly, and that I can anticipate many mini ceremonies in the future.

Labels: dose of mikey, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:24 AM

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2007-03-27 
 

cloudbusting

I saw my first robins of spring this evening on my way home from work. They were hopping along in the grass at Park. It's the first time I remember noticing robins here in SF.

As a child, I thought them to be a sign of good luck and good things to come. I suspect a connection between the time of their appearance on New England lawns and the end of the school year which was now near enough to start anticipating. Whatever it was, I got the warm fuzzies tonight all over again.

Kate Bush, singing in my head:

I just know that something good is going to happen.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, memory lane, san francisco

* posted by me at 10:59 PM

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2006-06-21 
 

surreal gnome

G just informed me that someone's placed an old school barber's chair and a Travelocity-esque garden gnome in front of our building.

Now, I'm willing to bet that they'll both be gone in the morning to new homes, because we recycle everything here in San Francisco. That being said, I do have to wonder what twist of fate brought those two items together? Did the gnome sit on the chair inside someone's apartment as a conversation starter?

OH yes, the gnome and the chair. There's a story behind that...

Or perhaps the chair was used by some back alley barber. You know, for cutting hair under the radar of the local stylist authority.

Most likely they were part of someone's post college "use what you can find for cheap" aesthetic, but that just sounds boring. I'd rather imagine a crazy story involving mistaken identities and a chimp. Crazy stories are always best when they include a chimp.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 4:29 AM

(2) comments



2006-05-10 
 

dusk walk

Left work quite late tonight, just as the brightest stars became visible over the city skyline. The walk from work to the subway takes me through ten blocks, from low to high rise district. There's one block where the buildings jump from three to thirty stories becoming a cliff of sparkling lights in front of me. I enjoy this part of the day, and not just because work is done. I like the feeling that I'm walking into the future.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 12:23 AM

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2006-04-18 
 

dawn

It's 6:10 a.m. and I'm already at work. (Shock and disbelief from my 10s of readers, I know.)

You see, 100 years ago this morning, my adopted city shook and then burned due to something they still refer to as the Great Quake.

Every year there's a ceremony at Lotta's Fountain on Kearny and Market where survivors of the quake gather and a wreath is placed in memoriam of all those who lost their lives. We humans have an odd habit of attaching special significance to numbers that end in "0" which made today's event extra special with streets baricaded, special speeches and a funny MC who obviously hadn't slept all night and seemed to still be under the influence of her last gin and tonic from late last night/early this morning. Being the heart of technology that we are, the huge screens had closed captioning based on voice recognition technology. Made for some funny reading. (Winston Churchill became "win some church hill") The enunciation of some participants, like the aforementioned MC, left quite a bit to be desired and had the computer putting up lines much like the following:

For thirty years I bang an a gone today. Plzt...Please jam me on well coming may your gave on new some.

And yes, while I'm on the subject, San Francisco does have the hottest mayor in the country. The man is chock full of charisma, and if he doesn't end up as president some day in the future, I'll be very surprised. (and disappointed)

Anyway, the whole point is that the festivities started shortly after 4:30 which is an hour I usually have solid footing in dreamville, but G really wanted to go and convinced me it was worth a 3:30 wake up call. He was so right. I do love that man.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 9:15 AM

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2006-03-23 
 

movie set city

Walking to Muni this evening, I decided to take a bit of a detour and climbed the steps up to the second level of Whaleship Plaza and walked on through to the second level of the Embarcadero centers. Between 5 and 6, it's still pretty busy up there, but I didn't leave work until around 7 and it's different then. So empty compared to the streets below where pedestrians were still bustling about and cars honked at each other. Quiet too. Funny how going up just one level helps to mute the noise of the city.

Call me a geek if you want, but I often imagine I've stumbled on to some backlot movie set when I'm alone up there. Everything in place and waiting for the director to yell, "Action!"

Tonight it was an introspective indie that won only mild praise at Sundance.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:22 AM

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2006-02-23 
 

bus to nowhere

Missed the work shuttle bus this morning and decided to take a chance on Muni. Got to the bus stop, turned and saw a bus approaching. It had no number on it and for a short moment I was ready to curse out yet another Not In Service bus. Then, before the F*cking Muni could fully form, I noticed that the sign on front said Nowhere in Particular instead of Not In Service. The bus was totally empty and had no interior lights on, but it stopped for myself and several other folks waiting at the stop. I got off at my normal stop, but I came very close to playing hooky and just seeing where the bus would take me.

It’s things like this, and the "Muni Love You" Man that make me almost forgive them for cramming too many people on the morning train and then getting stuck in a tunnel at least once a week.

Almost.

Labels: san francisco

* posted by me at 2:18 PM

(0) comments



2006-02-18 
 

hidden away

The geography of San Francisco allows for many hidden parks and neighborhoods that, even after more than a decade, I have yet to discover.

Found one of them last weekend while it was still spring.


i'm not sure what the real name is but
i'm calling it secret canyon park


every once in a while the camera decides to get creative


a little friend we met along the way


last stop:Church Street in Noe Valley
to pick up some German dinner

Yum!

Labels: 1000 words, local getaway, san francisco

* posted by me at 3:33 PM

(2) comments



2006-02-05 
 

new view

Normally when I want to get high in San Francisco, I go to Twin Peaks. That's them over in the distance underneath SoonToFallDown...I mean Sutro Tower.




Yesterday, the city proved that even after 11 years, it can continue to surprise me. G and I were driving through the Mission when I commented that I'd never been up to the top of Bernal Heights. He immediately abandoned our food shopping plan and drove us up to the top. We wandered around for a bit, and I was amazed that I'd managed to miss this vista for over a decade. Quite beautiful...although these signs did give me pause.





This sign, on the other hand just made me happy.



Oh, and I would apologize for the bad pun up in the first sentence, but then you might think that I'd never do it again.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 6:43 PM

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2005-10-24 
 

briefly

I love the fact that Castro Street Station is all decked out for Halloween. Brought a smile to my face after leaving work way too late this night.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 11:56 PM

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2005-10-23 
 

home

Went home for a week, but now I'm back home.

Odd how I can feel so attached to two places 3000 miles apart. Going home to Boston always leaves me feeling conflicted. I feel enveloped in safety, but in an almost claustrophobic way. It's great to see everyone and dream of living back there again, but the weight of responsibility I'd give myself in doing so is often frightening to think about. I have a hard enough time making time for everything here in SF, without adding the family and old friends back into that mix on a more regular basis.

If I left, I would miss SF terribly: hills full of hidden places, the found family, the laid back way of thinking, the willingness to try something new. I'd be leaving home again to go back home.

But Boston, or the suburbs to which I'd return, beckons mightily these days. I know the yoke I worry about is one I'd choose to place on my shoulders, and maybe I just need to change my mind about that choice.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:06 PM

(2) comments



2005-09-20 
 

overheard

I passed by two men in standard-issue business attire last week during a mad dash for Muni. It wasn't until I was on the train that my brain fully processed the snippet of conversation I'd just overheard.

I can't go tonight, I have to get my penis repierced.

Ah life in the big city...so many obligations and so little time!

Labels: san francisco, seen and heard

* posted by me at 2:47 AM

(0) comments



2005-08-31 
 

midday muni

There's a lot I'd like to type in right now, but it's all too fresh so I'll tell you about riding Muni instead.

Not my typical Muni ride, this one occured shortly before noon on the way back from the eye doctor.

Muni's different in the middle of the day. The crush and rush of the commute hours gives way to people who don't look frantic or tired. There's a willingness to say excuse me...and because of the saner conditions, less of a need to do so.

OK, so I just reread this whole entry and wanted to make two things clear:

1. Overall, having a mysterious medical malady still sucks, but I'm fine....and doing much better than most who've had the syndrome. (I've heard some not so grand tales lately.)

2. Yes, I originally typed in eye doctor because I couldn't figure out how to spell ophthalmologist. For long words, spell check is only as good as your first three letters and I had lost the first H somewhere along the way. (Not to mention the first L, but that's another story for another time.)

Labels: dose of mikey, medical mystery, san francisco

* posted by me at 12:27 AM

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2005-08-21 
 

don't forget

Two facts:

1. Almost every evening, I pass by a secret Safeway on the way to the subway from work. I take the side streets because they're usually quite empty and remember being quite surprised the first time I saw it nestled under a portion of the Maritime Plaza with tall building all around and the fountains and the walkways of the plaza laying over it. I couldn't quite believe someone had put it there. It's smaller than most of its siblings, less trafficked, and generally not quite as unpleasant to shop as the average Safeway.

2. G and I no longer shop Safeway except to buy soda or peanut butter. For some reason, the natural versions we find at Rainbow Grocery or Whole Foods just don't do it for us so we do need to face the cold aisles now and again.

So, I've needed to remember to buy peanut butter from the secret Safeway for a few days now, but kept forgetting. Yesterday, while walking along a usually deserted section of Front Street, I started chanting, "Peanut...peanut butter. Peanut...peanut butter." under my breath as a mnemonic. As often happens in a situation like that, I began chanting a bit louder...and louder...and louder creating a nice little groove with my arms until I was surprised into silence by the homeless man I'd just passed rising suddenly from his blankets and shouting, "Don't forget the jelly!"

Almost scared the piss out of me at the moment, but his words echo in my head today and strike me as being something we all could stand to remember.

Don't forget the jelly.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco, spirit

* posted by me at 12:28 AM

(0) comments



2005-08-02 
 

safe harbor

I remember playing variations on tag or hide and seek when I was a child and the sudden melting relaxation I would feel when someone called out the all clear.

Depending on the neighborhood and decade you grew up in, this may have varied, but probably went something like this:

Oldie, Oldie, come home free!
or:
All ye, all ye in come free!
or: (one of my favorites)
Molly, Molly, Boxtop Feet!

Tonight, as I walked past a barfull of post work revelry, a dark haired patron with a beer in his hand leaned out of the door and called out to his friend Mark across the street. Mark had just paused while exiting the door of a too modern office building and was looking back inside fretfully until he heard his friend shout.

"Mark! Ollie, ollie, oxen free!"

Without another look back, he crossed the street to his friend.

The whole scene made me smile. We should all have someone calling us to safety at the end of the day.

Labels: memory lane, san francisco

* posted by me at 10:35 PM

(0) comments



2005-06-26 
 

pink saturday

There's a pink triangle on the hill and the noise of thousands just blocks away, yet somehow I have no desire to go out tonight.

I'm either a complete wanker, or just tired.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:25 AM

(0) comments



2005-06-12 
 

hot hot hot

The powers that be decreed this past week a hot one for the Boston area. G and I got to enjoy the heat inside suits yesterday while we attended the tea ceremony and following banquet for V and S. Fortunately, both locations had air conditioning. Unfortunately, neither location had air conditioning that worked very well. Add to that the body heat of about 200 banquet guests slowly eating through 10 plus courses and the poor AC didn't stand a chance.

All that being said, we had quite a good time. Have also had a good chance to catch up with family while here and I find myself wondering again whether it's time for a move back east. I love SF more than Boston, but I love the people in Boston too much to make SF my permanent home.

I'll have a nice conundrum to distract me during this next week at work. (Ugh. It's amazing that even a short break will quickly zap any desire to return to Cubicleland.)

Labels: boston, dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 6:28 PM

(1) comments



2005-05-23 
 

letterboxing and kaboom

G discovered a website dedicated to letterboxing. We decided to give it a try this weekend and have been having a great time traveling around San Francisco looking for boxes in our area. If you like walking/hiking and mini mysteries, give it a try. I have to admit being a bit skeptical before heading out for the first time, but now I'm hooked.

KABOOM happened on Saturday night. We headed up Twin Peaks with PG&E and two of their friends to watch the display from up there. (If you click the link at the beginning of this paragraph, be sure to scroll down past the recycling info to get to a fun DIY fireworks display.)

Sunday saw us letterboxing again. An added bonus to this new hobby is finding yourself in fun places that you wouldn't otherwise think of visiting. We ended up in several San Francisco parks that I'd never visited before...including a climb up Mount Sutro!

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 3:12 PM

(1) comments



2005-04-17 
 

rainbow run

It is amazingly hard to find Double Rainbow ice cream in San Francisco after 9:30 P.M. G and I were being slugs on the sofa earlier this evening when he mentioned that we'd lost another cereal bowl due to overuse. Suddenly we were awake. A mission!

Double Rainbow plastic quart containers make excellent cereal bowls. The fact that they're covered with black and white cow spots makes the cereal taste even better.

After being disappointed by closed doors in several neighborhoods, we headed across Van Ness and chanced upon the Casablanca Cafe on Polk Street where we finally found our fix. Sadly, there were no plastic quart containers there, but the service was quick and friendly and the Hazelnut Truffle Latte was delicious.

There were hookahs on many of the tables which can apparently be used with a variety of different flavored smokables. Just occurred to me that I'd be more surprised to find those flavors were tobacco based rather than cannabis inspired. Ah, San Francisco.

We must venture from the sofa more often.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:49 AM

(0) comments



2005-04-14 
 

smoke in the city

Climbing up through the steel and concrete of downtown San Francisco this morning, I caught the lingering soaked-in scent of campfire smoke. After three showers and several changes of clothes it seemed a bit odd that I’d still be carrying it around, so maybe nature’s trying to tell me something.

I’d been reading Tom Robbins’ Villa Incognito during my commute and my mind’s been full of animism and the idea that every living thing has spirit. Not a new concept for me, but something that’s been buried under too many years of dance halls and drugs.

Okay, maybe that last part’s a little hyperbolic and/or misleading, and I do beg your pardon. It’s been a while since I’ve sat down to tap anything in to the computer and the words are welling up; flooding to the surface of my skin and jumping off on whatever keys they see fit. I have lost all control.

This entry has been brought to you by the letter M who is tired of being a corporate cog. BEHIND THE BLOG: He composed it much earlier today in email format. The more legitimate work related email he could've been writing championed ideas that had been reduced, by committee, to a tepid and salt free state. Ain't corporate america grand?

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, reading, san francisco, sharketing, spirit

* posted by me at 2:16 AM

(0) comments



2005-03-21 
 

walking to work

9:30 - Dolores Park



Spent a very long day in a beautiful victorian with the beautiful people...but I'd rather have been home with G and Oliver.

Labels: 1000 words, g, san francisco, sharketing

* posted by me at 2:17 AM

(0) comments



2005-03-13 
 

fireballs and other fun

Last free weekend until April, and I've spent it getting stumble bumble drunk and vegetating in front of the television. White trash, that's me.

Keeks had her going away bash at Amber on Friday. I drank too much, too quickly, but still managed to have a rather interesting discussion about gender politics with a straight boy from the mission and the girl with cool glasses. I'll have to let it sit inside my head for a while and then post about it later.

The most amusing part of the evening? Together we all scared away a skinheaded Bush supporter who seemed intent on talking about how wonderful the current administration is doing despite our efforts to point out social injustice and the soaring trade deficit. It's funny how easily the question, "But you're gay, aren't you?" will clear somebody like that out your immediate vicinity. (He actually cleared right out of the bar...poor misguided creature thought a straight bar in the Castro would be safe haven from freaks.) Good to live in San Francisco. That same tactic might get me a date with a baseball bat in a different part of the country.

I finally came home, announced to G, "I'm drunkened!" and fell into bed.

Yesterday we did some environmentally conscious errands and then watched The Village. Both of these acts left me vaguely longing for a simpler time. So I watched a backlog of Friends and Bewitched episodes that Tivo thought we'd like. Oh to wrinkle my nose and solve the world's problems!

Completely missed the fireball/earthquake, but how weird was that? Also weird is that articles from CNN.com and other news agencies have already disappeared. My inner Mulder is very suspicious.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 3:46 PM

(0) comments



2005-03-10 
 

earl grey and other noble folk

Just returned from a lovely little dinner with A. (formerly known as Stacia on this site, just FYI to future historians)

Very nice to sit and sip tea at Samovar whilst exchanging recollections of adventures past, yet relishing the eternal now. Hmm...the tea seems to've gone to my head.

Sending a bit of white light out to A as a thank you for pointing out that you can choose to enjoy the now and still work on changing your current circumstances. In all fairness, Mom pointed out much the same thing yesterday and will get some white light herself too. Unfortunately, I was in the office during that particular conversation and a bit distracted. Somehow the tea and environs this evening pushed me over the edge into accepting what I already knew.

For anyone who's just tuned in, I'm feeling rather frustrated at work and have been wishing it would all just go away. In classic Mikey fashion, I decided to see it all as an awful experience in hopes that I'd spur myself into changing it. Funny thing is that, for the most part, work's pretty easy. Nice people and usually not much to complain about in the way of workload. It's been kind of exhausting not liking it.

So, I'm going to try something new. Given my penchant for just going with the flow, this might not be the easiest thing for me to do, but I'll try. I'm going to try and like work again and...wait for it...actually still change the path I've been travelling career-wise to something more satisfying.

No fair calling me on it if I still kvetch about work now and again. Kvetching about work has become a way for me to test out turns of phrase and vent frustrations that would be plain mean if used in context of another human being. Besides, the next three or four weeks are going to be busy enough that I'll have to implement the new path plan in fits and starts which will be frustrating enough to deserve a kvetch or two. Better inch by inch than not at all though, right?

In slightly related news, tonight A asked if I've ever tried yogo. This was odd since Mom mentioned the same thing to me yesterday. Several minutes after I passed that coincidence on to A, some random hottie passed by. He was in the midst of a conversation with a friend, but all we heard was, "Yoga is very relaxing."

The universe keeps whispering advice to me, and it's time to listen up. Anyone know a good do it yourself yoga site?

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 12:10 AM

(0) comments



2005-03-05 
 

east bay afternoon

We've been looking for a new place. Being a dumbass, I forgot the camera so I can't show you the following fun sights we encountered:

Back seat of an Acura stuffed full of helium balloons in pinks and yellows. Upon reaching the front of the car, we see that it's being driven by a rather elderly but very stately Asian couple. Where were they going?

A funny billboard shouting out ESUVEES ARE NOT CARS! A campaign against them or some reverse psychological marketing ploy?

Various forms of urban blight and the flowers that sometimes pop up in the middle of it all. Why do things like that give me shivers?

Yes, I can't show you those things, so instead let me share Apartment Requirements:

Lotsa light
Eat-in kitchen with gas stove and big pantry
Lotsa storage
Space for our technical geekiness to thrive
Lotsa modern outlets
Area for us to barbecue
Lotsa happy times to be had
Quick access to Muni or Bart
(trains, not them mythical busses I hear about)

a fireplace would be nice
so would various fruit trees and herbs in the garden

NO noisy neighbors
NO nosy neighbors
NO nasty neighbors

cats are OK - purrr

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:33 AM

(1) comments



2005-02-17 
 

in the moo

Tonight we're having some leftover sirloin steak. While Rainbow Grocery has become our one stop shop for most culinary needs, good meat had been a hard to find item. Then G found Guerra Quality Meats over on Taraval

So good, and highly recommended for anyone able to get themselves over there. fulfills most of our meat-eating needs.

In other carnivorous news: Tomorrow I'll be dining with Bun for the first time in years. While I confess to a slight trepidation because of the new folks I'll be meeting, I'm truly looking forward to partaking of a home grown ham. They raised it on their farm up north, and I'm honored to have been invited to this particular feast.

In honor of the occasion, I'm sharing our psychedelic pig with the world.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, g, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 9:28 PM

(0) comments



2005-01-24 
 

things are looking up

G and I did some errands around the city on Saturday. He volunteered to drive, so I decided to have a little blue and took random pictures out of the car window. Some samples:



blue skies



i took MANY pictures looking up



we both shouted, "Dude!" when we saw this



and, of course, sometimes a random biker gets in the way

Labels: 1000 words, g, san francisco, shout out

* posted by me at 11:40 PM

(0) comments



2004-09-28 
 

snapshot

Posts will be thin on the ground this week as we want to spend our time hanging with Dude and Dudette.

A little glimpse into the past few days.

Labels: 1000 words, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:24 PM

(0) comments



2004-08-11 
 

m is for muni

Very tired. Very long days right now. Spring 2005 is colliding with Fall 2005 and giving me a big headache at work.

Left work late. Squashed onto a crowded Muni and heard the following coming over the speaker in broken English:

This no J like it say outside. This an M. M for Muni. It CRAZY this train.

A pause.

And folks, Muni love you! I know, you not love Muni sometime, but Muni love you!

I would like to say thanks to the unknown driver for putting a smile on my face and for reminding me of why I love living in San Francisco.

Labels: san francisco, sharketing

* posted by me at 11:04 PM

(0) comments



2003-12-03 
 

p.t. update


Every morning at work, C asks me for the P.T. update. (She knows I'm doing the public transportation trip and finds it amusing to hear whether or not I'm over it yet.) Three whole days and I'm still doing o.k. The drunk man yesterday morning on the platform was a wee bit annoying, but I've read half of The Cheese Monkeys already. I am enjoying that little perk immensely.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 9:56 PM

(0) comments



2003-12-01 
 

just another muni monday


Going back to work after four days off in a row was HARD. Since November is officially over, my parking pass expired and I've decided to try the public transit option for the month to save some money and let G use the car during the day to get around. So far so good. I admit to some trepidation over doing this since Muni used to be the bane of my existence with the constant holdups underground and erratic bus schedule. Looking on the positive side, I now have at least 20 minutes each way to lose myself in a book. Since I don't get to read so much anymore, this may be enough of a treat to make it worthwhile.

I'm curious to find out if I can stay positive for an entire month...especially during the extra crowded holiday season.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 10:14 PM

(0) comments



2003-11-21 
 

r.i.p. zip

Today I said goodbye to Zip. He's been with me since Scree and I parted ways 9 years ago. Scree and I had an uneasy bond. Never sure that we could trust each other.

With Zip it was different. We were solid. Got to know each other over a typically horrid New Enland winter and then packed up for the west coast. He took me all the way across the country carrying just about everything I owned, and then suffered patiently through the indignities of San Francisco street parking without complaining once. The past year was hard. We knew his time was coming, and I don't blame him for finally conking out. I'm just grateful that he stuck around as long as he could.

I'll miss him.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco, shout out, travel

* posted by me at 8:47 PM

(0) comments



2003-11-05 
 

results

Yesterday, my cubemate C and I called each other "Citizen" all day in anticipation of voting in the evening. (and a chance to leave a wee bit early) I'm happy to say that for the most part the results matched my voting sheet. Didn't get my candidate into the mayoral runoff race, (sorry Angela!) but Hallinan made it into the runoff for DA.

The only prop that passed, that I wish hadn't, was M. We already have panhandler regulations in place and it just goes too far. It also doesn't feel right to basically outlaw begging. Technically, under the new rules, Girlscouts could be fined for selling cookies at the corner of 18th and Castro. (of course they won't be, that's why this law isn't fair....just because a homeless person may not be as cute as a Girl Scout doesn't mean he/she has less rights to ask for money)

Labels: dose of mikey, politics, san francisco

* posted by me at 10:30 PM

(0) comments



2003-11-04 
 

back to the garage

Just read through Props A-N for the upcoming election and my brain hurts. The voter information pamphlet is exactly 200 pages long. I think that pamphlets should not exceed 2-4 pages. 200 pages is a novella.

The good news is that the "pamphlet", along with a little online research, has made me feel confident about my choices for the three elected offices on the ballet and propositions A-M. (I got to Prop N and my head went numb.) I'll have another crack at it tomorrow during lunch and vote in the evening on the way home from work.

Labels: dose of mikey, politics, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:10 AM

(0) comments



2003-11-02 
 

condoms and mayonnaise

Halloween weekend. On fright night itself, just before they were about to close off the streets to traffic, G and I made a quick trip down to Walgreens. Every street corner had a volunteer from STOP AIDS or a similar organization handing out a little safety kit. I could've sworn that they kept offering up "candy, condoms and mayonnaise", but G assures me that it was "band aids". I thought that I might've stumbled upon a new subsection of the community that I'd never heard of before. Mayo boys and girls! Kinky.

Snagged a pumpkin from Harvest and carved it out for the window. (that's how the kids know it's ok to stop by your house) Handed candy out through the window and wished we had Dude and T's hand to help give us an extra bit of stretch. Even though we're on the first floor, it's still a bit of a drop down to the sidewalk. Still, the kids seemed to enjoy the basketball aspect and would shout out "two points!" whenever we we managed to get it into the bags/buckets.


Later, after the party was in full swing just a few blocks away, we wandered around the Castro seeing all the costumes and dodging drunk folk....and then retreated to the safety of our apartment. I do like living back in the hood.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:51 AM

(0) comments



2003-10-07 
 

odd voting

I love voting....especially in San Francisco. Sure, I loved voting back in Massachusetts because I'm someone who believes that some days it just takes one voice can to save a whole world. (Horton Hears a Who is still one of my favorite books.)

People in the Bay Area do tend to view voting as something fun to do rather than facing it as a chore. I will admit that I may have a skewed view of this because of my own experiences. The polling place I went to for my first five years in the city was actually just the coffee shop down the block. Close to home, easy to get to...and just how sad can you be with coffee and pastries available in the same location as your ballot?

My new polling place is a garage. Not a park-a-bunch-of-cars garage, but a single family garage in a cute Victorian around the corner from our apartment. It's very neighborhoody and cozy going in there to vote, and everyone is in a pretty good mood. (no lines at all) Does this happen in other places, or am I just lucky to live in SF?

By the way, I know I haven't soapboxed about the California governor thing and it's because I hadn't really made up my mind. To be honest, back in the beginning, there was a small part of me that wanted to vote for Arnold. It's the part that saw one or another of his movies and said, "Yah, that's the kind of guy we need in government." Fortunately, about five minutes later I remembered Ronald Reagan and stopped the insanity. "AIDS? What's that? Let's ignore it. After all, it's only the fags who have to worry about it and the less of them the better." <----- Okay, I'm paraphrasing what he might have said had the man ever bothered to address the issue. And I know that there's hope that Ah-nold will be a more moderate republican, but the truth is that I just don't know. He has no real political history to show what he may or may not be in favor of and it seems like a sucker bet either way. He can say what he will, but he won't be able to fulfill his campaign promise to bring down our deficit without breaking some of his other promises.

SO you're wondering what I ended up doing? I voted against the whole silly affair. While the prospect of voting for one of the many choices was exciting and I have no great love for Mr. Davis, I still feel he got the fuzzy end of the lollipop on this one. As my dear, departed Uncle Charles used to mutter when faced with the latest tabloid headline in the supermarket checkout,"Bread and circuses...bread and circuses. They're trying to distract us kiddo!"

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 11:20 PM

(0) comments



2003-09-22 
 

hot hot hot

Today SF temps shot up to just below 90. Not very hot in the grand scheme of things, but unusual for us...even during summer. (Which is what we're in right now...I wrote an entry many moons back about the 12 seasons of San Francisco, but I'm too warm to go find it today to link back to.)

Did get to chat with M around noonish and little e got so excited when she saw my webcam on M's screen that she started dancing around the room for me. Can't wait until we get to see them next month! Went to have Thai food for lunch and then wandered around in the heat. Eventually just had to sit down and not move in order to stop the sweating. SF isn't built for heat. You need cooler weather to be walking up and down the hills!

That's all for now. It's past nine and even the typing is making me hot.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 12:19 AM

(0) comments



2003-08-26 
 

eine kleine nachtmusik

Went to Walgreens to grab a new thermometer since our old one went kaput. (and G's still not feeling any better) On the way I stopped briefly to hear the string quartet playing in the entrance way of Cliff's variety finish up one of Mozart's more popular tunes. One of the many reasons I love San Francisco.

Lots of people walking about enjoying the beginning of summer. On the way home I amused myself by putting cell phone to ear and saying random things as I passed people.

"Oh no, it never snows there anymore. They've converted. (pause) Yes, the TriEd Club is where it's at these days."

"Bertrice has really done it this time! What's she going to do with all that extra hair?"

"Well, it's like Gramps used to say,'There's only so much you can do with a ten day old kangaroo.'"

"Well, if you ask me, I think it's a bit odd that he'd want to do that without wearing the blindfold. I mean, would you want to watch all that ice cream melting on the stove?"

etc.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:36 AM

(0) comments



2003-08-17 
 

futon donation

Someone on Craig's List was looking for old futon frames to build tree boxes for Friends of the Urban Forest. G and I just decided to give ours away. It's been sitting in the hallway for almost a month now as we haven't had the energy to sell it. Seeing as we'd probably only get 30-40 bucks for it, this seems like a pretty worthwhile thing to do. We'll get an uncluttered hallway and the knowledge that our old bed went to a good cause. Maybe we can even go visit it! I am such a dork. (and I love that about me)

Labels: linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 5:19 PM

(0) comments



2003-07-08 
 

fireworks

Had a pretty wonderful weekend that was extra nice since it was mostly just the two of us. We did end up on Hoop's roof on the night of the 4th to see the fireworks. He only lives a block and a half away, so it wasn't too much of a walk...(even though we had bellies full of steak.) After climbing up a not so safe-seeming ladder on the third floor of his building, we had a wonderful view of the entire east bay. This meant we got to see the fireworks off in the distance as they took place in Oakland, Hayward, and Alemeda; and then turn towards downtown for SF's own display. One of the perks of living where we do. The other perk is people like Hoop who supplied us with warm blankets and beer while we were up there...as well as an extra warm body to snuggle up to. (Yes folks, I know most of you are experiencing summer's first heatwave, but nights in SF are windy and in the low 50's. I won't repeat the Mark Twain quote again, but that doesn't mean it isn't true! Our first summer ended around Pride and I'm not expecting hot weather again until after Labor Day.

In other news, people are being very nice to us. A neighbor actually washed my car this weekend because it happened to be parked in front of his own. I mean, he didn't just spray it off, he really washed it all the way. Even went so far as to Armor All the tires and bumpers and had it looking better than I honestly thought it could. As a thank you, we gave him some of G's superyum muffins. The next day he asked for my keys so that he could vacuum out the inside. (He was doing his own anyway he said, but I think he wanted more muffins...they're that good!)

Which brings me back to my lament of WHY would I want to leave this wonderful city? I don't really, but I do have people I want to be closer to and I don't think I'll ever convince all of them to move themselves out here. So eastward bound I'll be someday in the next year or so...if only for a while.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:53 AM

(0) comments



2003-06-28 
 

comments?

Well, as you may have noticed, any bon mots folks submitted over the past few months have disappeared. This is what I get for using someone else's scripting and server space. TANSTAAFL indeed!

So I'm trying out something new by using e-mail comments. Not so much immediate satisfaction for the poster and a bit more work for me, but it'll have to do until I get up the gumption to learn some scripting.

In other news: Happy SF Pride! Thanks to the Supreme Court's ruling earlier this week that gays and heterosexuals should (finally) enjoy the same rights to privacy no matter where they live in the country, this has already been a rather celebratory weekend here in SF and should only become more so as the weekend continues. Yay!

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 5:26 PM

(0) comments



2003-06-27 
 

home again?

After an uneventful flight, G and I are back in SF. I was a bit bummed that we were assigned to row 13 since in a 757 that's the odd row without the window. (I mean, doesn't the poor number suffer enough stigma without having people curse it out for making them feel even more sardine-ish?)

So back home from home. This trip was wonderful - after Salem, we had several days down Cape with the Dude and his Dudette. Was really nice getting to know her and spend time doing just chilling out for a while. Back home to Mom and Dad's where they had a nice little birthday dinner for the both of us. It's about then that I started going a bit down emotionally. Every time I go back it gets a little harder to leave. The next day as we were over the M's I just couldn't pep myself up. MomToo was chatting away about how Mom and Dad were doing, but I couldn't pay attention. The truth is I just wanted to start crying, but it's weird for me to just reach out for emotional support for no definable reason so I ended up being a little numb throughout the visit. Aside to the M's - and everyone else for that matter - this is all my own baggage that I'm dealing with, I blame no one else. I also know there's plenty of folks out there who would help me carry it, but I haven't quite figured out which bags are mine yet, so wait for me on the curb by the taxi stand and I'll be out shortly.

There's so many conflicting feelings about what home means to me. It's where the love is sure, but I've got that in two distinct places in this world now and I'm just not sure how to deal with it. SF is easy. Boston is hard. I have deeper, longer lasting relationships on the East Coast. SF is very transient. I love SF as a city. I don't so much love Boston as a city. It does have it's good points, but compared to SF? SF wins hands down. Add to that: I did meet G here and this city has some true benefits that the east coast is lacking.

What I guess I haven't quite touched on yet is the fact that I will be moving back. It's just a matter of waiting for the moment to be right. The recent upgrade in job and some vague promises of better economic future next year mean it could happen sooner rather than later. The pain I feel in leaving the folks back there every time I go makes it even more real...and for the first time I find myself almost missing SF in advance.

I do not plan on letting myself wallow in this "torn between two lovers" place. I do believe in living in the moment and choosing happiness, but that's only healthy if you've first allowed yourself to examine the choice. Otherwise it's just repression. So I'm examining.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, san francisco, spirit

* posted by me at 1:58 AM

(0) comments



2003-04-24 
 

random

Some of the people in our neighborhood:

Zany Leather Rabbi
Struvelpeter
Stompy Boot Girl
Cute Hybernating Boy

The feel good quote of the day:
"You know, I've been desperate in my time, but I've never had to buy used porn from the street!"

Labels: san francisco

* posted by me at 1:40 AM

(0) comments



2003-04-13 
 

drums

Volunteered at the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival today at the Burger Booth. Proceeds from the sales go to the senior community. I got there about 20 minutes before my shift started and ended up watching the San Francisco Taiko Dojo perform for a little while. A combination of the rhythm and the sun that had managed to break through at that point left me feeling warm and strong. I also felt very lonely. Sometimes it's hard to experience something powerful when you're surrounded with other humans, yet have no one to share it all with.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco, spirit

* posted by me at 10:47 PM

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2003-04-06 
 

seasons of san francisco

Some people claim that San Francisco doesn't have seasons. I say that isn't true. What seems to some to be a lack of seasonality is, in fact, more than the average city has to offer. For instance, we are currently experiencing our first autumn. This generally occurs, appropriately enough, around tax time. It was preceded, as always, by our first spring which starts around President's day, is known as True Spring and is usually topped of with a week of early summer.

So, this first autumn we are now experiencing will be followed by a second spring and then our second summer, which takes us through to Gay Pride (at the end of June) at which point we enter into San Francisco's second winter...albeit a winter in which the only precipitation will be a very heavy fog. This goes through to Labor day at which point we have a week or two of spring before plunging into our third summer. (also known as True Summer) Around Halloween we sync up with the rest of the country and enter into True Autumn and then True Winter.

By this count we have two winters, two autumns, three springs and three summers. None too shabby for a city with no seasons.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 4:48 AM

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2003-04-03 
 

cogs

I'm feeling extra tired and old this week. A cog in the machine, just grinding away until I eventually snap and get replaced with a newer, fresh faced cog. The sad thing is I guess I'm ok with this. Why? Because of days like this one...


...it's from last weekend we went to Kelly's Mission Rock and had brunch with Hugs. (His treat! Thanks!) It was a very nice day. This weekend we'll do something else that'll make it all worthwhile again. I wouldn't get days like that unless I cogged away now and again. I probably wouldn't appreciate them as much either.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco, sharketing

* posted by me at 3:20 AM

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2003-01-19 
 

hedwig

excellent, excellent, excellent

I was a bit afraid that my repeated viewings of the movie would color my experience of the stage version, but it was all for naught. The power of live performance really lends itself well to the story of Hedwig and I'm very happy MP thought to take me along with her. THANKS! I know it's playing at various venues across the country, but seeing it at the Victoria in SF was everything it should be. What better place than a theatre that has seen everything from Vaudeville to Burlesque? Another very good thing about the SF version is Kevin Cahoon as Hedwig. He's able to play with the audience in an unforced way that really helped make us part of the performance. (Being her second time at the show, MP mentioned that last night's weekend crowd had much better energy than the weeknight audience she saw it with the first time.) Since it's just been extended through March, I'm thinking that G and I will go on a Friday or a Saturday night. Yip, it's that good. It almost has a Rocky Horror type of feeling with the audience really willing to play along. (the 60something hetero couple who eagerly volunteered for the carwash reminded me of why I love living in this city...I don't quite see that happening in Boston)

In other news: I've begun the framework for the art page. Thanks to M for pointing me to a great site for that!

Still bored? So was this person. Singing Horses! Just goes to show what wonderful things you can do with too much time on your hands.

Labels: linkage, random review, san francisco, shout out

* posted by me at 6:01 PM

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2002-06-13 
 

inspirational drag queens

It's almost 12:30 and I'm about to go to bed, but I just saw something that reinforces why I love San Francisco. There was a drag queen on San Francisco Public Access cable who was simply lounging on her couch and waxing - quite eloquently - on the state of the world and sharing her life experiences. Love that I can flip through the stations and find someone spouting forth on how important it is to believe in oneself. A message which has even more resonance when spoken by someone who truly knows what it's like to live on the edges of what society likes to term "normal". Another sliver of hope clinging to the bottom of Pandora's box.

Labels: san francisco, seen and heard, spirit

* posted by me at 3:25 AM

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2002-05-14 
 

shake it up

Tonight we had one of the biggest quakes I've felt since moving out here. 5.2 - slightly southwest of Gilroy. Lasted about 10 seconds or so. (Which doesn't sound long unless the house is shaking around you at the time.) It was long enough for G and I to look at each other trying to figure out if we should move to the doorway. I did. G, being born and bred here, got back onto the couch and enjoyed the rest of the ride. A few lighter objects shook enough to topple, but nothing heavy. I had been sitting in front of my laptop updating spreadsheets. I took it as a sign from the universe that it was time to relax.

In other news, I scanned another favorite postcard! Will do my best to get Dude's up tomorrow.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:18 AM

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2002-05-13 
 

sparks

We went out and got a grill today, so tonight we had barbecued chicken. The wind's been strong lately and it was quite a job keeping the sparks from flying out and causing some sort of tragedy ala Mrs. O'Leary's cow. (The meal afterwards was worth it though.) It's rare that I wish for a backyard, but this was one of those times, back steps are not ideal for grilling. I guess that living in a true suburbia vs. this urban lowrise version does have it's positive sides.

On a similar note, we went for a walk yesterday and ended up over in the middle of the Castro. It was only moderately crowded, but I found myself experiencing sensory overload: the people, the higher energy level. Seems that the past 9 months in a quieter neighborhood have had an effect on me. G pointed out that people are much more likely to acknowledge your presence over there, for good or bad. I'm not really sure which side of the hill I prefer, but I will say that I miss that feeling of connectedness that I used to get, just by walking out of my front door.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:03 AM

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2002-05-02 
 

banana bell

Found out that Jennifer Connelly is going to be in the movie. Took a walk by the set around 3 to see if I could see anything, but it looked like they might be finishing up with that particular block since they've reopened one side of the road. Only interesting bit is that the tipping cable car's been joined by a SWAT mobile, an ambulance and a smashed up car. There was a group of three film people sitting on the edge of the cable car napping and enjoying the afternoon sun. Would have made for a nicely surreal picture, but I didn't have a camera with me...and if I did, I suspect someone would have snatched it away afraid that I'd post it somewhere on the internet. They'd be right of course.

Here's something else I saw recently...in our kitchen.



It pleases me.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 12:52 AM

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2002-04-30 
 

big and green

As usual, I got off to a late start this morning. Knowing I had an 8:00 meeting, I took all the normal shortcuts and made it within a few blocks of work with minutes to spare...but then I tried turning the corner and found a roadblock. Seems that they've decided to film The Hulk mere blocks away from my office and there is currently a cable car tipped over on the street that I would normally drive down. Seems the Hulk got a little angry at the gawking tourists and just flipped it right over...or something. So for the next few weeks, I'm going to have to figure in an extra 10 minutes or so into my commute. On the plus side, maybe I can get Zip into a background shot. It would be nice to have him immortalized on film...especially since he's about to turn 100,000 and probably won't be around for too many more years.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:58 AM

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2002-03-29 
 

memorable art

I'm not quite sure what this means, but there are two pieces in the SFMOMA that always stick in my mind after I've left the building. One is a Picasso. For some unknown reason, this painting always fills me with a sense of calm.


Pablo Picasso, Nature morte "La Cafetiere"
(Still life, "The Coffee Pot")

The other...well, see for yourself.

ETA This originally linked to a a page at sfmoma.com featuring Koons' Michael Jackson and Bubbles. The link is now dead, but a quick Google Image Search will give you pretty much the same image - although with safe search off, you might not want to try it at work. The whole thing still disturbs me on various levels, even as the pop culture maven in me cackles with delight.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, linkage, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 9:09 PM

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2002-03-10 
 

over the hill

Went for a little jaunt over into the Castro. Visiting on a weekend really casts the differences between our current and former hood into sharp relief. Most vivid scene: Girl scout standing in front of The Bar selling cookies hand over fist. Smart kid. The surrealness of this sight was amplified by the soft sound of her sister sitting by the entrance to the Muni station repeating, "girlscout cookies, girlscout cookies, girl scout cookies..." in a soft voice, like it was her mantra for the day.

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 10:27 PM

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big fluffy robes

Woke up this morning to the buzz of the mailman who was delivering our big comfy robes. Now, I'm not one to wax poetical about clothing, but something must be said for big comfy robes. We enjoyed wearing them so much that it took us until mid afternoon to finally get into the shower and out into the world. Walked around the valley for a bit and then headed over to the Pig and Whistle for some fish and chips and a pint of Guinness. Yum! If I haven't mentioned lately how much I love San Francisco, let me do so now. We really do have a bit of everything.

Now we are home and once again in our big, fluffy robes. We just watched Storyville: The Naked Dance, which we thought was going to be a documentary on the birth of jazz, but turned out to be mostly about prostitutes at the beginning of the 20th century. "One is fine, two are fun, and three are a really good time." Ah, what would we learn without PBS?

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:19 AM

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2002-03-04 
 

city gardening

Today, G and I helped some friends move. One of the easier experiences I've had doing this sort of thing. Mostly due to the fact that they only moved one flight downstairs within their building. Got a pretty good workout though. Must remember to get a dolly for our next move. Later, we went city gardening....well, ok, we went to mail Buddah's wedding pictures off to get developed. City gardening just happened to be a perk of the walk. It's amazing what you can find growing free to pick in the middle of such a densly populated area. We came home with two lemons and a sprig of rosemary. If we could only have found a chicken! I guess there's a plentitude of squab here, but I don't think I'll want to be trying any of our homegrown SF variety right now thank you very much. Nor do I want to attempt to capture one of the racoons that roams these streets. Though in some geeky sci-fi way, it pleases me to know that there's a natural food supply here should the earthquake come and topple most everything else down. We've got our emergency bag, do you have yours?

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:50 AM

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2002-03-01 
 

dog tired

Well, I guess it's the year of the horse now. For the first time since I came to live in Atlantis, I completely missed the Chinese New Year. (I was at the Sales Meeting during the week it happened and crazybusy the weeks around it.) Even now, I'm still completely buried under work getting ready for the trip to LA next week. The good news is that it should be a pretty nice week down there and that I won't have to do too much actual work while I'm there. Extra work now for an easy week coming up. Some people think I'm insane, but I know better. In the insane world, the sane man appears insane.

Finally finishing up The Return of the King. Having only seen the animated movies ages ago, I had no memory of the last section in which they return to Hobbiton. I needed to pause for a few weeks to adjust to the idea. (Read a couple other books inbetween, one of which - The Garden of Iden - turned out to be surprisingly good.) Loved reading an up close and personal view of historical period with a modern twist!

Labels: linkage, random review, reading, san francisco, sharketing

* posted by me at 2:21 AM

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