Woah. The last time I posted in this, I had just interviewed at the Academy of Sciences. That was over a year ago. Other than a short stint in Indiana, which is on the other blog which I wish I never created) I've been rolling stanchions there and drinking beer with my coworkers at the local bar. It's been a good time in the pseudo-real-world. Pseudo, because I still live in my parents basement. In the meantime, blogger forgot I existed and deactivated Mhmm. I can't blame them. I promised myself I would write in here again after I got a keyboard with an "s" key (2 years and running, no "s" key). This is me posting from my parents old mac destop. They got a new one, so I've commandeered this one. It's right next to my laptop and the television, so I'm pretty decked out with screens. Each one has its limitations, so I find myself changing stations often. Like I said, right now I'm in front of the mac which has a full, functioning keyboard, so let's get this thing revved up again. We begin with our hero, alone in his Batcave, ill and not so busy..
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Anna came over for a bit today. It's the first time I've seen her, or really even talked to her much since the last time I saw her.. in October? September? She had come over the night before, and as usual we shot the shit into near infinity. There's always a lot to say. Today we played some guitar through my new ministudio setup, the mac and my iphone. We had been planning a walk down to the beach, but our shit shooting took too long. Instead we walked to her bus, the 23, out on Sloat. I had just been sitting in the cave all day, setting up the computer, playing around with it, figuring it out, and honestly not much else.
It was a nice walk, but I dressed for the extreme cold that is this witchtit winter in San Francisco. For some reason, though, the fog had rolled in and kept the temperature up. I managed the hot walk out, whatever. At least I wasn't freezing, which is what I've been complaining about for the last month and a half. After we arrived at the bus stop I took the opportunity to take off the pjs and thermal I had layered my person with. I was still warm, but feeling much better.
After Anna's bus came, I trekked back to my house along 34th Avenue. I noticed a few things that caught my attention enough to make me stop for a photo. I found LShap's name etched in the sidewalk, so I snapped that and sent it to her as an appeasement for not getting back to her inquiry about how my life is going. On the same block, I found a weird tree pruned from the bottom to the halfway point as a egg/agave-plant-looking-thing, and was capped with a mushroom top. On Taraval I found that the old timey barbershop that dad used to go to (you know, when he actually cut his hair) had been replaced with a church or whatever. I guess it was a church. There was a person in there at 745pm apparently talking to a group of people. That's churchy, right? He was wearing an SF 49ers scarf on, so he probably wasn't a priest.. The sign outside said "Livingwaters somethingsomething" against a background of a church, an actual church, on a hill in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge dwarfed the church on the hill, and I wondered if anybody would take any exception to that. "The fact that you made the symbol of man's progress larger than the House of God is offensive!" People do get upset about stuff like that. I figure the sign maker would defend himself by saying a giant church on the background of a tiny bridge would just look silly and invite criticism from passing haters.
On the corner of Taraval there was an office with a partially shaded window. The light was on and a woman was inside working on a computer. I felt like banging on the window and telling her to enjoy her night, but I've learned that people don't enjoy when I bang on their windows. She'll just have to finish her work tonight. Around the same corner, I saw a house that I felt was clearly winning the Sunset's "Best Christmas Lights" award. I enjoyed how they topped the display with a red-nosed Rudolph. The cherry on top. Oh, and there was music. Cheesy. When I started again toward home, I smelled a rivalry. On the same block just down the way was an arguably better display, music and all, with TIMED LIGHTS. That, the lights flahsed on and off in time with the music. How's that for a one up? But THEN, when I finished walking the block, I took a look down the avenues to find a corner house done up to a similar extent, but having a larger space to exhibit their Christmas spirit, were clearly the winners of my imaginary (probably) contest.
When I neared home, I took a look at the church they are constructing on 31st and Noriega. New churches kinda scare me, and I don't really want to get into that, but I will say that it's been fun and a little intimidating to watch the church get built. The space there used to be a bank and was being used by the congregation as a church, but I guess now they have the funds to build a huge house of God. It really is humongous for a congregation of what I thought was around 50 people. I wonder if they are expecting more worshippers or simply have more rooms for.. activities. Haha, I imagine them all listening to those guys from Agape in high school playing on their acoustic guitars, God's chosen instrument. Cynical me was surprised and amused to find the liquor store sign poking directly adjacent to the building! GOD! LIQUOR! It's like you cropped a Catholic church on a Mac and it automatically reformulated as the two most relevant entities. I have a feeling like "serves them right" but that's probably not justified. I'm a jerk, what can I say.
I'm home now. I feel like I've gotten some minor exercise. I haven't been exercising much since I hurt my foot running the Turkey Trot. That's not excuse for not working out, but I've let myself slide. My foot feels better, so I'll be getting back into that soon I hope. I like being slim. I'm glad I took the time to mentally record my walk. I've had an idea that I want to run or bike or walk up and down every street in the Sunset - officially. I've probably done it, but maybe I've missed one or two. I want to be s-u-r-e I've him them all. Another day. Other days..
pics to follow
