In a Western Place

Berkley, Ca

Located in Jack London Square in Oakland, Heinold’s First and Last Chance Bar is small (but cozy), historic (open since 1883), and thanks to the 1906 earthquake, it’s a bit on the slanted side. Needless to say, staying seated at the bar is a bit of a challenge!

One year ago today, I moved to San Francisco.

(It was the best decision that I have ever made.)

“Dayvan Cowboy” — a band with song that calms me down.

From an email my co-worker sent me:
What’s a pirate’s favorite beer?
Answer: Trumaaaaaaar!
(Perhaps that one required a familiarity with this area? I thought it was pretty funny.)

hot days
cold nights
sandblasted
sunburned
dry-cracked-skin
scratched feet from tripping on rebar
large cut on finger because Swiss army knives are sharp!
hair… shaped like a gigantic dreadlock
B.O.
goggle dents
dust coated teeth, nasal passages
bruised arm from sleeping on top of flashlight

still smiling.

I didn’t realize that I had left a used tea bag in my mug yesterday until I finished my second cup of coffee this morning. I couldn’t wash my hair this morning (or yesterday) because the shower was too cold. There’s mold growing in my closet. It’s been 4 weeks and I’m still coughing up bronchial blech.

Yeah, that about sums it up.

Last Sunday we crossed the Bay by ferry to check out an Antiques Fair on an old Naval base up in Alameda, California. Antiques by the Bay runs on the first Sunday of every month, and it’s huge! We walked around for 3 hours and barely made a dent. We didn’t buy anything, but I did snag some good photos. My advice: go early!

Ahhhhh… summer is finally here! Unfortunately, like many of the buildings in this city, my office doesn’t have air conditioning. Maintenance was kind to supplement us with these huge industrial sized fans, but it sounds as though I’m working from within a single engine aircraft. Yet, I don’t care because I’m warm. Hooray for that!

In other news, work has finally slowed down to the point where I can sneak in some daytime Internet lolly gagging. Not only do I feel as though I have more free time to post, but I might sneak in a comment or two on the several blogs that I’ve shamefully neglected these past 2 months (aside from the usual feed lurking). I feel as if I have a lot of catching up to do on here… like talk about my first full summer in San Francisco (before it was actually “summer”), our trip back East, my take on the Outside Lands festival, and our Burning Man adventure (yes, yes… we went to Burning Man).

Perhaps I’ll get on all of that this weekend because I’m excited to announce that I’m about to experience a Weekend With No Plans®. It’s about time! And with this Weekend With No Plans®, I’ll have time to clean all the Playa dust off my many possessions that accompanied me to the desert and to unpack from our trip back East. I’ll have time to wash my linens along with my necessary clothes and to sit down to pay my bills (instead of standing up). Time to fill out my open enrollment paperwork so Human Resources will stop sending me death threats. Time for the gym, time for a quick mani/pedia… heck, I might even buy food from that grocery store place.

On second thought… that sounds like more plans than a Weekend With No Plans® should accommodate. Forget it, I’m spending my weekend attached to a Chardonnay IV at the Beach Chalet. Maybe I’ll bring my laptop and drunk comment ya on Facebook.