Settle that shit

Last night I learned how to play a new game, a board game called The Settlers of Catan. Apparently this is a German game but I am not EVEN givin' a fuck about that - it was fun. So the game involves receiving, trading, and building and there are sheep, wood, rock, clay (for bricks) to trade and receive and build with.

I liked it. I liked trading sheep.

OH shit, I forgot, there is also wheat to trade, receive and build with. Wheat is pretty cool.

Spring into fall

Sunday night and Monday of this Labor day weekend, I went to a secluded spot in Colusa county called Wilbur Hot Springs. It's a geothermal deal that naturally puts forth waters containing many helpful, soothing minerals at a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit and then cooled with spring water to 100, 105, and 110 degrees.

I've only done this hot springs thing once before at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. That place is like a spiritual retreat or something with all these classes about how to realize all your things you know spiritually and shit. They don't even let people who aren't staying there use the hot springs except for 20 people from 1am to 3am on weekends. So we went and it was amazingly awesome. The hot springs make you feel good. And at Esalen the pools where the springs are are set into a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a cold night in December and so many stars were visible. It was sort of stupefying in its splendor.

Wilbur Hot springs in September was hot and sunny and down a long gravel road from the highway. Set between some high hills, there was no cell phone service at all. No tv, no phone, no radio. The place is running partially on solar panels, so they don't want you to plug anything in. It seemed really old west/new age to me - if that's a way that things can seem, and, in this case, it seems to be. Beautiful surroundings, beautiful buildings and baths. Sure, not perched above the ocean, but still really really nice and set along a river. The contrast from cold to hot was achieved by diving into a regular swimming pool from the baths. My only complaints were the excessive action of flies all around, especially by the pool, and the fact that no matter how fat a room you reserve, none of them have private bathrooms. I realize that this results from the age of the place: it was established in 1865. But still. Communal bathrooms or "commodiums" as they were called do not appeal to me.

So one thing with these hot springs is that most people soak in them without any clothes on. Without even a bathing suit on. It feels a little weird at first to be naked among strangers who are also naked, but then, after a while, it just seems like anything else. You try to be polite and not look, then you look, then you grow tired of looking, then you close your eyes and just relax in the sulphurous wonder of this relaxing soak that makes you feel like you are floating in space. If space were a lot hotter. and had more gravity.

Rescheduling...or randomization

I was unable to keep my appointment with a sandwich last Friday. I was compelled to come into the office to demonstrate what it is that I do for the President of the company. There had been another time earlier in the week scheduled for me to do this, but that shit was rescheduled and, so, my sandwich also had to be rescheduled.

Yesterday I had a ham and cheese from this place in Palo Alto called Simply Sandwiches. Today I am leaning away from the sandwich and toward a salad. It is that kind of day.

I was late to work and then annoyed by the flaunting that some people do. People, I am haunted by your flaunting. I flout you.

Yesterday in my department meeting I compared one part of my work process with splitting the atom. No one laughed. Which is fine because I'm not sure that I meant it as a joke.

Yesterday evening I watched 3 movies in a row - the title roll reads as nothing to be proud of, yet, here I declaim: 1. Blame it on Rio - a sex romp from the early 80s starring Michael Caine as a man who has an affair with his best friend's 18-year-old daughter while they are all on vacation together. Demi Moore plays Caine's daughter. Hijinks ensue. They play the title theme "Blame it On Rio" like 8 times. I don't Blame Rio; I blame the people who made this movie. 2. Prelude to a Kiss - I can't believe I watched this. I've seen it before. I can't believe I just admitted that. Alec Baldwin is good in it. Seeing him so young made me want to watch Beetlejuice. 3. Continental Divide - This movie rules. John Belushi and Blair Brown. so rad. so many eagles and cigarettes. The city of Chicago plays a great supporting role. love it. If I could get the 5 1/2 hours back I spent watching these, I'd take it.

I'm so glad to be going to the Redwoods on Friday. I'm gonna hug a tree. then I will lean against one and eat a sandwich.

Sandwich Appointments

This Friday, I will venture to the M&L Market, coincidentally located at Church & Market streets, for a sandwich. I guess the coincidence is only ostensibly in the word "Market" being contained in the establishment's name, yet the other part of this coincidence is that my "Church" is a sandwich. The fame of the place is soaked all over the internet. The place is venerable and appears to have anecdotal character. It is time for me to sample their sandwiches.

This past Sunday, I went again to Ike's Place and this time had a sandwich called the Menage a Trois. It contained 3 cheeses, bbq chicken, actual honey and six hallelujahs. It took about 45 minutes to be ready and the place was a total mob scene. While I was eating the sandwich, my hand began to stick to my root beer bottle from the honey. I glanced around at the groups of people waiting for their sandwiches and got a real school yard feel from it. It was a hot day. A group of girls in "stunner shades" had unfurled a rug around the corner in front of the glass blowing store and were picnicking on the sandwiches from Ike's.

I liked it. It was like the summer of love. I mean, what I mean to say is, it was like the sandwich of love.

I will note the results of the M&L Market sandwich sampling after it happens. I can't wait.

Birthday Sex

All the way down 17th St. from Church to Harrison this morning there was a black sedan with all of its windows open riding along side me on my bike in traffic. The stereo was cranked and the chorus of the song that played was simply the words "Birthday Sex" being sung in a smoove and sexxy voice. I heard other words being sung in between the frequent explosions into the chorus, but have no idea what they were. It is something that I will enjoy pondering and perhaps, one day, finding out.

4th of fucking july

Had friday the 3rd off so took a walk up to Russian Hill and ate at West Coast east deli. Then went to that spot that I like on the steps overlooking the condemned Russian Hill Resevoir.
We sat there a while. I was looking at the sail boats and there was also an enormous cruise ship docked along the way. We resumed walking and came down through Ghirardelli Square. Saw one of those dudes adorned in a sparkly silver suit having his picture taken with those in line for an ice cream sundae. For "tips" of course.

Walked around through Russian Hill to North Beach and stopped for a drink at Kennedy's. Played a few air hockey games. I won. Sat outside near some French punks - one of them with multi-pierced face, the other with stand-up Mohawk. Half-listened to some girl at the other end of the patio talk about how she once paid five dollars for a cigarette...went to a Barnes & Noble and thumbed through Michael Jackson's life in pictures.

Took some pictures of Tim. Had fun with him.

All in all the 3rd of July and the 5th of July were the fun times of this 4th of July Weekend. on the 5th we went to the Marin County fair. That was actually really an adventure. and fun. and there were pig races and sheep shearing and I ate a corndog and went on the tilt-a-whirl and ate a gyro and went on the ferris wheel. I also stared for a long time at a llama.

What's the next holiday? Labor day? holy sheeeze...

on the DL

My old buddy D.L. was in town for a few days to do his opera thing: Lieder Alive

We went to a party on Friday night and it was really fun. I wanted to hang out more but he was busy doing opera fund raising types of things. I found out he missed his flight home on Sunday morning and so hopped on my bike and rode it (and walked it partways) to the Marina where he was staying. This in itself was an adventure. The weather was amazing and I saw parts and aspects of San Francisco that maybe I never have before...sure the Marina area is full of frat and sorority throw-backs, but that doesn't change how lovely it is.

We took a walk and smoked a joint. We went around the SF Yacht club parking lot to the wave organ

I guess it was low tide though because we couldn't hear much through the pipes. Still I liked the walk and I think D. thought it was pretty cool. It's a nice spot. I went there last year and then afterwards we all got sandwiches and ate them near this putting green and an old dude harassed us and started saying how he missed his daughter and we felt bad for him sort of but still wanted him to just leave.

Afterwards we went to some bars and started acting like we were back to 18 and 19 saying things like, "dude I am really fucked up."

Later, I rode my bike on the sidewalk of Van Ness Ave. for most of the way home. When I passed the Matterhorn I longed once again for the day that I may eat the fondue that they offer.

When I got home I watched an episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey and went to sleep.

It's awesome that D.L. and I are still friends after all of these years. He even pointed out how we're probably family by now. And I think that we probably are.