funny it was a cold rain...

SF City Hall turns pink 

Linda and Mary Ann ~ drenched

there were people inside the buildings waving and dancing

...and yet I felt so warm. It's been too long since I experienced this kind of hope
and love for my fellow human beings. Thanks to Linda for the Introvert sign
and for meeting me inside/outside the Library. I was so happy to see her although
I was just enjoying myself standing alone amongst all these colorful, creative
and kind people. Even my trip on the normally horrid #49 Van Ness going
to the march was filled with special gentle vibes and humor. I wanted this to
be a GREAT post, I wanted to express my love and gratitude for all the
people who rallied across the world. To the organizers, the stars, the tired
parents and children and we old folks who have marched before. Another
sign I liked on a grey headed marcher, "I can't believe we're still going
through this shit." Well, it worked against the war in Vietnam and for our
Women's Rights and we will continue to work and protest. I swear we will.
(So nice to wake up this morning and read Facebook, wasn't it?)

888 Brannan Street

Bellota (Spanish for acorn) Restaurant

We tried to pretend that it was a normal day, that this new Monster had not
become President yesterday morning. Husbando had read about Bellota, a
new Spanish restaurant with outstanding paella so we took a Lyft to Brannan
Street and met Ginger who had made the mistake of watching the circus
in D.C. and so we tried to cheer her up with good food and wonderful,
warm service. Yes, we had a GREAT lunch, but it was also interesting to
see that outside the back door of the restaurant is a huge incubator space,
maybe four stories high. When did this happen? It appears that it is owned
by AirBnB, but I'm not sure about this. Anyway, lots and lots of young
people with their computers. Who knew? Check it out...

friends from forever

Sam and Olga are here visiting from Albuquerque. Their timing is perfect.
We did a little sightseeing yesterday and then had a delicious dinner last
night at Sam's Grill on Bush Street. Lots of catch-up and news. The fact
that they LOVE our SF helps a lot and they stay down at Fish Wharf so
they can walk along the Bay a lot and often. And no rain yesterday helped.

spiders in the rain

the #33 Muni carries me to school safely

Umbrellas and raincoats all day. But warm inside Fromm where the morning
lecture was by Lauren Esposito from the California Academy of Sciences.
She loves spiders and scorpions and they are amazing, especially how they
mate and the fact that some of their venom benefits our medical world
including various drugs for assorted diseases.

We spent the afternoon at the Dunkirk Evacuation (defeat) in 1939. Dr. Large
wove the French vs. English problems from then right up to the Brexit
vote last year. Call it distrust on both sides of the channel ~ even today.

Then last night was our writing group ~ Tiapos in the rain, over at the Great
Plotniks with special guest Randy from NYC. He wrote about his new life
there and how he is changing and fitting in. We all miss him so much.

Ms. Puma settles in..

becoming a lap cat

becoming a reefer cat

le lunch @ la note

Off to Berkeley (via BART) yesterday after dog feeding. We are all
ex-museum retail workers celebrating the EX part over a very fine
lunch at La Note on Shattuck. They serve great omelets if you ever
happen to go there, but we used up all the gossip. Sorry...

'tis a puzzle

It's been YEARS since I did a jigsaw puzzle, but this one has tempted me.
1000 pieces. Since the last time I did one of these the pieces have grown
smaller and my back is barking and yes, I am obsessed. I'll show you the
finished product in May or so...

a dab of gravy?

looking suave and civilized, no?

Neti and Frank hosted a lovely dinner party to honor Husbando last
night. You see the Plotniks on the left, Frank and the Blogmaid at the
end and the beret-covered head of my Bill in the foreground. But what is
that brown slash in the middle of the bottom photo? And where is Neti
hiding? Anyway, we all had a GREAT time and we are v. grateful.

my new wardrobe

The Women's March is a week from today. I will not watch the inauguration
next Friday. I read online that there are more buses expected in Washington,
D.C. on Saturday than there are on Friday. But maybe that is fake news?
We go from a President of Class to this jerk who is Trash. Lordy...sorrow.

Valencia Street (Valensha)

I took this photo when my writing partner was Randy who now lives in
NYC ~ he used to have an office at 23rd and Valencia. I walk here often
and yes, it makes me very happy. The mis-spelling reminds me of
Tanya who pointed out that the recorded Muni bus announcements
say "Valensha" and now, of course, that is how Husbando and I refer
to this ever-changing street. But what I love about the above picture
is the unexpected Victorian reflection on the bookstore window. Oh, SF,
you are a constant source of surprise and pleasure.

school daze

My school bus ~ the #33 Muni

My school room ~ there are 3 or 4 big classrooms here

Yesterday was my first day of Fromm Institute up at USF on Fulton. I had
a GREAT day beginning with Science in the morning (Cosmic Puzzles ~
pulsars, black holes, quasars, telescopes, etc.) and then WW II in the
afternoon. We learned about the horrid massacre at Katyn in Poland (1940)
and how this reverberates today in world politics. It was indeed a full
day of learning and Ginger was there as an old-time student to guide
me around and they offer FREE coffee, imagine. This is what I need!

somehow I knew...

I just had a feeling that during this time of turmoil that the SPCA would
raise more money than usual because people were extra generous during
my brief two hour stint in December. Here, from yesterday's email:

Our 30th Annual Holiday Windows was one of our best yet! In just six short 
weeks, we were able to find loving homes for 257 animals and raise $97,485 
to support our year-round programs!

A big thanks to the hundreds of volunteers, adopters, and donors who made 
it a success—we couldn’t have done it without you! We also want to thank 
Macy’s for being such a generous partner, as well as our sponsors: Purina 
ONE®, Tidy Cats®, Obe Bowls, and Zoetis.

(yes, I was tempted to delete an exclamation point or two, but who of
us is perfect?)

The Resistance begins

Last night I had a text from our Santa Barbara Ginger who asked if I
would be marching on Saturday, January 21st. Silly question. The rally
begins here at 3pm and of course I will be early and my friend Linda
will be meeting me and it will feel good to do something positive.
Ginger said that there are nine completely full buses going from SB
to the March in L.A. ~ in the meantime we read and listen to this
next President and try not to scream in public. Yet.

like a rolling stone

Grand dot Ceci was working for Morimoto in Napa, as you might remember.
Then she quit and went home to Elgin, Illinois for the holidays. She
texted us this photo yesterday while we were avoiding the great rain
storm here in SF. She is now working for Morimoto in Maui and we
see here that Chef Ceci is going to be happy for a little while, but she
gets restless and that's just who she is. Aloha!

take us to Spain

OK, make a note of this series on the Flix®. Merli is a professor of
philosophy in a high school and his mother is an actress, his son
is one of his students. We have watched four episodes and at first
Husbando found it a bit slow-moving, but now he too is hooked.
It reminds me a bit of "Dead Poet's Society" in a Catalan setting.
We think it is filmed in Barcelona, but we aren't sure yet. Merli
is a difficult yet caring man ~ try this for yourself.

and my next book is...

I just opened this on my LindaKindle2 yesterday and of course it
is already wonderful. I don't know how I missed The Burgess
Boys when it first appeared, but I did. The good news is that I
have it here for this rainy weekend by our warm fake fireplace.

cultivating resistance

Yesterday I walked up to Clarion Alley (next to Community Thrift on
Valencia) to see this new mural. You probably can't read the Brandeis
quote at the top: You can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a
few or a democracy, but you cannot have both.  I need to not only pay
attention to the evil forces, I need a plan of action. Do NOT let me
become complacent, dear readers.

here we go again

I'm cleaning and organizing my office ~ so much for the paperless society.
I am moving slowly and reluctantly, determined to actually toss stacks
of papers that I don't need. I also need to donate a bunch of books that
I will never read again and I like to picture someone picking up one of
my old books, plunking down 10¢ or a quarter and loving the book as
much as I once did in my life. But this is a slow process and not one
that I like very much. Ick.

belated b.day with mussels

Barb photographs the kitchen

can you smell the garlic? have some homemade bread..

Ah, more glorious mussels and this time at the Red Hill Station on Cortland.
Doug and Barb treated us for my birthday experience and man, what a
lovely lunch we had. I should have included the salad and dessert with
coffee here also, but I was too busy eating and enjoying everything. It
was good to do holiday catch-up with our friends and yes, we are MORE
than grateful. Sitting there at "our table" looking out at the rain just
reminded me of so many happy times in the past that I smiled away
all the the remaining afternoon. How fortunate we are.

our first poem of the year

I Woke Up

and it was political.
I made coffee and the coffee was political.
I took a shower and the water was.
I walked down the street in short shorts and a Bob Mizer tank top
and they were political, the walking and the shorts and the beefcake
silkscreen of the man posing in a G-string. I forgot my sunglasses
and later, on the train, that was political,
when I studied every handsome man in the car.
Who I thought was handsome was political.
I went to work at the university and everything was
very obviously political, the department and the institution.
All the cigarettes I smoked between classes were political,
where I threw them when I was through.
I was blond and it was political.
So was the difference between "blond" and "blonde."
I had long hair and it was political. I shaved my head and it was.
That I didn't know how to grieve when another person was killed in America
was political, and it was political when America killed another person,
who they were and what color and gender and who I am in relation.
I couldn't think about it for too long without feeling a helplessness
like childhood. I was a child and it was political, being a boy
who was bad at it. I couldn't catch and so the ball became political.
My mother read to me almost every night
and the conditions that enabled her to do so were political.
That my father's money was new was political, that it was proving something.
Someone called me faggot and it was political.
I called myself a faggot and it was political.
How difficult my life felt relative to how difficult it was
was political. I thought I could become a writer
and it was political that I could imagine it.
I thought I was not a political poet and still
my imagination was political.
It had been, this whole time I was asleep.

JAMESON FITZPATRICK

Poetry 
January 2017

a book to begin the year

I'm lost here, in a good way. The Lock Artist is a mystery within a
puzzle and it is very well written. The main character can open any
lock (door or safe) and the fact that he can't speak one word just
makes it all so much more interesting.

a toast to 2017

It's taken me a l-o-n-g time to finally discover a good non-alcoholic
champagne, but this FRE is the best and we enjoyed it for the first
time last night, before and during our traditional standing rib roast
dinner. I miss the clink and twinkle of crystal glasses, so it was
good to appreciate all of the sparkle again. Then we watched
Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin usher in the New Year in
NYC. We stayed up until midnight there ~ good for us!

everyone has a secret

Last night we finished Episode 10 of The Break on The Flix®. It is a
compelling story with almost everyone either suspected of or guilty
of a murder or two. The police inspector (above) moves back to his
small hometown in Belgium and is immediately entangled in a few
suspenseful mysteries. I guess some folks binge-watched, but two a
night is more than enough thrills for us.  Happy New Year and
begone 2016. Now how about impeachment proceedings in 2017?

inspiration needed?

Well, get thee to the movies. Back in the 60's there were three genius
African American women working at NASA. Hidden Figures tells
this true story of their daily struggles in this all white male world and
how yes, they helped get John Glenn into space. The lead role is
played by Taraji P. Henson whom I knew and loved in Person of
Interest on TV (she was Joss the cop) and then we have Kevin
Costner as the Bossman. I thought I'd be alone in the theater but
there were quite a few of us and nice applause at the end of the movie.

this quiet week with red

The Great Plotniks gave us our first Amaryllis and isn't it something?
This is a good week here in SF because all the people and traffic
seem to be downtown, the rest of the city is quiet and parking is
(get this) plentiful. I don't feel the usual pressure to GET THINGS
DONE around the house or anyplace else. I have set up a couple of
useful files on my desktop for 2017 and I have been writing everyday.
Of course I still am wondering why so many talented people died
this year and so many were way too young. Enough...

we love Lulu

We've been going to Lulu's on Folsom Street since they opened in 1994.
But today they suffer as massive street construction (Bart? There?) is
happening right in front of the restaurant. But the mussels and pizza
and steak were just as delicious as ever and we sat very near the wood
burning ovens and had a lovely celebration lunch.

It was our 47th Wedding Anniversary! No, it does not seem possible.
Yes, I was a child bride. I recently found this quote about coupledom
and it applies to us, I think:

One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder 

where you are when you don't come home at night. -

Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) 

animal update!

Puma at party

New dog Noochi

Ms. Puma is settling in with Rev. Richard although she did have a bit of
a territorial dispute with a dog guest at the party. Puma won and I have
a feeling that she will always get her way. I snapped this photo of her
resting exactly where the previous cat (Desi) used to perch.

Our writing friend Will and his wife Valerie had to put down their old
dog last year. A Russel Terrier named Russel. Valerie went to Muttville
and found this sweet 12 year old and they named her Noochie because
of some fudge on the East Coast that is the same color as she is. I do
think that she is adorable and we know she found a great forever home.

one fine Christmas Day

our hosts

the Lego garage around the corner

We had a wonderful time down in Half Moon Bay with the Blogmaid and
her family. Excellent food (and lots of it) and then a quick walk to the
house around the corner with a gazillion Lego creations in the garage.
I've shown just a small portion here. It was all so pleasantly fun, warm
and relaxing ~ our gratitude runs deep today.

a full day before

our glorious ocean

tempura and noodles

Rev. Richard and Jane

'Twas the Saturday before Christmas and there was NO traffic in the city,
so we took advantage of this and went down to Ocean Beach where it
was cold, clear and invigorating. Lots of people with kites and kids
and fun to be out by the sea again. Too much delicious food at Mifune
in Japantown (where I thought of Linda and Anna and our dinner there)
and then last night I took Bart to a gathering at Carlini's where we
had a little spiritual celebration and some food. Good to see McEvoy
again (my other Ashland friend) down from Idaho for the holidays.
Merry Christmas dear readers, dear friends far and near. Always near...

the best season ever?

Maybe because we've been cleaning up the ocean and the bay. Maybe
because the past two seasons have not produced quality or quantity of
crab, but wow, this year the crab is not only relatively cheap, it is
sweet and meaty and succulent. Yes, sprinkle liberally with lemon
and dip those babies in a half pound of butter or so. Of course SF's
sour dough bread is a must.

so binge-worthy

Here we are again, ignoring the happy holiday season and all those sugary
TV specials in favor of OA. The Flix® has hooked us again and we are
on episode 5 of 8 and already we do not want it to end. Part mystery,
sci fi, action, romance, spiritual, etc. Go ahead, you can do xmas next year.

so then, so now

I met Ginger at the Oakland Museum yesterday to see the extensive
exhibit of Black Panther art, writing, history and memorabilia. We
had such hope back then in the 70's when we were young. The
Panthers consisted of many women, I didn't realize that. We think of
the young black men with rifles, but this exhibit pointed out the
free medical clinics, school lunch programs, legal counsel and all
the education that was accomplished during this time. Very well
done, well attended and inspiring.

a fancy burger place

We met John and Mary here for a fine holiday lunch ~ a once a
year tradition by now. They are going to the Women's March in
DC on Jan. 21st, so of course there was a lot of political bashing
and gnashing yesterday, even though we kept trying to talk about
other things. We all lived through the Nixon era and thought it
could not get any worse, but it can and will and we need to prepare.
Ah, old friends, such a blessing.

thanks, Ms. Lurie

Our American heroine is currently living in London, so right from
the beginning Foreign Affairs is interesting and I love her observations
about The Brits and the good/bad little details of living in the heart
of such a colorful city. This novel is a fine escape from holiday-mania
and all things red and green, whether finished or left undone.

topping off

balls in lobby at 343 Sansome

Marsha on rooftop at 343

OK, here is the scoop on the floating balls: L'Octagon by Belgian artist Pol Bury. 

Each of the silver balls moves on the bed of water which flows beneath them.

the first two top stops

#1 Montgomery

343 Sansome 

#1 Montgomery ~ this public space is in the Willis Polk 1908 Crocker
Bank building. It is a bit rundown, but the views are still impressive.
A great way to see the Palace Hotel across Market Street. (The top photo
impressed me because of the reflections in the windows.)

343 Sansome ~ easy elevator ride to the 15th Floor rooftop garden.
First stop in the lobby to see the silver balls (later this week) and
then go to admire the unusual views and the tables along the edge
of this space. I could picture all the workers enjoying their lunch
breaks here beneath the olive trees on a warmer day. (Note a slice
of the Bay and Treasure Island amidst all the tall buildings.)