I walked up 15th to Mission in the rain. It wasn't coming down hard yet, but it was coming down. I got myself under the bus shelter with the smokers from the welfare to work training shop on the corner, sucked up some of their smoke, coughed a little, shook off my umbrella, and started waiting.
It took about 30 seconds for the rain to break loose and the gutters to turn from streams into rivers. 30 seconds more and the rain was hail. Little rock candy turds of ice bouncing off of our feet. One of the smokers stepped into the onslaught, looked around with his eyebrows up, and then moved back. I checked up the street and didn’t see one pedestrian on the sidewalk in either direction.
It’s winter in SF. So that’s what we get. I plan to spend my time wearing my new Xmas cashmere sweater and watching my new Tivo on my new holiday TV. Someone suggested I learn to snowboard again. Maybe I will, it’s a good winter thing (as long as there’s some kinda hot tub, I’m thinkin’). And people keep talking about this powder stuff, whatever that is.
Yesterday I added a post about the tsunami, but it isn't here. Like several places I spent a good deal of my Thailand time in, it has vanished. It's a pretty unsettling disaster event (the southasian tsunami, not the vanishing post).
I've always been fascinated by tsunamis and volcanoes. Ever since that day in 1st grade when I watched the filmstrip on magma, advancing the frame once each time the beep sounded.
It’s that time of year, so the other night I got out the guitar and the songbooks and sang some carols to the cats. They really got into O Come, O Come Emanuel and seemed to enjoy Angels We Have Heard on High, but didn’t like my version of O Holy Night at all.
Yesterday on the way back from lunch, I stepped right on Joy to the World. Someone dropped their handwritten sheet music on the sidewalk. I sang it with the sole of my shoe.
Subject: Taller people make more money bitch
I'm sure you all think I'm very exciting lately. Look at me being all exciting!
Not really.
Best spam line of the day: Subject: bitch, learn a new language in 10 days.
I’m getting everyone a fake Rolex for Xmas.
I kept meaning to write something about the moon on Monday. How from the J-Church it looked like a dome on the horizon. Transparent amber illuminated from within, but too large for any of the buildings in the skyline.
But I put it off. It was cold that night, and has been since. It’s going to be a cold winter, I just hope it’s short.
I’ve been going to the gym every workday at lunch for 2 weeks now. I’m tired physically and can already feel a little difference. I think I’ll go everyday for the next couple weeks unless my knee gives out, then switch to 3x a week. It’s been a while since I had any muscle. Time for a change. Might as well fill up my day with something that’s good for me. Might as well make myself tired enough to sleep through the night without waking up to find myself alone surrounded by cats. And it keeps me warm for the 2 hours after I leave the gym.