1-25

After the hell that was 2008, I swore 2009 would be better. And so far, I have no complaints.

The weekend before the big inauguration, I flew to Tennessee to spend the weekend with my Bitches. We met years and years ago through a message board on a website (and NO it wasn't match.com), ventured out on our own when said message board became ridiculous, and we've been lowering our productivity at work ever since. This was the first official get together, and we had a blast. Hanging out in person is so much better than a message board!

The bike is dead. It will be disassembled shortly and stored for....well, I really don't know yet. Maybe one of these days i'll restore the damn thing, or maybe i'll get tired of looking at the big box it will be in and sell the parts. I'm just not ready to let go yet. We had a good run.

Last Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of my mom being diagnosed with cancer. Most people remember birthdays, death days, anniversaries- and I remember sitting in a hospital while mom had surgery to remove the tumor, waiting for the doctor to tell me she'd be fine. Of course she didn't, and the rest is history, but that day is burned into my mind in a way I never thought it would be. I can't remember the day she died, but I remember this. I remember because it changed my life. That day was the first day of the hideous roller coaster ride that would become synonymous with the year 2008. That day was complete, utter shit.

I found our unfinished passport applications on the bookshelf today, squeezed between two old textbooks and forgotten. It was February of last year when I picked those up- determined that I was going to find a way to take mom back to Italy before she died. Looking back, I realize how naive that was- thinking that I had any control, any say in the matter- that she was clearly getting worse and would not get any better, let alone well enough to travel overseas. It still makes me sad that I never got to take her back there, but I find it a happy coincidence that her previous five years had taken her to Europe twice.

I'll be 28 tomorrow, and I wish like hell she were here to see that. Not that there is anything remarkable about 28, or any age for that matter, but just because the void is incredible.

Requiem for my two wheeled friend

I have this bike- a 1956 Schwinn Corvette- I love this bike. I've been trying to restore it for a couple of years now- nothing like a show piece, just so it looks like a Corvette again. The bike has many period-incorrect parts on it, so i've been trying to find the right parts to put it all together again.

In the meantime, I ride it just about every day- or, I did until last weekend when the derailleur (the cog assembly on the back wheel) fell off. Can't get it back on, because it wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.

In order to fix the bike, I have to replace the wheels and the hub (to get rid of the derailleur). Trouble is, the wheels for this bike are about $60 each, I'd have to find the spokes and the hub, all of which are no longer made and an odd size (24" vs 26'), so they're hard to find. Add to that, taking it to the shop to get the work done, and i'm looking at almost $300!

I am really sad about having to decide what to do here. I love that bike, and I'd love to restore it, but I also want it to be functional and not just a giant money pit. So far, it's been both functional and a money pit, but now that the functionality has disappeared, I don't know what to do.

12-22

I love my neighborhood, but I do bitch about it quite a bit. It's mostly a select few who give the whole 'hood a bad rep, but the bitching still ensues. So in the spirit of the season, you know- all of that "be nice and forgive people" stuff- I thought I would share a positive story about my neighborhood.

At the end of the street, an elderly woman, V, lived alone. She had lived there for many years- first with her husband, and then by herself after he passed. She never asked for, nor would she accept, anyone's help after her husband died. Despite her obvious limitations as a frail 80-something year old woman, she did her own yard work, took out the trash, and everything else that comes with maintaining a house. She wasn't completely alone, however; she had adopted a large dog soon after she became a widow. The dog was her best friend, her protector, and her constant companion.

V passed away last weekend. She had no family, so the police took her trusty companion to the pound. V's neighbor, having come home Sunday night from a weekend away, sprung into action. She located the dog and went down to the pound to rescue her, intending on fostering the dog until she could be given a permanent home. Unfortunately, the pound would not release the dog to her, as a rescue group had already placed a hold on her.

This is clearly not one of those fuzzy feel good stories that Hollywood makes movies out of, but the fact that V's neighbor cared enough to spare the dog its demise at the pound- even though she already has three dogs of her own- reminds me why I love this neighborhood so much. Every neighborhood has a collection of token assholes, but they don't all have the generous, kind-hearted people to balance it out. We do, and that makes me happy.

Mad rush drive by

Ahhh! I am way behind on posting, but i've been busy. I'll be back soon, but in the meantime, here are some more lovely pics from the SF trip....

Day three

Well, I thought I would be taking many pictures today. As it turned out, my camera had other ideas. It thought dying would be the best option for a Friday. So no pics. Damn.

I have found my one complaint about this sexy little Nikon...it doesn't tell you the status of the battery until it's about to die. Eh.

Today we went down to Pier 39 and braved the gaggle of tourists (as if we weren't two of them) for some crab and beer. Mmmm....crab. And fresh clam chowder. Good stuff.

After lunch, we visited the Musee de Mecanique, which- if you've never seen it, is a pretty neat little collection of kitschy old coin operated machines. One of the machines was the "Mystic Pen" that supposedly gives you a personality reading. Both mine and Tim's readings were eerily accurate.

Mine says: One of the promintent features in your make up is self-reliance and confidence in your ability to accomplish what you undertake; your courage is strong; you do not hesitate to lead.

Tim's says: You are inclined to be melancholy and brooding, cultured, refined and a natural student, creative mind and magnetic personality.

Yep. That about sums it up.

After Pier 39, we went to the Buena Vista for a few Irish Coffees. No one else makes them like the Buena Vista, and the three I had dulled the pain in my feet for awhile. (yes, I am a wuss. Shut up.) So good. But so small, and so expensive.

This evening saw a journey over to little Italy for world famous chocolate truffles, perusing through a basement stuffed to the gills with crates of records, and a very tasty dinner at a 100+ year old restaurant with fantastic gnocchi.

I love this city. On our way back to the hotel, we witnessed the anti-Prop 8 protest. Only here would you see that. No one gives a shit about gay marriage in Phoenix- at least, not enough to organize something. It's nice to see motivated people who do something other than bitch.

Bits from SF

I haven't taken many pictures in the two days we've been here, but I plan on fixing that today. Promise.

At the UN Plaza, there is a farmer's market every Wednesday and Sunday. I am a huge fan of our own downtown market, but this one is so awesome. It is about 3X the size, and the produce is so great. It is all super fresh and super cheap.

This is an art installation on 6th Street south of Market. If you look closely, you can see that there is furniture hanging out of the windows, off the side of the building, and some crazy paint. Click to get a better view.

These next two are really for my sister's benefit.

Here we have a whole bin of Homies! Homies!! Just think of the collection you could have, Amanda! ;)

And...and...Cupcake Converse!!

11-3

Ah, the eve of the big election. I cannot tell you how happy I am that the day is finally here. Yes, it will suck if "my guy" doesn't win, but more than that, i'm just glad that the BS associated with political campaigns will be over. People turn into such assholes during election cycles, it's amazing. After tomorrow, everyone goes back to being just regular people. Well, I guess the ones who scrape the stickers off their cars and take the yard signs down do- but the point is, the question of who to vote for will no longer be a bone of contention or debate.

What will the media talk about once this is over? Will they go back to front page coverage of Britney Spears' latest crotch shot? I hope not.

Another great thing about today is that I registered for my last classes- ever. They don't start until January and end in April, but I cannot tell you how tickled I am to know that this is the last time I will ever have to debate which class to take, wonder how long before I get burnt out and stop caring, or grumble about assignments I don't like. It feels like i've been working on this degree forever (even though it's only been two years) and it will be so satisfying to have it done and over.

Today must be a really kick ass day because I have yet another great thing. In two days, we will be off to the great city of San Francisco for a week of fun, chilly weather, a TV on the Radio concert, and my dear friend Jen's wedding.

For the grand finale, I leave you with this sign I spotted outside the fair grounds. It took an episode of the Colbert Report to give it meaning for me, but if you follow the election news at all i'm sure it will make sense to you:



Behave while we're gone, and don't give the babysitter any trouble.