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Last night was great. I stopped by Safeway on my way home from work and picked up yams. Carried `em home and then sliced and fried up the bulk of the abalone mushrooms from the farmers market with butter and a little lime juice. (I think I'll fix the rest for lunch) Then I got bundled up and headed for the beach for Ggreg's bonfire. I drove down to Daly City to the Krispy Kreame to grab some donuts for the guys and just as I was gettin' ready to order, checked for my wallet. �D'oh! Back to the house, back to Krispy Kreme, got gas on the way, and off the the beach. Traffic was backed up so far as the eye could see on CA1, so I diverted to Sunset and went through Golden Gate park to the beach. Bonfire was roarin' by the time I got there. It was the best weather I've ever see at an Ocean Bonfire. Air was just a little breezy and not the strong steady chilly off-the-ocean wind we usually get. I made a round with the donuts--they were a big hit with the boys, and ran into my Ford Street neighbors Kelly, Bruce and George. I stripped off my jacket and was comfortable in my t-shirt -- great weather. I had a great time. Seems the beer of choice this outing was MGD. Three groups brought it, and some folks had some nice spicy but smooth tequila. Mmmmm... After much chatting, cavorting and pissing in the sand with Kelly, I wandered home a happy camper.I'm off to make a light lunch and start of the dinner rolls. Happy Thanksgiving.
I've not been able to find yam patties at any of the grocery stores around here. None at all--and I've looked. I've finally buckled in, and have accepted that I'll have to start with plain yams. I went to the Farmers Market in United Nations plaza, and didn't find a one. Plenty of good lookin' potatoes, tubers and roots, but no yams. I picked up some fresh abalone muchrooms that'll I'll have for dinner, but will still need to go find yams at the grocery tonight. Hopefully it won't be TOO much of a madhouse.I told Grant & James I'd make candied yams for dinner tomorrow. Grant insistes on havin' `em for Thanksgiving every year, makes a whole dish full, then only eats a small serving. No one else touches them. James thinks it's a waste. Grant makes the goopy marshmellow kind, my "candy" is more of a carmel, and I'll top it with pecans. We'll see if that does any better at the table. If not, I'll at lesat be makin' a smaller dish, so less will go to waste.
I'm sitting in our Oakland office waiting for my boss and co-hort to finish up a meeting. Had I known it would be this long, I would have just told `em I'd meet `em back in San Francisco. It's a beautiful sunny day here--which it may not be in SF. We have whats called "micro-climates" around here. Unlike the midwestern flatlands where I grew up, where pretty much everybody nearby gets the same weather, here folks less than a mile apart can be 10� different and one sunny and the other completly fogged in. Makes it tricky to dress sometimes even for the locals, and visitors can be easily spotted with their newly purchased cheap ChinaTown "San Francisco" sweatshirts.
Not a very eventful day today. Getting the lung grunge thats goin' aroung at work. Work took alot out of me today. Goin' in early tomorrow. Grrr.Got some parts in today. Enough that I can start construction on my train station design over the holiday. I'm not exactly in love with some of the parts, but I figure they're enough to hold space in the structure so I can try building it and work out the bugs while getting just the right parts.
I'm meeting Leigh for dinner shortly. Hopefully I have sense enough to go right to bed afterwards.
When I was out lookin' for Thanksgiving groceries this mornin', I had a had enough time commuting around that I didn't figure I'd want to go out ridin' this afternoon. I'm SO glad I did.
I decided to make the usual trip down through Half Moon Bay, and maybe add a bit extra on and stop at a vista point on my way. Last time I was down south for work on I280, I saw that it wasn't much past my usual turnoff, and I'm tryin' to add more drive time and more miles to my runs to "train" for my roadtrip in March.
I was happy to see it added about 15 miles to the trip and stopped at vista point and drank from my water bottle and watched the crowd for awhile. Much different clientel on a Sunday afternoon. I hopped back on the bike and started on 35 West toward Half Moon Bay. All the sharp turns and climbs that I like. Lots of bikers out today. Seemed like fewer Daddies and more sport bikes. One thing I noticed on this trip was that folks on cruisers are more likely to wave. I pasted the turn South that I've been meaning to take some time, and continued on the normal route. When I got down to Half Moon Bay I only had 45 miles. Tom, the guy I bought the bike from, said it would do about 60 before the tank runs dry. (Motorcycles don't have gas gauges) I figured I'd go South on US 1 for a bit and run down the gas before refillin. The sign said next town was 10 miles down, so off I went. I saw some beautiful land--especially now that its winter and all green. At about 10 miles, I passed a major turn off goin' back East but with no signs of life and did a climb right after. At the top I saw that on the other side there was no signs of civilization so far as I could see, and decided to turn around and go back to that big road, 84. I'm at about 52 miles now and figured this town I'm lookin' for must be that way. It was. It had two restraunts a quickie store and a phone. I'm at 58 miles now I didn't think I'd be able to make it back to Half Moon Bay, so kept goin' East on 84, knowin' that any number of 8something roads intersect with I280. Next town was so small I almost missed it. Road was grea--all curvy and beatiful schenery. I wasn't enjoyin' it like I should. 
Creepin' right up on 60 miles. Maybe a couple miles more. Maybe a gas station. 65 must be runin' on fumes, get as close to I280 as I can before goin' dry and callin' buddies to help. 68 miles-I remember reading in the Clymer maintenence manual that it takes 2 something gallons and I only ever put 1.something in--I wonder if Tom every ran this thing dry, or he was just guessin'. 70 miles. I'm in the middle of fucking nowhere. �Does this road even intersect with I280? 72 miles. I am really fucked. Then, around a corner and down a hill it opened up like and oasis. Not just a gas station. Bikes. Shitloads of `em. More than I could count. A restrant, a gas station quicky and lots of bikes. �Wow! �Where is this place? I pulled into the gas station. 72.4 miles. Yeah Tom, 60. I saw the restrant's name: Alice's. It rang a bell, and I snatched the motorcycle route map outta my backpack that I inhereted from Tom with the bike. Sure as the sun it was there and marked. I'd heard about it and ment to go lookin' for it, but it was oh so very much sweeter that I discovered it on my own. Sweeter still that I found it when I really needed it, or leastwise thought I needed it. Crossroads of 84 and 35. Yup 35. Turns out 35 doesn't go to half moon bay, but makes a Left turn south down that road I'd been meanin' to take.I didn't stop in for a meal, just headed back to the city as the marine layer rolled in with the cold and mist. Richard, #1 on my dreamiest man alive list, and I were plannin' on getting together for dinner. It was a cold cold ride home, and I was shiverin' and chatterin' when I walked in my front door. A long hot shower and a good meal with Richard and co has put the heat back in me, and I'm a happy camper. I can't wait for my next day off and a trip down to Alice's for lunch.
First thing this morning I crossed the bay and picked up my new couch from IKEA. It was a much easier haul than I thought it would be across the bridge. When I got home, Grant & James helped me haul it into the living room, then we all went out to breakfast at the Cove. They have tomato soup today, but I opted for ham & eggs. Mmmm...protein. I moved stuff around a bit and wrestler John popped by for awhile then we went to StarBears for some coffee. Afterwards I came home and finished situatin' the livin' room, then played and hour or so of Mark of Kri. Graphics and storyline are great so far, and its a fight fight fight game. The game play so far has been very linear. Just not my thing. Afterwards, some grilled tuna sandwiched and this old house, followed by a trip to the corner photo shop to get some prints of Rudy & Kelly dancing at X-Men. On the way home a few friends were standing outside the neighborhood pub and attempted to whip their dicks out in unison for the camera. We all had very bad timing. I thought about posting one of those pics, but it seemed a little racy for something Mom might read. ;) 
It bowled me over when RoadiePig mentioned me in his journal. I was thinkin' that other DiaryLand folks could tell when I was readin' `em, but RoadiePig has corrected me. Good thing they can't otherwise SquirrelX would probably get worried by how often I pop by. Sometimes I need to reread her stuff two or three times `cause its just too much for me to get my mind bent around in one go. The IBR Planning Meeting last night wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe it was the hard cider Bruce poured for me. Next time I should get two--one for each hour, or one for each hand--whichever comes first. Afterwards I hung around for awhile. Lone Star was hoppin' for a Thursday night. Lots of friends there. To bad it was a school night or I coulda had some serious fun.
Pics are some DAVe art I saw on 11th Street parking meters on the way to the meeting.
IBR meeting tonight. I'm not lookin' forward to it. Last night I re-drew the ballroom design from our creative meeting, and I have proposals for the entertainment. I had a 2� hour meeting this morning, and am not ready for another one yet.During our meeting this morning I got volunteered to coordinate my floor's section of our roving potluck. We have tentatively volunteered to do desserts. I figure I can get the non-bakers to bring cups, milk, coffee, etc. Us bakers will make single serving snacky things so we don't have to dick with plates and flatware.
I was thinkin' this moring on the train that I need to start going back to wrestling practice now that the Gay Games are over and things should be back to normal. For no other reason than to get some excercise and earn the right to wear my team shirts. I've still got my eyee out for used matts, but really don't know where to start lookin'. It'd be fun to have `em to throw down on the dining room floor for the occational romp.
I figured out this mornin' that I wasn't so out of my mind dawdlin' yesterday mornin'. Seems my little LEGO alarm clock was about an hour and a half off, and after I get up, I only seem to see the minute hands on other clocks.During lunch, I ducked into an alley on a whim and found an neat little park area in the middle of the block. Nothing hidden--just someplace I'd never been. I've always had a stong feeling that theres someplace different just around the corner or through an unsuspecting doorway. I can remember having dreams when I was little about secret sub basements accessible though the back of the kitchen cupboards and attics above the attics filled with old trinkets and books forgotten by some other family that used to live in my house. When I first moved to San Francisco I had a dream that under market street where the street cars run from one end of market to the other is the subway where the MUNI trains run about the city. Under MUNI is the Bart tubes that run about the Bay area, and under that I dreamed there was a high speed transpacific train that popped by Hawaii and the likes before surfacing in Japan. Layers under Layers hidden and forgotten and just a little off from where most folks would look. Sometimes I can just feel those hidden places all around me--I think if I just open the right door or dart into the right alley or leap through the right bound space with the right key, I'll be tumbling down some rabbit hole into some wonderland that really isn't so far away after all. Maybe the next alley.
I got up early this morning and came into work to bounce the server--an after effect of a hectic workday yesterday. For some reason, my brain was working right off the bat and I got to thinkin' about a good many things.One of them was that the cookies Leigh and I made last night turned out different than I expected. Usually when I make cookies, you can turn `em upside down, style them around, and see sparkly little sugar crystals twinkling in the light. They are browned and crunchy on the outside and mostly soft and chewy on the inside--except for the formentioned sugar crystals. Then I remembered that I did the measurin' and Leigh did the mixin'. Leigh likes to mix--or maybe more accurately, Leigh likes to use the mixer. I couldn't hardly get a thing in the mixer than Leigh was whippin' it up for all its worth. So while Drew dumps everything in the bowl but the flour & chips before he starts mixin' and the crunchy little turbino crystals stay mostly intact--Leigh mixes like a madman and they get--well, mixed. Anyhow, its a win-win-win deal. I got to Practice, Leigh was tickled playin' with the mixer and some people in my life will get some of that joy that fresh homebaked cookies are good for.
I had a hectic day at work today. After rolling myself out of bed this morning, I somehow deluded myself out of an hour still thinkin' I was early, and managed to make it to work just after the contractors I hoped to be there waiting for. One didn't bring a picture ID and the Marshalls didn't like that at all. I'm not pissed off at the lead officer for denying the guy entry. I'm pissed off at him because rather than being up front about it, he fucked around and ignored me. He knew we were waiting on him, called his girlfriend, ignored me and kept shuffling papers around until I waked up next to his desk, stared him down for two minutes and then flat out interuppeted him. Arrogant fucker. He fucked his PC up today. I'm not in any rush to run fix it. I've spoken with my co-horts, and for the most part they aren't either.After a frantic day of one bad turn after another, I wandered home late and met Leigh at The Cove for dinner. Tomato Soup again. Simple Mind. We wandered home and mixed up some butterscotch pecan cookies and I baked them while we watched Gilmore Girls.
Jill must have called during my baking and watching. I tried to preface Jill with a one phrase descriptor. She's alot more than a phrase. Jill was my neighbor growing up--and I did alot of growing up with her. I was a loudmouth ass and Jill was a stubborn bitch. We somehow got along most times, and even the fights are great fun to remember. Tree houses, picnics, long walks long talks after dark, clear summer days...�hey! no dirty thinkin' I managed to move away from Niantic, IL with nothing more that friendly affections. Jill's since married a fireman from a nearby town. They bought and moved into the house Jill grew up in, and they're rasing a little girl. It's hard for me to imagine having kids--I suspect it's hard for anyone until suddenly you find one is on the way. Anyway, I need to write Jill a message and head off to bed.
I took a quick swing through the Lone Star last night, but didn't partake. The place was packed and not exactly comfortable. I came home and fried up some onions, portabello mushrooms and fresh tomatos and ate them on top of the peperoni bake from Friday night. Mmmm...was great.I dicked around most of today and didn't get much done. Stopped by Target to get a tripod. Get this $20 for a 57�" tripod, $30 for a 60�" and $40 for a 63�". I'm hard pressed to see why 3 more inches is worth $10.
Darrell trimmed my whiskers this afternoon. Before and After pic. I'm hoping it short enough that I won't get "helmet beard." If not, I'll be making another visit soon.
After my trim I ran into Ken and we had an early dinner at the Cove. Tomato Soup �Woo Hoo! Afterwards I wandered home for a saltwater bath. Mmmm....
Great weekend so far. I had dinner Friday night with big Aussie Chris. I brushed up on my Adkins cooking and made a boring salad and a fab pepperoni bake. It was a little hevier that I would have liked but had wonderful flavor. After diner we sipped on some Laphroaig I had tucked away and watched Pleasantville.Yesterday morning we went to the Metreon to hook up with some dancing bears and watched Harry Potter. Afterwards the bulk of the group went to Max's and had brunch. After Max's the group was heading for the cartoon museum, and I remembered that it was a BOSF BEvERage Benefit day a the Lone Star, so rushed over to do my Activities Coordinator duties. Evil Raffy insisted that I have a shot with him, and things pretty much tumbled into fun and debauchry from there. I have some interesting pictures... Red John ended up taming me with a back rub, and we wandered to the Castro and had dinner at The Cove. (Which has not had tomato soup in at least four days, �bad Cove!) The dishwasher is goin' and I've mostly cleaned up the two days worth of breakfast mess. It looks like a beautiful day out. I'm fixin' to shower up and head over to StarBears and see what trouble I can get into.
Yesterday was a good day. After being cross for part of the morning about not being able to find road closure information on the Internet, I did a few chores and headed out on my motorcycle. Thankfully, I didn't have the same bad luck I did on Monday, and didn't run across any closed roads. I went South and rode mostly on 37 Skyline Boluevard down to Half Moon Bay. I'm really getting to like the route as it's very curvey and has quite a few climbs. Not an easy task on my 250cc bike, but one I'm hopin' leaves me more skilled after each trip. I stopped by the army surplus store in Montara where I got my Swiss camo pants this spring and picked up the matching jacket. In addition to being very utilitiarian and comfortable, they really flatter my autumn coloring. ;)I was also impressed this trip by how many biker Daddies were on the road, and that they all waved at me in that slick below the handlebar way. I got a big kick outta that, and will have to try the route again the same time of day to see if they're regulars.
I also chatted last night with some friends in San Diego about a road trip in March. Last year on a run to Vegas, they rode their bikes up from San Diego, and then did a group run up to Hoover Dam. It sounded great. This year, they've invited me to join them in San Diego and do the ride with them. I am REALLY jazzed by the whole idea.
I had lots of profound thoughts while walking around during lunch, but I forget them all now.I went to the Metreon today to get tickets for the Saturday 9:40am showing of Harry Potter. The folks in the box office said they sold out, but I got them on Fandago two hours later for $3 more. Grrr... I also got tickets for Ben Watt/Lazy Dog `cause a goodly number of DancingBearsSF will be there. Even if the event itself sucks, I'll be fun with the Bears.
I went down to San Jose today to reassemble the machines I took apart on Friday. I stopped by vista point on 280 on my way back thinking I would take pictures of the Father Junipero Serra statue. I found out that there are multiple vista points, and the one I stopped at didn't have the statue. I took some pictures and enjoyed myself--and will try out the other vista point some other trip.I ran into big Pete at the coffee shop and gave him a good back scratchin' mmmm dreamy. Having burgers with Leigh for dinner, and watching Gilmore Girls.
Road trip was a bust. Only went 12 miles before I was fed up with holiday traffic and the "great highway" was closed just south of Golden Gate Park. Hopefully the weather will be good Thursday for another go. I'm thinkin' another trip down to half moon bay and a little shopping on the way home.My upstairs neighbors, Evan and Stephen are home from Gay Games. They are FAB. I could tell they were home because of the house music pumping through the ceiling earlier today. I can hear a bit of it now. Don't get me wrong, the loud music doesn't piss me off. That they have better music than me pisses me off. Every now and again I entertain the idea of hooking an out port on thier stereo to an aux port on mine so I can listen to the same stuff.
The bad thing about taller pictures is that I have to write more in the log to get things to line up properly. If some web-jockey would like to teach me how to do this the proper way, I'm all eyes.
I had a great weekend. Friday night was dinner with LN friends, cigars at the Eagle, and a date.Saturday was brunch and cartoons, a few hours at work, dinner with Leigh then dancing at Palladium. Palladium had the best music this go `round. DJ paulo was spinning. Strong heartbeat and complex tribal drums. I loved it.
Sunday I did brunch with TupperKing Ken, had a great afternoon nap, took a spin through the Lone Star, and went off dancing at X-Men. The music was 92.7ish "top forty dance" stuff, and there were ALOT of bears. I got twenty minutes of heaven when I found myself in alignment with three big dreamy bear friends. Grrr...Thanks guys.
I finally bought a sleeper couch today, but'll have to wait a few weeks for it. Should be in in plenty of time for movie night and Ken's visit. Maybe a roadtrip this afternoon, as I wasn't able to do much riding this weekend with the weather.
I worked in San Jose today. The commute down was a total bitch. Commute back was not fun, but better.I got home not too long ago, and am doing laundry and getting ready for dinner and a night out. When I went to drop off shirts at the laundry, I grabbed a gingerbread cr�me frappuccino from StarBears. �Wow! They are great.
San Francisco is getting more rain today. It's great. The "storm" has somehow managed to knock out power in parts of the city, but is nothing to compared to a regular rain storm in the midwest. We did have ONE bolt of lightning with accompaning thunder as the front rolled through this afternoon. I miss real flat land thunder storms.Tonight was Ba-Da-Bingo. Many folks waited a long time in the rain to get in. It was Jackie O night, though only a few folks dressed up. I had a great time. I got to sit next to Jake and shamelessly flirt with Earl across the room.
It rained here last night. First time in a long time, and not nearly enough. I was laying awake thinking about getting to wear my raincoat today and had a strong craving for Eckrich Smokey Links. While they aren't sold around here, my folks are kind enough to haul them along on their visits from the mid-west. I pulled some out of the freezer, fried up a half dozen, and sated my craveing for little sausages just after midnight. Mmmmm...they really hit the spot. Thanks Mom and Dad.It's stopped raining, but I still may wear my raincoat, just `casue I like to.
This is what I wake up to every morning when there is enough light to see it. I love wakeing up to a wall of living green things.Of course, on the way to work in the subway I was thinkin' "I have got to come up with some better pictures besides Drew's commute to work pics. I am generally cross that it is too dark to do anything outside after work and will be for another few months.
Just then, a chubby Asian boy, just filled with delight, started poking at his father. Not in an annoying `I want attention' way, but in a `I get a kick out of you being grumpy and happily cross' sort of way. I got a big kick out of watching the whole deal.
After work I had dinner with AJ. Cove tomato soup and grilled cheese for me, ruben and tomoato soup for him. We had some great quality time, and I sent him home a happy camper with a ziplock baggie of Monday's chocolate chip cookies.
Meetings with more than six people should never last more than 40 minutes. I was in a meeting this morning that had 14 people and lasted almost three hours. At about two hours and forty five minutes some of the group were babbling speculations back and forth about why the noticing center was now sending e-mails instead of faxes for exception reports, but not anything else. I got a little testy. Grrr....Fortunatly, while there were some tangential moments, the BOSF Board meeting this evening was the quickest and smoothest yet. �Who Hoo!
I was down in Salinas for business again today. I saw a cute restraunt off 101 and stopped in for lunch. Black Bear Diner is a great little place. Kitchy decor, big menu, nice service and the food (meatloaf anyway) is great. I was suprised to find that it's part of a small chain. Finding the diners should make for a few great roadtrips around the bay area.Makin' cookies tonight. Mmmmm....
Beautiful day out again today. Spent some time at StarBears, and did a roadtrip to Half Moon Bay. On the way back I stopped to check out one of the ancient abandoned war machines that dot the coast. Looks like somebody was doing tai chi on top of it as the sun went down. Was great to watch.I went to see Spirited Away with Alan last night. The movie was great. I highly recommend it. I need to see it again on the big screen. My only gripe is that I had trouble reading the subtitles and watching the movie, exepcially towards the end when there was so much going on.
I went to dinner at Cafe Tiramisu for Mark & Steve's anniversary. Eight of us for dinner, then a few more more guys joined us for Puppetry of the Penis at Theater on the Square. I was hoping for some more clever tricks. Steve K. was hoping to see a penis tied in a knot. No such luck.
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