Thinking about home

I want a version of this for San Francisco. I've been feeling so rootless these days.

Bret C. Harte

My Friend Bret would have been 36 years old this March, but he died in 2005. He was one of those beautiful lights that just truly made the world a little better. I remember going to this dive bar in Oakland with him, a piano bar where the walls were decorated in old business cards from years and years of patrons with a piano perpetually out of tune, and we would stay out and discuss Shakespeare. We wanted to do a Tempest together since it was our favorite play at the time. He was just starting his directing career while working odd jobs and I was trying to gain traction on my design career. I remember working backstage with him, even on rough days he brought his warmest smile. So Now it is nearly his birthday and also nearly his deathday and I think of him. The last piece of writing from him that I have is a printed out email.  I was most upset to find that it's not still in my archives... I publish it here to leave for the wilderness of the internet to find. You were and still are so loved Bret.


March 17, 2005;
Hey there everyone!
it's short notice, but; 
What're you up to Friday night? I met this (very attractive) lady on BART last night who was carrying a sword, so I asked her "is that a sword?" and she said "yes it is." and I said "why do you have a sword on BART?" and she said "it's for bellydancing" and I said "Oh it's a scimitar" so she said "yep" and I said "do you know Angela Mae Thompson she's a fuckin' great bellydancer in the area" and she said "no" but I said "is that the only style you dance" and she said "yes, but it's not traditional, were' kinda a modern take on bellydancing so it's a bit more hip" and I said "kewl" and she said "here take this we have a show this weekend" and I said "keeeeeewl" and she said "yeah I also fire dance" and I said "you a burner" and she said "but of course" and got off the train. 
(no I didn't get her name or number)
So, I have this flyer for what looks to be a killer bellydance show on Friday and Saturday night . I can't go Saturday 'cause I'm working a BRT show where Danny Glover is giving a speech... whee!
So, whatcha doing friday?
Come see a killer show with me in SF!
Who's down? IF you need, I now have a crashable couch (and large cushy loveseat) here at my nifty new OakTown (aka Oakland) apartment. :)
Cheers,
Bret

I'm glad to say that yes, a good group of us took him up on the bellydancing show and it was amazing, we all danced like lunatics, we passed 'energy balls' (it's an acting excercise) on the dance floor. It was a beautiful night, and it was the last I saw my friend.

My lesson is this; appreciate the people you have in your life, say yes, love them every day and tell them as much. You will never regret it.
--Peace.

It was an amazing day. The sun was warm but the breeze was cool... perfect weather with minimal pollen... Still I was too sleepy to really go out and Carpe the Diem... so there was napping and movie watching and a few hours of reading, there was a little (but not enough) work paperwork. In the morning I worked in the costume shop. There's not really a point to this snapshot but I also wanted to put up the little video I took of my neighbor's dog, it will make you smile. Guaranteed. Ok have a lovely rest of your day. Much Love.

Winter in Berkeley

Passive aggressive "quotations"

The sidewalk on Addison Street in Berkeley is covered in art and quotes and things. There are a couple of patches of significant events in Berkeley history... this one kills me every time.

Sunday; Dog park day...

also... check out the cool trick my camera can do; Panorama!

New Eyes

I am in love with my new camera... it seems like it can make anything look luscious.
Hello concrete wall, water pipe, safety pin bin...

I know, it's a little crazy.

The Best? FIre?

This is my favorite building in my neighborhood... It is the Best? Fire Equipment.

Makes me smile every day.

"During" (That which comes between Before and After)

When you look at it from the dog's perspective, my housemate and I spent Labor Day doing terrible mean things... First we cleaned out everything and moved all of our stuff into compact Tetris piles... mounds of hidden dog hair were removed.

Carpets were covered in plastic... the whole house smelled of paint...

At least there were awesome people in the house all weekend... I think DeWalt was pretty happy with that.  The only bad thing was that they were helping Adam and I upturn the entire place...


Adam found a wee bit of mold behind his bed.

So... he replaced the wall...


We had grilled shish-kabobs... food was a temporary relief for the hound... but still, this trial was exhausting.

In addition to the fresh paint, my carpenter/welder/accidental designer housemate made a new gate for the front.  We claimed new yard much like the British Empire... I think we need a flag, but the gate is a good start.

I think it might be a bit much for a little in-law apartment but it's rather fantastic and our land-lady (who did pay for the steel) thinks it is beyond awesome...

We steam cleaned the carpets before moving the furniture back into place... a further insult.

Not to worry, DeWalt has forgiven us and the house is mostly back in order. "After" photos should be taken, but I've been so busy I haven't done it yet... it's all a little mundane but I'll put the after shots up later on anyway.

Cold

I have been reduced to wearing socks indoors.  This practice distresses and confuses the dog.  He knows that I do not put things on my feet unless I am going out.  'Why oh why is the human putting things on her feet and not taking the dog out? '
Why indeed.

Recovery and Slacking...

I've spent most of this month, and this past week in particular working long hours without days off. I don't really notice until finally there is a point where productivity drops off or when I have a half day. This was my half day. I had about two hours of work to get done that didn't happen until this evening. This morning was spent catching up with The Daily Show in my pajamas... this afternoon was spent at the Berkeley Marina reading my Alastair Reynold's novel... I love this place.


Hopefully a half day will get me through another week... life in the arts is so glamorous.

Berkeley Love

Some days my little city has some awesome people in it... This guy just decided to hang out here for an hour waving at everybody on the street. No fliers, no schpiel, just this sign.

The Land of Plenty

This is the wonderland. This is my grocery store. This is a fantasy of plenty that my ancestors could never have imagined for me. This is an Organic produce section larger than my apartment.
This is a "standard" Produce section three times larger than the organic produce section. This is eight types of potatoes, eight types of orange, every type of fancy exotic fruit and green thing available in North America...
I shop here every week and it still leaves me in awe... someday I'll show you the beer selection.
Oh Berkeley Bowl, you are an unnatural dreamland and I love you!

If you're sick, this is your sign from God... and the CDC

Fashion Police

Dear sir,
We are issuing you this citation for wearing athletic shorts with suspenders. Please cease and desist from this activity. In fact any pants or shorts made with a knit fabric are not to be worn with suspenders.
Thank You, FP.

Fog

To live with fog...

...means that sometimes you come home...

... and find your whole neighborhood transformed!

Arachnid!

Well, I think they're from the araneidae family (orb weaving spiders), but I can't nail down the genus or species. Basically there are a whole lot of these Huge brown spiders near downtown Berkeley...




cool huh?

Ah Autumn

Today oddly felt like the first day of Fall. The air smelled of dry leaves, the breeze was crisp and the sky was amazing. Autumn is by far my favorite season so it's strange that today feeling like September should make me so melancholy for the want of summer. There has been no true summer here. Not that there usually is in the bay area, usually there are a few hot dry weeks in August that require skirts, popsicles and the inevitable escape to the lake. Perhaps there will be a surprise Summer before the true Fall hits, but then living by the shore in a mild climate it's hard to tell.

Color on the BART

My friend Shaggy and I saw this lady on the BART, crazy embroidered and beaded tunic and all. Our favorite was the button hat.



We asked her why she was wearing such an outfit. Apparently she was going to a Nick Cave concert.


Got to love Berkeley.

Heavenly Alchemy...

Oft did I wonder why the setting sun
Should look upon us with a blushing face:
Is't not for shame of what he hath seen done,
Whilst in our hemisphere he ran his race?
- Lyman Heath,
First Century--On the Setting Sun

The setting sun, and music at the close,
As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last,
Writ in remembrance more than things long past.
- William Shakespeare,
The Tragedy of King Richard the Second
(Gaunt at II, i)