June 27, 2008
Custer'd
A few days ago, Gene and I were floating the idea of buying a place, like a paper boat in a bathtub. We take the boat out and play with it from time to time, but just for fun, and it always ends with an agreement that in order to buy a place as nice as where we live now, we'd have to leave this neighborhood we love living in.
This time, though, I started to think about the Mission. The recent glut of gay marriage street parties and Pride celebrations has made me realize how little there is for us in this community. I don't have any desire (or ability) to force myself inside -- I like that it exists as it is. But wouldn't it be great to be in a neighborhood where I was a member of the bubble? To constantly be running into people I knew, to have a neighborhood bar of my own?
Then again, is de-Mexican-ing the Mission any better than de-gaying the Castro?
I was reading an article talking about how the LGBT folks came into Eureka Valley and did it up proper, and how sad it is that their work is being taken away from them now that so many are being priced out of the neighborhood. The article didn't mention the thriving Italian community that was here before them. I suppose in twenty years there will be articles about how sad it is that the hipsters are being priced out of town, after we put all that effort into "cleaning up" the Mission.
Wait, did you hear that? It almost sounded like...Spanish? Nah, I dunno what I'm thinking. Lead on, Custer.
Posted by didofoot at 09:03 AM | Comments (1)
June 17, 2008
About writing
Samuel R. Delaney, in his book About Writing, says "Writers are people who write."* My heart sinks immediately whenever I read that old truism, thinking of the short story that's been stalled in my fiction folder for three weeks now, thinking how little fiction I've written at all.
I forget that I write every day, stupid. (Stupid is me.) I write articles for magazines and newspapers, I write blog posts, I write in my journal for myself. For some reason, if it's not a made-up story about dragons, I seem to discount it. Why is that?
*I found this on today's post from Neil Gaiman.
This is not my dopey dragon.
Posted by didofoot at 07:39 AM | Comments (0)
June 09, 2008
Clean living
Sometimes I rather plaintively ask Gene why we can't have a house cleaner come in a couple of times a month, and then he says "Would a house cleaner cost me as much as you do?" and we both laugh and it's all very cute*.
But anyway, a few weeks ago I finally hit saturation point and was curious as to what color the tiles on the bathroom floor were originally, so I got down and did some serious dirt removal about the love pad. The result was delightful: shining and dustless and really very pleasant to hang around in.
What was Gene's reaction, you ask? Well, as soon as he got home from work, he looked around, smiled, and proceeded to buy a whole new sound system from a guy on craigslist. So now my computer, once soundless, emits sound on kickass speakers and is attached to other speakers in the kitchen, so I can download the whole soundtrack to, for example, Footloose, and listen to it while I make toast.
I don't know what lesson you're taking from this, but it seems clear to me that cleaning once annually yields exciting results. I think I've found a timeline I can live with.
*or adjective of your choice.
This is not my housewife. But seriously, how awesome would I look in this dress?
Posted by didofoot at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
June 03, 2008
Pleasant
I'm dog-sitting in Pleasant Hill for a couple of weeks. When idly checking for something to do out here, I was surprised to find a motherlode of options. It's like there's this whole, awesome Stars Hollow town under the featureless suburb I remember from my younger years.
For example, on Saturday, I will be attending a library book sale at a Mayberry-esque spot known to locals as "the schoolhouse." The night before that, I can check out Garage Bands at the Lake, which is local acts performing at the man-made puddle outside City Hall. Also at City Hall is a regular Teen Moonlight Movie, where kids can come sit on the lawn and see blockbuster movies outdoors for free. Or the whole family could attend the Dive In Movie Night at the rec center pool, where you can swim while you watch Pirates of the Caribbean. On the Fourth of July, you can plan your whole day around town-sponsored activities, including a cooling-off visit to something called the "sprayground."
Why so cool, P Hill? When I was growing up, the only sprayground we had was Michele's garage. (Because of the cats, get it?) There was no Brazilian takeout place, no beaver controversy, no Derby Day competitions. Things have changed.
I still don't want to live here, but it really is a nice place to visit.
This is not my town.
Posted by didofoot at 02:50 PM | Comments (1)
