cat on roof

2008-04-09T14:51:00.001-07:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The Northeast
The Inland North
The West
Boston
Philadelphia
North Central
The South
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

2008-02-09T05:49:00.001-08:00

2008-02-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

And guess who this is doing you know what?

2008-02-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

And this is my tiny little sweet Foxy resting in a recycled plastics bowl.
(That's right, I said plastics. There are many plastics involved. Back off)

2008-02-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

All that rain is okay when I picture me playing in the ocean just a few weeks ago.

2008-02-06T13:49:00.001-08:00

It is raining, and we still have one payment left on the canoe.
Wondering why this might matter? Here is a photo of my backyard when it is not raining.
That is the yogini doing the hard work.

Here is my backyard today.

2008-01-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Puerto Vallarta no mas.
Back to 7 degrees and car won't start at the Park n Fly.
Then the heat wouldn't come on in the house home at 3am.
Heading for Columbus in less than 24 hours.
Is Columbus like Mexico?

2008-01-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Bad blogging by Skycat.
Leaving for Mexico in 10 hours.
Adios snow.

2008-01-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

I don't like that last post taking up all that room on the top of my blog, so....
IT'S ALMOST MY BIRTHDAY!!!
I love my birthday. This year, the Yogini and I will be 38 together. Her number is 3 and mine is 8, and I think that's cool. It won't happen again until we are 83 which is 45 years from now. And as you may have figured out, that is more than a lifetime away. Freaking awesome. And Pluto (still a planet in my eyes) is in my court for like the next 15 years.
Damn.
My birthday plans changed when we got ourselves a January thaw and it was over 60 degrees out today. So, skiing, no. But, I am meeting Mountain Girl at Kent State tomorrow and we're going ice skating. Then to Taco Tontos. Then to see a movie. I feel 16, except happier and luckier and considerably older.

2007-12-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

LB - Trying out your most recentest meme.

1.What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before? Lived in Ohio.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Que?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? To a baby? Not so much.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Not so much.
5. What countries did you visit? Not so much. (Starting to seem kind of sad)
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? A home, a canoe, a bunch of money in a savings account.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Same as usual.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I lived in Ohio.
9. What was your biggest failure? I know what you think I’m going to write, but no. Ohio only goes in the achievement list. Failure is so ugly and permanent as far as words/ideas go. Don’t have room for that kind of crap.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Asthma from Hell. Thank you Ohio. And I threw/dropped a tv on my pinky. Seems to have caused permanent disfigurement.
11. What was the best thing you bought? The black pickup truck.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Everyone not in politics, Hollywood, or the oil industry.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? See above.
14. Where did most of your money go? Yarn.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The Yogini.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Danny’s Song. Finally learned the lyrics.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? This looks confusing on paper, but…happy fat and poor.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Traveling for fun.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Wheezing.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Happened. Had Yogini’s family over for breakfast and hanging out. Really nice.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Oh yes. I can’t believe it either, but have you seen the Yogini?
22. How many one-night stands? I’m sorry, what?
23. What was your favorite TV program? Burn Notice.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I will never get these 9 seconds back, damn you!
25. What was the best book you read? I re-read Another Roadside Attraction quite happily.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? CD players!
27. What did you want and get? CD Player and GPS and wooden knife.
28. What did you want and not get? New lungs.
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Quiz Show.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Casino in West Virginia with GB and LB and the Y. Was 37. Will go skiing with the Y for 38 in 2 weeks.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A large cash surprise. And easy breathing.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
All JAK all the time.
33. What kept you sane? The Yogini. And Foxy. And cooking.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Jon Stewart.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Gay hating oil guzzling uber-consumer war mongers.
36. Who did you miss? The Browns. LB & GB. Stevie.
37. Who was the best new person you met? Karen Klinefelter (google her).
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. Good people everywhere.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I feel so humble with you tonight,
Just sitting in front of the fire.
See your face dancing in the flame,
Feel your mouth kissing me again,
What a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz,
What a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz.
Oh, what a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz.
And, LB, I would love to spill the beans with you till dawn, but according to this thing, I have no beans.

2007-12-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hey LB.
Looks like it's just you and me here.
Yogini fell asleep early, so no call.
But we are traveling again tomorrow - 6.5 hour drive.
Time to call or sleep or chew gum. Whatever.
Sorry about the poop dragging. Been there.
Almost ready to hang in Ohio for a month.
On Tuesday I go to the Cleveland Clinic to
begin a new asthma trial. Very exciting...if I don't get the placebo.
Kitties know we leave tomorrow morning.
So does the Yogini. Must pack up tofu and salads.
No computer until I return a hero.
Make of it what you will.

2007-12-07T05:58:00.001-08:00

Couscous. So nice, they "ou"'d it twice.
That's right, another sort of simple meal from Skycat's kitchen.
Boil water. In a pot with a lid, pour equal amounts of couscous and boiled water - say 1 cup to 1 cup. Cover tightly and go do something else, like write a paper or paint your toes. Whenever you are ready to eat, so is the couscous. But let's make it tasty.
Olive oil, soy sauce, pepper. (Or balsamic or anything else you like, except ketchup)
And for the non-chopped veggie sensation, throw in some frozen corn and peas.
How about sunflower seeds and nuts.
Yum.
Make a big batch, and every time you go back add an ingredient or some more oil. When you don't heat oil, it's actually quite good for you. Have a delicious day. I'm off to Cleveland in the snow.

2007-12-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

For Luckybuzz and Gospel Bob. From J&T. A postcard from New York.

2007-12-05T13:47:00.001-08:00

Yams.
Sweet potatoes.
Call them what you will, but they are like a happy little cooking pouch of goodness.
Just pop them in the oven. Don't poke or peel. In 40 minutes, the skin rolls away and the orange deliciousness is ready. Maybe salt. Maybe pepper. Maybe even a little pat of butter. Who cares. It's all good. Yum.
When the Yogini is gone the Skycat eats odd meals at odd hours. Did I mention the pot pie for breakfast? It's getting crazy here. Yogurt and frozen blueberries later.

*Please note: a yam is a huge tuber (that's right, I said huge tuber) that grows in hot places like south america and africa. A sweet potato is a smaller, moister tuber. Does this post belong in CL casual encounters?)

2007-12-04T13:41:00.001-08:00

Yogini just called from Chicago.
Snow fell here. On everything.
Best show ever in New York.
Plus great food and drink with friends.
Two show weekend almost here.
Should be knitting, but...you know.
What should I cook?
Petty crook old book look nook.
Probably not.

2007-11-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

Long time no post.
Call me Gospel Bob.
But different.
To Merryland to morrow.
Sincinasty next week.
Gobble gobble gobble.
Then back to NYC.
4 gone 3 home
2 cats 1nt be happy.
Til December 17th
which also just happens to
be the 13th 17th that me
and the Yogini have enjoyed.
In a December if I remember.
Yahooooooo. In a non-corporate sort of way.

2007-10-28T05:54:00.001-07:00

2007-10-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

2007-10-26T18:44:00.001-07:00

I do not do Halloween.
But...I did this.

With Yogini and Mountain Girl.

And Mountain Girl's honey pie, Ninjuh Warrior.

2007-10-26T05:14:00.001-07:00

Blue Hubbard is the biggest and ugliest of squashes.
When you pull it out of the oven it can be compared with a big black turkey or a giant baked sea turtle. Both of which are quite lovely when alive....

2007-10-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

The Yogini and I have this thing going. Well, we have a couple "things" going. But the one I'm talking about now refers to a cooking thing. Each of us is making a brand new recipe each week. I mean brand spanking new. And if the Yogini had a blog, she would probably tell you about her newest recipe. But she doesn't, so I will. Cause I do, see.

So it was served to me looking a lot like a latke. A bowl of fresh grated parm, salt and pepper on the side. But here's what she did. She riced some potatoes that her dad grew out back, she riced some blue hubbard (scariest loooking thing from the outside), she sauted onions and garlic in my home made veggie stock. She mixed it all together and then used some bread crumbs to hold it all together. At first she thought she needed to pan fry them. She did not. Baked they were amazing. But they were gone fast. Now all I can do is write about them and hope she will make them again.

I am trying to figure out an ingredient to go with acorn or butternut squash for one of my next new recipes. Here are ingredients I have used: celery, onions, apples, ginger, brown sugar, nuts, seeds, mushrooms and coconut. What else can you cook with a winter squash that will taste yummy? Anyone?

2007-10-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

In honor of Luckybuzz...

2007-10-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

sherman schemes
falling leaves
toledo tacoma
earthquake by the lake
butternut squash
apples
sweet coconut rice
empty dehumidifier twice
tulip scarves and gauntlets and caps
cat naps and naps and naps and naps
piano bench puke
and local doppler radar

2007-10-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday, rOCkTOBER 14th.
Both phone alarms went off at 5.
Hit the road at 5:31.
Dark, very dark. Til almost 8.
Arrived AnnArbor 9.
Left AnnArbor 4.
Drove and drove and it got dark. Very dark.
Home at 7:30.
Leftover curry and peanut butter toast.
The end.

2007-10-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

I am going to see Stevie Wonder. With the Yogini and Mountain Girl.
I am not working today. Mostly.
I am happy. Sitting by the fire.

Last night at a bar in Cleveland some dumb chick said that Irma Thomas was shit.
She didn't actually say her name. She'd never heard of her until I told her what kind of crap she was spewing. She'd only heard the one song that the dj was playing. I told her she needed to do some googling. She poked me in the arm.

I did not get into a brawl last night. Yet. But I did buy oars for the canoe I'm going to get.

2007-10-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

back back back.
have i mentioned that the black truck rocks?
two weeks. two thousand miles. two girls. too much.
nah. just right. we went camping.
tried and tried and tried to get a hold of luckybuzz to
convince her to grab gospel bob and an eastbound plane
to meet us in the woods. or the tree. on long island.
survived anyway.

2007-10-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I don't have a picture of the real rooftop kitties here, and that seems wrong since there is a picture of the outdoor kitty and she IS NOT OURS!!! So...

2007-10-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

El Gato Negro con Fontana del Sol

2007-10-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Home again...temporarily. Did a quick NYC show - ecofest. It was as crunchy as it sounds. So so sales. I think the most fun thing was the traffic getting out of the city Sunday night. I know you think I'm being sarcastic, but it's not so. We were hungry and planning to stop for a bite in New Jersey. But Columbus Avenue wasn't having that. So, as the Yogini slowly made her way the 22 blocks to the Lincoln Tunnel, I ran up and down the street from shop to restaurant to restaurant and picked up a few slices of pizza, a quesadilla, and some additional snacks and beverages for the road. Every once in a while I would re-locate the new truck (LOVE IT) and drop off my acquisitions with the slow moving Yogini. I know there were other trafficans who saw me and smiled, and this was fun. And of course, the food was much better than anything they have in New Jersey. And eventually, we got through the tunnel and halfway home. Then home. Then we are planning for our next trip to New York, for which we leave on Friday. Must go knit and cuddle kitties.

p.s. The sleek black outdoor cat with white boots is pretending she lives here. Drinking from my solar fountain and waiting by the birdfeeder and the chipmunk hole for her meals. Much too cute. Must not make eye contact or speak in her general direction.

2007-09-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ever you wondered to yourself, "is the yogini home?" Here's how you can know for sure. I'll even list it. Top ten? Ok, I'll give it a go. Backwards? Sure, I'm not afeared. With disclaimers? Quite possibly.
10. A bad dropped stitch will stay dropped.
9. Therefore...nobody is knitting.
8. Skycat is on the phone, intentionally.
7. NPR is silent...for now.
6. There's really bad tv on or a gay boy show (redundant?).
5. All lights are out so as to avoid unannounced relative drop-ins.
4. The truck is not in the driveway because she has disowned the Lumina like a divorced father to his kids from the first marriage...but different.
3. It just doesn't smell quite as good in here.
2. It's Wednesday night and that's Yogalates night in Champion!
And the number one sign that the yogini is out...
1. Skycat is laying on the couch eating fake taco meat with toasted pita scraps in a bowl

2007-09-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

Back home for a few days. Took the truck to its first show.
In Columbus. Show bad, truck good. Delicious after show meal at
Taj Mahal on High Street. So freaking tasty. Navratam Korma and Channa something
with spinach.

Father-in-law may be ashamed of our landscaping (Crse) as I keep returning home to a freshly mowed lawn. The Yogini suggests that he just likes to do things for us. Could be.

Three stray cats keep visiting our back patio. On different occasions, but rather often. One is whiny, one has white boots on a lithe black body and one is a calico hunter. We have promised the rooftop kitties that they are the only ones for us.

Must not make eye contact with other cats. A lot like living in the Mission if you substitute "anyone" for "other cats."

2007-09-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

2007-09-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

So, the yogini and I bought a truck today. It's awesome.
S10 pickup with an extended cab and a swiss cap. It will be our new show vehicle.
It is black.

So, yesterday I called Progressive to add this vehicle to our insurance.
But first, let me tell you about a little conversation I had with Mountain Girl two days earlier. An old friend came up because yogini and I were wondering about where this friend - I'll call him Dave because that is only one letter off of his actual name - is living. And Mountain Girl said she heard he was living in her neighborhood. And we'd all lived in SF a few years back. And yogini and I said we'd like to try and find him. And I've googled him up and down and can't find anything. So, I call Progressive...

And they are always so damn helpful. Truly. I have great experiences on the phone with these guys. And one comes on the line. "Hi, this is "Dave" how can I help you." And I start explaining and then I say, "you sound just like a "Dave" I know." AND HE IS!!! How cool is that? Of course he couldn't help me with my insurance.

2007-09-17T03:53:00.000-07:00

Something sticky out here on my new alpaca socks.
Used tissues are not the culprit.
One left on my nightstand by the red aluminum bottle.
Peak flow low.
Only thirty seven degrees soon to be eighty.
Three empty gallons of distilled water from the humidifier.
Another tissue used and moved.
Steamed sleeves wait on the floor.
Darker earlier. Early waker.
Weather channel offers local doppler radar.

2007-09-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

Ode to Gospel Bob
in the key of C

Countin' mountains and land that juts
pool table bars and hussy sluts
basement dens turkey free
yogini skycat and the famed lb
big wheels turnin - nearly losing track
so many stars when you're on your back
walk without pants in the berry patch
sparkin a fire with the very last match
food food food food food food food
no names needed cause it's all damn good
tequila travels and blue heron bars
driving at night in rusty dark cars
later nights longer sips louder laughs all the way
hap hap hap, hap hap hap, hap hap happy birthday

2007-09-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm back in Ohio again. (I was singing that - musically, not flamatically)
The cats are fine. Purring. Happy to see us. It is mutual.
Anyone in NYC on Saturday? It was super melty. Very hot. Scorcherific. But the Yogini and Skycat had a great show and we sold many knits, and we are going truck shopping this week. Yahhhhhoooooo! Also, the midweek in Maine was lovely. Did see the Bush compound - and, no, that is not a sexual reference (today) - but mostly ate delicious food, walked on the beach and read cheesy novels. Yum. I think we are going back the first week in October! Grissini's in Kennebunkport serves a deep glass of wine. Pongal on Lexington in New York is rich, red and delicious. And Balducci's by Lincoln Center has the most creative and flavorful wheatberry salad ever eaten - a few of the inspired ingredients are pistachios or pine nuts (different on two occasions), cranberries and mandarin nuggets. I'm taking a day off.

2007-08-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

i have an issue.
love to go away.
hate to leave home.
this is only temporary, and usually passes after a few hours on the road. but it starts early. 10 nights is a long time. especially when the tiny rooftop kitty - who does not live on a rooftop anymore either - will be home so lonely. i will be busy. earning gobs of money. reclining with book and yogini and a drink. driving. driving driving. (i like driving so much i even have a patch) but the stress gets me shaky and this evening even asthmatic to an extreme. truly fucking annoying. i plan to get over it shortly. because i like to breathe and laugh. and laughing takes breathing.

2007-08-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

oh. and because luckybuzz. i was going to add to that, but i like the way it hums.

Four Things Meme

Four Jobs I Have Had In My Life:
1) knitter
2) proofreader
3) cocktail waitress at a cabaret and juice joint
4) ice cream truck driver

Four Places I Have Lived:
1) champion township trumbull county ohio
2) miami
3) seattle
4) san francisco

Four Favorite Foods:
1) my home grown vegetables
2) indian indian indian
3) tacos at skycat and the yogini's taco nights
4) fake meat deliciousness

Four Places I’d Rather Be:
1) tropical beach
2) foggy beach
3) windy dunes by the beach
4) sorry so lame, but...i'm here

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over
1) big chill
2) enemy of the state
3) jaws
4) quiz show

Four TV Shows I Like To Watch
1) psyche
2) magnum pi
3) burn notice
4) queer as folk

Four Websites I View Daily
1) blogactive
2) bbc news
3) jakdesigns
4) stonyfield

Four Computers I Have Owned
1)texas instruments
2)the one lb gave me
3)the one dr jon gave me
4)the one ebay gave me

Four numbers i like

1) 3
2) 8
3) 205
4) 32

2007-08-29T14:08:00.001-07:00

ok. time for my 6-month update. quite inspired by gospel bob's emergence on the blog scene. who knew. heading to nyc in a day and a half for big shows and....our first tiny vacation in a while. the yogini and i are going to kennebunkport for 3 days. by the beach. the 10 day forecast shows that we might even get some fog. it will remind me of childhood camping on ferry beach. which is apparently a short drive north. yogini has never been to Maine. or new hampshire which we will drive through. knitwear. veggie restaurants in new york. coffee on beach. driving through new england. i think jonathan richman had something to say about that. if not driving.

2007-02-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

Skycat here, no matter what it says everywhere else. A few things. I have been reading your blogs, or rather "lurking" as they say. Unfortunately, I seem to have little or nothing to say. Online. People in my state, unite. I spoke with the yogini and she agrees that we should schedule a drink with you next week. Nothing crazy (as possible as that is). Weeknight? What do you say?

Also, my tiny cat keeps peeing on the carpet. She didn't do this until we RETURNED from Philadelphia. A few minutes after, actually, and now it seems to be a habit. This is not my house!!!! Not that it would be okay in my house. But I am still at the in-laws. For now.

The yogini and I rented a house. We'll move in in April/May when we have time. Decided better to earn for a year and save some more so we can stick to our 20% down plan, than buy a compromise house that would leave us sad and mopey.

2007-02-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

Have I grumbled much about new blogger? Here's a new one. I inadvertently combined business with leisure and when I added updates to the Yogini's website (those who know should check out events) it was signing skycat. This concerned me because it's just not that hard to find skycat when you know skycat's name. And skycat doesn't like that. Skycat got bristly. Skycat started talking about herself in the third person. And, at most, skycat is only two. So now, when I sign in anywhere, and that could mean your blog, it will just say sky. Because it is harder to find sky than skycat, unless you are in Wyoming.

2007-02-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

I'm back. The Yogini and I went to Philadelphia. Gone just shy of a week. Working the whole time. Got a bunch of new knitting accounts all across the country. Long days. Short nights. Cold winter air. Stopped in York to visit old friends with a brand new baby - two weeks old! Very very small. Fixed my blog (I think) to allow anyone, even YOU, to comment here. Ordering yarn. Diggin out the rest of the driveway. Making a big pot of veggie stock. And nowhere closer to owning my own home. Hmmmmmmm. Must get a day off (next week?) to drink vodka slushies or have coffee on the farm. You know who you are. Next show 3 weeks away in Jersey. Must keep knitting. And cleaning up cat puke so the in-laws don't notice we still live here.

2007-02-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

I'm it! Thanks Luckybuzzzzz. You know I have a strong sense of responsibility.

A- Available or Single? Isn't that the same thing? I like a single malt and I am available for delivery.
B- Best Friend? Yogini.
C- Cake or Pie? Pie of course. And fruit or pecan. Cake is cakey and why why why would one choose that over a flaky crust?
D- Drink of Choice? A glass of wine (+3).
E- Essential Item? LB, I think it's the computer. YIKES!
F- Favorite Color? Blue. Any variety.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Yuck yuck yuck. None of the above - live or sugary.
H- Hometown? Longmeadow
I- Indulgence? Yes, of course.
J- January or February? Um. My birthday is January. Yes, dammit, the whole month. So if you are my friend, you will switch your answer to January.
K- Kids and names? Tyrone.
L- Life is incomplete without…? Food.
M- Marriage Date? Well, before they let people like me get married, my anniversary was December 17th. Then, for a few days, they let us stand in line in the rain, and then it was February 16th. But I still celebrate the December one, though relatives like February. And that's what the certificate says. Did you want the short answer?
N- Number of Siblings? 2+ (I have a half brother who I never really considered in this category til I had dinner with him as a grown up person last year)
O- Oranges or Apples? Oooh. Tough one. I love oranges, but I'm sort of allergic. And apples make pie!!!
P- Phobias/Fears? Bugs in shoes.
Q- Favorite Quote? Haven't said it yet.
R- Reasons to smile? Look around, silly.
S- Season? Garlic.
T- Tag 3 people? I'll try, but I'm not blogskilled, and LB tagged everyone I know.
U- Unknown Fact About Me? I tried out toys for Milton Bradley as a child.
V- Vegetable You Hate? What kind of sick and twisted question is that? Vegetables are super and delicious and nutritious and I love them all. If the Yogini ever leaves me, I'm going veggie.
W-Worst Habit? Saying what I think whenever I think it.
X- Xrays You’ve Had? What exactly is your interest in this? I see a dentist from time to time.
Y- Your Favorite Foods? So many. I cooked a pasta dish last night with spinach and parmesan and breadcrumbs and fake sausage and red onions. And a curry the other night with eggplant and garbanzos and potatoes and peas. And a pot pie last week. And steamed garlic asparagus with mac and cheese and a griller.
Z- Zodiac? Capricorn. All around. With a twinge of Aquarius rising when I admit it. I am also a Rooster.

2007-02-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

I ironed. And I watched cable.
No whiskey, but at some point I ran out to the Sparkle (and by ran, I mean I drove the red pickup truck) and bought diet coke, a frozen pizza and baked doritos. What's happening? I'm knitting today. All day, and no one can stop me. Oh sure, I may watch Crocket and Tubbs later this afternoon. And Monk for sure. But if I watch much more than that I am sure to see hours and hours of anna nicole speculation and boobie and that just does not do it for me.

2007-02-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

I want a day off. The Yogini says take one.
But the Yogini never takes a day off. So I'm going to iron scarves all day long. And that will be my day off. Is that wrong? The thing is, it's cold and snowy here. So even if I took a day off, where the hell would I go? To the couch and the cable, that's where. Not only am I living in a new climate, but in a home with 100 channels. I gave myself permission to watch as much crap as I wanted in the first month, but I'm afraid I might get addicted. I mean, 3 hours of 6 feet under on Mondays!!! Maybe I was watching network tv for too long, but that shit is incredibly titillating. And then it's midnight - an hour I hadn't see clearly since the early nineties. And Mission Bar is not just around the corner. Nothing is. But please do not get me wrong. I love that we moved. Love love love it. So less cable. More ironing. Fair exchange? I think not. Yet.

2007-02-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

Uggghhhhhhh new blogger.
Now anyone can find skycat if they find the yogini's stuff.
And then the mystery that is me is, well, not really a mystery. I'm perplexed. Is that what Prince's first wife calls him, or herself I guess? Did I mention that we (the Yogini) burned a whole in the carpet the other night. Not smoking crack or partying really - though a glass or two of wine could be considered a party these days. And I'm trying to switch my healthcare from one state to another, and why don't they care if I am a vegetarian or incredibly healthy and fit for a chubby person. Excellent blood pressure and cholesterol and all that. BUT no, they just want to know my height and weight, which don't really work in my favor, because muscle weighs more than fat, you know. And, that's irritating. Though more and more studies are showing that the best thing you can do to save the world, aside from mass assassination, is to be a vegetarian. (Not sure if studies actually show the killing thing as a solution, but population is obviously the worst thing, and if everyone left thought just like me.....)

2007-02-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is the Yogini. Not all of her, of course. That's a knitting machine under the couch in the old rooftop cabana. Tomorrow we are going to the shoe guy in Warren to see if he can repair the insides of these boots. Because when the Yogini doesn't have a solid pair of tall black boots, well, you don't want to know. Really. She's also wearing a foxy skirt made by someone named anya. Hmmmmmmmm. That's interesting.

2007-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

So, now that I learned how to do this, I might have a visual blog for a while. This is one of the cats from the roof. She, too, now resides in a basement. She wakes us early and attacks the tiny cat and has, at times, four white whiskers that break and grow back as needed. She sings along and enjoys most food - most recently sweet potato baby food. Short walks and long naps come second only to tummy rubs. Her name is Lucille.

2007-01-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

2007-01-31T05:25:00.000-08:00

Question: How small town can a skycat get in one month?
Answer: I just filled out a Valentine's Day note to be published in the local paper. It's to the Yogini. And I cranked up the gas-powered snow blower and plowed the driveway - picture to follow when I figure out how. See above - wooohoo. And I went through the local coupon book and ate out at a Mexican Restaurant on 5 with a buy one get one free deal. There may be more, but I'm blending in so quickly that I hardly notice. Oh yeah, I circled all the good deals in a flyer for the Giant Eagle that I still call the Golden Eagle - Amy's soups 5 for $10! Going to go walk on the treadmill, do some knitting, then bake a pie for a neighbor who just had a death in the family.

2007-01-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

It seems like so little is happening here. Maybe because it is.
I almost didn't post, and then it happened. My audience grew by like 25%. Very exciting in this part of the basement.

It is indeed difficult to maintain the "cat on roof" facade whilst living below ground. I never even know when it is raining until I have to pee. When I do get out, it inevitably enters every conversation that we have come from San Francisco to Ohio. EVERY person says the exact same thing. Well, first they do the same look. A kind of confused "I must have misheard that" head tilt. Then they say it. Why. They all ask why, like why did you jump off that bridge or why did you put your hand on the hot burner or why did you put pickles in the lime jello. And they all live here. And I bet (and the Yogini agrees) that almost none of them have ever even been to California. So that's fun.

Prepping for next show. After I take a day off and watch prime time in the day time. My credit score is 670.

2007-01-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

I'm back. Sort of. Or, I'm here.
I have been in my in-laws basement for a month.
And no, this is not a plea for help.
It's actually been rather enjoyable.
They let me out and the Yogini and I have been
wandering the northeastern part of the state
looking for a home of our own. Slow going.
Made it east with less $$ than we hoped for.
And sales were so good this year that we
need to send our old state about $5K in tax money
next week. But it's going to happen.
And I'm going to give this blog a try. Again.

2006-12-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

3 nights left.
All the plants are gone.
Sleeping on the couch.
Shipping 17 boxes with some guy with a pickup.
But he gave me his pastor's number for a reference.
He's coming to get them after we're gone.
So much yarn so little time.
This haiku went bad long ago.
Can't sleep past four.
Not from cat.
Ohio is warmer than Frisco.

2006-12-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Letters are cool. Pack pack packing.
Give give giving away. Sell sell selling on craigslist.
And stressing about staying in crappy ass motels as we
cross america. They are so icky to me. I would sleep in the car if
that wouldn't somehow be more exhausting and stanky. I think.
Yogini returned. sigh. Shipped 66 boxes with some guy in some truck, and
per his last email, he was in wyoming this morning having missed out on a storm
in salt lake city. i seem to be losing my capitals. along with various other important tools. leaving in less than a week to surprise my inlaws on xmas day. happy hannukah.

2006-12-10T05:48:00.000-08:00

Doing shows doing shows doing shows. Done today mostly. Yogini will be done in Chicago tonight. Tomorrow I must pack everything we own except for what I can't figure out and what we need to wear around town. Tomorrow night I will load the cats into the Lumina for a drive to the airport - Oakland - to pick up the Yogini and to try out their travel legs. Tuesday morning I will load up 210 square feet of our lives in cardboard onto some guy's truck and hope it will arrive safely in my new home state. Then I go proofread then I meet the Yogini at our actual last show then then then then.

The big wheel is turning fast these days. When the apartment is empty and the orders are knit and triple a tells me the best way to avoid snowy mountains maybe I will get a cold becuase the stress level will have diminished oh so low. Did I mention 5 appointments in 8 days - eye doctor, girl doctor, general doctor, house doctor and savings doctor. And 3 social event goodbyes. And The Yogini and I will try to celebrate eleven years together right in the middle of all that. Because we kissed for the very first time over a decade ago next Sunday, shortly after Luckybuzz asked the Yogini if she was coming home and I answered back "no" hoping she wouldn't notice that the Yogini didn't say it and hoping the Yogini wouldn't disagree. And, you already figured out, she did not. And so now I am moving to Ohio. Who would of thunk it. Really, who?

2006-12-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

My friend - the pretty tall boy - and I decided to write one of these of our own. Here it is. If you have the time to read it then you have the time to do it.

1. Ever swim with a dolphin or feed a carnivore?
S-I've cooked for meat eaters.
PTB-Never swam with a dolphin, Well maybe, I was in the
ocean at the ame time they were. Maybe we were playing
hide and seek, and they forgot to tell me I was IT. I
feed the Carnivores all the time, Sometimes I feel
like I am living in the Jurrasic Period.

2. When was the last time you pretended to be someone
else?
S-Yesterday. The Yogini was home and it was easier to just
say I design all the knits.
PTB-I do it all the time to Vendors on the phone. But on
a daily basis, I pretend that I am a wealthy socialite
who travels the Globe in search of adventure, or a
coffe house.....Then I have to pop back to reality and
take the next call.

3. What fruit should never be in a fruit salad?
S-Grapefruit (really, citrus in general)
PTB-Me

4. Who is the most famous Person you have ever met?
S-I sat next to Paul Newman at a play in Connecticut.
PTB-I Didn't meet her, but I sat next to Tracy Ullman
and her husband....OK, I was excited. I did met Will
Wheaton, and several National TV News people who are
important to some.

5. What dream of yours has actually come true?
S-So freaking many. I don't usually notice til a week
later though. But I did dream about finding a heart
and then I took a walk when I woke up and found a
heart. And I'm not talking Oz.
PTB-Oh! so many have come true. But I would have to say
it was the one where, I found a dollar on the ground
and decided to by a candy bar, and then won a
faboulous trip to the factory, were a man in a purple
hat left me the whole schebang, and I lived with
little people, until my cousin visited, and we decided
to take a trip to Hazard county and make moonshine,
and drive around in a fast car with a confederate flag
on the roof. ( Pissed of the visitors from New England
) Anyway, after several months of reliving the same
day, I decided to see what was happening in
England.....Not much, so I decided to take a boat ride
back on the TITANIC, which turns out to not have been
a good decision. Well luckily, it is actually Women,
children, and those that act like both, first. So I
was saved. After that I came back to Seattle.
I know there are other dreams that have come true but
I can only remember one at a time.

6. If you could be a Natural Wonder, Would you be a
Volcano, or a Mountain.
S-What, do you have something against all the other
wonders? like woman, boy and ball? And what do you
mean IF I could be a natural wonder? Hellooooo! Have
you met me?
PTB-I would be a VOLCANO. In Fact I would want to be
Krakatoa, Which is East of Java, It's full of molten
bodies, and FIERY LAVA.
No, Actually I think I would want to be Vesuvius, I
would tower over the Bay of Naples, my birth was the
slamming of two tectonic plates pushing the land of
Italy (which I helped create ) into Europe at the
rate that your finger nails grow. I would bask in the
Sun, and do a little show every couple decades.

7.Other then the really obvious, have you ever named
one of your body parts - or someone else's?
S-I call the Yogini's rear area after her business.
PTB- Yes, I cannot remember what I called them, But I
did name Ears once. I should do that again actually.
Because they are so cute.

8. If you could touch objects,with your small toe, on
your right foot, on every other Sunday, in months that
ended with Y, and they would change into one kind of
thing. What would that thing be.....

S1That is so weird. I did touch something with my
small toe...on my RIGHT FOOT...in - get this - JULY!!!
Well, what happened next is still hard to talk about.
Suffice it to say that I am no longer using maple
syrup and I won't get out of bed before 6:17.
PTB-Well, If it was me. I would make everything I
touched on those few magical days.......Silver. Why
silver you ask. Because it is pretty.
I would make all sorts of things silver on that
magical day. Including these few things as listed
below.
Hot Dogs, ( How many silver Hot dogs have you
seen....I bet it is zero. If I had this magical power,
I bet to venture, you would see a couple. )
Dradels, Just because it is close to Hanukkah.
Fire Hydrants, Because Dogs like to pee on important
things too.
Pilings on Docks, This way, we would have no more
stinky Creasote logs, and the pilings would last a
very long time, and we would not need to chop
additional trees down.

9.Who is the most compassionate person you know?
S-It's a toss up between two people I love. One thinks
Bob Barker is the most compassionate person around and
the other knits.
PTB- Bob Barker. He loves those animals, and those
Beauties.

10. Favorite Place to Skinny Dip.

S-Like you have to ask. Can you say Wenatchee?
PTB-I love Wenatchee too......I do miss the high dives
at Madison Beach, though.....

11. Strangest place you've been naked.
S-A cemetary where I partly slid down a tree
(ow!ass)til I was caught by a great big homo.
PTB- A Cemetary next to Volunteer park.......I was
Drunk. So were they. I played leap frog, over
tombstones, and cuaght naked Lesbians that were
falling from the trees.

12. Strangest Person you ever had sex with?
S-Someone named tornado and a few other people and the
curtains caught on fire and I thought it looked
pretty. Or was it the emt I picked up at the brass
ring?
PTB-Honestly, there has been more then a couple
WEIRD....ones. I have had STRANGE, as in you are
weird, and somewhat scary, and I have had STRANGE as
in looking, and I have had STRANGE as in not working
well. I am sorry, but I just can't limit myself to
just one. It is kinda like Girl Scout cookies. You
just can't have one.

13. What continent? What country? What city? What
climate?

S-For me, South America, then Spain, then Flemington,
then tropical. All totally unrelated, I see, but all
places I think of when I hear those words.
PTB-Europe, Lichtenstein, Timbuktu,Tropical

14. The Topic is BIRD. The Question is, What kind of
BIRD would you be, if you could be a BIRD.

S-My first thought - big. Second - hawk. Third -
falcon. I shall be Hawky Falcone!
PTB- Bird.Bird. Bird is the word. Bird, Bird, Bird, Bird
is the word. Now that I have let that out of my
system. I would be a DODO, wait! Actually no, that
would me I was extinct. I would be a Penguin. I would
not be a Antarctic Penguin. I would be a Penguin in
the warmer waters of South America.

15. What's the best 5 letter word you can think of
right now, without a dictionary or more than a minute
of contemplation?
S- peace
PTB- IGLOO

16. If you could be in a Walt Disney movie. Which one
would you be in?

S- Old school Robin Hood - I'd like to odilally odilally
all day long!
PTB-This is a hard one for me.........As you should
know, I want to be in all of them. But, If I had to
choose, It would be Bedknobs and Broomsticks. ( In
Search of the Castaways was a close second )

17. If you were lounging on a sunny rooftop with
friends, what would you be drinking? Eating?

S-Fruity sangria and cheetos(!)and coconut popsicles
PTB-I would be drinking Strawberry Concoctions with a
dizzying joy factor of 10, and we would be eating
Cheetos, and Cake.

18. Who would you be out of the Group.......The Mama's
and The Papa's

S-Mama Cass - did you see her moves and of course, the
voice
PTB-I would be John Phillips, He was hip and a cutie.

19. Favorite lyric. (Again, don't think too long on
this. I'll ask again next week and you can change your
answer.)
S-You've just kind of wasted my precious time, don't think twice it's alright
PTB-Mesopotamia B52's

20. What is your favorite Island?
S- Fantasy or that one in the stream
PTB-Bora Bora-I just love the name. I want to wear a grass skirt, and chase people around shouting BORA BORA!!!!!!!!

2006-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

Brrrrrrr. Is it colder in Ohio than it is here? Don't answer. I know the truth. Maybe it's because I'm sleeping alone these days. The Yogini is in Chicago for a week. Shipping out 210 square feet of stuff this week with a guy I found on Craigslist. $500. I think this is good. If all our stuff disappears, at least I'll still have my fancy printer, the knitting machines and the cats. You can start a new life with just that, right? Keep in mind, I'll also have my raspberry duvet. Must get to knitting for the final show. Try to write more when I am warm and out of yarn. P.S. The cold weather seems to have obliterated the last of the slugs. Huzzaaaahhhhhh.

2006-12-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

It's December. I made some fig newtons. Haven't packed a thing, but I did call Amtrak for some shipping info. Here's a question, or a quandry. If I ship 500lbs with the post office and it goes directly to the house I need it at, that will cost me $425. If I ship it with Amtrak, to a train station an hour away from destination, where someone will have to go and pick it up and bring it, it will cost $285. That's $140 for convenience for those of you who are mathematically impaired - no finger pointing. Any thoughts. Note: I don't really have any money, but I've got to get my goods where I'm going, and I am not driving a uhaul crapster all the way across the country in December with the Yogini and 2 cats.

2006-11-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

I think it was the best LKVT ever! And does that look a little too much like LGBT? Hmmmm. Food was freakin' fantastic. Particularly (and I generally prefer savory) the sweet potato casserole with pecan topping. Raw pecans mixed with a dash of cayenne, cumin, salt, brown sugar and, as a substitute for egg white, 2 tablespoons of homemade applesauce. Num. Also got a bunch of fresh figs from the garden and I cooked them up ALL day yesterday so that sometime this week I can make my homemade fig newtons. If only I had a good floral apron. Must move from computer to knitting. Drew up my final dry erase calendar for California this morning. Many show days few knitting days. And I'm thinking we should pack up our stuff sometime. What am I doing here with you peop...

2006-11-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

Gobble gobble gobble. Slept in today. Never happens. Ever. But I guess since everybody has today off, the entire Mission decided to get a good drunk on and rip the neighborhood to pieces. There was screaming and yelling and car alarms and police sirens and a brief rainstorm (probably not caused by the drunks) and Lucille hissing at Foxy (again, not necessarily drunk-related) and then, to top it all off, a car horn that some dumb ass sat on for about 20 minutes shortly after 4am. If I had the strength, I would have packed a bag, jumped in the car and headed for my new life in the early morning hours. But, the Yogini reminds me that it is exactly a month from today that we could potentially hit the road. Yee. Haw. Sleepy. Having Little Knitter's Vegetarian Thanksgiving. Whilst knitting. It is quite a masterpiece of flexibility and gourmet cookery. Have a slice of blueberry pie for the Yogini.

2006-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've been ignoring the slugs. And the move. And I told you that that was all I had right now. So am I swirling in empty darkness? No. Remember, this is Skycat.I am also even not going to proof today. Huzzah! Of course, I will knit. I sent the Yogini out for a morning walk. And now, for 20 minutes or so, I will pretend I am in my new home where there are many rooms and even if you really really love someone, you can be alone without wandering the streets. Where you are not alone anyway. And the morning drunks are sure to remind you of this as you sidestep feces and vomit and....sorry, it's early here, so this might be the first thing I read today. No more talk of icky street goo. There will be a few inches of snow at Tahoe today. Fog for me. If I fall asleep on the couch Lucille is less likely to wake us through the night. Also, if I sleep on the inside of the bed, rather than the edge, I can ignore her late night scratchings and leave it to the Yogini. Shhhhh. Don't tell her.

2006-11-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

It was early morning yesterday...I was up before the dawn. Okay, I'm actually referring to today. Lucille Gardenia - and that is her actual name, I DON'T CARE - keeps waking us up all night long. All night. She is nearly ten years old and she has never figured out how to let me sleep through the night. When we get the big house she will sleep in the basement or at least two closed doors away from me. (If anyone other than my Two Readers is reading, perhaps they think I am planning to lock my child in the basement - tee hee.) Today I will knit only black yarn and it shall hence forth be known as black tuesday. And that will be a good thing, because I am out of all scarf sizes in black.

2006-11-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the rooftop. Very very very bad show this weekend. Sold almost nothing. But there were only 9 slugs tonight. Too bad you can't buy a house with a sack of slugs. The Yogini has serious breck-girl hair. Right now. I'm looking, and it's true. Been having a recurring dream, and I didn't notice it was about anything much until I described it over coffee. Just a journey through semi-country to a house. The house is cool - warm, actually - but all I ever really focus on is the trek to the house. And I couldn't figure this out? Yup, it's true. And that is an excellent illustration of capricornious-naivete. (See, I'm on a journey to get a house far from the city....)

2006-11-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Slugs appear to have disappeared. But first, birthday margaritas turned to wine, margaritas, whiskey then beer. Does the old adage apply in this instance? Can I never fear? Am I sick, and I just haven't noticed yet? Fun and laughter from the rooftop to the velvet cantina to the latin american club. Proofing, but trying to keep up on this thing. Only two slugs last night and one was already dead. Putting out beer again tonight - for slugs, not women. We'll see.

2006-11-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

Slug update: It took me two days because the first attack was a disaster. No, they did not attack back, but there were no captures. Tried this thing (with beer, of course) where you cut off the top of a water bottle and then invert it in bottle, lay it on its side and wait for them to crawl in...because supposedly they can't get out. Not true. They all got out. So, we set out (oh, and by we, I mean the Yogini)5 beer plates and planned an ongoing slug retrieval for last night. Every hour she donned her head lamp and a bag and then cleaned the traps. We didn't play cards last night, but the Yogini did get in a round of.....52 pick-up!!!! Tonight we celebrate her birthday with margaritas and friends. Tomorrow, we go back in. (And by we, I mean she.)

As per move - as slugs and move are all I've got right now - saw an awesome house with a 3 car detached garage (studio) and 4.5 acres. Just barely outside of preferred town. Sending in the relatives to check it out. Whilst drooling and dreaming.

2006-11-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

And I forgot to mention the slugs. We have a...rooftop....garden and who the hell knew. There are hundreds of them. That is no exaggeration. They only come out at night, so I am even more frightened than I should be. Last night in the pouring rain they started a march indoors. I was drying a wet cat when I saw them. And screamed and ran and sent the yogini to the front. How to be green and peaceful and yet destroy them all? I have done some research. I know what to do. If only I had ducks.

2006-11-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

The yogini and I are moving across the country to the state that makes them all say why. And a minute ago I got shaky and nervous and thought that maybe I should take valium from now til then so as to not get too disturbed. Then I thought about how that goes against most of what I think I believe and I decided to try to feel the feelings I'm feeling even though many of them are super scary right now. Not to suggest that they are not surrounded by excited and hopeful and curious. They are. But those don't make me quake in this particular situation.

2005-09-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

It is the last day of September and mother nature seems to have finally remembered that this is our summer. Throughout July and August, it is customary to wear several layers of clothing because of the ever-changing temperatures that are more than likely to fall below fifty degrees. San Franciscans wait patiently for the children to return to school, knowing that the sunshiny weather will also return around the same time. (And, the kids are in school, and not on the street or in every store or your house or other places!) Well, this year we waited. And waited. And September arrived with a chill in the air. And even a little rain. We all grew concerned, recognizing the cold, moist temperatures as a trademark of December or maybe November. We wondered if the rains would be upon us and gray skies would fill the fall. And then, just a few days ago, September summer began. A few more flowers bloomed and we hung our laundry out on the line to dry. Families started going for walks in the evening, to enjoy the first cool breeze of the day. On the ferry, I moved from my indoor seat to the deck, because, finally, the sun was able to compete with the blowing wind off the bay. As our summer begins, I hope you are enjoying the changing colors of fall. (I heard that nobody on the west coast reads these things.)

**Pedestrians and cyclists are different species. Remind me to tell you about Shantina.

2005-09-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's been just over a month. I kept saying (to myself, as seems to be the case for the last 30 days) I would get back on it before a month had passed. Nothing too crazy happened - I did help birth a baby - but I'm not recently revived from a coma or just out of prison. And yet, day after day after day, nothing. Not a word. And now, here I am, and looks what's happening. I'm going to start back slow. Maybe a few sentences a few times a week. Perhaps a profundity as it occurs. I'm marrying some people tomorrow - officiating - a celbrant - a reverend - the preacher. The ceremony will be in the Marin headlands on the west side after you cross the golden gate bridge. There will be a circle of guests on a cliff overlooking the ocean from far above it. I'm even doing a handfasting variation for the first time. Yeehaw. The baby birthing was really the biggest deal. Second time I've been in on one of those. She came out perfect. Pink and sweet and whole and cute. Right away. I know it sounds made up. It's not.

2005-08-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Did I say I was going to knit? Yes, of course I said that. But knitting I have not done. I have read the words of Luckybuzzzzzz (luckybuzzz.blogspot.com), and I am shamed. Not a-shamed, so don't get feisty. But there she is busy and distraught, and yet she can ramble with the best of them. And me? Not knitting. Not dancing. Not helping to deliver a baby - yet. I could use the excuse that Mama Brown and Papa Brown will be parents any minute now, and I am meditating and practicing my coaching techniques. But, as you may have guessed, some of that would be a lie. I have been sending out positive birthin' energy across town, since Papa Brown is now on maternity leave, and there's really no reason to wait any more. But sending energy doesn't take all that much time or effort. Unless I'm doing it wrong. I plan to go see Tom Petty and the Black Crowes on Friday, with Smokey and The Yogini. But again, this barely explains why I have been sitting around doing nothing. Unless I am listening to albums (how old am I?) and practicing lyrics so that I will be ready for the show. Alas, I am not. But now that I bring it up, I wonder if I should be doing that too, whilst I knit. Ah, to knit. Perchance to dream. I should be writing a wedding ceremony for Fat Bat and the Lost Dog, too. We met last week to figure out the ceremony, and I have a lot to work with. Maybe I am more like Lucky than I thought. I am sure the others think I am on it. And I will be, for sure. Everything is bound to get done. But I am motivated like a snail. In soft, dry sand. Who is drunk. And has a full bar, a bbq and a cozy bed with a new comforter in its shell. Yet, strangely, I have none of those things.

I just stepped away for a few minutes while I rolled dough and put a batch of cookies in the oven. I've done something! Of course, this particular act seems to further implicate me. As a lazy bum, I mean. I did have to search around for ingredients. And then for a recipe that didn't require eggs, as I have none. For cooking, that is. And cookies really are best with a cup of tea, so I filled the pot and turned on the stove and took out cups....you see where this is going. I've been a busy little bee. I think I should sit back and relax now. And have some cookies. Implicate? Dimple bait? Simple mate?

2005-08-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

If you watch the news at all - and maybe you don't because blogs are your source for current events - you may have heard about a humpback whale that washed onto the shore in Half Moon Bay. That whale is not the aforementioned whale of my beautiful day. I'm not just saying this to make me feel better, though I might if I thought it was necessary. That whale washed up the day before my sighting. Of course, this means there is still sadness attached to my superday. Our whale probably hung with the other one. Maybe they were related. Maybe they were dating. So unless, as I tried to convince myself the other day, whales celebrate death because it is tiring traveling the seas for hundreds of years, this was probably a bummed out humpback giving me such joy. Hmmmm.

So, I "marched" 11 miles today. Or I just walked. But three and a half were walked from the Mission to West Portal to see March of the Penguins. And three and a half were walked home. And though there was an extremely steep and mountainous hill to climb and descend, those penguins really endure a hell of a lot more. Every year. Most of the year. Have you been wondering about my math? If not, you should have. But me add good. The Yogini and I did a morning walk earlier in the day to get breakfast, and then to check on the newly planted vegetables in the garden. To my surprise, they were all still there and seemingly pest free. Shook a few pears from a tree and thought of Steve Miller.

About the penguin movie - if you haven't seen it, here's my opinion. I love documentaries. I love nature. I have been a fan of National Geographic for a long time. Starting to wonder where this is going, and if it is going downhill? Yes and no. It was cool and beautiful. The location was stunning and freezing beyond what human folk can really comprehend. The story had the ups and downs that come with nature. The sort of stuff that reminds me time and again that nature sucks. And (or but) it was made kid-friendly, even the steamy sex scene with slo-mo and pump music. I liked that it was made and put on big screens. I just wonder why the thousand other documentaries with just as interesting animal and nature filmage were not. And probably will not. I've seen better. And that's my review. I wondered the whole time how many feathers per square inch (FPSI) these penguins have. And I wondered how the human crew stayed warm. And I wondered if it is hard for nature film makers to stand by and watch animals die, or if they are just at peace with nature sucking.

Made little pizzas for dinner tonight for crappy movie viewing Saturday. Fake sausage, new potatoes, fresh oregano, red onion, garlic and mozzarella. Tomorrow I shall knit. Oh yeah, the crappy movie is on tv. It's Futureworld from 1976 - Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner in the sequel to 1973's Westworld. Fantasy land with robots and the scrappy fella from the Rockford Files. Hard to write....must watch bad good movie....Peter Fonda glasses so big.

2005-08-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not suggesting that you have to see a humpback whale to have a good day. I don't believe you need to wake up in a forest with towering redwoods and fir trees, either. You certainly don't need to have a morning campfire, steamy coffee and a warmed croissant with melted cheese. And every good day doesn't include waking up next to The Yogini the morning after a 5 mile hike up a mountain. But, if you have even one of those things, and I am saying this from experience, it is bound to be a day to remember and one worth savoring. Because how likely is it that any of these things will happen again any time soon? I can't say for sure. I can say that if I had to choose between a full-time job with lots of pay and working for myself so that I could have days like this last one, the answer would be B. Because...I SAW A HUMPBACK WHALE TODAY!!!!! Not to negate all the other wonderful stuff, like the one I forgot to mention, stopping on the way home and planting vegetables in the garden. Or walking downtown this afternoon with The Yogini and planning for our future. But, as we turned out toward the coast,halfway between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, and we had just passed Pescadero beach, I asked The Yogini to let me know if she saw a whale. Then, and I swear I am not making this up, three seconds later I looked out and there was this great beast rising out of the water to take a look around. Luckily I screamed with joy, so The Yogini could see her too. I have been known to spot "seaweed" sea creatures on occasion. We pulled over and jumped out and climbed a ridge. Two guys were there, and they asked if we'd seen the humpback. We giggled and answered something that meant yes. Then we scanned the sea for her. And there she was again and again and again. Her tail. Her blowhole blowing spray into the air. Her huge body caressing the waves. Or the waves caressing her huge body. I don't know. It was, needless to say, hard to leave. Each time we said goodbye and asked for a final glimpse, she agreed and showed up. There is probably more to this story, but I have to keep you coming back. Can you rhyme something GOOD with humpback?

2005-08-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

I got off the ferry into the sunshine and headed down the Embarcadero towards the ballpark. I wasn't headed to a game, I just wanted you to get a sense of my route. I ride this path several times a week, and I enjoy it much more than anything that takes me near Market Street. I can forget about the misery and violence and mental illness and even the stench of my fair city if I can just stay away from Mission and Market. So I do. So I ride along in the bike lane next to the defeated commuters who herd themselves toward the freeway and parts unknown. Sounds busy, but it is a smooth ride and the lights work with me. I don't actually go as far as the park, I turn off just before at Townsend, where there is a bakery called Town's End, a restaurant that has fondue night on Wednesday and an apartment building called Mutiny on the Bounty or Crushing Waves or some other deep sea sort of thing. This is a block past Brannan and it was when I got there that I felt someone on my tail. And then I heard him. Just a little whirring noise every ten or fifteen feet. It started to disturb me. I imagine that this is because one of the ferry workers kind of pissed me off on the boat. I've sailed with these fellas 40 or 50 times in the last few months, and I know where to put my bike. I wait until all the rental bikes are stowed and then I lay it gently on the last one. I like my bike. Well, one of the seamen felt a need to exert his power on me today, and started yelling at me across the crowded deck to put it somewhere else. I ignored him and took care of things, but I guess it stuck in my craw. So the repeated buzzwhir right behind me wasn't greeted with enthusiasm. I figured that since I was turning off at the next block I could handle it. So I turned. And the whirbuzz came right along with me. This was too much. I came to a near stop and turned my head. I don't do that a lot on my bike. I've got places to go. It turned out it was only a mere messenger boy. His message to me: sorry. Pretty lame, he suggested, to be drafting a girl. He'd been riding all day though, 35 miles or so, and he was tired. I laughed and said it made sense to me. So hang on. Okay, I didn't say the last part, but I told him it was no problem, as I'd just gotten off a boat and I had strength enough for two. And I rode. Much like the wind. And he drafted and chatted and told me about his day, and how he'd almost seen a car/bike fight when a messenger laughed at a car in traffic and said he hoped the gas prices hadn't gotten too high. He really had a lot to say for a tired rider. I laughed occasionally and agreed once or twice. Then, after about a mile, and a history of the traffic problems over the years on this particular road, he headed off to his last delivery of the day and told me he'd owe me a beer on pay day. Only problem, he added, was that it was pretty hard to find him on pay day. Then I was on my own, remembering a tired me last week on this same stretch of road. As a girl on a bike, there are certain hazards or annoyances that one must accept. There are others that one can ignore and taunt. Almost daily I am passed by boys who don't actually ride as fast as I do, but who can't stomach the possibility that they will be seen trailing a female. They stand up on their bikes and peddle their asses off until they are about a half a block ahead, then they settle into a speed that is still faster than they are used to. But at least they are not pulling up the rear. Which is funny, because I always enjoy a nice rear view. Anyway, last week, when I was tired and had a ways to go, one of these boys struggled past me, and rather than laugh him off, I picked up my pace and steered against his back tire. I drafted that little fuck for ten blocks. So today, when messenger boy - he never told me his name, but neither did I - needed a rest, I figured it was my due.

2005-08-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here goes another (lame) attempt to make something happen on this page. That's how it feels right now, anyway. I really get how people who work full-time jobs lose time for all the other interesting stuff. I myself don't have one, but I have. Oh, I have. Worked full-time over half my life thus far. Luckily I got laid off a couple of times in the last two years. And laid on, too. Or lain. Which is a nice segue to how I'm filling up the hours these days. Back to the land of proofreading - and I know this sets me up for all you pompous correctors to abuse - from whence I came long ago. I guess I've been proofreading since about a week or two after I learned to read. It was bound to happen. People are always spelling things wrong and using multiple tenses in the same sentence. And where I came from, the use of a word like "ain't" could actually cause a ruckus at the town hall or L'il Peach or, if it was a Friday night, the Friendly's parking lot. And I was on it from the first. I and me were never casual words in my world and if you tried to toss them around without a license, I was the annoying punk who was going to do something about it. And then I decided I liked having friends, so I gave it all up. Started smoking pot and sneaking out of school to drink wine coolers in the gully. Couldn't help but get A's in English, but I managed to hide my linguistic ways most everywhere else. Barely made it into college, so I dropped out lest anyone start to wonder. And it was shortly thereafter that Shazam told me about a job at a publishing company. And since, at the time, I was slicing meat and stocking coolers and getting to know all about who really reads Playgirl, I crossed a picket line - and I know this sets me up for all you pompous teamsters to abuse - and got me a job reading words and fixing mistakes. And not just any old words and mistakes - legal jargon, legalize, codes and laws and the kind of things the general public (often misprinted pubic) think they're ready for but couldn't handle without proofers like me. And so I proofed and I read and I reread and I stetted occasionally, used carats and colons and squiggles and slashes and even, when necessary, I talked to editors. And then, I stopped all that. Different reason than in my youth. Won't go into my heroic gesture, but it was clearly time to step away. And I did. Far away. Went back to slicing meat. Tongue. Mortadella. Did I mention I've been a vegetarian longer than I've been working full-time? Tried a few ventures - lovin' and teachin' and researchin' and combinations of the three. But I'm back with the words now, and I'm afraid that the more I read and earn money for rent, the less I get the urge to write when the day is done. But I'm trying. And I wonder if anything rhymes with mortadella.

2005-08-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

I know - from the 5th to the 11th without a word. For a boring old married person I must have been busy. Or so you would think. I realized a few things over the past week while I wasn't writing. It may have been silly to tell so many of the people I know about this thing. They may come to expect something from me, like words. Also, now when I get the urge to write about the silly or odd or interesting things they do, I have to consider if they too would find it silly. Or not. Makes a girl think she should start blog2 - but girl can't keep up with blog1, so....NO. What else did I think of in the last week? I thought a bunch about my friends. I saw a bunch of my friends. Which reminded me why I complain to myself or more likely The Yogini when I am missing them. Even the ones that live down the street. My friends are cool and fun and good to be around. I've caught a glimpse or two of other people's friends, and I am glad to be me. Sure, Azucar flew in and spent three nights - nonconsecutively - and she can fairly be considered the cream of the crop. Probably nobody ever said that about her before. Or about a friend. But I was thinking about pizza and tops and looking for something verging on clever. And then that happened. You might remember that there were a few out-of-towners here a week or so before. And I know no other people who would have played a full day of pig tossing and so, they must be considered the crow's toes. And then Mama and Papa Brown. At the baby shower, Papa B got up for his baby's mama to thank everyone, AND, he read each and every book they got. He has thousands of readings ahead of him, but there he was " a bah and a moo and a cock-a-doodle-doo." And Mama B, the very next day at Ms. Highlights and The Rocker's wedding, with her hair all sweet and curled, laughed and laughed and even danced with Papa B to the delight of all us onlookers. There are so many more sweet pictures floating around in my head. And, though it would seem appropriate to keep writing, I am not going to. I'm achy and cranky and feeling like I do every month or so about this time, and I am logging off. I will write more. I will write more often. I might even have something interesting to say. But not now. I've got to go write my dissertation. Or was that someone else? What do you think rhymes with dissertation? And, by the way, I was hoping for delight and surprised by insight.

2005-08-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

That's right, I've been cooking. I had to leave the sunshiny rooftop at noon to go earn a little money, and I left more than beautiful weather behind. The Yogini and Azucar were laughing and drinking Fat Tire when I went. And when I returned it looked much the same, only they had added a Chicken. And I am not talking poultry. And grits ain't groceries. They were a jolly threesome and I was a grumpy me-some. I decided the best way to get over my mood was to start preparing for tomorrow's event. Chopping onions and garlic usually fixes things. It took a while, and some ginger grating, potato peeling, chutney brewing and spinach fixing, but it did the trick. Also, watching Chicken and Azucar stem the most humongous bag of spinach in town was nice. I could watch that most Friday nights. What annoyed me and how does this prove I am nuts? Listening to at least an hour and a half of Led Zepplin on full blast. Spilled beer on the deck and the "attempt" to clean it by spraying 1/3 of the deck with water - and I was in socks and no shoes. People asking me what to do. Sad puppy drunk faces. Drunken babble. Yeah, I got issues. But the food has turned out nice so far. And by nice I mean yummy good. Just have to transfer the chutney from the pan to the jar. Then I think bed is the best place for me. And yes, I do know how early it is. There is so much more weekend ahead of me, though. And I don't have a bumper pool table. And I haven't come up with a good word by accident yet, and I'm not sure if one will slip in if I just keep writing this sentence. Nope, the sentence is over and there's no fancy word worth rhyming in sight. But do any cool words rhyme with sight other than blight and ignite?

2005-08-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Luckybuzzzzz just set up The Yogini with blog capabilities. That's what os9 does to you. If only Shazam was here, we would could climb up on the upper roof and dance naked in the wind. Smokey would probably get in on the fun too, without going upper deck or naked. Ms. Highlights could forget for a moment that she will be married any minute and she could spit irishItalian curses at the hotel keeper. Mama Brown, if she could stay up this late, would try to calm all of our insanity and Luckybuzzz would just be so damn glad to be on the rooftop that she would smile smile smile and remember to herself that she is no longer a smoker. Azucar is somewhere over Nevada sleeping off last night's drunk, and it's almost time to get in the silken Lumina with JakBJak to fetch her and bring her home. And those are the people in my neighborhood.

2005-08-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call last night - well, a message - from a long time friend (we met almost 18 years ago). He was giddy and he said he is moving to San Diego. I don't know the details yet, but it sounds pretty good to me. Why, you are wondering? Especially if you knew that he WAS living outside LA in Santa Monica, which, according to my California map is closer to SF than SD. The answer - two words - Jet Blue. Or is it JetBlue? Either way, it's a fabulous ticket to Long Beach and I think it costs less than the drive down there would, considering the Bush Family & Friends Plan which has raised the price of gasoline to just under the national deficit. So, I must have been thinking about this friend of mine when I went to sleep last night, or at least thinking about San Diego, because I had a dream about another long time friend (we met almost 33 years ago). She has lived in Oregon and Alaska and Oregon for many years. But in my dream, she called to say she was moving down to San Diego. Now in her case, this is a shorter distance no matter how you look at it. But I just couldn't wrap my brain around her moving to a city, and I was pretty distraught about it. What does this have to do with you or religion or politics? Nothing as far as I can tell. Just trying to keep my fingers tapping, and this is what I came up with.

Since you have been so patient, and you keep reading even when I go on about almost nothing, I will share something that could affect my credibility in the future. I'm willing to risk it, especially since it is possible that there are only two people reading this, and one of them is me. I've been watching Rock Star INXS. From now on I will give that an alias. If you can think of a good alias for a show that pretends to be hard core and calls INXS a rock super group and has a chick named Brooke calling Dave Navarro (self-proclaimed poster child for rockers) her best friend at least twice a show, please let me know. Right now I am leaning towards Le Crap and Kick Ass! or possibly Ass Kiss. Why, then, am I watching week after week? Apparently, I'm not very busy that time of night. Also, they actually have to sing rock-type songs and where can you see that without paying eighty bucks? Alright, there is no excuse for this type of behavior. At least I do not vote. For the future lead singer of INXS, I mean. I try to vote for politicians when I get the chance. It doesn't seem to work. Maybe I should vote for the tv stuff - it would be the first time my vote ever bagged a winner - if it worked. I guess I'm not willing to risk that as freely as I'm willing to risk my reputation.
Hmmmmmmmm. Enough divulging for today. And I think I will make that the word of the day: Divulge. Other than "my bulge," what rhymes with that?

Oh yeah, and I've been slacking in the recipe arena. This weekend I will be preparing some appetizers for a baby shower. We'll be having samosas made with a vanilla yogurt dough, fresh ginger, potatoes, sauteed onions and peas. I will serve these with a side of mango, apple, nectarine chutney (those are the fruits that have been ripening too long on the baker's rack). I'll also be serving my classic baked brie with sliced almonds and garlic, wrapped in The Yogini's puff pastry. Of course, we will roll out about a hundred spinach balls, prepared with fresh chopped spinach, onions, garlic, parmesan, butter and the secret ingredient - don't go no-name on this - Peppridge Farm Herb Stuffing Mix. For dessert, we will have a make your-own-sundae bar with hot fudge, caramel, peanuts, cashews and whip cream. I'll let you know how it goes.

2005-08-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

I ain't talking if I can write. These were the words I just spoke to The Yogini after I hung up the phone. Sure, it wasn't someone I can talk to very often or for long, but really, what it was about was opportunity. With a capital O. Ends in Y and so do I, almost. Maybe it would be better if I did talk this out first. Seems to be going in uncertain circles heading nowhere. Possibly. Or am I being presumptious? We shall see.

I wrote camping bits yesterday - about the drive and the hike. And I wrote a letter to France (an individual, not the country, but in the country, though with a different name) today and babbled on about last year's baby deer and bunnies and the after dinner walk with the white-faced cows. And so, what I am getting at is this: I cannot write the same thing twice. The same story anyway. This enhances the challenge of keeping you entertained, while assuring one-of-a-kind documents a- traveling to and fro. And thus. It came about when I remembered that I didn't remember what I last wrote (not here, duh, that's easy enough to figure out) so I determined to remove the risk of redundancy. Really.

In the spirit of coming up with something new, I can't think of a damn thing. I guess you have been updated, sort of. And the computer seems to be working, so I could, potentially, come back later and embellish. Doubtful. Other than relish, what rhymes with embellish?

2005-08-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

I know I say this often, especially upon return from the north woods, but I've got to get out of the city for good. Driving back today, though pleasant for a while, turned into traffic and then it all became cement and unhappy people living obscenely, whether in poverty or wealth. This is no good for me. What is good for me? Well, once Red and The Pagan finally showed up (why do I expect people to show up on time, they are not me) we drove out of town. Took about a half hour in the middle of the day just to reach the bridge. Yuck. Followed by yum. Over the Golden Gate and to the woods.....The whole ride, we were in the shadow of turkey vultures and hawks coasting over the golden fields. Cows and newly shorn sheep in every other farmer's pasture, and goats and horses and baby horses trying to walk and once, a couple of zebras! Yes I am in California not Zimbabwe. When we hit the coast and turned right at the Bodega Bay Lodge where we stayed with MG (need an alias from you) once and swam in the freezing pool after soaking in the octagonal englassed hot tub, the misty cool fog took over. The breezes were almost too cool for August anywhere else. Stopped at the corner store for some cold ones to celebrate arrival, and then we arrived. Checked out the riverside spots, but decided to head to our usual campground. It was Monday, and though there were a few cars, we alone were camping, so we had our choice of any site in the new growth redwood playground. Red chose the furthest site, and since they were staying three nights, and us only one, and this was their first time here, we went along. With all our gear and food and wood. And our gear is heavier now that we are almost in our late 30's and we camp with an air mattress. Thought that might be all the hiking I would do - back and forth with camping equipment, but I saw that glimmer in The Yogini's pretty brown eyes, and I knew I had to go on. And up. This was the first time I did the hike to the top in a few years, and I found something out. I'm in better shape now than I used to be. It was a pretty serious incline, but it was not too difficult coming up through the trees and jungle-thick shrubs. And when you reach the sunshine at the peak, and the air is like honey, it is absolutely worth whatever it took to get there. We hiked on a bit further on a new path that took us narrowly through berry bushes and ferns. I climbed up a little hill where I suspect the deer sleep at night, and looking out I could see the curves of the coast at Jenner, where the seals gather and the tourists embark on the curviest jags in the coastal highway. The sun beat down and the white caps crashed against the shore and I was very glad I didn't stay at the campsite. More later maybe, but for now I must knit.

2005-07-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here with The Yogini and Ms. Highlights. There was a dress fitting earlier. Then a smoking. Then a snacking. Then some crappy tv viewing. The Yogini just alerted me that she will bake some homemade cookies. Today's recipe will be semi-sweet not savory. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, nuts and the other basic ingredients for your classic cookie. Not vegan. Not beefy. Not fruity. Just cookie. The Y and Ms. H are jibber jabbering, and I figured they would give me some good material for today's post. I may have overestimated. They keep repeating the same things, "namaste" "maroon" "middle-aged aryan swede" and "heehahahaheeheeehaha."

Perhaps I should try to come up with something myself. Updates are easy. We went to the garden this morning to check on our transplants. The night blooming jasmine looks excellent. I suspect it will thrive in the wide open dirt. The lavender looks small. The red poppy has a companion! Now there are two big red flowers looming tall in the middle of our dirt patch. Smaller pile of garbage to clear. I'll keep an eye on that and let you know.

This seems like too big a reach. Trying to stay steady on my old ibook, but, like they say, it's the quality not the quantity, right? I'm going to try to remember that when the cookies come out of the oven. Heading up north to Pomo Canyon tomorrow, so I should have something interesting to say on Tuesday. The combination of beautiful scenery and my beautiful companions (The Yogini (surprise), Red and The Pagan) should make for a noteworthy adventure. If not, I'll make something up. When you're in Texas look behind you.

2005-07-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of things. I'm making that pizza today. Homemade dough with rosemary potatoes, my spinach walnut pesto, goat cheese and fresh basil. I'm making another one too, because one of my friends coming over is about to burst with baby, and I'm not 100% sure she can eat goat cheese. The other one will have a basil red sauce with fresh mozz, fake sausage, grilled onions, garlic and red peppers. Maybe I should put a recipe or a meal up here each time I write. It would make sense. I cook most every day, and don't those pizzas sound yummy?

I went to a memorial last night for the friend I mentioned earlier in the week. I hadn't seen him in years. Guess I sort of mentioned that, too. It was at the bar where I knew him most of the time. I sat in the back at a table where we would gather after locking the doors and sending the drunks on their way. Most of the drunks, anyway. We were still there. There was a song he would always play for me, and I can't quite remember it now. There was a line it - fine fine super fine. The Yogini would try to play The Stones and he would counter with Todd Rungren. It was a messy, ongoing dispute. We'd smoke a bowl and laugh and then do them both over and over again. I found our last email exchange this morning. I sent him a good luck totem and he replied that he didn't quite get it, but that since it was from me it was sure to bring luck anyway. He said he hoped I'd get a month off sometime so I could make the long journey to the bar. About two miles from the rooftop. He said if I needed a sherpa he was available. I'm pretty sure the offer would still stand if he was, so I'm hoping I can use his services down the road some in another more distant place.

That's a couple things I guess. What else? There have been breezes lately, and the cats are staying cool. Saw a place up north for rent and it has a pool. Realized recently that I'm good at school. Like the deck better without the big wooden spool. The blister on the callous is healing since I've stayed away from the weed chopping tool. And. Woke up this morning with a face full of drool.

2005-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Death schmeath. I've been digging in The Yogini's garden lately. Got a blister on a callous, so I know it's working. Today we brought some plants from the rooftop to transplant in the great outdoors. They had been growing up here for several years, but never really growing too big. We decided it was time to lets their roots roam, so we walked over to the Bernal garden with two night blooming jasmines and a pot of lavender. I went right to work digging up the remaining big weeds and plants that had to go. Some of these were potato plants, and when I started in with the hoe, one after another potato rolled into view. By the time I got the whole area turned and smoothed, I had about 15 medium sized white potatoes. There's some rosemary growing in the garden, so we got a few branches and I'm planning to make a pizza with rosemary potatoes, basil, pesto and goat cheese. I do not have a goat. Yet. There's a beautiful red poppy growing near the front of the plot, right in the center. There are a bunch of "sacks" that will bloom soon, I think. I sturdied up the base of the plant with some rocks that I'd turned up in the soil. I did the same thing with the tomato plants we decided to keep. They say tomatoes don't grow well in San Francisco because it never gets hot enough. Someone should tell the plants in our garden. Other than that, there's a little patch of mint that we're keeping for now and that's about it. The Yogini plans to keep working the soil this week, add some nutrients and then start growing for real.

I keep cleaning up trash that people dump in and around the main garden - they can't get into the individual plots because of the lovely wooden fence around them, but they manage to toss in chip bags and bottle caps and other junk. On the steps and by the sidewalk, some people dump what looks like bags of trash. I can't quite figure it out. I mean, I know they are thoughtless slobs. But it almost seems like they bring their garbage bags down and dump them out. Anyway, it's icky, so I've been sweeping it out and weeding between the sidewalk cracks. I do believe that when things are clean, they have a greater chance of staying that way. If folks see garbage and they have garbage, they are just more likely to join up and build the trash heap. This theory can apply in one's home or workspace. And it cannot, too. Guess it just depends.

2005-07-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

If I told you what I was going to write about, you might stop reading. Because you're not supposed to talk about it. But it's on my mind, so I'm going there. Death. Not why or yikes or sob sob sob. Just thinking about dealing with it and not dealing with it and things of that nature. Of course, this isn't random. It struck again in my world. Not up close, but that's kind of what got me thinking on these terms. I did a recap of the deaths in my life, and I realized that by the time most of the folks in my life have died, it hasn't been up close. Or better said, I haven't been up close. Maybe even so far away, that I'm afraid I've forgotten one or two, and that strikes me as a bit wrong. Or a lot wrong. Like the most wrong thing you can do when someone dies is to forget about them. Or not think of them every day. And here's the real kicker,what if they're still alive and you're not thinking of them? That seems to be the case for me quite often. Or, if I'm still thinking of them, I'm a few thousand miles away. Or it seems that way. And I've been doing this for 20 years. Now, I'm not trying to say I'm all evil or bad or ungood or anything. Maybe this is a normal way to deal with the fact that folks are going bye-bye. But except for 3 people (and most of my animals) the people I've known who have died have been far too young according to modern life spans and what would make me happy. So, though I know for sure we're all going to die, and I really think I'm okay with the concept, I'm having some trouble making sure everything is right prior to the big events. I'm not on a karma search or a heaven quest. I'm a Jew at heart. It's just that when I get the call, I'd like it if my first thought wasn't that I wish I'd stopped by one of those times when I thought about. Or that I should have seen it coming. Or that I could have gone to Alaska. Or that if I hadn't been so damn high, I could have been a better friend. Now, on one score, I think I'm doing alright. I do tell people that I love them, and not just at the end of phone calls. But how long is something like that going to last if I haven't seen you in a year or two or seven? I'm not really looking for an answer - though I do love to hear what others think - I guess I just want to put this out there so that maybe I do a better job next time. I'm not sure what that entails. I've known many many people. And I've loved a bunch of them. And people move on and away and that's real. I'm not suggesting that the answer is to call and write everyone I know weekly so that I'll feel better about myself. Stamps are really expensive, especially if you get the breast cancer ones. And I'm pretty sure if I started a crusade like that, the one person I forgot would keel over first and screw the whole thing up. And you can't always be thinking about death, especially as a motivation for life. Or at least I can't. I'm just pretty sure that more and more people I dig are going to die while the world keeps turning and I keep showing up. And I'd like it if the next time I get a call my first thought is a smile or a chuckle remembering our last silly moment. Is that too much to ask?

2005-07-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

I said it was sunny yesterday. Today is HOT. Very few clothes on the rooftop and the cat, the big one, has been melting into the hard wood floor. There's not much we can do for her now. I clipped off a bunch of her fur just last week - maybe I sensed it would get this way. But I don't think it was enough. This isn't a weather report, though, is it? And I'm certainly not a meteorologist. Yet.
The Yogini (my most constant companion) and I took a bike ride this morning. To the ferry building for some organic veggies. And fruits. When we arrived, there weren't many people there yet. I really do get up early. So it started out nice. Chatting with the farmers, or, as I suspect, the pretend farmers. Actors maybe. If they were really farmers wouldn't they be farming? I'm not saying this is bad or wrong. I get it. You gotta do what you gotta do for sales, if that's your business. So they get sinewy acting folk, spray on some tan and soil, and put them out there. The tourists dig it, but I think the locals need the make-believe more. It's kind of like when they help out at the shelter on Thanksgiving. Getting real. Almost. Anyway, The Yogini had her coffee and I had a peach. Not as ripe as the taster they connived me with, but sweet as honeysuckle on the vine. Or a peach. One depressed looking tot pushed a stroller in circles while his aunt kept asking if he wanted to push it all the way to his uncle. He never even faced that direction, and like I said, he was going in circles. I suspect any kid in this situation would look just as dour. At the same time, a slightly older tyke put her Barbie bag on the ground and proceeded to fold herself into it. I wonder when was the last time I knew I could fit in a bag? While I sat, the crowd had grown, so it was definitely time to get what we'd come for and get out. I am not fond of crowds. Mostly it's the people. We filled up our bags with basil and green onions, beets and beans, strawberries and peaches. And red butter lettuce. And dried apricots. We were on our bikes, remember, and I didn't really have a recipe in mind. Then we weaved and bumped out of the snug bustle (dance craze or ladies undergarment, you decide) and rode off into the sunset. Not really. It was nine in the morning and we were headed to...The Mission.

2005-07-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Yogini just told me that if I don't want to have kids, I should not put a baby book on our altar. I suggested that book or no book, that's one accident that is not likely to happen here. A sunny day is hitting the deck hard this afternoon. Which has absolutely nothing to do with the kid thing. All the curtains are pulled so that even the super strong rays can't find their way in. I hope. They're sneaky little bastards. Grinning. I love the sun, but one room on a rooftop filled with an afternoon summer scorch can get to a girl. Even this one, who would be happiest right now or tomorrow or last week or any day that starts with a morning, to be laying on a sunshiny patch of sand beside giant water. I get up early enough to see the dark turn light, and since I'm not usually on that sunny beach, there is not much that makes me more joyous than the first rays catching my grin by the fountain during our earliest chat. I don't wear sunglasses. They make me dizzy. But even if they didn't, I think I wouldn't. Unless I really, really had to. I love the sun on my face. I think that picture is clear now, so I'll try to move on. Remember how I said I am pretty good at figuring out who wants a hello and who prefers an hola? Pretty much set myself up on that one. Walked this morning, which I'll tell you more about in a second. A few blocks from home, deep in the heart of the Mission, I passed a little immigration shop with an old dude sitting out front and I was sure I had it all locked up when he smacked me with a fresh hello in the crispest of ingles. Just when I thought I had it all figured out.... The walk this morning was steep. Up the mountain that is Bernal hill. Everyone we pass has a dog or two, so just to fit in better, I started calling out to mine, who must have run off somewhere. The Yogini was a little embarassed by my antics, but I think it worked, and now they don't think we're a couple of weirdos walking up hill just because. Maybe. The Yogini gets coffee. I have yogurt. We sit and check out wherever we are. This morning we had a surprise visit from a friend I haven't seen in a couple of years. She was wearing all pink, and it was working for her. We talked we laughed we caught up and then she mentioned that her father and her grandmother both died a few weeks ago. "Aside from that devestation," she started her next sentence. Whoa. She is clearly dealing with a ton, and yet there she was, all good and everything. I wonder if that is a feature of aging. She's a year younger than me, by the way, so I'm not gazing into the future. And that seems to be about as random a point as any at which to stop writing.

2005-07-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Mission has a bad rap. It smells. This is true. There are a lot of odors most of the time. I live three stories above most of them, so at home I am fine. When I reach the street there is no telling what will assault me. Nose or otherwise. But. Actually...BUT, in general the people are friendly. One might say neighborly. I might be that one. Sure, it's what you put out there. Aging in the ghetto has mellowed my harsh. I want to be a neighbor. I want to know some of their names. I haven't gotten that far yet. Except for Tommy. He's a guy who walks in circles around the block most of the day. He lives in a "home" a few doors down and I suspect a lithium concoction informs his pace. Or drag. With head hung off to the right. I bumped him with the garage door yesterday. Did I mention he's silent? Not always. If you speak to him his head pops up and he apparently has a lot to say. I found this out a few weeks ago. I figured after ten years of quietly passing one another it was up to me to get things started. I wasn't sure if he'd ever actually seen me - head down and all. I had to decide if it was a hello or an hola. After 10 years I'm pretty good at this. It was definitely a hello. I took the leap and up came the head and the eyes were open and surprisingly alert and off he went. Hi, hi. I know you. I see you. Are you Italian? I get asked this almost as often as I am asked if The Yogini is my twin. No to both. So, this is mostly to say that I wander the Mission a few times a day. And in the last few years (yes, I'm slow - I'm a Capricorn) I've taken the time to smile at passersby. Greet and assist when it seems right or helpful or I have the time, which is most of the time. And in the Mission, almost everyone smiles back and has a kind word. Sometimes two. Tommy had at least fifty-three that day. Not so many when I smacked him with the garage. But generally there is a good exchange. A feeling that we are lucky to have what we've got. That we get more sunshine than the rest of the city. But I can't limit my wandering to the Mission. I haven't aged that much. So I slip into the surrounding districts and then I slip back and hardly anyone notices. Especially in Noe Valley. Sounds pretty, right? They say it "no-we", so it's sing songy. Every December people add an "L" to the street signs and they are always shopping and strolling with newborns and drinking coffee and coming back from a workout. They actually have stuff. Houses and condos and fancy family cars and new clothes and investments and retirement plans and ski passes and nannies and JOBS. And they are well-paid. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you that they have great health plans that include chiropractic and acupuncture and 4 weeks in the tropics. And in the Mission most of the people I pass have shoes. And in Noe Valley this morning I am sure that I passed 50 people on the street and the only one who almost said something (I think he would have if he wasn't so surprised) was a city worker holding a wire while another guy was being hoisted up a pole. Not so much as a smirk from any one of these poor bastards who, boo hoo, had their lattes and were headed off to their, why me, desk jobs where they were going to have to do some work for a few minutes each hour between solitaire and travel searches on the internet. Yeah, the Mission smells pretty bad most of the time. But you can get a good taco and Mr. Thanasi at the corner store will wave to you from across the street.

2005-07-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

I could start out talking about how new I am to this scene. How I just got my first cellphone...ever. Don't have cable or call waiting or a microwave or an i-anything. How the only computers I've ever had were given to me by friends who were concerned I might fall into the past. If I did that it would seem appropriate to follow up with a profound philosophical explanation for my technical retardation. Which is why I won't, because today I don't have one handy. I have a cat on a roof. Two actually. Will that do? I'll try to come at this more prepared or inspired next time. Things are happening here. Here is North America. California. San Francisco. A rooftop.