red lipstick

So we had our first evening in San Francisco. The city sky line was so shallow to me and little. The tallest building paled in comparison to NY's smallest.

The shops we pass are darling and enticing. The clothing thrift store has a giant neon sign that makes me giggle: Out of the Closet. I read it twice before I remember we are in SF and it's funny. How fun! Way more fun than passing a stone building with the engraved markings: THE FEDERAL RESERVE.

We find parking on the street easily. (?) (!) Head towards a greasy, dirty burger joint called Flippers. We see several males loitering out front in tight leather pants, some funky hats, and fashion that won't hit the streets for at least a year. The guys want to hesitate, thinking it's a niche crowd desired for burger serving, yet we proceed. Turns out Flippers is next to a gay bar. Awesome! Can't seem to talk them into going in and getting a soda with me. Maybe next time.

I order my California burger (in California!) and smirk at myself. It's strange to see a menu where any item can be replaced with tofu. It's exciting to be sitting inside an establishment with people who wear Pumas, make an attempt to dress in something different, and no children can be found. Boys with the long swoopy indie hair-dos. Girls who don't shave. People who are different, not suburban people. I miss these kind of people.

I glance at the door and a transvestite walks in with a sundress on and a lot of red lipstick. We lock eyes and I smile in delight. It smiles back. I settle in my seat and decide this is a fun evening already.

The new friends with us are funny and clever and tell us about the city. We share stories and it feels like we have known them for years.

I grab a 6 pack of bottled Strawberry Crush from an earthy grocery store that looks more like a designer warehouse and we head over to the party. Wondering where that happy medium is between the city and the burbs.

la familia

in sepia

and a bonus jazz hand

orange crush

Hey- what should we do with this old couch?


Oh, I dunno. Maybe stick it out front?


Wouldn't that be kind of white trash? It's not PATIO furniture.


Dude, we live in Santa Cruz. Where there is no such thing as white trash.


Alright then help me push it up against these plants.

IBC- not the rootbeer

Wendy! We always remember to send each other Christmas cards. We don't talk often, but I get occasional email forwards. She is one of the few to actually screen the forwards, so I can trust it to be worth my time and they always makes me laugh out loud. Today's was something much different and much appreciated.

It was a news clip about a type of breast cancer. I thought it was a joke initially and waited for a punchline about implants. There was no punchline. It was sad stories about some women with Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

So here is a site with more details that's well-worth your time. Thanks, Wendy.

http://www.ibcresearch.org/

Bally's: Take Two

*6 minutes from home

*clean, white, large brick building

*mall-like parking space

*Why are the stairs so shiny, I don't need shiny stairs at the gym. Dirty stairs would be alright.

*the equipment is brand new, endless rows of treadmills

*Sweet, healthy, youthful kids working at the counter- the kind I went to high school with. They probably get good grades, speak better English than I do, and won't start fights in the parking lot.

* I am offered a free locker key in exchange for my entrance card to be placed on a wooden grid. It's nothing short of valet parking to me.

* I am patiently escorted to the place Zane will be playing. I am concerned. This is the deal-breaker for me. A large room down a short hallway. If a fire breaks out I can grab him quickly. The room is well-organized with toys that are newer and cleaner than the nursery play area at church. And that says a lot. A nice woman holding a newborn welcomes us and Zane goes right for the cars. There is one other little girl there. We each get to wear plastic bracelets, those you collected up your arm as a teen from the waterparks, with matching numbers. He forgets I exist. I run the treatmill and I didn't even have to sign up for it!

* The dumbells are arranged in order of weight. Imagine that.

* None of the ceiling tiles or florecent light covers are broken OR cracked!

* The carpet is so fresh and I don't see any blood stains or chalk marks.

* To top it ALL off, there is a huge magazine rack with Thom Yorke staring at me from the cover of Spin.

Have I told you lately that I love this place?

** pic not by me

& life in general

For someone who loves music, I was amazed at how challenging it was to land on a wedding song. One would think there would be a long list to choose from with over 200 CDs in a collection.

We thought about how Blink-182 would burst from the speakers as we put our boots on for all those snowboarding trips. Perhaps we could start out with a classical piece and have the record scratch to our favorite Blink song. Granny would really be confused. Somehow that idea fizzled.

Then it occured to me there was a song that had more meaning than any other in my colorful array.

*

My Junior prom I went on a day trip with a guy I didn't really know (and did not find very interesting to say the least) along with 2 other couples. They were also rather boring and none of us were an official pair. It was a car full of awkward ladies waiting for the whole thing to end and hopeful, yet essentially, disappointed boys. I think we went to Slide Rock (Sedona?). Doesn't matter. What DOES matter is there happened to be a saving grace during this road trip: A Depeche Mode cassette tape. Score!

I had heard DM in passing, but was not a fan. Then I found a song I liked and played it repeatedly until I knew every word. I am sure the whole car load wanted to toss me over the cliff, but they were lame so who cares.

I loved the song because I knew from the moment I heard it that if I ever felt this way about a person (and he felt this about me) it would surely be the person I would marry. Lo and behold I forgot all about this song until I was dating Mike.

*

The song is Somebody by Depeche Mode. It was our first song/ dance as husband and wife.

Lyrics:
I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details
Someone who'll stand by my side
And give me support
And in return
She'll get my support
She will listen to me
When I want to speak
About the world we live in
And life in general
Though my views may be wrong
They may even be perverted
She'll hear me out
And won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking
In fact she'll often disagree
But at the end of it all
She will understand me
I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought and
With every breath
Someone who'll help me see things
In a different light
All the things I detest
I will almost like
I don't want to be tied
To anyone's strings
I'm carefully trying to steer clear of
Those things
But when I'm asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this
I'll get away with it

*
Other songs that were under consideration:
That I Would Be Good by Alanis Morissette (minus the awful flute solo)
Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer

santa cruz

Pretty Girls Make Graves

I really want to like this band because they have a killer name. I even got one of their (used) CDs hoping they would grow on me. But they didn't. And that's unfortunate.

**photo not taken by me

creatives

In college I heard about creative people getting creative jobs and wished that I would land in that world when my feet touched the ground post finals.

I never did. I ended up a spoiled corporate america type. While it paid for snowboarding trips, European travel, and Broadway Shows, I never felt the corporate coat I wore was really what I had imagined/ hoped I would do. It just kept me climbing ladders with financial appeal and teased me away from paths that could have provided more lasting rewards.

So these are some successful creatives who had dreams and followed them. I have been amazed at their talent. Feeling lucky to know them and much inspired!

http://www.michaelwhiting.com/

http://www.lanetwitchell.com/

http://adriftmobiles.com/index.html

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=11662566

http://cynthiafernald.com/

*** drawing and steel frame by Michael Whiting