The Capricorn cometh

When one first sees the sun setting over the incoming fog on San Francisco Bay, the urge is overwhelming. You just want to call someone to share it with.

Thats what I did back in 2000 on my first visit. And thats what the Cappy did last night as she excitedly described to her guy the etheral look of alcatraz island wrapped in the night fog and the sight, smells and sounds of the Pier 39 sea lions and our travels all over the city.

And how amazed she was at how we took 4 streetcars and 8 buses on a measly buck twentyfive transfer all day.

As she prattled on a mile a minute east coast style, I was just glad my friend had come so I could play tour guide for the day.

She had flown in on the first red eye flight from New York, and was the the last flight of the night outta town.

This was her first time in san francisco, and she had flown in for the day for two reasons.

"All I came here for was my marketing meeting and to come see Joey."

Capricorns are single-minded like that. :)
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At the break of yesterday morn, i thought the timing couldnt have been worse. I had committed to moving in to my place, and she was prolly going to be done with her meetings early. I was stressing about being able to do everything.

Turned out the timing couldnt have been better.

By the time I finshed with the formalities, she had just come in from the airport, the office was right down the block from my place, and shne had a place to change into comfy clothes and stash her bags, with a plethora of great restaurants to choose from.

Perfect.

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I have a soft spot for Jersey girls.

They can throw on a sophisticated hoochie style that few places outside of miami and the bronx can pull off, theyre smart and theyre fuckin' hilarious.

And when theyre pissed, they get wickedly sarcastic.

Which crax me up even more. :)

And she had me dying with her politically incorrect riffs on everything, which she wasnt shy about sharing in public.

I could see the West coasterners squirm as she said what They Dare Not Say out here, but they had to laugh along with her as her humor leavened the biting wit.

As she always says:

Fuck 'em if they cant take a joke. :)

That tinkling peal of laughter always made me smile.
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'Two blondes ran into a building.'

*pause*

'You would think ONE of them wouldve seen it.'

She cracks godawful blonde jokes all the time. As a blonde, she thinks she is entitled to this, for she has fought against the pretty blonde stereotype all her life.


It's her defense mechanism, her self-deprecating jokes. She often uses it to her advantage, to disarm people into getting what she wants.

Her armor is necessary, for she is a sentimental softie at heart. It hurts when people make assumptions based on the way you look.

We share a lot in common.


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We first met at my accountant's office in Bayonne, and I remember towering over this short, high energy blonde who turned out to be a helluva friend.

On 9/11, I stayed over house all day as she determindely kept her TV's on the nickleodeon channel so that her children wouldnt have to see the news as the rescue helicopters kept roaring over Bayonne, the roads were closed and the birds stayed silent.

She had seen the first plane slam into the tower as she drove her friend from an appointment. When she stopped to watch the burning tower by the Bayonne waterfront, the second plane roared low over her to turn over the bay and slam into the second tower.

That day is the most scared and shaken Ive ever seen her, for she is always game and determined.

When the roads opened, and I needed to go over to New York, she is the one who drove me over, where we got past the guardsmen and barriers to watch the rescue efforts.

We have not gone to Ground zero since.

Nor was any mention of it made while she was here.
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In the middle of our tour, somewhere in the Castro, she turned to me, opened her arms and hugged me.

This was like the fifth hug of the day.

Capricorns, like Virgos, are renowned for being reserved and not particularly demonstrative. They have to LIKE you to show much affection in public.

She kept saying "This is fun, Im glad you made the time."

*pshah* Like I wouldnt.

When I was eating cheerios and lemon drink mixes back in 2001, she made sure I had something to eat, checking up on me, even tho she was struggling herself.

Yeah, she's a Cappy, which means her eye is always on the bottom line, and dont you ever forget it.. but, she is a golden heart. She is tall to me.

Always.
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BART charges a lot of money to take you to and from the San Francisco airport.

A lot of money I would normally not spend.

Here, there was no question.

"Are you going to see me off at the airport tonight?"
"Yep."
"You sure?"
"yes."

No question.

I havent flown since the year 2000, and things sure have changed since then.

No longer can you see someone off at the gate, and watch their plane take off.

What really got me were the staggering amount of people that were on duty checking people, tickets and luggage and manning entrance AND exit points with hand-held metal detectors and gimlet eyes.

I know its deterrence, but it creeps me the fuck out. Kinda pisses me off too.

So, we hugged as when she went into the line by the ticket counter and waved her off by security screening.

It's nice when my friends from my other life come to visit.

Tall.