The city of Trick or Treat

In San Francisco, they take several public holidays very very seriously.

Indigenous Peoples Day (aka columbus Day). Gay Pride Parade Day. Bay to Breakers Race Day. Folsom Street Fair.

And the Biggie: Halloween.

This is truly San Francisco's High Holy Day. Bigger than Christmas, New Years and Easter combined.

Dude, they go absolutely batshit here on halloween.

Everything from the Day of the Dead parade in the Mission to the Castro Halloween to a million parties inbetween.

Its so big in SF, that a ton of halloween SUPERSTORES open *just* for a month or two to supply the demand.

Why? They love to play dress-up in this town. Really.

Ok, so I wasnt introduced to halloween until my late teens, so im still bewildered as to the appeal.

In chicago, 'trick or treat' was about as wild as they got, pretty much.

NY.. they party, dress up and have fun.

Here? It's a mission.

Ive gotten invited to *one..two.. three..* halloween parties so far.

No, you wont ever hear me utter the words "Happy Halloween".

But, maybe, just maybe .. I'll check out the castro halloween thing.

Streetcar caught today:


The Wonderful One

I was only going a few blocks up Market Street. Coulda walked, but that woulda been madness.

Since I moved to the mission district, I really only go downtown for business, so I havent been taking the streetcars like I used to. So, this afternoon I let all the buses I could've taken pass me on by, leisurely waiting for the 1912 car to pull up.

Surprisingly, so did most of the folk waiting for the ride up Market, most of whom weren't tourists.(Tourists dont flash FastPasses).

Yeah, you'd have to be a grinch to pass up a ride in one of the oldest streetcars around.

Plus they still have those old cow catchers on the front (to catch the wayward pedestrian .. 'trolley dodgers'). Thats not a bad idea, even today.

Its sort of a scramble to get into the old monsters, and theyre definitely not handicapped accessible. But the sight of the polished and painted wood inside, the wicker covered seats, and the leather hangstraps.. even the light seems different inside.

So, with a rumble and a chug-chug-chug-chug of the old hydraulic/air pump, we slowly meandered the few blocks.

Worth it every time.

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He doesnt say it often, but he invariably sez it well;

Los Angeles still sucks. My fiancee isn't handling is so well either. The aggressive drivers are driving her batshit. It's like I'm telling her to take Hamburger Hill everytime she has to drive somewhere. The people aren't so bad, it's just the aggregate effect of being in the heart of a place that makes no sense but does it really fast.

Yeah, my only time in LA, I felt -- bewildered.

Messed up my tiny lil mind. And I was simply a passenger on the ride.

Its funny, if you ask a New Yorker "How is New York?", (as Im occasionally asked here), they'll usually ask back 'What part?' .. because its hard to sum up in a few words.

When I asked the Angelinos I met while waiting for the bus (from cop to crook), they would simply say "It's too big."

That was sorta my take on the place after a day and a half.
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Today's horrorscope really nails it:

VIRGO.

You desire immediate victory, even though common sense tells you that you still have plenty of dues to pay. Every step in life comes with its set of requirements to get to the next step. Don't give up before you've met those requirements. If it's not working, it's nothing personal about you. It means only that you haven't yet done all the work required to make it go.

Yup. Yup.

I want move forward on a whole buncha stuff.

All it takes is money, I sigh. Swallow my delusions and just go bus a table or two.

The truth tho, is that its never that easy.

As someone told me, a long time ago, when I was a callow youth just outta high school:

You cant rush it. You have to pay your dues.

As time proved, he was right. But right now, Im straining against the restrictions...
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On the shopping list:

- microwave and cart
- rice cooker
- mini-desk for the laptops

I could also use a small table.

The irony is Ive been seeing 'em on craigslist. If I had even a lil cash, I could pick them up piece by piece.

My friends, of course, have been giving me some sympathy:

Nancy: saw it on your site. If you were closer to NY I could give you all my old furniture, micro, etc.

tigerlil: Joe, I got all that stuff if you were here. I have a microwave, rice cooker, and electric skillet in storage. Man it is cumbersome to ship when you can get a rice cooker for $5!
JPennant: aiyah, I know :/

Unfortunately, they're on the East Coast. Ah well.

Plus, there is a certain thrill to getting what you need for less than 20 bux.

Ahh, boo. Patience is a virtue.

whether I like it or not.

An eloquent expression of feeling.

.
.

*grump*

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Today's horrorscope:

Do not complain if your life is a little bit dull at the moment because that will definitely change over the next few days.

Tomorrow's lunar eclipse in your sign will force you to get serious about something - or someone - you have been taking for granted, and there will be a lot of catching up, and a lot of making up, to do. Life won't be dull for long.

That may not be all good, Im thinking.
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Been watching far too much TV, Im thinking.

Before i moved into the place, Id be out and about having to make myself busy.

Now, Ive been watching my TV addiction - the Judge Shows. Judge Judy/Milliyan/Joe Brown. And Divorce Court. (for relationship tips ;-).

Oh, and ive become a Dr. Phil fan.

Man, Im so very screwed if I get cable.

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So, the Red Sox won the series.

Right on.

This means, its the Cubs turn next year.

Red Sox vs da' Cubs.

Next year.

Shaking like jello in the night

It was the loud boom that brought me out of sound sleep at around 5am.

I groggily looked around for the source, and saw a container that i had placed precariously on a shelf was now on the floor.

Oh, i thought, and with a vague concern that the sound had disturbed a neighbor went back to sleep.

Getting out of bed, I saw a shopping bag full of cans I had placed on top of my fridge on the floor, and then i realized two things:

- That was the source of the boom that'd woken me, and
- It was too heavy to have spontaneously fallen off.

So, the logical deduction was that a tremor, shaking the building, causing the objects to the floor, had passed through while i was sleeping.

That made me ponder if A Big One had hit, would i have slept through that?

Oddly, the thought of that irritated me more than it concerned me.

Yeah, I came out west with a thought of experiencing a few earthquakes., Now, the tremors are becoming an ongoing irritant, for i dont want to be stressed thinking about the probabilities.

Sorta like being in New York worrying about it happening again...

For entertainment purposes only

The Yahoo personality and love test, Via Mr Yam

Your Personality Type:

The Individualist
Finding your own path

As an Individualist, you stand out as your own person; imaginative, curious, shrewd, and filled with surprises.
You're a free spirit. You've chosen your own path in life and don't do things simply to please other people. You're creative, intelligent, and opinionated. This isn't always a popular combination! Some misinterpret your insight and independence; they may see you as stubborn and eccentric.

It's true you're a natural skeptic and critic. You're often more in tune with what's wrong in a situation than what's right. You've probably gravitated toward jobs and hobbies where you can investigate, analyze, and solve problems. The challenge is being able to turn off that "critical eye." Skepticism and doubt are great tools at work, but they can be destructive in your personal life.

Fortunately, your quirky take on life can be very attractive. In a world of conformists, you're not afraid to stand out. You often say and do the unexpected, which makes you fun and exciting to be around.
Individualists have a knack for innovation. Like pioneers, you have the potential to chart a new course and break new ground in your career and community. Even if the people around you don't always appreciate it, you're a true original.

:)
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Maybe its stubborness, but I dont like toi move forward unless I WANT something badly.

Out of all the possiblities, new and used, Ive finally decided what I want for a low-end camera.

Back to my 'want it so bad, I can taste it' mode.