Sure, there were fireworks

cecily: Hey J - happy new year to you.
cecily: did you ring it in in style?
JPennant: yup by watching san franciscans get drunk, spill sex lube over bus passengers and asian chicas in red ballroom dresses and tiaras fight in the street.
JPennant: I couldnt make that up. :-)
cecily: alrighty then!
cecily: sounds like a winner.
JPennant: LOL
JPennant: lemme tell ya, it was interesting :-)

I may even post photos sometime.

How hella random

In a city the size of San Francisco, the probability of crossing paths with someone you know is high.

Still, when it does happen, it is surprising.

So, when I found myself enveloped in a crushing bear-hug by a pretty red-head loudly squealing my name on the Powell Street BART platform whilst on my way to work at 10:30 pm a few nights ago.

I havent seen my friend mira since i'd left berkeley 6 months ago, and apart from a few emails here and there when we both moved to frisco, we had lost touch.

Still tho, us crossing paths like that was definitely unusual.

Even more unusual was when we parted company and i rushed into the virgin megastore downtown to exchange a duff DVD that i'd bought for christmas.

The virgin megastore in downtown San Francisco (across the street from the Apple store, clint) is not somewhere you'll find me at any time, much less that late at night.

Once i found another DVD, I rushed downstairs to get the thing exchanged so i could be on my way to work.

Unthinkingly, because i was in a rush to get outta there, i jumped ahead of a young woman who had been standing there. When the cashier objected, the young woman graciously waved me to the cashier.

I thanked the woman and rushed up to the counter, intent on getting the hell outta there. Then i realized i knew this woman, even if i had never met this woman before.

"You look familiar." I said to her.
"Uhhh... JOE???"

SO that's how, after 5 years, I finally met the kind woman ive been calling princess all these years.

Sorry gg, for rushing out on you - i didnt have a ton of time because any more serendipity wouldve made me late for work.

----------
Even when ive been without camera, im always taking pictures in my head, framing, composing and evaluating.

Probably just so I wouldnt get out of practice.

But there was one aspect of actually taking pictures i had forgotten, which was figuring out how to get the proper exposure.

That is probably the hardest part of photography, which is why Im still thankful to Tim the Photographer giving me a quick lesson on how to quickly spot-meter an image in camera while we shared a brooklyn-bound cab home.

Just something I realized while trying to get some shots in the other day.

Picked up camera #1.

#1 is the pocket camera.

I swear to gawd, even by the time the 11th hour and 59 minutes came I had no idea what i wanted, as there are literally thousands of pocket cameras that fit my somewhat loose/somewhat strict criterion.

The ones i wanted were, of course, more than i budgeted. The ones that were under my budget, i wasnt really feeling them.

Nothing in that sweet spot.

So, yesterday - i walked into the local Wolf Camera, strode to the counter and announced 'Im buying a camera right now. I want to spend as much under 200 bux as is humanly possible, it must be 3 megapixels or above, with a fast f2.8 lens for night shots, and did i mention that it must cost under 200 bux?'

And so we spent an hour browsing their clearance area.

This being San Francisco, the guy at the counter was someone interesting. He shoots images of jazz musicians. That's his riff. We talked and listened to jazz as we went through the cameras.

So, of course - by the time i was done, i had a bunch of cameras to choose. But this time, I was happy to make a choice.

The cameras were all good, and dirt cheap. And,naturally, all fuji's.

I chose a Fuji 6800 zoom, even tho i couldve gotten a newer F601 for only 10 bux more.

Thats ok. Ive got a sweet-looking camera designed by Porsche, pocket sized, something good enough to have been rebadged as a Leica, solid and just what i need.

All for only 150 bux plus tax.

Cant beat that with a stick. Im happy.
--------

JPennant: i feel good about what i bought
McClint: well where's the fruit of your labor?
McClint: we wanna see pix! :-)

When Im good n' ready. :)

Ive got a long list of things I wanna see meself.
----
So, next.. camera #2.

Are ya happy to be here?

Dori, who recently moved to Portland from New York, has this to say about the West Coast..

that's the general consensus here, in a place where it's pretty much okay to be broke if you're trying to pursue some sort of creative dream (right now, what i'm pursuing is figuring out my creative dream, but hell, it's a start).

yeah, one small part of me is fucking freaked out - the other part of me is kind of happy to be put in this desparate position - a time to think about ways i can support myself creatively, in a place that supports that kind of thing.

Yep, thats exactly how Ive felt.

Which kinda leads into something I was asked recently...

gabz: so, are you happy you came westward?
JPennant: you know, youre the first person to ask me 'happy'
gabz: you're kidding
JPennant: nope
JPennant: its usually variations on 'are you glad', 'is it what you thought itd be' etc
JPennant: but 'happy' is specific
JPennant: the short answer is no
gabz: d'ohh
JPennant: no, not bad
gabz: but, i do understand: it's culture shock.
gabz: and you're not the first to say that cali doesn't make a person 'happy'.
gabz: it's interesting... but, please expand
JPennant: actually, im more homesick, but im not gonna move back
gabz: yeah. i hear ya.
JPennant: that said, its nice
JPennant: my brother sent me a care package yesterday
gabz: awww
JPennant: it had pastries and bread from Brooklyn
gabz: nice!
JPennant: that was the first time since 2002 Ive had that
JPennant: it reminded how far away I am
JPennant: Im not melancholy at all
JPennant: but kinda homesick
JPennant: ive made good friends
JPennant: the situation is improving
JPennant: and im lucky to be where i am :-)
JPennant: that occurred to me the other day
JPennant: i was walking up some pretty and dreamlike street
JPennant: and Im like, "Dude, IM IN SAN FRANCISCO living free and easy. this time is a once in a lifetime kinda thing!"
JPennant: so, feeling lucky and appreciative is the long answer :-)
JPennant: makes sense?
gabz: absolutely

Like Dori said, you get a lot of support out here when youre broke but trying to do something creative. out east, its about the money first and foremost.

Its brave, and almost suicidal out there trying to do what Im trying to do out here.

They respect dreams here.
------------
Gonna pick up camera #1 this weekend.

JPennant: im currently in the tenderloin looking at the traffic pass by on geary
JPennant: makes me feel all literati an' shit
gabz: hahaha
gabz: the rain mus make for some interesting photos.
JPennant: youre right, it sure was nice tonight/this morning with the lights off the wet sidewalk and streets.. neon and flourescent
gabz: it's kinda cool
gabz: all shimmery and stuff
JPennant: it did not suck :-)
gabz: hehe


So, short answer:

No, it does not suck.

Cool waters

I drink tap water.

Its not because Im being so cheap, but because the tap water can be very, very good.

New York has traditionally proclaimed their tap water as the best tasting water in the world.
Uh, yeah. These are the same people who are maniacal in their collective affection for Poland Spring bottled water, that has a definite *crunch* to the flavor.

Now, the gold standard used to Naya water from quebec, which was so pure that the water tasted 'sweet' and went down soft. I would drink nothing else, my body thanked me.
Its no longer that way, because theyve pumped so much of it, it now has a limestone aftertaste to it. Sad.

Florida water from the florida aquifer is considered so clean, that simply aerating the water is considered all the treatment it needs to be potable.
Right. Due to the various heavy metals therein, it is so NOT potable.
Neither is the South Florida water that has a greenish tinge to it.

No way Im drinking that crap from the tap.

But the water in the Bay Area, ahh yes. Snowmelt water from the Sierra's.

Especially now, cold crisp and clean.

Mmm, tap water.

Fresh from the mountains.

They should bottle this stuff.

Yo Mac

Happy birthday, Clint.

Habits

I had broken the screen on the laptop back in June, I think. I only replaced it a few days ago. In that time, I worked around things by working with the broken screen in the area that was still clear, adapting my techniques to that limitation.

I didnt realize I was still retaining my habits until I found myself unconsciously twitching the cursor to the right , where I had crowded my icons and start-bar on the laptop. I was doing this on the mac, as well as on the laptop even though there was no longer any need.

Very hard to break habits, even the ones that may seem dead and buried, Im finding.

Long story short, next years resolution is taking shape, its about changing habits.

Now, what about them?

Adopt new ones, stick to the good ones, leave the not-so good ones alone.

Which ones?

As I said, its taking shape.
------
As anyone who lives with a Virgo will attest; we hate surprises.

Or, more accurately, we do not like to be surprised.

So, say we buy something for ourselves, the chances are we will know as much as is humanly possible about that object.

This christmas, I was bought a gift.. a one shot coffee maker.

If I had bought it, I wouldve known a lot about that item.

Because it was a gift tho, due diligence was not necessary.

So, long story short - the thing makes a fine cup of coffee.

And it is going back.

I had to flush the unit out for a long time to get rid of a nasty petroleum product taste out of it.
It leaks, because the pressurised tubing cannot hold the water.
It is loud and vibrates when making coffee. It actually sounds like a cheap aquarium aerator.
And it feels flimsy ad poorly assembled..

And according to other users on the internet, it is prone to catching fire.

Yah.

Surprises like that I dont need.

I worked the graveyard shift this morning.

At 3:15am I saw a SFPD officer run by my building, baton drawn, sprinting down/up (direction is rarely a sure thing in San Francisco) Geary .

Curious, I walked outside to find a police cruiser blocking the cross street, the trunk open. I walked up to the cop sitting inside to find out what/where/why, the explanation being there was 'a situation' a block away.

As I walked back to the building, the person who had been rummaging thru the open trunk of the cruiser rushed past me.

The heavy backpack the cop was now wearing was almost taller than he was, his flak jacket clanking as he sprinted down/up Geary.

In his hand was an automatic rifle, a tactical version of the AR-14, no chrome showing as everything on it, including the magazine, was painted flat black to eliminate reflections.

About 20 minutes later, the cruisers in the area screeched off, signifying an all clear of sorts.

I doubt I will find out what happened, as unless someone dies, what happens in San Francisco never makes the papers.
----
At 8am, I got off work and walked down Hyde street, picking up an early edition of the Sunday paper to check out the after-Christmas sales.

The air was coldly crisp and laden with moisture with a fog-like haze covering the city. It tasted sweet and clean as I took full breaths.

The Tenderloin, with its tall old buildings and fire-escapes on the sides reminds me of the Upper West side of manhattan. A good number of the shops, deli's and laundromats were open for business, which surprised me.

Quite unlike New York, which on Christmas morning is always a ghost town, eerily quiet without the usual rumble, horns and people, with even 24 hour places closed and no traffic.

I made a detour from my usual route home to get something from the Safeway. Open 24 hours, but closed on holidays apparently.
-----
When I got out of the Chruch Street underground streetcar station, the newspaper vendor had a mechanical santa blowing a trumpet. Cute.

That rated a Merry Christmas.

Normally, a spoken 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Holdiays' from me, feels like forced holiday cheer, so I avoid it.

Today I didnt.

It felt unforced.
---

At 10 am, I walked down to the Mission District, close to home, where to my surprise, the local stores were all open, from the donut shop to the fruit stands to the grocery stores.

People have to make a living.

I picked up a roast chicken and other sundries and walked home to catch some sleep...


My first Christmas day in San Francsisco.

An offering

From: "thunder-dog"
To: SFFN@yahoogroups.com (San Francisco Freecycle Network)
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 18:19:56 -0800
Subject: [SFFN] Offer: The Holiday Spirit


I realized I have received quite a bit of extra Peace & Happiness recently and this seemed like the place to pass on.

It wasn't new, and it was a little dinged up when it was being given to me, but when I received it, it shined right up when I paused a moment to appreciate it. It seems to have grown while I had it and I hope someone else out there can use it, or if they get to much they can freecycle it.

Peace
Namaste
Blessed Be
Amen


T-Dog

And, it's free even.

Tish, tosh Mac

I had never used a mac until I started working at AOL in 1995. That's where clint and i met sitting next to each other supporting Mac clients.

One of the ongoing things between us is that he is all about Macs, while I represent the forces of the Dark Side.

(Not exactly true, as i went on to become a cross-platform computing consultant for businesses that used both macs and pc's.)

With the advent of OSX, I felt the need to get back into it. Plus, nowadays, having a mac is the 'in' thing to have.

Now, thanx to him, i have a mac again.

He thinks he will make me a total mac head.. :)


McClint: what have you named your iMac?
McClint: every true mac user names their mac something other than the default "Joe Pennant's Computer"
JPennant: *sigh*
JPennant: Julia
McClint: hehehe
JPennant: so Im weak
McClint: are you just pulling a name out of the air to make me happy or did you really name it that?
McClint: HAHAHA
McClint: one of us! one of us! one of us!

JPennant: I can see you dancing around the room. *grump*
McClint: juuuuust relaaaaaaax
McClint: don't tense up
McClint: dont resist
JPennant: its even got a cute icon for the hard drive now
McClint: oh yeah
McClint: it's all coming back to you
JPennant: well, its been traumatic as a mac owner
JPennant: my first one, I hardly used
JPennant: the second one blew up
McClint: the laptop?
JPennant: yup
McClint: but you havent been the owner of a brand new mac, have ya? always second-hand?
JPennant: i am a mere mortal
JPennant: i cannot afford a brand new mac
JPennant: well, i could back in the flush days, but i couldnt justify it
McClint: yeah it is a tough goal to attain

Actually, i named my Dell laptop Oscar, but i didnt put a cute icon for it on the desktop.

I did put a white Apple sticker on the lid.

Its a Mac thing. ;)

cryptic announcement

UPS ARRIVAL SCAN

Dec 22, 2004
9:20 P.M.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, US

Status: In Transit -On Time
Scheduled Delivery: Dec 23, 2004

Shipped to: SAN FRANCISCO, CA, US

Note: Your package is in the UPS system and is on time with a scheduled delivery date of Dec 23, 2004.

The screen, boss! The screen!

Ahh, its just another piece of the puzzle ive had to wait a long time for.
------
Another xmas present came care of Kodak today.

One of the 200 free copies of the lateDon Blair's last book on Portrait photography they gave away recently.

Righteous. :)
----
Today's horrorscope sez:

There are some things you earn in obvious ways and other things you earn in not-so-obvious ways. But you can bet that any gifts you receive now are well deserved.

Sho' you right.

One of the ooh pretty people

JPennant: hey mars, got my mac :-)
mars: yay
JPennant: :-D
mars: early xmas?
JPennant: yup
mars: which mac?
JPennant: an imac dv
JPennant: clint had it lying around, sent it over.
mars: very cool
JPennant: yeah, he really loaded it up for me
JPennant: ironically, i feel like im back in sync with the rest of the world :-)
mars: hahaha
mars: why?
JPennant: well, i like macs, but i couldnt get my hands on one, and it seems like everybody else is jumping to mac land, while Ive been using them for years.
JPennant: plus, i think i felt frustrated because i couldnt get started on alot of my desires and plans without a mac
JPennant: 2 years worth of frustration
mars: and now you can get started?
JPennant: yes

JPennant: heh, cant stop playing with it.
mars: lol
JPennant: so pretty
JPennant: hee hee
JPennant: <--- making the icons dance in the dock, back and forth, back and forth
mars: lol would you stop! hahaha
JPennant: :-D
JPennant: you cant say you dont do it too :-P
mars: heehee shhhhhhhhh
JPennant: heeheehee

Too toasted to think duhrr, eh

I had coherent thoughts earlier, but because i was feeling stressed (the Great Flood in my apartment, the buttards at Bed Bath & Beyond wasting my life, making the mistake of giving a shit about work and coworkers and one who sold me a shitty memory card, walking around SF's shitty mall, my feet killin me..), i felt the need for an alcoholic drink tonight.

why i then picked a sweet raspberry cider from canada instead of a good raspy beer, I couldnt tell ya.

Eh.
--------
Let see,there was some rant about Borders in there..

Expensive? Sure.

Charging the suggested retail prices on DVD's and calling it a sale? Priceless.

Like the Black Adder boxed set for $109.00??

somebody is smoking the wacky baccy there.

AND they didnt frickin have the DVD sets I wanted, eh.
------
An audacious thought entered my head as I perused Ebay this morn.

"Whoa. THAT cheap? Maybe. Nah. But, I really could. Can I? Ooh, maybe I just can. should I?"

G: nice!
JPennant: extremely
JPennant: this beast was 3 grand when new
G: wow!
JPennant: so, by february, i may get it
JPennant: who am i kidding
JPennant: by february, all things go well, I WILL get one.
G: there you go!
JPennant: :-)

Ahh, thats just Canadian raspberry likker fueling the bravado.
___
Its foggy and chilly here in nor*cal.

But compared the wet and cold sweeping through the east coast (even florida) and the midwest, this is not so bad.

Although it was colder tonight in juneau, Alaska.

Must be the canadian alcoholik raspberries doing its job and making me feel toasty...
-----
Clint, is the man.

Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 11:36:09 -0500
Subject: Merry xmas buddy
From: "Clint Mc"
To: "Joe Pennant"

UPS tracking # 1Z3WX8060374xXXXX

Estimated delivery date: Dec 20.

:-)

And so it came on the appointed day...

JPennant: woohoo!
McClint: hehehehe
McClint: is Habib your pseudonym? :-)
JPennant: now i definitely need to score a router
JPennant: and order the DSL
JPennant: the UPS is on its way
McClint: very cool
JPennant: yes, verily :-D
JPennant: thanks man
McClint: HO HO HO
JPennant: ((((manly hug)))
McClint: hey now! stop grabbing my ass!
JPennant: wasnt me :-)
McClint: hahaha

Again, its the canadian likker talkin, eh.
------
Heh, I was too knockered to post this last nite,, eh...

Sox, underwear and destruction

The first paycheck, being a short check, was designated for essentials only.

Naturally, i bought a bunch of computer schtuff first. So, Im waiting for a santa claus dressed in brown to bring me a laptop screen, notebook CD burner, a Uninterruptible Power Supply and USB reading light. (What? that's essential. Ive wanted one since i saw fred obsessively using hers, plus i type in the dark a lot...).

So, anyway - theres enough left over for items on my christmas wish list - a coupla DVD's and ... Total Annihilation.

Yes, as regular readers know - that game is jinxed for me.

But i want that game. It brings me peace, blowin' stuff up.

So when the screen arrives from Butte, Montana (my first ever e-bay purchase), I can waste time effectively.

However, speaking of jinxes and destruction - I need to go buy some socks and underwear.

Why? Well, apparently merc retrograde is still running amok, i rolled out of bed yesterday to go to work, I stepped into water on a floor that had been bone dry a mere hour before.

It seems someone's bathtub down the hall had backed up and flowed out into the hallway and under my door, ruining a bag of laundry and other things (My diego garcia print! Ruined by water damage! Aaaargh!).

I tossed the clothes and everything that was sodden out. It was mostly t-shirts, underwear and socks that was bachelor-old anyway, so it wasnt that much of a loss. But they are essentials, so theyve gotta be replaced.

Eh, new boxers are always good. And wool socks for the winter.

And, Total Annihilation. :D
---

"This professional photographer gave me this advice to get started 'Three words: go. make. pictures'."


Joseph Rodriguez

Care package from someone who cares

LilBro signed on at 12:39:42 PM.

JPennant: happy fucking holiday!
JPennant: :-)
lilbro: lmao
lilbro: u the fuckin man.
JPennant: wassup droo
JPennant: send me a care package
JPennant: patty, cocoa bread, and the hard dough bread from allan's bakery on nostrand
lilbro: mmm, sounds expensive
JPennant: heheh
lilbro: gotta be packed in dry ice an shit, and overnighted, and someone gotta sign 4 it
JPennant: ok, fine, leave the patty out of it
JPennant: :-)
JPennant: some bun and cheese too :-)
JPennant: ok, leave the cheese out of it
JPennant: :-D
lilbro: cheese can go
lilbro: i'll get some of the costco cheese
JPennant: yeah , all jamaican cheese is colby jack anyway
lilbro: colby jack?
JPennant: yeah
lilbro: nigga u eat american, an like it
JPennant: fuck that fake ass cheez food shit
lilbro: nah its kraft
JPennant: same thing :-)
lilbro: whateva, u gettin it free right? so shut your yap, slut
JPennant: some allan's bakery bread, mmmm
JPennant: man, i miss ny right now
lilbro: i miss u nigga
lilbro: fuck ny
JPennant: heh

JPennant: ny at christmas. nuttin like it
lilbro: whateva
JPennant: heh
lilbro: yo, now i got your order, i'm out
JPennant: right on!!!
lilbro: gotta send it before christmas
JPennant: you da man
lilbro: i know this already
JPennant: the west coast is nice, but some things you need
JPennant: that aint out here
lilbro: smell u son
lilbro: yo gotta do some paintin in the house, i'll holla
JPennant: aight layta
JPennant: much luv
lilbro: more 2 yah
JPennant: :-)

LilBro signed off at 1:14:58 PM.

Girlfriends after hours

Lilbro, a man who will scorn anything corny, has a favorite TV show - Girlfriends.

I get off work at midnight, and I make sure Im home at 12:30 in time to catch - Girlfriends.

I didnt like it when it first came on, but in reruns - its oddly riveting. Sorta like the Seinfeld reruns.

Yeah I know, its just a soap opera in lightweight sitcom form.

Or maybe i just wanted to see the episode where Todd proposed to Toni, or where the word 'litigous' caused the mother of all hard-ons between lawyers..

(Even tho I already know that Todd left Toni, but she hasnt told Todd that she's pregnant, and William cheated on Monica, and left her for the woman who took his job at the firm and is now with Joan who is vying with him to be senior partner..)

Girrrrrllll....
-------
Between meetings and bus travel and appointments , i had a little time before werk (trademark of .zannah) to go fondle cameras in preparation of next month's purchases.

Ugh.

As much as i am a believer in handling the item you aim to buy, it is a distinctively unsatisfying process, ranking right down there with *bad* first dates.

Worse when youre feeling rushed and frustrated.

But it is part of the process, as it is no longer conceivable to me to buy something without getting to know it beforehand.

(Yes, thats a thinly veiled reference to humans too).

My style of shopping is to lock into what I want early and wait before i buy it, then go get what I want in a burst of intensely impulsive activity (also my dating style, interestingly).

But this is also frustrating to the salesperson, who wants me to buy when I saunter up to the counter, when all i want to do is cop a feel before I buy.

So, in addition to a brief look-see with a crippled item that does little to help me evaluate what Im getting, I now have to essentially lie to another human being as to my intentions (wow, the allegories keep piling up), and this makes the experience worse.

so, ugh.

Because it has been sold out in most local places Ive visited, today was the first time ive been able to actually hold a s7000 in my hands, even tho Im quite familiar with its predecessors, so its not an unknown quantity with me.

But i also went to check out a dark horse in the camera stakes, the Panasonic Lumix FZ line.

Although ive been fairly impressed with them since I first saw one at Frye's, the generic Panasonic name has kept me from even seriously considering buying one, it keeps jumping to the head of the line. So, with the prospect of getting a good deal - I went to the camera store to check out this camera.

Based on a brief, unsatisfying feel - it gave me little reason NOT to buy one. So, its in the running.

Im getting a s7000, regardless.

But now, Im considering buying 3 cameras instead of two, funds permitting.

Im gonna have to do more hands-on testing before I commit tho...

Christmas in New York.

Just got a card from the Cappy. Made me wanna go visit. See my friends.

And see NY all commercial for Christmas.

JPennant: i miss ny
JPennant: specially now
Mamahell: its freezing here~!
JPennant: ahh, the best time :-)
Mamahell: ick
JPennant: oh shush :-)
Mamahell: i will take mild winter anyday
JPennant: they got that here
JPennant: all *^%$ year long
Mamahell: yeah but you don't get a hot summer either right?
JPennant: 3 weeks of it in october
JPennant: its mild from about february on tho
JPennant: winter is from november to feb
Mamahell: thats why they call it "SUNNY CALIFORNIA"
JPennant: *pshaah
JPennant: sunny and cold
JPennant: *grump
Mamahell: haha
JPennant: they dont show that on TV
Mamahell: no they don't....nor do they tell you the water is ALWAYs cold
JPennant: yup. Baywatch had shrinkage and freezing nips
Mamahell: freezing nips are a plus
JPennant: heheh

Today's horrorscope:

It looks like things are going your way, so back off, and trust the process. Otherwise, your expectations could get so high that your nervous system doesn't know how to react! As the teens say, "Be more chill."

I was teasing Kate about being a Pisces yesterday, being all sensitive and stuff, telling her to be like me, her opposite sign.

*pshahh*

virgos are JUST as sensitive, we just hide it better.

With merc retro in full effect, Things are in turmoil, but it feels like things are finally going my way.

The temptation is react to every hiccup, every shift - but nah.

Things are good, even in this period of change, so no need to trip and let nervous emotions get the better of me.

Gotta chill and let things ride.

Not let emotions get the better of me.

Heh, there is a reason we Virgo's are referred to as Vulcans.
------
JPennant: hookay
JPennant: you ok otherwise?
Mamahell: yeah...you?
JPennant: baby steps :-)
Mamahell: baby steps are alot larger then you think
JPennant: yeah
JPennant: a lot tougher too
JPennant: but its going my way
Mamahell: its all u can ask 4
JPennant: you said it
Mamahell: :-)

Hating to wait for jello

Doing the mental calculations.

Its gonna be January. not in time for Christmas.

JPennant: my only frustration is that Im gonna have to wait till january.
McClint: you've gone this long without
McClint: you can go another couple months
McClint: but it is so close you can taste it :-)
JPennant: yes indeed
McClint: if you still haevnt gotten a camera yet, i might let you use my camera for a few minutes hehehehe
JPennant: heh, nah
JPennant: by the time you come, i will be equipped
McClint: dont wanna be teased like that?
JPennant: actually, ive let go offers of cameras
McClint: are you crazy, man?
JPennant: probably
JPennant: but as you say
JPennant: i dont want to be teased
McClint: ya know.... you and i are very similar
McClint: we both "eat jello with a fork"
McClint: we do things our own way for our own reasons
JPennant: yup
McClint: and I do, in fact, eat jello with a fork :-)
JPennant: heheh, thats another matter
McClint: hehehe
McClint: it is an easier task than nailing it to a wall
JPennant: LOL

Heh, feels like Ive been playing Survivor...
-----------

Last night, twas a Saturday night...

- I saw a few hundred Santas walking through the tenderloin up Geary. Some wearing fur, some glitter t-shirts, fur-trimmed daisy dukes, christmas lights, strobes...

Not long after, there were many drunken and high Santas on Geary Street, crowding the bars, spilling out into the street and sidewalks.

At the peak, the line of male and female and other santas crowded the sidewalk all the way from union square to van ness avenue, spanning the length of the tenderloin.

The inhabitants of the Tenderloin were bemused, mostly. Many saying theyve never seen anything like that.

That bemused me, considering the things Ive seen on Geary and in the Tenderloin .

- As the night darkened to the midnight, many women came out of the closet.

Two or three at a time, some on dates, some from the bars, some acquaintances, some not.

Young old, some fitting the lesbian sereotypes, most not. Mostly asian. A lot of young 'uns, many not looking like they were barely out of the malls, dressed for the malls.

Raised my eyebrow again.

- Just before midnight, the prostitutes came out to ply their trade.

Never. Seen. So. Many. Transvestities and transexuals. In one place.

In my life.

Hate to admit.. some of them looking GOOD.

And thats just one night in the Tenderloin.