adventures in san francisco

It's funny, now that I have a week and a half with nothing to do but spring cleaning and errands, I sit down at the computer with the intention of writing something, and nothing comes out. I used up all my words on the last paper, it seems! But I am resolving to try and write something a little more often, even if it's not always the most interesting thing. we shall see how that goes. to begin the trend:

I went into the city with Maria and Annette this weekend. Friday, we had dinner at the Window (my favorite restaurant in the city still, I think, with the possible exception of Masa's--but how can it be my favorite if I'm unlikely to eat there more than once!) and then went to a play. Of course, Maria was so paranoid about getting there on time that we were horribly early, so we wandered over to union square and looked around H&M. I remember now how much I love that place. Much of it is crap, but much of it is lovely, and it can be really cheap--so cheap that you don't feel bad if you only wear it a few times. Didn't have time to buy anything, but decided to come back the next day. The play was absolutely wonderful! A good friend did the lights, and her girlfriend was the female lead, and Annette and Maria knew several of the other actors, so we ended up invited to the cast party.

But first we had to meet another of the drama grads at a bar--he chose it, Amnesia, in the mission. FYI, don't go to Amnesia, it sucks. The music was this weird blend of techno and world/folk/trad, but not in a good way, the people were really pretentious, and there was no room to sit or stand, so we ended up perched on a window ledge directly behind some crazy woman who kept telling us about her ashtanga yoga class, presumably so we wouldn't think she stank for no good reason. Then. Then, she farted. I'm talking, lift a leg and try to be subtle, but really let one rip fart here. It hit Maria first, and then it took a moment while Annette was wondering about her expression before it drifted down, and likewise before it reached me. My gods, that woman needs to revise her diet! I'm not one to mock bodily functions, but as Maria said, it was so strong you could taste it. So as soon as the others had arrived we abandoned them and moved to the Phoenix, an Irish bar two doors down. Much nicer.

It may be that I'm old, or it may be that I've always been old, but I like a bar where I can sit with my friends, and where I can hear them talk. If I want loud music I'll go dancing or to a concert, bars are for hanging out. Some of Annette's friends joined us, in the middle of an argument about the fact that one of them has apparently gone crazy and is joining the army. I don't get who would sign up for that shit in the middle of a war, when they have other options. Odd to be in that dynamic, because while they didn't specifically talk about it (I didn't find out until rachel explained later), it was clear that things were a little less than happy.

Then we headed to the cast party. It was a little odd going to the cast party for a play I didn't work on. Of course, I knew a few people there, and they were all nice people, but it's such a celebration of group effort that it is weird to have someone who didn't work at all show up. Plus, we had of course just seen the play, so I was a little starstruck by the actors I didn't know, and a little self-conscious about not wanting to seem like some random who had happened by. They weren't rude, but they weren't very inclusive, although much of that may be due to me being a bit shy (I know, many of you find that hard to believe, but there you are, I have many facets) and nervous of intruding. The first party I've been to with naked hot-tubbing where it would have been weirder to join in than to not, if that explains it to anyone.

Made it home just after 4, and made it up for brunch at ten, although I felt hungover as hell, which is odd since I wasn't drinking at all. I think it may have been a caffeine hangover, since I had a diet coke after midnight--good in that I stayed awake and aware hours later, but bad in that caffeine is bad for me. Read something the other day about some people having a much stronger reaction to caffeine than others, and I suspect that I may be one of those people, given that a single soda after two p.m. can keep me up until two a.m. under the right conditions. ANYway, Annette and Maria and I went back into the city and re-visited H&M. Lots of good stuff, and this season they are using my favorite shade of green, so yay! But boo for my pocketbook, sad and empty as it is. I can't wait to sell the house! We also visited Good Vibrations, which is apparently a san francisco landmark. I had never heard of it, but Annette insisted we had to visit. It was actually pretty cool, not all sleazy like the place we visited during 'national protection from porn week' back in Ithaca, but brightly lit and well signed and with staff who knew what they were talking about (I overheard someone explaining more than I ever really wanted to know about the different types of anal toys). Even a kind of museum display of terrifying vibrators of the past--I can't imagine putting those things anywhere sensitive, they look like hairdyers or curling irons or just plain things to electrocute yourself on. We ended the day with ice cream from Bombay, which is on Valencia between 16 and 18--and wow. I had never before had rose ice cream, but it was pretty good. They had saffron and lychee and some weird fruit that starts with a 'c' and lots of other flavors too, it was pretty wonderful. Definitely going back.