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November 9, 2006

Until last week, I could avoid the reality that summer has passed. For most of October, Seattle had lots of sun and little rain. Although high temperatures didn’t make it past the 50s for most of the month, all that sun helped sustain the illusion of summer. In fact, I went to the Ballard Locks to sunbathe twice in October (the 11th and 12th, if you must know).

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While my attire consisted of a tank top, shorts, sandals, and sunscreen, many of the trees wore their fall wardrobe.

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I would guess that the next time I sunbathe will be … oh, probably some time in May (April, if I’m lucky). Last week, low temperatures dropped into the 30s for a few days. And then the rain began.

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Temperatures have warmed up, but the rain has not completely abated. We’ve had record rains and, not surpringsly, flooding in some areas of Western Washington. And the breezes and blusters have knocked much of the spectacular fall color from the trees to the ground. However, some leaves stubbornly refuse to relocate.

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So, time to face it: Fall has arrived.

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That is to say, TB adopted kittens. (Either way, better kittens than a cow.)
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Alpha is in back in each of these pictures; Beta is in front. Alpha was so christened because he seemed to be the alpha kitty, hissing whenever TB or another human approached him. When TB told me he had named one kitten Alpha, I suggested he call the other one Romeo; alas, Beta had already received his appellation.

Alpha likes to hiss. At everyone. And everything. Apparently, he hisses simply on principle. As a result, I have begun referring to him as Alger Hiss. All that hissing is a bluff; Alpha doesn’t scratch or bite. He likes to be scratched under the chin and will occasionally give in to some very loud purring. Alpha also likes to lick and nibble the fingers of the human that’s petting him. And chew on fingernails. I’m thinking Alpha will eventually pursue a career as a manicurist.

Beta loves to be scratched and petted and, most of all, enjoys sitting on his brother and bogarting all the attention. Beta begins purring almost immediately when someone starts petting him. Beta is a pretty mellow kitty; nothing seems to bother him. I predict he will grow up to be a lounge lizard or a mouse potato.

When not lounging on the windowsill in TB’s bathroom, the boys hang out behind the toilet. ( I know … eww!)

So, I guess Alpha and Beta are my … step-kitties? God-kitties? Kitties once removed? Whatever else they may be, they’re completely adorable.

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Then I guess you put your right foot in, you take your right foot out, you put your right foot in, and you shake it all about …

Label stuck to a computer monitor at an airline gate: “Muse 563-3666.” So that’s how I can get in touch with my muse. (I wonder if I need the area code.)

(Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006)

And so ends a love affair … or, so begins an indefinite hiatus. An unrequited love; I’m sure San Francisco and Berkeley won’t miss me. Nonetheless, I agree with Herb Caen, who said:

One day if I do go to heaven … I’ll look around and say, “It ain’t bad, but it ain’t San Francisco.” [or Berkeley]

Although a couple of destinations didn’t live up to my expectations, I had great experiences and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. People who know how much I enjoy the Bay Area have asked me why. I usually reply, “It’s like Seattle on steriods; bigger and better.” How is it better? For starters, it’s much brighter. Sure, all those sunny days help, but it’s more than that. The Bay Area is so colorful, with its brightly painted houses and murals (Seattle colors are more subdued). Downtown San Francisco has a wonderful mix of original, traditional buildings alongside modern, steel and glass skyscrapers (in Seattle, we usually do away with the old to make room for the new). Although San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda comprise a large region, that entire area feels condensed and easily accessible. The many public transporation options make it very easy to get around: A couple of different bus systems, BART, and, in downtown San Francisco, cable cars. I took advantage of all except the cable cars. And I relied a lot on my feet and found it easy to get around that way, as well. Even with as much mileage as I put on my feet these past 3 weeks, I felt like everything I wanted to see and do was fairly close together.

And the Bay Area has so many vegetarian, vegan, and vegan-friendly restaurants — at least 4 100% vegetarian or vegan restaurants within a mile (easy walking distance) of the place I stayed.

In short, the Bay Area is perfectly suited to my car-, meat-, dairy-, and egg-free lifestyle. (Better suited than Seattle, although I remain quite fond of the Emerald City.)

A note about the people: Everyone I encountered in the Bay Area was friendly and helpful: Restaurant staff and owners; bus drivers; BART customer service folks; Garland, who invited me into the (empty at the time) little church in Berkeley to look around and take pictures, and Anthony, who told me a bit about the history of the church; the young man who saw me consulting my map on a street in San Francisco’s Upper Fillmore neighborhood and asked if he could help me find something.

And have I mentioned that the weather was mostly spectacular?

(Question for self: Why did we come back to Seattle? Oh yes, this is where The Boyfriend and The Friends are.)

(Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006)

After getting cleared through the security checkpoint at Oakland Airport, the anonymous man in front of me and I ambled off to the side of the checkpoint to organize ourselves and our carry-on bags. Facing each other, we engaged in small talk as I strapped my blue and red Teva sandals on my bare feet and he looped his black leather belt through his denim belt loops and buckled his silver buckle. This created a weird, fleeting intimacy; I felt like I should offer to make him breakfast, or at least give him cab fare home.

I did neither. Fully dressed and composed, we gathered our bags and went our separate ways; it was just a one-airport thing.

(Monday, Sept. 18, 2006)

My last full day in the Bay Area … for now.

First, today’s bike/scooter and proof shots:

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My destination today was Herbivore, a vegan restaurant in San Francisco‘s Alamo Square neighborhood. Starting once again from the Financial District, I walked down Sutter to Gough, turned onto Fulton, and finally onto Divisadero. After brunch, I took Divisadero back to Fulton, strolled through Alamo Square Park, took Fulton back to Gough, then walked up to Union, down to Webster, turned around back onto Union, walked over to Mason, then down to California, ending at the Montgomery and Market BART station.

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I noticed some great signs along the way — some with interesting, unintentional messages, some with eye-popping colors and designs.

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Weather in the Bay Area was spectacular once again — sunny and warm. I’ve been checking forecasts for Seattle; looks like chilly & wet for at least a few days after I return.

(Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006)

On my walk back from breakfast at Fellini this morning, I noticed an odd-looking vehicle driving on University. A few minutes later, I noticed a couple more. That was my first clue that something was happening in the neighborhood. My next clue was the proliferation of signs indicating part of the street was blocked off for several hours for a parade. It all came together when I saw a banner for “How Berkeley?! Parade and festival” which, it turns out, is reminiscent of the Fremont Solstice Parade.

Undecided about whether to watch the parade, I checked out some booths set up along Center, off of Martin Luther King. One booth offered “tuning fork” massage; I stopped to treat my weary feet. (Well, foot; my left foot still wants to mutiny, my right foot doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about.) At the time my massage ended, the parade began. Easy decision now: I was there, the parade was there, and there was plenty of room for spectators. Note to The Boyfriend (TB): This album includes some bike pictures. Note to Karen: … and a horse picture.
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Rumor had it Berkeley would even have naked bicyclists (an annual, unnecessary controversy each year in Seattle). I hung out for the parade for almost an hour and didn’t see any naked bicyclists. I did see some naked pedestrians; 4 men, none of them completely naked. The first wore sunglasses and flip-flops. I would guess this man spends a lot of time naked — he had a deep, dark, all-over tan and no tan lines (one can’t help but notice such things on a person of the naked persuasion). The next man wore a hat, fake hair & beard, a t-shirt, and nothing below the shirt except shoes. The third man wore shoes and a backpack. The last man wore shoes and sunglasses. The vibe wasn’t at all creepy, or the least bit sexual. It was a “this is one day when I can walk around au naturel, so I’m just gonna enjoy the freedom” vibe.

Funky cars, crazy costumes, and naked men. Can it get any better than this?

It can and did. I went for a walk later this afternoon and found Indian Rock. I had tried to find it the first week I was here, but (as per usual) had trouble following the map. Today, I spotted a sign hiding behind a tree across from a fountain, and the sign read, “Indian Rock.” Serendipity! I guess Indian Rock found me. And this afternoon was a great time to visit the rock; the morning I tried to find it was overcast. Today I saw the stunning city and bay views from the top of the rock.

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Berkeley has great transportation options: BART, buses, one’s own feet, bicycles, electric and other fuel-efficient cars. And it has funny signs, too.

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Berkeley also has some “you’ve got to be joking” signs and stores:

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Some additional food commentary:

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Some Berkeley architecture and flora:

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And last but not least, some more bike shots for TB:

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(Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006)

I have sore foot syndrome again, so I stayed in Berkeley within a mile or two of my room. Breakfast at Fellini, a quick trip through the Farmers’ Market, and a late-afternoon wander down Rose Street and back up Hopkins. Gorgeous weather, sunny & warm all day.
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And finally, a quick note to the government:

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(Friday, Sept. 15, 2006)

Destination: The intersection of Haight and Ashbury, once the hub of 1960’s hippiedom, now home to hipster hangouts and chi-chi shopping. Note to my friend Matt: I finally made it to Haight/Ashbury! These pics are for you …

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My route: Starting, as usual, in San Francisco‘s Financial Center, I walked from Post to Laguna, turned onto Haight, and followed that to Ashbury.

After picking up dinner (a vegan sandwich to go) from Love N Haight …

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… I walked down Haight back to Laguna, turned onto Fulton, took that to Franklin, then over to Van Ness, then McAllister to Market, then to the Powell Street BART station, and took the train back to Berkeley.

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Approximately 9 miles total, including Berkeley mileage.