Neptune Landing

Recently, I overheard someone in the Castro say that "San Francisco is like Israel for gay men," meaning that this is the chosen land, the geographical magnet for the queers seeking emancipation. I've quietly mulled it over and think that San Francisco is Israel for anyone who is different. But even that seems a little weak-willed. So I've decided that San Francisco is like Israel for rule breakers. This idea behind San Francisco has produced a lot of coolness and creativity but also quite a bit of frustration. I was appalled when I saw people bicycling on the sidewalk and pissing on the street. I nearly witnessed a 90 degree collision between an irate bicyclist and an impatient motorist trying to outrun a red light. On my second night here, in Civic Center, I witnessed a grown man dressed as an overgrown infant girl with a huge pink-and-white Binky and bonnet. More chilling, on my birthday in fact, an elderly Asian man was run over at the main Castro intersecti...

I have terrific news. I found a sweet apartment in the neighborhood of Mission  Dolores for less than what I was paying in Somerville, Massachusetts! And there's a free washer and dryer thrown into the mix; quarters and loose change sashay away. The Goddesses of hearth and home once again looked kindly on yours truly. The only trouble now is saying good-bye to my hosts, Eric and Richard, their cat, Cali and the sauna and jacuzzi of Opera Plaza. Here are the deets on the new crib: It's a second floor, rent-controlled apartment on 16th Street and Church. Mission Dolores is a mild-mannered, almost suburban hamlet sandwiched between the boisterous hipster/latin Mission District and the gay/fabulous Castro. Mission Dolores is actually where San Francisco was founded and *immediately* across the street from my new abode is the sideview of the 1918 Basilica, shown above. Next to that, just out of view from my front stoop if we had one, is the oldest standing structure in the c...

What a week! Work has gotten consistently easier and I had a half hour of unique value when I was able to converse with a Spanish-speaking couple who arrived to our shop for the first time. Overall, the shop is quite busy but I love the fact that it's a small, independent business that has a real family feel. My co-workers are great and you can't beat the location. On Wednesday, this happened: Two introduced species meeting for the first time! There are several things to note about this photo. The first is that there is a parrot's nest somewhere made of my missing hair. The second is that the two winged cuties are totally mugging for the camera. And the third is that strange woman in the background. It's extremely hard to be anywhere truly alone in San Francisco. According to the 2000 census, there are 16,343 people per square mile in SF, second only to New York City. Seriously, there's always someone in front of you in line. What's fascinating is t...

This town has its own unique set of challenges. Whereas people in Boston are more than accostomed to letting their misery fly, folks in San Francisco will not rest until they let their immodesty and irreverence all hang out. Both paths are equally exhausting. I'm starting to feel like the lead character in "The Princess and the Pea." Easter is a big deal here and not because there's any affinity for the Christian faith but rather its a big opportunity to poke fun at it. The gays and hippies come out for the Easter Bonnet parade and the Hunky Jesus contest and everyone is ironic and fabulous and outrageous. They all descend on Mission Dolores Park and smoke pot and drink wine and listen to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (seven-foot-tall drag queens whose main mission is service for the community). The Sisters are great and their updates and sermons and canonizations are punctured by local bands and DJs and the like. People roam the park selling 'edibles,...

Greetings readers! So I started my job at a funky optical shop called "Eye Carumba." The folks there are great but it's been nearly three years since I've been committed to an office setting. The pace and duties differ significantly from touring Harvard Law on the night shift. Mostly it's just getting familiar with using a different part of the brain. The weather here has been blissfully sunny with temps hovering between the mid-50's and mid-60's but there is quite a wind that picks up everyday at around office closing hours. I must say I had hoped to witness a gentler mist enveloping the city but it's more like thick fogs/clouds. Summertime contains the infamous fog. Last night, however, I walked home from Church Street through the misty rain. And it was a divine reminder of my time spent in Washington State. My next knowledge quest is finding out how to make this town affordable. This website http://sf.funcheap.com/ should give me some guidance...

Life has been skipping along in San Francisco. Where do I start? First, let me make a note about literary presumption. Armistead Maupin starting penning the wonderful "Tales of the City" series as a serial in The San Francisco Chronicle in 1976, 200 years after San Francisco was founded. He is one of my heroes and is one of many reasons for my pilgrimage. TOTC is a collection of 8 books that span thirty-five years, starting in the heady, libertine 1970's focusing on a mish-mash cast of characters and their ways of surviving in this aquatic town. Throughout his warm dialogue, he weaves in sub-plots of mystery and suspense but his signature technique is placing together two very different characters in an oddball San Francisco setting and seeing what happens. The result is often magic. The reason I bring this up is that I've assumed my readers know all of this already. Do me a favor and pick up the collection. You won't regret it. I'm big on synchronicity....

“When Fortuna spins you downward, go out to a movie and get more out of life.” ― John Kennedy Toole , A Confederacy of Dunces    "or visit Japantown." -- Thomas Kilduff This town is marked by intense bouts of joy followed by reversals in fortune, vice versa and around and around. Let's start with my newest curiosity: food. I don't plan on ballooning in SF but it's hard not to become a foodie. Consciously, I am savoring each bite because I truly want to gobble all that's set before me. It's a rare meal that will disappoint in Fog City. Take today's $7 compilation of super-veggie-burrito, side o' chips and bottle of water at "El Castillito" on Church Street in Duboce Triangle - once again we savor the holy trinity of low price, fresh ingredients and ample portions. Thus far, Vietnamese and Mexican seem to be the cheapest options but I've barely scratched the dinner table on this quirky peninsula....