Saturday, October 10th
It is Monday, October the 12th as of this writing. Inevitably I have fallen behind on my web journal - a combination of both burn out and more pressing matters of interest.
On this Monday morning it is cloudy, but mild - a calm 59 degrees. There are predictions of heavy rains tonite - up to 2" in the city and 5" in the Mountains. This is to continue through Tuesday with clearing Wednesday. I cannot complain. I have had nearly 14 straight days of gorgeous weather, and, truthfully, it will be a welcome break to hear and see the rains when they come.
Now, to play catch-up.
Bruce, who has kindly provided me with a place to stay has been on a 10 day vacation and returns late tonite. I thought it might be good if he could have his place to himself his return and settle back in with no distractions. So I decided to ask for help implementing this by asking other folks I know in the bay area if they could provide me with a place to stay. Strike One! Refusal. Strike two! No response whatsoever. Luckily there was no strike three as Steven agreed to have me stay over at his place in the Mission. I was very much relieved by this.
I decided to have lunch in the 'hood and when to the recently opened Sunflowers, (288 Connecticut St - between Mariposa St & 18th St). They specialize in Vietnamese food. I wanted something which would sustain me so I ordered one of the plate dinners.
Click on the photos below for a larger image.
I decided on the Five Spice Chicken with Imperial roll , soup, salad and brown rice ($8.50). WOW. That is a big lunch for me. And when I first saw it I though I have been given the wrong order. What was supposed to be chicken looked like a slab of ribs to me. But, it was indeed chicken. I had never seen chicken prepared or served this way before. But, I don't get out much.
A closer look. The entire meal was very tasty and new to me. The soup contained slivered green peppers of some sort. They looked like jalapenos, but were not that hot. It also contained pineapple, mushrooms, cilantro, tofu, sprouts and fresh tomato.
The Imperial roll was smaller (thank god) than the ones I had at Tu Lin's and not quite as flavorful. The salad was pretty basic - shredded cabbage and carrots with some type of light dressing.
When I ordered I was given a choice of fried or brown rice. A no brainer. But, I barely recognized it as brown rice. I am used to a sticky rice cooked in a rice steamer. This rice had each grain separate and it was dark in color as if it had been browned in someway. Can anyone tell me how it was prepared?
The chicken was sliced nearly through into 3/4" wide strips. I cannot tell you what the 5 spices are, but perhaps some googling will solve the mystery. The chicken was very tasty, but I found the skin a little fatty and left it behind. Well, most of it anyway.
I am unused to eating a large meal mid-day and this was a very generous plate full. I finished off everything but the brown rice, which I could only manage about a third of.
After paying up I waddled out the front door and back to Bruce's. By the time I had walked the two blocks I felt like I had been drugged. Waaaay to much food - especially for mid-day. I succumbed to my beckoning pillow and lay down for a nap. Not a great way to wok off a meal.
Around 3:00 I got myself up and started packing up the few things I would need for my overnite at Steve's. I then decided to get outside and do a little exploring around The Hill and then down into Dogpatch.
I walked down 18th then up the hill on Pennsylvania then left onto Texas and back down the other side.
This photos shows a row of newly planted Sweet Gums along Texas Street.
At the bottom of Texas hill, which was starting look more and more industrial/commercial I looked up the hill and saw this rather decrepit set of structures. Many of the windows were boarded up and they looked generally run down and poorly maintained. It was then it dawn on me these must be the housing projects which I had just read about in local Potrero Heights Neighborhood newspaper. Pretty depressing. They are scheduled for "redevelopment next year". Looks to me like HUD needs to start from scratch.
At 22nd and Pennsylvania there is a MUNI Railway facility. A large building which wrapped around he block. This is one of the access gates.
I walked up the hill to 19th where it dead ends at Pennsylvania.
There was a commanding view of both the Oakland and San Francisco shipyards.
When I saw this smoke stack I wondered if was from the power plant which had been in the news of late and was scheduled for closure.
To the left can be seen the Oakland-Bay Bridge, then the 18 Street freeway I-280 overpass and the Dogpatch neighborhood.
I continued on down Pennsylvania to 18th where this rather distinguished looking house sits, perched above 18th. Two plaques adjacent to the front entrance state: "The Thomas Steel Building" and below it " The Wiseman Group: Interior Design, Inc.".
An interesting mix of succulents which were in the planter on the left side of the driveway.
I was now just a few blocks form Bruce's place. When I got back I policed my little corner of the living room I had been nesting in then cleaned up the kitchen, swept and vacuumed.
With everything now looking reasonable tidy and clean I wrote a note to Bruce letting him know I would be in gone overnight and would return the following day.
I had packed the ThermaRest mattress, sleeping bag, night clothes and laptop into the ancient backpack I had decided to use on this trip. I hoisted it up, clipped in on and then headed up to the 22 bus stop.
I had a bit of wait, boarded then got of at 16th and Mission. The plan was to catch the 14 Mission and then ride it down to 25th - just a few blocks from where Steven lived. But, the next 14 would not by for another 15 minutes so, rather than hand around the bus stop I decided to hoof it the mile down to Steven's place.
This is what happens if you leave your bike unattended for too long - it turns into a parts shop.
Welcome!
After getting me settled in and telling me more about " Writers with Drinks" the event we would be attending, we headed out the door and over to the Make Out Room (3225 22nd Stbetween Bartlett & Mission Streets) , the venue for this event.
Joe Loya author of "The Man Who Outgrew His Prison Cell" reads excerpts from his book.
Photo by Steven. I forgot my camera!!
Charlie Anders cracks jokes about her newly installed hooters and introduces the next reader.
Photo by Steven.
Literary ringmaster Charlie Anders insists her series of tavern-based readings is set up so that "no one's competing," but she herself is used to being up against stiff competition. "There's a guy doing a striptease on a unicycle, a guy wrestling a fish and Armistead Maupin doing a reading," she says incredulously of the options on any given Saturday night in SF. "Your [event] has to be better than fish wrestling."
It's a tough standard to live up to, but over the last four years Writers With Drinks: Spoken Word Varity Show has become the event that everybody's talking about — and talking at, for that matter. Snagging appearances by big- and small-name poets, comedians and authors, Anders also strives to keep the audience diverse... According to Anders: "You can get drunk, take someone home and wake up unable to remember who you slept with — but you'll remember the readings. That's my goal."
Source: 7x7 Magazine, April 2005
Irina Slutsky of Geek Entertainment TV, reads about her early childhood as an immigrant in the Bronx.
Doug Dorst author of " Alive In Necropolis" also read some excerpts from his book. I found it quite entertaining and intriguing.
This it Tom and Lynnore. Lynnore had arrived early and staked out a booth. When Tom arrived she offered to share and then when Steven asked about us joining them she graciously accommodated us. Thanks, Lynnore!
Photo by Steven.
We left at the intermission and then walked across the street to " Escape from New York Pizza (3242 22nd St - between Mission & Bartlett Streets). We both got slices of potato and garlic which were excellent and nicely sized slices.
On the way back Steven pointed out numerous places of interest. There were lots of people out and about and all of the eateries seemed to be full and busy.
When we got back we watched "The Loved One", a British black comedy from 1963. I had heard about this film for decades but had never seen it. It was quirky and fun with lots of interesting actors like Jonathan Winters, Tab Hunter, Rod Steiger and on and on. Recommended.
Liberace plays a casket salesman in this comedy about the funeral business in Hollywood.
When the movie ended it was 11:00. These "late" nights are starting to get to be a habit!
