Lions, and Tigers, and Care Bears. Oh My!

Well, gentle readers, in San Francisco, even Care Bears can be edgy.  Copyright infringement laws be damned! In the beginning of September, we attended the Folsom Street fair.  Yes, the leather community street fair.  You may be wondering what two pasty white vanilla flavored delicacies like Rusty and myself were doing at the Folsom Street fair, but we enjoy a dip in the alternative sub culture pool every now and again.  French bulldogs and these Care Bears say it all about the San Francisco leather community, you kinda think they might be butch but they really are not!

So, on with the pictures, as descriptions may not be sufficient.  These pictures may not be suitable for children, the prudish or anyone in polite society...so my readers should be fine!

Handsome buddies at the street fair....Patrick and Jim.

More studs!  The "other halves" from the previous picture...Jeff and Trey!

Betty Page has been a naughty girl!

Semi-Naked Twister.  

I hope someone brought clorox wipes for the plastic Twister mat.

Gotta love Victorian Architecture...

Michael Lester (of Raleigh)  enjoying the California sunshine and a little cocktail with my amus bouche!

Raleigh boys gone wild!

That's enough of that particular brand of nonsense.  And now for more pedestrian pursuits.  October came and went with little fanfare.  

Rusty spent a week in New Mexico for work freezing his butt off.  It snowed on and off during the week.  The pictures he brought back were incredible.  The trip certainly made him appreciate the mild temperatures of the bay area even more.  

New Mexico is one of those places I'm sure is just as crappy as any other place, but I've always had an over romanticized view of the place.  I'm hesitant to visit for want of not destroying this image I have of it as a spiritual mecca.  Anywho, it sure is Pur-dee!

The morning of All Hallow's Eve was spent in service to the Castro Valley community. We participated in the Great Castro Valley Book Pass with my teachers from school.  The community set up a fire brigade line to pass the last of the books from the old CV library to the new high tech CV library (.7 miles away).  
Rusty spent most of the time next to my new superintendent.  For the longest time, Rusty didn't realize this was my new boss...which worried me significantly as they spent an hour telling concert stories (the superintendent used to be a big deadhead and a bit of a concert groupie). Who knows what stories Rusty was telling?  It's always the principal's wife that shares all the gossip.  Always a danger.  I guess I should be appreciative to CV for the fact that I can be out as an administer and still have my job, not possible in every community and certainly a comforting experience!  I'm still a little concerned about the possibility of a lavender ceiling but much healthier in the long run and less likely to encounter the ceiling in the Bay Area. 

Teachers passing books during the great pass on a chilly, fog filled Halloween Morning.  

 

After this high visibility opportunity, we went home to prepare for Trick or Treaters.  We had a fair share but not quite the rush predicted by our neighbors.  We spent much of the time providing hot cranberry toddies for our neighbors, and getting to know everyone a little better.  Rusty and I dressed up to show our holiday spirit! 

Late Halloween evening, we visited a party hosted by our friends Dominic and Oscar.  Dominic is Rusty's stylist, a very talented artisan.  Yes, even the haircuts in the Bay Area are artisanal.  

Let's face it, the plate of chicken wing carcasses really makes this picture.  

Beyond the activities, we're spending our days working hard.  Rusty applied for a different job within the EPA and was offered the position.  Now, instead of an RPM he is a Green Remediation and Communications Coordinator.  No extra Benjamins, but a great position with high visibility.  

Today, long walk on a Sunday morning, reminding myself how beautiful the fall is in San Francsico.  The sea lions were out in full force...lots of sea lion pups...The sky was Carolina blue and even the tourists were less than covering every inch.  

Rusty is off to Philadelphia for work this week.  This Thanksgiving, I'm off to Raleigh to visit mom, and then off to Florida to visit Rusty's mom.  Di arrives December 17th.  Lots of adventures still to be had in double ought niner!