Random Life

We've been living life rather randomly since returning from Australia.  The students are back in at school and most of my time is spent working to organize the office and get everyone on the right track.  This doesn't leave much time so we've been planning our weekends very loosely and almost spontaneously.  

Last weekend we ended up at the Harrison Street Fair, enjoying some very odd bands and good friends.  This is a big change from our usual weekend of enjoying good bands and odd friends.  

Our Hostess for the day!

"Fans of Jimmy Century" an all gyrl band with a groovin' sound and a fierce drummer.

Ejector! a glam electro pop duo.  Hmmm....Charmed...

Hippy gyrl enjoying the tunes!

80-86, a New Wave sound of whom we couldn't get enough.

 

The Ethel Merman Experience!  A SOMA Street Fair favorite, and a personal favorite of Rusty and myself.  One hasn't truly heard "Come on Baby Light My Fire" until sung in the stylings of an Ethel Merman impersonator.

Gary (Rusty's work friend) enjoying the crowds.  

We don't often get to say this, but all in all it was a beautiful sunny San Francisco Day.  

Speaking of beautiful, Rusty had a retreat at the Filoli Gardens in Woodside.  He snapped some fantastic photos, almost postcard quality.  Judge for yourself!

Big news, we took the plunge and decided to get a gorgeous new baby. The Honda shop had a great deal on a 2008 Honda Shadow Aero VT 750. Rusty is absolutely giddy with the new bike.  

What proud daddies we've become.  We're currently taking applications for people to ride bitch.  Ohhhh, no he dih-n't.    

Today, Opera in the Park!  We enjoyed the warmth and food and the wine.  More importantly, we enjoyed the camaraderie of good friends. 

Bravo!  

Limbiano!

If these terrific events are a result of living randomly, then perhaps living randomly is not such a bad idea.  

18 Years and No Homocide

Yes, Rusty and I are celebrating our 18th Anniversary.  A long time for sure!

To commemorate this occasion, we enjoyed dinner and a show in San Francisco. 

The dinner was at Chaya, on the Embarcadero.  Sitting at our table, we had a perfect view of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island.  Dinner was unbelievable.  I had salmon with wild mushrooms and a Pinot Noir reduction.  I always feel a little guilty eating an expensive meal, especially one that doesn't involve the heartiness of schnitzel and red cabbage.  Damn my practical German heritage.  For dessert, a martini of course (my drink had chocolate vodka, chambord, and godiva).  

Then off to the show.  Adam, our friend and landlord, recommended the Tony Award winning play, The Drowsy Chaperone.  Excellent choice as this musical was high spirited, clever, and funny.  The music and dancing were tongue in cheek 1920's style numbers, with very little plot to get in the way of the singing.  Check it out if it comes to a theatre near you.  This madcap show will not disappoint.  

  

Australia, a True Beaut!

A few Odds and end to wrap up our vacation, random stuff I wanted to share.  

This is just a brief list of many of the things we love about Australia

• The pubs! (Fair Dinkum!) Especially the Lord Nelson in Sydney
  
• Colin Hay - of "Land Down Under" singing fame, now sings acoustic songs.
• XXXX Bitter Beer
• Meat Pies (Especially from Pinnacle Pub)
• Duel flush toilets
• An affinity for Cabaret (singers, drag performers, etc.) at all the bars
• "Sunrise" with Koshi and Cynthia (including the infomercials during the talk show)
• "Sticky" - a lolli shop in Sydney
• Sunsets off the Sydney Harbor Bridge
• The barrier reef
• Lizzie's rissoles, prawns, and lamb
• Qantas Airlines
• Multiple crazy drunks 
• Baked beans for breakfast
• Mass transit system (confusing but excellent)
• Kevin's dirty jokes.  
• Seeing Aussie Celebs everywhere (Dreamy Denham Hitchcock)
• A strong loyalty to the mullet
• "Kath and Kim"
• "The Castle" ("This is going right to the pool room...")
• Cricket clubs and footie clubs
• Seeing the Milky Way and the Southern Cross in the clear night sky
• Flying foxes
• A phenomenal sense of humor
• The people, including all of our wonderful new friends (Lizzie, John, Tony, Kathy, Tracey, Janice, Kevin, Belinda), and our friends with whom we managed to reconnect (Di, Shane, Phil, Toyassi, Donna, Josh, Joy, Aaron).  We'll certainly miss all of our Aussie mates and encourage all to come visit us in the city by the Bay.  

Speaking of a great sense of humor, just thought I'd share this:

By the way, found this recipe for meat pies, in case you have a hankerin' to try them out.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook 1 kg. diced chuck beef until well browned.  Drain off excess liquid and remove from pan.  Add 300g sliced button mushrooms, two washed and sliced leeks, one tablespoon minced garlic to the pan.  Cook untli soft. Return beef to the pan and add 375ml  Guiness, bring to a boil reduce heat and bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes.  add 400g crushed tomatoes and enough beef stock to cover the beef, bring to the boil and simmer until beef is tender.  Stir in a little Maggi gravy mix to thicken, add salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into serving bowls, cut off puff pastry to fit the top.  Glaze pastry with egg wash, and bake in the oven at 180 degrees C until pastry has risen and browned.  Give it a try! 

"Tuna Does Vegas" - Food, Frivolity and Hilarity in Downtown SF

On rare occasions in San Francisco, one experiences perfect evenings where the blue sky is reflected everywhere in the windows of the tall buildings, and the temperature is a comfortable mid 70s. Last night, Rusty and I enjoyed a light dinner outside at a Catalan restaurant, B44, on Belden Lane in the financial district of San Francisco [http://www.b44sf.com/index.html]. The restaurant has a delightfully sweet and sinfully tart Sangria, a combination difficult to master. We shared small plate appetizers as our meal, and were mildly amused that the word tapas was never printed anywhere on the menu. We started with steamed mussels mixed with the odd combination of english peas, pancetta, and a sofrito sauce, somehow the peas really complimented the mussels. We moved on to a sausage and white bean plate with an exquisite garlic sauce. The Ceviche was damn near perfect and was a welcome cool addition on this warm evening. The only disappointing dish was the steamed clams, an overly salty dish with bitter undertones. We finished our meal with a smooth 10 year old madeira, a strong carmel color with a carmel taste to match. It appears in Catalania, there is a competition in which men create a tower of people. The owner/head chef has participated in this practice. The restaurant has many photos of these human castles and the restroom actually shows a video of the men creating these towers...odd that it is in the restroom but still kinda cool to watch. The seating was very close together making it very difficult to ignore people at the next table , as luck would have it we were next to an excessively pretentious couple on their first date trying way to hard to show how demanding each could be...but on the other side we enjoyed a bit of conversation with a delightful couple, translate this to mean two people willing to laugh at our jokes. This restaurant is a bit pricey, but will definitely remain on our list of favorite special occasion places.


After the light meal, we went to the Curran theatre to see the fourth Tuna Texas show, Tuna Does Vegas. For those of you unfamiliar, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams play all the characters of a small town in Texas. The show is absolutely hilarious and provides quotable one liners for years after viewing. This time, the entire town of Tuna Texas goes to Las Vegas as one of the central characters renews her wedding vows. Favorites Vera Carp (Smut Snatchers President and wealthy woman of Tuna), and Bertha Bumiller are back (Bertha still reminds me of Med's mom Shirley, the good christian woman with a heart of gold). Inita Goodwin and Helen Bed manage to get to Vegas and end up show girls at the Hula Chateau hotel and casino. As each character came out for the first time, claps and cheers erupted from people remembering their personal favorites. It was as if we had come across old friends after a long absence. The actors were still as witty as ever. The plot ridiculously thin, barely a skeleton from which the characters spew out snappy dialogue. The experience was very intimate in that we were only six rows back and center stage. This show is one I highly recommend to all. For tour dates or more information: http://www.tunadoesvegasthetour.com/index.htm. We also saw a few friends at the play and went to the Gold Dust Lounge afterwards for a quick drink. What a perfect denouement to our evening.

in other news...

In the"Small World" category, I was standing in a Souvenir Shop on Pier 39, a tourist hell we normally avoid like the plague but were frequenting to get SF hats for our Aussie trip, and who should walk in but Lori my receptionist from North Carolina. She just happened to be in SF for a brief stay with her mother and daughter. Wow, this just blew me away. We managed to get together for a quick tour of the city and a bite to eat. She's a lovely southern lady with a bright smile and a sunny disposition.

We're down to a less than a week before boarding the airplane to Australia. Neither Rusty nor I have been particularly excited as of yet because of our massive amounts of work before then. The first leg of our trip with Di has been over scheduled and seems an exhausting itinerary, but I'm eternally grateful to Di for arranging everything. She has the organizational skills (and the demeanor) of an Infantry Drill Sergeant but sure as hell gets the job done.

Well, gentle readers, next posts and pics will be upon our return from Australia and may include several weeks worth of adventures. Wish us luck as I cross the equator into the southern hemisphere for the first time ever...

Gotta love the NY artists!

Hey Gentle Readers,

I'm embedding this Youtube video for you to preview. It's from a group known as Improv Everywhere, led by Charlie Todd (who went to college at UNC, Chapel Hill). Anyhow, I just like knowing these mild anarchists are out there. I'm reminded of Mark Zs marches in downtown Raleigh dressed in various regalia and causing scandalized stares.



Their website is: www.improveverywhere.com

Check it out.

Walt

"Mordecai is a Drag" Yet Again

"Money! Tickets! Passport! . . . Money! Tickets! Passport!" Mark shrieked as he rushed back into the house to pick up a forgotten boa or accessory for costume change number three. (Side note: Mark as referencing Edina Monsoon from "Absolutely Fabulous", for all the straight people reading this.) Yes, it was the biennial "Mordecai is a Drag V3.0" party at Med's in Raleigh, NC.
The talent was top notch this year even without the professional stylings of Mr. Tim Blair nor the multi talents of Mr. Wayne Wilson. Our hostess, Marion Haste, remained sober and lucid this year as she welcomed Drag performers and audience members alike. The show started with a fabulous Parade of Talent (much like the beginnings of a three ring circus with only slightly fewer freaks). Cherry Penetrada performed Shirley Bassey's cover of Pink's "Let's Get This Party Started", in a Vegas showgirl outfit, complete with rhinestones, feathers, and a headdress reaching to the glorious North Carolina night sky, as all the performers meandered across the stage providing a glimpse of the spectacle to come.

The first performer and hostess, Marion Haste, provided audience members with the Ten Essential Drag Moves in the Drag Tutorial. Moves such as "Pussy on Fire" and "Flick the Booger" or "Stomp the Cockroach" were explained for the novice audience members. She challenged one and all to look for these moves as the evening wore on. Marion also reminded us of the difference between "drag illusion" and "booger drag". I'll leave it to your judgement as to which type of drag was performed this evening.

Other performers provided professional, high quality entertainment all evening long. Carmen Getta was splendid in a pink feather-lined mini with knee-high patent-leather white boots, performing "I'm Always Drunk in San Francisco".

















Marion Haste then returned to the stage and performed the Broadway classic "The Ladies Who Lunch". Well I'll drink to that! Definitely a theme was emerging: these girls love their booze.












Roxanne Gravel continued the show with a rousing latin number from the movie "Kinky Boots" with a quote seared in this reviewer's mind, "In these shoes? I don't think so."
Anita Mann sang a heart stopping, tear jerking rendition of "Over the Rainbow" (the unofficial national gay anthem -- obligatory in parades and at festivals USA-wide.)

Let us not forget our drag kings, either. Pedro Bendemovar used a flaming hoop for a routine to, you guessed it, "Ring of Fire". Our second drag king, Jude the Dude, performed a spririted country song, "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down", truly the sexiest farmer-skank around, complete with redneck butt-crackage.

There were too many numbers to list in this recount. Audience members also provided endless opportunities for comment, as most were in drag, good, bad, and ugly.

The party lasted until the final performer packed up her wigs, parasols, makeup kit, and dresses at 2 a.m.

The audience was considerably smaller than in previous years, more of an almost night club casual atmosphere. The talent was infinitely more rehearsed and better, but as insisted upon by our hostess, still Booger. Despite prop failures and a slanted stage, most every talent performed at least twice. Highlights included flying glitter, fizzing Diet Coke, "My pussy, just a silly pussy cat", strobes, a smoke machine, and audience participation dress-up.

The party was the most fabulous magical affair available in the Triangle last Saturday night.

The performance is always the mountaintop arrived through the confluence of creativity, hard work and humor. The performers rarely have the opportunity to enjoy each other as they are preparing backstage in the drag tent and are not in the audience. The next day at Irregardless brunch the talent congregated to trade fables, share photos, and laugh uproariously much to the chagrin of Sunday church-going patrons wanting to enjoy a quiet morning of light jazz and crab cakes. The antics prompted the waitress to ask "Are you comedians?" to which the resound reply came "No -- Drag Queens". Squeals of laughter are good for the soul. Med, or course, has vowed to host this party in another two years and has forbidden any and all to try and gussy it up. Ultimately, as much as it pains me to admit, he is right.

Sunday evening was spent with Rusty and Mark drinking wines most of the evening and solving each other's problems (as well as all the problems of everyone to whom we are acquainted). Another opportunity to reinvigorate the soul.

So gentle readers, if you were absent, you were clearly missed. If you were present, please include your favorite memory in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed just a taste of the oddity, talent, and hilarity.

Write soon!

Other Photos...enjoy!

Audience participation time. Can anyone say uncomfortable straight guy.


"Is this going to be offensive?"


That's a whole lotta intense woman!


A true vision of loveliness in pre-performance relaxation.


Seattle Grunge couple! Delicious.

Lovin' Lynda

The hotel lounge was small, less than two hundred patrons, and the tables were close to the stage. Rusty sat with a maniacal grin the entire time Lynda Carter sang her dozen plus torch songs. We had seats closer to the stage than one can get at Med's Booger drag parties. Rusty has elevated the former Ms. USA, star of cabaret and small screen seventies television, to near iconic status. At different points of the show there were certainly touching tears in his eyes as the emotion of the moment overwhelmed him. The patron's were mostly gay men (duh), a few tourists, and the occasional lesbian (searching for that Wonder Woman feminist inspiration).Rusty brought Lynda Carter's one and only record album with him in the hopes she would sign it, but after the show we never had the opportunity. (Rusty originally purchased the album in 1978). Although I thought he was the uber-fan, another woman was there following Lynda Carter from city to city to catch every show. She not only had the album, she had the album with the embedded picture. We also spoke with a pleasant couple, recent transplants from Arkansas, with a Rusty like devotion to Lynda Carter. Certainly a lovely evening softening the blow of not attending JazzFest this year.

After the show, we met a principal friend and his wife out at AsiaSF, a high end dinner spot with a standard quality drag show. The Drag Queens were OK, but Greg's wife was truly a joy: smart, funny and beautiful. Knowing his affinity for the Divas, Rusty took an instant shine to June and the two managed to entertain each other for much of the evening. As amazing as she is, we clutched our pearls realizing that the record album we had been dragging around all evening was actually one year older than June (ugg...gotta love the young). Good times, friends, truly strange, but good!

FUN IN A BUN

Went to the second oldest gay bar in America, the White Horse (celebrating 75 years next weekend), and met an in house lesbian hot dog vendor. I had to share the madness!

Spring Break Comes to an End

Spring break has passed quickly and here I sit on the eve of going back to work. The big push to the end of the school year bears down and time is flying by too quickly.

For spring break, I flew back to North Carolina to connect with loved ones. Did I get to see everyone? No, the time was too short and the list of loved ones too vast.

Mark Z hosted a wonderful Leprechaun themed party. All were encouraged to wear green and all were also encouraged to drink a horrible concoction called Green Goblin. Party punches are a thing of the past for me favoring instead wines of a little less green nature. The joy of the evening was, of course, reconnecting with wonderful friends.









































Easter was spent with my family, enjoying the rites of spring. North Carolina is just beginning to blossom with daffodils and pear blossoms. The matriarch of the family, Anna, is doing well. She remains busy with bowling leagues, gardening and house projects.

The rest of the family is in good health and continues to enjoy North Carolina.

A visit to North Carolina would not be complete without a visit to the Flying Saucer. Sitting there with a group of friends, I was reminded of a painting by Renoir, entitled "Luncheon of the Boating Party". It's a painting of a group of friends having food and drinks under the canvas of a boat on the Seine.The details of the painting aren't as important as the feeling left in my mind. The painting depicts an almost ethereal moment in time; a perfect split second. This fleeting charmed few seconds forces an overwhelming feeling of contentment washing over the onlooker making him wistful to experience this slice of nirvana. We all have these moments embedded on the Etch-A-Sketch of our minds. My moment is connected to an afternoon under the awning at the Flying Saucer. The warm summer breeze brought the scent of humidity, decaying vegetation, diesel from worker's trucks, and even the cliche of jasmine. The taste of a light summer hefeweissen lingered on my lips. Friends sat around the commandeered tables, the usual suspects of course. The conversation ranged from light to introspective. The infectious joy of laughter flowed as easily as the beer. Everytime I recall this moment, the details are slightly different, as is the case with one's memory. The details aren't as important as the intense feelings of contentment, satisfaction, and strong affection.

This past trip, I sat with several friends at the Flying Saucer recapturing bits of that perfect moment. Home to me is more than a place, rather a collection of our loved ones. So, I always feel at home with the usual suspects. Thanks for showing up and reminding me of all of this wistfulness and evoking these thoughts so uncharacteristic to this German guy.

By the by, side note is that Rusty's plate is back on the wall, so those boycotting the Saucer are free to return. Rusty appreciates your long vigil and encourages you now to move on to other worthy causes.
So back to work before a strong push to the end of the school year. Brace yourself Effie, it's going to be a long one. Love to my peeps! Post note: Sorry to Beth who I kept calling Carmen in my last post. Nothing more than a brain fart.

The Debbie Chronicles [President's Day Weekend]

A trip to the airport, a light dinner at Absinthe, and a few drinks in a Hayes Valley Drag bar (Marlena's)...a pretty normal Friday evening in San Francisco. Our dear friend Debbie came in for the weekend and made certain we are banned from any establishment we normally frequent. Rusty and I, at one point, turned Judas on our weekend hag as we denied association when she contributed a five spot to Empress Cher and was dragged on stage to dance...good lord, please don't upstage the drag queen or we will be having a drag brawl up in 'dis place. Thankfully, all went well. We knew it was time to leave when Debbie began trading cleavage tips with Pauline, a French drag queen pulling off a fierce Edith Piaf. Rusty was the designated driver by default and made sure Debbie and I made it home with absolutely no decorum.
Day two of Debbie's visit was filled with regrets and aspirin and a little hair-a-the-dog. Beth, our favorite un-married pregnant diva, met us in a bar near Ghiradelli Square for much needed Bloody Mary's. Then walking all over the city, including lunch in the Castro, and the mandatory stop at Good Vibrations, a woman owned co-op vibrator store (aka a clean and well lighted place for sex toys). One should picture a boutique shop with vibrators instead of over priced clothes. We walked around enjoying the novelty and I'm sure all secretly developing a shopping list in our head. A quick stop at Medjool, a terrific roof top bar with wonderful humous and pita plates. The bar is tucked in the Mission and provides an amazing view of Twin Peaks, downtown SF, and the Oakland hills. A must see for every visitor to our fair area. We dropped Beth off at her hotel at this point as it was the cocktail hour. It would have been fun to drag our seven months pregnant friend to a bar and give her virgin drinks to raise an eyebrow or two if not pure hostility in the overly PC San Francisco environment.

We ended up at the Lonestar for the beer bust meeting up with our bar friends. Again, Rusty was the default designated driver (Debbie truly brings out the beast in me, and versa vice I'm sure). Rusty reports that at one point someone wanted to see the tatoo on my thigh (Debbie and I have matching Ganesha tatoos- is there nothing that bitch won't steal from me?). Someone needs to remind me when I oblige such requests to ensure I'm not going commando...that's when Rusty wisely decided it was time to go.

Sunday was a day of sight seeing, Yerba Buena center, the MOMA, and shopping at Macy's - where I was berated for my old style jeans and ratty hiking shoes, then harangued into spending money on new jeans, and cool urban Pumas. From elementary principal to BCF (Big City Fag)! We then wandered Chinatown and had a drink at the historic bar, Vesuvio - an old haunt of the beat generation, namely Jack Kerouac.Debbie treated us to our favorite North Beach restaurant, Ideale. I'm a big fan of Puttanesca, an item they don't have on the menu but will make for me when the kitchen is slow. I've truly turned into a demanding BCF. We then went to the Midnight Sun, a stand and model bar, to watch videos and have a few cocktails. A friend from our Ventura, California days turned up. We stopped by his house and then absolutely had to stop on the way to the car at 7-11 for really bad hotdogs (the smell of which is still in my car...ugggggggg).

Monday, Rusty and Debbie met up with Debbie's son (visiting from NY) and her nephew in the city, and I spent a long day of recovering on the couch pretending like I was going to get any work completed. Yes, this was an uncharacteristic weekend, and one I will not be repeating anytime soon. Thanks to Rusty as a caretaker for his unruly boyfriend, a role he is not accustomed to but performed flawlessly.

I miss Debbie already but I think she is forbidden from visiting for at least a month or two allowing my liver to recover. Not since the Aussie Sheila has left have I felt the need for at least a few of the twelve steps. Debbie is a very gracious and amiable guest and hopefully will attest to our hospitality. So, friends, come visit soon.

By the way, we do have trips planned and invite our loved ones to visit us in the following locales...

3/1-3/2 Walt and Rusty will be SCUBA diving in Monterey

3/12-3/17 Rusty will be in Florida (Titusville) visiting his folks.

3/21-3/26 Walt will be in Raleigh, NC. Let's all plan a get together night if possible. Donna Bailey has volunteered her house...I'll let you know what night.

6/28- Walt and Rusty fly to the land down under.
6/30 - Arrive in Sydney
6/31 - Fly to Brisbane and stay with Di
7/10 - Fly to Sydney, and visit with Phil Hyde
7/16- Back to San Franciso
JOIN US IN THE LAND DOWN UNDER!

2007 Will Only be Missed a Little

"Blustery" does not convey the force of the storm coming through Nor Cal today. The winds are at 40-50 MPH and the rainfall is creating streams where there were none before, this is the worst storm California has experienced in years. The rain is needed, more importantly, the snowfall in the mountains promising a spring and summer of Haych Two Oh (for non Aussie's that's H2O). I'm forced indoors today, therefore, forced to reflect, ergo updating the blog. The animals are crowded around me and a cup of hot tea is soothing me as I curl up by the warmth of my computer screen and inform my gentle readers of the eventful "Holiday" season. Side note: I had forgotten the California insistence of saying Happy Holidays even if everyone in the room celebrates Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa.

Christmas eve was spent at the San Francisco Unitarian Universalist Church. Rusty is in the choir at this church. he really likes the choir director and enjoys the pageantry of the somewhat traditional church-like services. The messages are very UU but the service reminds me of traditional Episcopal services. Where are the UU hippies I've come to know and love? Rusty and I were very surprised that this was a traditional Christmas service complete with carols, a recreation of the birth of the powerful advocate and rebel, Jesus, (of course all were reminded that really we are celebrating the many holidays based on the change from dark to light the winter brings and the birth of all children), and a candlelight rendition of Silent Night. Christmas day we had fish tacos with Patti and Jaymie in the East Bay, a nice quiet day. Santa was very good to both of us. As you may recall, upon first moving here, my GPS was stolen. Well, Santa replaced my GPS as he was a little tired of me calling in a frantic panic lost on some freeway or in some really scary neighborhood. Thanks Santa!

A few days before New Year's we decided to make the trek down to So Cal. Many of you may not be aware of my love for theme towns. I've made Rusty stop at "South of the Border" so many times, Pedro sayz: Don't Come Back! (for those of you unfamiliar, "South of the Border" is a Mexican themed town just over the NC border into South Carolina...the billboards have been known to be horrifically racist in the past, but begin in Baltimore or Northern Virginia announcing the imminent arrival of this town on I-95. Much like the arrival of Pea Soup Anderson's in Buellton is heralded way too early).Well, we decided to stop in Solvagn and have lunch. This "Danish" village (or is it Dutch considering the wooden shoes and windmills) is really just a place to stop for shopping and lunch. Rusty and I certainly enjoyed Southern California surly teens in drindle dresses serving sausages and red cabbage to stressed out tourists looking for bargains on cuckoo clocks and tschochkies.












We ended up at my friend Val's house in Oxnard. She was throwing an early New Year's celebration with her partner, Nora. we spent the day drinking red wine and having a great time talking to buddhist's, always good for interesting conversation. Rusty fell in love with the four dogs Val and Nora have acquired (all small and almost manageable). The next day we spent with my nephew, David Rae. He is a great kid. He's doing well in school. He's a bit shy but shows signs of a great personality (although there were also signs of the pre-middle school surliness sure to surface full blown next year). We walked the beach and enjoyed lunch at our favorite burrito stand, Joannafino's. Previously we were regulars at this stand before it became an actual restaurant, well things do change...even in Ventura.

Later that afternoon we ended up at a bar in LA meeting a great many new friends. After, checking into our hotel sleep came easily and at a reasonable hour. The day before New Year's we spent being tourists in So Cal. First stop, Griffith Observatory to enjoy panoramic view of LA, as well as a great view of the Hollywood sign.Then on to the Disneyland of shopping centers, very nice, clean and friendly, with extremely high end shops, a place we did not stay very long. Then a quick visit with David Karle, a close friend I have been in contact with since third grade. We kidnapped David to go shopping and then promptly broke down (dead battery). Ugggg. Rusty actually just had our insurance changed over and now we have roadside assistance. What a great Omen for the New Year. A quick dinner with another friend from Ventura now living in Silver Lake (LA), Marc Flores, and then time to get ready for a party. We had been invited to a "Trailer Trash" party by our friend Eduardo, a theme easily embraced by Rusty and myself. It was also a masquerade party, so of course we made masks from 22oz. Natural Light beer cans...the rough edges were a bit dangerous and begged the question of when we last had a tetanus shot, but truly is there anything we won't due for our art!

The ride home on New Year's day was uneventful and provided some time for quiet reflection. As for New Year's resolutions, I really have decided to just to have a few goals instead. I would like to spend less time watching TV, more time hiking the Northern California natural areas, more time getting exercise, and more time listening to music (live and/or recorded). I would like to go diving more, I would also like to keep in contact with friends and loved ones more often. I would also like to have less outstanding debt, but who wouldn't?

More concrete goals include: a trip to Australia and approval of my dissertation proposal.

Not Earth shattering, nor poetic even, rather on-going goals reflective of my reorganized priorities. This past year has not been easy. My father passing, my job change, the distance between family, friends, and loved ones, and the stress caused by a new location have all made me lower my expectations of 2008 and make no promises to myself. I am not one to dwell on negative experiences, rather I have a habit of working through stress and strife quite effectively in my introverted way, but in saying this it is clear to me that this year would have been damn near impossible without the love and support of all the people in my life. So, as a final reflection for 2007, thanks to each and every one of the people providing support and encouragement. It is easy for me to hermit myself when the going gets tough, even small words of encouragement and gestures of support meant the world to me this past year. Enough of the sappiness, know that each of you has made a difference in my life and I look forward to hearing of your own adventures when you have a moment.

As a small post script: My PTA president from last year in Raleigh has moved to Kenya with her husband and children. They are part of a religious mission and work for an international Christian school as dorm parents. The reports from them are that in their provence, rioting and violence have not occurred and there is very little likelihood that such actions will occur but I do want you to keep them in your thoughts as well as all Kenyans as they go through their democratic process. Also, Mark Zumbach is meant to come in this afternoon, terrible weather and all, wish him Eine Gute Reise! Thanks!

Santacon 2007

December 15, 2007-Santarchy, a self-proclaimed group of Christmas Anarchists, have hosted another successful Santacon for 2007. This event is marked by hundreds upon hundreds of Santas descending on an unsuspecting area. Rusty and I attended this Santacon despite the controversy of moving the venue from downtown SF to the Jack London Square area of Oakland. Many bars and restaurants in SF had posted signs forbidding Santas on the premises and the police in SF began blocking certain areas during Santacon 2006.
The Santarchy group posted the first meeting spot the day before the event in hopes of eluding the police. We ended up starting in Jack London Square waiting for the two Ferry's of Santas arriving from San Francisco, Embarcadero Center. With the 150 Santas waiting, I estimate at least 400 Santas, and seeing as how most were Burning Man alumni, the Santa costumes were racy, irreverent, tame, nasty, scary, cute, sexy and everywhere on the weird spectrum...The first stop was the BevMo (for those that are unfamiliar, BevMo is Beverages and More, think Costco for Booze). As Rusty and I passed the BevMo, it was clear the staff was in full crisis mode. I'm sure more than one liquor sales representative threw in the towel and quit that day. Santas were congregated out front in mass and lined up two fold down every aisle. The best Santa ensemble, in my humble opinion, were the secret service elves following the "Santa/Frosty '08" Presidential candidates. These elves never broke character and "protected" Santa at every venue, that's commitment!




We then went to a huge sports bar, large enough to house 400 crushed red velvet clad Santas. Rusty and I started talking to a group of women and realized soon into the conversation we were all expat Southerners. The bar was over run with thirsty Santas. Group think chants began to rise up from the throng, "Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho..." repeated ad infinitum. Candy canes and lollipops were continuously flying through the air, threatening to put out an eye. I was privileged to witness an elf spanking a bare assed chap clad Santa...an image forcing visions of sugar plums out of my head.We had just gotten beers, when the call came, "Santas on the move". We marched next to the naughty portion of the tour. A look into an erotic store. I skipped the cramp confines favoring instead a brief respite in the winter sunshine of the East Bay. By this time, the San Francisco Santas were complaining loudly about the heat (all of 75 degrees) so the call came once again, "Santas on the move!"

On the walk to the next bar, Rusty and I met two lovely Aussie Sheilas. It was fun to get the Aussie perspective of this pandemonium. I believe the word "Brilliant" was flung about with reckless abandon. We ended up at the Pacific Coast Brewing Company, your basic brew-pub. We sat on the patio, not even trying to get to the bar, drinking beers bought in stores and delis in the area. We also sang Christmas Carols out of the Santacon Songbook. These "traditional" songs with "non-traditional" lyrics brought a smile to many faces.

Soon Santa was on the move once again. Instructions were to hop on the BART and go to Downtown Berkley. A quick march around Martin Luther King park to watch Santas battle cardboard clad robots presented by the Society for Creative Anachronism, and back to the Jupiter for another sit down. By this time, many Santas were ending up sprawled on the sidewalk with other Santas vowing to care for them. The mood in this bar was decidedly more mellow as Santas were unwinding after a long day of merrimaking, booze drinking, and what I assume to be illicit substance use ( more than the scent of gingerbread was wafting through the air). Some Santas were also getting a bit belligerent. One particularly obnoxious Santa was eventually maced and the paramedics arrived. Talk about kharmic debt. We decided to say our good byes before things got too confrontational. Most Santas were headed back to Union Square in San Francisco for more anarchy but our fun was done.

We met up with a few Santas on the BART headed back to Jack London Square and decided one feels less a potential target of trouble when enmasse.
The day was, in the words of my Aussie mates, "Brilliant". The many smiles one garners from passers-by is worth the effort of donning fur lined red suits and marching around for a few hours. Kids and adults, homeless people and Mercedes driving housewives, gang-bangers and min-van occupants all honked, smiled or waved as the red sea of Santas passed in front of them. The collective absurdity helped people break down any pretenses. The mood was jovial with minor exceptions, for most of the day, and the rush of participating in an instant diverse but like minded community was addictive. I have a taste of what it must be like to participate in Transformus or Burning Man.

For me, it is often difficult to transition out of my desire for a Bohemian lifestyle back to the realities of a high pressure job and the responsibilities of day-to-day living. I do enjoy some parts of being an educator, but walking around with a bunch of Santas on a sunny California Saturday is akin to the proverbial "I'm gonna chuck it all in and live on the beach in Mexico for the rest of my life". I know I'll retire an educator but it is fun to step out of my responsibility driven world and take a brief jaunt into the alternative zone.

Are there any lessons to be learned? Yeah, don't be too obnoxious a Santa or you may get maced, and the ridiculous enmass can seem downright normal. Enjoy.