Saturday Night

I've been in San Francisco for almost 4 weeks. It has been one of the longest, most eventful periods of my life, one of the only times when I did what I said I was going to do.

However, I had help and encouragement from many many people. I saw Alina today. She was my California ambassador for the long months I was preparing to come out. I met Alina at Tim and Charstie's wedding in Foster City this summer. At the time she was recovering from some drunken boating mishap and on her leg there was a giant black brace, clearly visible -she was wearing a dress. I got her up and MADE her dance-we invented a cool new cripple dance. She came to the after party and hung out until people started passing out or ending up other places. We took off to San Francisco at 3am. The entire city was dead. It was beautiful. We when over the GG bridge to a look out point, but didn't see much for the whole was shrouded in thick white fog.

So, thanks to her and Ally and Tim and Charstie and Bill Tickner and Binks and a thousand other people, I am here.

Alina asked me what I like about this place. Here goes:

I love to take buses and pretend I've been doing it my whole life, like I'm concrete-harded urbanite-- all solemn-faced and generally unimpressed with everything. You know the type: the people on the sub-way or bus that stare straight ahead and barely flinch when the bus plows through an old ladies walker. Yeah, thats me now! But in all seriousness, the public transport is clean, expedient and convenient.

I love the shops and the communities. Every part of this place has it's own flavor. It is really quite incredible--look at a map, it's not a big place by any means.

The earth is amazing here. This city is remarkably hilly and that alone makes it worth living it. If you walk a 1/2 hour a day here you are bound to hit some hills. Hills have a dual benefit that has made them near and dear to me, I'll break it down. A) Good work out. B) At the top you are rewarded with familiar and beautiful views of this, a most famous US city.

I've seen very little of this place because I'm not a very good city dweller yet. I need my bike. I need money.

Alina also asked me about what I dislike:

It is not Burlington. The people are more superficial. But really, I say all of this with a great amount of hesitation, cause really, I need time.

I strongly dislike the disparity between people here. There is a great amount of homelessness here. But that is mostly true in any city... at least they have great public services here. In fact, my co-work Michelle volunteers at a needle exchange. I wonder if our nation's capital has one...


But anyway. I'm lonely. And I'm shy... so it's hard. But I'm in love with change and things de novo. Oh well... can't have it all.