August 17, 2008

I'm back.....I'm exhausted....But it was a blast

Just a quickie to say that I had a wonderful trip to The City. I'm completely and totally exhausted. The wedding was MAGICAL. I am so glad I went. And, apparently, I was the person who came the furthest. In fact, 2 of Donnie's brothers and a sister were unable to go and they all live in NoCal. Oh, except one brother, he lives in Florida. It's not that they aren't supportive, they just didn't take time off.

Anyway, I will write more and upload my pictures in the next few days. I took a lot of them. Got up at 7 on Sat and drove around, hitting all the old haunts and I was crushed to see how run down our wonderful old neighborhood has gotten. It was bittersweet to see the graffiti, so many more homeless, to see big locked iron gates in front of businesses that never needed them before....everything looks so dirty. Lots of fave places are long gone too. That was sad for me to see. Brian and I left for Marin in the summer of 1994 b/c things had started going downhill and add another 14 years onto that and it's just awful. But I really enjoyed driving thru both the Sunset and Richmond Districts. It was all so familiar, I was very homesick for it. Seeing the way the fog blows down the streets, and how chilly and foggy it is. I could hear the fog horn on the Golden Gate Bridge so I went over to the Bridge to listen. I stood there in the wind, just listening. I always described it "My Bridge is singing to me". It is a wonderfully comforting sound - that one long resonant blast, followed by the 2 shorter & closer, higher pitched blasts from the Marin side. I could still remember the timing of it: One long blast from the Bridge, short pause, the 2 Marin horns, longer pause, Bridge blast. In the early 90's, on a foggy summer night, when we'd walk over to one of our many fave restaurants, fog blowing down Geary Boulevard in the street lights, the cold mist on our faces, little droplets of water in our hair, the Bridge singing merrily, and we'd feel like we were on an island, comforted by a foggy embrace. I didn't realize how much I missed it till I was there. I missed it a lot. I had tears in my eyes, listening to the fog horns. Memories of nearly 20 years ago came flooding back. I was truly blessed to have lived in San Francisco.

My flight was uber delayed today and when I picked up the dogs, they totally screwed everything up for their stay and not only was their grooming not done as specifically requested, Pepper's yearly fecal also had not been done, as also specifically requested AND in the vet's computer records b/c I'd received a reminder notice from them. Needless to say, "The Wrath of JoJo" was unleashed on the people at the front desk, and will also be felt when I contact the hospital manager tomorrow.

So I'm just chilling out now...Brian gets home from his trip later tonite.

Axe - I took pics of the house that I believe belongs to Chris Isaak. The number was on the house but there was no name anywhere. Most people just have mail slots in their doors or walls so people's names aren't out front like when you have a rural mailbox. No signs of life inside or out, but then again, it was 7:30 on a Sat. morning!!! I wasn't about to ring the doorbell either! lol He lives in a typical Sunset District house, pastel stucco as are most of the houses in both the Sunset and Richmond (where I lived).

So I'll catch up in a day or so, with pictures!

8 comments:

  1. Who the heck doesn't take time off for their brother's wedding?

    That's... lame.

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  2. I agree, esp. since it was a historical, LEGAL gay marriage. Donnie is one of 6 children, 3 of them are gay. you would have thought they could have made an effort. If I can haul my ass down from WA they could have taken the time to come too.

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  3. I'm glad you had a good trip. Unfortunately you had to see up close what I've said before about the current SF. It is sad because it is such a freakin' beautiful city. When I first moved to cali
    (30 yrs ago!), I Loved to go to SF for even a day trip because I thought it was so amazing.
    Hey my hubby is headed to the Pacific NW on his motorcycle after he drops FPM off at college in OR. He is taking a solo vacation driving around and seeing the sites all the way up thru BC. I'm letting him take my camera.

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  4. San Francisco continues to attract hordes of humans from around the world and from all walks of life. And THAT is the root of the problem. The population there when I was born in 1957 was a mere fraction of what it is today. And the city is NOT that big. (7 square miles, as I am sure you know, Jo.)

    Just ask any native or long-term resident why S.F. is getting crappier every year. It's the population. Now it's just another over-crowded, dirty city, like so many east coast metropolis'.

    Yes, I have an attitude about it. It breaks my heart to watch my birthplace be destroyed by people who have no clue as to what it really was, decades back. No respect for it's unique attributes at all. Why else would they be building monstrous, high-rise(like Manhattan!) luxury apartments.

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  5. so glad you decided to go and had a good trip!! can't wait to see your pics:)

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  6. Looking forward to seeing your pictures. Glad you had a good time. As for the doggy problems - grrr!

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  7. Anon - sorry, I got your message too late and already posted them. BTW, who are you?

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  8. I would love to see your pictures. Where are they posted?

    thanks

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