2.15.2008

Eating Goose

Yes, San Francisco has a pillow fighting club. Yes, they held their big event of the year yesterday. Yes, I went. Yes, it rocked. And it lasted four hours.

I received several invitations from friends and showed up at the plaza in front of the Ferry Building a little early. There were girls in pantsuits and heels. Others showed up with custom made pillow bashing devices. Two guys geared up with full-on UN Peace Keeper regalia.

And promptly at 6:00, pillows broke loose. I'm in these somewhere:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MWmv_pA6lHM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mMyg-LaH9Ec
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KWzxT-w0X6k

You may see goose down explosions in some of the videos. Many pillows blew out after too manly a swing. At some points, it looked like a blizzard. There was one moment where a gust of wind came through and created a feathered tornado that everyone paused to check out. "Wow, that's one of the most amazing thing's I've ever seen," was one guys summation. He was promptly hit in the face. At one point, one of these pillows exploded right in front of me. This lead to a mouth full of goose down and coughing the rest of the night. Next year, I'm not laughing at the guys with scarves over their nose and mouth.

Apparently by the end of the event, the goose down was up to some people's knees. And all of it was gone this morning.

One of my pics:

2.13.2008

San Francisco Profile #5: 36c

I stumble across you on my way home. It's been a long day and I'm absorbed in the thumping beats of my iPod shuffle but the sight of you snaps me back to reality. There you are on the sidewalk. All by yourself.

A bra.

At some point, you were loved. For you are not just any supportive garment, you are frilly. You are pink. Maybe you are even Victoria's Secret. Yet after days and days of sitting on the cold concrete, you have become dingy. Lost that clear pink hue that once attracted someone to pull you off the rack and pay too much money for you. The only thing broken about you is your spirit. Your belief that you had a few more good wearings in you.

A sad sight to be sure.

****

It is the oddest thing. In this town, you will find random clothes on the sidewalk. I think I've mentioned the piles of clothes before. But this was the first time I have come across just one unmentionable. Just sitting there. Waiting to be talked about.

2.11.2008

Juju runs the PCH

This past Saturday was gorgeous. It was the kind of gorgeous that makes you get outside regardless of anything else. The kind of gorgeous that invented sports. The kind of gorgeous that makes men actually want to cut their grass and fix the gutters.

Obviously I had to do something outside. In pondering my options, I also realized that Juju, my MINI, hadn’t been out of her cage in almost 2.5 months. Now she loves the garage. A sanctuary that keeps her paint from getting keyed randomly. (A tragedy a friend's brand spanking new VW recently suffered.) But it’s no place for a pure driving car like Juju to spend a day like this past Saturday.

So what better way to stretch her 17-inch, race tire covered rims than head to the Pacific Coast Highway? We decided to venture south.

Abso-freaking-lutely incredible.

Windows down. Sunroof open. Music blasting. There is no better way, or stretch of road, to drive. There are comparable slices of asphalt. The dragon's tail in NC for example. But few others provide an incredible view of giant waves crashing on huge rocks. Very few have reinforced guard rails to be sure you don't mess up and go spilling into the Pacific. And even fewer have turnouts who's views rival the Blue Ridge Parkway.

For example:

2.05.2008

Just trying to keep up.

I can't keep up with this city. There's so much to do it's amazing.

Starting with New Year's Eve. My roommate was spinning at a club right alongside the best Breaks DJ in the world. Needless to say it was quite an evening.

From there, unfortunately, the start of the year saw some layoffs at our agency. I made it through but several friends did not. That was tough.

I also started teaching a class at the Miami Ad School - San Francisco branch. Finally a chance to corrupt young minds.

The third weekend of the month also marked my first trip to Tahoe. Which was truly one of the most breathtaking ski trips I've ever been on. I have never seen so much snow in my life. It had been pouring rain in SF for days. Downpour levels that mix with wind to turn umbrellas inside out and then dump water on their owners when they get turned right side out.

Increase the elevation 5,000 feet and that means snow. Lots and lots of snow. On the way to Tahoe snow was covering absolutely everything. There is a summit on the way to Tahoe and on the sides of the highway going up to the pass, the snow on the side of the road was easily up to 8 feet in some places. We passed by one Hwy 80 sign that I could only see the bare top of. I must admit, this is quite a different world than the snow levels I’m used to. I’m usually happy if I see ice on the rocks on the way up to the hills in NC.

The actual ski mountains, note the plural, are just as gorgeous. I've never had as much terrain to ski at any point in my life. Or such difficult terrain. Thank goodness I demoed an excellent pair of skis as they kept me upright in spite of many of my best efforts.

From there, we go to this past weekend's SuperBowl Party. I shall say nothing about the game except that I was quite disappointed. My sense of woe was thankfully assuaged by a project I finished with a friend just before the game. 28-layer dip. Yes, your 7-layer dip just hung its refried beans in shame. 28 distinct and tasty layers. Man it was towering. And delicious.

So now hopefully you few loyal readers understand why posts have been so few and far between. There has been much going on. Most of which continues to confirm my love for the city and my life out here. I also renew my promise to bring you more detail as things happen.