The day turned pink.

15 minutes of Hell is Spare the Air day on the N-Judah (free transit day). I got stuck teetering on the doorway stairwell--just about the worst spot to be on a MUNI train. A 4x5' space in which I stood with 7 strangers, closer than I ever need to be to strangers. Butt to butt. Boob to back. Pit to face. Bad news.

By the time the N pulled up to Church and Duboce there were cops on watch to make sure there was no MUNI rider rioting--since there was no space for the 50-100 people waiting to get to work. The doors opened. I looked outside to avoid acknowledging the crowds of people smothering me--there I spotted a large cop on the sidewalk, legs spread in an agressive stance...clipping his fingernails. Absolutely the most disgusting thing ever. Ever.

The day had no where to go but up from that kind of morning prelude. Read disturbing and hilarious Miranda July on the BART to Rockridge where I was greeted by this small parade of clouds, so perfect, it gave me hope.



I always run through the free BART turnstiles--it's freedom. That's a +$3.10 to my daily budget=one afternoon iced latte or just about one Cactus frijoles y queso burrito.


More veggie love--the CSA share this week: grapes, plums, armenian cucumber, bell peppers, huckleberry potatoes (pink inside!), cherry tomatoes, thyme & basil, red onions, heirloom tomatoes, & roma tomatoes.


I love this tomato so much I don't think I can eat it.

I tried to chase the sun down at Grandview park--just made it to Funston & Lawton for a perfect pink sunset the fog barely moving in on this hot day. Here's a glimpse of the sun sinking...

Put a Smile on my Face

Needed a little Nina to get me up on this day that tried to push me down.



Ain't Got No/I Got life
I ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes
Ain't got no money, Ain't got no clothes
Ain't got no perfume, Ain't got no skirts
Ain't got no sweaters, Ain't got no smokes
Ain't got no god.
---
But there is something i've got,
there is something i've got,
there is something i've got,
nobody can take it away...

Got my hair on my head
Got my brains, Got my ears
Got my eyes, Got my nose
Got my mouth, I got my smile
I got my tongue, Got my chin
Got my neck, Got my boobies
Got my heart, Got my soul
Got my back, I got my sex

I got my arms, my hands, my fingers,
my legs, my feet, my toes,
and my liver, got my blood..

I got life, i've got life's, i've got headaches,
and toothaches and bad times too like you ...

Dilated.

The world got fuzzy and confusing and bright. No reading. No writing. Just this blurry photo. & with closed eyes I listened to the lovely Ms. Terry Gross.

Film as canvas.

Abbas Kiarostami series at the PFA in Berkeley, don't miss it. His movies are beautiful paintings. He is a poet. I checked out one of his more experimental films this week, Five. It was meditative and beautiful, at parts hilarious, at others unsettling. I can't begin to put the right words to it. It's better to defer to those who do it well--here's an excerpt from the PFA's Jason Sanders:
Kiarostami's most recent film famously abandons all precepts of conventional storytelling, discovering in their place the narrative rhythms hidden within the natural world. The film is composed of five long shots, most taken along the waters of the Caspian Sea, each "starring" such actors as tides and driftwood, a gang of ducks, croaking frogs, or the reflection of the moon. . .Meditative or materialist, even metaphorical if you want it to be, Five provides a slate upon which to project any thought or emotion.

Vegetable Love

Tomatoes and melons are kickin right now--so aromatic, my kitchen smells like summer. What's in this week's box: basil, heirloom tomatoes (some are deep reds with this evergreen blush, others streaked orange & yellow), cherry tomatoes, bronx grapes, lemon verbena, chard, red chiles, sweet potatoes and onions. Heaven=pure, unadulterated baked sweet potatoes. Delish. Look at these beauties:

Get Inspired

My Tuesday is just getting good...

Capay Valley Red Flame Grapes+Salted Pistachios+Cass McCombs=Summer goodness

Best birthday from Brooklyn

Got a surprise in the mail from my Brooklyn peeps. A new addition to the canvas bag collection. Move over Flagstaff Farmers' Market bag--it's all about the rad Brooklyn bag. Thanks Jonny & Lex!

Basking in the glow of a beloved book

Finished West of Kabul, East of New York today. I devoured it. Finishing a book I love is almost painful--I rush through the story, barely breathing, I live in the book, my dreams are colored with its characters and places. Then, with the end so near, twenty pages left, I try to savor every phrase. But I can't help myself, and I chase the story to the last page.

West of Kabul, East of New York is this incredible story of an Afghan American's life pre-September 11th. It's the story of Afghanistan's torment, of Islam's unravelling, of Persian folklore, of the beauty of kinship and clan, of straddling cultural identity--it's a story of a family stretched across borders, a tender love affair, and of political struggle. The story of a man finding his voice in the face of tragedy.

I'm obsessed with literature that delves into multicultural identity-a story that makes you learn about the human condition and an intimate look into culture, a story of finding a voice. Maybe it's because I've never felt definable, never felt like I fit into neat categories...maybe it's because I'm still searching for my voice.

Fire Friday

Just as my office started to heat up with the afternoon East Bay sun, I started to smell something burning...before I realized what was going on there's three firetrucks surrounding my building and crowds were gathering on the street, gawking up at my office building. I headed outside to discover smoke billowing out of the roof above my office--a pizza oven from the restaurant below caught on fire. The office emergency procedure consisted of our frantic, insane receptionist running up and down the hallways screaming for the office manager. No one suspected anything out of the ordinary.

The fire was put out within minutes, but then toxic smelling smoke began to fill up the hallways. Amazing. Here's some shots I took as I was spreading the good news that we all had to get out of the office and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. I wonder if I'll have to go to work tomorrow...





After this dramatic beginning, my weekend was pretty mellow. Here's my Saturday post-yoga brunch, almost all local: heirloom tomatoes, onion, and zucchini (Eat Well farm), tri-colored spinach (Heirloom Organics) & wheat walnut levain care of La Farine.

Classic SF palette

CSA booty: Yellow Finn potatoes, plums, Heirloom & cherry tomatoes, zucchini, onions, serrano & bell peppers, and a beautiful melon. Yum. All thanks to Eat Well farm.

The End of an Era

Max Roach passed away today. Go here to listen to one of my favorites, Caravan. Someday I'll figure out this blogland and my posts will be beautiful and you'll be able to link to good music--working on it.

Job security

SF's first congestion pricing victory!
We're a long way from London, but hopefully I can help along the way.

Still no headstand

My new addiction: this yoga studio in an old, rickety blue Victorian with a view of Golden Gate Park. Classic.
Reading: West of Kabul, East of New York. So good.

Utterly, completely in love...

My new favorite cousin, Benjamin Taylor Dudine made his first visit out to SF this weekend.

Moving towards a better day

Good News: NY gets $$ to reduce traffic=less asthma + less road rage SF story will break soon!

Searching for the Sun

I followed the sun today from a cafe Mission-side to the Ocean...
Inner Sunset library is amazing.

Epic veggie kielbasa @ the Underdog

My feet in the sand