Kitty corner to my last apartment there were flashing neon lights above the corner market. You know this corner market. The one with 4 cans of tuna, a random assortment of sewing accessories and a box of cereal from 1996. The only merchandise recently updated is the fully stocked refrigerators with overpriced beer and the top door ice cream freezers...the two, I think, go hand in hand. I suppose you couldn't say these lights washed our walls in red and green but you could see them from 10 block away and they were ever present, at least until 11pm each night. This apartment also had glazing in the windows from the late 1800's when it was probably a brothel or something more interesting than an apartment building. So even when the windows were closed the blinds would flap in the breeze. I have fond memories of 1400 Washington St. where the cable car shook the windows as it passed by and Oh! the garbage men and their bi-weekly life updates that you could hear carried up through the trash shute loud and clear on Wednesday and Saturday morning at around 5 am. It's city living and San Francisco, just like any city, has its idiosyncrasies. The ones that make you laugh and scream and keep you up at night.
We carved pumpkins at 1400, which I hadn't done in about 15 years. I had bought a carving kit at Walgreens and just found it unpacking my extraordinarily random assortment of kitchenware I have collected over the years of living with roommates and hand me downs. We carved pumpkins 2 years ago before, LA, Australia, New York and Tahoe. Before couples began cohabitating and the engagements began (Congratulations Liz and Eric, Jessica and Nate!)
It's been a year since I have lived in the city, and a year of living out of bags, in temporary situations not really knowing what, where, when but I always had a bag packed and ready. So now I'm here. New neighborhood, a brother for a roommate, a new and not entirely pleasant smell to the lobby entry. New bus sounds and neighborhood resturants, cafes and corner shops with nothing but beer. All still to be discovered... and a new kitchen to carve pumpkins in with old friends!
Happy new beginnings, for whatever that means to you today! For me it's amazing water pressure and the apparently ever present challenge of navigating Market St.
See you soon with a new recipe and on Kiki, my neighborhood tranny.
