Walking

I'm lucky enough to live in a neighborhood I love, the Mission District. I've lived here for almost fifteen years now. And I'm even more lucky, because I work there too. I'm one of the 2.5% of Americans who walk to work. Google Maps told me that it's .9 miles each way. Ah, built-in exercise!

My route is a little different each day. Here are some things I saw today.

Spring in flower form outside of Bi-Rite. I think I've been underestimating pink all these years.


An enigmatic sign.


Valencia Pizza and Pasta displays the day's specials.


A mysterious lady with enormous teeth lives in this abandoned convenience store.


The Homestead, where I used to hang out alot when it was Dylan's, admonishes its customers.


Some very friendly graffiti.


What is going on back there?

The War Works Hard

Today at my fellowship, one of the other fellows (she's from the Middle East and was educated in Iraq), read this poem to us. She wanted to share it with us as a reflection on the war in Iraq, which has been going on for five years now. Sadly, it was written during the first Gulf War. Now I want to share it with you.

The War Works Hard
How magnificent the war is
How eager
and efficient!
Early in the morning
it wakes up the sirens
and dispatches ambulances
to various places
swings corpses through the air
rolls stretchers to the wounded
summons rain
from the eyes of mothers
digs into the earth
dislodging many things
from under the ruins
some are lifeless and glistening
others are pale and still throbbing
it produces the most questions
in the minds of children
entertains the gods
by shooting fireworks and missiles
into the sky
sows mines in the fields
and reaps punctures and blisters
urges families to emigrate
stands beside the clergymen
as they curse the devil
(while the poor remain
with one hand in the searing fire).
The war continues working, day and night
it inspires tyrants
to deliver long speeches
awards medals to generals
and themes to poets
it contributes to the industry
of artificial limbs
provides food for flies
adds pages to the history books
achieves equality
between killer and killed
teaches lovers to write letters
accustoms young women to waiting
fills the newspapers
with articles and pictures
builds new houses
for the orphans
invigorates the coffin makers
and gives grave diggers
a pat on the back
paints a smile on the leader’s face.
It works with unparalleled diligence!
Yet no one gives it a word of praise.

By Dunya Mikhail
Translated by Elizabeth Winslow and Saadi A. Simawe

A Vacation at Home

I've been working way too hard lately. I love my job, but I was starting to resent how hard I was working. So I decided to take Monday off.

I went shopping for recycled clothing at Crossroads Trading Company and the Buffalo Exchange. As usual, I found lots of Anthropologie stuff for 20% of retail, which makes me feel like rubbing my hands together with glee. Ha! Ha! Republicans! I'm wearing your beautiful clothes and you didn't get a cent!

I had a chai and read a great book called Fieldwork at Morning Due.

I got a pedicure in Noe Valley, to go with my new sandals.

I ran into Steve, Allan, Jessie and Mona, just walking around in the sunshine.

It's things like sunshine, used clothing, red toenails, random encounters, and good stories that make me feel lucky to be alive. I'm happy.

Tagged Again

My friend Christa, who has a wonderful blog called Hyperlexicon, tagged me. Thanks, Christa, I needed an excuse to do a blog posting anyway!

What were you doing 10 yrs ago?
I was working at an affordable housing nonprofit as a fundraiser. I was a member of the same book group I'm in today. I lived in a cute studio on 14th Street (now I live on 18th Street, and both buildings are owned by the same annoying landlord), by myself with my two cats, who have both passed away. I was dating sporadically and struggling with my health a lot.

Snacks I enjoy
Barbecue potato chips
Rice cakes with almond butter
Chips and guacamole
Extra sharp cheddar and pretzels
Tartine chocolate chip cookies
Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie and Coffee Heath Bar Crunch

Five things on my to-do list today (Today is a very good day)
Go to Zeitgeist and play Scrabble
Buy spring-y flowers
Do laundry
Eat
Sleep

Things I would do if I became a billionaire
I have fantasized about this before, although I was thinking of it more in millions, so I have a ready answer.

Start a foundation. My key causes would be stopping corporate domination and supporting women in developing nations. Maybe I'd also start a music prize like The Mercury Prize for American music. I would also create an endowment for the nonprofit I work at now.

I'd create trusts for my close relatives and friends, so that their needs for housing, retirement, education, etc. were met.

I would buy a four bedroom house in San Francisco (a bedroom for me and T, a bedroom for our future child, a guest room, and an office) with a dining room (something I've always dreamed of having). And I would have a glorious time buying modern furniture and art by local artists.

And I'd travel with T. And buy lots of shoes (see the Fluevogs above.) And I'm sure T would have an entire list of his own, probably involving electronics.

3 bad habits
Spending too much time on the internet
Sugar!
Not doing my laundry for way too long. I hate doing laundry.

5 places I have lived
Rhinebeck, NY (ages one-five)
Cleveland, Ohio (until I was 17)
Columbus, Ohio (17-22)
Iowa City, Iowa (22-23)
San Francisco, CA (23 to the present)

Jobs I have had
Department Store Clerk
Cafeteria worker
Painter of parking garages
Parking garage attendant
Setter-upper of events at the student union Factory Worker
Waitress (fired from 2 of 3 waitressing jobs)
Life model for art classes
Office temp
Teaching assistant
Social science telephone surveyor
Assistant to very mean woman at market research company
House manager at runaway shelter
House manager at domestic violence shelters
Nonprofit Program Director
Nonprofit Fundraising Coordinator/Manager
Executive Director of Nonprofit

Things people don’t know about me
I've had to share things people don't know about me so many times that people probably already know all of the things, but:
I have an extremely good memory for song lyrics
I hate citrus fruit, raisins and tomatoes
I never went camping or hiking until I was 21
I am afraid of flying, but do it anyway. I find it impossible to understand how the plane stays up in the air.
I am pretty much impervious to background noise
I am an ENFJ on the Meyer's Briggs test. I like this quote about ENFJs: "Because ENFJ's people skills are so extraordinary, they have the ability to make people do exactly what they want them to do." Watch out, everyone!

I am tagging Mati, Kim, Margaret, and Lola.