Talked to the sisters night before last – they were on the coast of Georgia, staying in a tree-house hostel. What this meant was that it was forty degrees and they were up a tree surrounded by mesh and plywood, trying to get warm in their sleeping bags. While I thought this was humorous, I don’t think they did. They were taking it very seriously.
But they’re having fun, I believe. Gonna call ‘em as soon as I finish posting this. I’m going to recommend a motel room, perhaps. I know they were thinking about a night in a B&B, but I think that idea was shot by Christy’s unfortunate ticket experience. But a Motel 6? Might be just the thing.
Moving slowly this morning. I have a grand goal today: Finish Christmas. I’ve ordered everything I needed to order and just have to pick things up – this will require a Telegraph trip. I hate going into Berkeley (one house from the border, I am a very proud Oakland resident), and I hate finding expensive parking, but once I’m there, it’s fun. Lately there’s always a young homeless couple that has on the sidewalk in front of them a small cat playing with (or wrapped around) a pet rat. I don’t understand so many parts of this, but perhaps my biggest question is why the hell that cat sticks around. I can’t make a cat stay in one place all day, can you? It’s not tied up to anything and usually appears content to be on the blanket with the rat, also not contained. Any cat I’ve ever known personally would look at me with that “you just don’t get it, do you?” look and then EAT the rat. And probably barf it up immediately, for spite. Dunno.
(Total aside – my favorite street performance in all of the Bay Area is the Bushman.
He’s found on the sidewalk between Pier 39 and Ghiradelli Square and you either hate him or love him. I adore him. He hides behind that bush all day, and when tourists walk by, he makes the bush roar and leap at them. The tourists scream and run and grab strangers around the waist. I’ve seen a couple of them get pretty pissed off, fists balled, ready to swing, but they’re the ones who are laughing the hardest when they watch the next group get Got. There are usually hordes of people behind and in front of him, on both sides of the street, the Recently Got or the In The Know, who are doubled over with laughter, watching the next victim approach. Here’s one of him lying in wait. Come on. You know that’s funny. If you come visit, I’ll take you and I’ll make sure you see him before he sees you.)
Where was I? Oh, yeah, book shopping and music buying. That’s the order of the day. My family, books and music. We don’t need nothin’ else (except I likes my yarn, of course).
Oh – here’s what happens when you come home late from work, reach to fill the cat food container and drop it. Adah’s accidental dinner.
Yes to Motel 6! When we were younger and stupider, DH and I used to drive straight through from WA to CA. We did it once with Boy; now I insist on stopping somewheres in Oregon, and it’s cheap sleeps all the way!
I always felt the same way about Berkeley, by the way–worked in SF, lived in Fremont, Berkeley was an extra transfer on BART, ugh. But fine and dandy once I was there. Happy shopping–and pick out somethin’ for Rachael, too 🙂
Love the story of the Bushman. Knowing me, I would be royally Got.
Does he make money this way?
Omiigod, I told you to tell Bethy to stay there, didn’t I? when I went it was May, warm, kinda buggy. Good bugs (fireflies! us west coasters get googly about fireflies!) and, well, roaches. it was funky/scary – right on the border of way cool and totally not. you have to brace yourself for it. ain’t no spa. but i wasn’t sorry i went. might not go in DECEMBER though. Sheesh.
sleepin’ in a treehouse? um. that’s hardcore.
i so miss san francisco right now. ahh, the memories.
I want to see the Bushman! I don’t think I’d even mind having large vegetation jump out and growl at me. How freakin’ surreal, man!
The cat/rat thing? Hilarious.
Oh my god, the more I think about the Bushman, the funnier it gets. Where does he get his bush? How often does he freshen his bush? Above all, what is he thinking as he lies in wait? One day, I will see the Bushman in person. It’s just too good. Here’s what I’m wondering, though: It’s not like there are lots of other bushes in that spot. Do people really think it’s a bush until it shakes and jumps? Not to say that I wouldn’t pee my pants and scream, but really. And those are good questions about the cat and rat. Who knows? Ah, the world is a good and wacky place. Thanks, Rachael!
Bushman sounds cool but sleeping in a tree-house at this time of year does NOT!!! Hoping your ‘sisters’ are soon home and warm with you!
I love the bushman, though he did sort of startle the child a few weeks ago.
But the child got over it, and found it a Useful Topic os Discussion.
Street theatre. Got it.
Oh, there’s so much to BUY on Telegraph, isn’t there?
But parking, my God.
Have a good day, sugar.
And I wish you could come sit in on the Horror class, too!
Ugh. Parking on Telegraph. Whenever I have to go to that part of Berkeley I try to take the bus instead. A lot harder now that I live near Lake Merritt than when I lived in Berkeley, though. But Anne’s right: there’s so much to buy. And the people-watching is good.
Hey Ann, Stop at the Rice Hill Truck Stop, about an hour south of Eugene. You’d be in my back yard, more or less. We could have a knitting visit as you drove. Whenever you drive that way again.
I wanna go visit san fransisco. I wanna go, I wanna go.
I remeber the BushMan in San Fran! he scared the #$*@ out of me and my son *lol* we also really enjoyed the man that was all silver and had a noise maker in his mouth and danced around kinda robot like … very very kewl!