Bored and restless in NorCal

So what happens when East Coast uptight art student is released from school for 5 weeks? Hell...I  don't know

Day 1 (literally Saturday after my last class) I ran around passing out resumes to bike shops trying to get a part time job. As a note- no one has called me about work so I remain wound up with nothing to do. Damn...

Day 6 Eric (from Ohio-land) drove up to the city and we geeked on our new digital point and shoot cameras...Canon's newest offering---The Powershot G11, a camera only art school geeks could covet...mmmmm...semi-expensive semi-pro gear...mmmm
So he just picked up a bike from our boy Kheng and wanted to get a ride in, so we threw my pink cross bike in his redneck mobile and headed south to Pacifica where he and his charming wife Kim live to poke around and waste time in NorCal...
We rode around a  while, I photographed a bit, and here are some images...

 

Eric not looking the right way at the vista...art school has not treated him well...we tried

 

 This appears to be the correct way to look...isn't that way better to look at than that crappy ocean view? Thought so.

 We rode up a hill and chilled out to talk about what ever...what you are missing is all the cars that are driving behind us. Those isolated shots in the movies are all about leaving out most of the scene

Water...if you want more of an explanation than that I don't really know what to say...really

 

wave in water

Rock in water

Before wave hits...

As wave hits...

Day 8 Finishing up out holiday consumerist activities, we found a small amount of fluid beneath the vehicle, DAMN! OK- I realize this thing is going to nickle and dime us to death---but it has no rust!!! That's  the good part. The bad part? It sucks not being surprised that something is leaking out of the truck. Think about it- it's kinda like not being surprised that your house vanished. Anyway- the power steering is leaking and the part is gonna cost about 65.00. Not too bad...but that is the whole point of nickel and dime- it is a slow draining of cash that never seems to finish. And my poor Grad-school hands are getting beat to hell...I think this may be the birth of a callus...oh my!
That being said- I did take apart the window fluid assembly and resealed it with silicone. I wondered why a gallon of that stuff lasted a week. Leaks all around. Don't be shy- belly on up and take one on yourself.

Day 9 I am gonna go and do a group event in the Golden Gate Park area, put some self sealing power steering fluid in the system (so we can wait on the correct part), re install the window fluid tank, and maybe get to watch some football...
I'll miss the Steelers game but I know those of you in PA should enjoy a snowy game in Pitt.
Later
e

one more for the road...

ocean and sky...

have truck- will ride!

Irony runs freely of late...
the high point of the irony is that now that we have a vehicle I can mountain bike again. Sure, I was heading out to the Marin Headlands but that was the same is as same does each time...now I can get out to the heart of the trails and really put the hurt on the legs.
So where did I hit the first time? Right out to the origin place of it all (unless you talk to anyone who rides in Centre County and feels like that is The if not One Of the birth places of mountain biking)- Mt Tamalpais. I rode out there for weeks as I house sat for one of the teachers at the school. The climb is fairly ugly- up up up, short break, up up up up up up up up up then down down down down down- the people who laid out the trails didn't think about changing things up much.

To top things off- I got to ride over snow!!! There was ice on standing water! Almost like home minus the overwhelming amount of Penn State everything...
Anyway- this is the GPS from the ride- enjoy- I did- really!
can't wait to get back to Rothrock and take advantage of the fitness these climbs are going to yeild.
the truck is great
3 days of school left
Gretta is still working
Pepper is the best sleeper in the world
and I'm beat after the ride
happy holidays...

So, I talk about the school here in SF yet offer no real description of what the hell I'm talkin' about so here it is. The school is the building with the blue recycle bins and the red brick patio and the rest is the view...

if you know what you are looking for you can see Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill and the Bay with Alcatraz out there...

This is the first time I have used my new Canon G11 and the panorama feature...not bad for a hopped up point and shoot camera...not too shabby...besides- why would I try to write about this place when I do a much better job with my medium of choice...(photographs)

Just so you know- it is winter out here! I don't think it is going to get over 55 today...time for the down jacket

Drum roll please.....

OK, so Gretta is gonna let me write for a change....thanks lady! So we spent way too long out in the East Bay looking at used (and often whupped to within an inch of death) cars. Being more of a redneck son of a jet engine mechanic I couldn't help but fish around to find all the things wrong with cars in our modest budgetary constraints.

just purchased....Gretta is way too excited and I am executing one hell of a "gas face"...feel the love? Mmmmm

"I'm tired but still "Pepper!"...is this our new truck? We couldn't afford something bigger? A rear window? Slackers....i'm pepper...what ever..."

So- being out in the west (I have a feeling that the truck may have been from the desert states)...there is NO RUST on this tired old thing!!!!
Assuming this truck makes it to where ever we end up (central PA? Hmmm) I have a feeling it will be worth putting cash into...God I hope it makes it out of here!

OK...sooooo
We are burning fossil fuels again and must now return from the lofty heights of our high horse...
The truck sounds like crap and needs a new muffler...
Gretta is giddy with our new purchase...
I may get out to photograph the landscape much more often...
and if I clean the apartment and fix dinner Gretta may let me write on the blog more often...
later suckas!!!!
e

Sometimes visitors make this place feel a bit more like home

So, it may have been awhile...but on our behalf, much has been going down this side of the Rockies (would have said Mississippi...but my folks in AR would have to say the same).

But speaking of Arkansans... three of our favorites--Mom (Ann), Kevin, and Shannon--were just here for my birthday! (Dad's not big on cities. If St. Louis gets to him, we couldn't imagine what SF would do!) It was their first time in California, and thus, SF. And, I must say, showing them around proved to us that this place isn't so ugly...Well, I guess we never said it was ugly, but it's hard to see past most people to find the beauty here. Regardless, showing Mom, Kevin and Shannon around revealed to us that over the past year and half we have found some pretty sweet spots that we truly enjoy.

We took them to Chinatown of course. But, no one was game for our Pho experience! We went instead for some awesome food in Little Italy where we chowed on pasta, ravioli and lasagna. Mmmmmmmm.... We took them to see all the cool views that we've found around town, dragged them through the forests of Marin County where we escape to pretty often, out to the coast at night to see the huge winter waves. We even picked up some super yum food from a taqueria in the Mission. Kevin was schooled in what a hipster is... I think he can solidly say now that "now, this is truly a hipster..." or "that kid wants to be a hipster but looks too ____ (insert boyish or girlish here--since we all know that real hipsters defy gender)." Everyone got their "shopping on" as E would say. We were all overwhelmed by the crazy downtown mall, but Shannon found some deals at Old Navy, Kevin found some at Performance Bike, and Mom found hers in Chinatown.

Then, Sunday night, we chilled here at the house and E and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving together--so very lucky to have family with us to have turkey (E rocked his first bird...YUM), white sweet potatoes (yeah, we don't know what the hell is going on with Cali veggies most of the time--when cooked, apparently white sweet potatoes turn green...really?!?!), and corn muffins (ahhhh yes, predictable). All followed by the longest UNO game I think that any of us have EVER played... Marathon no doubt.

By Monday, we were all exhausted, and E and I were thrilled to have seen three amazing people and so thankful that they came all the way out here to see us. Spending time with the folks was an amazing refresher...

So much so that we found the courage to go ahead and make the big purchase... We bought a truck! And all 267,000+ miles are happily ours! It's a sweet truck that hasn't taken much adjusting to fit into our lives (in fact, we took advantage of it today and got out of dodge for a quick hike...yeah, we can do that now...crazy). And now, we're just one step closer to the next chapter in our lives...perhaps central Pa again?!?

Our hike in Marin:

Pep kept Shannon company the whole day... never letting Shannon forget that she was there: "hey shannon... I'm Pepper!"

All fresh at the beginning...

Gotta try out that new camera... works best in awkward positions!

Pretty nice sunlight coming through this day... Must be the low winter sun

at the base of Cataract Falls... Yay! There was water!

Snack anyone?

Photography lessons anyone?

Caspar David Friedrich anyone?

There seems to always be something new everytime we go here. These mushrooms were lovely.

Walking the ridge...lean....

(this is E's image... wanted some color for minute...I was happy to share)

e again...

and of course...again...

I made this one for Mom... Here you go, Mom!

The ocean isn't half bad some days...

And E braved the winds here to check out the sunset...

Shannon and I stuck around the car... brrrrrrrr.....

skillz to pay the billz

Lose an earring down the sink? this boy's got'cha covered...even at 11 pm and beer in hand... awwwwwwww
(truth be told- that was the last one of a few to fall that night...sweet! -E)

Nope, not a return to the messenger days... those are new camera cases to keep that library in check... nice and tidy. Yeah...

One on the back...one on the handle bars...
And no, I couldn't help carry... I could barely get him in the frame of my picture while riding my bike... truth be told--I'm plenty sketchy on my own.

Long time to think

Well, here I am back in San Fran...got it going on with school...lots to do...still working through images made over the summer...applying for residencies, buying photo supplies, printing for a commission that I need to send out this weekend, geeking on photo stuff, photographing with 35mm cameras (when I remember to load the film- these cameras are supposed to be the easy ones to use), making new images out of previous images and maps- really like them but need to work bigger, and really getting used to being married- love that woman like no other but the first 3 months of marriage apart is a wide rift to mend all at once...got a suh-weet azz wide angle lens for the view camera- talk about nice glass...we got a desk- how did we live for 15 months without this thing? Our local super gay pride AIDS funding thrift store has it all- even got some sweet Patagonia pants for $8.25 (new!!!)...Pepper is recovering from hiking with our friends Michele and Ben (she is another student at SFAI)...our library memberships pay off like crazy- lots of free muzak...Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies (you have to check these guys out...sweet covers of songs you are embarrassed to admit you really like...like we didn't know you have all of Billy Joel's CD's...Jordyn? Kev & Shay Shay?) Still loving the cheapest beer we can swill...Trader Joe's Simpler Times Lager 6.2%= 2.99 for 6 aluminum bottles!!!! Holly hang over! We still miss everyone more than ever!!! NorCal sucks and if I make it through the year without heading east it will be a surprise to me. Not that they read this- everyone is getting married these days so a huge congratulations goes out to Eric and Kim from Ohio land!!! They are looking east too...
Enough ranting after a one beer buzz on an empty stomach....mmmmmm
I hope everyone is well and things are going forward
we miss you
even pepper misses a few of you
later gater
e & g & sometimes Pep!

Yet another sweet meal of vegies and spices...how much would you spend for this in a restaraunt? we have no idea but it cost us less than $5.00!!! Dirtbags learn...

The E Roman library of cameras and lenses...always growing in positive ways...mmmm...nice glass and accurate shutters!!! Nikon anyone?

This is what happens when I look for value and performance...this lens has more glass than any two of my other lenses!!! Fuji- wide- sweet...don't mind the Titanium hitchin' ring

She still isn't into the NorCal scene...whut up bitches? It must be Sunny in Philadelphia...

Desk a plenty!!! Mmmmm, easy on my back when geekin on ebay camera stuffs

newest work...in my newest proposal for working as artist in residence

Another meal fit for the lady!!! Those are fresh potato chips in fresh guac! Corn chip covered pork and black beans with garlic and fresh baby spinach...mmmmm


Miss Lady lady...dealing with me...thanks lady...

Super beard be damned! wouldn't you know it...I miss it and am growing it right back!