I've got to figure out a gift for my ex's bday Saturday. I got off easy the last few years because he requested some custom-sewn thing. A tea cozy one year (whatever impression you get of him from that is totally accurate), and a replica of a scarf I made him to replace the original he lost.

One year he floored me by sending me my favoritest gift ever - a lamp he made out of a toaster. He's always salvaged old toasters, but now it's turned into a full-fledged obsession. He's bought over 70 of them on eBay. Yep - that's seven-oh.


(wow, I'm a slob)

You push down the lever like you're making toast to turn it on. I bought the lampshade so it could hold it's own next to the hat ladies painting.

I hope he finally gets me the replacement glow-in-the-dark koosh ball earrings I've asked for 3 years in a row. Bought the originals at a cool store in Cambridge MA, but they got dehydrated and brittle languishing in storage for 8 months while I was looking for a permanent place to live.

Thanks, (e:southernyankee). Keep up the [inlink]southernyankee,109[/inlink]great stories, with or without pix. I love exploring new cities, and seeing DC through your eyes. estrip should have a roving reporter in every town.

I've been incommunicado for 14 hours now, so this may be outdated. But there's now a reciprocal site to our national confessional[inlink]lisa,156[/inlink]. We are not alone.

Please accept my apologies if I'm not making any sense.

(overheard on BART)

1st homeless guy: "can anybody spare 75 cents? any spare change?"
2nd homeless guy: "hey dude, stop doing that. you're giving homeless people a black eye doing that."
1st guy looks nonplussed, says nothing.
2nd guy: "dude, you're giving homeless people a black eye doing that. don't do it!"
1st guy: "did you already ask them for change?"
2nd guy: "dude, don't do it! you don't bother people on the train! you're giving homeless people a black eye doing that."
1st guy: "but I don't have anywhere to live."
2nd guy: "I'm just as homeless as you are, dude. you have to try harder. I'm only going to tell you one more time. don't bother people on the train!"
1st guy, (after pause): "all right, I'll stop."
2nd guy: "don't stop, dude. just don't do it!"
1st guy: "all right. I won't do it."

(other scenes from my brief trip to SF)


Global Exchange offices


As long as I'm in the Mission I'd better pick up some more veggies. Anybody know how to prepare cactus?

I have to move back to the city.

at the farmers' market







Biked back along the beach and stopped for a sip at the water fountain.