14 February 2005
Braid-Be-Gone
Last night, for no particular reason, I cut off my braid.
I'd had this braid, also known as a "rat tail", for 17 years. It began when my hair was short, as a stubby little proto-braid, and plateaued at about 14 inches long. It became a sort of a trademark, and strangers often complimented me on it.
But last night I suddenly decided I was Done with it. I washed, conditioned, and braided it one last time, then cut it off at the length of the rest of my hair. For a moment, I was almost surprised at what I'd done. The disembodied braid, about nine inches long, will be deposited in my archive.
13 February 2005
Free Money!
Today must be my lucky day: I found a $20 bill on the sidewalk!
12 February 2005
Raccoon Infiltration
Sasha was eating in the sunroom when a raccoon strolled in and simply took over his bowl, provoking an indignant howl. With tasty cat food in its mouth, the raccoon was reluctant to leave. I managed to herd it outside with loud, broom-enforced threats, and exclamations such as "Bad raccoon!" and "No wildlife in the house!"
Sasha followed us out, apparently intending to fight the beastly bandit, who was probably twice his size with a bigger set of teeth. But the raccoon waddled away when I rained dirt clods on it, and I shoved the cat back inside. When the raccoon returned, it found the door closed and Sasha growling on the other side of the glass.
I've heard stories of attic infestations and nasty confrontations in kitchens, and once I saw a whole family of raccoons trundling down the sidewalk. But curiously, this is the first time in the ten years I've lived in SF that I've had to chase one out of the house.
10 February 2005
Mountain Dream
I dreamed last night that I rented a car and visited my former mountain neighbor, Ira. In real life, his house is perched on a high cliff. But in my dream, it seemed to float above the treetops. From the deck, I could look straight down onto the tops of tall, tall evergreens as they waved gracefully in the wind, and for a long time there was no sound except the wind in those trees.
On a distant ridge I could see a wide road (this neighborhood is all single-lane dirt roads), blockaded by pickup trucks and piles of building materials, leading through a row of stone arches to a construction site where a grand castle was being built. I asked Ira about it, and he explained that it was going to be a retreat for rich Arabs, and that no one in the neighborhood liked it.
Then we began to plot how to sneak into my old property. We knew that if we were caught trespassing, there or on any of the intervening parcels, we might be shot. The best route would be along the creek bed, where there was plenty of cover. But at the castle on the far ridge, the construction workers had the special ability to see us no matter what. They might even have snipers.
The plan was too dangerous. Ultimately we decided against it, and my heart was broken. For a while, we listened to the wind in the trees again. I asked if I could come back and visit another time, and Ira said I'd be most welcome. But I knew it would only break my heart again.
5 February 2005
Xochi and His Tongue
Look how cute my godchild is! His new favorite hobby is gumming his own tongue. You can see how much he enjoys this.
1 February 2005
Consolation Dinner
I haven't had a real date in about two and a half months. So when I got stood up tonight, I was pissed. I'd be damned if I'd have my evening ruined, so I decided to take myself out for an even nicer dinner than the one that was originally planned. RNM is just three blocks from my house, and hey, I was already showered, well-dressed, and perfectly lipsticked. As it turns out, they were fully prepared to serve me the most heavenly meal I've eaten in months: the Chocolate Menu.
- For starters: Baby arugula, strawberry, and fresh ricotta salad, with Scharffen Berger cocao nibs and balsamic vinaigrette
- The entree: Pan roasted venison loin, with camembert-enriched cauliflower gratin, grilled asparagus, and cabernet/bittersweet chocolate demi sauce, with shaved Périgord truffles
- For dessert: Milk chocolate Venezuelan pot de creme with amaretto cream
That plus two Manhattans, and all my frustration evaporated into bliss. It helps that RNM shows excellent old movies on their flat-screen TV: First I saw the end of Breathless, then the beginning of On The Waterfront. To top it off, my beautiful pal Erin appeared and commiserated with me over hot tea. The bartender, Todd, handed us a single serving of See's Candy before cheerfully bidding us good night.
As I walked Erin to her car, the universe handed me an extra bonus: lying on the sidewalk was a discarded copy of The Nude Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist. The artist, yeah, that's right. I'll just be taking this home with me....
When I arrived, my cat greeted me as though I were the most extraordinary creature on the planet, blinking and purring ecstatically at me as I put on my favorite pajamas. A few minutes later, he brought me a young grasshopper that he'd mauled in the garden, presenting it loudly and with a flourish of his magnificent tail. Trust me, a grasshopper gift is a tremendous compliment from a cat. Really, I should get stood up all the time if it's going to turn out this nicely.