The Kegs Were Dead

On the 26 but I left quietly at 330 and went to Fourth and King. I got my hat and rode my bike to

where I parked my bike.  I took my time at the Westin and stopped at Sketchers. I caught the 38 to Geary and Stanyan.  I bought two kegs there and considered taking the bus but decided to take a cab through traffic at Dolores Park. At the design lab I meant some project specialists  I watched them take apart their machine and then shared beer with them.

I went to the apartment and had dinner.  Later I got my bike at Macy's and returned to the apartment to find my brother. We wanted beer so I took the bikes the design lab had beer with more project specialists.  We killed a quarter a keg and took a growler to the apartment.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this my friend and I wanted to make an early day but we waited until my brother had gotten up. We took the bus and then we went to the design lab. When we got in I headed to the cafe and picked up two rounds of coffee for the revelers.

An old classmate appeared with his fiance as I was climbing up stairs.  I asked him if he was still fighting fires.  They helped set up some of the tables and I noted that my brother had finished mopping. There were chips on the center counter. The proprietor had moved even more of the machinery out of the way.

By the time some of my friend’s dancing friends had arrived we had finished tidying.  My old classmate the firefighter had left, my friend had become distracted by her neices’ arrivals at the cake table and after she and I had cut the cake she sat with a bunch of ladies she knew really well doing crafts.  That was around when I took a photo with the group that I knew from college.

I walked with some ladies outside and later some old classmates from various colleges said bye.  I managed to show a whole group the trike the proprietor was building.  My brother-in-law told me to buy a car.  When my friend’s mom had left, I started to notice my own parents were going too and several close friends left right after that.

I rejoiced that the kegs were dead at this point because I had been worried that they would go to waste.  I started to look around for help at this point and noticed a bunch of people were trying to organize their departure.  I concentrated on finding the odd bit of trash while others did dishes.  As I was leaving with my sister my brother and my friend had a snack and chatted while they folded table cloths and sweeping.  He ended up putting a cake in a box which fell and he had to clean it up.

I had asked my sister for help getting the kegs to the apartment and when she arrived with her car we drove the stuff to the apartment.  Later I came back to the design lab to break down the bounce house the proprietors had a new visitor.  We chatted with her child while Brontë and Huck's played together. Charlie said she nearly fainted.

I helped the proprietors one last time and we said bye. We took five packages to the bus and then we walked to the apartment. My brother was on the phone. At the apartment I tweeted. When my friend told me to get pizza I ordered and walked to the parlor. When I returned we ate good food. I did the dishes and I went to bed exhausted.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this I woke up at around 730 but waited until 845 to get out. My brother was leaving so I followed him to Safeway area and we talked about the Ride Share company. We walked to Soleil and saw one of the people we had seen the day before.  We also talked to a British girl about the referendum. I walked to Whole Foods and got coffee. We sat at the kitchen table and moved to the living room and talked about the party.

We did exercises and eventually decide to start boxes and gifts. I had to start writing but during that time I also broke the boxes and garbage down. Later I put gifts away and made the room nice. My brother drove to BevMo with me because I had to drop the kegs.  I went to the bank after I did finances at the café.

When I was done we stopped through BevMo on the way to the car. We drove to the apartment and parked. We stopped at the empanadaria and met my friend.  From there we went to the thrift store. That was a breath of fresh air.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Walked to The Beach

On the 19th of June I wrote that my friend and I had coffee at my parents house on the morning of the day that I wrote this.  We made potatoes and eggs and when dad arrived we ate. Later my sister came over and we walked to the beach. I rode the Brompton. We walked on the beach and then I helped mom ride the bike.

Then we walked to the house for tea. When things wound down I told my sister I wanted to visit her house. My friend and I got ready and the three of us drove to my sister’s.  There we hung out with the kids in their room for a bit and then I helped with the dishes. Eventually we jumped in the car and all five of us went to the Mission

We looked at the apartment and then went to 18th and had ice cream. I took too long. We walked to the car and said bye.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Taking Things Too Personally

On the eighteenth of June I wrote that I caught a train out of RWC around 530 and went to Mib and then rode to Venga from 16th.  I went to the apartment and spoke to my friend and a short bit later headed to Kinkos.

They said their printer wasn’t working at that point so I headed off to the bike fundraiser at a bar in the TL.  I sat at the bar for a bit and made a new order at Kinko’s on Van Ness.  I was looking through ACS data while the MC was doing the raffle.  I saw the usual suspects.  My riding partner wasn’t there but his wife was and she acted like I wasn’t grateful because I didn’t feel like getting too involved.  She said that I was taking things too personally.

Someone tried to sit with us but realized we weren’t having an easy conversation.  She sounded like she wasn’t interested in interacting with me after that and I decided to leave a bit later.  I went to Kinko’s and got my order.  The cost was too high.  I returned to the apartment then and my friend and I spent a few hours together.  I mostly complained about the fundraiser.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this I was up at around 745 and went with my friend to Craftsman and Wolves around 830.  We had breakfast and then walked to a class nearby.  I took notes and as we were leaving I struck up a conversation with a lady with my last name.  My friend and I then went to BJ’s and Four Barrel before returning to the apartment.

I started rearranging the room while she was lying down.  We made a plan and then I went to the living room to tidy and organize while she napped.  When she was done resting we moved the furniture.  I had moved some things into the hall and one of the roommates came in and needed me to move it.  She was walking out as we were moving the dressers.  I had a lot of trouble with the rug as we were finishing up.

My friend was busy so I left her to tidy.  When we were ready we walked the Brompton to Haight, dropped our letters in the mail and rode to the Sunset.  We talked to nurse on the bus.  At the house we dropped our stuff in the room and had tacos with mom and dad in the dining room.  I spent some time downstairs alone while mom and my friend started Legends of the Fall.  I had ice cream with them as the movie was ending.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

I Was Drinking Prosecco

On the twelfth of June I wrote that it was around 1145 when I start writing the day before.  I told my brother that people were at the ferry building waiting for us.  He needed to check on his car so we I took in the summer air while walking to Church Street. He got her sunglasses and we took the a train from Church Station.

We went to Embarcadero and when they headed off to the fruit stands I walked over to grab a coffee at Peet’s.  It was later that I found my friend with her sister’s family.  My brother was missing at that point. They offered a bunch of massive bags filled with good stuff and I agreed to carry back to the apartment.

I went to find an extra bag and when I returned my brother was there saying goodbye to my friend’s family. I went to Peet’s to repack one of the bags and then we went and found mom, dad, and my brother-in-law. He and I put the bags on some bike shares and we rode to Delaney behind the group. My brother and mom bought sandwiches and my friend and I sat a while.  I was drinking Prosecco. We headed to the ballpark then and I showed mom how to ride bike

Much later my friend and I took the bikes out to the ferry building and then we caught an F train. Later I said bye to her and stopped by the home of a mutual acquaintance of ours.  There I met their border- a lady from France- and we walked to Church Station.  It was a strange bit of deja vu where I ended up taking another train downtown.  However, this time we rode to second to meet another French lady and then the three of us went in to AT&T Park to watch the Giants play agains the Dodgers.  Our seats were were on the third deck of the stadium right behind my siblings and parents.

I got the ladies a drink and hat. I also made small talk and even tried to make conversation. I also interacted with pops and the other family sitting nearby.  I went to have a sandwich and ended up sitting with my older sister. Mom took a lot of photos. One of my brothers-in-law had to go early.  I made a little bit of conversation with the French ladies after that but not very much.  My niece did too.

At some point I said bye to them and headed off to the club level with my brother.  There we had drinks and really paid attention to the game as it wound down. It was tied but then the Dodgers got a run. I managed to find out how to sneak into the reserved seating below us and we were able to get a good view of home plate.

There was a family in front of us and we were kind of bothering them. We thought the Giants were going to lose and it was in the 10th. So we returned to the family on upper deck. We were surprised to see Buster Posey had a homerun and game was over.

I said goodbye to everyone and then my brother and he, his friends from Oregon and I went to Alameda on the ferry. We took my brother’s youngest neighbor to the hotel and then later we went to the Bocce bar where we play Jenga over cocktails. Later we walk up Broadway and 12. We said goodbye to the Oregonians.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Farro and Zucchinis

On the eleventh of June when I left work it was 335.  However, the train can't wait and I transferred fine.  I went straight to the apartment and found my friend. We made a very delicious salad with farro and zucchinis. I was able to get a lot clean before it was time to go.

My brother was in Williams on his way to drop his neighbor at his dad’s house in Richmond.  My old college classmate had indicated a desire to attend Bike Party and my coworker had called off.  I rode past a jeep in the bike lane at 12th. That made me really angry. I caught a train just as Bike Party was about to leave.

At the station I followed a guy named to Williams Street and at Doolittle we saw cops. There were very few people until I saw the sweep. I told her about the cops.  I found a regular rider up near the front.  We arrived at the first stop around the same time. I got a few pics of the sunset and fireworks at Oracle Arena as the Warriors won their game. I interacted with a lot of people I knew.

We rode to San Antonio Fruitvale BART. My old classmate said he was about to leave Rockridge with his companion. At San Antonio Park me and the guys stood around talking. Later I ended up tweeting a lot.

Eventually my old classmate was on his way.  I met a new person and the guys played with the frisbee.  I found my old classmate and his companion at 16th and foothill when we were leaving.  We talked as we circled the Lake and passed through downtown. She had lived all over the place in Oakland and SF and she also knew the Uptown bar on Capp.

There were angry cyclists at the 980 freeway.  At the last stop we appreciated the new cycle lights that had come out- showing short movies- and talked shop. There was a skate park.  I noted that things were beginning to wind down so I said bye.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Most of The Food

On the fifth of June I wrote that I had gotten up and looked at twitter before typing and posting.  I noted what we had been planning for the day and how I had 16 posts to do as catch up.  My friend was around shortly thereafter and I started on the coffee.

We had oatmeal and got on the bikes.  Then near Yoga Tree we checked the location for the store we were going to.  We locked up and sat through the class.  I took notes late on the experience.  The lady teaching went over.  I ate most of the food in the lunch box.

We rode Valencia and encountered a lot of yelly screamy drivers.  Back at the apartment we had a frank discussion about depression and long term goals.  I wanted coffee so went up to the store.  I had to get my friend some things but she was entertaining an old coworker- the office manager-  so I had trouble texting her about it.  Later I returned to the apartment and a second old coworker of my friend’s joined us.

The new comer had suggested we go to Slate but the others wanted to go to Delfina.  So, when we got to 16th I went to Slate.  I watched a bit of the Mexico game, got to know the lady’s boyfriend and tried Chilean Empanadas.

After that I walked to Delfina and shared pizza with the girls.  We saw still another old coworker at Bi Rite and ate ice cream while walking with the office manager to the apartment.  We then went to the apartment.  I called my mom before I had a beer.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Found No Bike Party

On the fourth of June I wrote that I got off work and rode to RWC with a coworker.  He said wasn’t able to attend Bike Party.  I told him I was in a rush because my friend needed saving because shopping in Hayes Valley with the girls was tiring.  I rode to the apartment and they were on their way.  I was alone for an hour.

When they arrived I had leftovers because I was late for Bike Party.  However, I learned the the route and an informant had texted so I had dinner with them.  I had purchased beer to share and took the rest with me on the way to Townsend.

I found a lady named there with her boyfriend who much later gave me a yummy beer.  However, we found no Bike Party.  We rode to Potrero del Sol after getting a tip from someone on 17th and I found the guys and others there.  I talked to my friend’s freidn about a party we were having.  I found my informant friend and we talked about work.  Eventually we started rolling and I saw a bunch of people as we rode out.

I took photos as we rode to Valencia.  The lady with the flag at the front was annoyed at me.  I saw some of the guys on Valencia.  My riding partner convinced me to go to the end of the ride.  On Folsom I took a lot of photos until we got to Embarcadero.  We camped out for a while and then one of the guys and I rode market.  We talked until we got to Valencia. I went to bed at 1130.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Over to The Pool

On the thirtieth of May I wrote that we went to the grocery store and got a few things for lunch. Then we went to the house I prepared a meal. I noted that my friend’s mom was there but her step father had stayed behind at the hotel.  I made a sandwich with the last of the ham and got into a conversation with grandpa as the boy went down for nap. Eventually I moved to the ottoman and sat near him on his lazy boy.

Later I was able to get away. I sat with my friend’s brother-in-law in the guestroom and then later I walked around with the binoculars. After that I returned inside and the boy was out of bed.

The group left grandpa and drove to a winery. We passed a mid 30s or early 40s Chevy. The ride provided a lot of perspective on the mountains. We found the winery quiet with a bunch of people sipping and tasting.  The boy was too antsy to stay inside with us and my friend wasn't able to sit for very long either. I asked her mom and grandma about the old Chevy we had seen.

We went out and I try to get the car cool down but couldn't figure it out. Later while we are going to the ice cream shop.  I had a really big waffle cone and my friend had a kids cone. We saw these cute mini prairie dogs.  We went to the hotel afterwards.  We hung out at the pool and later went to the house for pizza.

When we got there dinner was in the oven, the table was being set, we were making a salad and conversation until it was time to eat.  The meal went well and I had a few slices. When we were done I noted that grandpa had eaten most of the pie. Also grandma had told me not to do the dishes so I took the leaf out of the table instead. We started saying goodbye at that point.

We went to the hotel and I sat in the room for a while.  Eventually we all went over to the pool. We finished most of the beer.  I talked about my old college town.  I had wanted to use the hot tub but it was too late.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this I was up at 6:45 and we met at the buffet.  I let everyone return to the room to pack while I was writing. It was a few minutes later when we

walked to the casino nearby to eat and say bye to the folks.  On the way out we took a picture and then I headed over to the room to get our stuff and go. We packed the car and drove up the highway. I could see Kingston and Clark in the distance as we approach Potosi. We are trying to find coffee but there wasn't any available.

We passed through Mountain Springs and I noted that we charted a path to red rock. However we had trouble figuring out the best way to go. When we got to the Overlook we took photos and I finished off the beer from the night before.

After that we rode to Flamingo in Las Vegas proper. When we got to the drop off for the rental car I got a card for us and then we went down to the shuttles.   From there we rode the shuttle to terminal one and said goodbye.

After that we went through security at the wrong terminal however the trams got us to our destination. My friend bought me a whiskey on the flight home.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Pretty Strong Work Ethic

I kicked off a process and started to leave.  I was a little concerned about leaving early but had purchased a flight and wouldn’t miss it.  I found my friend on the BART train to SFO.  After security we sat and reorganized.  Then I went for drinks and washed my cup before boarding.  I noted that I didn’t like Virgin America.

A the Vegas airport we got off and sat down at the first restaurant we saw.  I walked away and made funny comments on Vox.  My friend was amused.  We had a pastrami and I had a drink.  We grabbed the train to the next terminal then, where I had a whiskey and we waited for the my friend’s sister and brother-in-law.

When they arrived we went to the shuttle and found the rental.  I played navigator as the five of us rode over the mountain.  The little boy was not falling asleep so the girls sang to him.  An hour later we were checking in at our hotel.  We switched rooms because of the fans out back.  They had to move the crib.

In the morning we heard the boy crying across the hall and knew it was time to go. We got up and headed to a restaurant called Moms. I had the usual breakfast fair. I met the owner- Mom- and my friend and I took a picture out front with an old truck and we also looked at a thrift store.

Everyone needed a couple things so we went to Walmart. I found a hat and a shirt. Then we went to Albertson's and got Starbucks before driving past the ice cream place on the way to grandmas house. They met us at the door. I initially thought grandpa needed help – he was really small – but he insisted on doing everything on his own

We sat down at first my friend’s brother-in-law was across from grandpa and I was on the couch with the others but the boy was particularly active so I eventually ended up across from grandpa instead.  He had asked about my background and that's where he started talking to me about his past. He said he had been a surveyor in Santa Rosa.  That was something that resonated with me

He had a standard story that he told where his father had said he wouldn't be able to pull weeds at the farm next door until he knew how to ride a horse. He had a pretty strong work ethic so he got a hay bale and put it next to a 55 gallon drum and got on the family horse. He also opened a bank account to keep his money and insisted that it was his own account and not a joint account with his father.

He went on to say that he had started in Santa Rosa looking for a job when he moved from the Dakotas. He had asked to be a survey her but had no license. He told the foreman that he should fire all of his soup surveyors because he was super good. He then showed the crew how to use a K and E candy transit. The forman was so impressed that received got a letter to go to SF and get a license then. He said he surveyed many tracks of land and every time he doubled an angle it was perfect.

He said that they were building the Santa Rosa freeways at the time.  In the middle of all that he pointed up and said “the plane…” and I was caught off guard by this because I thought that the surveying was being supplemented by overflights. However he started talking about gunners and shrapnel.

Apparently had been shipped out at the end of World War II to fight in the battle of the bulge in Belgium. He went on to retell many stories then about the war.  Some seemed too personal to recount.  He described several others that were particularly heroic.  However, I noted that most of his stories involved people doubting his assertions but in the end they realize that he's better than they thought.  The essential of that whole digression was to tell me that he had learned some very useful skills in Europe and it proved to be what got him a job later in life: how to use a K and EE transit.

My friend had been speaking to her grandmother through all of this and I noted that grandpa had a tendency to repeat many of his stories. My friend had even related a the story about the haybale to me.

The boy had gone to take a nap at this point and I had gotten weary of listening any longer. At some point the conversation had switched to more general conversation. I had made several trips to the kitchen drinking water from the fridge. We did a few things after this when the boy had awoken. He had a train from Walmart.

Grandpa took us out to look at the yard. He had a bunch toys in the garage- air compressor, drills- and some tallish trees in the front.  I noted that he had clearly spent years planting and maintaining the property. He also had spent a bunch of time interacting with neighbors. He showed me a shed that it customized. It also grown a bunch of evergreens. He had a Sequoia that was stunted and he pulled up all of the rest that he had grown.

I took a nap and later we all sat for casserole and coleslaw. There had been a pretty regular commentary regarding the family up to then and I told my friend’s mom her family was wonderful. We started cleaning dishes after we were done eating. Later several of us went to the hotel.

Much later we met up at the pool. My friend had found the experience fulfilling. The baby was asleep and his parents were lounging. I spent time conversing with the moms drinking beer.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Found the House Fine

We found the house fine. The kids ran out to greet us and I gave them groceries to carry and dropped my bags in in the room. Grandma had come down at this point and the family crowded around her.  I returned to the car with two of the older kids to get the last groceries. Back inside I exploded the bags and Charlie appeared. I said happy birthday to Marilyn.

I went upstairs everyone was over in my friend’s sister’s room. She had bunkbeds, so decided later that she wanted to move to another room.  I found the groceries had all been put away. I got a beer and sat in the kitchen as people came upstairs.  Two of the kids sat nearby. I quizzed them about San Francisco and people figured out what I was doing. Someone forcefully changed the subject.

The groups were essentially the grandparents from Montana and the kids from Utah- most of which had  gone to bed.  I knew they were listening from the attic though.  We had to turn off the lights and eventually everyone went to bed.

I slept really well and in the morning I went upstairs first and downed what coffee there was. One of the kids had made me a pancake and one of the younger kids had had gone on a walk with her dad. The oldest and I read Paw Patrol over the walkie-talkie with her father and that was pretty funny.

Everyone crowded into grandma's room then and I made myself an egg. The others had slept well also. At that point my friend and her father had sat down on the couch together with grandma. I tried to hang out with them at first but got up to play with one of the kids.  Someone started making coffee then.  I was clearly obsessed.

Later we all piled into two cars for a trip to Yellowstone. I took the front seat of the car driven by the brother-in-law and grandma sat in the back with her mother-in-law and one of the younger kids.  We made jokes about Paw Patrol over the walkie-talkie. Someone from the other car made a comment about a swamp but I interpreted it as White Swan Bourbon.

We stopped at Subway where we made jokes about the swamp. Then we went to the Paint Pots where the brother-in-law and I escorted the ladies around the boardwalk.  After that we headed to Old Faithful. We found a picnic table near the concessions and ate sandwiches.  I observed the children.

One of the kids told us her strawberry looked like a heart.  I had a strawberry too.  Before I helped clean up and told the boys to quit horsing around before we headed off to see the guyser. However, when we arrived we we quickly learned that it it already blown.  We went to the information center for about after that and a short time later we went to West Yellowstone.

I went to Bullwinkle's, got a bottle of whiskey, I sent a postcard and met everyone at Dairy Queen.  I was falling asleep when we headed back to to the cabin.  When we arrive I brought my stuff in, fixed myself a whiskey and sat in the living room. The kids were all over, playing ping-pong and cards.

At one point we went out back and took some pictures of the rain- there was lightning off in the distance.  We played Uno for a while.  The eldest kid was really good  I made cheese and crackers for the crowd.

We sat and ate burgers and salad. Two of the kids sat with me. When the meal was over and the kids went down to float in the hot tub by then. I did some dishes until. Later I sat looking at Twitter and Youtube with some of the kids.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.