I am typing this on Ert’s computer in Ert’s lovely flat on Valencia street while she is sleeping behind me. Good thing the lass has earplugs or this tippity tappity would surely keep her up. Its early in the morning here but I have been up for hours because of my annoying body clock which thinks its 8 hours ahead. I was stumbling around the dark at four am trying to think of something to do before Ert’s alarm went off at 5:45 so that I could move the car. Yay, street cleaning! Which is kind of funny because my first thought as I drove into SF from the freeway was, man what a dump. It feels very run down and shaggy compared to London. So this morning I tried to have a quiet bath and read a bit. When it was time to move my car I drove down to Peet's by Safeway.
What a weird feeling it is to be back. Its like things are foreign and strange while familiar at the same time. Its like walking through a memory. The money feels weird: light and fake. The workers in Safeway greet me with a smile and a good morning, which also feels slightly strange. No one smiles and greets you in London at Sainsbury’s. I get a cappucino at Peets and it tastes very good, very smooth. Then I get another regular cup of coffee (why not its only 6am!) and I start to drink it black, contemplating putting milk in it, which is what I do at home. I walk up to the milk carafes when I read “half and half” and it dawns on me that I used to love half and half in my coffee and hated it when I couldn’t find it in England. It kind of shocks me that I had forgotten about it altogether, when for a long time I was very grumpy about it. Now I actually enjoy just regular milk in my coffee. So of course I poured the half and half in my very dark peets coffee and enjoyed it thoroughly. I bought a paper to read but I was feely to giddy to sit and read it. I walked outside and looked up twin peaks. It looked mysterious and spooky in the morning fog. I thought it would be a good idea to drive up there and look at the view, which I did. Bad idea though first thing in the morning, the sun rising over the bay was blinding. I listened to NPR on the radio, the stories sounding suprisingly uninteresting. I wondered why I used to listen to this crap and like it.
Yesterday while looking for a parking spot in from of Ert’s place I sides-swiped this woman’s car and broke her driver’s side mirror. Oops. Good thing I at least got the loss damage waiver on the rental, I hope I don’t have to pay for the huge scratch on the brand new white Kia. I know its new because after I hit the other car I looked at the odometer and it said 666! Eek. Its really not the best idea to drive after a 10 hour flight across eight time zones (so I had been up since 8am on what was now my time like 2am) where you haven’t driven a car at all in two years and have been riding a scooter on the left side of the road. I dunno why I got the damn car at all, its been a pain so far, although hopefully while I am at Jane’s next week out in the aves it will pay off.
I just looked in the mirror there are huge bags under my eyes. I think I will go out and look for a place to make a copy of Ert’s housekeys and then head out to downtown or something. I am meeting the blushing bride for lunch in a few hours. It will be so great to see her after so long. It was go great to see Ert too! Its nice how we can just pick up where we left off. I wish I had some women friends in London. Anyway time to hit the mean streets of the Mission. Ciao.
