Happy Anniversary, Luca!

Luca was preparing for Super Bowl with a NOLA mask. Geaux Saints!

(and it's been 3 years already. Wow!)

I Just Can't Quit You: The Real World

I have watched The Real World since the very first episode aired. I watched as Julie & Kevin fought, as Eric tried to get in Julie's pants, when Heather was questioned about being a drug dealer, and Becky had an affair with a crew member. I watched Tami utter the line, "It wasn't not funny!" while Beth egged her on, still hear Jon twang "true stoooraayy," and wonder if Dominic is passed out on the beach. I can't pass Lombard Street without looking for the house, even though it burned down, and still look for Puck when I pass a bike messenger.

Things started to change with Miami, because the London season was so boring. They got jobs together, and it really wasn't about The Real World anymore...gone were the days of Cori pounding the pavement, literally, looking for coffee shop jobs on Polk Street, or Irene the cop who had a life outside of the house. I still watched, through Boston, Seattle, then Hawaii. And yes, I just listed those all from memory.

The point? This show has been, for better or worse, and part of my life for almost 18 years now. Whoa...18 years. I'll admit...when I turned too old for the Real World, I got a little sad. Though, thinking about it, I am so glad my early 20s were not caught on camera. I can make fun of these tools, but, I was probably just as big a one (I am also thankful there were no cell phones, caller ID, text messaging, Facebook, or YouTube when I was in my early 20s...seriously thankful)

As I get older, I can't help wondering when I will be able to turn off this show. I thought perhaps last season, when they went back to New York...again...and had the most boring cast, a few of whom I just wanted to shake, they were so attention-whorey. But, that couldn't even turn me off completely.

Now we're in Washington, D.C., and I had real hopes that there would be some intelligent life there. And we were off to a good start -- the first episode, there was a discussion about religion and conservative values, and a question was posed, something along the lines of, "Do you think I am narrow-minded because I am religious, or am I religious because I am narrow minded." This was asked during a rather heated argument, where some "liberal" dude was attacking a guy who felt a great connection with God and his religion.

As a small aside, this guy has been one of the more interesting ones. We are watching him struggle to accept his sexuality, and come to terms with what that means in terms of his belief system...and also understanding that he needs to be, and can be, comfortable with himself. This has been kind of interesting.

At any rate, after that initial discussion, I thought it could be a good one. I thought, wow, these kids may be semi-intelligent. But then the "I just tell it like it is" dude (see also: "liberal" dude who can't handle dissenting opinions) told a girl she was fat. You know, in the spirit of keeping it real. Then the Obama girl made out with the bi-guy, then cried about poor her that she felt duped or something. Then the girl from a cult who is "like a dude" because she can have sex and not want a relationship...in short, every stereotype is still alive in TRW! But this week's episode took the cake for me. The "I have to be funny all the time, but not as gross as Puck" dude and the Obama girl are having a flirty, pulling-pigtails type relationship. Then she puts pizza in his bed (which...1. way to waste pizza. FAIL #1, and 2., if you do that, expect retaliation. FAIL #2). He returns the favor by smearing pizza in hers (and SERIOUSLY, what is UP with wasting good food?!). Then she gets mad, gets in his face, and he kind of shoves the pizza at her.

All of a sudden, she feels it is inappropriate and is threatened in her own home.

WTF?! It was thisclose to a Tami/David "It wasn't NOT funny" situation. But even MORE ridiculous, and an even bigger needy attention moment. I wanted to reach through the screen, make the girl sit down, and eat an entire pizza in front of her and not share explain to her that actions have consequences, and one day she'll look at this moment and feel completely stupid. Thinking about it, I want to do that to most of TRWers in the past 5 or so seasons.

So it's stupid. Is it stupid enough for me to stop watching it? I am not sure. I don't know what it is about this show that keeps me hooked. It's a bad habit I just can't quit.

Meanwhile, on Muni...

Muni is both a blessing to have and the bane of my existence.

Since my work moved about 9 months ago, I've had to take one of the grossest buses in SF, the 38. This bus runs from the ocean to the Transbay Terminal downtown, essentially spanning the whole city and bringing riders through many different types of neighborhoods.

Full of characters, it stinks, is dirty, and most times unbearably crowded.

The other day, I was somehow lucky enough to score a seat in the back. I sat down excitedly and thought about how much more comfortable my ride would be (granted, I was running REALLY late to work, so it wasn't typical commute time). But then...

I realized my seat neighbor stunk of patchouli. Like, reeked of it. As if that smell wasn't bad enough, this dude smelled like he lit some incense, and then did some rhythmic gymnastics with the stick, making sure his body got fully coated in the smoke.

And, to top it off...dude had white person dreads. Which had clearly been soaked in the stuff, too.

It made for a long, long ride. And the smell stuck with me even after I left. While this wasn't the worst that I've had on the 38, it was gross nonetheless.

Lingering Questions: Titanic

"I'll never let go, Jack."

I have watched Titanic at least a million times, or so it seems. I saw it 2 or 3 times at the movie theater (it has to be one of the only movies I have EVER seen in the theater more than once), and since then, pretty much every time it comes on, I watch, from any point in the movie until the end.

Yesterday was one of those days, and I came in right when Jack is tied up in the belly of the ship, the water is climbing, and Rose is trying to find a way to free him. They flash on to her mother, with Molly Brown in the rescue boat, and Mama Rose is worried about baby Rose.

Which begged the question, for me, anyway...did Rose ever see her mom again? Or did she let her mom go on thinking she had died on the boat. I kind of figured she never let evil fiancee know she was still kicking, but, her mom? How rude!

I also wonder if she went by Rose Dawson for the rest of her life? And, did her granddaughter know this story? That actress was so bored-looking throughout the whole movie I can't tell (maybe she was focused on her new relationship with James Cameron...who knows). Like, if you didn't know, wouldn't you be shocked? And if you did know, when you saw a story on the Titanic while your grandma was in the next room, wouldn't you call her in when a new story came on?

And...Did Rose name her first son Jack? It's really the least she could do, right?

Sometimes, at 2am...

You just need a little Taco Bell. And, if you're in a certain area of SF, it means waiting in a long line for a delicious bean burrito.During our wait in line, a gentleman passed out cold on the counter...while standing...in line for his own delicious Chalupa or something. His friend woke him up, and promptly hit on the people behind them. Which happened to be us. Joy.

And, at 2am, after submitting our orders and waiting for our mouth-watering goodness, we found this hilariously funny...

And perhaps, my friend J here has found her new calling.

No to H8te

Wow, 2008 seems like such a long time ago. I try not to get too political here, but I am hopping mad.

In 2008, there were vicious campaigns -- presidential, congressional, and for propositions. One of the ugliest, to me at least, was Proposition 8, which essentially stripped tax-paying, law-abiding citizens of their right to be wed to the person they love, simply because that person happens to be of the same sex.

Yes, you read that right: rights were taken away.

The judicial branch of the government is there to protect the people from ourselves. It is there to decide on things like civil right issues that may violate the laws set forth in our Constitution. It was the judicial branch who found that separate was not equal, and that said interracial marriages were legal, two things we take for granted now as a given.

So when the Supreme Court of California said that the ban on same-sex marriages was against the Constitution, and that people in same-sex marriages had the right to marry the partner they love and thus be afforded the same rights as those who were in "opposite"-sex marriages, it was a win for civil rights, civil rights for all of us. But then a group based outside of California with money to spend introduced a proposition to strip people of their rights. Money was poured into the campaign, spewing misinformation and telling blatant lies, and it passed. (the only good news that came out of it is that it passed by the smaller margin than similar propositions had, showing a change in the attitudes of voters)

However, that the people decided on a civil rights issue like this was wrong. Back when interracial marriage was deemed legal by the courts, popular opinion would have shot it down, as well. It was a sad, sad day.

It is something that absolutely baffles me. How does same-sex marriage threaten opposite-sex marriage? How does giving my friends the right to marry hurt me in any way? It doesn't, at all. In fact, it gives me a chance to celebrate their love in a way that I hope they will someday be allowed to celebrate mine.

So why, you may wonder, am I bringing this up now? Why am I mad? Well...A court case started this week to rule on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, in hopes of reinstating the earlier decision by the Supreme Court, thus reinstating the right of all consenting adults in California to marry whomever they chose, regardless of sex (notice I said consenting adults, not children, dogs, or goats). What has be mad is the defense.

It is a "pro-children" defense, and essentially says that marriage is an institution created to create children, something which cannot happen naturally between same-sex partners. So...does this mean that couples that choose to adopt children should not be allowed to get married? Or the married couples that choose not to have children, should they get their rights taken away, too?

I am actually hoping that this hurts the defense. Because several expert witnesses have already said it doesn't harm children, or the institution of marriage. And that states that have legalized same-sex marriage have a lower divorce rate. Isn't that pro-children and pro-family?!

And it comes down to it being a slippery slope. If they take the rights away, this easily, of one group, who is to say they won't do it to other groups. Who is to say a group couldn't decide that women shouldn't work, be educated, vote, and take those rights away? Once rights are taken away once, it is not good for the future.

Reconnecting

About 7 years ago, I traveled from my friend's wedding in Sweden down to Barcelona. I couldn't find my hostel (the Internet was still lacking some information, and I didn't write down the directions well), but I had remembered reading about one near Las Ramblas that was supposed to be fun.

The name? Kabul Hostel.

Most young backpackers who have Barca on their itinerary know of the Kabul. I didn't know it at the time, but it is constantly named as one of Europe's most known party hostels. After being there, I can see why!

My being there definitely brought the average up. There were 19 year olds, kids that were 21, and a few of us that were, ummm...a little older than that. Almost every morning I awoke to new roommates, often times, all guys. Can't say this place was clean, or particularly safe, but it was fun.

Such was the atmosphere when I met a few groups of American boys. "Tall" Tim and Karon from Atlanta, James & John from Washington D.C., and the California boys, Justin, Shelby & Tim. We met in the common room at the Kabul, at a point where I hadn't heard an American accent for some time. The 8 of us ended up spending most of our time together for the next few days, until the Atlanta & Cali boys had to head elsewhere (and they all crammed into an itty bitty car -- 5 grown men -- and all their luggage, which was like 8+ bags). The D.C. boys and I tried to find a way to follow them, but it never worked out.

Over the years, I have stayed in contact with a few of them. This was pre-Facebook, so it wasn't like you could just add them and follow their lives; it required a little bit more effort. It wasn't surprising when emails trailed off...one of the D.C. boys, John, has been traveling pretty consistently over the years, and is good about updating everyone, but last I actually saw him was probably 5 years ago.

Flash forward to 2010. I'm being a bum, that's what New Year's Day is for, right?, and generally not motivated to move. At all. John sends me a text to come meet him out -- he was in SF for a few days. And, he was with Justin, who I hadn't seen since we dropped him off at the teeny car in Barcelona. How could I say no to that?

It took all my effort -- seriously, I am not exaggerating here -- to head out to the bar, about 15 blocks away. Walking in, though, it was all worth it. There was a little bit of catching up, but soon there was the reminiscing, trying to recall our best stories from Barca, or those that still riled us up a little (me: when the boys called me "mom" because I was so much older then all of them...grrr). We laughed about ever going back to the Kabul -- I would not, the boys were both game. And got to meet their girlfriends and some of the other friends they had with them, which was also fun, to see kind of how they'd "grown up" (they were somewhere between the ages of 20-22 when I met them).

And, the best part, to me anyway, was that it didn't feel like that much time had passed, and it was fun.

The difference in travel now and then is striking...back then, which wasn't so long ago in the grand scheme of things, but is eons in the Internet-age, chances were you wouldn't see the people you met traveling unless you really tried. You may email, but that would inevitably falter off after some time. People move, email addresses change...so to me it is pretty awesome that this group still has a web of connectivity.

Happy New Year!

I know, I know, I have been remiss in my writing, and disappointing my mom many, many readers.

But it's 2010 now, and I will do my best to keep this site updated more.

I didn't make any resolutions this year. Every time I do, I just disappoint myself. So no disappointments in 2010! Whoo-hoo.

This year is already off to a great start...lots of plans already made and many in the works, including Costa Rica, Wildflower, Santa Cruz for Wharf to Wharf again, and, of course, New Orleans for Halloween! It'll be a good year, I know it.

And, of course, it will include a little more fun-loving teasing of my pooch, who got to visit Santa for the first time this year. Happy New Year!

Now I Really Want a Roomba

For quite some time, I thought it would be fun to torture my poor pooch with a Roomba. I know, I know...as if Luca isn't terrified enough most of the time, but I think it would be funny as hell to watch him simultaneously try to chase it and run away from it, which is what he generally does with the regular vacuum.

After watching this video, and laughing myself silly, I think it would have been more awesome had we had one when Gata Gata was alive, and our family dog Bocci. Gata totally would have tortured Bocci like this dog, and Bocci, rather than swiping her ass right off the Roomba, would have sat their like an idiot, just like this pitty.

Enjoy!

Peter Pan is Alive and Well

I assume it is a rather common sickness in larger cities (NYC, Chicago, Boston, etc.): the Peter Pan Syndrome. This illness is characterized by a refusal to grow up, evidenced by late 20/early 30 years old who are still running around, playing in group sports leagues, hanging out at bars playing drinking games...

This is one epidemic that is pretty prevalent in San Francisco. My friends, mainly around my age, still do all of those things I mentioned, but in SF there is the added twist of constantly being dressed up in one costume or another. We don't give a second thought to it, because we're all doing it...be they single, coupled up, married... And yes, we think about "growing up," but it's hard to find role models because once people are ready for that, they tend to move out of the city, or to the more family-ish neighborhoods.

While I don't think this is completely unique to San Francisco, I do think it is more rampant here. Our weather is pretty nice, so we can enjoy the outdoors (and things like kickball, dodgeball, flag football, etc.) for most of the year. This doesn't fully explain it, though.

My friend A had an interesting theory, and I think it's one to which I can subscribe. Her thought goes something like this: in SF, we have an inherent trust that our friends will get us home, or we will get ourselves home with trustworthy cab drivers, kind Muni drivers... We don't concern ourselves much with getting mugged on the subway or taken advantage of by our taxi driver. In other cities, her theory goes, there is more wariness towards these things, so people don't tend to go AS nuts.

I can see that. There may have been mornings where I've wondered how I got home the night before, I may have questioned having paid the cab driver, and perhaps I didn't tell anyone I left wherever we are. But I think if I lived somewhere that I was really worried about my safety, I may not get as inebriated as I possibly did. (um, don't worry mom, this situation is totally made up)

Having never lived anywhere else as a full-fledged adult (I mean, I guess technically I was an adult in college and Spain, but those don't count), I can't tell for sure. I know I've visited other cities and had a lot of fun, but probably stayed more in control than I sometimes am here. But I know what I know here, and I know I often find myself singing, "I won't grow up, I don't wanna go to work..."