agnoli

I almost forgot.
 
Today is the one year anniversary of this blogging adventure. I started this on a whim, posting a twilight shot of the lagoon on a still evening. It has become an interesting part of my life, and something more. I often joke that I post because I can't remember anything, but the end result is a log that captures my public life over the last year, and reminds me of the private things too. Most important the people and places form an imagery that reminds me of who you are.
 
Its funny, but I was never into anniversaries and celebrations before. Now it seems that my life is resplendent with them. The gladiolas in my garden are in full effect, this is the second year that I have actively cultivated them and the bulbs are more numerous, and the flowers bigger and more colorful than ever.
 
Many thanks to all my friends and acquaintances that have made this a great year. And to Sachin for providing the venue for our adventures.

Spent saturday night at wilco with Dave and Lewis. Ran into Alyssa, and Lucy B, and Erin T, and Jenn of living with the laursens. Geck was in the crowd but I never found him. Alyssa and friend came and stood with us for the duration and we danced. Kind of a crazy night of serendipitous events.
 
Wilco was good, but seemed to have a knack for ruining a groove with a blaze of distortion. On more than a few of the songs I needed my guitar. I wanted to play along with the distortion jam. That was the only way to make it fun. You're breaking my heart. Number 8. Good.... Song..... Clapped for Alyssa because she couldn't clap for her favorite songs.
 
One of songs reminded me of a Santana show I saw at the greek when i was in college. The new guitarist is awesome, for all his antics, he rocks. halfway through the show he pulled out his double necked guitar. Is he going to use it? yes, here he goes. "I don't care anymore" the singer chants.
 
stupid 3GS camera has really poor low light performance. I am spoiled.

   

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stadium_rock_wilco.zip (327 KB)

Val had some tree work done on the property, removing some large alder that were in danger of crushing us. We had the arborist cut the trunk into longer lengths. The result was a collection of beautiful rounds that we roughed into stools. As I winched the rounds from the creek, my dad scribed and cut them. He wouldn't let me touch the chainsaw. It was a nice way to spend our alternate father's day.
Alder cuts white, but then turns blood red as the resins come to the surface. Quite beautiful.

       

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wood_work.zip (1143 KB)

"Careful, it's really hot. Or at least it was."
 
Had dinner with a jet lagged Ange and Lewis. We went to Outerlands on Judah and 45th, which had been overrun by a large party of hipsters. Lewis was being positively local about his new restaurant by complaining loudly about how these people in their pegged pants were coming out to beach for culture, pshaw. yet another excellent application of enviro localism.
Chicken soup. Nice bread. Beet salad was awesome, with mascarpone?, and the beets had been boiled in vinegar water or something that injected tang into their core. Ukiah cellar cab was ok, but not great (I'm not a fan of organic or sustainably farmed wines, give me my sulfites). They need better wine on their menu. Damn hipsters ordered up all the mac and cheese. Damn 3GS camera can't handle low light situations.
Hate hanging out with couples. Kissing all the time. So self assured. blah.

         

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morning_after.zip (1010 KB)

Hung on the beach with Charlotte and Lenny while Chris, Jane, Trip, and Craig surfed little waves at the channel. Swam out to the break and stole craig's surfboard. I could barely standup, first time surfing since chile, but I'm blaming the board. Pushed Lenny into a couple waves and then relaxed on the beach.

       

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0morning_after.zip (738 KB)

                   

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summer_solstice.zip (1699 KB)

Wilson was in charge on the grill, delivering his famous carne asada tacos. I lost count after ten.

         

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0summer_solstice.zip (806 KB)

more babies.
went to high school with all these kids, and its all so very strange to see everybody grow up and have kids of their own.
It all made me feel like an old man, seeing my friends go through the same stages of marriage and child rearing that I have left behind. I think most of my sentiment comes from having kids in my twenties. And then the fact that Enzo and Adrian are away at camp in catalina, so I went solo, or rather with the rest of the bachelors.
 
The gathering dwindled around bed time, and we called it early, wandered down to the sand dollar where Tim was tending bar, had a drink and then called it a night.

                   

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1summer_solstice.zip (1756 KB)

Spent the remainder of Friday with Robert and Bonnie, and friends. Garo ditched early, so it was off to the Attic. though I lived at 21st and Valencia for years I never knew it existed.
Robert is the hub, his friends agree. He was there in his cap, sporting that fixie look.

       

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late_night.zip (628 KB)

robert, cap, robert, cap. "How do you know Robert?".
Good atmosphere, a little too much Morrissey, and down beat music. bitters and soda instead of beer.
but, the DJ knew what to do when I pointed my camera at him.
Ended up going over to the make out room, but it was only slightly more danceable there. on the plus side we ran into Anchor and Annette.
 
Cabbed it back to my car and then Stinson. It was a cold ride with the window smashed in. Yet another thing on my todo list.

         

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0late_night.zip (825 KB)

Kicked off the weekend with a celebration of Suneil and Rey's birthdays. These two share the same actual birth date, day, month, year, everything, and have known each other since birth, so there's a special kinship. We started out in the gallery space next door to fly bar with a hosted bar and appetizers that got the party going.
 
I hadn't hung out with Suneil or Derek since Chile, we've all been too busy at work and play, so it was good to catch up. Compared notes with Tala and Desi, and put in my order for a pair of 2009 Entropy skis http://www.entropysnow.com/ . At this point I see Tala more often than the rest of her family because of the Growney connection.
 
I have to give photo credits and props to Micah for grabbing the camera and shooting pics when I started flagging.

                         

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Suneil_and_Rey.zip (2565 KB)

Eventually moved over to the bar proper and soldiered on. 

         

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0Suneil_and_Rey.zip (881 KB)