As mentioned previously, I finally made my way to San Francisco last week to check out the city, visit some shops and offices, and, the best part, meet a bunch of my really cool, funny, hospitable and charming online friends (gotta find a better term) face-to-face for the first time. For a city said to be the capital of weird (which I’m constantly accused of being), I felt totally at home, thanks to the great people I got to meet and hang out with.
Highlights of my trip include visiting and spending the day with RE/Search publisher, V. Vale, which included a visit to Costco (yes, you read that right) and getting to travel about the city with him, visiting strange and interesting places; Sonic Youth in Berkeley with the wonderful folks from Mule Design, including their pal (and another ‘online friend’ of mine), artist Timothy Buckwalter; roused from my sleep at 4:43am by a 4.2 quake; dropping by the offices of Cycling 74, home of the awesome Max/MSP software; *finally* meeting the lovely and talented Clamhead face-to-face to hang out for some talk, eats and drinks (and more drinks); Mike’s 40th birthday party and meeting more folks face-to-face; Sixteen Candles in Delores Park with the gang; hanging with Sir Henry and his dad at Al’s Comics; City Lights books; SF MoMA; a lovely Golden Gate Bridge walk with Paul ‘n’ Keri; a proper Mission burrito at El Farolito (recommended by the lovely and talented Mr. Lance Arthur); huffing back a pint of Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream ice-cream; soaking up the overallness that is the city.
As much as I missed my family during my time away, I couldn’t help but imagine where we’d live in the city (the Mission – duh – with North Beach a close second), where we’d shop, send the kids to school, etc., and who they’d *have* to meet and hang out with. Now, all I have to do is win me a huge-ass lottery so as to make it happen.