ruby fuerza: me first and the shimmy shimmies

Picados

2011-02-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

I made a tumblr because I am a bad blogger and New Orleans is really fun.

I AM DONNY!

Auld Lang Sigh

2011-01-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve was the fireworks bursting through the misty sky above the Mississippi River - sparkly, beautiful, blurry.

Mikecohen treated me to a feast at Boucherie, where we laughed our asses off over cocktails and luck-themed foods done fancy. After a quick costume change (silk-blend tap pants FAIL) we met our friends at Elijah's house before heading to the French Quarter. We made it just in time to watch the fireworks show from the roof of our friend's bar. We rang in the New Year with Tennessee sparklers and champagne from the bottle (typical). Eventually the crowd dispersed and MC and I found ourselves as the only raggamuffins in a sea of fancy pants on the dance floor (typical).

The Road Home - KY to LA

2010-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Our speed racer road trip came to an end after Day Two of the long haul through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississipi back to Louisiana. If the first leg of the journey was a snooze fest, the second was the Bo Derek of Americana road trip boners.

We headed southwest along fields of horse farms in the morning and made first detour to the Four Roses Bourbon Distillery in Lawrenceburg. MM and I hadn't planned on stopping so early in the day, but you can't find two Catholics driving through the Kentucky Bourbon Trail before noon and expect otherwise! The choice between a tour of Four Roses and Wild Turkey was instantly settled as soon as I saw the latter's logo on the parkway. Flashback to late SF nights, Shrimp clutching her little prawny hands around the wattle of an empty plastic Wild Turkey jug, and I thought, we best make new memories with the more delicate brand! Four Roses was a fine place to visit, though I had hoped for a more "organic" experience. I was looking for a mom and pop operation. We were greeted with hand-etched tumblers and logo emblazoned polar fleeces. I guess mid-tier boozers with little brand cache have to make money however they can. We explored the campus for a while, opting out of the official tour ($$). A note for future visitors: the doors to the actually factory are unlocked so you don't need a guide to see the fun machines (always a highlight for RF).

Our next destination wove us through the scenic Bluegrass Parkway to Munfordville, home of Kentucky's Stonehenge. Before visiting the replica megalith, we paused for Poor-Key's BBQ rib special at Memory Lane Restaurant. The cafe enshrines several recently fallen soldiers from the area. We stuffed our faces to the recordings of a local fiddler then drove down the street to the town attraction. Marked by a handful of small roadside placards, the Stonehenge site appears to be a private endeavor in the adjacent lot of some one's backyard. We offered Lula to pachamama and then she promptly ran through the gates of the neighbor's yard. After some coaxing we were able to get her back to the car. Our threesome hightailed it out of Munfordville.

I-65 South lead us to Cross Plains, Tennessee, where we spent some time hunting down our next checkpoint. Lead astray, we took Barren Plains Road in the opposite direction but soon found ourselves in front of Thomas Drugs, an old-timey pharmacy and soda fountain (eeek, I wanted to know if it used to be segregated but I wasn't sure if that is something about which one might inquire politely?). My vintage heart was thoroughly charmed by the menu: phosphate sodas, egg creams, and the "hobo float" (a glass of water with a bobbing toothpick). The kids behind the counter were super cute. We even chuckled at the pimple faced teen's attempt at making fun of us. They were helpful in pointing us toward our raison d'etre in Cross Plains, although it seems that locals couldn't understand why we had traveled so far to see a decaying, pink fiberglass elephant. Back on track we reached the destination. OH BOY was Her Majesty worth it! The pachydermus roseus sits in the parking lot of the Red River Antiques Mall, holding a rusty martini glass in her trunk. Faithful pilgrims, MM and I payed homage to the beast with photographs and hugs. We then crossed the road for an unexpected bonus. Sad Sam's Fireworks Outlet features a multistory saluting (?) American Indian rendered in the classic muffler man style. Perhaps we should have taken the Indian as a harbinger of what was in store - a real taste of America! Amid a generous stock of fireworks were many shelves of Tennessee and regionally-theme souvenirs, mostly of the Confederate flag variety. I resisted the temptation to make several "can you believe this shit?!?!" purchases and left with only one crate of sparklers for New Years.

Overwhelmed anticipation to return to our New Orleans families, we forewent addition detours in Alabama. We gunned it down I-65 then across the I-10, an old friend, until we made it to the Crescent City just past midnight.

Lexington, KY: Halfway There

2010-12-29T23:44:00.000-08:00

"click to enlarge!"

MM collected me and Lula this slushy mid-morning. We made a quick stop to collect some cargo from friends at the UES outpost of Fair Folks + a Goat to transport to its NOLA sister (nothing nefarious really - just a few prints and a funky chair). After limited luggage shimming, we headed west. Most of the daylight drive was pretty zzzz - I'm not not charmed by the bucolic landscape of the Pennsylvania Dutch - seen it! Into the evening, however, we hit novel states: first West Virginia! next Kentucky! My co-pilot and I stopped once for "pan Asian" dinner in WVU's hilly Morgantown. We then slogged across the rest of the winding Appalachians to the motel in Lexington.

Tomorrow, southward ho!

New York, NY: RSVP or KGB

2010-12-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

Zee Shrimmz's votos fhrom Kreeessmas at Kremlin:

PS: Miessssssss you, podruga!

New York, NY: Pickle Back Blizzard

2010-12-28T11:13:00.001-08:00

Michaelmartin and I are driving back to NOLA (via Kentucky!), wrapping up a two week visit to the mothertown. I've had a great time seeing (almost) everyone and did a good job quelling the New York-induced manic episode.

The day after I arrived home I went to meet Lauren, Allegra, and Sasha for a drink an an embarassing UWS bro bar. Just as I took of my coat, I spied a little, wooly thang wiggling from under the table. IT WAS SHRIMP! She surprized me with a weekend in New York. I instantly became verklempt. Always looking to punk yours truely, the well-hidden secret had been in the works for months.

The next night I gave Mikecohen a feel for my home life at the Dizard's annual holiday party. Still waiting for slowass Shrimp to send me the pictures. Homie and I left at 5:30am and the party was still roaring!

Mikecohen and I went to the Giants vs Eagles game, Heather and I returned to the banya and enjoyed several sleepovers, we paid our final respects to Maxfish - set to close at the end of January. RIP. Pete came to NYC! Sandra had a housewarming party! Erin and I met for gimlets! I caught Felipe and Jordan and Daniela and Austin in one freezing night. Long lost Lina returned for our THIRTEENTH year at Walkers (she got the Happy Birthday - ha!).

We went out after Walkers when Lauren was treated to a smack in the head when an overly ambitious member of FDNY tried to pick her up and throw her on a pool table.

Lauren and I spent Chrismas Night at Dorrian's and were driving home at dawn by a doctor. Sandra, Lauren and I survived the blizzard at Claire's bar then treked to Brooklyn in the apocalyptic storm in the middle of the night.

It's sunny today and now the snow is slush. I love you, New York but I am ready for you, New Orleans.

New York, NY: Quick Hi/4LOKO Science Lesson

2010-12-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hello from holiday vacation in NYC -

Pleased to share Hyphy's excellent first go at vid making sans Ruby - HOW TO MAKE FOUR LOKO. <3 these guys so much. Watch and learn!

Thanksgiving at the Racetrack

2010-11-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

(photos by CJ and Sasha's friend)

This holiday was my second in New Orleans, although it was much different than last year's celebration. I was sad to spend the day away from my family but it was also pretty fun to have the day to eat and play with friends. I joined Diné and extended family for the lunchtime Thanksgiving dinner at her parent's house (Wade gave a special thanks/blessing to the DREAM act hunger strikers in TX - so great). We stuffed ourselves then shuttled off to the Fair Grounds for the big race day at the tracks.

Diné, Kira, Catherine, Stella, and I made wonderful hats at our NOLA version of Stitch n Bitch the night before so we were appropriately dressed for the occasion. Thanksgiving at the Fair Grounds is a popular destination for many faces in the neighborhood, in addition to the families and gamblers in attendance. I was so distracted that I didn't even get to make any bets. The only problem with wearing a super glamorous hat is having to stop and pose for pictures every few minutes. I could have bet and won thousands of dollars if I hadn't been everyone's Micky Mouse! Catherine and Diné, however, won $15 and $2, respectively. Not too bad!

After the last post we headed over to Catherine's for a few hours of drinks on her porch - it was a 83 degrees and humid into the night. Diné and I then went to her cousin Brooke's house to snuggle up and watch the Saints game before returning to the parents' house for several rounds of leftovers. The last stop was enough to turn our evening nap into bedtime.

It felt great to spend the holiday sipping on cocktails without a thought of finals on my mind.

Now back to studying!

Portraits from Friendsgiving

2010-11-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

(via)

The Real FG

2010-11-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

More pics from Friendsgiving!

(via)

Dinde Dunzo

2010-11-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

- 23.57 lbs of fresh bird

- 15 hours soaking in buttermilk brine

- 3lbs of root vegetables, Chinese eggplant, and mushrooms from Hollygrove Market (stuffing)

- 7 hours in the oven at 350-500 degrees

- 1 grease fire (yikes!)

Mikecohen and I spent parts of Friday and much of Saturday roasting our first turkey. It was totally exhausting but it was the most delicious bird ever (no offense, mom)! The secret to the success: roasting the animal upside down.

Next time, a tur-lu-ken!

(photos via MarshMallow)

define:friendsgiving

2010-11-16T12:15:00.001-08:00

FRIENDSGIVING rapidly approaches!

Dine, Michaelmartin, and I hatched the idea for a pre-Thanksgiving friend feast one night back in September (who could have coined such a tender term??). We have been so busy with school (me), work (Deedee), projects (MM), etc that we only sat down to talk about it last Sunday. I was pretty sure we had already worked out most of the details as I had been saving the "frenzzzzgiving" memo on my blackberry from the night of its inception. However, when I went to retrieve it, I found we had only gotten so far:

- firecrackers
- portraits
- buttered run (sp)/ginger tea
- crazyass dishes

Darn. Back to the drawing board!

We soon drew up a list of 25+ homies and crafted our plan to accommodate so many guests: a banquet table of three shotgun doors on top of saw horses (so neighborhood typical in so many ways). Michaelmartin and MichaelMarshMallow, hosts, will supply mulled wine, the house cocktail, and pumpkin curry. Dine and Emily are making savory dishes. Everyone else is bringing everything else - though let it be known that this is NOT a potluck. This is a coordinated effort. H8 potlucks. I, perhaps over ambitiously, in a homework and applications-induced moment of insanity, volunteered myself and Mikecohen to make zee turkey. I am kind of freaked out about roasting a 25 pound turkey but am up for the challenge so long as I can make it through the week (first final exam: tomorrow). I am also excited to buy the bird via EBT!

My first three months in the new city have been really wonderful. I couldn't have imagined a more seamless transition from the SFlovefest. Bongo dinners at Treat Ave were a defining and most treasured feature of my San Francisco life. I can't be more pleased to continue the tradition in my new home.

Thanksgiving = genocide

Friendsgiving = genophilia

See you there!

Venice, LA: Extreme Points

2010-11-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

Mikecohen, Lu, and I took an adventure trip to the gulf last Tuesday to collect dirt and water samples for his next installation. We followed LA-23 south until its abrupt finish at THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT IN LOUISIANA in Port Eads - a very satisfying milestone!! The end of the earth felt rightfully ominous. We encountered no humans or other animals. The only allusion to life, between the sun-bleached litter and rusted shrimp boats, was the distant industrial noise of jobs/corporate plunder through the wind. Spooky!

We ate po' boys dressed "all the way" at the only restaurant in Venice and stopped in Port Sulphur for samples on the drive home. Here homeboy waded ankle deep in the Mississippi during a thunderstorm to dig up the good stuff. More soggy dirt sampling throughout the city followed, though less noteworthy on account of the monotony of the task.

Happy Birthday, Dee Dee!

2010-11-05T09:28:00.001-07:00

Today is my parni's birthday (here looking young as fuck and smacking on birthday 2006 salmon in Mar del Plata)! We are celebrating with a party/backyard show with Dine's favorite Skate Night tomorrow at 9pm @ Blythe's on 8hundo Poland Ave. See ya there!

*quarter card by Stella

THIS IS HALLOWEEN

2010-10-31T21:03:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween from the most halloweenie place on earth! It sure beats this place!

It was super exciting and satisfying to spend my first Second Favorite Holiday in the Crescent City. I dressed as an elephant tamer on Friday night to celebrate at the Skull Club then at Mimi's. Beloved Pete's bffff and I had a cosmic run-in from across the bar after so many missed connections, though I may have mortally offended his 3l girlfriend by cracking JD jokes. FTR: was laughing "with" not "at"! I'm relieved that local vocabulary has yet to be poisoned with the inclusion of the term meangirl. Fewer people - including the lot of esquires in training - wore costumes than expected. Fortunately for everyone in sight, our gang was out in full pageantry.

The following day I was the vuvelezist in an eight-piece mariachi band for the holiday marathon. We kicked off Saturday with a filigree-sewing/dranks party at Diné's house, posed for beaucoups photos at the parade on Decatur, took over a beautiful garden home in the Quarter, and caught the homecoming performance of HFRR at Always Lounge. Masha and Emily were in town and Stella finally moved back so there were extra juicy characters to reckon with. The night ended at the street party on Frenchmen that was still roaring when I left for the second time at 4am. I've never seen so many Snookis/sexy bumble bees/wonder women/Brees fangirls dancing on the roofs of parked cars in my life. Guess I'll have to wait until Mardi Gras?

I was planning on debuting Bernhard's sequin mermaid tube skirt today but we spent the afternoon picnicking on the Mississippi (at the Fly!). By dusk it was time for me to head home to hit zee books for tomorrow's Physiology exam. Sigh.

The task for All Saint's Day is to collect the various articles of costume on loan to friends across the city. I easily outfitted at least five homies with items from the Ruby Fuerza Archives (the fruit hat was stoked to finally get some action). A lifetime of costume hoarding finally gives back to the community!

New Orleans, LA: Long Lost Rubez

2010-10-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Remember me??? Waah waaah slacking at rf.com on account of taking 8 classes, trying to hold down a part time job, applying to nursing schools, and working at being super popular. I have some vidz to post from the past two months since I've moved for posterity's sake: pickles! gators! red wood trees!

In the meantime, today was a great birthday considering I spent 80% of it in school/studying/stressing about my chemistry exam tomorrow. 25 was the best year ever (thus far - esp in comparison to the great Cuernavaca helote incident of '09)! For the record: I LOVE LIFE!

And you are the best.

Tomorrow: first effort at Louisiana glam camping for a party of 12. Good thing Diné has picked up the organizing slack where I have left off. Sigggh.

SF Leftovers: Eskimo Frenz

2010-08-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here are Melinda's pictures from the Low Tide/(Not) My Going Away Party. I hope she is my boyfriend in my next life as a fashion blogger. Can't beat 'em.

SF Leftovers: Fangirl Sez Goodbye/Clown Hair at Its Worst

2010-08-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my #1 DJ in all of SF at my last Debaser before Chris, Jamie, and I hugged it out on the empty dance floor of the Knockout. It was a magical moment but also embarrassing because my crushed velvet dress was completely soaked in my and other people's sweat. It made for a moist goodbye (ew).

PS: The shot was mysteriously removed from the photo set on facebook soon after publication. I have my theories!

SF Leftovers: Word Treasure

2010-08-24T09:42:00.001-07:00

Here is the complete list of magnet words that Ana made for me (with input from Shrimp). Awww my Gu knows me so well. I treasure you!

Heart of literal gold

coney island mermaids

titty tassels

raccoon tail

tambourine

zambaleta

divine & sweet

best style everrrr

pachamamacita

dtf and dtb

ambivalent about ‘the country’

shrimp cocktails

coupons as pooper scoopers

natural born gu

likes it slow + syruppy

does funner stuff than i do on the weekends

negotiating contracts

heart sweater

burning man H8r

zzk v zzz

a little bit of everything good

Rogerian empathy and listening skillz

doula

the most special

loved loved

left handed ruby racoon

sweater stealing

Lulia

fan girl

going into nature

sparkles like a ruby

revolution

organizing

red emma

Kram

hot bod

Disney face

shameful about Spanish at Bajofondo

homie

evil

vidz

teenage dirtbag

cuidado ratones

would be a better gu than me

tambo

debaser fangirl # 1

post-food v. feeding frenzy

bongo diners

sitar

finger bangin' mix

would rather dye

tender

abusurd magnetism

not narci

curious patience

buried shadow

supportive

loyal

talks super fast

we are lucky

caffeine averse

40s

abundance of love

generosity

seksi aura

we’ve never had a sleep over

all heartz all the time

doesn't fuck around

badass

feminista

haggard

count on ruby

come back to cali soon

bound 4 succe$$

major babe

sendspace

h8s cabs likes walking better

que se yo

unforgettable

“it’s in the mailbox”

Tish girl makes best vidz

has lots of bros around

some went to cornell lots didn’t

not haggard

24th St.

Dirty Thieves

Hubba Hubba

U da best

friend

flare

freaks

sparkle

soul mate

adventure

comrade

rice and beans

chola + goth + pin up

authentic kindness

enigma

dreamgirl

New Orleans, LA: Trying to Forget the Alamo

2010-08-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Austin, TX: Marfa, Glamor Town in the Middle of Nowhere

2010-08-13T01:43:00.000-07:00

Details with Marfa recommendations to follow....

Marfa, TX: (vid finally 'rendered')

2010-08-12T13:32:00.001-07:00

Marfa, TX: BLOOPERS

2010-08-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our big vid is still loading but here are some bloopers!

Marfa, TX: Hi from West Texas

2010-08-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

1,493 miles down!

We spent the day slaying through the remains of Arizona, the southwest corner of New Mexico, and a nice portion of west Texas. We made a few detours (sad attempts) to see some roadside attractions along the way. Our first planned sight was 'The Thing' in Benson, AZ but I was busy writing postcards and Shrimp was lost in the music when we passed the exit. Next we pulled off in Wilcox, AZ to take photos of the A&W Root Beer statues at Carter's Drive In. We had less luck with the next few attractions. The Tee Pee Cafe in Bowie, AZ was boarded up. The Shakespeare Ghost Town in Lordsburg, NM was closed for the day. We visited the Continental Divide marker in Separ, NM but it wasn't anything more exciting than a tchotchke store. Our final detour took us through the unsightly city of Las Cruces, NM for a peek at another of Peter Toth's Trail of Whispering Giants sculpture (I saw his other carving in Desert Hot Springs, CA).

After Las Cruces we buckled in for the long stretch of highway that runs along the Mexican boarder. We were stopped by boarder controls but they didn't catch us riding dirty (phewph). By the time we pulled onto Route 90 it was too dark to pose for obligatory photos in front of Prada Marfa in Valentine, TX. We didn't arrive at our final destination for the day, El Cosmico in Marfa, until close to 11pm on account of the time change (we're staying in a yurt - DROOL).

Benson, AZ: MAGIC DESERT PEOPLE

2010-08-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

1,006 miles down!

Joshua Tree was really special! We woke up early today for our private sound bath at the Integretron in Landers. Sandra and I went here during our desert adventure last spring; the vist was a first for Shrimp. The kind, old hippy leading our session first shared the history of the dome then colored the story with his own relationship to the sacred site. He first came to Landers with a group of new agers from the Bay Area in 1974 to meditate for peace with the Soviet Union and hasn't left since. Last year he was promoted as the third person (and first man!) to play the quarts crystal bowls during the sound bath. Our guide shared his experiences with alien visitors and explained that the region is particularly clear of cubic meters of cosmic bullshit. WE WERE ALL OVER IT.

Shrimp and I rested on yoga mats under hippy blankets with our heads pointed toward the center of the dome for the thirty minute session. As the guide played the bowls, the most soulful sounds notes filled the room and our bodies. I imagined each of my friends in San Francisco and sent them love. I did the same for my friends and family in New York and around the world. I opened my heart to the life that awaits me in New Orleans. There were many moments of joy. Some note-friend combinations were particularly wrought with emotion (Laura!). Once the bath finished we stayed in the dome for a while to come down from the high. We were giddy as we said goodbye to our host and drove back to Joshua Tree.

We picked up Lu from the motel and visited Desert Christ Park in Yucca Valley. We stopped at the Institute of Metaphysics where I bought a few crystals from their giant selection (had I been any less zen I would have had a panic attack). We ate a delicious hippy lunch of veggie wraps and date shakes at Ricochet back in Joshua Tree. As Shrimp and I were awaiting our order, we met a true desert creature named Sharon, who was playing an over sized flute in anticipation of her meal. Sharon swung her pendulum wildly in the air as she guided me in a chant. Her intention was to help me let my "organisms" know that it is OK to leave San Francisco and that I can always go back. The scene was slightly unsettling to my inner Manhattanite but the sound bath had opened my heart so I welcomed her healing energy. Sharon left us with a copy of her music - it's the soundtrack to today's vid (oy!).

By the time we left Joshua Tree in the late afternoon we were floating. I was grateful for the experience, especially since half of the day's itinerary took us out of the cradling arms of the desert into the boundless sprawl surrounding Phoenix and Tuscon. Shrimp and I checked into Motel 6 in Benson, AZ by 10pm. We laughed our asses off trying to find something to eat at the truck stop across from our motel. We spent 30 minutes there and only left with a bag of peanuts and a bottle opener (I packed the Malbec from SF). This state is the pits.

Tomorrow: AZ, NM, TX. Stay tuned!

Joshua Tree, CA: CRYSTAL CACTUS ADVENTURE DAY 1

2010-08-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

506.5 miles down!

Shrimp and I just checked into our humble accommodations at the Safari Motor Inn in Joshua Tree. I spent the first half of the morning sobbing on public transit/in the post office/at a cafe/on the stoop, then spent the other half with Kram and Shrimp trying to shove all of my stuff into the car. Our efforts were fairly successful. Only the jackalope, cow skull, and the goat coat stayed behind (Red Emma gone vegan?).

Shrimp and I finally made it out of the city by 1pm. We stopped in Bakersfield for a five course Basque feast at the popular Wool Growers Restaurant. Despite my recent, rapid reacclimation to the omnivorous world, the feast was too much. Only Shrimp tasted the tongue dish (scroll to 1:18 on the vid).

One day down, four to go. So tired! Must go to bed! Lu and my best friend are already snoring beside me.

PS: I'm avoiding this song at all costs too.

Frenching Hard

2010-08-08T00:53:00.000-07:00

Vid of boogiedayz @ Hard French:

Last Call

2010-08-08T00:52:00.000-07:00

(via??)

I spent my last weekend in San Francisco going about business as usual. Ana, Shrimp, and I caught the Zizek show (and backstage action!) at the Rickshaw Stop on Thursday. I used to go to the ZZK parties almost every week when I lived in Buenos Aires. Ana, of course, knows half of the label. I enjoyed the music more this time than I remember. Don't they say that if you live in San Francisco long enough you will eventually love electronic music?? You heard it here first: cumbia + dubstep = cumstep.

I enjoyed quality friend time with Ana and later Katie at Thieves and the Phonebooth on Friday. Ana presented me with the best surprise ever: custom magnetic poetry (see above). I am so jealous of myself! My friend knows me so well!!!

Courtney Trouble photo booth

Saturday was a marathon of neighborhood party fun. We cut zee rug at Hard French at El Rio then went back for more for my VERY LAST Debaser at the Knockout. I triple hugged it out at the end with Chris and my #1 favorite DJ and felt much better (pix forthcoming). My time in San Francisco came full circle when we ended up at an after party at a home we used to frequent during the CCA days.

SIGH! I MISS YOU ALREADY!
xx
Mission Mouse

Ciao Bella

2010-08-06T19:55:00.001-07:00

photos by KG

Wah! Today was my last day of work. The day was short and anticlimactic. I'm really sad to leave such a great organization with really wonderful coworkers. It also sucks to not have an income anymore.

I can't believe I didn't already mention it: last month my boss (and role model!) Kelly threw me a surprise going away celebration with our co-workers from LA and Bill from New Mexico. The team surprised me with dinner at the Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel after a mysterious trolley ride and a visit to Grace Cathedral. How did they know about my affinity for tiki bars?? PERFECT! The anatomical heart model and voo-doo books were icing on the cake. I'm really going to miss those guys!

Dock Love

2010-08-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

The low tide party was magical! Our reconnaissance mission to scope out the site paid off! The tie charts we consulted didn't lie!

The party planners and homies rolled up on bikes at around 8:30pm last Firday. We shimmied down the mouth of the broken dock's underbelly and set up shop on some rocks. Tea lights set in plastic milk jugs (thanks, Haus!) illuminated the space. The cavern was almost pitch black. A bunch of different friend groups arrived within the hour. Almost everyone I've ever known and loved in San Francisco came for the send off! The party eventually spilled out of the cave onto the top of the dock and everyone drank 40s (or at least I did?) in the unseasonably warm summer air. At the end of the party, when the tide started coming in, Megan Keely treated the remaining guests to three beautiful songs on her mini-guitar? banjo? The first song was the most special to me: a cover of Neil Young's "Pocahontas." Megan and I had a chance conversation about the song at an Ocean Beach bonfire back when I first moved to San Francisco. I have been asking her to play it for me since. SHE FINALLY DID AND IT WAS RAD (it's the soundtrack to the vid). Megan followed Pocahontas with Dolly's "Jolene" and an original song. The candlelit performance really made my night. It was such a lovefest. Thanks, friends!

After we packed up and hit the road the night continued. Some among us may or may not have set off firecrackers on 16th and South Van Ness.

NOT My Going Away Party

2010-07-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

DUSTY BUT DIGITAL

2010-07-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

Note: I am reinstalling my highschool blog's (RIP) spirit line to this here blog.

---> DUSTY BUT DIGITAL <---

Thank you.

28th Annual BirthdayFest

2010-07-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember this birthday?! We beat it!

Our SF posse surprised Laura with an adventure picnic day at the strange and mysterious Albany Bulb. We ate delicious snacks, toasted our dear friend several times, mazel tov'd three of my champagne flutes (grr!), and explored the sights of the Bulb. I don't feel like waxing about it right now so I will just share the vid:

Laura ('s grandma) treated a house full of guests to ice cream and keg at Treat Suite at night. There were Gunther colored balloons - a popular target for the sparklers and firecrackers - and all types of science experiments. The night was a fine example of keep it local = keep it awesome.

photos by Haus Julia, probably taken with an iphone app.

Gimme Fan Fiction

2010-07-20T00:40:00.001-07:00

Fangirl back in action!

I took this dreamy DM shot w/my cellphone!

Last Thursday I took myself on a hot date to see Built to Spill at Slim's. I was front and center, all up in Doug Martsch's shoes. I prefer to go to hardcore fangirl shows alone (Neko Case, El-P, etc) so I can get in the band's grill and have a spiritual experience with the other fan freaks. The show met my expectations. The band's sound was consistent and they were generous with their set length. Sometimes B2S makes me want to kill myself because I associate it with the angsty Brian London years. I'm really getting over it though (I think?) and can finally enjoy the music without getting totally emo! YES! I met a bunch of superfan girls and boys up front. One blogged this review and took this vid (he was taking manic notes the whole time). Another B2S fangirl told she me bribed the bouncer with $60 to go back stage at Pavement's Stockton show and hooked up with someone in the band! I can't remember which dude - obvz not SM - but still! Drool! The venn overlap of Pavement and B2S superfans at Slim's that night was pretty large. I caught Katie and some homies at the Phonebooth after the show for an all night party. Can't contain zee fangirl H!

Next show!

Daniela and I spent Sunday night enchanted in a love trance at the Fox Theater in Oakland for the New Pornographers show (hometown favs The Dodos opened!). New Porno reminds me of doing laundry my freshman year of college (not in a bad way). We were really there to celebrate and worship the ONE AND ONLY NEKO CASE. Daniela's homeboy Tom/Jordan's fratbro/manager of the venue graciously hooked us up with VIP bracelets. Nice! We soon learned that we were too hardcore for those seats. We pushed ahead through the makeout tweens and middle-aged bald dudes to get front stage right where Neko was singing with her sweet tambo (see vid below). The Fox, in its fanciness, keeps the audience behind a three foot barrier so it was impossible to paw at the ankles of our leader. Still, the performance was wholly satisfying. The band played a fine show. Neko's mellifluous voice rocked our souls to the core. She is amazing! After the encore, Daniela and I unfurled our fangirl poster ("THESE TORNADOES LOVE YOU") but we don't think she saw it. Bummer! I will admit that I was nervous about getting in trouble with Neko since she had recently scolded a fan at a Boston show and also was a little testy during our show because all of the fans were yelling out her name so much (fyi: Daniela made the opening hoot and was by far the most emphatic). Tom did take our poster backstage afterwards so there is hope that she saw it. NEKO! IF YOU ARE READING THIS! WE LOVE YOU! U DA BEST! THANKS FOR BEING THERE FOR ME! THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST TAMBO ROLE MODEL EVER!

Next show!

Fangirl honorable mention: I saw Vermont band Happy Birthday on Tuesday at the Rickshaw. Don't even know them but got all three members of the band to autograph (with custom drawings) both the cover and the sleeve of their vinyl!

Mexico City, Mexico: Round UP

2010-07-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

I'm back from another great stay in Mexico City. Our November trip was 100% manic but this round was very relaxing. Diné and I had seen the sights already so there was no checklist pressure, plus the rain and our cozy accommodations at Stella's dad's house for the second half of the week provided less incentive to run around.

As mentioned earlier, Diné, Emily, Wade, and I spent the first part of our visit zipping around with Suyapa, ACORN International's Mexico City organizer. We met with the Research Director of Universidad Obrera de Mexico to talk about remittances and cross-boarder labor (Wade's blog gives a MUCH better explanation). We went to the megaslum of Nezahualcoyotl, just outside of the Federal District, to check out idea's for prospective campaigns (again I defer to Wade). I shamefully drank a lot of Coke. We also went to a fancy fresa dinner party with some kind friends of Emily!

Diné and I soon caught up with Stella and her cousin and relocated from the centro to Papa Giblas' vine-covered apartment in the Benito Juarez neighborhood, not too far from our old Roma spot. I would like to reiterate that I am excellent at navigating the DF subway system and also have a knack for ubication so we were able to schlep around the city with few opportunities for getting lost. Emily and Diné got haircuts from our dear (blowin' up) homies at Goodbye Folk in Roma. Stella, Dine, and I finally made it to a Lucha Libre match at Arena Mexico. Stella and I bought some magic charms at Mercardo Sonora but avoided buying the decapitated goat talisman. Our old friend Ercilia from the Buenos Aires days came from her current post at an ONG in San Miguel de Allende to hang for a few days. We watched the World Cup finals at La B in Coyocan. Ercilia and I spent about 72 hours parading around a picture of Diego "mi rey" Maradona. We revisited some Zona Rosa haunts but the vacation was fairly tame on the whole, save one wild antro night with my homegirl Alejandra (remind me to bush up on my gay club anthems beforehand next time).

I of course took a ton of vid footage to make something pretty. In the mean time here are a few memories:

Nancy's birthday party

Ercilia gives a lesson on how to make agua de jamaica

Delicious quesadillas!

Mexico City, Mexico: Llueve

2010-07-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

It's raining perros y gatos aqui en DF. Stella, Dine, and I are keeping busy out of our home base, the house of Stella's dad.

Mexico City, Mexico: Sleepless in DF

2010-07-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

exhibit @ Centro Cultural de España taken in Oct. 2009

The East Coaster, Southerners, and Hondureña, with whom I am sharing an apartment, are all sound asleep after our longass day shleping around DF and beyond. But I am on pinche California time! I can't sleep! Cure for insomnia?? Manic, semifruitless ebay searches: "black lace bell bottoms," "vivienne tam buddha dress," "dvf cannabis print," "live through this decal."

Que se yo -

No Mames, Güey

2010-07-04T19:54:00.001-07:00

Tonight I'm taking the redeye to Mexico City (no stops in TJ this time!) for a week in my favorite town. I'll be meeting Wade in the morning followed by Dine and Emily on Monday night. Stella is joining us later in the week. We'll be checking out ACORN International's Mexico City chapter and learning about the community organizing on the ground. There will be some fun time to see our friends too.

I've also faced the facts that I'm never going to finish the post I was working on about my trip to DF in November. For this reason I'm just going to publish it so at least it's out there in the ether. Reportback from HALF of my first trip ------> HERE

xx!

San Rafael, CA: Fairbros Take Marin

2010-07-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Andy, Pete, Steve, and I spent Saturday at the Marin County Fair.

Adventures in Tie Dye

2010-07-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Craftiness is a staple trait of my San Francisco life - who needs a TV when you can get high and make things?! It totally helps that my friends are design school grads and are always up for a challenge (see bounty of projects under HOW TO label).

The upcoming de Young exhibit and a sale on XXL t-shirts at Walgreens inspired Katie and me to take on a marathon dying project on Friday night. We ran around for hours gathering supplies then executing the plan. Here is a vid on how you can do it too :

Little Tooth

2010-07-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

HOMEPOKE: How to Make a Stick & Poke Tattoo on the Cheap & Easy

2010-06-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

In another didactic video with Hyphie, Laura provides a detailed companion to the first stick and poke tutorial from her home parlor on Treat and 25th.

"Keep it local, keep it awesome" - #94110

The outtakes are here.

Tamale Ringwald Does SF Pride 2010

2010-06-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

We had the good fortune of meeting a dude named Tree after a string of missed connections on Saturday night. We followed this head-to-toe whiteglitterfur unicorn to a big Pride rave in the dance space above 24th and Mission. We ran into many friends: Daniela's grocer, present + former Henrique lovers, besparkled Alan who was by far the best dressed, and our very own long, lost, crazyeyed Arabella (!!!!!). She's been living, working, and converting to Judaism in Berkeley with her girlfriend for the past year. Wild.

Dancing continued for hours. A drag queen later anointed Yoram with a tranny name (see vid below)! Others were just plain sassy. We boogied until we got shin splints and could no longer take the cancer flavor of Danish's disgusting watermelon gum. When it was time to leave, Laura and I learned the hard way that the giant orgy in the side room had spilled out and was taking place on top of our stash of stuff. I shimmied my jacket out from under a dude's ass and Laura eventually wiggled her bag free from another lucky guy's head. Glitter! BJs! Electronic music! The whole scene was pretty dead-on for Pride in San Francisco.

Next Laura, Henrique, Danish, and I tried to go to Delano's to get supplies to make delicious fruity juice. It's not open at 6am apparently! Instead we went back to Treat to make "BROmosas" and listen to the best/funniest Burner mix by DJ Shakti Bliss (omfg) with Charlie.

We caught a few ZzZzZzZzzzz then woke up in time to meet back up with the posse at the Knockout for the MEX-ARG game, though too tired to vuvu. My homie from pre-Pavement drinks was tending bar and boiling weenies (his secret to delicious dawgs: hot Anchor Steam). I confess to the narco-consumption of the following items during the game: one extra spicy bloody mary, one egg and cheese sandwich, one pint of root beer, one super veggie taco, and one and a half REAL MEAT "tube steaks." After the game it was all trazodone and slumbers for the remains of my Sunday.

Happy Holiday! Vamos Messi!

PS: BROMOSA RECIPE
- 1 40 oz. bottle of Miller High Life (luckily I already had one of these chillin for me in the Treat refrigerator - $2.25 out the door! Best deal in town!)
- 1 carton of Ruby Red grapefruit juice (must be RUBY)
Pour 1 part brew with 1 part juice into a glass Ball jar. Mix with a chopstick. Toast the night as the sun rises to DJ Shakti Bliss's mellifluous "Unicorns on a Soggy Night."

I Left My Heart in San Francisco (How to Make Stick and Poke Tattoo Part I)

2010-06-28T11:31:00.001-07:00

Let the countdown begin: I am moving to New Orleans in five weeks. While am super excited to get rolling on my life's next adventure I sure am feeling sad about leaving this great city and all of my wonderful friends here.

Laura accepted my request for a stick and poke tattoo and we finally got down to doing it. It's a small heart above the "birthmark" on my right forearm - a tender token to remember my 2.5 years of Mission living. This was the first stick and poke for both of us. Laura poked the whole thing free hand (no pens!) over the course of an hour. It didn't hurt at all since I used to be a cutter (har har har)!

I shot a more thorough instructional vid with Laura and Hyphie this week. It's still "rendering" so I leave you with the "how to" of mine for now:

Calling All Shadrows

2010-06-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoonI vuvuzela-ed over to Dolores Park with Daniela and her homeboys for some Pride Weekend sunshine after catching the sad (secretly happy) USA-Ghana game. Many lovely faces were present, including Andres, who was up from LA for the holiday. In fact, EVERYONE lovely was there EXCEPT Alex (he was too careless to make the drive up from LA himself).

To: Alex
Love: Your Fanclub (Andres, Daniela, Ruby, sorta Pete, BJ)

Berkeley, CA: Gold Soundz

2010-06-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Pete, Phillip, and I met up with my favorite DJ Jamie Jams and the Knockout crowd at Casanova on Friday night and took the BART to Berkeley for the Pavement show (!!!!!) at the Greek Theater. We met up with Hyphie and made our way to the edge of the bleachers for the best view over the standing pit. THE SHOW WAS MAGICAL!! I WISH I WERE THERE AGAIN RIGHT NOW. Malkmus and the band were as well-rehearsed as ever - every song was spot on. They played a great mix of tunes and the set was super long. The set design was simple and dreamy. The Greek was enchanting (it was packed but apparently not sold out - made me feel like an idiot for purchasing my ticket 5 min. after the pre-sale opened in January!!!!!!). Everyone I've ever met in the Bay Area was standing somewhere out there in the crowd. I pretty much cried and hollered the whole time. This music is super sentimental for me. It's the o.g. soundtrack from high school through college until now. I was freaking out so hard Phillip had to tell me to calm down for the sake of the dudes next to us.

I had big plans for a big vid where I was going to interview a ton of fanboys and fangirls about the show but I was honestly so enthralled with the tunez that I could only muster a few clips from the set (you can hear me drooling on the audio).

Stick and Poke Bloopers

2010-06-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Outtakes from the stick and poke vid ("how to" vid coming soon!):

used this as a distraction

China Camp State Park, CA: Making Campfood with Hyphie

2010-06-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Behold the next installment of "____ with Hyphie." Believe me, roasting thoroughly cooked weenies with a crisp outside crunch is harder than it looks. I know this because I tried it myself with less success!

China Camp State Park, CA: SUMMER SOLSTICE OGGACHAKA

2010-06-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Samantha's "tambo" - a spirit pole with another name that I don't want on my blog!

Last night we gathered in the Marin woods along the San Pedro Bay for pagan rituals and Christian baby sacrifice on the longest day/shortest night of the year. Samantha and I booked the site late one Monday night a few weeks ago when we were feeling particularly inspired by "nature." Plans unfolded from there. The final roll call included Henrique, Laura, Shrimp, Jared, Katie, Seth, Samantha, Phillip, Pete, Steve, Hyphie, Vivek, Melinda, and yours truly.

China Camp is conveniently located just past the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin. The temperature stayed in the high 50's all night so we hardly needed sweaters/kimonos. We roasted beer "battered" weenies in the fire pit and toasted the night with lambic. Supper of course invited a pack of paunchy raccoons who were eager to feast on our spoils. This didn't bother me because the raccoon is my "spirit animal." Nature boys and girls among us slept without tents under the stars. The warm solstice air was a pleasant departure from prior camping experiences in relative tundra-like conditions. The only buzzkill was the friendly (fascist?) park ranger who put a damper on our laughter and music (2 tambos! 1 bongo! 1 drum! 1 accordion! 1 mini guitar! 1 wash board! 2 maracas! - am I forgetting anything??) around eleven o'clock. The dynamic of conversation sure changes when outdoor voices are reduced to shouting whispers.

This morning we woke up refreshed and made it back to the city in no time flat!

Homie Come Home!

2010-06-14T11:33:00.001-07:00

My super-homie and room mate Samantha is finally home tonight after a week on the AIDS Ride. 7Duncan hasn't been the same without her - fangirl signs are a MUST!

Bolinas, CA: Hi Nature! Good to See Ya Again!

2010-06-14T11:32:00.004-07:00

Jared, Jared, Henrique, Laura and I took Coco on a day trip to Bass Lake on Sunday. It was super fun, even for the city kids among us. The highlight was a tie between the rope swing (check out Jared's Greg Louganis skills!) and a fellow bather's insane American flag bikini. The lowlight was when we ravenously stormed the Marin City IGA in search of sustenance (rock bottom is scarfing down soggy deli sandwiches at the CA lottery stand near the automatic doors). I think Pachamama is the only real match for my boundless energy.

I'm working on improving my vidz skills. It appears that the key to making a pretty movie is NOT including the original audio. Gah!

You Know I'm Gunna Miss You

2010-06-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

(via)

Weekend Update

2010-06-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend was (mostly) fun and summer-y:

Kram, Henrique, Samantha, Laura, and I met up with Hyphy and co. at the monthly Art Murmur in Oakland on Friday night. I'm not wild about going out in Oakland because the bars close too early and one losses a lot of time going to/fro on BART. That said, Art Murmur is fun if only for the lax open container/public urination rules. It's also fun because it's such a scene with inevitable run-ins with long lost friends. Afterwards, I jammed with Kram and then we went to a "90s" hip-hop night. I am so pissed about this that I am going to save my rant for a time when I can afford to raise my blood pressure.

I spend Saturday practicing being still for many hours at the Korean bath house in Japantown. Imperial Day Spa is a great no-frills place to spend the day alone relaxing and working through issues. I went to Debaser at night and it was just what I needed.

We went to SF Indie Mart at the Parkside on Sunday. It was like Etsy and Dolores Park exploded onto the sidewalk. Items that decidedly need to go away: mustache crafts, Burner fashion, ANTLERS. I did however but a really rad crystal ring after a few bloody mary dranks. I'm going to charge that badboy so hard when we go on our Solstice 2010 glamping trip! After Potrero we went back to Treat Suite for a killer jam session (though I didn't jam, I just drank). Christy is a badass drummer!

See you on the 21st, Pacha!

New York, NY: Always Raving

2010-06-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

Shrimp, Lauren, Kati, and I met Machine aka Brolan at one of his homie's parties in the downstairs room of Gallery Bar on my last night in town (morning of departure). At first I was skeptical because I HATE house music but then it got late and the resident DJ made it c-c-c-crunk. It was like being at a rad show in SF except 20 ZILLION TIMES BETTER because there were ZERO Burners there - only normal, all-walks-of-life New Yorkers (not even LES-ers) getting funky. Also! What a coincidence that the guest DJ was 94110.

Shrimp and I closed the party then took our sweet little time getting back to Lauren's. My best friend found out she missed her AM flight back to SF after 2 hours on the A train to JFK. Ouch. Party on!

Gap '93 Resort

Last I checked Doomberg sez no P-funks indoors starting 4/03. Eh-hem

Shrimpdress

(via)

New York, NY: Homeostasis

2010-06-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to make these youtube vidz directly through the Flipcam software. They aren't as "high production" as the iMovie vidz (see "Homeroast!" and "Getting Fried with Hyphy") but the resolution is much better. It takes 5 seconds to slap clips together with this software. I'm pretty much sold.

This visit was such a lovefest - words can't even do it justice. I love/hate that I don't think about San Francisco for a second when I am in New York. This makes me feel better about moving soon. It also makes me question myself because I really do love San Francisco when I'm there. I guess it's just a fact of being a person who LOVES LIFE.

Some adventures are missing (shooting vidz all the time sort of gets in the way of "being present" - ha!) but here is a little "just the facts" tour of some scenes from my visit home. I only wish I remembered to take some footage of my beautiful sister's high school graduation:

One afternoon I took a walk with Lauren from my house to her house. We stopped for a nostalgic brew at Local 187, my home during the great World Cup 2002 summer.

Next there is a tour of my grammar and high school. Lauren, Sasha, and I went back for a farewell reception for one of our teachers. We took the opportunity to relive some important elements of our years there.

The following footage is of the poorly-lit Frying Pan, which was the first stop on and endless night of drinking with Claire, the ultimate champ. It's amazing how uncharted that space remains. Where else would you find a moldy fruit platter below the DJ booth on the bottom floor of an old ship? I guess this is why the yuppies drink on the doc.

Heather, Nikki, and I spend the night at the Russian bath house in Flatbush. It was VERY relaxing. I highly recommend it. It's hard for me to relax but this did the trick.

Here is a vid from a night of kicking it on the sidewalk and on the fire escape with Rosie and Masha. This clip runs on a bit too long but I think it captures the best of NYC's hot and sweaty summer night.

I went to see Marina Abramovic with Heather. Absolutely amazing. I was a real hater going into it but it was truly a special experience. It "changed" me! (also I know there is a typo in the opening credit. I made the clip when I was flying home on zero hours of sleep and no ADD rx).

Alex Taylor took me out for a schnazzy dinner at Commerce in the Greenwich Village around the corner from our beloved Chumley's (rip). We then went for a few whiskeys at Kettle of Fish, which is sort of a mess but a good place for a pre-subway cocktail, and I iced Lauren's bro at Daddy-O. Alex and I high-tailed it uptown for a 2am tour of the Whitney Biennial. I don't care if it's corny but the Whitney has always been my favorite museum.

New York is huge but I always run into friends on the street! I found Nick DeMarco (of 94110)smacking on a Mister Softee on Broadway and Spring! I caught Austin riding his bike home from the ferry!

I spent Memorial Day with my long, lost friend Lina Marin (2 intense 2 blog!) and Claire and Nazli. We met Sandra (♥) and Samantha then schelped out to Bushwick for a BBQ at Leslie's house. What a treat to see my starni Dee Dee on her way to Paris and finally meet famous Emily. Masha, Nikki, Heather, and Meg came too.

On my last night in the city I went over to Alex and Hannah's new pad in Prospect Heights for a dinner party with Katie and Elana and miscellaneous (not miscellaneous, really just Aidan and Blake) Vassholes. Hannah cooked us a delicious dinner, which she more or less instructs us how to create on this video.

xx!

Millerton, NY: How to Glam Camp in the Country

2010-06-02T23:52:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial Day weekend glam camping at Sasha's country house in Millerton, New York. Having moved through a zillion apartments in my life, it's really the only land in the world with which I have any continuity. Sasha and I used to come up for the weekend when we were kids to frolic around in the fields. It became the site of our summer parties as we grew into teenage degenerates.

This year's opening weekend upheld the Millerton tradition: I think we maxed out at 17 bodies sleeping in the guest house with a few Boston dudes in a tent outside plus whomever else crashed in the main house. I pretty much boogied for 36-hours straight only stopping to kick Tyler's ass in a heated game of lawn tennis and for an occasional dip in the pool. We iced bros and had massive bonfire. The Source Vol. 2 and like music was on heavy rotation. Darby and co. prepared multi-course candlelit feasts for 30. We kept it pretty glamorous despite the odds (elements! bros! sloppiness! "root"!) against us. Everyone loved (or hated!) the tambo by the end of the weekend.

New York, NY: Video Fail

2010-05-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

I've ditched my sister's shitty digicam for an HD Flip camera. The motion and sound better capture the spirit of adventures! Unfortunately, it is a pain in the ass to upload because the highdef files are so huge that I have to "render" them through a few programs before I put them online. It's tedious - especially since I come from the Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma'am School of Video Editing.

Here is a video with clips from my first few days home: breakfast with Antonia, the walk from my mom's house in Morningside Heights to Lauren's in downtown Brooklyn (8.3 miles!), a trip to the Coney Island Banya for a proper Russian bath house experience, Dr. Spencer's farewell reception at Sacred Heart (regard! Mme Chipriani!), exploration of the underbelly of the Frying Pan. THE PROBLEM: there is no sound and I don't know where it went. Grrrrrrrrrr. Let's see if I can fix it back in SF (yeah right?).

Ruby and the Lulas - East Coast Tour

2010-05-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

Lu and I are zipping off to SFO now to fly to NYC. We'll be home (UWS!) for a night then I am going to Philidelphia on Thursday for my union's National Convention through Sunday. We'll be in NYC for the week then Thrillerton for Memorial Day weekend. I'm in NYC again for a few more days for my sister's high school graduation (!) festivities. Lu and I fly back home on June 3rd. I am super pumped to see my NYC homies and get a little East Coast summer in my system.

Catching Crabs with Hyphy, PGW, Melinda

2010-05-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles, CA: Chacarera Love Boat

2010-05-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

I flew down to LA on Saturday for a whirlwind night in celebration of my fren and guru Ana's 30th birthday. Kram and I choked down In-N-Out Burger on the way to SFO. This would have been fine but I flew Virgin America, located in the international terminal, so getting through security was a total clusterfuck with all of the ethnic profiling they have going on over there. I ended up cutting about 100 people and freaking out at TSA for double inspecting my bag (rogue hairspray!) but made the flight with 30 seconds to spare. Talia graciously picked me up from LAX - after campaigning all morning - to take me on a wild goose hunt around Venice Beach (mea culpa) to the hotel. At least the detour gave us extra time to catch up and feel the love!

I finally made it to the swanky Viceroy in Santa Monica to join Ana, Anna and Carl in a frenzied costume change. By 5pm we hit the road for our dock in Marina del Rey and boarded the glamorous birthday yacht. Drinks, dinner, dancing, and jamming ensued for many hours. The event was dripping with castellano, which of course made me super sentimental after a couple of cocktails. By nightfall, all sixty of the guests were getting funky on the dance floor thanks to DJ Honeymoon, aka the Birthday Girl. There was a lot of love going on and a lot of tambourine shaking (r.i.p. - sadly, another casualty of my drunky). Later into the evening the talent on the boat treated us to several musical performances (SEE VIDZ BELOW - and more HERE). Ana's roomie Anna opened with a beautiful song medley, then her Oscar-winning (!!) father sang several songs he had written when Ana was little. Later in the night, Ana's mother sang too. Her hysterical little brother, "DJ Fuck Yeeh" hammed up a few numbers as well. The real highlight for me was when Ana's cousin Barbara, who flew in from BA as a surprise, sang two chacareras from her folklore band Semilla. Though not previously revealed on this here blog, yours truly is a fine folklore dancer!!!! (Jord and I used to frequent many a peña when we first moved to BA) For her second song, Ana's mother Monica and I danced in front of the whole party. What a thrill!

After the party ended Carl and I closed the bar at the Viceroy then joined our room mates plus Ana's rad little sister for late night room service and laughs (I won't reveal more but it involves topless Cesar salad consumption - eh-hem!). The next morning we packed up, ate lunch at Boarder Grill, then schleped back to LAX.

DEEP FRYDAY

2010-05-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors up the hill hosted a fry party on Saturday afternoon. No edible (and inedible) item was left unbattered and unfried. Here is an instructional video on how to fry deep:

RUDE! YOUTUBE TOOK THE MUSIC OFF MY VID!

HERE IS THE VID WITH MUSIC ^

Rebel Grrrl

2010-05-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

Another monthly installment of rad times @ Debaser: Girls Up Front Edition. SO0O0O MY JAM - I freaked when I saw the flier. I've been waiting since '98 to rock the kinderwhore look again. Plus I've been living and dying by Courtney and Kathleen Hannah since forever. FUCKING LOVE THOSE GUYS.

Fingerbang Mix REMIX

2010-04-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

At last! After laboring for "hours" (this afternoon) in the "studio" (Kram's house) with my "producer" (Kram) on "hightech equipment" (my '06 laptop and free Audacity) I AM FINALLY READY TO DROP MY VERY FIRST (and probably last) MIX. I dedicate this piece to Lauren Johnson and Alessandra Epstein, and like, Hunter College High School Class 0f 2006, 40s of St. Ides, student MetroCards, White Mike, Cartoon Network, that Mexican-Chinese restaurant on 109 and Broadway, Club Lotus, the Ferrari automobile empire, Fowad, the 1 train, Kozmo.com, and Mary Lenk (what did I forget?) ------> DOWNLOAD HERE! xx!

She's Funny AND She Cares

2010-04-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

My superfriend Heather wrote the commencement speech for Hunter School of Social Work's 2010 graduation as she and her peers take their graduate degrees and max out at $28k a year.

It cracked me up so I share it with all nine readers out there. Enjoy:

About a year ago, I was walking home from my internship when I got hit in the head by a ten-pound box of frozen Chicken McNuggets. I was walking past a McDonalds delivery truck when the chicken struck my skull, rendering me temporarily unconscious. Normally, I wouldn’t have been so careless, but it had been a hard week in the field. I had accidentally given the homeless man outside my office Chuck E. Cheese tokens in lieu of actual money, the youth Christmas party I had helped to plan was broken up by the Queens riot police, and my highest-performing client had somehow legally changed her last name to Delicious. Even my favorite group home had gotten bored one night and carried their house’s 40 inch flat screen projection TV down the block, trading it for what must be a lifetime supply of weed. As my back began to buckle from the weight of four-hundred-and-sixty ounces of preprocessed chicken lard, I started to ask myself the questions that many of you are probably asking yourself right now: How did I get here? What am I doing with myself? And more importantly: what’s there to celebrate?

Some people say we’re here to celebrate our academic achievements. In the past two years, our class has collectively written over 32,000 papers and 120,000 blackboard postings. Impressive and disturbing. A former classmate of mine who has been unemployed for over a year recently called to tell me that he found a job that finally allowed him to take advantage of the writing skills he developed here at Hunter. At $40,000 a year, he was now writing and editing the denial letters for insurance companies. The clean, linear sentence he learned how to construct in his Human Behavior Class now included such phrases as ‘unfortunately the finger you lost in your mining accident was not included under your basic liability coverage’ and ‘the inhalers you’ve been using to treat your daughter’s chronic and life-threatening asthma are no longer part of our family premium package.’ Sure, the job didn’t include insurance and violated a few of the ‘core’ NASW Code of Ethics Principles, but he was putting his graduate degree to work. To me, his argument seemed to be lacking. Maybe graduation is about validating the skills we’ve learned in the classroom, but I think that’s missing the point.

Others have argued that we’re here to celebrate the work we’ve done in the field, which is probably closer to the truth. My first job in social services involved an hour and a half commute to Jamaica, Queens, where I worked nine hours a day without lunch to hurdle children through the foster care system. It was meaningful work, but backbreaking at first. I remember taking the train home from a client’s house very late one night and finding myself next to a group of teenagers, all with red bandanas over their mouths. Somewhat new to the social work game, I had assumed that the poor children lacked adequate scarves and had no choice but to resort to some well-crafted homemade bandanas. The train had just come to a stop when ten more teenagers piled into the car, yelling, “This is a Blood’s Car! Everyone in this car is now a BLOOD!” It was a strange recruitment push for a gang, given that the car was composed of three homeless men and myself, an effete girl from New Jersey drinking a miniature Juicy Juice with a crazy straw. As it turned out, one of those kids would eventually become my client (awkward!), but that didn’t stop me - or really, any of my far more courageous classmates – from riding that late train or early bus, from giving up our weeknights and weekends, or from taking the big, scary risks that are at the heart of our profession.

If I had to pinpoint our real cause for celebration, it would probably have something to do with those Chicken McNuggets. After I collapsed, I was fortunate enough to have a group of my coworkers, all of them social workers, standing behind me. They were with me when I fell and later in the booth with me at Dallas BBQ, where we toasted to my recovery with Texas-sized Appletinis. They were with me on the subway ride home and later in the cab to Woodhull Hospital, where I was treated for symptoms of a concussion. My social work friends were with me at work the next day and the day after that. They were with my when my favorite client finally got housing and her son back from foster care; they were also with me one year later when the city came to take her apartment – and her baby. When my youngest client contracted HIV, they were there, and when my biggest success story was sentenced to jail for many many years, they were there. Phones permanently turned on, batteries charged for good.

I’d like to think I’ve been particularly blessed, but I think what I’ve experienced is at the heart of these Hunter Social Workers, and is the real reason we’re here today. The theme of today’s commencement is building community, but that only touches the surface of the issue. We are not classmates but friends and family. Our treatment of clients is not governed by theory but guided by love. Social workers know more than anyone else that community is just a euphemism for connection; that we are here today not to celebrate our papers or to recognize our field work, but to be able to turn to our neighbor and say, “Congratulations.”

Congratulations.

HIT IT OR QUIT IT

2010-04-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

thank you for a funass weekend

2010-04-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Awkward Sweater

2010-04-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

meatpaper's Food and Thought @ SFMOMA with Neighbor Kram:

(via meatpaper)

Fashion Boner Files

2010-04-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Mai from the fashioni.st stopped me and Laura during our seven hour camp out at Dolores last Sunday. Man, I wish I didn't look/sound like such a freak! OH WELL, WHO CARES!

This is much better than my last street fashion blog experience. Bay Guardian's Ariel Soto for Street Threads caught me at the crack of dawn in Noe on my way to my shrink's office last month. I was so disoriented I forgot to give my internets name (!!!).

(here's hoping for more glamour, a little lipstick, and less bloat next time)

Our Tambourine Gets a Lot of Action

2010-04-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here at the Stevie Nicks Love Shrine (neé 7 Duncan) we pretty much have our tambourine shakin' 247. It's no surprise that it rolled with our posse to MY FAVORITE PARTY OF ALL TIME WITH MY FAVORITE DJ OF ALL TIME JAMIE JAMS. The reality that tons of friends and friend crushes come out makes it that much better. Plus the deep satisfaction associated with emptying a tallboy of Tecate on a sweaty crowd is way underrated. Black and blues the morning after are just a face of life.***

♥

(photos via - modern living)

***you know what I mean if you too have ever been battered at a RATM show as a tween.

Oakland, CA: Party On, Garth

2010-04-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Blast from the recent past (via Laura's flickr): Vivek, Henrique, Katie, Laura, and I camped out in Coco in the abandoned diner parking lot across from Ghostown after fun times at pal's (<3) SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR warehouse show. -----> RIP my fav party flannel and the key to Ben Hyphy's mom's house that we flattened on the tracks in Portola. #runonsentences

Sammy Saves

2010-04-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Laura, Katie and I donned best Easter outfits for brunch/Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence's annual Hunky Jesus Contest in Dolores Park. Too bad the shitty weather and my battered physical condition kept us tombed up on Treat Street. Good News prevailed: our rollerboy homie Sammy Franco resurrected the day with his sweet moves. Fun, etc. ensued (SFW vidz):

Button up

2010-04-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

THIS IS HOW MEN SHOULD DRESS.

Highway 1, CA: Pacific Coast Adventure

2010-04-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Alex and I took a springtime road trip down Highway 1, destination Los Angeles. We almost didn't make it after spending the eve of our trip/St. Patrick's Day in the ER with a 104 degree fever on account of viral bronchitis. I got my hands on some of that outlawed meth Sudafed and we hit the road!

Alex graciously took the wheel for the drive south. We stopped at Nepenthe for lunch in Big Sur (indeed, it's all about the vista). This was my first coastal drive. It was littorally amazing! We pulled over at one spot just north of San Simeon and caught a glimpse of a group of fat seals hanging out on the shore. You can only imagine the impression this left on two Manhattanites! We tried to get to Hearst Castle but it had already closed for the day (eh-hem somebody had to see Luc Tuymans that morning). However, we were able to make it to Cambria to see the "folk art" site Nit Wit Ridge. It's always a struggle with Alex: he's all highbrow and I am way way low. But my itinerary prevailed and it was worth it. We spent Thursday night at the Breakers Motel in Morro Bay. I had selected the lodging because I really loved its retro sign. In hindsight, this wasn't the best criterion. Absence of mildew should have trumped font preference.

We woke up early on Friday morning and drove to the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo for breakfast. This was a real highlight for me! The place is incredible! I felt like someone took my spirit and pasted hot-pink flocked wallpaper on it. Fantastic! I regret not staying longer. Alex was less enthused but was a pretty good sport about taking a zillion pictures of me at mecca. After breakfast we continued southward, stopping only for an obligatory shake at In-N-Out. Once in the city we went straight to LACMA for a glass of wine for me and many paintings for Alex. I was please to finally touch a Richard Serra installation. By nightfall we checked into the Shelter Hotel in K-town. The place was not too shabby considering the dirt cheap rate but it was clear that the brand new hotel was still getting its sea legs. We had a cocktail at the Library downtown while waiting to be seated at Samantha's favorite restaurant, Bottega Louie (yum).

On Saturday AM we gave the LA metro our best NYC effort on the way to MOCA. The subway system itself is pretty straight forward and manageable. It's clean, the cars aren't crowded, and you actually don't even have to pay to ride (!?). That said, we soon learned firsthand that downtown LA isn't quite cut out for pedestrian life. We got off one stop too late (note: I was not navigating!) and ended up spending an hour and a half walking through tunnels to finally get to the museum. MOCA was my favorite of the museums we visited on the trip. It's well edited, obviously stimulating, and it doesn't require a ton of time. After MOCA we went to Venice for lunch at James' Beach, saw some famous people, almost bought some magic crystals, and ate ice cream. Next it was off to the Getty for more art. It was of course beautiful at sunset. Haggard from the day's activities, we dragged ourselves trusty Local in Silverlake for a delicious and nutritious homegrown dinner.

Despite the LA Marathon's best efforts to prevent us, we met Alex (L) and his lovely Hannah for coffee at the Bourgeois Pig in Hollywood on Sunday morning. There wasn't time to be wooed at the Cliffs brunch because it was soon time to head to LAX! I dropped Alex off at his terminal then drove my sorry ass back home on Highway 5.

The Great Highway

Big Sur views; seals! omg!!!

Nit Wit Ridge, Cambria, CA

Breakers at Moro Bay; Morro Palms

Madonna Inn

Madonna Inn

Gimme Shelter

3 hour tour to MOCA in downtown LA

MOCA; love this Pollock shot

zee Getty!

Eyes on the Prize

2010-03-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I'm studying I wear my authentic, starchy-white nurse's cap. I purchased the treasure at a medical supply store near Hospital General during my recent trip to Mexico City. The style bears the charming name of Cofia D'Princesa. Indeed!

I'm bringing this look back to the American health care system if there is anything left of it by the time I finish school (!!!).

An Opening Ceremony

2010-02-25T19:22:00.001-08:00

Last Friday night I accompanied Henrique and five of my other gay boyfriends to the launch party for Opening Ceremony's collaboration with Levi's at the latter's flagship store in Union Square. Henrique's friend hooked him up with a spot +1 on the VIP guest list. He and arrived a couple of hours before the event opened up to the public. This gave us a head start on the top shelf open bar. Indeed! Our posse yacked around the store's substantial five levels, dotting from bar to bar. My secondary responsibility was to keep the dudes from all of the junk for sale.

The party later filled up with many familiar faces (smallass town). We chatted. We ate cocktail weenies. We peaced out and went to Aunt Charlie's in the TL - but not before posing for a photo for the Chronicle's Social Diary and making a noteworthy impression on the reporter with our elusive single-letter surnames.

The OCxL was a rare occasion for me (and SF too) because:

1) San Francisco doesn't have shit for fashion - as underscored by the daily sartorial choices of my neighbors.

2) The 'fashion crowd' that does exist is downtown by the art schools or up on Filmore. I frankly don't like to leave the Mission.

3) Man, who really cares about that stuff - what about the WARs, etc??!

(me! sorta! as a hobby?)

I indulge in the sometimes refreshing, often excessively self-referential fashion blogosphere. It comes down to the thoughtful references in an outfit and an appreciation costumery - tracing the coiled dynamic between street style and the runway. It's social anthropology at its most attractive angle (!!!). I complain about San Francisco's startling deemphasis on style (especially in stark contract to New York) but can't deny that this factor affords the city its inhabitable, unhurried pace. SF consumes in a different way.

Hank and Bertrand, round ∞

photo by Catherine Bigelow

I too frequently find myself here.
Note to self: UR DOIN IT WRONG (!!)

Oh Bobby!

Product Review: KOKO NTUEN SS 2010

2010-02-23T22:53:00.000-08:00

Back in my Bed Stuy days I shared an apartment with two ~~wildly creative~~ wild and creative women. Allison and Koko were always juggling several projects at once, one of which included my cameo in a poop stool commercial. I'm thrilled to see Koko, now Founder/EIC of LADY GUNN Magazine, launch the first collection of her self-titled clothing line. The summery debut is patterned after the best of 1970s silhouettes - but cut from vibrant Nigerian cotton prints. Her dresses beg for a loud, sweaty July Sunday at Habana Outpost. Clicking through the lookbook, it's hard to imagine a frozen New York right now. This is the wardrobe for a mid-winter daydream of warmer months ahead.

I was super psyched to get my hands on Koko's stuff. In addition a reluctant penchant for whiskey and habañeros, my best friend Shrimp has bequeathed me a fondness for West African textiles (she's been swaddling herself in the stuff since her North African birth). I deliberated for some time on which piece to make my own; it isn't hard to envision a crucial scenario for every single item, especially for a New Orleans-bound San Franciscan. In the end, the Ud Romper in Marine Yellow was the clear choice. It best fit my look and lifestyle: hates bras, pallid skin, too lazy for separates, anti-LHB aesthetic.

I tried on the romper as soon as the package arrived, if only around the house on account of the rain. It looks just like the images on the website. The fabric has a nice weight to it. I'll have to get back to you on its structural reliability. Main concern: the strapless factor. To my delight, Koko included a few treats in her shipment: a NY Lotto card (I won $2!), a mix CD, a few sweet notes, and a pristine issue of an AUGUST 1994 BEVIS AND BUTTHEAD COMIC (!!!!!). This addition made my day in a major way - this was the Golden Year that informs my every frame of reference. DROOL!

Samantha Given-Dennis graciously took the following photos. I think it was a pity gesture after she found me in the living room wearing a gold Hannibal Lecter mask, trying to take a picture with my laptop rigged to the sofa cushions. I'll take what I can get!

Worn with 'model's' own belt, necklace, gold muzzle

Excellent fit - size L :( !!!

(NOTE: Laura and I proudly dug this mask out of the bottom of the costume bin at a drag queen's garage sale on 19th and Guererro last spring. My face is totally tingling with psychosomatic acne right now.)

FINAL VERDICT: LOVE IT x 1000!

HOMEROAST! How to Roast Coffee at Home

2010-02-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

This blog has a true DIY quality to it (Exhibit: A, B, C, D, E, F, and so forth). Ruby is full of ideas! Our kitchen adventures have lessened with the departure of our industrious vegan housemates (save the mulled wine a reefer deserts at Yuletide 2009), still behold a quick and easy instructional on roasting raw coffee beans at home. Pete found Sweet Maria's website to guide us through our first roast. It covers the gamut of small batch roasting techniques.

This is how we do it:

STEP ONE: Gather raw green coffee beans (found at hippy stores like Rainbow or online - preferably Fair Trade Certified) kitchen scale, hot air popcorn popper (we used a Goldstein Family heirloom), pasta strainer, and a bowl. Open nearby window.

STEP TWO: Measure the raw green beans on scale (4 oz.).

STEP THREE: 4 oz. was too much for our popper so we poured about half of that amount into the machine, as if we were popping corn.

STEP FOUR: Turn popper on (ours has no on/off switch - just plug in/out). Expect smoke! Chaff (flakes of bean skin) will blow out of the popper. It takes about 3 minutes for the "first crack" to sound. Then keep it going for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on desired roast. According to Sweet Maria's, use 4 minutes total for a lighter roast and continue for up to 6.5 minutes for the darkest roast.

STEP FIVE: Pour the brown beans into the pasta strainer and shake to cool the beans and to also filter any remaining chaff.

STEP SIX: Let the beans settle (emit CO2) for several hours. The flavor peeks between hour 4 and 24 after the roast. Coffee will stay fresh for 5 days.

We also made a video (notice the abundant chaff!):

ON A RUBY SIDE NOTE:
It's funny for me to work with coffee. It has been up in my grill for a while but I had never really thought about it until now. My three best SF buds Christy, Laura, and Shriii each work at major Mission coffee houses. It's all coffee all the time! In 2005 spent three grant-funded months in the outskirts of Bochil in Chiapas, Mexico, working at an indigenous coffee cooperative. I was there helping with preparations for Organic and Fair Trade Certification. 104 local families comprise the cooperative. They work their ancestral land to harvest, roast, and distribute coffee to the developed world. The co-op is self-governed and each member family gets a share of its contribution. Environmental factors compound the tense political, economic, and military conditions, presenting constant life-or-death challenges to the organization. Yet they make it happen with an overwhelming sense of dignity. It was sort of a funny time for me so I tend to stick the experience to the back of my mind. But our roasting project brought back warm memories of all of the friends I made in Bochil. Strange: nothing like a little Sunday morning hangover DIY project to strengthen a gal's interconnectivity with humankind. Sheesh.

I close this post with some never before seen photos of the cooperative:

Heading with some co-op cafeterleros to their mountain parcels for pre-harvest inspections

Each parcel of land has a family behind it and a share of the profits - this was quite the task for your dyslexia-prone, technology-favoring yanki

Each bean hand inspected for quality before roasting

Good beans (right) vs bad beans (left)

Work hard/play hard: every family member chips in to the effort

The schnazzy roaster!

Green beans in....

...Brown beans out

Jaja! (well technically not since '86)

In the Meantime -->

2010-02-12T13:02:00.001-08:00

My wacky and tacky friends Bobby and Michelle are running this art/project this weekend in Dolores Park:

WHO IS RUBY FUERZA AND WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?!

2010-02-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

Wow. I'm really sucking at blogging these days. I would to like to chalk it up to the timesuck of all of the work and homework (started two of my RN pre-recs!). Nope. I must cite the backlog of unfinished posts as the true point of emotional blockage in the 2010 spirit of getting real. I'm not even at the point where I can work through this yet (I AM SO INTO PROCESS RIGHT NOW). I guess I mean to say - or lament - that it isn't like fun bloggable adventures aren't happening all the time. I just can't get back into the rhythm of blogging while leaving so much unfinished. I don't mind letting down all nine of my faithful readers (sorry!). I DO mind because I need this thing to function as my little memory basin. Sigh.

Checking Off the List

2010-01-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

I know the key to good blogging lies in its time sensitivity. I suppose this is why we aren't churning copy from a Guttenberg-era printing press. Gah! I'm working on it. For the New Year.

The first item at hand is the review of our rapid vacation to Colombia. I'm pretty sure Alex bet a large sum of money that I'd never get this done. My friend, I am ready to collect!

New York, NY: Happy Decade Party Animal Anniversary

2010-01-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

We began the evening with champagne at Lauren/Kati/Mason's apartment in downtown BK then rung in the new decade at a bridge and tunnel rave in Chinatown. Good effort in the disguise department. Lauren, Sasha, and I socked everyone with glitter. Alex and I left for a Brown party in Williamsburg and then we met up with Felipe and Jordan at a bar around the corner.

A new decade - sigh!

New York: NY: New Yack City, Holiday Edition

2009-12-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

It feels great - and seamless - to be home! I've been here for a week now and am almost caught up on time time difference. So far it's been an endless string of lunches, dinners, and drinks with some very dear friends. The only drawback is the weather: there was a blizzard on Saturday night. When I teetered out of Sasha's in open toe heels at 6am on Sunday the streets had yet to be plowed and there wasn't a cab in sight. Now it's either banked or has melted into slush - but still brrrrrrr!!!

I've been relying on friends to take photos (Claire!!!) on account of shitty camera but here are some vids we made for Shrimp's birthday at the Warhol-themed Christmas party. One caveat: the camera didn't roll until around 3:30 so some of us are really feeling the hour.

Eastward Ho!

2009-12-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight Lu and I are pulling an SFO --> JFK to spend 18 days in En Why See. SEE YA NEXT DECADE!

Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles, I'm Yours!

2009-12-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

I am in LA again for a work trip - and happy to be here! I am staying at the charming Farmer's Daughter Hotel on Fairfax (which, come to think of it, reeks of a non-union labor - yikes!). I ate a delicious salad at Tart, the adjacent restaurant, yesterday afternoon. Last night I met up with Alex and Andres. I bought a vintage mink stole on Melrose and then we ate dinner at the Hare Krishna Temple's all-you-can-eat vegan buffet. I was first reluctant to eat here because I knew the lighting would be terrible (it was) but once we arrived and heard the chanting and tamborining spilling from the temple doors I was happy with the decision. The food was very good though we certainly did not eat "all we could."

Today I am running around in preparation for a work event in Culver City but I hope to catch both Ms. Talia Reyes AND Jenn Su in two seperate meet-ups. Tomorrow, back to SF!

Disco Christmas

2009-12-14T15:59:00.000-08:00

photos from k4rl

7 Duncan hosted another holiday party on Friday night. We originally conceived it as a disco-themed party, back when Samantha thought she had her solar powered disco ball. The beloved graduation gift was misplaced somewhere during home renovations in Santa Monica yet the theme persisted...FOR SOME OF US (Treat Ave, Cake, and I were the only sequined in attendance - typical). The party started off super crowded and ended up super sloppy - in a good way. It was lovely to see everyone's shining faces. A special shout out goes to Erin and Dave for the festive headbands and to the appearance of once long lost Tina Lax. We mazel toved some glasses of mulled wine, the "house cocktail," and got creative with the decorative disco balls. Our kitchen is still a mess.

Mt. Tamalpais State Park, CA: OPERATION CRYSTAL POWER, ACCOMPLISHED

2009-12-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

wake up to this! @ steep ravine

I can't express the satisfaction I'm feeling after finally executing a plan that's been MONTHS in the making!!

Back in July 2008 when Katie, Laura, and I hung out with some locals in Bolinas, we met a guy who told us about nearby sulphuric hot spring that form during the low tide. His description painted a truly unforgettable Northern California experience. WANT!!!! He drew us a map in Laura's moleskin and gave us directions that must have seemed super explicit to the stoned boomer. They were actually quite vague. But we swore we would realize the adventure!! Then Laura lost her moleskin. Setbacks.

Fast forward to June 2009. Ben, Pete, Katie, and I were making dinner one night when Ben brought up his visit some months back to the hot springs. BINGO! We instantly began researching the tide calendars for the area and found a campsite nearby. I called the next day and made a camp reservation for the nearest available date that worked with the tide predictions. December 4th/5th. DONE AND DONE!

As the date approached, I admit that I was feeling anxious about the trip. I'm a city person and don't feel comfortable in nature. It doesn't feel natural! I didn't love the idea of missing 90's night to freeze my tush off on the December coastline either. I admit that I considered NOT going (!). Luckily, my wonderful arboreal friends forged on with the plan. The rest is history.

We drove up after dark to the Steep Ravine Campsite in Mt. Tamalpais State Park on Friday. Our crew for the night included me, Lula (stowaway!), Shrimp, Pete, Melinda, and Samantha. Our campsite was in a beautiful, secluded area atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific. It was a foggy night so we were hardly cold. We prepared a gourmet feast with both vegetarian and omnivorous iterations. We had a really fun night dancing around the campfire until 3am - and were even visited by a pair of guileful raccoons.

In the morning the view of Stinson Bay was even more breathtaking. We ate breakfast at camp then drove into Stinson Beach for coffee (we forgot the French press! grrr!). We walked along Stinson's shores. Sam and Lula headed back to the city. Pete, Shrimp, Melina, and I set off to explore the exact site of that night's hot springs. Since the location is revealed by word of mouth alone, we had to investigate several possible trails. We met a quartet of naked locals at the bottom of one path deep into the rocky cliffs of the bay. Though reluctant at first, the gave us specific directions to the hot springs. YES!

Andy, Ben Hyphen, Steve, and their friend Carmen came up for the afternoon and we went over to Bolinas for a walk on the beach. We came back and got the fire and dinner preparations going. Ben and his friends Mark and Paul arrived. The day trippers left. Then, just when we thought she was stuck in the city with a broken fan belt, Laura pulled up in Coco! Such a wonderful twist!

The nine of us piled into the van and drove to the head of the trail. The descent from the highway to the ocean is quite precarious. The terrain is steep and rocky and there were few headlamps among us. After about 25 minutes we reached the area where the cliffs crumble into boulders and meet the surf. Hidden behind the boulders, a wall of rocks encased a large pool of hot water. The scent of sulphur was unmistakable. We stripped down and joined the lot of mysterious bodies in the water. Between the exertion from the hike and the heat from the springs, we didn't feel cold, despite the wind howling off the water. We were nestled in pretty closely: one headcount reported 29 people present. It was hard to make out the faces of our fellow bathers but everyone was friendly. All of them lived in the neighborhood and had been coming to this spot for many years. Most were aging hippies, several with ponytails. I had never seen so many saggy white asses in my life! Joints passed around and we sang songs beneath the clear sky. I saw a shooting star too! After a while the waves came in and began to hit the pool. The temperature of the water dropped as the tide rose. We scrambled back up to the rocks and got dressed. This was tricky since it was so dark and slippery. While stepping back into my underpants a woman standing behind me - in a similar state of undress - slipped on a rock and took me down with her. Ouch! Apart from the resulting scrapes, we all made it back to the campsite in once piece and continued the merriment (of course we brought the bongo! and a tambourine, recorder, and mandolin!).

We nature lovers returned to the rainy city today, mission accomplished. FANTASTIC!!!!

(perhaps more photos to follow - my camera broke so I'm relying my fellow campers)

New Orleans, LA: Lagniappe Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time during last year's Thanksgiving in SF/Napa that the family decided to take Turkey Day on the road again to a new destination: New Orleans. It was a true vote of confidence for my upcoming move. I flew in on Wednesday evening, a couple of days after the New Yorkers' arrival. We enjoyed a multi-course meal at Commander's Palace in the Garden District. The menu not only included turtle soup (which I ordered at my first visit to CP in '97) but also antelope steak! My dad ordered it but the dish 86ed only seconds earlier. Dang.

On Thanksgiving Day my sister and I spent way too much time in the petting zoo at the Ritz-Carlton then took a long walk from the French Quarter to the Bywater. We tried to creep on Diné but she was too preoccupied with meal preparations to see our sneaky messages. We walked back to the hotel and met my parents for cocktails and dinner at Arnaud's back in the Quarter. Dinner was tasty but the restaurant lacked the ambiance of a place that my mother or I would have picked (my dad chose it!).

On Friday we took a tour around the city and walked across Audubon Park to Magazine Street. We window shopped and I bought a beautiful skirt at Lili Vintage. Diné joined us for a late lunch at Ignatius Eatery. Hillary and I parted ways with my parents and went with Diné to Fifi Mahony's, the most epic drag queen supply store, back in the French Quarter. We drove to Diné's home turf and had a few drinks at Markey's Bar with Davitt before Hillary and I took a ghost tour of the French Quarter lead by Diné's neighbor, Mark. The tour was packed with the bloody history of the famous neighborhood. Hillary loved the tour but I objected parts of it. I don't like the idea of making a spectacle of victims of torture, femicide, etc. No thanks! We met Diné and Stella after snagging a bag of bignets from Cafe du Monde. We first met up with some of DeeDee's crowd at the Hi Ho Lounge in the Bywater. Then we stayed the night at Kajun's Pub down the street for a very good effort at karaoke. My sister has the pipes in the family so she took the lead while I held down backup. All kinds of characters joined in for the sing-along.

My family flew back north on Saturday afternoon so we shared a leisurely brunch at Cafe Bignet on Royal. Diné and I hung around her neighborhood and ate a delicious leftovers dinner at the Butler Rathke home. We then met some friends at Bachanal Wine Bar for St. Andrew's Festival. We rounded out the night down the street at the home of Diné's friend Blythe's house.

My noontime flight on Sunday gave us just enough time for breakfast at Cake Cafe before zipping to MSY to take me back home. It's always a delight to stay at Hotel Burgundy! Be back soon!

I AM A BAD BLOGGER

2009-11-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

You don't even know about the fun in Mexico City!!!

"CHEVRON EXECS CHASED BY MAD CASTRO CROWD"

2009-11-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Last night Lar, Andy from the Yes Men, and Antonia Juhasz from the Global Exchange Chevron Program lead a feisty parade of several hundred against Chevron. We started at the Roxie Theater after a showing of the Yes Men Fix the World (I can't believe I mixed up the times and missed it!) and marched to the Chevron at Market and 17th. Minions towing Survivaballs led the living dead and "Clean Up Chevron" sweepers up 16th street to the center of the Castro, halting traffic and Sunday night listlessness. The action highlighted Chevron's human and environmental rights abuses across the globe and in our backyard, with a heavy emphasis on what's going on locally to organize around it. It was fun too - Rock the Bike provided the pedal-powered sound system that carried the action into a Castro-esque dance party.

(PRESS RELEASE HERE)

clean up chevron and survivaballs taking to the streets

lar and andy bichlbaum from the yes men

kevin and megan get funky; stay castro!

Moster Mash

2009-11-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

My first Halloween in San Francisco was of course a ton of fun (not even h8ing on Cleveland), even if jacked up and cracked out from Friday night's festivities. We did bars/parties in the Mission. WE ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN
XX

MINNIE FUERZA!

Zombie Bar Crawl in the Mission

2009-10-31T10:45:00.001-07:00

Fastest post ever! Lamest title ever!

Bar crawl was a hit. We were rolling 40 deep (including Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence!) and made it to Dirty Thieves, Pop's, Doc's Clock, Beauty Bar, and Delirium. I got kicked out of Beauty Bar for throwing a can of beer (second time - fuck them!).