A fly can’t bird but a bird can fly

This past weekend, my mom, Mitch, Ronnie and I went on a “Cruise to Nowhere.” Basically it was a 2 night cruise just out to the ocean and back. It was like Las Vegas on water! There were themed bars, dining spots and clubs. Our room was simply awesome. We had our own little balcony that faced out to the high seas and an amazingly comfortable bed. When we first got there on Friday night we ran around the ship, through the arcade, theater, bars and casino, eat a quick bite of sushi, then met Mom and Mitch in “The Galaxy of the Stars” for a drink before dinner. We then wandered around the art gallery a bit then sat down to an amazing dinner in the restaurant called Le Bistro. When we went under the Golden Gate, it was like a dream. The fog horn was sounding, cold air was blowing my hair around, I still had the taste of red wine on my lips, and I was in the warmth of Ronnie’s arms. It was one of those moments of complete joy that I will never forget. After dinner we played in the casino a bit and walked around the decks of the boat.

The next morning we were woken up not only by two calls from my mom on the phone warning us of the evacuation drill, but by the voice of our captain telling us every few minutes to throw on our jackets and to go to our evacuation stations to practice in case of an emergency. Breakfast buffet followed with the taste of warm coffee, scrambled eggs and pancakes. Then we had to do what one must while on a cruise ship…SHUFFLEBOARD! Mom and Mitch creamed Ronnie and I so we decide to go into the pub to get a Guinness and seek our revenge by winning at darts. Afterwards, Ronnie , mom and I went for a spot of tea and scones while Mitch took a nap. Then Ronnie and I had no choice put to be pulled into the allure of the hot tub. After a nice soak, we got cleaned up and met up for a lovely dinner with the folks. The adventure continued as we went back to the casino to play some craps. Ronnie elected me to throw the dice for him and we won $100 bukeroos! The excitement continued as we went to a comedy/improv show for some drinks and giggles and then the whirlwind continued as we went to a mock New Years party and counted down the minutes to midnight. Mom and I weren’t through dancing so we dragged the boys to the other night club and got jiggy with it on the floor. The rocking of the boat and the stiff drinks added to the excitement of trying to hold my balance while shaking it. Mom and Mitch turned in as Ronnie and I played just a bit more in the casino. We docked back in SF in the morning and felt like we had had a truly amazing and unforgettable weekend.

Pictures: 2 pics for the Pub and Darts, Ronnie and I at the New Years Party, Evacuation Drill

So I found out rather suddenly that Kirsten is moving out. It is a complete shock which I didn’t see coming and now I am in a predicacment that is occupying most of my thoughts. It’s just one of those things….you think your life is right on track, that you have things where they should be and everything is right in your world. But when something like this happens, I feel like a car hydroplaining out of control into an intersection of not knowing what the hell is going to happen. I feel hurt and abandoned, but have been very grateful for my friends and Ronnie’s support. So I have 30 days to get my shit together and come up with another plan that I can afford and that everyone will be happy with. Of course, maybe I have been trying to make everyone else happy for too long and should start worrying more about me….or I could give it all up, sell everything and become a gypsy in Europe…pfft…who am I kidding…

OR…..

I feel bad now. I used to tease my roommate Kirsten or my friend Aaron for missing their S.O. if they were gone for only a couple days, but I have learned my lesson. Ronnie went away for a week and sure enough, I missed him almost instantly. You can imagine my glee when on Thursday I got a message on my machine at work from him saying he had come home a day early and that I should give him a call. I was sooooo excited! More excited than I have been in years! It was such a great surprise to hear his voice a day before I expected it. We decided we would head up to Lake Tahoe that night to meet up with Andy and his posse for his 25th birthday blow-out…but as we spent more time with each other that night, we decided to head up there in the morning.

The drive was smooth and I only got us lost twice, but we finally made it to the cabin. Andy was there with Victor, Marie and William. We palyed pool and Mario Kart, grocery shopped, barbequed and when Angel, Dave and their dog Bandit arrived, we played a drinking game called Kings. Two Rounds!! Boy did we get drunk. At around 2:00am Ronnie and I went in the hot tub then called it a night. On Saturday morning when Ronnie and I woke up, we looked out at the snow that had fallen the night before. We had to take a walk in it. It was so peaceful and romantic. Back at the house we had an awesome breakfast, took a drive to North Lake Tahoe and Calneva (Where Ronnie won 10 bucks on a Star Wars machine) then met up with the gang to play some mini golf. Holy Gosh was it freezing! After that, some of us went for wings and beer, while the other half went for Taco Bell. That night we got dressed up and hit the casinos. Ronnie and I went to the craps table and he taught me how to play. He won $60bucks! Then I won $25 on the Price is Right Plinko slot. We stayed out until 2am again that night. Our final day was started at The Red Hut with some waffles then we drove to the Vacaville outlets and dropped some cash. It was an absolutely awesome weekend. Thanks to Andy for planning all of it!

Ronnie and Bandit got along splendidly, and when he found out they are going to breed Bandit soon, Ronnie’s eyes began to twinkle. He really really wants a dog. It seems as each day goes by he wants one more and more.

Last night, after a drink at Martuni’s Ronnie, Brown and I pillaged a Halloween store on Market Street. I laughed so hard in there that my stomach hurt. After that Ronnie and I went to Fritz and of course, Jade, for our 2 month anniversary.

Life just keeps getting better and better. What a great few days I have had…and to think…the holidays are just around the corner…whoooooo-diggity!

Pictures below: Me and Ronnie, and Bandit

So Halloween is tied with Christmas for my favorite holiday. I love the season, the pumpkins…the scarves, the pumpkin lattes, the brisk mornings, the sweaters…everything! So now I am debating if I should have a Halloween party or not. I have been waiting for someone else to send out some big invite, but it is already the 12th and nothing…NOTHING! So I brought up the idea to Kirsten last night and she seems up for it.

Our place isn’t so big…but we have yet to have a party. The set up and clean up is such a pain though. ARG! Damn subconscience giving me pros and cons! Well, it would be awesome though…That’s it. I want to have a party… any excuse to party right? Cripes!!

So last night, Brown and I were a bit toasty from drinking with a friend for her birthday, and we waited for the 6 or 7 on Market and 3rd. It took for-farking-ever. It was freezing. At least there was a couple across the street making out for the whole time we were waiting to keep us entertained. IN fact the dude was smoking in-between kisses. *Nasty.*

Well, we were getting more and more frustrated waiting and waiting that Brown finally decided that we should catch a cab. As I started keeping my eyes peeled, Brown asked some girl who had been waiting at the stop even before we got there where she was headed and if she wanted to share a cab with us. He said that he was paying for it and she was obviously waiting for the same bus, so she might as well hop in with us. She was surprised and appreciative at the same time.

So a cab finally came and we all jumped in. The girl (I forgot her name) was from Michigan and had only been in San Francisco one month. She worked at the online helpdesk for the Art Academy. She was very nice and sat through Brown and I’s explanation of everything we drove by. “That place has greasy pizza!” “That’s the Strand! It used to be a movie house.” “That’s Folk Look! It has been here about 7 months..”

Anyhow, I was so astounded by Brown’s kindness. I kept telling him how awesome he was for offering that to a stranger. He seemed like it was nothing at all. That she was heading the same way too so why not? It makes total sense now but at the moment I thought the girl may think we were trying to kidnap her or something. Brown is such an awesome piece of work. I learn new things from him all the time and am so glad we are buddies.

I have been graced with seeing many a good show this past month. Usually if I see a show, it is a random band at Rickshaw or some bar I have stumbled into and usually I roll my eyes a lil bit and wish that the dj would just come back. Luckily, Ronnie is one of those big show go-ers who knows just about every indie band out there. He has brought me to Ted Leo and The New Pornographers, which were both awesome! Last night however, I saw a show that was a gut-busting, face-melting ode to the Gods of music.

I first heard Franz Ferdinand around the time I had just gotten out of college on the radio. Their single was “Take Me Out” which I instantly loved. It took me awhile to get their album, but when I did I loved it even more and it lived in my car’s cd player. When they came to SF about a year ago, I found out too late to get tickets…but not this year!

These four Scots played at the Bill Graham which I had never been to. The first opening band was pretty good, the second opening band were terrible, but getting there that early allowed us to be only about 30 feet from the stage. Franz’s performance was simply invigorating. Each song was perfect. They put off such a strong blend of sound and seemed so comfortable with what they were doing, that they could have been just hanging out watching tv in their front room. There was no pushed stage jumps, no emo misunderstood pain, just good old rock and roll. The lead singer/guitarist, Alex Kapranos, blew me away. He was so confidant and radiated this sexual energy that made Kirst and I melt! He strut around the stage, would point to the audience and wink, played guitar while standing on one of the drums and did everything right. Not to mention that Scottish accent that gets most American girls. They alternated between new and old songs. Their new album “You Could Have it So Much Better” leaks out the same high energy as their first album. I was disappointed in the crowd. Of course most of them seemed to be around 18 with their parents…but STILL! How can you not dance to “Michael” or “This City?” But I guess they are still learning the world of shows.

Thanks Franz Ferdinand for the awesome experience. Below are pics of the band, Alex Kapranos and what the stage set looked like. (But this stage is in Seattle)