Sunday

I spent the weekend in San Francisco, which was quite nice.

Yesterday I found out that my collaborative proposal with Hayley Severns (MeaningCleaning) got accepted by Art In Odd Places for their Pedestrian exhibition in the Meatpacking district in NYC this October.

Details to follow, but it was gratifying that our proposal was among the ones chosen for this year's exhibition.

I walked around a lot too, and marveled at the city's beauty. It also struck me how the place looked exactly the same since I last visited:

the same shops are still around (a welcome change from the seemingly constant flux of "newness" back home);
the same people with dogs are still on Haight street asking for change;
the buildings are still clean;
the city still doesn't have billboards anywhere or massively tall buildings anywhere except for downtown;
one can still have an affordable lunch in a restaurant;
one can still see the sky;
one still can't turn left on Market street (anywhere!);
there are still vintage cars everywhere;
there are still drum circles everywhere;
there are 7 million fewer people in San Francisco than there are in New York City.

The lack of population was my biggest refreshment.
The lack of a constant police presence was my second.

We went to a local art opening in the Mission last night. The work was mediocre, but the scene was pretty positive. We sat outside and flirted with people a they streamed in and out.

Today we did some work in the morning, and then went to a flea market on Alemany; I bought some old photographs of men in "pudica" reposes from the 1940's, and one of a young jockey on a bucking horse (rider is androgynous).
It was windy.
I also bought a journal and resin from an art store on Van Ness.

The rest of the day was spent in Golden Gate park enjoying an atypically sunny and warm day. It was pretty perfect. I felt happy and content, but also admittedly a little anxious for no reason.

We drove back to Sonoma this evening, feeling overwhelmed by "the big city" and yet not quite belonging to this countryside either. This in-between space is new, and I find myself comfortable in it. We just went out to eat. I'll finish this to get back to The Scarlet Letter before I intervene on it tomorrow and cut it all up.