Of late

by R

Oh man, so I guess it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but it’s mostly because I’ve been spending lots of time away from the computer these days running around the city with awesome people and awesome books. All good things, but it’s nice to share and also nice to make some time to reflect on things that have been going on the past few weeks for the sake of my failing memory and hopefully for your entertainment. Hopefully. I can’t make any promises though.

Lists are good, so let’s start there.

A LIST of SOME REALLY AWESOME THINGS GOING ON:

  • I’m starting to work on a lot more interesting projects at work and I actually might even get the chance to write for one of our first edition books. Pretty stoked! I’ve been dying for anything the least bit more creative, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
  • Two weekends ago, my friend Sarah from the Bay Area whom I met in Scotland three years ago had a going away party in Marin for her departure to Edinburgh for grad school. Sarah picked me up early Sunday morning in the city with her friend Bonne and I got to spend the day driving around and eating, drinking, and talking with all of Sarah’s family and friends. It was really great and I’m so happy I got to spend time with her before she left. I’m going to miss her and our coffee dates a lot, but I’m so excited she’s getting to go back to Edinburgh and experience all its splendor again. By the end of the night, me, Sarah, and Bonne all ended up sprawled out on Sarah’s bed and we talked and talked and talked. When I got home that night, I couldn’t help but think just how serendipitous, wondrous, strange, and often fleeting it is that we get to spend time with the people who seem to get us most. Even after not seeing Sarah for three years before I moved to San Francisco, it felt like things picked up right where they left off when we said goodbye to each other in Scotland, promising to write each other letters. I’m so happy to know that even if I don’t get to see Sarah for the next year, there will always be something wonderful and meaningful in our meetings, no matter how much time passes.
  • Last weekend, I had Labor Day off, so I decided to hop the train to San Jose and hang out with Zack on Sunday and Monday. I love taking the train to San Jose. My favorite part, except for reading and people-watching, is watching the freight cars fly by.

  • We spent the majority of both days riding our bikes around and drinking, eating, and hanging outside. The weather was perfect and it felt so nice just to lay in the grass talking, staring up at the trees, and watching the squirrels run up and down the bark like mad men. It was hard to leave Monday night and go back to work the next day. I’m starting to really like San Jose the more time I spend there. Another one of my favorite parts of the weekend was taking these photos of Zack while drinking awesome bubble tea and then shooting the leftover pearls at him. These photos still make me smile.

  • Currently, Robyn and Emily are back in San Francisco after having gone home for the past two weeks. I wish Patrick were here too, but he’s off living the good life in LA. Hopefully, we’ll get to see his beautiful face again in October for the Treasure Island Music Festival. It’s been fun having Robyn and Emily crash at the apartment. There are always people around to cook and talk with. I’m really hoping they both get jobs so they can stay here and we can hang out more, hopefully outside the apartment because I don’t seem to be leaving it much these days except for biking to work and occasionally biking to a coffee shop to read somewhere else besides my room.

A LIST of SOME THINGS I’M GIVING UP:

  • So, I’ve been thinking and reading lots about simplifying my life and trying to align everything I do with what’s important to me from what I buy to what I eat to what I read. That may sound like a lot to think about, but it’s been really interesting and has made me feel a lot better about some of the decisions I’ve been making. Some blogs I’ve been enjoying reading about these things are The Non-Consumer Advocate, Rowdy Kittens, and The Art of Non-Conformity.
  • I’ve been looking for a part-time job on nights and weekends for the past few months and I’ve decided that as of now, I’m going to stop. I’m going to keep looking around occasionally but no longer every day like I have been. I’d much rather keep eating dollar boxes of mac ‘n cheese and Rice-A-Roni then continue tiring myself out and worrying. In fact, it’s been pretty awesome because I’m learning how to make super cheap meals at home and since I can’t afford to ever go out really, I’ve been reading and writing even more than I usually do. If some extra work comes my way doing something I care about or with people I care about, that’d be totally rad! But right now, I’m going to just keep paying them bills and trying to find more sustainable and hopefully healthy, cheap ways to live. Sounds good, yeah? Student loans are definitely still the bane of my existence though. I need to keep working on that.
  • After reading Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth and reading this awesome article on Simple Mom, I’ve decided to stop wearing makeup, except for eye makeup occasionally for kicks, and to start cleaning my hair without shampoo or conditioner. It seems like a lot better and cheaper option overall. I only started a few days ago, but I can already tell that the texture of my hair is changing. It’s been a lot curlier and feels thicker. I’m pretty into it. What’s up, Vanity?

A LIST of SOME THINGS I’M WORKING ON:

  • I just signed up at 750words and am trying to write over 750 words every day. This has been my second consecutive day and so far it’s been awesome. I really dig the design and concept of the site. I signed up for the October challenge to write every day, so I’m hoping this prepares me for NaNoWriMo in November when I’ll need to be writing 1,700 a day to finally complete a finished 175 page draft of the novel I started last summer. Let’s do it, do it!
  • I’ve also been continuing to work on a short story called “Woman” that I wrote a few years ago as well as an essay and a few poems I’ve been messing around with for a while now. Maybe I’ll post a few things soon. Or not. We’ll see.

A LIST of SOME THINGS I CONTINUE to LOVE ABOUT SF:

  • Riding my bike as many places as I can! After having a bike for the past few months and getting more in shape, I just want to keep doing it more and more. I look forward to it every morning and afternoon and even on the weekends. I just want to be going. My favorite thing these days is riding at night when it’s not too cold and the wind feels just perfect.
  • The weather
  • The library
  • My friends
  • The parks
  • Cute dogs
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