the slightest chance

i want to lean forward, grab the attention of the dude sitting across from this table in this cafe and ask if he's hiring - with the glimmer of hope that whatever he does is super cool.

continental ballroom 4

Hey dyyyyudes –

I’m sooo at work right now. One of the printers is busted in the back of the room and is constantly beeping. You know the sound. Eeeeeep. Eeeeep. Eeeeep. Constant. The Neverending Eeeeeeping. The entire staff has been hearing it for 3 hours straight now, and I think we’re all going a little mad. It’s hilarious to watch, especially my senile CEO’s reaction. I thankfully found my ipod in my bag, so jim croce and jelly roll morton are now pulling me through.

Reena and lars are in town for the American Association of Geographers conference, lars on the futon below the loft, reena in my luxurrrrious bed with me. IT HAS BEEN SO GOOD TO SEE THEM. Lars was here for a few days before reena, so ive actually been able to “bond” with him for a bit. Bonding, how cute. We went birding last weekend and it completely rocked. We stayed up north at his old work site with his old research friends in Bolinas near Point Reyes. We were actually able to talk a lot, more than we ever did in grad school really – and yes (Mario) he is a bit bizarre, but he’s actually fairly awesome as far as sense of humor and wit is concerned. Also mario: he said great things about living with you in Iquitos. He actually said that he misses you (!!), and that you’re research was going really well (something Ken told him). Yes!!

ALSO, this is super cool, Lars is going to be able to NAME A NEW BIRD SPECIES. How cool is that?!!! He found a bird that noone knew existed. So freaking cool. His dorky birding dreams have come true.

And reena. Oh reena. How I love her so very much. I wish she lived closer, man. Shes so wonderful. Makes fun of me, constantly snickering, shocking and laughing. I love her so much. And she one yet MORE awards, her "Working the Night Shift" paper (how risque!!) won best paper of her specialty group and received funding to write her dissertation so she doesn’t have to teach next year.

They are both here until Monday. Lars went back up to Bolinas this weekend (i think to mate with someone??! apparently he is not, in fact, asexual - ha) , so thankfully I will have some girl-chat-hang-out time with Reena until Sunday. Oh how I love her. shes also stoked about coming down to Iquitos, Mario - get ready - haha-

On a related note, I ran into a ton of former professors from Geography at UT when going up there to see Reena and Lars present… (Names for Mario): Kelley, ken, bill, paul… and everyone seemed really glad to see me, asking me how I was and all that. I told them that I was still interested in geography as a potential topic of study, but was still trying to figure out exactly where I would fit in. they seemed happy to see that I was taking my time with it, still exploring, etc. It was great to see them too - a bit uplifting somehow. Although that was a really rough period of my life at times, i have some great memories of that place.

So my life over the course of the previous week and week plus has been my grad school friends. Theres more to write about other things of course, but I can only write like mad for so long in the office.

Hope all is well out there. More as soon as Monday. Or sooner. Who knows.

Love you kids a lot,

Jen

scenarios

Below are a series of scenarios de San Francisco: bits and pieces of my life out and over here.

Roast Right on Time

I started Roast 1 at 4pm at my place. Pepper, salt, veg oil for the bottom of the pot. Wait, we don’t have a DEEP pot. Run upstairs to ask for a pot. None of that type of pot (the ones with metal handles) there. Here we go baking pan with a poorly-fashioned foil lid. You. Will have to do.

I bike over to Rudy’s with raw Roast 2 and a cup of dreams. I prepare the Roast 2. Both should feed 7 folks no problem. Drink a beer. Wash n cut potatoes. Play cards. Drink beer 2. Back on bike to check on Roast 1.

14 blocks later and Roast 1 is doing quite alright. Hung with housemate. It’s cool, real cool. Call to Rudy’s to ask to put potatoes in boiling water. Stuff ready-to-feast Roast 1 in Tupperware, jump in borrowed Hybrid and float back to Rudy’s.

We feast galore and it is delish. Two roasts, Roast 1, Roast 2, prepared in separate flats for many people. Potatoes, mashed, no milk, no time for milk. Biscuits. I eat five. FIVE. Flaky ones – the more the flakes the more the phat content. Peas n carrots. Another beer.

I fall asleep sitting straight up on Rudy’s couch. Eyes flicker open at 3:45am. I fall to the couch, deflated balloon-style. Rudy’s on the couch next to me curled up like Rover in front of a fireplace.

Sol Sister

I have created the most beautiful jen-wants-to-go-to-a-bar-alone-and listen-to-super-sweet-gypsy-jazz-music-whats-up-django situation for myself. There is this bar I go to. It is dubbed Amnesia. I go on average 1.8 times each week, which means you will go to if you visit.

Ive been heading there for about a year there: Wednesdays are my favorite, hands down. Gaucho. GAUCHO. 8:30p – 10:30p every Wednesday. Accordion. Gourds. A man who plays drums with his feet. And two guitar-players who are russel-huie comparable in talent.

So I sit at the bar and the dudes approach, not cool dudes in most cases. And even if they were: ugh please don’t talk to me ugh, I say.

So this is when Sol saves the days. Sol is the loveliest of bartenders and one of the most admired / feared, conjuring wishes from young men that they could one day be just like sol when they grow up.... the loveliest of bartenders who – when upon noticing I am dyyyyying – just wanted to sit and listen please get these boys away from me and he knows it - oh it's obvious - it's in the quintessential annoyed! annoyed! faces i make – he came from behind the bar, i tell him how i saw our uncle... last week maybe? "Man, I miss that guy," he says. What a brilliant creature.

I now sit at the bar, lose myself in the sounds and tell any who approach that I am visiting family. Who am I here with? Oh, family. Oh, who’s my family? That super intimidating guy that everyone in this city worships who’s working the bar right now.

These are my Wednesday nights.

(See myspace for more, if curious:
Gaucho: top 79 friends, fo sho).

* * *

Final thoughts: I feel super, freaking fortunate. I have friends who can be described on a whim as PROFESSIONAL:

To-be doctors
To-be lawyers
Clowns
Polyamorists
Photographers
Vagabonds
IT superstars
Mistresses
Professors
Scientists
Architects
Ghetto supastas
Punks
Punk-asses
Mothers
Political figureheads
Superintendents
Engineers
Veterinarians
Comedians
Product designers
Musicians
Pastors
Make-up artists

My word.

* * *

Next to Final Comments:

I finally bought I second bookshelf and I am STOKED. Oh a place to place the rest of my books in place.

AND I am FINALLY reading ‘A People’s History of the United States” and I adore it. A definite must read to those of you who have missed it over the years. (Thanks for the final recommendation I needed, Martha).

Next scenarios include: Not Quite aBeauty School Drop-Out and Come Out to Russian River).

Love you kids,

Jen