Oct 17 – Oct 21 – catch up post – I know I want socks and underwear for holiday gifts

I’m putting together posts for the last few days. There has been some excitement!

Saturday Oct 17

Notes:

– Exploring the South Bay was supposed to start early, but other things got in the way. So, I pulled my laundry in the car, grabbed a friend and went to the combo laundromat / cafe! All five loads of laundry done and an Eggs Benedict eaten, the rest of the friends show up and then we were off!

– The food in SF is great, but I’m excited by some of the places we saw on El Camino Real. Rolling Pin Dounts was pretty excellent, and it is great to know of  a 24 hour doughnut place.

– At one point during our trip, I was assaulted by a professional sports mascot. No means no, even if you are dressed up like a large furry animal in a sports jersey.

– Our walk was great, tying together two very enjoyable things: nature and extra-legal activity. I brought along a few cameras – my Fuji instant, because instant photos are great keepsakes, shooting long range with a DSLR is fun and I also want to do some portraits, and the waterproof Panasonic does fun time lapses.

– Our drive home included stopping at Pinoy BBQ ATBP, which in addition to having amazing food, was sort of a mini shrine to Manny Pacquiao. Thing I learned: “atbp” is the Filipino equivalent of “etc”.

– I parked my car in SOMA outside of my freinds house, and a few hours later, the car wasn’t there. It’s a weird feeling: knowing the car should be there, but it wasn’t. I walked up and down the block 4 times. Then I called my friend down to help me remember where I parked it. That’s when it was clear to me: stolen. Along with all my cameras and all my CLEAN laundry. 🙁

– I called the non-emergency number, and then a late night saga began:
> There is a number you can call to see if your car has been towed
> Despite what one of the operators told me, 850 Bryant is not a police station
> You can get surprisingly good crepes in SOMA late at night – while you wait for a police car to show up at the place that isn’t a police station. I eventually figured out I should call back, tell them not to come to me, and I would go to another precinct.

– I got to the precinct. They started their process, and oddly, they said they already found the car. It was parked a block or two from where I left it. I was stunned. I literally couldn’t believe what I heard. I think the cop at the desk thought I was high.

– I take a car service to the location of my car. I ask my friend who I was visiting to meet me there. I wasn’t sure what I was going to find, but wanted someone to be around in case it was in some sort of dismal state.

– And there it was. Parked at a meeter, no cars around it. The doors were unlocked, stuff was strewn about. A skateboard was in the back. The trunk, which had the bag with my camera and my laundry, was empty. :-0  🙁

But, the car had all its windows and no major damage. It didn’t smell bad or have anything gross happen to it. They left me the insurance card and registration paper, despite taking the envelope it was in. And the car worked. (I still need to take it to a mechanic to make sure it still is all good.) They took the tarp, ikea bags and headlamps I had, but left the picnic blanket.

And, all in all, while annoyed and inconvenienced, I was still healthy and happy. And happy I am prone to getting insurance. But, suddenly, lacking in socks and underwear.

– I dropped my friend home, and then drove to the precinct to report things stolen. This is when I found out that you do this on-line. http://www.sf-police.org/index.aspx?page=774

One of the last times I saw my laundry:

I was concerned I wouldn’t remember which machines were mine…

Sunday Oct 18

– Thanks Rick Abruzzo for having me help with 24′ Studios out at Treasure Island Music Fest.

– Thanks, [REDACTED], for [REDACTED] at the beach. I am so proud of you.

Monday Oct 19

– I think I may have found my favorite restaurant in SF. It is a cross between Katz’s Deli and Peter Luger’s. I am not telling you where it is or the name of the restaurant. But, we may go sometime. If you have a guess, let me know.

Tuesday Oct 20

– It seem buying a lot of my stuff online has a secret benefit: It is really easy to find receipts for the items that I lost! I am hoping that helps out my insurance claim.

– I did a palm reading last night. I am always struck how palms match up to people’s lives. I did it over the phone, and I was also struck by how much personality I got just through a person’s voice.

– Someone asked about people doing art on the water in NYC. Here is a short list: