riding around

rolling through downtown oakland today,
i took a different way home and found some neat stuff.
like a ghetto ramp setup under the freeway.



plywood on hay bales! you'd never see this in new york.
it was in a weird space too, where it seemed like there had been construction.
there were pipes laying all over, and tool boxes, and crates full of nails.


(sorry it's blurry, this was handheld and it was getting dark fast)

anyways, i spent a bit of time there, nice little spot, and kept rolling.
happy i now had a decent default spot to session.
then i came across this little dude.



poor fella, thrown out with a bunch of other junk.
i felt bad, so i took him home. and his friends.



i guess i'll get them a fishbowl, or aquarium or something.
oakland is funny.

the perks of the job

this is what a million dollar view in san francisco looks like.
from the roof deck of the 22nd floor's southeast corner unit.
that goes for 2.8 million.


(open in a new tab to see full length, it doesn't fit in the template, and i'm too lazy to try and figure out an html fix)

okay so it's not that impressive scaled down for the net.
but standing out there, seeing all the way down mission to the water,
turning around and catching the fog crawling over the hills,
it's pretty ill...

otherwise, work sucks in general. boooo.

another week

begins tomorrow.

halloween came and went.
my birthday came and went.
the weekend came and went.

on saturday i rode my bike around,
thru oakland, berkeley, and emeryville.

and then i went to yeshi and becca's party in the city,
that brought me the strange realization
that there are SO many kids from clark out here.
and many within the last couple months or so.
i am having a SUPREMELY UNORIGINAL EXPERIENCE.
as it turns out. oh shit.

haha just kidding.
ok, i'm going to take some pictures
when i take wednesday off from work.

oh wait, the other day, coming home from work,
i was on the train reading kafka on the shore,
and when i got to my stop i decided to stay on,
to continue reading, and look out the window.
this is what east oakland looks like from the train.





sometimes i forget all about it; i moved to california, didn't i?

changing moods and shaking houses

i was so ready to write a grumpy, mad entry tonight,
about how work sucks, and i'm trying not to get sick,
and there was glass on the bike path,
and one light was green for only 3 seconds,
and just general bitterness i'm feeling this week..

when i arrive home to packages from my mom and dad.



now, care packages i got at college were one thing,
always great chinatown snacks and homey things,
cause they knew i missed home badly when i was at school.
but these 2 packages could not have come at a better time,
and could not be any sweeter. i had tears in my eyes..

my dad had sent me biking gloves i'd asked him to,
and had added all the signature "det" goodies,
that i could receive anonymously and still know he sent.
a bike light, special toothpicks, a couple pens,
a chinese photography magazine, a raw food bar,
trail mix, an 8gb! usb drive, and money in, get this,
a "north american hunting club" wallet!
the F-ing best, det, the F-ing best.

and my mom, bless her heart,
she sent me my birthday gift and card early,
i'll open it when the time comes,
and SELF-ADDRESSES STAMPED ENVELOPES
and PAPER to write her with.
note the pretty flower stamps too.
i couldn't believe what i saw.
if you've met my mother you know,
she is the sweetest little lady ever.

*begin note to parents-
i really want you two (ma and det) to know,
i love you both so very much.
more than anything in the world.
you give me such a wonderful life.
-end note*

so, as they requested, i finally took a picture
of myself in my room.



just kidding.
that's a model unit in the building where i work.
i go through checking off checklists of defects
and blemishes in the construction of the units.
it's called punch-list and back-check. blah.
there are only a few apts furnished like that,
to show potential buyers and leasers,
the rest are bare bones and much less glamorous.
it can get boring, but i do get to wear a hard-hat.

but these are my real digs.



it's simple, but it does me all right.
i sleep fine at night, and have enough room to breath.

sorry for the long-winded post.

oh and soon after i shot those photos,
i felt my first west coast earthquake!
the house shook for maybe 4 seconds!
thankfully nothing fell down. crazy!

anyways, peace, love, and sun coming through the clouds.

the place

so i'm living in west oakland.
this apartment on 14th by mandela parkway has been home for nearly a month. it's still pretty bare, i have a bed/futon, a couple lamps, an open closet, a bamboo shade, all from ikea of course, and my bikes and plants in a corner. there are three windows, two face the yard and are really nice. here's the biggest one.



the nicest thing about living in oakland is its familiarity,
because for so many reasons, i feel like i'm in brooklyn.
it's one stop on the train across the water from the city.
it's more laid back and much homier than the city.
it's much easier and more pleasant to ride through.
the city is like the city, and it's cool like that,
but i guess i'm more of an outer boro type cat.
at least to come home in the evening to.

here are my plants, i like them.



work and bike update to come.
i'm working two jobs these days...
and riding two bikes too. that's nice tho.

hello holler

i started a new blog!
i'd love to start out with a compelling, thoughtful, interesting post,
but it's 3:16 in the morning and i'm still trying to figure out
why i started a new blog. i have xanga, but i barely wrote
and people barely read. i could just keep a journal instead.
which i do.

anyways, i may have figured it out.
to break it down, for myself and others,
this blog will be an east coast to east bay experience log.
all my close friends back in nyc and boston and wherever else,
will perhaps be convinced to come out here and join in on the fun.
or stay where they are or go somewhere else cause it's cooler.

the point is, it's a wonderful thing to travel,
and explore, and experience new places.
a full life is very difficult to live out
on the same dozen or so square miles.
and the world is vast, and offering, and welcoming.
maybe.