Friends, Food, Street Art and That Hippy Thing

It's really funny how our friends from other places are showing up here in San Francisco while we are here. Our dear friend Jerry, who I used to work with at UC Berkeley years ago and who now lives in Oregon, just happened to be here visiting some other friends. We were able to get together for lunch and then an extended afternoon/evening catching up while sipping some excellent single malt scotch. Jerry is the one who taught me all about this liquid gold years ago, so we couldn't resist going out to hunt for the perfect bottle.

 Luckily, one of the best scotch dealers in SF just happened to be 3 blocks from our place. We ended up with a bottle of Gordon and MacPhail Glenlossie. Sherry Cask #3661, 1988, bottled in 2007. For those of you who know single malts, this is a beauty. Having a shot of this is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket. Cheers!

 Oysters

Whenever we are on a coast (that means just about anywhere in the world), we can't resist gorging ourselves on oysters, as long as we are in an R month (Google the R month thing about oysters. It could save your stomach and your life). We don't eat any of that cooked stuff. They must be raw and preferably Kumamoto's when available. Kumos originated in Japan and have petite meats so they slide down very easily (none of that huge meat like Tamales Bays/Pacific's). They have mild brininess, sweet flavor and a honeydew finish. Here we have 3 different variety's. The Kumamoto's are on the top row.

 The eating didn't stop with the oysters (that is only the beginning! :o). Enter the fabulous pizza prep area in our friend Nina's kitchen. Nina has two kitchens, one in her Monterey home and one here in her San Francisco apartment. She has been making pizza for years and it is some of the best you can eat. We will enjoy 3 different kinds for dinner tonight.

It took 2 days to prepare the dough! Feed, rise. Feed, rise. Feed, rise, etc. Good thing she did this 2 days before we arrived at her place. Have you ever sat and watched dough rise? Well............there you go! We may have been drinking that single malt instead!

The Margherita pizza being created

The perfect Margherita pizza: Crushed tomato sauce with fresh basil, garlic and fresh mozzarella. The crust like air with a crispy crunch. Ridiculously delicious!

The second pizza

Mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, garlic, olive oil, walnuts. This photo was just before it went in the oven. A gift from God!

The third pizza  (yes! we had another!)

This one is mozzarella, spicy Italian sausage and red bell pepper. All 3 pizzas were so classic and so, so delicious! Who says food has to be fancy to be delicious? I don't want to ever go home!

Now, to walk off all that pizza........

We headed out with Nina for a long walk around the panhandle area of Golden Gate Park and up to Buena Vista Park. The idea was to walk off all that pizza from the night before. This neighborhood is extremely diverse and entertaining, so, as always, we were looking forward to the adventure. Going on foot to get around The City is by far the best way to see all the interesting things/people along the street. The bonus of traveling this way is you work off all the ridiculous food you eat while you are here. Believe me, you will need to do this! Bring good walking shoes.

 

Wigs on Fire

(The B52's Wig Song from 1987. Find it on Youtube. It goes right along with this next bit. I used to dance to this song in the 19080's)
What's that on your head?  ...a wig
I said , what's that on your head? ...a wig  

Sally's gotta wig
Ricky's gotta wig
Baby's gotta wig
Kate's gotta wig
Fred's gotta cheap toupee
Keith's gotta big bouffant on
We all got wigs, so... Let's go!

On the neon, neon side of town...........

Walk along Divisadero St. between Fulton and Hayes and you will come upon Helen's Wig Shop. It is hard to find a shop like this these days. This shop window made me stop in my tracks as I reflected on the song referenced above. All these babes with all that flair and color looking at us as we passed by. I just had to honor them with a photo. YOU GO GIRLS! I wonder if they have that toupee for Fred? I am certain they have a wig for a transvestite or two :o) It is just fabulous!

Just a couple of blocks down from the wig shop we found this very fun roof deck with a modesty panel made from old colorful LP's. A cool way to recycle these things and add some really great artful flair to a city street.

Eclair

Everywhere we walked around The City we came across these spray-painted stencils of different kinds that are by street artist Eclair Bandersnatch. They were always a welcome interesting art treat. Go here for the info on Eclair, it is all really interesting and inspirational: https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/california/articles/eclair-bandersnatch-san-francisco-s-elusive-graffiti-queen/

SCOOT 
We also came across these electric scooters around The City, that you could just rent on the spot, just like the Zip Cars that are now all over the country. Scoot is a network of hundreds of electric scooters that you can pick up and drop off all over San Francisco. Three bucks for 30 minutes of riding. Go here for the details: https://scoot.co/ride-list/  This is such an inspirational idea. Can't wait to see this happening all over the country. Buy stock now! :o)

Buena Vista Park

Well, as we continued our walk up (up is the operative word!), to Buena Vista Park, I kept reflecting on all of those scooters we passed on the way up here! It was enough cardio work just to get up to the base of the stairs to the park. Then...........we had to go up these (and I'm already part way up!).

Good thing the view was worth it. In this city, the view is always worth it, so do whatever it takes to get there and see that view.

You can see Oakland across the bay in this photo

No Shit!

One of my favorite pieces of yard art we walked past up in the Buena Vista neighborhood. 

We finally worked our way around and down from Buena Vista Park to the Haight/Ashbury district...........get ready for some wacky adventure.

THE HAIGHT

Let me start this part of this post by saying there is not a more important time since the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War for this part of San Francisco and the Bay Area. In my lifetime, the Haight/Ashbury has been a beacon for freedom of thought, new ideas, equal rights and social justice since the 1960's and still remains so today. Sure it has its homeless population (lots of that caused by social justice denial in our own government), and that hippie pot smoking culture (that is mostly peaceful and now a booming part of the economy, especially the medical part....which works, by the way!). The freedom expressed here is inspirational. Anyone reading this can go online to find the history and many photos of the utopia that this place is. Visit if you have a chance. You will never forget it.

This is the mural by Mel Waters of Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead) at the corner of Haight St. and Cole St. It is HUGE! The Grateful Dead has their own history in this city. Go find it. You will not be dissapointed.

Although I didn't get the name of this shop as we walked by (there was a sign in the window saying no phones out or photographs to be taken inside. Hmmmm), I was able to get this one photo of this very strange stuffed deer in a wedding tutu and veil that was in the window on the street........there was a fox smoking a cigar and wearing a clown nose in the window next door. They are definitely taking taxidermy to a strange new level!

PEACE!

It begins with each one of us. Practice it every day.

WasteLand - A Bay Area Institution

Selling original designs and vintage items. No other place like this place. Go here for their story:  http://www.shopwasteland.com/new-page/ 

I don't have to tell you about this place. You already know :o)

A little travel to the Central Valley to see the famdamily in my next post.