Monday, December 06, 2010
My San Francisco
While in Iraq, I wrote about the Iraq I saw. This is about the San Francisco I see.
Dickens Fair is something I played with before retirement, the divorce, Iraq. Yesterday I was in the Cow Palace, kitted out in funny clothes. No, not the ballistic armor and weapons I wore in Iraq, but a "toff" outfit: Top hat, blue-and-gold cravat, stick pin, vest, cutaway coat, black tuxedo pants, grey gloves and shiny boots. I sat at a wooden picnic table in semi-dark, seeing the painted timbers of the Cow Palace above the painted facade of the food booth. People walked by, dressed like Victorian folks, some a bit more outlandish than others. There was sawdust on the floor, a practical attempt to simulate snow. Outside, San Francisco drizzled; inside, the air was cool, but not frigid. The folks were an amalgam of entertainers, food preparers, security and participants.
I participated in the Adventurer's Club. My friend Julianna, playing the role of Jenny Lind, greeted me and introduced me as P. T. Barnum, a complete shock to me. But I went along- I talked off the top of my head about Jumbo the elephant, Tom Thumb, an 18"-tall man, and my own creation, a way to get gawkers out of my show: a sign that read, "To the Egress." Later during the morning, I met Charles Darwin who discoursed on evolution. I posed a few questions about albinos, twins, and similar issues with the new concept of evolution. Later, just as the day closed, we had "Toasties," an event where the actors make toasts to various worthwhile concepts. Mr. Darwin proposed a toast to me, very much surprising me.
Around lunch, I got my picture taken with a pretty girl who lives in Germany. As we posed, she took my elbow and leaned in towards me, a moment of slight but pleasant intimacy I hadn't expected.
I had a drink with my friend Patrick, who will run the School of the Renaissance Soldier in April. We had a nice couple of minutes with the bartender as we drank.
My big son and I watched a few excellent shows. He and I get along well, a situation that's improved since all the drama with the divorce. I'm glad he's around.
My day started out in a darkened food court, and ended with a warm event. Not a bad day at all.
Dickens Fair is something I played with before retirement, the divorce, Iraq. Yesterday I was in the Cow Palace, kitted out in funny clothes. No, not the ballistic armor and weapons I wore in Iraq, but a "toff" outfit: Top hat, blue-and-gold cravat, stick pin, vest, cutaway coat, black tuxedo pants, grey gloves and shiny boots. I sat at a wooden picnic table in semi-dark, seeing the painted timbers of the Cow Palace above the painted facade of the food booth. People walked by, dressed like Victorian folks, some a bit more outlandish than others. There was sawdust on the floor, a practical attempt to simulate snow. Outside, San Francisco drizzled; inside, the air was cool, but not frigid. The folks were an amalgam of entertainers, food preparers, security and participants.
I participated in the Adventurer's Club. My friend Julianna, playing the role of Jenny Lind, greeted me and introduced me as P. T. Barnum, a complete shock to me. But I went along- I talked off the top of my head about Jumbo the elephant, Tom Thumb, an 18"-tall man, and my own creation, a way to get gawkers out of my show: a sign that read, "To the Egress." Later during the morning, I met Charles Darwin who discoursed on evolution. I posed a few questions about albinos, twins, and similar issues with the new concept of evolution. Later, just as the day closed, we had "Toasties," an event where the actors make toasts to various worthwhile concepts. Mr. Darwin proposed a toast to me, very much surprising me.
Around lunch, I got my picture taken with a pretty girl who lives in Germany. As we posed, she took my elbow and leaned in towards me, a moment of slight but pleasant intimacy I hadn't expected.
I had a drink with my friend Patrick, who will run the School of the Renaissance Soldier in April. We had a nice couple of minutes with the bartender as we drank.
My big son and I watched a few excellent shows. He and I get along well, a situation that's improved since all the drama with the divorce. I'm glad he's around.
My day started out in a darkened food court, and ended with a warm event. Not a bad day at all.
