Cheshire Cat Moon and Orion's Belt

Good evening, beautiful blog.

I have missed you.

Today was a gorgeous day. I woke up at Fillmore and Geary Streets after spending the day with Fumi lazing about, soaking in some sun, doing some grocery shopping and experiencing Pinero and American Ballroom Competition on PBS.

Needless to say, I would love to thank Trader Joe's for offering finer quality yummies than the average grocery store. I purchased some of those addictive pretzels filled with peanut butter and strawberries in addition to some conditioner for the hair.

After conditioning the hair I felt a bit more human. The twists crown my face and my hair is curly in the back. It makes for a fun look, not as unkempt as the dry fro.

I woke up several times this morning before committing to peeling back the covers and motivating to shower. I dreamt that I was on the Bill O'Reilly television show and was unsuccessful convincing him that supporting all human beings was best for society. He didn't break me down crying, but I felt I didn't convince him to dispense of his vitriol. Oh, well.

My appointment with Mary Ann this morning was at 10 am and since I was on the Geary line, I was not worried about getting to Downtown Berkeley in an hour. This came to pass with a smooth connection from the 38 Geary to the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART.

My ride was uneventful. I attempted to read some of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom but ended up slouching and halfway entering a dreamstate. I was aware of the stops, but was resting enough to not notice people entering and exiting the train.

Sunshine warmed my cheeks through the tinted windows of the BART train. "Downtown Berkeley" was announced by the operator and I collected my groceries and backpack and walked to my appointment with MaryAnn.

I practically skipped to the appointment. I've been feeling pretty free since moving from the Alameda house. No animals with run of the house. I can create my own space. My roommate is decent. Hallelujah. Is this what freedom feels like?

Air is rushing past the windows in my room. The leaves are rustling, like the trees are having a furious discussion among themselves. The space heater is buzzing. My fingers are tapping, and a bird's squawk can be heard outside. It sounds as if it's telling the trees to be quiet.

During my discussion with Mary Ann I outline the end of my company's retreat, my phone conversation with Kwesi, with Denisedinner , applying for the fellowship, receiving the fellowship, and the move. I am saboutaging the Kwesi thing and she asks why. Good question.

He's a nice guy and it's terrible that I would freak myself out because he's younger and because I feel like if a dude's less than 2 hours travel to me that it's a bad thing. We were supposed to hang out for the Superbowl, but it doesn't seem that's going to happen. I've been trying to call him since Thursday with no return call.
Damn.

Oh well. Lesson for next time? Don't freak out about a date, Erika. Dating is a common practice whereby you get to know people and you love getting to know people.

Sheesh, mamita.

After my doctor's appointment (which seemed to go by quite quickly) I wandered about Berkeley. I stopped by the raw vegan booth at the Farmer's Market to get a fruit drink and ended up with a Shakti Cooler...coconut milk, carob, and some nutrients that made for a yummy smoothie. I also broke down and had a steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves served with coconut rice and carrot-raisin salad with a sweetish vinegar sauce for lunch. YUM!

Then I headed up Shattuck street via the 9 or 7 (I don't remember which) to get birthday cakes and housewarming cakes for Denise and Melissa. Today was going to be a surprise for Denise. She runs away from her birthday and we didn't want that to be the case this year.

I love Masse's Bakery. I stopped by to purchase 6 little pieces of heaven plus a cannoli for myself. Their cakes are beautiful, colourful. I opted for the deep purple cassis cake, guava, passion fruit, and caramel little pastry cakes. Each a work of art with candies and white chocolate fences and dustings of chocolate or marbled white chocolate decor on top. "Why pick one?" I said to myself. "They're little. Once for each person we're celebrating: Melissa, Denise, Ellen, and Jason."

I went a little crazy.

I left and walked across the street to the busstop because I now perfectly balanced two bags plus my backpack. I patiently waited and read more about the mind/body connecting with health and began to think about the illnesses I encounter and was exploding with epiphanies on this glorious Saturday.

About 20 minutes later the bus came by and onward I stepped, dipped my bus pass in and ambled to the back of the bus. A few stops later I switched to the 51 and settled in for a nap. I would then switch lines to catch the NL home. This was my beautiful plan.

When I landed on 20th and Broadway I noticed there was a gentleman at the stop. He was tallish, grey hairs contrasted with the reddish-brown dark skin. A cloud of alcohol shot 5 feet from him and he spoke in an unintelligible tone. I don't know who he was talking to, but they were having a vigourous discussion.

To be honest, I didn't want to sit next to him. He seemed harmless enough, but he was harshing my psychic mellow. I readjusted my groceries and walked up Broadway to see if I could catch another bus. I hopped on the 15.

I knew I got on the wrong bus when

a) it headed Westward on Broadway
b) it was filled with baggy jeans and hair weaves and boisterous people "talkin' all they biznass" on the cell phone
and c) I sat down next to a woman who was colorfully expressing her "biznass" to one of her friends.

This woman could have been one of NASA's finest astronauts, but I guessed from her talking to her friend on the phone that perhaps this was not the case.

Girlfriend was talkin' all loud and sh!t about how she knew the n!gga was no good, but how she was gon' get herself some d!ck.

Note: she had a baby carriage and there were two children who sat across the way from her looking a little uncomfortable that she was speaking in this way. I am not sure if they were her children, but there was a girl about 4 years old with cafe au lait skin, curly brown/blonde hair and large brown eyes. Her brother was bigger, about two shades darker than her and had a neat, soft fro.

I didn't get to see the baby, but I was offended and ill by this woman. She had some cheesy jeans on and a bad hair piece that she was trying to pass as her pony tail. It was pinned to her own hair at the top of her head and was ridiculously straight. This shiny fall of black Jeannie hair was not even close to her own hair texture.

What is UP with that?

I pulled the wire for the next stop and got off the bus. I heard her yell to the driver behind me, "Driver? I'm gon' get off here."

She then continued to gnaw on to her friend about hooking up with the dude she couldn't get enough d!ck from. Um, so she's sharing this dude now? Why doesn't this situation sound good?

I sped across the street and caught a 51 going eastward. I passed by the music store downtown and back to 20th and Broadway. The NL I had intended on riding came moments later, but the inaudible gentleman from before was right there among the crowd of riders. GREAT, I thought. I chose a fold-down seat near the front of the bus and surrounded myself with a psychic "leave me alone" bubble.

It seemed to work; he walked past me toward the back of the bus, leaving nothing but the alcohol cloud in his wake.

I expected for the rain to be pouring today.

I conserved my phone energy for brief conversations with Denise and made a brief phone calls to Solomon just to say hola.

The wind in the trees is continuing. The walls want to be cold despite the heater. I wish I could find my barbaloot suit jammies!

I finally got home about 2:45 and was beat.

I really need to find these vitamins. I feel really sluggish without these nutrients.

Quick hello to Fumi and then Naptime for Erika.

I put on NPR and the space heater and just conked out.

dang...it's late and i'm tired...more later about denise's bday present, going virtual java house hunting with o, leaving a superbowl message for mr. kwesi, pickin' up michael paul for the gumbo party, arriving in el cerrito and hanging with the crew for the gumbo party, eating!!!!!!!!!, moving on to gung hoy fat choy partying, and then driving home and seeing stars (awwwwwww!).

Tomorrow...SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!! YES!

I wanna start it off with a walk and then see where I want to go from there...