Saturday, July 30, 2005
A few pictures from Columbus Avenue, San FranciscoWe're back in LA after several days in the Bay Area, where the air was
cool and moist, and the mornings heavy with fog like overcast autumn
days in Chicago. We had a great time: bought golden raspberries, sweet
as candy, at the organic market in the newly refurbished Ferry
Building; walked through much of the city and stopped for espresso at a
half dozen cafes; crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and had clam chowder
at Scoma's in Sausalito; picnicked on the concrete patio of the School
of Optometry at Berkeley, and stopped at the International House Cafe
on our way out of town. What fun. 3:54:04 PM | Here are a few storefront pictures, and other, from San Francisco's Columbus Avenue and China Town:  Tiaras on sale on the main strip through China Town.  A tailor's shop on Columbus. I loved that the suit was in the process of being deconstructed, the collar exposed, stains and all.  Peking duck, giant orange squid, and assorted animal parts on display at a Chinese butcher's shop.  Politics are present throughout the city. I stepped on Rove near the corner of Lombard and Columbus, then walked up to City Lights Bookstore. Yes, let's Jail Rove, shall we? S called yesterday and today. He's back in Afghanistan after his 'vacation' in Qatar, where he swam in the saltiest ocean and drank beer near the pool. It was hot and humid, he told me, and every day there were "day trips" to the numerous malls surrounding the base, re-creations of midwestern sprall with Gap and Old Navy, American Eagle and Starbuck's. Outside of the American areas, the men wore white shiek outfits and the women dressed in black, head to toe, with only their eyes peeping through slits. S said they looked like ninjas. There were soldiers from all of our wars and engagements in Qatar -- Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia -- and the word was that Iraq is going as poorly as we think it is from our vantage point here. There is hope, though, that General Casey's new timeline will actually come to pass and half of the troops will be drawn down next spring. That's the hope, anyway! In a few days S is headed back toward Pakistan. They'll stop off at Asadabad before moving on to a new location. The Indiana Guard has left, finally, and in their place are a guard group from New York, who were shocked to see so much equipment in storage that hadn't been distributed to the teams. Just today, S and his team were issued uparmored vehicles and radios from the military. The first time in six months. Apparently there is a lot of buzz about the upcoming elections, with hope that things will go well enough to hand over the Afghanistan mission to NATO, with only some of the remaining troops then being Americans. We'll see! 
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Last update: 8/3/05; 12:28:53 AM .
