What They're Seeing

Plug 1 getting that perfect shot in the Tenderloin.

Or perhaps the joy of trying is enough for him?

***

One of the things I enjoy most about the SF Flickr community is its generosity. I have found a real spirit of camaraderie amongst a large group of individuals who all find it possible to encourage and praise each other's work while combing the same streets of the city.

Perhaps it's because we all appreciate and reflect to each other the city that we love in a myriad of ways. We're extensions of each other but still individuals with our own styles and perceptions.

***

I feel especially fortunate to have met Plug 1 and Plug 2 through photography. Many of you locals already know them from their popular blog, What I'm Seeing. Spending time with the two of them out of doors, each one of us searching for that next great photo op for all of us to share, is a day of memories that I'll smile about for a long time.

What I've also seen in watching those two together is a sweet San Francisco love story. A love story with the city and also with each other.

I hope you'll enjoy their photo shoot and their story here.

UPDATE 11:15am: Here's a nice plug from the Plugs! Thank you!

It was a candy-colored day.

Today looked like something from a Paint-By-Numbers book.

Or a bowl of Skittles.

Or a box of Popsicles.

Or a handful of sidewalk chalk.

You get the idea.

***

I had a great time today combing the urban landscape with Plug 1 and Plug 2. They'll be making a guest appearance soon on i live here: SF, so keep an eye out.

And watch out for the land sharks. This one's busy eating a VW van, but I have a feeling that SF is full of these menaces.

Out with the girls

Robin of Bird Tweets taking photos in Clarion Alley in the Mission.

***

I went almost immediately from days of darkness inside the Castro Theatre to full-on sunshine and hot temperatures (especially for San Francisco).

Robin and Relyn are still visiting our fair city and this is Day Two of our SF: Tangobaby style marathon. Yesterday we spent half the day in the Mission and the other half in Chinatown, by way of The Castro, the Palace Hotel and the Lower Haight. (And yes, that is a lot.)

We had Salvadorean papusas and plantains on 24th Street, dim sum on Stockton and sausages from Rosamunde's (yay!). We rode a cable car, a bus, the N-Judah and BART. And we walked. Boy did we walk. And we got much needed accupressure foot massages in Chinatown. We ate the grilled sausages at my place and watched Vertigo on the big movie screen, so they could see parts of the city we saw today (Mission Dolores and downtown) and parts of the city we will have to save for next time. We couldn't decide who was crazier: Jimmy Stewart or Kim Novak.

Today is Telegraph Hill (hoping for wild parrots), the Filbert Stairs and North Beach in general, SF MOMA to see Robert Frank and Richard Avedon, and who knows what else while we still have feet.

I'm just beside myself to see what photos Robin will get with her big camera. She has been so generous in trying to figure out how to help me use my little baby one. I'm inspired to save money and get a real SLR and lenses like hers (but first, a job must come). I have this feeling of anticipation in having a photographer friend I so admire take photos of the places I've come to love so much, and then see them through her eyes. I know her work is going to be incredible and cannot wait to see it.

Relyn has a perfect little camera but I have a feeling she'll be getting a bigger one soon! We've got to have some sort of camera fever that is contagious.

Both of them are more wonderful to hang out with than you might even imagine. Robin is fearless and strong with her camera. I really admire her passion and pursuit of the image and how generous she is to share her enthusiasm and her wealth of knowledge. Relyn is bubbling over with humor and laughter and pure enjoyment where ever she is. She wants to do and see everything, and appreciates all she sees. I am enjoying them both tremendously.

***

I had more fun watching them take photos of the places I love, but here are a few images I took yesterday that I like.

playing the hand you're dealt in Chinatown

waiting for mama to finish the laundry in the Mission

the last picture show, in the Mission

their tiny master, Chinatown

Okay, time to prepare for another day.

xoxo

The Envelope Please...

The winner of my gently used book, tea and candy (oh, and a print, how could I forget?) giveaway is....

Brook!

Brook of the aptly named Blogbaby.
(Please email me your address, okay?)

;-)

***

Ta-da!

Thank you to all who left a comment and threw your hat in the ring. I wish I had more books and treats to give out... and I think I'll do it again soon.

You are young, broke and beautiful.

Thus sayeth Broke-Ass Stuart.

***

Well, I'm pretty sure I'm broke. And occasionally I've been known to be beautiful but that takes some doing these days. But young? I guess I'll just say I'm as young as I feel and usually that's a good 20 years younger than my driver's license says I am.

I know that I say that each photo shoot I do for i live here: SF is really great and I love meeting new people and seeing what kind of predicaments we will get in and generally getting all excited about the unknown: Will we have any chemistry that will make itself present in the photos? Will these photos be worth sharing? What surprises will I learn about this person?

Basically, a lot of these shoots are like blind dates without the dinner. I often know little to almost nothing about the people I'm going to meet, and I think I really like it that way.

***

Enter Broke-Ass Stuart.

When he contacted me to inquire about being part of i live here:SF, I was really thrilled. I mean, I know who he is. I have a copy of his book. Here I am with a real, live published author.

But the dude in person is a thousand times more interesting to hang out with, and quite funny and playful, as you'll see in our shots. There's a lot less filter with Stuart, which I happen to like, and what you see is what you get. He's a bit of a whirlwind. And then reading the story he wrote to go with his photos... now there's just a whole other side of him.

It was singularly enjoyable to be hanging out with Stuart on a random grey Tuesday in the afternoon, walking all the way from the F-Line streetcar stop in front of the Twin Peaks bar in the Castro, all the way through the Lower Haight, up into Hayes Valley and beyond.

Me in my common unemployedness and him in his professional broke-assness.

I almost felt like a 20-something year-old hipster. It was cool.

***

Check out Stuart, his story, his photo shoot, and his books and blog here on i live here: SF.

UPDATE 9/18: A little mutual blog lovin' here from the man himself. Yay!

The Sound of Our Voices

In blogging, the written word becomes a substitute for our audible voice. We read each other's bloggy voices, supply intonation and diction according to our own imaginations.

How particularly special it is when you get to hear the sound of a friend's voice, someone who's voice you've only heard in your head until now.

***

When Adam at I Don't Give 2 Cents, I Throw Quarters first started reading my blog last year, I was really struck by his honesty and willingness to put his opinions and feelings out in passionate and well-reasoned ways. I found his viewpoint to be refreshing and I liked that he challenged me.

When Adam invited me to be a guest on his podcast for his blog, I was flattered but I also didn't know what to expect. We ended up having an hour-long conversation that felt like we've always been hanging out and chatting.

It was great to hear the sound of a blogger's voice, as Adam put it: "some one who exists as 9-point type is now a real person." I'm really grateful and super thrilled that Adam so generously wanted to make my recent posts and goings on such a big part of his blog.

I hope you'll take some time to listen to our conversation. There's some cool music before and after our interview, provided by his sponsor Papyrus Records, and I've really enjoying listening to our talk. We talked a lot about K and the kids, and about Prop. 8.

So now, for the curious, you can hear what some bloggers' voices sound like if you've already been reading our posts.

***

I, for one, did not end up sounding like Kathleen Turner. Apparently, Moon Unit Zappa's influence on my manner of speaking has never really faded (I guess you can take the girl out of the valley but not the Valley out of the Girl, so that's unfortunate) although I did not utter the word tubular. (To my credit, I did not swear.)

Adam, on the other hand, sounds very professional, has a lovely, smooth speaking voice and certainly has a talent for radio. Ohio radio stations, you should hire this guy as a DJ.

I hope you enjoy the podcast, too. Let us know what you think.

And thanks again, Adam. I hope this chat is the first of many.

Driving Ms. Muni Diaries

When Eugenia of Muni Diaries contacted me about being part of the i live here: SF photo project, I was so excited. Muni Diaries is one of those blogs that you think, this is really what SF is about, these guys seem really cool, etcetera etcetera.

But when Eugenia managed to convince someone over at Muni to let us photograph on an empty bus, I was even more excited. I loved that Eugenia was as enthusiastic about my project as I am, and really gets what it is I want to do.

And the fact that she might have someone over at Muni wrapped around her little finger, well, that's just damn impressive. Maybe there's hope for this city after all...

You can read Eugenia's story and see her photo shoot here.

***

Oh, and BTW, the Muni Diaries is having a great event this coming Friday:

We're looking for spoken word, poems, music, stories, art, or whatever Muni has inspired out of you! Friday, June 12, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Make-Out Room

I won't be there because I have a hot date with an 8-year old (my little friend C is performing in her salsa dancing debut at Herbst Theatre, believe it or not) but I hope some of you can make it over to the Makeout Room for some libations and Muni solidarity.

Ah, the possibilities...

Taking photos of sexy, fabulous men...

Or Canadian geese?

I really really really love my i live here: SF project... (and I still always want more subjects, so email me.)

Sexy man post coming soon. I have like a bajillion photos to edit.
(And no, those are not my legs.)

Hope you're having a great weekend. Today is the first day of the Inner Sunset's brand-y new farmers' market so I'm off to check it out, and the sun is peeking out of the fog, so that's all good.

And tonight I'm doing a podcast with Adam of I Don't Give Two Cents, I Throw Quarters, so stay tuned for more info about that. I'm trying to figure out how to make my voice sound like Kathleen Turner's by 4pm.

Okay, so I'm not Man Ray the Second

Sloan, 2009

Kiki, 1926

It's nice to have friends who are very good sports.
I'm just not that Dadaist yet.

***

I did get a photo credit here for the Muni Diaries and again on Flavorpill today. So that's cool.
Have a good weekend, guys.

xoxo

You think I faked this?

This is a photo I was intentionally trying to get published so I could win a free Fast Pass over at Where's Gavin? But no one seems to believe that I really did see da Mayor riding Muni.

I guess I need to hone my Photoshop skills.

Actually I did get some really cool shots of someone else riding Muni for i live here: SF but that will have to wait until next week. Can anyone guess who I pasted Gavin's head on?

Hint: It's a girl.

In my next life, I want to be British

Brian & Eileen's Wedding Music Video. from LOCKDOWN projects on Vimeo.

I daresay that this video is like 99.9% as good as the Susan Boyle video.

This video also made me question my almost terminal wedding phobia and also made me totally miss Freddie Mercury. I am going to have to listen to Queen's Greatest Hits all day today.

If the above statements weren't enough to make you watch this video, then you are a party pooper.

***

ps.: The picnic was fun, even though it was bloody freezing and the sun never came out. But K was always surrounded by a few people, talking quietly, and I loved looking over to see her smile or laugh at times. That was mostly what I wanted, so that she felt like real people were there to meet her and care about her. I never saw the kids at all, they were on the playground for hours. They ran over once or twice to inhale some food and then to dash off again.

And meeting a few people that I've only corresponded with via email or spoken to on the phone... gosh, I love that. And Gabby drove for hours just to be with us. What a sweetheart. You have no idea how cool this guy is (well, if you read his blog, you do!). And Nancy came early and kept me company and helped me carry all of the food to the park. Thank you! And then Greg and I watched Dark Passage at my house afterwards.

And apparently the trick to the best brownies ever (no, it's not that, silly) is 3/4 cup of Nutella added to the mix. Best brownies EVAH. Sarah, you're awesome! And not just because of the brownies. I'm so glad I know you.

Explosive Laugh Alert: Do Not Drink Hot Liquids While Taking This Poll

Muchos gracias to Mari for posting about this contest. Go visit The Mudflats to choose your favorite title. I really had totally banned myself from reading anything political in past months, even curtailing my Daily Show intake, just because I really had OD'ed so badly last year.

This image made me realize that I probably am missing out on some laughs during my self-imposed internment from the bizarre political landscape. (I voted for Winkin', Blinkin' and Todd. But it was VERY hard to choose, go on... you'll see. BTW, the contest ends tomorrow.)

I'm still sick but have not taken a single nap yet today, which feels like a huge health improvement breakthrough. And my iPhone has not disappeared again. Perhaps the tsetse fly has moved on!

***

ps.: Fabulous book cover image from Mudflats post. I used to read this blog often when SP appeared out of nowhere, and it's really a great blog.

Play the New SF Game! All MUNI Riders Can Win!

I think this is brilliant. From the brand new site, "Where's Gavin?"
And thanks to Greg of the much beloved N-Judah Chronicles for posting this first.

I wonder if any of us can actually win this game? I sure could use a free Fast Pass.

***

We’re looking for Mayor Gavin Newsom. Have you seen him? We know he talks a good game on Muni and transit in our fair city, the City and County of San Francisco. But why doesn’t he also walk the walk? His advocacy and leadership for Muni has been noticeably absent even though, deep in his heart, he must know that the truly green choice is non-car transportation. So what are we to do? Apparently he has the lock on the capitulating Supes and just doesn’t get it:

When asked what he thinks about the fact that Muni riders are paying more than drivers in this budget (estimates say the ratio is 4 to 1), Newsom responded that’s only true “when the budget is taken out of context” and argued that over the years “it’s been fairly balanced.”

In order to make this mistake, he must be a car guy. But there is some hope! We only have this clue from the Chronicle:

He also rides Muni incognito, disguised in a baseball cap, and walks when he can, said his spokesman Nathan Ballard.

But going incognito means we can’t find him. So can you help us find him? Only you, the riders of our beloved San Francisco Municipal Railway, can find Gavin going incognito. And to get you excited, check out the sidebar to see what prizes you could win! The deep and resounding question of our time is not “Where’s Waldo?” It’s “Where’s Gavin?”

***

I'm still sick but this game did brighten my day a bit. Now off for some more tea. I stole the graphic off of the Where's Gavin site because it's better than the only photo I've got of him.

Have you seen these guys?

Meet Gene, Mark, Christine and Augustus.

These guys are over at my other blog... you remember that one? It's still cool but it's been lonely. Go say hi.

;-)

While You Were Out

Dear Gavin,

I hope you had fun in Washington DC yesterday, meeting with all of those important people in our nation's capital. Are they helping you out with your gubernatorial campaign? How was the Victory Garden Tour at the White House?

Well, I just wanted to keep you up to date with some things you might have missed out on since you're not in town too much these days. Even though your schedule says you're in your office today, I didn't see you when I was outside City Hall this morning.

Maybe you didn't realize this, but today there was a press conference on the steps of City Hall by homeless mothers. Apparently, homeless mothers in the community have been trying to meet you for over two years to talk about housing and issues that affect their families, but somehow you're never available to meet with them...

Here are some of the kids that your mayorship affects with the city's lack of transitional and low income housing for families...

Little kids living in one room SROs in Chinatown (7 people living in one room? That's insane.)

Mothers worried about how they'll survive each day.

People holding up a banner that reads "housing is a right, not a privilege."

Rachel and Lisa from helpamotherout.org were there. They have a diaper drive to help mothers who need the basics and can't get them because there aren't enough services. Did you know that there isn't even ONE diaper bank in the entire city of San Francisco?

Lisa, Rachel and I had to leave after the press conference to meet with K and bring her some diapers, formula, blankets and other items for the baby. But another concerned mom from Badgermama went up to your offices with the rest of the crowd and here is what she reported about being outside of your office for an hour:

I went up to the Mayor's Office with about 20 people. They kicked us out of the office and said that the one woman who can access the mayor's schedule was in a meeting. We waited in the hall outside the Mayor's office for over an hour.

Finally a guy came out and all he did was take a phone number down and promise that someone would call the coalition to make an appointment. Everyone had to leave, the children were restless, the ABC reporter split off some of the most involved folks to get them to go with him and a cameraman to someone's apartment in Chinatown where 7 people live in 1 room.

I played with children in the hallway so that moms could talk to the cameras some more...

So there you go, Gavin... just a little recap of the stuff going on right outside your door, fyi.

UPDATE 7:44pm: Here is the news segment that aired on KGO tonight.

***

On an entirely different note...

Kelly! These animals were a HUGE HIT!!! The kids LOVE them! Thank you so much!!! They told me to say thank you! They immediately started playing and hugging them. So adorable. You knew exactly what to get.

xoxo

julie

My Superhero Cape Is Getting Heavy

Guys, listen up. I'm so so incredibly appreciative that people keep picking up K's story and running with it: yesterday again we got shout-outs on SFist and Eye on Blogs AND now I'm BlogHer of the Week at BlogHer (which is huge and I'm really grateful... thanks, Jory!) but I gotta tell you, I'm a practical person and I just want to get shit done.

I'll be very honest and tell you what I need to help K and the kids and what I don't.

What I don't need (ie., stuff that raises my blood pressure):

• Any more comments telling me how nice I am or how great it is about what I'm doing. I'm not doing this to get my angel wings. If you think what I'm doing is great, don't just talk about it-- DO something. Tell your friends, post this story somewhere. Donate some money. HELP.
  
• Any more lists about places I can call, please. I have every fricking last one of them.
  
• Any more smart ass comments about The System. Trust me, I know The System is fucked. Comments like that don't help.
  

What I need and this is the plain and honest truth:

• I need a sublet, a single bedroom apartment or a hotel room with a kitchenette to rent for K and the kids from now until the end of August in San Francisco. That's it. It's that simple. With the donations I've received, if there is a good hearted landlord out there (and I'm guessing there has to be at least one) I need a place where this little family can stay until their permanent housing comes through in September. Budget is obviously a consideration.
  

Now honestly, with all of the attention out there about K's story, this part should be a walk in the park. I just can't do it all by myself. I don't know every person and possibility in San Francisco. Please don't email me Craigslist ads. I want solid leads or people who know people who can do something tangible.

So you guys that really want to help... help me find a place for them to live in the city. Somewhere in the city that's decent, with a little kitchen and a bedroom. The kids are in school until the middle of June and then they are in summer school with their little pals. So we're not taking them out of the city.

That's it. That's what we need. If I can, I'll pay for it in advance even. No Section 8, just a little sublet to rent till the end of the summer. This family is quiet and sweet. The kids are precious and fun to be around. The baby is adorable.

After that, then we can talk about more clothing, toys, etc. I mean, if you don't have a closet to put your clothes in or room on the floor to play on, having piles of toys and clothes piled in the tiny place you DO have just makes it harder to live normally. Having a kitchen where your mom can make you breakfast or where she can whip up her famous mac 'n cheese casserole is a hell of a lot better than eating KFC and Carl's Junior all the time because you don't have a kitchen.

So who's stepping up to the plate with me? If we get this housing part done, then hell, I don't know what I'll do for you yet but it could totally involve showering you with kisses and giving you my undying gratitude. And perhaps just knowing that you were a superfucking action hero and that I'll share my cape with you, because YOU helped save a family-- that might be the reward in itself.

Let's finish this story and make our own. In the happiest way possible.

My guest post, posted here ;-)

Below is the text of my guest post yesterday for helpamotherout.org.

If you haven't been to see their site, they're doing lots of good work for moms and kids in need. Check them out and tell them tangobaby sent you.

;-)

***

Flowers are always a little more beautiful after the rain, don't you think?
This photo was taken in Golden Gate Park.

***

Two weeks ago today, something happened that changed my life forever.

I think it's a rare and magical thing to be able to look at a date on a calendar and think to yourself: Yes, on this day, I became a better person.

I'm just glad that date happened to me sooner than later.

***

Two weeks ago today, I passed by a young homeless woman on the streets of San Francisco, her eyes large and tear-filled. Holding a baby, with a small boy on one side of her and a little girl on the other, she needed $60 dollars for a motel room.

I walked by.

I often walk by people begging for money. We all do. We set up these automatic shields. If we gave away all of our money to everyone that asked us to, what would we have left?

The truth is that we might have even more than we gave. I would have never been able to say that to you over two weeks ago, but I can say it now.

***

The good news is that this time, I thought about the sight that I had seen, and thought that it was so terribly terribly wrong that I would not have been able to sleep had I not turned back. My protective bubble had burst.

And in so doing, returning to that woman and her children, a whole sad world opened to me. A world I have never encountered: a world of savage cruelty inflicted by someone bigger and stronger, someone who should have cared and protected but only harmed, with malice. But it's also a world of love and strength, the true measure of a woman's love for her family, who would do what she could for her children no matter how unsure the future seemed.

K and her children are a joy to be around. They are definitely a unit, bound by love, to each other. In this short span of two weeks, the world has reached out to help this family where a city could not. I am amazed at how the situation changes moment by moment.

I can only be inspired by the good will and love that people around the world, connected by electronic threads of compassion, have woven around this tiny family. Money, clothing, toys, this and more await this family. They are not out of the woods yet, by any means. They still need reliable shelter for months to come. But I am hopeful that their days of struggle and tears and cold nights have passed forever. If you can help, please do.

These children are our future. This mother is the only one they will ever have.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.

With love,

Julie

Time Out

Door on Haight Street reads
Community: All different but all help each other get the fruit from the tree.

Ain't that the truth?!

***

Holy moly. What a week! We got our little story on SFist, Eye on Blogs, KGO News (thank you again, Carolyn Tyler!), we were tweeted and facebooked and tumblr-ed oodles of times, we got City Hall a little riled up, and goodness only knows what else.

You guys have been fantastic. You are living proof that this world is a wonderful place, full of people who care. You care a lot.

Your support of K and the kids has been mind-blowing. My inbox is so out of control that I can't even deal with it right now. But I'm totally happy with that because you have shared your best: your hearts all in the right places. I wish I could reply to each and every one of you. Some day I will. It might take me weeks but gosh darn it, I will.

Because you were there for me.

***

Just so you know, K and the kids are all set for the weekend, whether or not a shelter comes through next week, thanks to you. So they're happy and I'm happy. And hopefully we will have some progress to report next week.

But today is The Boy's birthday and it's his turn for a little well-deserved attention and some TLC.

You guys enjoy yourselves and I'll catch up with you in a few. But please do visit another wonderful blog who has been very supportive of K and her family's story, helpamotherout.org. I wrote a guest post for them today.

xoxo

Keep your fingers crossed for us tonight

just saw this the other day... seems fitting, doesn't it?

UPDATE: Ugh, I'm sad to report that our news story has been preempted by the Swine Flu cases in Marin county. I just got off the phone with Carolyn Tyler, the reporter. She said the piece looks great and hopefully it will air tomorrow. So still keep those fingers crossed...

***

Tonight (scratch that, hopefully tomorrow) at 6pm, the local ABC affiliate KGO 7 will be airing a piece about K and the lack of services for women and children in her situation, and how the blogging community--meaning YOU-- reached out to help a family in desperate need when the city could not.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that something extra good comes of this tonight. I hope that we get enough donations to make sure this little family has a nice apartment to live in until permanent housing becomes available or that the powers that be finally realize that enough isn't being done to help homeless mothers and their children.

Thank you to each and every one of you who has cared to donate, to email a letter of encouragement or to tell your friends, because it's through your support and sharing this story that we were able to attract the attention of some people that might finally do something to make a huge difference in the lives of this family.

Thank you thank you thank you. Wish us luck!

***

You should be able to see a streaming version online at http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/index or view the archived version later.

Help and love come in many ways...

"I do not have the funds available right now to be able to give cash, but I sew and quilt and will do or make whatever is needed for her and the babies. I am a single mother with 7 kids and no child support, but I do want to help desperately."

***

This was excerpted from an email I received three days ago.

Three days ago, Marlene and I had never met. Now I feel like I've known her for a long time.

Marlene, a blogger on the Chesapeake Bay, with a loving heart and a talented hand and a smart brain, was able to raise $230 in a silent auction she had on her blog over the past few days. By using her resources and her talent, people were able to bid on her beautiful handmade tote bags, and Marlene is generously donating the proceeds to help K and her family.

Three days ago, I would have never even imagine how such powerful love and kindness would manifest itself to help this little family. Now I think the sky's the limit and there's no end to what goodness might happen.

Please visit Marlene and say hello and read her own story. She knows only too well the story of domestic abuse.

Thank you, Marlene, for sharing your story and your generous heart. And to your wonderful bidders who participated in your auction... thank you.