Heim in Kalifornian Vaterland!

It's like I never left. You return to a place you lived in for a decade nearly 17 years ago and it's like you never left in so many ways. I write this in my good friend Robert Irminger's place, the always -open San Francisco socialist guestroom at 246 Precita on Bernal Heights with a labor history library, a cat for company and a cup of coca tea from Bolivia for a stimulant. Robert was just down there for President Evo Morales inauguration, that union delegate jet-setter! I have my mountain street bike here, humped over land and sea in a bike bag and I'm zipping around the city like a native Critical Masser, down to Montgomery Street this morning, then a tour around my old Asian Tenderloin nieghborhood, down Ellis to Market past droves of homeless lining up for relief and food. U.N. Plaza was stunning in its civic lines, tourists and statues, Chinese women doing wu shu dancing, then up Valenica for a lunch stop; veg burrito for 4.50, Italian mineral water 1.98 from Luccas, devoured in the lush back yard garden.

Social whirl fun my usual sailor on leave energy bowling everyone over, out for dinner first night with Robert,Bob Carasik, Mary Droyvage, daughter (starting university) Nora Carasik and old old not-seen-in-fifteen-years friend from Bloomington Indiana John Nelson. We had Ethipian food, big circle of spongy bread.
Then visit to our bookstores, Modern Times and Dog Eared Books. Books, novels and tomes bulge from the shelves of 'The Athens of the West!' Oh to return here and live a successful writer... Saturday we two go out for a giant breakfast at Carasik's suggestion but Bob and John sleep in. I somehow force air into my bike tires and take to horse, zipping past Precita Park to visit Bob's neighboring residance at 309 Montcalm. There I hang out with John Nelson on the patio and talk about old friends like Jim Hurd, Colin Carter and the self-martyred Steve Millen, to whom John has dedicated a tattoo "So long Stevie."

Afternoon is a load of laundry then Fred drops in and the three of us enjoy a weekend scotch up on the upper staircase balcomy of the building, soaking up a gleaming warm winter San Francisco sun. Before long I'm on my bike to Berkeley, kicked off the first carriage, in a pa system order (3rd one on this trip.} I get off in Fruitvale, delay 30 min, then my new bikelight breaks into a 6 piences. Evenutually I find Steve and Teresa's place and we have a hug and finish up cooking for the potluck.
Then its off to a Berkeley house party, great food and people, including an associate of Prof Richard Stites, whom I last saw in Helsinki in 1978! The fellow Georgetown professor Amy calls him and we catch up after all these years. I get a nightcap at the the Latin American club and leave my Go Nippon scarf behind. On Sunday I enjoy Yerba Buena gardens and park before catching a movie, "Syriana," Clooney and Soderburgh with a "Traffic" take on middle east oil intrigue. I get back in time with chips and beer for the Superbowl with Robert but not before I get rung up for too much at Safeway! God proves his hate for the Seahawks and they bumble numerous chances to score as the Steelers win the Stupid Bowl. Now I can concentrate on getting out the fans for the US Japan soccer supporters welcome and drink-off at Mad Dog in the Fog on Thursday.