Old Friends

[Long, emotional, gorgeously sunny weekend with Jessica, her new guy Caleb, and her adorable mutt Auggie. They arrived Friday evening so exhausted from the drive that they, John and I were able only to fit in dinner at Hyde Street Seafood and some talk back home before crashing. Jess monopolized most of the conversation, giving us the full lowdown on her messy marriage and divorce. Having been there at the beginning of her relationship with Jeff, but having drawn away as his behavior grew more and more bizarre, I could only listen in unsurprised resignation. From the minute she told me they were going to get married (less than six months after meeting), I knew it was doomed. I still wonder whether I should've said anything at the time...no, she wouldn't have heard it. She's 30, beautiful, successful, and seems to have escaped with her sanity and verve intact.]

[We were able to spend the rest of the weekend concentrating on the present and reminiscing about the good past. San Francisco put on its pretty face this weekend, with temps in the high 70's and blue skies. We romped with the dog in Dolores Park, grabbed tasty meals at some of John's and my favorite hangouts, did some record shopping at Amoeba (Squeeze, Split Enz, Kinks, and Actionslacks for Jess, Marcella Detroit and a compilation featuring Kelis, Coldplay and the Bloodhound Gang for me), and explored Golden Gate Park. Why don't I go there more often?]

[Saturday night was the Weezer show at the suprisingly huge Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Felt like the oldest person there. They put on a good show, though I only knew their early stuff. John didn't join as he's fighting a flu that precluded his participation in much of the weekend. And the rest of us were too tired after the concert to do anything after but go to bed.]

[After we did a late breakfast yesterday in the Haight, Sean met up with us and we attempted some serious touristing in Chinatown and North Beach. Between the incense shops, the porcelain knock-offs, and several cups of strong coffee on Columbus, Sean, Jess and I fell right into our old shorthand of in-jokes and stories. Caleb, seemingly quiet by nature, didn't seem to mind as we reminisced: Sean and Jessica hadn't seen each other in five years, and it had been almost as long for Jess and me (we visited briefly last summer.)]

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