Moving On
Last days in San Francisco were a total blast. Birthdays, improv theater, eating out, getting drunk, Carnaval, craziness of all sorts. The fucking Golden Gate turned 75 years old. And we were too lazy to head out to watch it. "It'll be on YouTube," was the prevalent feeling about it. I'm sure it was (and is) and I'm fine. Instead, we got this:
'Tonight you sleep in hell!' (You thought I was going to do the other one, didn't you?)
Ha! We laughed, me and Sami and Lilli did. Such one-liners. Such sword-fighting. Such shitty acting!
But the DVD brings me to another point. The Lost Weekend video store on Valencia. Great place, to which I only have to offer you one piece of evidence.
Put that cookie down!
And that was it. San Francisco was ready to be left behind in one more day. And I was fine with all of it. I saw everyone (but one) and got to hang out with all you guys. The best times.
Be safe, all of you.
Just a Little Off the Top, Please
If you ever feel like having a straight edge taken to your face, I know just the guy. First visited Louie's Barbershop on Castro back in 2009 on a road trip. I wanted to get an American shave and a little asking around got me this address. And when I was last staying in the city, Don was in charge of my hair, and no one else. A gentleman and a master barber.
Don, the sweetest guy. With facial hair like none other.
So, this place is the real thing. Been around since the 1930's and still going strong. Black and white diamond tile flooring, old school chairs, total walk-in--this is the good stuff. And I can't go on about the shave long enough. Lather, hot towel, straight edge razor, with some Bay Rum to finish it all up. (Bay Rum is supposedly the only fragrance that can overpower cigar smoke. Snap!)
Old school. Good times.
Kick back, why don't you?
Coffee and Empanadas
But first, this is the beast that Raphael lent me. It's pretty big. I should have included a match box in the picture for scale, but take my word for it. Gigantic.
Big!
So I kicked off the day with some delicious empanadas at Chile Lindo, across the street from where I used to live. Go for the chilangas--soooo good with their cheesy jalapeño awesomeness. Glad to see they're still around.
Mmm...empanadas.
And what do you know, I kept it up with hitting the hipster holdout that is Four Barrel Coffee on Valencia. With an overload of beards (epic), tattoos (plentiful) and beanies (red) I took refuge by the bar that overlooks the roaster. Where hipsters roast coffee with what little passion they have. (Clever allusion to this.)
Cool beans.