Serendipitized!

I forced myself to leave the house yesterday, on account that I didn't up and move to a whole new (to me) city in a whole new (to me) region of the country just to remain entrenched in my hermetic ways. It was an uphill battle: "disgusting" is the mildest adjective that can be applied to the stretch of weather we're having here. But! I am so, SO glad I did, because who should I run into in Guero's Taco Bar, where I was being a Conspicuous Solo Diner, but my friend Courtney of San Francisco Fame, and her friend Christopher (who is now my friend Christopher too)? Talk about serendipity! If I were the sort of person who used phrases like "meant to be," I would use one here, but I'm not, so I won't. Man, having friends makes all the difference. Much revelry ensued, including visits to Uncommon Objects, a sno-cone truck, a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, a too-hip-to-breathe vintage store (wherein Chris was recognized and photo-documented as a Fashion Icon for their blog!), Stag (Sartorial Provisions for Gentlemen, or something to that effect, where when Courtney asked where we should get a drink, the three of us were handed tall cans of Dos Equis—I swear, the alcohol pours itself down my throat), the Hotel San Jose, where I simply must reside when I am a wealthy eccentric (because what other hotel has typewriters available for your use, should you get the urge to write the Great American Novel, AND a Secret Garden, replete with Zen swimming pool, on the grounds? Plus their website is amazing.), and the Continental Club, whose red walls, bluesy/jazzy performing band, and dancing (like, actual dancing, with steps and stuff—the kind that requires actual skill) couples evoked a strong David Lynchian vibe whilst being utterly charming.

After the full itinerary aforementioned, we parted ways and I went up the street with the intention of seeing a local chanteuse of whom I am quite fond, but alas, it turned out her show was not for several hours yet, so I headed in the other direction to the Congress Avenue bridge to watch the bats ascend into the darkening sky. I'm glad I did, because it was quite a sight (and this is the largest bat colony in North America!), and because watching people watch the bats was as much fun as watching the bats themselves: one of those experiences in the thrall of which it is almost impossible not to be more favorably disposed toward one's own species, the human capacity for wonder, our curiosity, our fascination with the world around us.

It was a very good day.

Chris, Courtney, and their auras, as documented by Shutter Island