"W," Jenny says, and she points, and so I take a picture. This happens on our way to Johnny Rockets after spending two hours wandering the endless halls of the new Crocker Art Museum.
That's the Crocker.
That's a view of Downtown from the second floor of the Crocker, taken on a comfortable white leather couch surrounded by sculptures of wolves, humans and caricatures. "You'll have to convince me to get off this couch. It's way too comfortable," I say to Jenny as she leaves the room. "I'm sure you'll be able to convince yourself," she says, then disappears.
At some point not long after finishing my opening shift at Old Soul, I stuck my head out my bedroom window and saw Brandon walking by, so I hollered down to say hello. Next thing I know, he asks, "Want to smoke some hash?" and hurries back to his apartment next-door to grab his stash. I give him the quick tour of the house and the yard before Jenny and the others arrive. Brandon's a good guy, works at Pizza Rock and Morton's Steak House, finding himself in the same two-job scenario that I found myself in after being fired from Creekside.
I like being the guy who lives in "That Blue House" that everyone knows about, walks by, admires, and never imagines they'll be able to explore. I'm still baffled by the fact that I actually live here sometimes, so I'm always happy to show new friends around. Brandon went off to band practice and the day continued.
Jenny works in this big black ominous building downtown for Capitol Weekly. Earlier this week she interviewed Gavin Newsom, the California lieutenant governor, and she said he was more nervous than she was. "He's pretty powerless," she explains, saying his popularity status comes mostly from being a handsome politician. Jenny also knows where the big oil companies do business, where the politicians meet for cigars and martinis and under-the-table dealings, where NPR lives and where the Associated Press works. She also pointed out a halfway-home for sex-offenders nestled quietly among the filthy ritz of K Street Mall.
There were four of us: Nic (fellow Old Soul) and his fiancée, Ashley, and Jenny and me. We met at my house and smoked a bowl in my room before making the trek across town to the Crocker, soundtracked all the while by Ashley's purse with built-in speakers. Stoned, the dialogue wasn't all that cohesive, but that's okay because the weather was fantastic and perfectly balanced by a strong wind, and eventually we paid the $10 entry fee and found our way into the Art Museum.
The first time I went to the Crocker, it was to serve coffee at the museum's opening party with Kirsten.
This time I actually got to walk around and look at things. Trying to avoid the impulse to stay by Jenny's side the whole time, I meandered at my own pace and picked my own art to admire, while making sure we bumped into each other at random intervals to share thoughts. There really isn't anything better than wandering around, stoned, staring at impossible pieces of art and wondering how so many tiny brush strokes can make such a realistic snapshot of a landscape.
The museum is great. There's probably a lot of stuff I didn't even get to see. Gottfriend Helnwein's "Inferno of the Innocents" was a captivating and disturbing display of talent. One of these days I'll go on a day off and give the place more attention than two hours can warrant, since it deserves at least four or five hours of pure appreciation. There's even a cafe.
We stopped by Johnny Rockets for dinner, then had a bonfire in my backyard. At some point Jenny and I cooked up a big batch of Tom Ramen and the four of us played a game of Words on two iPhones and slurped on noodles by the firelight. I'd offered Kirsten my bed for the night, so I had to get back before midnight, otherwise I would've stayed. Seen what happened. I don't know if Jenny's the kind of girl who would condone my string-free view of relationships, so there's still all that to figure out. All in all, a good chance to bond with Nic and Ashley, a fun evening with Jenny, and a splendid way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.
This is the four of us trying to jump at the same time.
From left to right: Nic, Ashley, Me, Jenny
Kirsten woke me up around midnight and managed to keep me awake until about 4:00 in the morning.
Tomorrow I'm staying at Katie's, then Tuesday night I'm getting ready for Oakland.
- Left to Fry
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