sunday streets again

mother's day. we were lucky to catch sunday streets and were out for almost the entire day, walking from our house to 18th and valencia with rocket dog. i saw a student i had when he was four who is now a junior in high school. his mom recognized me and i felt old. he told me about some mech droids they were building in japan and was very into rock the bike (music powered by pedaling bicyclists). later another student sped by on her scooter. when she left our pre-k program at 4 she was barely speaking, today she politely introduced my to her brother and looked like a beautiful about to be 2nd grader. of course we saw many friends from the neighborhood. there were a bunch of kids from miles and maya's preschool checking out these amazing dancers (imagine video of amazing dancers here, i can't seem to post the video right now) but my favorite was a little boy who was just learning how to walk when he was in preschool, and usually used crutches to get around--breakdancing!! he was inspiring.

painting part of a mural outside the brava theater.
we saw this before sunday streets really got going. it is conceptual art? did someone just throw their recycling bin through a glass door in a rage? did someone break a glass door and someone else push the bin through to make a statement of some sort? hmm...trippy...confusing. watch out for the broken glass.
also at the beginning of sunday streets miles and maya enjoyed lying on the asphalt in the sun, until a cranky cop suggested they get up because it might scare other people to think they had been hurt. c'mon.

photos for daddy

this is pretty much photos for rich, who is touring europe with his band carlton melton for almost a month. he is living the high life in europe, staying in castles, being fed gourmet dinners and fine wine, not doing dishes or laundry or homework help. but look what he is missing!

we survived out first trip to disneyland. it was a fine road trip with our friends nancy and angus. nancy and i blasted satellite radio rock and roll on the rented mini-van stereo and reminisced about our long-ago childhoods. disneyland was hot with long lines but not horrendous, and chock full of glorious people watching opportunities. lots of 'mericans and many tantrumming children in the happiest place on earth.

here are the kids with some pirate bling on huck finn's island.

and here is maya, who had a very crummy cold but who rode big thunder rollercoaster twice anyway, as minnie the bride.

back to the city we were lucky enough to stumble upon the caesar chavez day celebration on 24th street this weekend as we walked back from dance class. some kids in miles' class marched by in the parade as well as many upbeat labor union members.

cowboys who were actually carpenters rode these lovely horses through the mission. i love this picture, taken through some flowers which are part of the extensive sidewalk-scaping around 23rd and harrison streets.

and yesterday we were treated to a fantastic bike ride at sunday streets on the great highway. we arrived early and scored free rentals on bikes, one for miles and a bike with a kid's extension bike on the back for maya and i.

things are a little scary lately with earthquakes and the horrible california budget situation. hard not to think in terms of apocalypse, and disappearing to farm some land and become a survivalist in alaska. but look at this place! the great highway closed down, we rode our bikes south for a while and then turned around. we stopped at this activity area run by a group of teenagers in a group whose name i sadly can't recall. they were smart and nice and gave the kids books and brownies for participating in bean bag tosses and twister games. they all went to sf high schools, public i think, and their group raises funds and travels to other countries to build schools for kids who need them. some of the kids had just returned from a trip to help build a school in bali and they were now collecting funds to build a school in haiti. i made sure miles noticed how cool and awesome they all were.

there were remains of a ship sunk long ago poking out of the sand where ortega meets the beach. we pedaled right by it, maya saying "this is great, i love this day."

look at that blue sky. things are bad but could be worse. ride a bike, grab a hula hoop. build a school.

china basin

rich was playing music all day while i struggled somewhat with the kids to listen, be nice, do homework and chores. we went to check out the southern end of sunday streets, which the map indicated was mariposa. we parked in some weeds and were treated to a beautiful and somewhat end of the world scene. no cars allowed, but very few people straying to walk on this piece of concrete by the bay. music provided by a small band of brass and string musicians, camped out happily on a broken concrete picnic table. one man played an instrument that was part trumpet, part violin, from transylvania. strange hulks of mission bay architecture to the west, wierd pilings in the water, fantastic clouds stretching to oaktown. a man fished fruitlessly from a short dock and a homeless man sat on a piece of concrete behind barbed wire and danger signs, contemplating the water. we saw a long-necked bird dive under the water for seconds on end, and pigeons having a party. puddles everywhere filled with strange shapes and weeds and garbage. a few kids biked through the puddles and sped away. a few folks walked their dogs. it was a good sunny hour, even with the kids whining and falling down. things are perfect and then they get ruined and then they start to get perfect again, right? this landscape will survive us, i am sure. miles put his toes in the bay and maya made plans to go home and pretend we were a family of deer with a bluebird friend.