April 25, 2005
JUST when we all needed it most, we are blessed with a rare amount of time away from the show. Over forty-eight hours straight without a rehearsal or performance! [y'see we had a Sunday matinee that wrapped at 4:30 and we're off until 7:00 Tuesday evening] That's the most free time we've had since day one, and I'm devoting much of mine to the friends I have in San Francisco whom I promised I'd see while I was here. That also gives me a chance to experience life in this area, beyond the tourist attractions, the backdrops and the retail. Food is always a big part of the experience. It's nearly impossible to walk into a bad restaurant out here. As in New York, no one can afford to serve lame food, except perhaps in the tourist traps of Ghirardelli Square or Fishermen's Wharf, where no one knows any better. But anywhere else it's hard to go wrong.
This is a great town to walk in. Some of the street blocks are hilariously steep, but each climb is rewarded by panoramic views on any side - the green hills of the south, the Pacific to the west, the wharf, Alcatraz or Golden Gate to the north or the Coit Tower and Bay Bridge to the east. If you're near downtown with strong legs and time to kill you can get almost anywhere on foot. And there are plenty of buses if you get worn out.
Today I opted for the bus. I rode it west for a few miles to hang out in Haight Ashbury, which still has a great vibe after forty years. Though considerably slicker than before, and in many ways a monument to itself, it retains some of its hip and funky appeal from the old days, with plenty of thrift stores and healthy food, and even a mushroom merchant or two (I declined). Later in the evening I joined Clark and Hitomi, two old friends I knew in Austin, who took me to dinner in Japan Center, home of the most authentic Japanese food in town. All in all it was an excellent day in its simplicity. It doesn't take much, just some used clothing, a few records and some good company, to feel like myself.