bunny land

Johan and Vito, you are not honest men

7 days ago

Last night, there was an ad for an apartment. It was a little less than you would expect, and it had photos. But it didn't have an address, and the photos looked a little generic. The scams are usually pretty obvious, but this one was worded mostly intelligibly.

It smelled scammy, but I don't want the perfect place get away. I created an alias email and sent an email asking for photos, and the address.

I get a response from Johan Rinaggio, who is "passionate, affectionate, honest, caring, spontaneous, trustworthy and I also have a sense of humor too which some of it have been described by some people."

The apartment is located on Geary, and the "completely equipped" kitchen includes, among other items, a kettle. He quotes a different rent than the ad, says that I can drive by and look at it, I can send money to him, he's in North Carolina right now. "Presently I am now located in Fairview, North Carolina because of my business, I deal in all kind of fabrics, textiles and traditional wears, so I travelled alot and hardly stay in one place."

This is the same boilerplate that every scammer sends out, and it's more like the response to a personal ad than anything else. Who falls for this?

And then, a few hours later, I get the same letter again, the only change is that it is from Vito Rinaggio, obviously unaware that his brother has already contacted me.

And I don't want to deal with either of them, or play their stupid scam game. I just want to find an apartment.

smart, you will someday be mine

Jun 23, 2008

The delivery estimator thinggy on the smartusa web site has been giving me an error since it was launched. It tells me that it is unable to estimate when the car will be available. It's not supposed to give me a delivery date, but a date that I will be able to order the car. The car will then take 90 days to arrive.

When I made the reservation in March, they were saying that it was a six month wait. I talked to the dealer today, and they said it's a 12-18 month wait. It seems that the delivery wait time must be extending as the gas prices go up.

But, now I don't know to expect to order the car in September, like I originally thought, or next spring. That's kind of a spread. Maybe I should get a used gremlin or something, until the smart arrives.

I've been thinking that maybe I should make a reservation at another dealer, like maybe in Indiana or somewhere where they would not want to drive such a tiny car. We could drive it back, and gas would be cheap. I called the Albequerqe NM smart dealer, because they were the most remote dealer that was still open today. They also quoted the 12-18 month wait.

At least it should mean that we'll get next year's model.

Oh, and there are cupcakes, too

Jun 20, 2008

photo.jpg

Opera at pac bell park

Jun 20, 2008

Lots of people, and we were right down front.

They are having a sing-along to "take me out to the opera," people are singing along.

And, it's the warmest night I've ever seen in San Francisco.

photo.jpg

lost

Jun 16, 2008

Last night I left my sunglasses and hat on BART. Just yesterday, I was comparing the world without my sunglasses, to the world through them, and wondering how I got through life without them.

The anti-reflective coatings and polarization made the world so clear and haze-free.

And, a few minutes ago, i found a scratch across the glass on my phone. It's lived in my pocket for a year with not the tiniest scratch, and somehow in the span of half an hour, it gets a huge scratch while it's in my jacket pocket, surrounded by nothing but soft cloth.

Maybe I should not be allowed to have expensive things.

argh

Jun 14, 2008

We're still looking for a place. We went around today and looked at a few places. Alamo Square, Daly City, Western Edition.

I've already put in and been accepted at a place off of Alamo Square, which was the best as of Thursday. But every day the places I see are better. I'm going to have to tell the guy that we're not going to take the place. I really kind of loved it, except the kitchen floor sloped a few inches. Which seems minor, but it would have bugged me. It seemed like kind of a lateral move.

I kind of wish the place in Bernal Heights had a bigger kitchen. The artist couple who lived downstairs would have been cute, but probably too matronly.

Looking for a place to live is a really good way to see the city. I've had so many nice conversations with people about their corner of the city. There is a glow that comes over most places as I'm walking out. It seems that every flaw in the place is minor. A little paint, a rug. I know where the furniture would go. It seems perfect.

And then, a few blocks down the street, I realize that there was no light, the rooms were tiny, there was no busses, and the floor sloped 10 inches.

We saw one on Masonic today that could be nice. It's basically our place now, on a nicer street.

And the cute house in Daly City. It's two houses down from the boundary between Daly City and SF. Cute, but small. But it has a (very sloped) yard, and a view of the ocean (it was foggy, but on a nice day, it's supposed to be beautiful.)

Goodbye Pigeon

Jun 7, 2008

Yesterday, when I woke up, Pigeon was preening herself outside of my window. She was looking better than ever. Her feathers were flat and smooth, and her wing was tucked in like it should be.

When I got back from the office, she was nowhere to be seen. I didn't see her again, and I think she must have healed, and flown up to her nest.

As I checked out of the hotel, a guest was asking the clerk for a recommendation for a steak house. He didn't like her suggestions, because they were all downtown, and he knew enough to know that that meant expensive. I recommended a place that I've driven by, and co-workers have been to, and liked. I realized that I'd been in Santa Fe too long.

I am finally on a plane, on my way back to my SF. I have left the land of gas pumps that don't reclaim fumes, truck nuyz, green chili, and Pigeon.

It turns out that it was a good trip. I've had a lot of time alone for the first time in a long time. I've been put in a position that I didn't know if I could succeed, and I seem to have done well. I feel strong and renewed and ready to get on with life in a better way. I've made it through a storm, and I'm ready to fly.

Hello Pigeon

Jun 6, 2008

photo.jpg

Pigeon

Jun 5, 2008

A few weeks ago, there was a really strong storm one night. It turned our road our of the location into thick slimy clay-mud, and blew crap all around.

The next morning, when I got back to the hotel, sitting on the lading outside of my door was a pigeon with an Alfalpha tuft of feathers on her head, and what looked like a broken wing. But she seemed to be able to fly.

I figured that she was a goner. I looked for an agency to help her, but the ASPCA doesn't help pigeons.

She has been hanging out on my stoop, and her man-pigeon comes down and sits with her. She can fly between my doorstep and my balcony, but it seems that she can't get enough lift to make it to her nest. There are some little eggs that have been broken on the deck, and I think they're hers.

It rained again this morning, and when I came outside, she was a soaked mess of feathers, huddled next to my door. She hoped over to shiver in the sun, and I could see that her tuft of feathers was from a gash on her little head.

It makes me sad to think of what will happen to Pigeon, but it's nice to know that she will have her partner's company, whatever may come.

14.5 hours and counting

Jun 4, 2008

We're on track for the longest day yet. I got here yesterday at 2:30 pm, and the sun is just lightening the eastern sky. I've been on stage all night, and I hadn't noticed that the whole night went by.

I haven't seen this many sunrises, well, ever.

The only bright spot about this is that going late today means that we'll be done with the only sequence that may have made me stay here longer than Saturday.

It's funny how I'm seen as a shirt around here. The other night someone refered to me as one of the producer people. A guy tonight stopped telling a dirty joke when I walked up. And people keep calling me sir, even today when I'm wearing cut off jeans and my t-shirt with naked women in a spider web.

The rumor is that we'll be done by 6. If there was a pool, I'd put my money on 7:30.