I couldn't figure out how to tell the guy next to me that women aren't things, just in case he had the wrong impression. I wanted to poke him, I wrote it down on a piece of paper, but I couldn't work up the courage to give it to him. This will eat at me, with decreasing intensity, for the rest of my life, as will all other opportunities to break apart the patriarchy.
| I found some other people going to the Music Festival, and asked them how they were getting there. They knew about as much as I did, which wasn't much, and we parted when I had to put money on my BART ticket. I got on the Muni and talked with more people about where to get off, and we got off at 19th, with everyone else. As I was walking to the park, I called J and found out that he and his sister were eating lunch near Market, so I turned on Irving. I found a place called Tofu House and was sitting at a table before I realized that the restaurant was Korean. I took out the Derrida that I never read and ordered. The miso arrived and all of the sudden, I felt transported back in time to Univeristy Cafe in Ann Arbor, slogging through a text on collections or organization and eating bean sprouts. There were seven side dishes. The best were what I can only presume was tofu with spices and then something potato-like, which tied for the best, then these grey-clear noodle things were really great too. I'm sure these things have real names, but this was my first time consuming them, and I didn't ask the waitress. The kimchee was kimchee, the bean sprouts were fabulous, and even the green bean things were pretty good. Then my main dish arrived - something not exactly named, but similar to bibimbop - and it was sizzling. I mixed the egg in before photographing. This was the first time I regretted forgetting my camera today. |  |
  | The shrimp had eyes, the octopus was great, and I found an oyster. I will return here. The Olympics were on and I tried to read Derrida, but found myself thinking and writing, first about my food, then about race as I ate my amazing dish. It didn't stop boiling on the sides until a good 15 minutes after I got it. |
I finished my meal, paid and left, then I stopped next door for some bubble tea and began walking to the concert. I got in and was a little worried about them making a fuss over my camera phone (as cameras were on the list of prohibited items), but as I learned later, that wasn't a big deal. I got into the event and called J again. He and his sister were on the Muni. They told me they would be at the something stage - something like Citron or Citro. I said 'ok' and wandered around. I saw a map and realized he meant Sutro, then I got my own little info book and headed for that area. I got in, wandered, then sat on a tree and learned about the artist I was seeing. Finally, J was here, with his sister, and we went to look for his other friend - a redheaded Wisconsin boy, as opposed to me, a redheaded Wisconsin girl.
| We found the group, and I met all of the friends, including one I already knew, but hadn't seen since June. We sat and talked through Regina Spector and Cake, then I was off to get food before seeing Tom Petty. I lost track of J and his sister, but ate heartily and saw Tom Petty. I now know how Sig felt and what J.Mo. meant when Sig blogged her Elton experience. Here I was, seeing a larger than life legend, playing Mary Jane's Last Dance, Breakdown, American Girl, I Won't Back Down, Free Falling, Learning to Fly and Refugee. I never got that close, but I got close enough to enjoy. I read a text around 9:30 that came from J at 8:30, that they were heading out, so I enjoyed the rest of the concert and began the long path back home. First was the walking part, then the Muni part. The underground Muni was the best part, because the tunnel was lighted and I was in the first car. One guy nearby started humming the Indiana Jones theme. Then I had my BART leg of the trip, and finally, I was at my car. On the way back, I got myself a big ass sprite from Burger King, mainly for the carbonation. I'm either recovering from a cold or in the middle of one, either way, my chest is congested and I cough a lot. Just call me Bronchitis Ursy. I got home at 12:20 or so, chatted with a friend, and blogged. I'll be going back to Outside Lands tomorrow. | San Francisco is not the best place for a summer music festival - it isn't a great place for a summer anything. I did enjoy today, but I wasn't nearly as warmly dressed as I should have been. Then the fog rolled in. I contend that the best place for a summer music festival is a place where it does not get dark late into the night, and that would be Alaska around the solstice. An outdoor concert where the headliner finished her set in broad daylight at 10pm would be quite incredible. Outside Lands was great today, and though I don't regret staying in last night, it would have been really awesome to be able to see Beck on one stage, then head over and check out Radiohead on the mainstage later. It makes me wish I had taken advantage of living in Wisconsin and gone to Summerfest even just once. I need to pay more attention to music and concerts. It would be nice, also, to have the funds to see Melissa Ethridge on the 28th, because yes, I will say it, Melissa Ethridge is the shit, and I'm proud to be a fan. |
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