It morphs and changes

[zdashamber]

On Sunday for an hour or so I checked out Oakland's Dia De Los Muertos celebration... It was jam-packed, and if I go again I'll take BART and hit it early in the morning. The strange thing was, it was like I'd been transported to a street festival in Mexico: everyone there was speaking Spanish. I'd inquire at booths, and the boothperson would clearly be sorting things in their head to try to respond in English. I bought brown things on spoons from a street vendor (they turned out to be some sort of dried fruit thing, very potent; I need to try dissolving them in hot water) and in fishing out money my little wad of cash popped out of the pocket of my ridiculous tight modern pants that are all they sell these days. I casually stomped it to keep it from blowing away, and continued paying her. {{You really stepped on that problem}}, she probably said laughing in Spanish, and I said "Heh," and smiled, which is what I say when I haven't quite heard someone.

Also, when I arrived, I was starving, and swore I'd eat the first food I found. Which turned out to be pickled cuttlefish on lettuce and a huge shrimp chip.

Tuesday I took a long lunch and scooted over to the Alameda county courthouse to vote early. It would have been a great pain in the neck to locate the place I was supposed to vote and stand in line in the pitch blackness Tuesday after work... (The time change is kicking my ass! Arg!)

The Alameda county courthouse is the way a courthouse ought to be: built in the Great Depression, old and clankety and stylish, with ceramic drinking fountains. Reminded me of the Colorado state capitol, with its basement full of underground passages.

The rules of the game: Post 5 Weird and Random facts about yourself, then at the end list the names of 5 people who are next in line to do this. At the calling of mtfierce:

1. I learned how to do surgery on mice though apprenticeship, and do so a few times a year as part of my job.

2. My favorite type of fabric is still corduroy. It's easy to cut, it's solid and warm, it's got a nice texture.

3. My ears are pierced, but I haven't worn earrings in half a score of years. I was warned, but found out for myself that even 24 carat gold isn't inert enough for me.

4. In the back of my car, I have a board to which is nailed the pieces of a stained glass window in the pattern of a Fibonacci spiral. I might get it soldered together in the 3 hours remaining to me in the class...

5. I can, and do, stash candy for years. Knowing where it is at all times. Years.

6. I swear to god my space heater that blew our circuit and left us without power yesterday evening is going to burn the house down. It just made the lights flash at me, not just dim when it's on as is usual. I see blue electric sparks inside it as it turns off. I just figured you guys should know, if there's nothing but a charred cinder left of me. I have no regrets!

7. Also, I just hit back, and then forward again, and the post was still here in the browser. Clearly, the gods mean me to live. Liiiiive!

Comments

[tlatoani.livejournal.com]

That brown stuff on the spoon sounds like tamarind.

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's probably it! What a neat tree it sounds like, now that I've looked at descriptions on the web. I appreciate fruit trees that you can basically ignore. Too bad it requires more heat than I've got. Though, technically, since I rent, there's not much point putting in fruit trees anyway. Something I regret.

Do you think most people who bought the spoons would eat it straight, or would they mix it into drinks?