The GGA Project -- Day #338 "It's On Us"

So you know that new...what did my friend call it, the stalker feed(?) in the upper right hand corner of the Facebook home page?  You know, the one that tells you EVERYTHING your friends are doing, including what they like and even what song they're listening to on any number of music sharing sites?  Well last night I was hanging out on Facebook (big surprise) when something that scrolled by caught my eye.  A friend of mine had RSVP'd to an event at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco, and from the looks of this public event, it was free.


My interest was piqued not only because I have thoroughly enjoyed every event I've ever been to at that cool little spot, but I was also looking for something interesting to do after I'd drop Kalil off at his dad's this evening.  The event only went from 6-9, so I'd have an hour, tops, to enjoy the festivities, but hey.  Free.


Today's New Activity: Complimentary Gallery Show and DJ Set (Thank You Very Much, Metrowize)


Ugh, but then there was traffic, and finding parking so close to Market Street, and then, of course, the line to get in.  It turns out other people are aware of the internet, too.  Of course there'd be a big turn out for a free event with a hosted bar.  This is such a typical San Francisco street scene--a line outside a venue:

As is this--the know-an-opportunity-when-they-see-one fleet of food trucks (one each Vietnamese and Empanadas shown here) parked across the street, ready to serve:

So I finally made it in to the gallery and realized that I didn't even know until that moment what the event was.  It would seem it was meant to be a kind of launch party for merkley??? (yes, that's his name), the featured artist's exhibit; his photographs were the entirety of what was on display.

And his photographs?  Well perhaps you should just check out his Flickr feed, though there's a lot more variety there than what was up on these walls.  Basically, each photograph featured a nude woman photoshopped into some discordant setting with odd characters hanging out in the background.  Odd characters like the bunny from Donnie Darko, that creepy BK king from the commercials, etc.  Or this creature, for example:  

The photos were definitely interesting and great conversation starters, but for me they were really just backdrop for a joyful scene of lively folks.  There were two DJ's there, Cori Sleazemore and Eli Glad.  I'm not sure which of them was up when I was there but the set was great.  I couldn't keep still, but then that's always been my experience at 111 Minna.  Like I said, it's a great little spot.


I realized tonight that I am finally to the point where I can go out to places in San Francisco and not feel like everyone there is cooler than me.  I mean certainly people are more stylish than me and OMG, there are always so many beautiful people anywhere you go up in the city, but I no longer feel uncomfortable in my own skin or worry that I'm sticking out strangely.  Sometimes I think it's motherhood that's made that shift for me, as in: I have more pressing concerns than whether or not I'm a square, but sometimes I also think it's just getting older and accepting who I am and being cool with that.  Not only that, I looked around at the fairly young crowd and felt, still, young.  Young and young-at-heart and full of life.  That was a good feeling.

Toward the end of the night (and by the end of the night I mean 40 minutes after I got in.  I mean 9pm), after my friend Ramon left and just before the gallery closed up shop, I was chatted up by a pair of friendly (drunk, I'm pretty sure) folks who claimed to be "cancer doctors."  Actually, the guy introduced the girl to me as a "wonderful cancer doctor" and when I asked what he did, he said, "I do the same thing as her!  I'm a cancer doctor too!"  Riiiiiight.


I could be wrong here, but don't real cancer doctors typically refer to themselves as oncologists?  No matter, they were super fun, and when they learned I'd been robbed before on the job (I'm a bank teller), the guy wanted us all to take a picture on this little costume photo booth thing where he could pretend he was holding me up (and I always sing into an inflatable microphone when that happens to me, for the record):

Oh San Francisco, how I love you.


How I love that you always have something fun going on, even for those of us on a budget.


How I love your fun and happy, hopeful vibe.


How I love that your food trucks hang around long enough for a late dinner, tamarind tofu vegetarian Vietnamese sandwich with everything on it (easy on the cilantro) when it's all said and done.

I think I'll have to start paying more attention, more often, to that stalker feed on Facebook.  Who knows what other kinds of adventures await?  :)