Pick-up Story

Last night I was cruising around San Francisco and picked up a couple of guys just walking along the street outside the Moscone Center. A wild party ensued. And guess what, these guys just happened to be Matt and Kyle. Okay, okay, calm down, it was pre-arranged. Blogging is great and therapeutic and immediate but it's not the same as actually getting together with friends. Especially when those friends are full of intelligence and wit and interesting life experiences and the conversation can touch on certain commonalities, shall we say, freely and without a second thought. I still marvel at how wonderfully refreshing it is to be able to do that.

Before dinner I dragged them both to one of my favorite downtown destinations, Grace Cathedral because I knew shutterbug Kyle would be entranced by the stained glass, and he confirmed that yes, he definitely wanted to see the place for precisely that reason. We arrived to find it packed with hundreds of people being seated for a major concert and the whole nave roped off. Smooth-tongued Alan talked us in anyway so Matt and Kyle enjoyed (I hope) a walk around that amazing place. Certainly Kyle's camera was going non-stop. Then we stopped at the Fairmont a block across the park for expert concierge advice on a decent local non-trendy neighborhood Thai restaurant, which I'd talked self-admitted picky piscophobe Matt into trying.

I love this city and not for the one reason some of you might guess. I know lots of people in Utah County consider it a modern day Sodom and wonder why God hasn't wiped it off the map already. But I think that's because God sees that there are still lots of good people here and lots of good things, and certainly lots of beautiful places. Matt and Kyle remarked several times how much they liked it here. I was glad. I do too.

We found our way to a great Thai restaurant (passing by "the city's most fabulous thrift store" called "Out of the Closet" - no kidding) and had a dinner that I think surprised everybody but me with how good it was. I discovered Matt's unfortunate opinion that Jane Austen's books are worth more than use as birdcage liner. We debated this crucial question vigorously off and on for the rest of the evening without resolution. He thinks her stuff is wonderful. I think it's a great pity she was allowed to die a natural death. He will come around eventually. Kyle sat quietly, listening to this entertaining but fruitless debate with the same look on his face as one might have when regarding a new and unusual insect while still unsure whether it bites or not.

After dinner we drove past City Hall, all lit up, and it's quite a stunner at night. Imagine a miniature US Capitol with lots of gold leaf on outside trim. That's it. Kyle's shutter clicking again repeatedly from the back seat. Then on to the Bart station on Market where we said goodbye and the guys hopped on the train for home. And despite earlier vows, your humble correspondent went where? Back to the office. I couldn't stay away, just had to finish something. Am I nuts or do I just like what I do? I am going back there today but I won't stay all day, I promise. And I'll try to stay away tomorrow. Maybe.

One other quick story. Not a pick-up exactly, just call it something I picked up on that proved both interesting and funny and tells me the ol' wireless is working pretty well. Aisle seat on the last flight, cabin crew all guys. A dark-haired one quite striking. He walks past many times and each time the air is suddenly filled with the most interesting enticing scent, I've never encountered it before. He stops several times in that narrow aisle with, ah, shall we say "thigh" right against my shoulder. I'm sure it was just coincidence. That scent just wouldn't go away, and you know what they say about guys who are flight attendants, right? But this guy looked and sounded straight as they come (like I'm one to be fooled by that). Getting off the plane, I stopped to ask him about it. What did you splash on this morning? He smiled and didn't even have to think about the answer. It was Moonlight Path body lotion from Bath & Body Works. I thanked him, we smiled, and I got off the plane, laughing all the way to the baggage claim. Not because it was funny, but because I was so right!