Fricative Ukulele

How long?

2008-07-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

... until I post again?

Email update

2007-09-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hello, Howdy, and Alo-o-o-ha!

I've been in NYC for 4 weeks now, so I thought I'd
catch you up what I've been up to since I left my
beloved California.

As some of you know, I bid farewell to the Bay Area on
July 29th in the old green Honda (packed to the
rafters with my few remaining belongings) and puttered
across the big, groaning continent, arriving in the
Big Apple on August 13th--my bank account badly bent,
but my spirits in tact. The highlights of the road
trip were:

- driving with my friend Priya from SF to the Pine
Ridge, SD Indian reservation, where Priya took part in
a sacred Lakota Sundance festival as he does every
year (while I looked on)

- dropping down to Castle Rock, CO and seeing Ann, her
twin boys (now 11 years old and playing electric
guitars) as well as her oldest Ben, his wife Andrea,
and their baby daughter, Maya. I also saw my parents
(proud GREAT-grandparents now) who had taken the twins
to Yellowstone in their pop-up trailer (or "yurt").
I'm still trying to get used to the fact that my
little sister is now a grandma. Weird.

- a visit to Hannibal, MO (on the banks of the Mighty
Mississip') and the childhood home of Samuel
Clemens/Mark Twain, one of my all-time heroes

- a stop in Toronto, Ontario, where I spent a day
soaking in the city

- a night in Montreal, Quebec where I checked into a
luxury suite on the riverfront and soaked myself in
French ambience and red wine

- a visit to Waban, MA, to Aunt Miklele & Uncle Doug's
house where I took a relaxing breather before hitting
NY

- a dip in Waldon Pond in Concord, NH, with Doug, and
seeing the place where Thoreau went to live
"deliberately"

When I arrived in NY, I stayed two nights in Brooklyn
with cousin Naren and his fiancee, Jessica, and then
moved myself into this cozy one-bedroom apartment in
West Harlem. This place belongs to Barbara, a friend
of a friend of mine back at City College of SF.
Barbara needed someone to sublease her apt. while she
spent 5 months in Europe, visiting her family in
Germany and sunning herself in Spain. Barbara and I
had met over the phone and only chatted face-to-face
for about an hour the day I moved in.

I spent the first week sight-seeing. It was hot &
muggy but the subway cars were air-conditioned and
downright chilly, so I spent day after day
underground, hurtling through every tunnel beneath
Manhattan, popping my head out in Greenwich Village,
or in Grand Central Station, or Rockefeller Center, or
Battery Park, or the Metroplitan Museum of Art--or
wherever--and then ducking back into the earth and
hopping on another train headed God-knows where.

I ate hotdogs and pretzels from push carts and bought
massive pizza slices from sidewalk display cases. I
walked for dozens of blocks, my neck craning ever
upwards and the amazing vertical wonderland of this
island kingdom. At night I bought cheap beer at
bodegas in Harlem and looked on with envy as the
locals cooled themselves by sitting on the stoops of
their brownstones or lounging on the sidewalks in lawn
chairs, sipping drinks, barbequeing, or just
gossiping.

This part of Harlem is very family-oriented (I don't
remeber seeing so many strollers concentrated in one
neighborhood before in my life) There are a lot of
African immigrants from places like Senegal, Ivory
Coast, Benin, Togo, etc. so you hear a lot of French
as well as dozens of African languages. Many wear
traditional garb which is fantastically colorful,
flamboyant, & elegant. Spanish is also heard as many
folks are from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Rep. and
South America. And there are even a few scattered
honkies like me on the street, adding our own pale
shades to the palette.

Suprising SF Comparison #1: parking in this
neighborhood is much easier than in most neighborhoods
back in Frisco. I've never had any trouble finding a
legal parking space within two blocks of my apt.

Suprising SF Comparison #2: Since I've lived here,
I've yet to see a drug deal going down, a serious
police action or an arrest; I've yet to hear a gunshot
or a high-speed car chase; and I've rarely seen a wino
or a junky or a street person--unlike my old
neighborhood back home where these where daily
occurances.

New York is as huge and bustling and fashionable and
cultured and exciting as you probably imagine it is.
We've all seen enough movies & TV shows set in New
York, and we've all read enough books with NY as the
backdrop, that the map of Manhattan is by now etched
in the collective mind of all Americans. It is,
whether you like it or not, THE American city. It's
part of your cultural heritage, even if you've never
been any farther east than Reno or Spokane or Pomona.
I noticed this my first week in town--that eerie
feeling that I already knew my way around.

Anyway, my classes at Hunter started two weeks ago and
all is fine--except for the homework. I'd forgotton
about that bit. In addition to my creative writing
duties (hand in a final draft of a short story, plus
various writing exercises), I must also complete a
graduate-level literature class (a silly requirement)
which means LOTS of reading--as well as formal written
analyses, a term paper, and an oral presentation!
Holy Cats! I thought I was well rid of this sort of
thing. Not so! This ain't no correspondence course,
bubba--it's graduate school and they's serious!
Yikes!

I finally found some work, but it's taken some time.
One job is teaching an ESL class at a community
college in Elizabeth, New Jersey (20 mins. by subway
to Penn Station + 30 mins by commuter train)--it's not
my first choice, but it was the only thing I could
find so I had to take it. Tomorrow (9/10) is my first
day. It's actually a very friendly school with a
great ESL dept. They've been wonderful about letting
me pick my own schedule.

The second job is at Hunter College itself. It's a
position in their education dept. helping to train new
ESL teachers in the field during their first teaching
semester. It won't start for another two weeks, and I
don't know enough about it yet, so I'll have to fill
you in next time.

So, even though I've slowly been going broke, money
will become less and less of an issue as I start
working and collecting paychecks. And what's more, I
decided to do what I should have done from the
start--what every other grad student does--apply for
big, fat student loans to cover basic expenses while I
study. I resisted doing this because I've always had
this inexplicable (and un-American) allergy to debt,
but I'm starting to get over it. So, next semester,
once the loans kick in, I may only have to work a few
hours a week. That sounds nice.

The weather is generally still warm and muggy here,
but we've already had a few cool, dry days that
carried the hint of autumn. I'm ready for it, I can
tell you. This Fog Town boy can NOT take the heat. I
still can't get over that the fact that you can sweat
buckets WHILE SITTING PERFECTLY STILL. As I stand in
puddles of my own sweat, I can't shake the notion that
I'm melting like a big lump of vanilla ice cream on
the hot pavement. I say, "to hell with summer, bring
on fall!" Then at least my SF wardrobe will finally be
appropriate for the climate.

Okay folks, I think that just about wraps it up. I'm
attaching a few snapshots with this e-mail to give you
a vague idea of where I live. I am also having a
blogspot constructed for me by my good buddy Kevin
John which contains phots of my cross country trip.
You can go to it now at www.sfukulele.blogspot.com and
check it out, but be warned that it's a bit messy, and
not really complete. In the meantime, I'll be in
contact with y'all electronically or by phone. And
please, PLEASE, write or call me. Otherwise, it's
just me staring at a teetering pile of homework. I
would much rather talk to YOU. So go to your phone
and make that call TODAY. You won't regret it.

Take care. Look forward to hearing from you.

--Richard

P.S. The pictures I'm attaching are:
1. Times Square
2. The Brooklyn Bridge (looking toward Brooklyn)
3. Morningside Park (1 block from my apartment)
4. My building--350 Manhattan Ave.
5. The door to my apartment, 3A.
6. My bedroom!

42. My Bedroom!! 350 Manhattan Ave., Apt. 3A, NY, NY 10026

2007-08-30T19:37:00.003-07:00

View Larger Map

41. Outside Apt. 3A, 350 Manhattan Ave, NY, NY

2007-08-30T19:37:00.001-07:00

40. 350 Manhattan Ave (@115th St.) West Harlem, NY, NY.

2007-08-30T19:36:00.002-07:00

My building!

39. Morningside Park, West Harlem (from Manhattan Ave & 113th St.), NY, NY.

2007-08-30T19:36:00.001-07:00

This beautiful park is one block from my apartment. The buildings at the top of the hill are part of Columbia University. The massive St. John the Divine Cathedral is also nearby, as well as the diner from “Seinfeld” (112th and Broadway).

38. Jones Beach, Long Island, NY.

2007-08-30T19:35:00.003-07:00

Took a drive out to “the shore” and put my feet into the Atlantic, thereby symbolically completing my cross-continental trip.

37. Grand Central Station, Midtown Manhattan, NY, NY.

2007-08-30T19:35:00.001-07:00

36. Manhattan Skyline (from the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge), NY, NY.

2007-08-30T19:34:00.002-07:00

Note the Empire State Building AND the Chrysler Building. What a town!

35. Under the Brooklyn Bridge, (looking east), NY, NY.

2007-08-30T19:34:00.001-07:00

34. Times Square, New York, NY.

2007-08-30T19:33:00.006-07:00

I had arrived.

33. Doug & Mikele Rauch’s House, Waban, MA.

2007-08-30T19:33:00.005-07:00

Before arriving in New York and starting my new life, I spent a couple of days in the leafy suburbs of Boston. Doug and I took a dip one day in Walden Pond up in Concord, NH, and saw where Thoreau went to live “deliberately.” Another thrill for the English major!

32. Cousin Sarada & Aunt Mikele, Waban, MA.

2007-08-30T19:33:00.003-07:00

31. State Capitol Building, Montpelier, VT.

2007-08-30T19:33:00.001-07:00

30. L’Auberge du Vieux-Port, Montreal, Quebec.

2007-08-30T19:32:00.002-07:00

I wandered into this very posh hotel on the riverfront, curious to see how the other half lived, but the cute desk clerk, Marlene, had me take a seat and read their brochure. It didn’t take me long to realize that this place was WAY out of my price range, but when I politely told her this, she proceeded to knock the price down. When I continued to demure, she kept reducing the price. Even at 40% off, it was still too steep for the likes of me. When Marlene saw that I was about to leave she decided that she could give me a “studio” room for half price---with breakfast. I don’t exactly know what happened next, but I remember hearing myself saying, “I’ll take it,” and from then on it was Mr. Humphreys-this and Mr. Humphreys-that, and a uniformed bellboy was whisking my bags to my room which turned out to include a full kitchen, a washer/dryer, a sofa, a dining table, a giant-screened TV, and a king-sized bed. As soon as the bellboy had gone, I burst out laughing. I couldn’t believe that I was laying down so much money for a room---and for once in my fugal life I didn’t give a flying f*ck!

29. Sidewalk Cafes, Montreal, Quebec.

2007-08-30T19:32:00.001-07:00

I veered north into Canada, (via Detroit, Toronto & Ottawa) because a heat wave was gripping most of the Midwest, the South, and the Ohio Valley. I wanted nothing of it--- besides I’d always wanted to see Montreal. This beautiful city did NOT disappoint. The architecture, the beautiful women , and the sidewalk cafes look like they were all lifted straight out of Paris. LOVED IT!

El-Train, The Loop, Chicago, IL.

2007-08-30T08:09:00.002-07:00

Got snarled up in traffic in Chicago, finally parked downtown, ate at a fried chicken place, got back into another hellish traffic jam and left the Windy City with a chip on my shoulder.

The Mighty Mississip’, Hannibal, MO.

2007-08-30T08:09:00.001-07:00

26. Mark Twain Musueum (& Store Fronts), Hannibal, MO.

2007-08-30T08:08:00.004-07:00

Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens is one of my all time literary heroes, so a trip to Hannibal was mandatory for me. The museum was smallish, but well put together and fun. They had an exhibition upstairs of prints and sketches of Norman Rockwell’s famous illustrations of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Very cool.

Tom Sawyer’s Fence, Hannibal, MO.

2007-08-30T08:08:00.003-07:00

This is Mark Twain’s boyhood home, two blocks from the banks of the Mississippi.

Greetings From World’s Biggest (?), US-36 near Monroe City, MO.

2007-08-30T08:08:00.001-07:00

23. Ms. Morgan Breckenridge, 16, Cameron, MO.

2007-08-30T08:07:00.003-07:00

Another little tragedy that I was thankful for was that my laptop computer died on my second day out of SF. This meant that the only way to check e-mail along my route was to use public libraries. I looked forward to these excursions deep into the heart of each little community. The littler, the better. Cameron was another picture-perfect midwestern hamlet with a clean, efficient library (complete with starchy, prune-faced librarians). After using the computers, I walked into the local coffee shop/ice cream parlor and met Morgan working behind the counter. When she heard that I was driving from San Francisco to New York, her eyes got as big as saucers and was suddenly full of questions. She admitted that she was also thinking of becoming an English teacher one day because she’s an avid reader. God bless (and save) her!

22. Main Street, Council Grove, MO.

2007-08-30T08:07:00.001-07:00

While leaving Manhattan, KS, I suddenly got cell phone coverage for the first time all day. As I was listening to my messages, I missed the turnoff to I-70, and kept driving down KS Hwy 117. It was so pleasant that I didn’t realize (nor care) that I was off course until I cruised into the idyllic little town of Council Grove. The whole town looked like a life-sized set of “The Music Man”, but the only trouble in River City was that I was turned around. But it was a sweet little blunder, and I was thankful for it.

21. Empty Blacktop, US-24, near Tasco, KS.

2007-08-30T08:06:00.004-07:00

This is one reason why I like to stay off the Interstates.

20. Sunflower and House, Colby, Kansas.

2007-08-30T08:06:00.003-07:00

Just passin’ through, diggin’ the houses.

Izzy (Ann’s other twin son) on Bass Guitar, Shamballah, CO.

2007-08-30T08:06:00.001-07:00

The twins live in the mountains above Castle Rock near Shamballah with their father, Steve, in a large rented house. Steve gives them plenty of encouragement to play, not to mention a large ration of his own musical tastes (see poster). I got to sit in while they practiced. When they stopped bickering, they sounded GREAT!

Eli (Ann’s twin son) on Lead Guitar, Shamballah, CO.

2007-08-30T08:05:00.005-07:00

Rita H. with her Great-Granddaughter, Maya, near Castle Rock, CO.

2007-08-30T08:05:00.003-07:00

16. Gary H. Holding Forth, near Castle Rock, CO.

2007-08-30T08:05:00.001-07:00

My parents were there after driving through the West from Modesto with Ann’s 11 year- old twin boys (you can see the pop-up trailer, or “yurt,” through the window). We all relaxed in the old farmhouse that Dave, Ann’s boyfriend, care-takes a few miles south of Castle Rock. It sits on several acres of open ranch land and is very peaceful. Dave was an attentive host and a wicked chef.

15. Andrea & Ben Ricard, near Castle Rock, CO.

2007-08-30T08:04:00.004-07:00

Here’s the birthday boy and his lovely bride, proud parents of the beautiful Maya.

14. Ann with Her Granddaughter, Maya, near Castle Rock, CO.

2007-08-30T08:04:00.003-07:00

Maya is the child of Ann’s oldest son, Ben, whose 26th birthday we were gathering to celebrate that weekend. I still don’t like the fact that my little sister is now a grandparent. No sir, I don’t like it one bit.

13. Near Wanblee, SD.

2007-08-30T08:04:00.001-07:00

This is the site where the High Horse clan holds its Sundance ceremony (I did not take any pictures of the actual ceremonial arbor, nor of the dancers, singers or drummers). Because I was a visitor, I kept my distance, either observing the ceremony from afar, or taking long walks through the property with my own meditations. It was very peaceful, albeit austere.

1. & 12 Badlands, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, near Wanblee, SD

2007-08-30T08:03:00.003-07:00

We were going to Wanblee to visit Priya’s adopted Lakota family, the High Horse clan, during their Sundance ceremony. Priya met these people on a cross-country trip 9 years ago, and has been attending this very religious ceremony ever since. She has become such a fixture that she is now the godmother of one of the High Horse children, Rachel, a wise and precocious 13 year-old who was jealous of me because she was convinced that I was Priya’s boyfriend. When we protested, she teased us all the more.

Priya in Driving Mode, west of Chadron, NE.

2007-08-30T08:03:00.001-07:00

9. US-20, Buttes and Bluffs, near Harrsion, NE

2007-08-30T08:02:00.001-07:00

8. Family Portrait, Motel 6, Cheyenne, WY

2007-08-30T08:01:00.002-07:00

The father (middle) came across Priya while she was doing her early morning yoga in her underwear on the motel balcony. He was such a gentleman about it all that she wanted to speak to him. When she did, she discovered that he and his wife where helping their son (2nd from right) and his friend (far left) move from Omaha to Seattle. When I asked the two 20-somethings why they were moving, they said, to “get the hell out of Omaha.” Duh!

6. & 7. Abandoned Garage, I-80, near Wamsutter, WY.

2007-08-30T08:01:00.001-07:00

I made this unlikely stop because it was to this very garage that my ’62 Dodge Lancer station wagon was towed during a trip from SF to Denver in April of 1985. Back then there was a garage, a store and a bar all thriving on this spot. The mechanic couldn’t find what was wrong with my ol’ Dodge Vegematic (remember push-button transmission?), so I ended up staying the night, getting drunk with gun-toting sheep ranchers at the bar, and sleeping on the floor of the garage owner’s double-wide trailer while a blizzard raged outside. The place is now in complete ruins, but the memory remains sharp.

5. Little America, WY

2007-08-30T08:00:00.003-07:00

A traveling lingerie caravan had me groping for a joke in the middle of nowhere.

4. Peppermill Hotel & Casino, Wendover, NV.

2007-08-30T08:00:00.001-07:00

I took a break from the road and spent 45 minutes indulging in one of my favorite pastimes: sitting at a blackjack table, sipping free cocktails, smoking a cigarette, and chatting with the dealers. This time I had the added delight of having the elegant Priya draped over one shoulder as I gambled, lending me that sophisticated “playah” look. Oh—I lost 40 bucks, but that’s not the point, is it?

Priya’s Feet, I-80, east of Winnemucca, NV.

2007-08-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

I did a lot of driving at first, so Priya took the opportunity to kick back.

1. & 2. National Hotel, Jackson, CA.

2007-08-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Priya and I left her house in Redwood City at 8 AM and then we dashed out to my parents’ house in Modesto where I had to dig through my things in their storage locker one last time. From Modesto, I decided to take CA Hwy-88 over the Sierras, my favorite route. This road passes through the Gold Rush town of Jackson. Priya had never seen the historic (1856) National Hotel so we swung into town and checked it out. As it turned out, there was a biker rally, and we were the only non-bikers in the bar. We timidly ordered beers then went out to the porch to smoke. We immediately met and befriended two Bay Area bikers, Ray and Linda, out for a joy ride in the Foothills. One beer led to another, and, well, we didn’t make as many miles that first day as we had planned. But, as we all know, God laughs at those who make plans . . .

My Route

2007-07-29T12:41:00.001-07:00

this is the link to the route

http://tinyurl.com/2rgvsu

Jackson

2007-07-29T12:35:00.001-07:00

Left Modesto ... on the way to Jackson for lunch

Onward

2007-07-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

Off to Modesto...

Last night we had to sit back and take it easy. Spoke to KJB around 9:20 on the way to MoTown.

(the "other" MoTown)