The Baked Potato of Gratification

Sometimes life in Sonoma County is good. I love my job. This is either in spite of, or because of the fact that I spend four hours a day playing Pied Piper to fourteen wildly creative, destructive, irrational, spirited little seven and eight year olds. Jayden receives a finger in the eye because he took Damitri's 3 foot length of red yarn. Jennifer breaks down bawling at least twice a day and is fond of slamming doors and having last words. Well laid plans are blown to pieces. Art projects explode like suicide bombers with tempra paint filled trousers. Community circles turn into witchhunts. Pint-sized inquisitors condeming each-other to the rack. Peers excommunicating their own, innocent lives cast in shadow over juice box politics and then, miraculously, they are thrust back in the sunshine of good favor for a well-timed mouth fart. But I digress. The following is a collection of stuff that makes life here interesting or great or both. Small notes included when necessary, but otherwise I'll try to leave it bare for viewing enjoyment.

Part I: Close to Home

We have been staying at an Extended Stay America for the past two months, and have no intention of leaving, though there would be a handful of good reasons to do so. There is no end to sketchy individuals living here. They loom over railings, exhaling eels of cigarette smoke and staring predator-like into the parking lot, the natural hunting ground of the sketchbeast. Our neighbor, for instance, recently developed an ingenous plan for avoiding his mandatory room inspection.

Latin American immigrants find work in construction or agriculture. Each morning there are 12-30 fellows waiting patiently outside the corner store, prostitute-like, for some big contractor or vineyard owner to roll up and give them some bucks for a few hours work.

I am why the chicken(s) crossed the road.

The Nortenos (red) would like to make it clear to any Soreno (blue) upstart mother-fucker that this strip of concrete belongs to them exclusively.

Ice cream and Mexican treat carts prowl the streets in search of children.

Part II: The Laura Factor

I would otherwise not leave the house. Thank you Lo Bo.

Part III: AmeriCorps Retreat, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Monterey

Part IV: Monterey Bay Aquarium