We Got the Beat

(12:30 PM)
My day started with a bit of a heavy heart today.  It's Susan's birthday.  While it is hard that I am not the one who will spend it with her, I am certainly a long way away from where I was a year ago.  I was in hell.  I mean hell.  For some reason, my addict mind has a way of taking big occasions and destroying them.  One year ago today I was in this shooting gallery doing all kinds of messed up things - on Susan's birthday.  I wonder why we're no longer together?  The voices were so mad that day.  It was a very, very dark day.   It all stared because I was sad and alone in San Francisco.

Susan was in Washington DC with her parents.  Her parents are once again here for her birthday.  She can count on them.  Speaking of Washington DC, Obama is staying a block away from CityTeam.  Everytime he comes out west he stays at the Intercontinental Hotel.  It seems to be the White House of the West.  He'll be there a couple of days.  Him being there makes my morning driving a nightmare!  They close all city streets one block in every direction of the hotel. 

It always looks like this in the morning, but it was just moving slower.  He left today (7-24)  He was staying in "The Water Cooler" up on the right. 

It's strange how quickly a neighborhood can change from one block to the next.  5th Street is nice.  6th Street, well, I do love it.  I know it has something to do with geographic transportation social economics since I-280 becomes 6th Street.   Yeah, I'm kind of nerdy like that.  It's kind of like the poor folk live along side the railroad tracks.  6th street is also the panhandle to complete insanity we call the Tenderloin here in San Francisco.

I'm up in Vallejo visiting one of our graduates with his wife. The hospital has internet access, so I thought I'd knock out a quick blog.  Good Fella and I are in the computer room right now.   Let's call the graduate Padre and his wife Sister Theresa.  Sister Theresa bought me, Barry Bonds and Good Fella lunch. They wanted to ride up and see Padre today.  Padre looks a lot better today than he did Friday.  He should be out on August 2nd.  I guess I'll be going back in forth to Vallejo for a little while longer.  I don't mind.  Traffic on I-80 is awful.

I'll finish it at the library - Barry Bonds just called Good fella.  Gotta go!

Surfer Dude went with me today to visit Padre (7-24).  I hope this isn't too confusing.  We were crossing the Carquinez Bridge on the way back from Vallejo.  It's a nice drive.

Traffic was actually good today (7-24)!

(4:00 PM)

Well, I'm at the library on one of the 15 minute computers.  I won't be able to get one for an hour until tomorrow.  The library is actually where this blog re-began about five months ago the day I actually saw President Obama.  I was actually living in the shelter instead of on the street - most of the time.  I was starting to go the library instead of looking for ways to get high. It was because of the support from all of you and I think the fact that my writing was keeping myself accountable that I got clean.  I kind of purposefully did that to myself I think.  I guess I can even thank the President for my getting clean!  Man, I'm needy.

I really wasn't planning on writing today, but I became so happy today.  This morning, I was sitting in a group talking to The King.  He had lost something and was angry, but I helped him find it.  Anger is his biggest using trigger.  I'm glad we found it.  He's really not an angry person.  Both of us smiled ear to ear when we saw Leonard Sizemore walk through the door!  Last time I saw Leonard, he looked nearly dead and I couldn't wake him up.  I was worried about him and I prayed for him.

He just spent a week at Walden House Detox.  He said, "That place is a zoo!"  It is.   One of his first questions was, "How's Phil?"  I told him I'd try to bring him by one more time to see him.  I told him on more than one occasion he looked good because really does compared to the last time I saw him.  He said, "Stop lying to me!"  I'm so glad he's back. It really made my day.

I bought Susan some orange and black flowers.  They are laying on the desk right in front of me at the library.  I guess I'll take them to her tonight.  I saw her mother last night and she didn't say much, but she was friendly to me.  I appreciated that.

(7:15 PM)
I just left CityTeam to stop by Susan's so I could drop off these flowers and post this blog on the laptop since Susan  and her parents are out to Dinner for her birthday.  They are good parents.  They were very good to me.  I can give them a lot of credit for my being a photographer.  I put their daughter through hell.  I'm sorry.

On the way over here, there was a woman lying on the ground out of her wheel chair.  She had no arms or legs.  Her friend was shooting her up. Not sure why I shared that, it was just quite a sight to see.  Let's not forget the President is a block away.

I never thought I'd name one of my blog's after a Go Go's song!  However, since Lenoard use to play in a band with Belinda Carlisle in LA before she was in the Go Go's and it is an upbeat song, I guess I'll use it for this blog.  I need to stay upbeat.  I'm glad Leonard Sizemore is back.  We play guitar and sing together a lot.  He also makes me laugh at a time when I don't have much to laugh about.

Interestingly enough, this is the opening song during the opening credits to the movie I've been talking about, Fast Times at Loveland High.  Did I say Loveland.  I meant Ridgemont.
 
After jamming to the Go Go's, perhaps you'd like to start where this all re-began, especially if your newly discovering this blog.  It probably makes more since to read it in chronological order.  It actually started in 2006, but that was a really long time ago.

Standing on the Moon

See the people walking down the street
Fall in line just watching all their feet
They don't know where they wanna go
But they're walking in time

They got the beat
They got the beat
Yeah
They got the beat

See the kids just getting out of school
They can't wait to hang out and be cool
Hang around 'til quarter after twelve
That's when they fall in line

Kids got the beat
They got the beat
They got the beat
Yeah
Kids got the beat

Go-go music really makes us dance
Do the pony puts us in a trance
do the watusi just give us a chance
That's when we fall in line

We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
Yeah
We got the beat

Everybody get on your feet
We know you can dance to the beat
Jumpin'-get down
Round and round and round