325. Library/WPA model tour

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Back to spontaneity

Last night I started re-reading this blog and was reminded that the idea was to do more spontaneous writing. It's a good indication of how un-spontaneous I am that I had forgotten all about that. But I still think it's a good idea, so I will give it another try.

Today I'm sitting in the basement at the Bank Cafe. Not for the greater protection from gamma rays or the convenience to the bathrooms, but because they are finally starting to remodel the inside of this building and this is now where most of the seating is... such as it is.

I was under the impression this was going to be done in phases, but having said that, I can imagine what actually happened. When the architect and contractor presented the plan to the clients -- Capital One 360 and Peet's Coffee -- I'm sure they responded to concerns about interference with their business with assurances that the work could be done in phases so people would hardly even know they were working in the building. Then, as the time approached to start the work, they came back and explained that while they could do the work in phases, that would take much longer and cost much more and the people in corporate who actually write the checks said, screw that. 

So now half the ground floor is blocked off, including the stairs to the mezzanine, and even two walls of the basement are sealed off. We're packed in here like rats in the terminal phase of those over-crowding experiments. I'm trying to keep my back to a wall so I can spot the first signs of cannibalism. And the bean bags never returned to the small area of de rigueur stadium seating, so you can sit there but not comfortably.



Two days ago my friend Cindy and I wrapped up our multi-day expedition to see the WPA model of San Francisco currently on display in our public libraries. (I've violated my tradition of only giving the initial of people I write about because I'm about to give you a link to her blog about the model. HERE.)

This project was fun because of the model, which is both interesting and infuriating -- always a good combination -- but also because we got to visit all the public libraries. Some of my favorites (like the Noe Valley and Golden Gate Valley branches) are Carnegie buildings. Others (like Bayview and Portola) are new buildings that I wish I lived closer to. The Visitation Valley branch, in one of the worst neighborhoods in SF, may have been my favorite just as a venue for reading.

Something that's been ageing in casks 

I still have some things I've written but never gotten round to posting. I'm going to try to get rid of them.

What I don't like about Starbucks is that they put my dead-simple iced tea order in the cue with all the fancy drinks, instead of just doing it first, like they do at Peete's. They do a better job of having electrical outlets and even wireless chargers, but I'm not quite in need of those services. Soon, though.