Dad's comment: "Well uh...I have seen more pristine beaches"

Father's Day

This year's was fantastic. Even better than the year we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and saw Shaft. Me and pops did a tour of the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, etc etc) and I took him on a hike through a landfill.

But not just any landfill, but a mini island-like spot just north of Berkeley filled with local art and homeless encampments. It's a place that I've been hearing about a while previous to this father's day, and I could only imagine in my head before. It was so much better in real life.



To the right, notice the castle with views of Bay including both the GG and Bay Bridge. Someone is currently sleeping there in a sleeping bag.

Dad's comment:

"Wow, lots a...lots a penises spray-painted on this thing."






There were a lot of statues made of scrap metal. Some looked like Burning Man rejects, while some looked like god was playing pick-up sticks with bicycles.




Dad's comment: "Hey honey, take a picture of me posing like a hobo next to this jesus statue!"




There were a lot of areas that looked very lived-in, where folks obviously must have been loungin' and loiterin' about. I thought it was very Lost Boys--I could just imagine vampire street punks drinking and carrying on all over this place.

Dad's comment: "Wow, I bet there's been many a hellacious acid trip taken at this place!"












A side note, we also talked a bit about Tim Russert, and I've been seeing a lot of coverage of this man's life--about what a passionate family man he was, and the book he wrote about his father.

One newscaster, quoting a review of the book, said something on CNN or some such that brought a tear to my eye, it was something like:

"Some men have a hard time embracing their fathers in public, Tim Russert did it over the course of several chapters."

Sigh.