I Killed This Spider

I would say this is an example of how my life has changed since I entered the Era of No Man, but Sanjay would in fact scream like a girl when he encountered spiders. I’m more of the “live and let live” type. Even if something is scary and crawly, I’m good at convincing myself that when I turn away, it will crawl out of the apartment as opposed to into a space I might also want to occupy.

When I saw this particular spider on the ceiling, however, I had just read an entry on Post Secret that said something like this:

When I was 12, I put a spider in my sister’s bed because I thought it would be funny to watch her freak out. It turned out to be a hobo spider and she lost part of her leg. It’s been ten years, and she still doesn’t know it was me.

Aside from its obvious heartwrenching qualities, this story impressed upon me that spiders can actually hurt people. After picturing myself losing a leg or a finger, or even just getting a nasty bite, I concluded that it was time to cultivate some hostility. I considered sending the cats after it, since they enjoy a good live crunch, but the realization that they too can lose extremities prompted me to turn to the dustbuster. It worked like a charm.

I am now a certified enemy of wildlife. I think I’ll go after the bobcat-sized raccoons that live outside our building next.

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Shop Dog

Ren, dog-in-residence at Momoca, origin of the bananashirt:

Aside from an adorable dog in a hand-knit sweater, what does Momoca have to offer? The East Bay Express had this to say in its 2005 Best of issue:

it is so tiny you could almost put it in your pocket, carries only hand-crafted items made by local designers, and specializes in highly textured natural fibers. The overall look is one that’s sort of ripped-and-reassembled, loose-fitting and yet cleverly cut, futuristic and homey at the same time. Let’s put it this way: If Björk were planning to launch an organic farming cooperative in outer space, she’d do it wearing clothes from Momoca.

The best thing about Momoca is that the owner, Tomoko Tsuchiya, designs most of the clothes, and sews some of them at the store while open for business. This is cool in a number of ways - first, you can’t argue with multitasking; second, it adds an interesting dimension to the consumer experience to see the work that goes into the stuff one is buying; and finally, it tangibly illustrates that the items for sale were not outsourced to distant sweatshops for assembly.

Drop by Momoca (Dwight & Telegraph in Berkeley) if you are looking for something hand-crafted with love. You don’t have to have a social engagement in outer space, either. Bananashirts are acceptable fare on Planet Earth as well.

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Tyrone

Lian and Brooke are petsitting their friends’ gecko:

He’s shy.

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Roommates

Photo Credit: Brooke

Jaspar, Q*Bert and I have a good cohabitation system worked out: they sit around while I put Ikea items together. Occasionally, we nap. Once in a while they get up to eat, while I puzzle over pots and pans in an attempt to nourish myself.

Most importantly, we stay up far into the wee hours. We all agree that anyone who goes to bed before two is wimpy.

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Pretty

I’ve been doing lots of manly stuff like hoisting boxes and assembling various Ikea items lately, so I decided to get back to my girly roots with a manicure and pedicure. I went to The Nail Spa in Berkeley, a small, locally-owned business that is both charming and well-run. Equally importantly (and outside the norm), they sterilize their equipment in an autoclave, which is the only foolproof way to avoid dishing out Hepatitis along with soothing salt scrub. I left with all twenty nails buffed, scrubbed, filed, polished, lotioned, and painted a lovely shade of orchid. Mission accomplished. I have now validated my second X chromosome in a most stereotypical manner.

After my appointment, in a move my car-addicted friends will deem insane, I chose to walk the sixty-seven blocks back home. I did this out of curiosity, to get some exercise, and to avoid having to take out my BART ticket with just-painted nails. The walk ranged from borderline sketchy to up-and-coming yuppie, with a healthy dose of hipster on the side. For other crazy walking-prone people, I would recommend it only in broad daylight and (obviously) not on a rainy day. The highlight was stopping at aforementioned rad business Mama Buzz for an excellent cup of iced coffee.

If you’re within walking (or driving or BART-ing) distance of Berkeley and want a good, disease-free manicure, check out The Nail Spa. If you go more than once, the owner will greet you by name.

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Siamese Dream

Presenting Jaspar, in the “Gratuitous Pet Pictures” series:

Finally, highlighting the the super-cool book Leaf gave me and the super-cool book Rosemary and Paul gave me:

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Kitty Catters

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