Moving On...

After almost 2 years at my place in the Mission, I'm moving. You may (or most likely, may not) remember a post I did a few weeks ago about "stuff" and my wish to simplify and minimalize my life by freeing myself of many of the excess material possessions I have amassed over the years. This move is the perfect opportunity to follow through on my resolution. I'll be moving into a room that is about the half the size of my current room, and getting rid of/selling/donating a ton of stuff. The upside: The room has a HUGE private balcony attached to it that is perfect for barbecues, taking in the sun, and general chillin'. I've got some pretty big ambitions for what I'll be doing with this deck, so I'll ask you guys to stay tuned for updates.

From the rooftop, you can see the tips of the Golden Gate and on the other side, nearly all of Downtown SF. My room (and deck) are at the back of the house. Pretty excited. However, there are some things I'm going to miss. This is obviously begging for a Pros/Cons list, and guess what, you're in luck!

Things I'll Miss About Living in the Mission (specifically 24th and Shotwell):

• The 3 minute walk to BART
• The 40 Taquerias (Papalote and Vallarta, in particular) and the number of dive bars (Mission Bar, Nap's 3) within walking distance.
• The $3 Four Lokos I can conveniently purchase at the corner.
• The quick shot up to the top of Bernal Hill.
• St. Francis Fountain down the street
• The relative flatness of the Mission in general and being able to get anywhere in the area on my bike faster than a car.

Things I'll certainly NOT Miss About Living in the Mission (specifically 24and Shotwell)

• All those damn Bebe's kids running around near the Bernal Projects - especially the two 7-10yr olds who saw me approach the stop sign the other day as they were crossing the street, decided it was pertinent to dramatically slow their pace to the point that they were simply lifting their feet and putting them down in the same spot, and then snapped back at me when I asked out the window, "Really?"
• The bum/drunk who routinely drinks himself into a coma and pisses/shits himself within two doors of my house.
• All the stoop 40s parties that end with a ton of broken glass in the street.
• Shotwell being quite possibly the narrowest two-way street in the City of San Francisco, yet people still treating it like a racetrack.
• The sirens, gunshots, and fireworks (except for the World Series celebration).

In no way is this list inclusive of everything I'll miss (and not miss), but it was simply the things I was able to rattle off while they were at the forefront of my mind. Being that it's Friday and all, and I don't have plans to do ANYthing, I'm most likely going to start making a concerted effort to go through all my shit and see what's actually worth holding onto, what to try and sell, what to give away, and what is straight trash that I've been holding onto for waaaaaay too long. Wish me luck!

Note: If anyone out there is interested in helping me move, there is a meal of your choice and/or a punchbowl at Hobson's (which is conveniently right down the hill from the new place) in it for you. Leave me a note in the comments if you're down.