September 20, 2016 – My 44th Birthday

I turn a symmetric 44 years old this Sunday. These twin, strong fours herald balance and fortitude that I may finally deserve. Turned upside-down, forty-four turns into two chairs, useful for entertaining a friend over for tea.

For my birthday, I usually try to organize a celebratory stunt for my friends, whether I plan a trip to Yosemite, a beach bonfire, or an afternoon party along the public parklets of Valencia Street. This year, I depart two days before my birthday on a direct flight from Oakland to Stockholm. I won’t celebrate my 44th birthday in San Francisco. Instead, Greg and I fly onward to Berlin to stay for four nights there. I foresee a nice German birthday schnitzel dinner with a low-alcohol beer.

In my 44th year, I’d like slowly to start saying goodbye to San Francisco. No need to get maudlin, but I do want closure and opportunity for the years I have left in this fair city. Here’s a list of possible epic San Francisco achievements:

  1. Build the Squares
  2. Install the wine bottle project at Tank 18
  3. Contact Autodesk for an internship to make The Spheres
  4. Brew beer with Ruben
  5. Go one last time to Burning Man
  6. Surf
  7. Give a lecture at Odd Salon
  8. Host a gallery opening
  9. Work from the Boston office
  10. Hike the Lost Coast
  11. Ski Lake Tahoe
  12. Relax, savor, enjoy