Dragon Queen

So, I was listening to "Dragon Queen" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and I somehow started daydreaming about when I used to live in San Francisco.  For some reason I only imagine San Francisco in the cold night.  It's probably because during the day I was inside a really boring office.  When it was time to go home it was always dark.

I used to live in an apartment on Jones.  It was probably the best commute I ever had.  It took fifteen minutes to get to work on foot.  I miss it.  I miss the little pizza place down the corner.  I used to get sandwiches from them.  I can't even tell you how much I miss it right now. 

Every now and then I'll think of the painted white walls and tall ceilings.  I remember the windows.  I remember seeing a view of the city.  There was this old fashioned elevator that could only fit three or four people at a time.  Whenever I had groceries I'd wait, though, or take the stairs.  There was this unwritten etiquette.  Sometimes I had to take the stairs because occasionally someone would be holding it down in the basement where the washers and dryers were.   

When I first moved to San Francisco, I was a little scared.  It was a big step for me.  I must have been twenty-three years old.  My co-worker moved to Spain, I think it was Spain.  She had to go and I was the only person willing to take her apartment.  I think I only paid $950 and my gas was under $3 sometimes.  The timing was right.  I needed to feel what it was like to be on my own.

Overall, I was pretty excited when I moved.  I lived in what is referred to as the "Tender Nob."  It's between a really scary neighborhood and a nice one. 

I wanted to take a bus so I walked up to Jones.  I didn't really think about where I was.  I just figured this street is my street and I'll get home eventually.  That was a big mistake.  From Powell I kept walking and walking.  A scary person there, a scary person here.  Not a big deal at all.  Walking deeper into this neighnborhood the lights seemed to not work and the sidewalks grew darker.  I was starting to think about what was happening and if I should continue.  I looked around and there were shadows of people wandering in the middle of the street.  It was as if they were zombies.  It was a Winter night.  It was the shadows that sort of did it for me.  I turned around.

The amount of sirens during the night surprised me.  The gun shots at 3 a.m I got used to.   The best advice I got while I was living there was to either to turn on the television or the radio.  It helped me a lot.