I am Home

It occurred to me last night, as I was sitting in my new friends apartment. There were four of us, Paul and his business associate Jason, Martin the garrulous fabricator, and me. We stood around Jason, who was operating a grinder on a piece of road sign frame- quite loud as sparks began to fly. It was 9:30 at night, and in any other building we might have drawn a noise violation. We all talked about the best way to make it fit in the overhead light box. Paul had borrowed my chop saw to cut the aluminum frame, and today I borrowed his hammer drill and masonry bits to hang a microwave on a concrete block wall.



Paul and Martin are two of a very few people who actually farm in Oakland- in the actual city, and they've asked me to help. Free exercise they say. I offer my help and tell them Jake has farming in his past. I am excited for Jake to arrive (any week now).

The night before was spent around a fire with interesting people, talking and laughing. I learned there, that the building has given itself the title "The Happiest Building in Oakland" and people go out to the fire pit nearly every night to relax and just talk. I visited some of the other units that night- cool artists' places- photo studios, programmers' dens, all looking very cool and comfortable. One person operates a business with sensory deprivation tanks and an art gallery.

I sit here,at my desk, Jackie is purring looking down 12 feet and out the windows. Amos is asleep on the shop floor on his back, stretched out in the sun. Somewhere in the building a circular saw is running. The people here are relaxed, yet proactive. This is the place where things can happen. Good things. My life is exactly what I make of it here. I am home.