These past few days have been uncharacteristically warm here in San Francisco. On Sunday it hit 88° F, which is far higher than we here in the Richmond District are used to on any given day, even in the height of summer.
These are the days when I’m just as happy hiding in the cool of our apartment, working on whatever writing project I happen to be dealing with. Back in my Belfry days, I’d hang out down there because my family’s basement was the coolest part of the house, considering it never got any sun except at the end of the day. I loved hanging out down there during the summer, listening to tunes and writing away.
Warm days at Arkham West (aka our first apartment in North Beach) were another problem entirely. Due to our bay windows we’d be getting sunlight all day long and it would get quite toasty if we didn’t close the blinds. I’d make do with writing on the PC, but some days I’d move to the couch and write there.
Here in Spare Oom, though? Perfect weather. The one window faces north so we don’t get direct sun at all, just the breeze off the ocean. And we’ll sometimes get some absolutely gorgeous sunsets as well. It never gets hot or muggy in this room. Sure, it’ll get cold in the winter, but not enough to drive me from getting work done.
I’m usually not one for writing sessions outside of the home, though. I just feel kind of weird taking up space in a café or a bookstore for hours on end. It’s not about other people watching me write…it’s more that I’d feel like I’m hogging a seat that one or more people could possibly use instead during the time I’m there. [That, and I’m usually there for other things, like buying coffee or books. I don’t feel as bad if I’m sitting somewhere going over the book pile and debating which ones I’ll buy.]
Still, I make sure I get out and enjoy the air now and again. A. and I try to make a point of going out for a walk on the weekend, even if it’s up to the brewpub at the other end of Clement Street. We’ll take a walk in Golden Gate Park or the Presidio, both a short walk from our apartment. We’ll head over to the gym and work out for a bit (during which I’ll be listening to my mp3 player and working out plots in my head while on the treadmill). We’ll head somewhere for brunch or a late lunch on the weekends as well.
As much as I’d like to be one of those writers hanging out in their workspace for hours on end, writing thousands of words and working on everything under the sun, I do need to exit the house now and again. Just to remember there’s a world out there.
So that said, we did manage to get outside and walk a bit before the heat and humidity got the better of us and we went back into hiding in the apartment to watch football. To prove this, I took a panoramic shot from our nearby vista point, Land’s End Trail. It was so clear we could just about make out Point Reyes in the far distance (it’s around 50 miles north of us, and just about barely visible in the far left horizon in this picture).
Welcome to Bridgetown 