Musee Mechanique and other delights

Yesterday we went to San Francisco to see my old friend P and his ex J.  I have known P through zines for maybe seven years.  It was our second time meeting in person.  He lives in New York.

Let me tell you about our day yesterday.  I will somewhat quote from a postcard I just wrote to my bestie AL.

Traffic jams, burritos, ice cream at Dolores Park, someone trying to sell us pot rice crispie treats.  The Musee Mechanique where you put in a quarter or two and get to see something. 

Here is a partial list of mechanical things we saw.

*Laughing Sal
*a test of strength where you grab a pretend bull by the horns and squeeze them together--I did so so
*a boxing game where two little metal figures box and you control them with gun-like things
*an execution where someone is read their last rites then hanged
*an execution where someone is read their last rites then guillotined
*a laughing drunken sailor
*a drunken mime who taps his foot against the glass of his case and leans against a lightpole
*a test of strength we didn't really understand which involves striking a piece of metal with your finger
*an arm wrestling machine
*a pony kids can ride
*a test of strength where you punch a punching bag--didn't seem to be working
*a fortune telling thing where something reads your palm and it spits out a paper fortune
*a fortune telling grandma
*a fortune telling gypsy
*another fortune telling grandma
*another laughing drunken sailor
*four dancing sailors in white
*some wild west people who fart--there was a sign for this one saying "Don't play if you're easily offended"
*a thing where you kiss your mate and a wheel spins around to land on a rating of the kiss--the kiss Ming and I shared was rated "passionate"
*a zoetrope
*a huge mini fair complete with ferris wheel
* huge mini farm
*a thing where you spin the wheel and different jobs light up--I got Beautician
*video games including my favorite, Bust-a-Move II
*pinball machines
*skeet ball
*whack a mole
*things where you look and see a little move like an earthquake or world's fair
*a helicopter
*a thing where you make a metal ball climb
*a thing where you shoot metal balls that land in holes with different point values
*a funhouse mirror

I remember a lot, but there were way more than this.  Sorry I didn't take a single picture.

We also went to Needles and Pens.  It didn't open till noon, so we got Mexican popsickles and waited.  Ming got rum raisin which was creamy and delicious.  I got watermelon which tasted like laundry detergent.  "Shampoo," Ming said.

Needles and Pens opened late.  While we waited a tour came by.  The tour guide explained it was an anarchist store so you couldn't trust them to open on time.  The tour guide explained what DIY is and what zines are.  It was great to hear.

Inside we looked at lots of zines and cards and books.  Ming looked at some wallets.  I liked many things and bought nothing, which is appropriate because I have about 150 zines on my to read pile from various fests and trades and even purchases.

We got burritos at this bright taqueria.  We got ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery.  I got Brown Sugar with a ginger caramel swirl and Cheesecake with a rhubarb swirl.  They complimented me on my selection.  Ming got coffee toffee in a sugar cone.

We saw the name Ming in a band name on a flier and on a huge ship.

After all this we went to Indian Pakistani food in Berkeley and came home.