Dallas is the furthest known eastern outpost of California classic In and Out Burgers and Fry’s Electronics. After this, we are in foreign territory, where I sometimes don’t understand what the natives are saying, and they know I am a stranger. Even as I have my reasons for leaving California, there are some things I…
Author: cjbickford
Why I Left California
And now as we light out for unknown territory, an interlude about what is driving me away Why from the Bay Area, with its perfect-for-me weather, beautiful sights, and vibrant culture, plus all the great experiences and friends I have here? There are a few things that I can’t fix, though I’d been hoping for…
Leaving San Jose and a Night in Solvang
It is my first night being homeless and I am now in central California with Peter and Scout. The last week was a frenzy of packing and preparation. I sold my car on Thursday. I canceled utilities. We threw and gave away more and more of what was left. And we threw a party one…
Leaving San Jose
If you haven’t heard already, Peter and I sold our house of 21 years on Thistle Drive, and we’re heading off right around Neil’s 19th birthday to find a new home and new adventures. We lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for almost 30 years, and this place gave us some of our dearest…
I Wish There Was Something Like Boy Scouts for Girls
After having homeschooled my son from 6th grade through high school, my daughter got a turn at being homeschooled as a sixth grader. Unfortunately, and while she kept a positive attitude, it was surprisingly isolated and lonely, despite the fact that she is a girl scout and we went to park days and teen nights….
Gilroy Yamoto Hot Springs: Hidden History Under Repair
Last June, one of my fellow hikers introduced me (and other fellow hikers) to Gilroy Yamoto Hot Springs, a former Japanese-American resort that’s now being repaired and renovated by a small non-profit group. Like most locals, I had no idea we had hot springs so close to home, nor that they were part of local…
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and the Serial Cat Killer
We had a memorable night last Wednesday, which started with a concert in downtown San Jose, and ended with meeting a serial cat killer in front of our house. Peter and I went out to see My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, a band we’ve been seeing live since their Sexplosion tour. At that…
Berkeley’s Naked Guy and Columbia’s Mattress Girl: Roles that Lead to Madness
I have followed the stories of Columbia’s “Mattress Girl” with an increasing sense of horror. Regardless of the circumstances that led her to carry a mattress around her campus in the name of artistic expression, the fact that this led to national news was devastating. People eagerly fall into the roles that garner them attention…
Comic-Con vs. Creation Con
Last Saturday was my first time going to a for-profit fan convention; my previous experiences have been with comic book conventions as exhibitor support, most notably (and for more than 20 years) Comic-Con. As anyone who’s been there lately knows, Comic-Con has evolved from a regional comic book show into a pop culture powerhouse. The…
A Day at a Supernatural Fan Convention
Peter and I have been fans of the TV show Supernatural since it first aired (after we’d seen a booth promoting it at Comic-Con in 2005). He has decided I need more fun in my life, so at Christmas he bought us Saturday tickets to a Supernatural fan convention in Burlingame (near San Francisco.) It…