family vacation at home

This August my sister Raya, as well as my brother Max, his girl friend Courtney, and their two children Jaida and Little Rico came to visit us at home for a couple weeks. It was so much fun. I started every day watching Animal Planet with Jaida. And then we would all go out on various outings each day. We went to Saulsalito, The Exploratorium, The Discovery Museum, Fisherman's Wharf, Half Moon Bay, just to name a few. We also had parties for both of my parents, whose birthdays are only a few days apart. The company just left yesterday and I miss them already.

yee ha

san francisco zoo

The other day I went to the San Francisco Zoo with my sister Raya, my niece Jayda, Raya's friend Josh, and Erin. It was pretty fun. Maybe my favorite part was eating hot dogs but then again there was the cotton candy...


The pictures were fun to take. And there were the animals. I liked the goats and the horses. Horses have always been a favorite of mine.

good times

Need I say more? Even Kaya, my dog, found her way into this shot.

Dance Class

Normally, every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon I go to Dance and Drama class for people with developmental disabilities over at the Janet Pomeroy Center. It's called Theatre Unlimited. I look forward to class all week long, and can't stop jumping out of my seat when I'm there. Sadly it doesn't happen over the summer, so I decided to post about it instead. It's taught by David Lovett, and he's the best. So are the other students in the class. David started it up in the 70's, and every semester there's a show at the end. In class we do warm up stretches, contact improv to music on stage, and other exercises. At the end of each semester there's a final performance. You can check out the website for more about it. Below is an excerpt from the website:

Drama and dance classes are offered to participants of all ages. Some classes are open to the community as part of City College of San Francisco's Disabled Students Program. Volunteers, local and international interns, and guest artists join Theatre Unlimited classes, bringing their love for the arts, their performance expertise, and their technical talents to our program.

On Tuesday and Thursday nights, Theatre Unlimited focuses on production and has been an established repertory company since 1977. Members explore the creative process and prepare for upcoming performances by drawing from each individual's talents, experience, and personal input. The company weaves together elements of real life and artistry to create thought-provoking original plays, performance pieces, and dance works.

Theatre Unlimited rehearses and performs on the stage of the Janet Pomeroy Center Main Hall overlooking picturesque Lake Merced. The Company also performs at a wide variety of venues in the greater Bay Area and beyond, including local theater spaces, schools, museums, corporate parties, and professional conferences.

Theatre Unlimited strives to educate and integrate both recreational and serious artists in our unique process. We wish to expand our audiences, to share a love for the arts, and to inspire the creative ability within everyone.

Sydney's Birthday Party

One of my caretakers, Sydney, had a birthday party in Oakland, and it was fabulous. It was Barbie-themed, so everyone had to dress up as their own interpretation of Barbie or Ken. There was great homemade food, crazy costumes, and great people. I stayed out later than I normally do just because it was too much fun to leave. Check out the costumes!

Alzheimer's Home with Erin and James, 4/8/2008

Today unexpectedly Erin's friend James, who works in an Alzheimer's Home in Japan town, invited us over to hang out with some of the residents. It was fun. First we hung out outside and heard James read the story of Cinderella. I met all the residents and they were happy to see me. Then we went inside for arts and crafts. I helped Erin color in flowers. I even smoked some of my bubblegum cigarettes with the residents. I can't wait to go back!

My 23rd Birthday part, 4/7/2008

It's my birthday!!! Yay! We had a hot dog party at the house, and a bunch of people came over. There was me, my mom, my brother Rico, my sister Raya, her friends Amelia and Nick, my caretaker Becky, her friend Liz, my friends John and Robbie, Ginger, my grandparents, and even more people. I ate lots of hot dogs, pickles, and of course birthday cake. I got great presents, including a really fancy camera, which I can now use to take better pictures of my outings and adventures for the blog. I also got fake cigarettes - my favorite!! My dad was stuck Hawaii with Mijo and Dave because the airline that they flew out on closed down, but I got Happy Birthday over the phone from them. It was special.

Tortilla Flats, 4/7/08

Today, just when Mijo was saying that he was in the mood for Mexican food, we happened to drive by Tortilla Flats on Bryant Street in the Mission (between 18th and 19th street). It was great. It was easily accessible for my chair, and there were plenty of places for me to choose from to sit. I ended up eating an enormous Breakfast Burrito, and some fries (my favorite!). Mijo ate a burger, and my dad had pancakes. Erin was getting over the flu so she just drank tea. It was really inexpensive - I think the combined bill was under twenty.

erin and lauren's house 3/20/08

Sometimes I go to Erin and Lauren's house in Bernal Heights. Mostly I hang out in the garden and eat chips with guacamole. But today I hung out in the garage. Lauren was cutting up some wood, so I had to wear safety goggles. Safety first!

Atlas Cafe, 4/14/08

So we haven't posted on here for a while. But we're going to begin again. Just for the record, I can't type or even form sentences, so all of this writing is coming from my aides. Anyway... Today, although Breakfast Club was small (just me, my dad, Erin, and Kaya), we had a great time. We went to The Atlas Cafe in the Mission, at Harrison and 19th, and all had great food. It was totally accessible, and I even saw a friend of mine who's also in wheelchair there. I got my pizza, and Erin had a cheeseless one, with beets and mushrooms and sweet potatoes. Dad had a sandwich. There were lots of people there, and everyone was super friendly to me.

The Brewery down in Princeton. 1/28/2008

Today we went down to the Brewery in Princeton, right above Half Moon Bay.  We picked up Frank, our occasional special guest, as well as the regulars - Dave and Mijo, and then headed down the coast.  It was pretty much lunch by the time we got there, and I had my favorite - Chicken quesadillas with a heaping pile of guacamole.  And three sprites.   We ate outside under the nice warm heat lamp, and even Kaya was allowed to sit with us and sun bathe.  I didn't go in the restaurant itself, so I'm not sure how accessible it was, but the outside was great and I felt well taken care of.  I even dozed off here and there as I was so relaxed.