Greetings and salutations

I'm back from another road trip, seems like I've been living out of a hotel room more often than not this year.

Was it a good show? Yes, it was a good show. Not by yesterday's standards by any means but yesterday has been officially declared dead and gone. 

Post 2008 my mantra is that survival is the new victory. If I can scrounge up enough lucre to pay my monthly bills and not go into hock then it was a good show and it was more than that.

Made some dough, bought some great things, including a nice Thomas Hart Benton print, a rare Roycroft oak frame, a little known print of a Blackfoot indian by Edward Borein and a few more precious lovelies.

Being an art and antique dealer is a continuum of buying and selling that never ends. You cash out upon expiration I suppose.

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The state of California is so beautiful right now. I drove down through the central valley yesterday to an accompaniment of miles upon miles of purple, pink and white flowering fruit and nut trees. The meadows are full of poppies. Rumor has it that Death Valley and Borrego are experiencing a super bloom. I am heading out to Joshua Tree soon.

I drove ten hours yesterday, hit three major traffic accidents, white knuckled the last three hours. Got home in the dark but noticed the wisteria blooms on the oak, a lovely counterpoint to the wild ceanothus lilac bushes now adorning the gorgeous Santa Margarita Valley. I can travel all over but there is no place like home, Auntie Em.

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I guess this is the part of the story where I am supposed to touch on the high points. The best part was being away from most all electrical devices, including the computer. Did catch a few early episodes of better call Saul at Kerry's and loved it.

I sell better when I am present and for all the educational utility of the internet in helping to sell, I believe that sometimes it keeps me from being fully engaged.

No blog, no Google, no voice mails, no gmail, no news, no politics, no chatter, no entanglements, no problem.

Hardly took any pictures either and that was good too. The few I did take weren't worth a damn. Weather was beautiful in San Francisco, as it is back here in San Diego.

One day I woke up and drove up to the Crystal Springs area above San Bruno. Walked the shoreline near the airport.

Drove up to the Purisma Creek Redwoods Sunday morning before the show and took a nice hike, smelled the clean forest and mountain air.

Had some great meals of course. Plied my favorite street, Grand off Linden in South S.F.. Went back to Ben Tre with Kerry for garlic noodles, quail, claypot combination with pineapple and spring rolls. Petteford and I were the only round eyes at XLB kitchen where we supped on a delicious dinner of beef with bean curd, xiao long bao, onion pancake and salted pork chop.

Such an amazing neighborhood for food. I could eat there every day for two months without a repeat. Jordanian, Thai, Jamaican, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, cheap, gritty and superb ethnic dining.

Loughlin and I ate at an izakaya restaurant in Burlingame, Ginji. He let on that I occasionally wrote about food, on the q.t. of course, and they delivered the best in the house.

Hit Kristies a few times for breakfast, once with big d. My neighborhood restaurant, only 500 miles away from home. Love the staff, they are like my sisters.

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Got a much needed haircut at House of Kwan Yin in San Mateo from an older Nicaraguan lady who turned out to be not only wise but a genuine delight. Will share our haircutting topic at another time. Received the best haircut I have had in ages and a little lecture about life.

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Have my work cut out for me getting my shop back in order after seeming months on the road, gypsying from show to show like a spinning deadhead. I get a month off and need to turn the shop upside down and make it a place I can sell merchandise in again. First I have to catch my breath.

© Robert Sommers 2016

Put one of my own photos up at the show. I never show my own work at these sorts of things, having preferred in the past to keep my worlds separate. The photograph was the teeth whitening picture from the Del Mar Fair and it pleased, bothered and intrigued most everybody in the booth. Happy to sneak it in there. Alien brain sucking machine.

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Not a bad life. Peace. And shoot your television.