Siempre Soleado : Quick Annotations for later...

today i heard the closing arguments today. The prosecutor ( who I refer to as Daly City") was wearing the same black suit she wore since the beginning of the case. Must remember the many faces I saw in her. First day, black mass of shapeless hair over her shoulders. Second day, hair was fastened with a large clip. Little make up, a bit of acne in her cheeks added texture to her face. No earings, the only accessory were her glasses and fake eyelashes. She has wore the same black suit, same generic black pumps, small heels.

I’m sure she has a whole row of black suits in her closet.

She presented her case by displaying "the roadmap" on the huge computer screen behind her. Her face was severe, made her look older, reminded me of my school principal, the one i was always afraid of.

The Road Map was simple and to the point:

-The Law

-The Facts

- How the Law Apply to the Facts.

The defense attorney (a Jesus-like figure) wore different suits, variations of gray and dark gray, paired with colorful ties. His hair was always down, somehow perpetually messy. His shoes never changed: glossy, two-tone black and white. He spoke softly, and provided more details of all the nuances and other issues with the roadmap. I am so eager to know what the verdict will be.

As soon as I am done setting up my art studio, I will sit down and write down a short story based on my experience. Will share the story with Juan, for sure. He'll be the only one to read it, hopefully he can help me edit.

Speaking of Juan, got an email from him today. As always so sweet and supportive. I shouldn't paranoid.

I am better now. It took him a long time to reply, but he did reply. Yes, not as fast as he used to, but he did reply, and he is basically the same friendly Juan I know.

I was released early, but given all the stress of the morning, I took some time to walk around the area and enjoy the beautiful the sunny day. On Thursday I spotted the SFDC - a place I was very familiar with, when I used to work for Rossi Antiques.

I decided to visit the design center again for old times sake, and also because i was curious to see if any of the old interior designers are still there.

At the entrance, a woman asked if I needed directions. I said no and kept walking with confidence. I have no business or agenda here. Just here for a look.

I know this is a public space, anyone can come in and wander through the showrooms. No just anyone, though. The furniture here is made for the super-wealthy. This is where bored rich wives, filled with botox come to choose a new couch or a new countertop, either for a new home they bought in Atherton or because they are just bored with the old furniture, and by this I mean their husbands.

The center inside looks the same, however the directory I only recognized two names: Shumaker and Ninca Campbell - none of the designers I met when working at Rossi's were here.

The showrooms that once displayed overly ornamented armchairs, bulky credenzas with marble tops, and gilded hardware, now has been replaced by square, simpler, smoother designs. The furniture is clean, simplistic, minimalist. The hardware is hidden- the surface of tables is smooth, not distressed like they used to produce at Rossi's, so that they look like 'original antiques' - Hilarious!

Back then, displaying wealth meant filling your house with Louis XV–style furniture. Furniture that looked as it belonged to a castle. Now, the antique furniture of the ’90s has itself become antique and obsolete, as what is trendy today are smooth, modern, geometric shapes with clean, precise cuts.

Is going to change again, it changes every 10 years.

I walked around, reminiscing about my time working for the hyper-wealthy. In the hallway, I saw a man on the phone, apologizing profusely to a client because a table they had delivered had a small dent.

Funny!... I thought... back then the carpenters deliberately would add dents and beat up a table. The more battered it looked, the more “antique” it became. Now, a single small dent turns a table into a flaw.

Very little people inside. A few ladies that reminded me of Helga, walking around with samples of fabrics or wood; Same look. Dyed blonde hair pulled in the back, oversized glasses, attire that looks somehow expensive but also over-used, same mannerisms, I mistook one lady for her, but immediately remember that the Helga I know, is much older than this lady. She looks a lot like her though, if it wasn't because she does not have the same voice or german accent, I would have thought it was Helga. Interesting to note that some things never go out of trend.

If that was Helga, I would have said Hello, asked how she was. I remember her fondly. She appreciated me artistic eye and skills, and I appreciated hers. I also learned a lot from her, more than I learned from other female "managers". The difference was that Helga and I shared a sensibility for art. Something rare to find in the insurance industry, especially in management. I'll never forget when she asked for me to join her in her trip to the Design Center in LA. She saw something in me. She also brought me to visit the houses of a few hyper wealthies in SF - something no other employee got to do. I remember she saying to me in her heavy german accent:

"Dilci: I want for you to see how that chair, that table we just sold to the client, becomes part of a larger work of art in the client’s home. I want you to fall in love with what you do".

And I did fell in love, it did give me a lot of sense of design and space, but I did not fall in love with the clients, too high-maintenance, you had to roll a red-carpet every time one came to visit. They expected the royal treatment and I was not going to play that game. Nah- ah.

Fuck the royals!

Took this picture from the view:

Lots of empty showrooms. Also, empty in compare to the days I used to come here. There were more people walking around, sitting on chairs, selecting fabric.