When I first moved to the city, I would go out to Ocean Beach fairly often. I only knew one person in SF at that point, so spending time at the beach seemed like a slightly more glamorous alternative to sitting in my dorm room and staring at the wall.

While there I would pull out my disc man (this was 2002) and listen to the Red House Painter's Ocean Beach album. I thought listening to Ocean Beach at Ocean Beach was just fabulously romantic.

So, here I am at the Beach, six years later with an ipod upgrade, trying to channel my 19 year old self. I can't quite do it though. She's too far out of reach.

I feel the songs on the album just as acutely, but for different reasons.






"so much that i can say to you
with affection that i burn inside
you're aching from the distance
avoiding strain that's running still alive
if only i could heal you in the sprinkling of the ocean side
but then you'd know how much i really love you"