July 3, 2010 11:00pm
Borders, San Francisco, CA

Why hello ****!
I was all prepared to end my bookstore wanderings a few minutes ago when the loudspeaker informed me that Borders didn't close until midnight (on a Saturday, no less!) and laid another hour at my feet. I looked up from the magazine rack to see a couple rising on the escalator and smiling down like some gods of ascension, and it was good. Now I'm holed up on a stool in the local interest section, spreading my letter-writing mood out on paper to you and hoping no one cares about the history of this city for the next 45 minutes so I can write in peace.

They've stopped the escalators in anticipation of shutting the store down, and it's funny, watching people approach steps with so much more reverence and caution when they're in frozen-escalator form. People come down so slowly. One woman was holding onto her husband's shoulders.

Today was our fourth day in the city. We walk everywhere because the traffic terrifies us, but it's nice to have our explorations limited to bipedal mobility rather than a vehicle. You can feel the neighborhoods switching gears.
-an unfinished letter I found crumpled in my closet, this is the only way I'll have the heart to throw it out.