Since I spent my entire Saturday cooped up in a coworking space getting stuff done (tweets, check, logos, check, lettering, check), I decided Sunday was going to be Neighborhood Explorers Day — well, at least, on my way to a spot where I can camp out and finish all the work I didn’t finish the day before (tweets, logos, and lettering, sadly.)

So, today’s Aimlessly Walking Around the Castro Adventure / Artist Date, by the numbers:

3 – cups of coffee consumed. Oh, and LOL, an Oprah Chai Tea Latte, just because I was curious. (Note: It was good. Thanks, Oprah!)

9,594 – steps walked, according to Moves, from my apartment in the TenderNob to the point wherein I give up and go in for a mani-pedi (heehee) in Noe Valley. At least I walked all the way to Noe Valley!

3 – bookstore stops along the way. Aardvark, Books Inc., and Folio.

1 – magazine purchased. The latest issue of Afar has so much handlettering and ermgh Lotta Jandsotter. I need to explore the Scandinavian Islands. (adding it to The Great 30th Birthday Iceland Adventure of 2015.)

1 – dude along Van Ness who stopped me just to say that he saw me walking and that I was so cute. Yipes. (At least I’ve moved on from my previous target market, aka Hobos!) Still — awkward. “My name’s David, what’s yours?” Oh dear, no more Daves. “Say, do you know if there’s a skateboard shop around here?” “I think they’re all down theeeeere,” I point, far, far, away. Smile, accept the handshake, say thank you, politely walk away, pretend to be in a hurry to meet a friend. Make a wrong turn, end up in South Van Ness, stop in a quiet corner to reroute.

6 – colors on a Castro crosswalk. Love, love, love the Castro. Such a fun neighborhood to explore. (Dani! Cole Valley next!)

$6 – amount by which a mani-pedi is cheaper in Noe Valley than in the downtown, Union Square area. What a deal.

$9 – cost of an additional 10 minutes of foot massage. Seriously, these ladies are the best marketers — ask for a spa mani-pedi, get comfortable, one minute into the best foot massage ever (See: 9,954 steps), Vietnamese lady asks if you want to add 10 more minutes. Of course I want ten more minutes. My achy feet agree.

3 – number of minutes it takes me to get off the chair, put my shoes back on, and completely ruin the nail polish on my fingers. I smile politely and try to hide the fact that I practically wiped off all the polish on my thumbs. Sigh.

6 – hours spent in Starbucks Noe Valley finishing work. Tweets, check, logos, check, portfolio / personal website polishing, check.

2 – boxes of tea I ended up buying at Whole Foods — slowly turning into a tea person, what with this old man wheezy cough¹ that I’ve had for three weeks and counting (!!!) (Bronchitis?)

2 – bus rides eventually taken.

11,175 – steps taken, in total. ’Twas a good day for walking.