1989, hmmmm, started a new job that year (resulted in a 10 year tour of duty with said firm), walking across Market Street, standing at the bus stop and whammo Loma Prieta quake hit, walked to Tower Records on Bay Street (my moonlighting job) and on the way learning from some guys who had a portable tv plugged into their van that the Bay Bridge collapsed and the Marina was on fire (our apartment was on bedrock, nothing but crooked pictures and no phone service for a few days, no power for 1 day, we got off very easy). Fully immersed into opera that year, I was a standee (could not afford seats (still can't
) and went to the opera 4 nights a week at least. Spent most of the year listening to music, reading books and spending time with several good friends (and still friends) and the saddest milestone of that year is my best opera buddy was the first friend to die of AIDS. I still miss him. I remember that time, as a 29 year old, a good year, lots of happy memories and good times. 10 years later I was having a mid-life crisis and moved to the bitter east coast.