The Black and White Ball

Every couple of years the San Francisco Symphony throws an upscale block party in my front yard called the Black and White Ball.



Until recently, the event had a more public street fair atmosphere, where if you were wearing black and white clothing, you simply fit in. You needed special handstamps and/or wristbands to enter buildings where they were offering free food and alcohol, but that wasn't something that was particularly tempting on account of the many people going at the food and booze dispensaries with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink frenzy, trying to justify the benefit prices they had paid for a fancy night out in San Francisco.



Sometime in the last decade, the Black and White Ball became literally gated with temporary chain link fencing and admission guards. Its footprint has also became smaller, with only Van Ness Avenue closed from McAllister to Grove rather than using the entire Civic Center neighborhood.



As is traditional in late May and early June when this affair is always held, the wind and the fog were howling on Saturday evening by the time the sun went down, creating conditions so frigid that I shivered with happiness everytime I looked out the window and knew I was safe and warm at home instead of out there. It was also delightful taking a sleeping pill which took me to slumberland as I happily listened to Cyndi Lauper sing live from a block away.