These days I awaken to the sound of a train. I personally prefer birds but you ca’t always get what you want (as some song goes). The train sound is somewhat magical as it is a SMART train, a commuter line that took years to implement. This self satisfied, insular community, this County of Marin, abhorred public transportation for years and years and years. So Highway 101 is basically a parking lot during most of the day. I am not sure if the train is helping out but I know two people who ride to work at the Marin County Civic Center and they are happy getting to work without jumping in their car. I would be too. One of the things that I love about my new home, Vancouver, is that they have great public transportation. I can jump on a train, go to New Westminster, hang out at the Hub with my friend Lynne and we can speak of many things. Lynne was my friend at Ross Sheppard High School in Edmonton and then at the University of Alberta Edmonton. That was over fifty years ago – we are getting older and wiser. Lynne is most astute, I said to Joo Kim Tiah in an email the day before yesterday. I will get her to advise me when I run for Mayor of Vancouver.
But back to here, San Rafael California. I ran down to get in my car to go to a doctor appointment (SMART train not that smart and does not go that far down). A woman was standing there, she smiled and guess what? She was gap toothed. I said: “I love your gap!” I told she and her daughter about my blog and the daughter got it on her cell phone and we laughed about my post of yesterday (or the day before).
They: “You made my day!”
Me: I make a lot of people’s day, she said humbly.
I was speaking of happiness here at Embassy Suites Hilton. It was at breakfast, which is great by the way and comes with your room (unlike the Trump International Hotel in Vancouver). I said that the first step to happiness is to stop watching television. It is so incredibly negative, alarming and just plain stupid. I never watch television, just glance at it when forced. So follow my stead (good word that). Or not, but why not? Try it, you might like having some quiet non interrupted time, try listening to classical music. I am driving these days and have the car radio tuned to KFRC, delightful. There, In a commentary, a statement quite profound: “There is nothing as seductive as something you can not quite have.” That does explain a lot, actually my eerie appeal to men. Well that and I am apparently cute. The cartoon of me in the bath tub at the Trump International Hotel is the best proof of that.
So I went down to breakfast and collected a couple of newspapers and spoke with the man collecting breakfast tickets. He was raving and ranting about Trump, something about a golf course where millionaires were spending millions to join to get access to Trump. But there was other much more newsworthy and important news about Trump. His deal with the Democrats on the debt, cooperating with the Democrats on reforming the tax code, and something about a dream accord. The thing about the golf course is meaningless. Who cares about how millionaires spend their money? Not me. I have never told Joo Kim Tiah how he should spend his money, not even once and I paid for lunch the first time. So there! So there! So there!
But the golf course emphasis is just typical of negativity. The political scene in this country is atrocious. So go back to your country, you negative people say. Well I am on September 16, 2017.
I called to change my airline reservations returning on the 16th, rather than the 13th . United Frequent Flier Miles got me here and will get me back. I was laughing with the woman who adeptly helped me. She said: “You made my day!” I referred her to my blog and the video of Joo Kim Tiah.
Me: The combination of the two of us may mean we go ballistic.
She: Ballistic?
Me: Oh, that is not the word. It is viral, I guess or something like that.
She: I like ballistic better.
Me: Me too.
So then I emailed the man I am going to stay with for two days before I can move into my apartment. I told him when I was going to arrive, asked him for his exact address and then laughingly asked if he had moved in anticipation of my return to Vancouver.
He: Hahahahaha. No I haven’t moved. My address is……..
Me: Thanks, see you on the 16th.
I plan to travel on the SMART train today, just for the experience and a laugh. I also need to pick up a raft of blog cards. I keep running out. I am never going to go ballistic if I don’t keep on with this.
