Such a wonderful visit with Friend Jennifer W, but then she had to wend her way homeward down a congested freeway. When she reached home she sent an email telling of her travail. Travail shall be the word of the day, its synonyms are:ordeal, trial, tribulation, trial and tribulation, trouble, hardship, privation, stress; drudgery, toil, slog, effort, exertion, labor, work, endeavor, sweat, struggle.
The drudgery she endured was the result of congestion due to car accident.
She: It was a slug home with lots of traffic. There apparently was an accident in the west bound lanes of 80, which backed up the eastbound lanes of 80 for miles and miles. I’ll never understand the phenomenon of “looky-loos”who have to slow to a crawl to see an accident! What in the hell are they hoping to see? Blood and guts? Could you ask this of your blog readers? So after a three hour trip, I promptly had Hubby make me a huge gin martini with olives. So I’m writing this with a mind to having the olives for dinner!.
Me: I think the gawkers are looking and saying to themselves that they are glad it is not them. That is my wisdom but I definitely will air it on the blog. Of course, no one can respond and so we will not get any answers. But it may get some of them thinking.
Some of you have the ability to reach me, so share your thoughts (if you have any).
Twio days left here and then back to SF My plane leaves late in the day so I am counting Monday. I am excellent at anticipation, so my thoughts go to people and situations in Vancouver. I am inspired by a young ten year old girl who lives in Vancouver, she is determined that sh is going to be a doctor and I am sure she will do so. I asked her father to give her a note and in the note I promised something from San Francisco. At Book Passage in the San Francisco Ferry Building I asked Meredith for help and she was MOST helpful suggesting a book at her grade level. I did have to guess grade level but I am sure it will all work out. The book is entitled Al Capone Does My Shirts: A Tale From Alcatraz. Gennifer Choldenko is the author., she dedicates the book to her sister. “To my sister Gina Johnson and to all of us who loved her —however imperfectly. Gennifer touchingly describes the attachment to her deceased sister and how it motivated the writing of the book. I shall quote from the beginning, you will see how immediately one is drawn into the tale.
“Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. Alcatraz sits smack in the middle of the bay-so close to the city of San Francisco I can hear them call the score on a baseball game on Marina Green. Okay, not that close, but still.
I’m not the only kid who lives here. There’s my sister, Natalie, except she doesn’t count. And there are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison like my dad does. Plus there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and may be even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it.+
The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don’t want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to.Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you’re me. I came here because my mother said I had to.” (pg.3)
Isn’t that fantastic writing? I cannot believe that a ten year old girl can be expected to read it, but apparently she can be according to some expert on the matter. I did buy this book new for her but she is going to get a copy that has been read (by me). Who could put it down? I will see if there is a copy at VPL – but if not, her book will be a used book.
As I write now, I leave today for Vancouver with very mixed feelings. This has been a momentous visit in many ways. I feel most comfortable here and I am questioning my decision to move to Vancouver. My move to Vancouver was for two reasons:
1 With no gun control you might as well live in a shooting gallery.
2 Trump .
If one avoids the media Trump is not bothersome and people here quite hate him but do not seem overly affected by his ridiculousness. But there is still no gun control and I am thankful to get out of the line of fire today.
The photo is a shot of Kidney (nickname) and I. Kidney is a waiter at Poggio, a truly marvelous restaurant in Sausalito. .Jenn W. and I ate there on Friday – we had eaten there last January during one of my prior visits. They remembered us and were most effusive in their greetings as you can tell by the photograph. Kidney is not for me, he has too many kids and he is not exactly age appropriate. The search goes on. Hahahahaha
Off to breakfast. I do rather love living in a hotel – there are great people to talk to, they make breakfast and the bed. This is a small older hotel. I prefer it to the newly constructed Trump International Hotel and Tower where I lived for four months. Perhaps i could write a children’s story about that experience – rather like the Eloisa series. She was the seven year old that lived with her Granny in a hotel in New York and then visited Moscow and Paris. Not a bad idea! I do know a children’s book author come to think of it. He lives in Vancouver – maybe this will come together. What a brilliant idea. Bye now.
