This trip has been rather absolutely marvelous. I have a clean bill of health (whatever that may mean). Three doctor appointments and a dentist appointment yielded good news AND some nitrous aside. The nitrous episode was captured on video and placed on Instagram. It is rather funny, if I do say so myself. My dental hygienist was very savvy with Instagram and tried to reach me some new tricks but this old dog was pretty impervious. I shall work on it some other time.
My internist of some forty odd years told me that he was proud of me and that he had never seen me better, both mentally and physically. My ophthalmologist said that I do not have glaucoma, that I do have cataracts but they are not troublesome and do not require surgery. He also said that my glass prescription has not changed which is a vast relief as I have eleven pair of glasses.
The other doctor has seen vast improvement and has ordered testing to scientifically confirm his findings. That is rather mind boggling actually. We discussed a possible move back to the Bay Area and he suggested that any reluctance is the result of my Vancouver fame. Fame is now apparently part of my identity. Good friend Jenn W. says that I will carry my fame with me wherever I go. I think she may be correct.
These have been busy times, with daily appointments in Marin County which necessitates travel of public transportation. First BART to get to the Ferry Building, then the ferry and afterwards a taxi. But it has been fun and I have made many new friends as a result of the interaction. On my trip home from Sausalito yesterday I mat a fantastic couple from my home town and we promised to be in touch when we get back. On the trip to Tiburon I met a charming young mechanical engineer from Ireland, he was such fun and said that his boss would probably be more age appropriate. Who knows and with my frequent trips to the Bay AreaI I could perhaps need a local boy. On BART on the way to the ferry I thanked a woman who gave me her seat and talked to a little girl seated with her father. As I went up the escalator a wonderful woman spoke to me of her sciatica. This is actually the truth (as usual), my medical doctor tells me that I am doing great and then about three hours later I begin to suffer pains down my leg. My self diagnosis was confirmed but with some Aleve and some stretching exercises I am managing and can get about. I am a bit slower but and do need a seat on BART but other than than, it is fine.
So the pain was not the only bad thing that happened. I was stood up by Young Man. But he was very repentant and we worked it out and I think developed a closer relationship throughout the process. I had spoken of my being stood up last week and got some valuable advice about how to deal with such situations. I put the advice into practice and it worked.
I was feeling very good about being here in San Francisco. It is cleaner and less crowded then Vancouver and there is not the homeless problem (no matter what far away observers say). The people seem more involved and hopeful, not like the robots in Vancouver. People are more mannerly and helpful. Of course the sun is shining, perhaps that is helpful but it isn’t all of it. But then a rude awakening.came with the news of another mass shooting. Gavin Newsom, the newly elected California governor was most articulate. “It is a gun culture. you can’t go to a bar or a night club. You can’t go to a church or a synagogue? It is insane, and that’s the only way to describe it. It has been normalized.”
Well Governor Newsom I have an idea for you. Make gun possession illegal in California. Then what will happen is that it will be challenged by those idiot right to arms people and it will go to the Supreme Court of the United States. Ordinarily that might work but with Kavanaugh, who knows? This is a mess. I will be glad to go back to Vancouver to get out of the line of fire. Intellectuals analyze the rage of the men who do the shooting but that misses the point. There will always be rage in a society with huge inequities but if the guy does not have a damn gun he cannot shoot and kill. That is so basic and kindly note we are talking guys here. Not women who rush about plugging holes in people. By the way, I saw the guy referred to in the last blog, the guy that was for the ‘right to bear arms”. I ignored him totally, acting like he did not exist, engaging in conversation with a charming young man learning something about his country.
I made a very kind and nice gesture tp a woman in his hotel and she did not thank me. I confronted her in the elevator. She said she was busy, that she did not have the time to thank me. I told her that I was busy too and that she had thrown my day into disarray. Disarray can be the word of the day: noun disorder, confusion, chaos, untidiness, disorganization, dishevelment, mess, muddle, clutter, jumble, tangle, shambles.
I did learn something from my helpfulness. It is important to put oneself first and then perhaps reach out to help others and it is not usually a good idea to help victims because victimhood is their modus operandi and they can become a full time job. But it is a delicate balance because one does not want to become hard hearted and selfish. But I have learned of late, I recognize the situation sooner and withdraw. One cannot change other people, it is difficult enough to change oneself.
The rather artsy picture is one taken from Marin, it shows the skyline of San Francisco. All this and and I can photograph too. Hahahaha
