more cat posts, please!

OK, I hear you. Today we feature the kittens Eleven and Hopper. They
belong to the Blogmaid and her family. Could they possibly be any cuter?

writers gather again

Nice time at Suzy's last night. My favorite was her long piece about
a three week road trip to the East Coast recently. I have not yet been
able to read aloud in public, for some reason, so I don't. This mourning
thing is odd and exhausting, but I try to stay positive and just keep on
doing what needs to be done. Friends are life savers, that's for sure.

basketball is back

I enjoyed the ring ceremony last night and then bounced back and forth
between the Brewers-Dodgers game and the Warriors. No national news
or sleepy politics so it was one fine TV night. The Dodgers won in 13
innings, but I couldn't stay up for that. The Great Plotnik was pleased...

town hall meeting

Last night was a meeting with pizza for the hundreds of SPCA volunteers.
I had never attended one before, but I now force myself out at night when
possible and I'm glad I attended this just to learn a few things. That is
the brilliant and funny President, Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, in the top photo.
The SPCA is a huge success and many other shelters across the country
follow our no-kill policy. We have more people wanting animals than are
available in SF (!) so now they reach out and import the many, many
abandoned dogs and cats in rural and under-funded communities such as
Stockton, Fresno, Tulare, etc. Dr. Scarlett stressed the importance of
medical care at reasonable prices because that is why families often
abandon their pets. Oh, and YES ON 12.

back to Pennsylvania

Yesterday I spent a whopping $25 for a front row balcony seat at ACT
to see SWEAT and I'm so glad I did this. One of our favorite local
actors, Rod Gnapp, has a major role as the bartender and the rest of
the cast was great too. It's the sad story of a steel mill closing in Reading,
PA, and the final scene was surprisingly moving. My parents came from
McKeesport, PA, and that was another dirty mill town. The once good
paying jobs disappear and people's lives are ruined. The theme resonates
that sometimes hard work does not pay off.

books begone

We have 40 or so years of books here. Currently I'm taking bags of
paperbacks to the Salvation Army, but I'll purge the hardcovers at
some point too. I never re-read books and now I'm so in love with
my LindaKindle2 that even though there are some wonderful books
and memories here, out they go. I do keep the poetry and some
travel books and anything with the handwriting of Husbando inside.
It would have made sense to do this while he was still alive and
could help, but that's OK, a bag or two at a time. I like to picture
the customer's delight when he finds one of our books at a bargain price.

getting global

On Wednesday I visited the Asian Art Museum and was a bit underwhelmed
with their new Painting Is My Everything exhibit featuring 17 contemporary
artists from India's Mithila Region. Not as bold and colorful as I was hoping
for, but of course I'm glad that I did this. My pal Joe is having a glorious
time visiting India right this moment.