Panik attack

The Giants have won their first two games thanks to a home run in
each by Joe Panik. How strange and surprising is baseball? And
yes, how welcome. Baseball makes no sense and yet it does.
Our two pitchers have been excellent too. What fun.

flowers, sunshine, Passover!

Oh, and BASEBALL ~ the Giants won their first game yesterday.
It must be Spring and most welcome to all of us. Thanks to the
Blogmaid for these lovely tulips pictured above. Oh, and guess what
else I learned at the March last Saturday...scrunchies are back
in style. Who knew? My march mates, that's who. Such good news.
Not that I ever stopped worshipping the scrunchy.

immigrants and Vietnam

The Strand

The Play

Yesterday, after lunch at the Cadillac Bar & Grill, we went to the delightful
Strand Theater to see Vietgone. Carlini and I both loved this play, especially
the second act. Qui Nguyen (playwright) grew up in Arkansas with Vietnamese
refugee parents and really, he is telling their story. Their neighborhood in
El Dorado, Arkansas was primarily black and Qui adores hip hop music and
action movies. This is an unusual comedy/drama ~ it sure made us think.

it all starts tomorrow!

OPENING DAY

For a few more innings,

all our teams are in first, tied

for bragging rights, living up

to the expectations

of a new year, a fresh season,

a green, exuberant spring.

Play ball! And listen to the hiss

on that first pitch, burning

with murderous indifferent

innocence into the pocket

of that newly-oiled

untested catcher’s mitt.

For a moment, we’re on

the umpire’s side, calling them

as he sees them, starting

the story of a bright sunny day,

fresh clean uniforms, and that

most pleasant ballpark

fragrance: hope.

~ Will Walker

killer actor

Bill Hader has the MOST expressive face. In this HBO series he plays a
trained assassin Barry who starts taking acting classes. We watched the first
one last night and found it excellent. Then we finished Occupied and we
will miss Norway and all that turmoil.

it was that kind of Sunday

I mean, who could stay inside on a day like yesterday? We packed up a
couple of cheese sandwiches and drove 15 minutes to Pathetica where
we found the one remaining parking spot and went walking amongst
the big fat crows and people with dogs. One of those count-our-blessings
kind of days and so we did.

what does democracy look like?

Hey hey, ho ho ~ the NRA has got to go. Well I see that the NRA labeled
the world wide marches as a "Carnival" and this will only drive more
people to denounce this domestic terrorist group. It was a great march
yesterday and I am thankful to Claire and the Blogmaid for picking
me up and walking down Market Street with me. It was another great
day in the streets. Proud to be an American because THIS is what
democracy looks like.

another Saturday, another march

I am watching morning television, we only do that during major
news events. Today is the March for our Lives and it looks like a
big turnout in Washington, DC.  I will be heading to Civic Center
later ~ grateful that the Blogmaid and Claire will pick me up and
off we will go to support those amazing students from Parkland, Fl.
The tide has turned, I really believe this. The NRA is a terrorist
organization and their only goal is to sell more guns.

lord love a (half) duck

outside

inside

Last night Husbando and I celebrated our belated anniversary at The Morris
which is now famous for duck. We used to go here often when it was the
Slow Club. It looks so bleak and industrial outside, but inside it has about
the best and friendliest service imaginable. The food is fabulous too. We
don't know how they roast the duck, but it is just the best ever.

escape to Norway

Season Two ~ remember Occupied? Scary story about Russia invading
Norway for the oil fields and, surprise, they completely take over the
country. We discover an active Free Norway resistance movement and
who is loyal to whom? Very exciting and exceedingly well done. Of
course it's fiction (smirk) and you will find it binge-worthy on Netflix.

goodbye dear friend

Frank Fredericks died last night from Leukemia. We have known him
and Neti for 40 plus years. He made this world a better place, he really
did. Kind, gentle, funny and very smart. We grieve deeply.

meet Queenie

She's a Miniature Doberman and as sweet as can be. Well-cared for,
perhaps a little overweight, and hoping for a new forever home. The
SPCA had her labeled as a Manchester Terrier but our friend Marsha
said, "no", because of her ears, eyes, tail and other details.

oh, it's so close...

Scott's

Yesterday Husbando and I drove (!) over to Jack London Square in
Oakland. We walked about and were pleased to see so many other
people at the markets and stores. Then lunch at Scott's and a smooth
ride home. That newish Bay Bridge really is so pretty and we had
a sunny day to enjoy.

The Square

fifty words a day

The 75 year old man writes exactly 50 words every day in his diary.
In a London train station he meets a 30-something woman and they
have a strange and (I think) wonderful relationship. Dancing Jen and
I sat WAY up in the balcony at ACT and enjoyed every word of this
unusual play by Simon Stephens. Highly recommended!

hooray and congratulations!

Yesterday RR received her acceptance at Mercy High School and she
did so with honors. It is so exciting and we join Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid
in their excitement and joy. The next four years will be lots of work
and fun for Ryan and her family!

from Netflix and BBC

Tonight we will finish the 4th and final episode of this excellent mystery
involving the murder of an immigrant pizza delivery guy. Collateral
stars Carey Mulligan as a police officer who untangles the story of spies,
racism, immigration and the evils of human trafficking. It is set in London
and that is always a plus.

women and books

Five of us met for lunch out here in Sausalito yesterday. We discussed
Jack London (his writing, life and the times when the book was published
in 1914, and we laughed at a few of his repetitive thoughts.) I enjoyed
myself immensely, especially since Patty did the driving and I just
relaxed with my portobello sandwich. Next month we are to read
Red Notice by Bill Browder for the book club. Library time...

my next book

I just downloaded this on my LindaKindle2 based on the recent
recommendation of Linda Herself. Then I will read the newish
Mrs. Osmond, a sequel to The Portrait of a Lady. Today is the
new book club I joined and we will discuss The Valley of the
Moon which was a bit gushy with love, in my most humble opinion.

crack down!

This relatively small bank in New York City's Chinatown is the only one
to pay for the great mortgage meltdown and recession of 2008. Abacus
tells the story beautifully and you too will grow to love this close knit
family who helps so many Chinese immigrants. On Amazon Prime.

it's not Paris, but...

Lovely lunch with Dancing Jen on Fillmore Street yesterday. This was
sort of an IT satellite spot because Jen showed me how to enjoy the
Podcast feature on my iPhone. I am finally listening to Serial and
enjoying immensely.

poignant and true

Amazon Prime provided me with a grey afternoon of quiet joy and
sorrow yesterday. I had a rocky relationship with my mother and
what I loved about the Lady Bird film is that the writer provided
me with both sides, without judgement. It is a lovely movie,
especially for women. And Sacramento, of all places!

inner and outer clocks

two families in the south

Mudbound takes place in Mississippi right after WWII. I was afraid that
the overt racism would ruin this for me, but it didn't. Of course there is
a lot of sorrow and some violence, but the human connections and
warmth come through in the end. From Netflix on Netflix. Thumbs up!

go away Jeff Boy

pride

shame

Jeff Sessions should stay back in the DC right wing swamp. Our Governor
Brown's response to the AG's visit yesterday was terrific. California is a
dynamic, diverse Sanctuary State.

co-chefs for a night

Confession. Husbando and I do not work well together in the kitchen.
I believe this is because we are both control freaks and our usual
cooking conversation revolves around "How long will you need here?"
and "I'll come back when your are finished." So much for the happy
picture of a couple chopping and stirring alongside with garlic
sprinkled on well-worn recipes. But last night we cooked mussels
together in the big cast iron fry pan and one voice was only raised once.
Success! But this will not become a habit, that much we both know...

back to my office

Yesterday I returned to feed about 50 dogs and to make sure that I could
still open cans and scoop out kibble at the SPCA. I had to put my ugly
velcro brace on after a few minutes of work, but that did the trick and
we were all just fine. Good to be back!

very satisfying

Well, that was fun even if we haven't seen most of the movies. I did make
a list and soon they will all be on Amazon Prime and/or Netflix. Isn't
Frances McDormand just wonderful? I too appreciate the folks who
actually go into the movie theaters, but that ain't us so much anymore.

right next to Disneyland

Jancey and Moonie and the purple motel

The Florida Project is on the Flix® now and I watched it yesterday
afternoon. It's the sweet, sometimes sad, story of children on their
summer vacation. Poor children with single mothers who struggle
to provide food and a safe (not pretty) home for their kids. But there
is joy, love and caring and I recommend the movie highly.

not a sleepy beach town

Season Two of Marseille has arrived. Lots of cut throat politics with much
l-o-v-e and jealousy. Great French fun. We have never been to Marseille,
but I always pictured it as a quiet resort coastal village. Wrong. It is
big and bustling and filled with intrigue. Oh, and soccer too. Mon dieu.

I will miss this

the entrance to Fromm Institute

School is out. No more lunches, no more walkers and/or canes, no
more cell phones going off during lectures despite all those warnings.
What I'll miss most: the professors, being with Ginger, that surprising
feeling of, "I didn't know that!" during class. So many seniors and
so eager to learn. Our teacher who said that his wife belongs to a
women's bike club named Menstrual Cycle. The one who prefers us
to his college kids because we know who Eisenhower was. And I
love the USF campus: the library, coffee shop and all those diverse
university students being so very nice to us old folks. Good times!

the only park

My writing partner this week lives in Hawaii now but she and her
husband raised their two boys here in SF. Our prompt was A WALK
IN THE PARK. Gloria has traveled all over the world so this
poem really means so very much to me. Enjoy:

Mary Ann- No matter where I go in the world, there's only one 

park for me. -G

A WALK IN THE PARK - 2.28.2018

From our house, we walk

Two blocks to Golden Gate Park,

Three miles to the beach. 

On the way: baseball,

Roller-blading, bicycles, 

Even golf frisbee. 

Bursting blooms abound

Aged trees sway above us

The air: sweet and clear. 

Boaters ply the lakes,

Babies to seniors delight

In their own playgrounds.  

Bison live in the

Buffalo Paddock: so grand!

I wish they’d roam free. 

Almost to the beach, 

Past Beach Chalet soccer fields, 

Gay men hide and meet. 

Churning the sea air,

Windmills herald the ocean

Toes in the sand time. 

The return trip home

Goes past the dimsum parlor

Ah, San Francisco!

~ Gloria Lau