Labor Day weekend

 

Chinese Workers

Xiao Hai

Translated from the Chinese by Tammy Lai-Ming Ho

I am a Chinese workerOur revolutionary comrades are found in every    corner of the EarthPerhaps consciously or perhaps unintentionallyWe truly stand hereTraveling the world’s ups and downs with our    hands that feed horses and chop woodI am a Chinese workerLurking inside the desire of tall mansions in steel    and concrete is our captive cut-priceYouthThe changes of the season are not oursFood and vegetables don’t need our attentionAll we can do is let the mystery of the words    Made in ChinaFiercely flood every river leading to the four    oceans and seven continentsAnd at every intersectionTake the spoils of the October RevolutionTo exchange for much sought-after ticket stubs to    return home at year’s endI am a Chinese workerLet those days of monotonous workshop/factory    life explode and tumble in the cogwheels of    timeOn the quay, the suitcases that have crossed    oceans and seas are stuffed with ourPenniless and ephemeral pursuitsThe sparks of the years howlTorrential rain in the heart, endless windsBetween lightning and thunder we ask ourselvesWhen will we give our lives a wild runEight thousand miles is too farThree thousand miles is too nearWe are in this vast land, nine million six hundred    thousand kilometersSurviving the nightI come from a villageYou come from a townBoth of us fight barefoot in this dreamy big cityAgainst the gunfire of the Second Industrial    RevolutionI wish to write those blond-haired yuppies with    blue eyes across the oceanA letterA letter that can’t be deliveredTell them of the blooming of spring flowersTell them how high birds flyTell them those walking in the streetsWear clothes that appear decentOh, but they make us feel embarrassedWe sleep ashamed on the warm beds in the    workshopWithout warning we wake up in shockFull of incomprehensionFull of drilling painI want to ask themWhy is the dawn sun covered by dark cloudsWhy isn’t there a rainbow after rainWhy are nights in the city bright as dayWhy are rivers, once grand, now sparkling goldA shining place or somewhere with overgrown    grassThere grow Chinese workers standing side by    side like the Great WallThere grow Chinese workers covering mountainsThere grow Chinese workers holding bronze toolsThere grow Chinese works who smoke and puffThere grow Chinese workers who are armoredThere grow Chinese workers quiet as a riddleThere grow Chinese workersThere grow Chinese workersThere grow Chinese workersI am a Chinese worker

the puzzle organization

 I invested a few $$$$ in these jigsaw puzzle boxes and also a felt cloth for wrapping up the unfinished almost masterpiece. I sorted most of the pieces based on color and I'm sure I will decide to re-do some of these when the rains come and I get back to "work". For now, nice to have the dining room back.

honest to god

 Can't we do ANYTHING right? Must there be profit and/or greed every step of the way?

"The burst in digital borrowing has helped many readers, but it has also accelerated an unsettling trend. Books, like music and movies and TV shows, are increasingly something that libraries and readers do not own but, rather, access temporarily, from corporations that do." The New Yorker: An App Called Libby and the Surprisingly Big Business of Library E-books.

the second time around

 I was in the third row and could hear every word this time. Too wonderful. An usher told me that the reason Hamilton was only here in SF is because they had to close back at the beginning of Covid and the stage set and costumes were all here and most of the cast, too, waiting and raring to go. Everyone wore masks and there wasn't an empty seat. Now I will ask Alexa to play the sound track again for me. 

quiet beauty across the bridge

 Ginger and I went to Tiburon yesterday ~ that little town is packed full of memories, all of them wonderful. We walked around oooohing and awwwwing during the lovely clear day, then had burgers and fries (and salad!) at good old Sam's Cafe, out on the big back deck, of course. 

Lake Tahoe and severe fire worries

 We used to go to Lake Tahoe often when we were young and life/traffic/travel was a bit easier. Now they are evacuating the South Lake and 22,000 have been forced to flee. I will quote Dave Pell from his daily newsy email The Next Draft:

SMOKE ON THE WATER

"To put it in perspective, we've been seeing about a half-mile of movement on the fire's perimeter each day for the last couple of weeks, and today, this has already moved at 2.5 miles on us, with no sign that it's starting to slow down." Lake Tahoe threatened by massive fire, more ordered to flee. (California is burning and we're wasting our time with a recall. Our obsession with the trivial will be our undoing.)

chatting at the Chit Chat

 Yesterday the Blogmaid met me at Pathetica for a walk with her two dogs and then a snack at the Chit Chat Cafe. We celebrated 31 years of friendship and yes, that seems impossible because she barely looks thirty. Thank you for enrichng my life, dear Blogmaid. 

early game today

 Our Giants are in Atlanta ~ two top teams dueling in the heat and humidity which you can almost feel watching the games on TV. We are currently 2.5 games ahead of the blue scum-sucking Dodgers. It takes nerves and strength to be a baseball fan this time of year. 

just vote NO

 My current Sister District postcard project is urging 50 voters to say NO to the Recall on Sept. 14th. A really stupid right-wing election. All ballots by mail, very costly to the taxpayers. Grrrrrrr.

like a bird on a wire

 The Leonard Cohen exhibit isn't open yet at the Jewish Museum, but there were a couple of tribute pieces there by (ta da!) Judy Chicago who is one of his many fans. I had a delightful Downtown trip yesterday and am happy to report that the City is coming aive again. "I have tried in my way to be free." And bring your Vax card and ID, but that's OK.

welcome to SF, Judy!

 We are so looking forward to our Hero Judy Chicago whose exhibition opens Saturday at the deYoung. Last night I watched an interview with her and the curator who is responsible for this miracle. An amazing artist and such an inspirational woman. Yes, I have deYoung tickets already. Can't wait...

we all need to breathe deeply

 There is nothing like a walk along our magnificent ocean to clear out the cobwebs and to cleanse our lungs. SF is so fortunate with the sea breezes to keep out all that smoke, most of the time. You can see that the blue sky is starting to peak out yesterday as Ginger and I walked along the seashore, counting the fishermen and surfers and marveling at so much beauty. There were no Lodgers there...

hmmmm, it ain't the Marriott

 Well, this was a brand new sign I discovered on my walk yesterday. Since you probably can't read the white on red words: "The City and County of San Francisco recently worked to resolve illegal encampments in this area." Above it: "Lodging on public property without permission is unlawful. Cal. Penal Code 5.647(e)." Oh, okay, all the homeless will move up to Oregon now. Done.

half hour vignettes

 Part of the appeal for me in Modern Love is because of the mostly NYC settings, but I just like short, sweet stories with happy endings. Season Two is here for us romantics to enjoy. Amazon TV.

we love women spies

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell is the September Book Club selection and I already have it on my iPad from Libby at the Library. So much better than the dust bowl book last month. Whoosh.

perilous times

 I hadn't been inside Cafe La Boheme (aka Cafe Sticky) since before the pandemic, but yesterday I wanted a baklava with my latte. The owner asked me for my Vax card and ID and I thanked him because I have no desire to be indoors with the unvaccinated. The poor guy said he was exhausted from fighting with people who didn't agree with this sensible rule. Here, in San Francisco? I have given our citizens too much credit, it seems. Grrrrrrrr.

a very small town in Wales

 I've only watched two episodes of The Indian Doctor but so far I like it. The doctor and his beautiful (and outspoken) wife applied to join the NHS in London but ended up in this difficult little Welsh town. A nice break for me between baseball games and calmer than The White Lotus, which I loved. This program has 15 episodes (hooray!) and is on Amazon Prime.

women at the Left Bank

The book club met over in Larkspur yesterday ~ I know, how much adventure can I take? It was a lively time at the Left Bank because we disliked the book (The Four Winds) so much and it was fun to trash an author for a change. Food was great and the next book will be wonderful. You'll see. 

flamingo resort

 Ginger and I had a delightful time at our SF Zoo yesterday. It's strange to buy tickets online, but they have made a lot of improvements (flower gardens, outdoor seating) and of course we don't mind paying for the animals to get the best possible treatment. We were not alone ~ tons of other humans including lots of little ones. Easy parking too.

one would think...

 ...that at my advanced age I'd be used to the speedy passage of time. Well, I am not. Here is our annual back-to-school photo of RR as she heads to her final year of high school. And she drove by herself and all sorts of grown-up stuff and of course she is a straight A student. Sheeeeesh. Good job Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid! 

truck? band of mercenaries? road?

 I have no idea what Routier means, but we four had a fine dining experience there last night (Callifornia and Divisadero) with a few French touches, nothing too overwhelming. I was taken aback at the corkage fee of $45 and nothing was a bargain there. That's OKAY! We were celebrating Neti's birthday and we all had a really fine evening with lots of laughs and a few "Remember the time...?"

did you say five years?

 Yup, my retirement party at Pamela's in Berkeley, exactly five years ago today. I have been talking to a friend who is thinking about retiring. "You will know when it is time," I told him, but that isn't exactly true. Circumstances have a lot to do with the decision. I was able to spend time with Bill before he died and take him to all those doctor appointments ~ and so nice not to stress about work and all the stupid politics of management and mid-management and lower management. Argh. And this party was quite wonderful, as you can clearly see. One more thing, it took a few months to adjust to NOT working, I had been warned about that and now I pass it on. 

BART with bleak

 The glory that is Oakland. Yesterday's ride to San Leandro was boring and I was able to do a lot of reading to/fro. Nice visit with Meriel and Julia, sitting outside in Meriel's garden. These days BART is spotlessly clean and not very crowded and thank god everyone is masked.

red and yellow

 I couldn't resist. This was the front seat of my car last night as I drove over to Gini and Philipp's for an excellent pot roast dinner. Tulips were gorgeous, especially next to the bright red poncho that I inherited from dear Marsha when she died. Today I go to San Leandro on BART. Sigh.

sun, book, coffee

 You can barely see the old man at his little table on the sidewalk outside one of my favorite coffee shops on South Van Ness, near the big post office. I sit across from him reading my New Yorker and drinking my latte. I sense his contentment as I appreciate my solitude and my life. 

dahlia dalliance

 Ginger and I had a good long walk in Golden Gate Park yesterday, ending up at the Dahlia Gardens and you can see how stunning these flowers are. Our big city park was packed with people, dogs and picnics ~ a very pleasant Tuesday indeed. 

another goodbye

 There was a HUGE turnout for Marsha's Memorial yesterday at Piazza Peligrino in North Beach. We will all miss this powerful woman (top photo) but I only knew her since 2014, so my memories were different than most of her old friends. I told the crowd about our many adventures, usually with her two dogs. She was always so easy to be with, the dogs, not every single time. Yes, Marsha, you would have loved this...

almost like normal

 Such a delight to be back for live theater yesterday. I could never appreciate the zoom play thing although I realize that a lot of people enjoy it. The Song of Summer is a terrific one act play with fine acting and a lot of joy. The audience was spaced out (not in the marijuana sense) and we all wore masks and had to show our Vax cards. I'm good with all of that. Neti and I gambled and bought season tickets at the SF Playhouse. How is that for optimism?

 

Libby sends some fun trash

 I have to read The Four Winds for our August Book Club. I am NOT a fan of Ms. Hannah and was dreading this and refused to spend money on this poorly written book. So Libby at the Library helped me and I'm listening and giggling along the way. I can do this thing and the reader is doing a fine job.

as the tummy lurches

 Yikes. Fascinating documentary on HBO about the crazy big wave surfers. I felt a bit quesy after the first episode of 100 Foot Wave, but you have to admire these folks who travel the world in search of huge surf. I am always impressed with those who film the ocean too, even in The White Lotus. 

sort of maybe rain

 Well, perhaps a heavy mist? I walked over to take the J Church street car yesterday to meet Joe for breakfast at The Wooden Spoon ~ you can almost see that the windshield wipers were on in the top photo. They were. My sort of maybe garden was pleased too. (No more hyphens too?)

Air Horse One

 This morning, in order to use the clever headline (not mine, alas) I have been watching Tik Tok (of all things) to see the horses going from trailers to the airplane to fly to Tokyo for the Olympics. The Blogmaid and family sometimes have to struggle with Atlas if he just does not want to go into his trailer. He is not quite ready for the Olympics. 

the Tuesday stroll = urban

Yesterday Ginger and I walked along 24th Street in Noe Valley, stopping at a bookstore and then having our coffee over at the Great Plotniks where I am checking mail, etc. while they visit family in New York. The fog burned off just in time for us to turn our faces to the sun. Lovely.

 

here's a nice hot spot

 Annabelle currently likes to nestle amongst the wires, knobs and knurls here where the TV is hooked up. One time she managed to unplug something or other and the tech guy was so nice and we talked about his two cats and my little sweetheart. She, by the way, rejects the designated cat bed completely and always has. Go figure. Cats.

currently trending

 I know I've posted about Budget Byte$ before, but I really do appreciate the free weekly email newsletter and menu ideas from Beth, who likes simplicity. I am not a born chef (huge understatement here) and yet I find lots of good ideas and I usually end up printing one of her three recipes very week. Today she is tempting me with an antipasto salad, but first I'd better have my blueberries and yogurt. 

our new Skipper

 A loyal Commano reader wrote to ask me how I feel about Gabe Kapler, the Giants' manager who replaced our beloved Bruce Bochy. Well, at first I did not like him because he had a bad run in Philly, but said he learned a lot from that. Now of course I think Gabe is pretty wonderful. Yesterday was his 45th birthday and we beat the Astros and life is good.