Where is the Sun??

Hello Sweet Things,

All this Grey weather can be depressing, but for a few hours this morning there was sunshine, so taking advantage of it and letting Joe sleep, I took a much desired walk on the nearby beach.

It was so refreshing to see the waves or more like wavelets, kissing the shoreline, watching the various sea birds swoop and ride the sight air currents, the joggers, the serious walkers, the dogie walkers, the parents with babies in strollers taking it a bit of sun and air and enjoying a free sight and thing to do.

Then looking off into the distance counting the number of carrier cargo ships at anchor in the bay, there use to be the sound of fog horns years ago, even with just a slight cloudiness but either the wind wasn't right or they don't use the horns anymore, I miss that.

The weather man says we will have sunshine for the next 4 or 5 days, frankly it can't come soon enough, I need the natural vitamin D that Sunshine provides to help lift my mood. Yoshi suggested that I look into those light bulbs that provide full spectrum light similar to sunlight, she uses it with her Grandmother and it seems to help. I'll look into it, but for now it was nice just to be out in it even for a brief moment.

I took advantage of my walk to end it at the local Starbucks for coffee and a pastry, and as I was contemplating walking home an acquaintance of mine Hank and his wife walked in so we shared a table and they offered me a lift back to my place since it was on their way out of town. To IKEA they said for bookshelves for their college age daughter's room, when they said she was in college I hadn't realize how much time had pass since I first knew them and their children were just little babies.

Now I'm at my computer, and enjoying seeing the sun play "peek-a-boo" behind the clouds, I have few minor chores to do, thanks to Esperanza my housekeeper, my house work is greatly reduced, but it's nice to be hands on a few things.

I'll need to make plans when the weather stabilizes to go to my country place and check on things, Lillian wants to go to the movies this evening to see "Rango"---Johnny Depp as a lizard, that should be interesting.

Ahhhh the sun is out again, I can't resist it, I must go and enjoy it's benefits, until later Sweet Things.

Kisses

My "Antique" Desk arrived~~~~~

Hello Sweet Things,

Yesterday proved to be a bit of a busy day for "home bound" me. The desk that I purchased a month ago was delivered yesterday, thanks to my friends, and now sits in my home office.

I'm not being able to lift things Yoshi and her brother moved things around for me until it was placed just right, and then Mom treated them (and myself) to a wonderful Roast Beef dinner that she cooked herself, there was so much that Mom packed much of it for Yoshi to take home to her Mother.

Yoshi told me that I owe her and I reminded her about the "Pole Dance Contest" and my sore toes, so she said "O.K. we're even."

Yoshi also told me that she saw a similar desk like mine at another antique shop, but the asking price was more than what I paid for.

Mother just loves the look of the desk, now we have to go to some vintage stores and look for 1940's or 50's desk accessories---Well I am seeing my Doctor again next week, and I am feeling much better and stronger, but the only thing is to avoid heavy lifting for another 4 weeks and I should be fine.

Since I don't do any heavy lifting at work that won't be a problem so I'll be able to return to work on Nov. 2 without restrictions. So to antique stores we will go, it will be nice for Mother.

Joe treated me to a nice little ride out to the Sonoma wine country on Wednesday, he rented a light weight wheel chair in case I got tired, which I did, but it was so wonderful seeing the Fall colors and having a little wine tasting. I bought several bottles of different varieties, a wonderful Merlot, and a very sprightly white wine---no my Dears I'm not going to tell you which one's, if there is anything I've discovered is that it's always best to let the individual select what they like and not say 'Oh I like such and such and so and so' .

Mother wasn't bored either, she and Lillian went out to Lunch to "Angela's" here in my hometown, and then went to do some shopping, she needed the break.

But the good thing is she doesn't have to do as much for me now, I can do light dusting while she does the heavy vacuuming, but I keep warning her to not over do, I can always hire a maid service to come in and clean. She insists on hand washing every dish and knife, fork and spoon and I keep telling her "Mom, that's what a dishwasher is for, please use it" But she does what she does.

We've talked to Dad and baby sis on the phone every few days, I can tell Dad misses Mom, but he says that baby sis and her boyfriend have been keeping him company when he comes home from work and Trixie always demands her walks.

I'm planning on taking the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off and driving down to the family's home for Thanksgiving, but I'm going to have to leave Sunday to be back to work on Monday, but I'm going to take the train down again just a couple of days before Christmas and come back a couple of days after New Years, I have this vacation time that I need to use or lose.

I've been in touch with my tenants and they are doing fine, I was sad to miss the Harvest Festival but it couldn't be helped.

So now I'm going to get dressed and Mom and I are going to go to a few shops and have a late Lunch out, I might be pushing it, so I'll have to pace myself. Anyway I do need to buy candy for Halloween, we do get a fair amount of children coming around and this year Halloween is on a Saturday, Lillian said her Grandson is going to be with her to hand out candy and keep an eye on her.

Frank and Joe told me they are going to be pulling overtime, Halloween is always "Mischief Night" and sometimes not so nice. I told them to come to my house afterwards no matter what time to "crash out" I've got cots for them. I've seen how exhausting it can be.

Oh my, Mom wants to go to the Food Shop (as I call it) on Park St. to check out the pumpkins and squashes, she wants to make pumpkin bread and pumpkin soup, and a few Fall comfort foods. I suspect she wants to try out some recipes that she's seen on the cooking shows, I know I'll have to go to the gym after she leaves, I haven't gain weight but now that she's experimenting I'll have to be prepared.

I'll be sorry to see her leave to go home, she's going to take the train home the day before Halloween, Dad, baby sis and Ted will pick her up at the station, I know by that day I'll be in good shape but I will miss her company, we made up for a lot of lost time, something which I am so glad for.

But I also have to admit I am "itching" to get back to work, I miss that, as much as I enjoyed being a "Lady of Leisure" it was also boring as well. My desire to do things and not being able to do them frustrated me, well next week after I see my Doctor it will be Hairstyling, manicure and pedicure, I'm treating Mom as well, I've managed to book all day spa treatments at the Claremont, Mom is going to be pampered in high style. Lillian suggested it and will be joining us for the day.

I have to admit I do enjoy the Fall weather, when it's not pouring down rain in "gully washers"

Now to get dressed, Mother is restless not that I blame her.

Until later Sweet Things, Kisses.

Am Healing but Bored! Bored! Bored!~~~

Hello again Sweet Things,

I am getting better, but I have to say that I have developed a strong craving for War Wong Ton Soup, so much so that my poor Mother is learning how to make it and doing a remarkable job as well.

I worry that because she is taking care of me that it’s boring for her, so I’ve asked Lillian to take her to some of those cute vintage shops that she likes to keep Mom occupied

I’ve had a chance to talk to Dad and baby sis on the phone and they are doing well, baby sis said it’s been fun testing her culinary abilities. I can understand, it’s been so easy to let Mom do the cooking, that one can get lazy.

I’ve been to the Doctor and things are progressing the way they should, and my friends at work have been taking care of things for me and keeping me in the loop. They now regard Ralph as a bit of a hero, taking charge the way he did, I know he has a weakness for Starbucks, so I sent him a $100 dollar Starbucks card to him saying “Coffee is on me.” If it wasn’t for his quick action recognizing the symptoms there might have been a delay which would not have been good for me.

I’m finally catching up with the news and I can’t believe it! A fire at Tiffany’s in Union Square! Well not in the store itself, but they did get smoke. What happened is some sort of electrical fire occurred in the basement utility closet, and the smoke raced up one of the elevator shafts, not the one that connects Tiffany’s to the rest of the building, but to business offices that are located above Tiffany’s. I have no idea if it’s open again since the store itself was not involved, but the smoke.

My friend Frank checked in with one of his buddies in the fire department and told me that 9 firemen went to the hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation, but they are fine. I’m glad, the buildings in San Francisco and in Oakland especially the older ones are so dangerous, it takes a special kind of person to be a Firefighter. I know I don’t have that type of strength of will.

And the former BART police officer that allegedly killed Oscar Grant, his trial is going to be moved to another county and I’m glad, I knew that police officer would not get a fair verdict from anyone in Alameda County, they have already judged and condemned him and I say unless you can prove it was pre-meditated, unless you can show that he was not in danger, he is not guilty. And I also have to look at Oscar Grant, he certainly was no angel or innocent, and may have acerbated the situation.

My greatest fear is that no matter what the outcome there will be rioting in the streets of Oakland, I wish that they were going to hold the trial in Sacramento instead, far enough away yet close enough to get there. This is one trial that is going to have to be closely watched

The Govenator vetoed the bill banning gun shows at the Cow Palace---Yea! BUT he passed the law limiting Ammunition sales---Booo! A few years ago the Federal Government tried that system and found that it didn’t work and discontinued it. The NRA is working with Assemblyman Hager (?) I can’t remember his name, on a bill that he is proposing to streamline the handgun process and include on banning or rescinding the previously passed limited ammo sales----YEA!! As soon as I look up who is the right assemblyperson I’m writing a letter supporting his efforts.

And then we had an unexpected down pour of RAIN and winds that were so bad that it flooded the Streets of San Francisco, with gushers pushing up through the storm drains and manholes like they were fountains under Niagara Falls pressure, with waterfalls of water flowing down the steps into Bart Stations.

On one city block it was so bad that there was something like 3 to 4 feet of water, which flooded businesses and homes, and to make it worst, the city claims they fixed the drains to handle heavy down pours, but they still had a sewage problem. Oh someone is going to be in trouble with that

And as a topper, Joe and Frank told me that there is one S.F. police sergeant that is going to have a hard time living down the fact that he flooded his police cruiser. It seems that a Mother took her PT cruiser down Moss Alley, and thought that the water was only a few inches deep----try 3 feet. The Alley dips down about 3 feet, in a panic she opened the car door, more water came in but she managed to get herself and her children out. She called 911 for help. The Sergeant showed up, saw a truck parked to one side in what appeared to be two inches of water, didn’t think anything about it, whoops up to his waist in water coming into His cruiser.

I saw it on the news, and I have to say, I heard the rain coming down so hard it woke me up from my nap yesterday afternoon, unbelievable! But then Lillian told me that from season to season there are times when there are extremely heavy rain ‘cells’

I saw my Doctor today and she was please with how I’m healing up, I should be able to go back to work, right after Halloween. And I have to say that each day I’m feeling better and stronger, it’s just that the stitches itch, and every now and then I feel a sort of ‘ping’. She told me that they were dissolving naturally but to not stress them, ‘let the flesh heal’. I’m trying to do that but I am not a very good patient.

Mother says I’ve reached that “healing but bored” stage where the mind is active and wants to do things, but the body says “not today, Girlie”.

And yes, Dear Sweet Fram I am taking care of myself, but I am getting restless. I can read only so much; I’m bored with T.V. except for “Perry Mason”, “Streets of San Francisco” and “The Wild, Wild West”. Fortunately Mom LOVES the cooking shows, so she is writing down the recipes. She loves “Cooks Country TV” and has done some of foods from it, and everyone is getting well fed. I watch them too, not that I have time to do all the things they do but there are some that are simple that I can eventually employ into my busy schedule when I’m well.

I am getting so restless being confined at home but Lillian is proposing that Joe take me for an afternoon drive tomorrow, with Mom ‘chaperoning’, perhaps up to Redwood Regional Park or some place. Joe said he’s going to surprise me, so we shall see.

Well Sweet Things, I’m getting tired again and Mom insists that I take a nap, being the good nurse that she is. Yoshi is coming by this evening, she’s been busy the last week or so with her work, it will be good to see her and we can catch up.

And yes Fram I will take good care of myself, I promise you and Thank you.

Until later Sweet Things, Kisses