A Special Thursday

My day was spent working with a software specialist who is implementing a complete software conversion in our office. This new accounting system would have been a challenge to me 30 years ago! At my age, learning new things is sometimes difficult at best. But in the last few days, I feel like I have finally achieved some level of comfort with this new beast.

The day was long and very busy and concentrated all day. We accomplished a lot though and it was gratifying to get a few problems that had been sitting on my desk for a while resolved. I had gone out for a few minutes to the bank at lunchtime and bought 6 rolls of quarters to resupply our "quarter god" at home. We use them for laundry and I usually just get a large number of them at once. I also stopped at the candy store next door to the bank and bought Wayne some hard candy to carry with him in his cab. He likes hard candy and I like him !!! I had just walked into the bank to get the quarters when he called me on my cell phone. He asked me where I was and said he was just down the street. So I walked outside and here he came with that beautiful smile of his and we went for a little ride! How sweet of him to do that. It gave me a nice break in my day.

Between the six rolls of quarters and the large bag of hard candy, my bag was very heavy going home that night. After a long, busy day, carrying an extra heavy bag made me even more tired.

But then when I got home, I placed a phone call that made the whole day brighter and somehow even confirmed how wonderful life really is. This was Caitlin Rebecca Lowery's third birthday and I had meant to call her all day and just didn't manage the free time to do so.

But now here I was sitting relaxed in my home and talking to this sweet little girl all excited about her birthday. Seems she and mommy and a girlfriend and baby brother Josiah all went to Chuck E Cheese for lunch. She had pizza, oh boy! She also had "cupcake birthday cake". I asked her if she blew out some candles and she said "yes, like this" and I could easily visualize what I heard, her putting her lips together and blowing to show me how she blew out the candles. In the background, I could hear little Josiah adding his two cent's worth.

It was such a wonderful thing to hear that small little voice so excited over her day. It made my day just melt into her exuberance. I no longer felt so tired, I forgot about carrying the heavy bag home on the bus, I forgot about the disappointment when Wayne met me at a building down the street where we were supposed to look at an apt for rent and the manager didn't show up, I just wallowed in the sheer joy of that child's voice.

For just a brief few minutes, I felt like I had a soft cuddly warm blanket wrapped around me and it just felt sooooo good. Miss Caitlin had a terrific birthday and now she's "shree years old" !!!

Guests at Your Dinner Party?

The age old question that has been discussed for many years still intrigues me.
I am hoping everyone who reads this will answer the question and leave some really great posts.

If you could have any 5 people, living or dead, at your dinner party, who would it be and why?

Think about it........family? celebrities? religious figures? philosophers? military leaders?
Who would be at your table and why?

Our Neighborhood

There are some great people I see frequently in our neighborhood. Although I don't know them except to say hello, they are the fabric of what makes the neighborhood quilt.
First is our building manager, Ann. She is a delightful person, just about our age. She has had rough times in her life but always has a bright outlook and smile on her face. She is a very helpful person and it's because of her diligence that we feel safe in our building.

There is a man we refer to as the "little general". He has a very boastful or cocky stride to his walk. He carries his cigarette pinched between his thumb and index finger holding only the lower part of the cigarette. He twists his wrist around to where the palm is pointing toward his face. His other fingers are open like a fan. It's hard to describe but odd to see. He looks like he could have been a Vietnamese general during the war and is inspecting the troops.

A little old lady walks through our neighborhood on a regular basis. Wayne has offered her a free ride in his cab but she always insists on walking. She walks with a walker and always wears the same old beat up hat, the faded pink/beige coat and shoes that are very old and worn. She is bent over and it's an effort for her to look up to speak. She has a very pleasant voice and once told me on a gloomy overcast day, "isn't the weather nice today". She seems to be a very positive person.

Then there are the coffee shop guys. Every day there are two guys who work for a tile contractor who sit in front of the coffee shop across the street. Nothing much to say about them except that the older one has a great voice, very deep and clear. There is a third guy who is often there too. He doesn't work at the same place, but has some strange traits. He smokes, or almost smokes cigarettes. He holds the cigarette and rocks back and forth, sipping on it like you would sip a hot cup of coffee. I don't like to stare so I'm not sure, but I don't think the cigarette ever actually gets to his lips. Not sure if it's a nervouc tic or what, but he smiles and says good morning and seems like a very nice guy. His clothes are a bit worn and he always wears the same jacket, but I don't think he's homeless.

I will post again with other "pieces of our neighborhood quilt".

The Golden Gate from a different angle. This picture taken by my favorite SF Taxi Driver! 

Alcatraz 

Baby Bassetts !! 

Cable Car - Bay Bridge in background 

Success

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men, and the love of small children; who has filled his niche, and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty , or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others, and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction. - - - Bessie Anderson Stanley (Prize-winning definition in a contest sponsored by Brown Book Magazine, Boston, 1904)

One Woman's Opinion

This is great theatre, this City we live in. There is so much life here. Life in all colors, shapes and sizes. I love this City. Let me show you why.