Life of Wry

That title’s the sort of call and response that Joe opens the annual holiday show with.. as he jingles his bells and descends the theater stairs on his way to the Vet’s Memorial stage.

I’m glad for this concert each year. This year was the 20th. Jim and I (and in some early years Peter) have attended at least 15 of them, maybe more. Coming up with the exact number, if anyone were to ever ask me, would take some research.

I look forward to most of the musicians, and definitely the show. Incredible talents. Great community feel.

Joe Craven and Bill Edwards.

Bill, Chris Webster, Tracy Walton.

Tracy, Sam Misner (of Misner and Smith), Rita Hosking, Alaina Rose (who plays the harp), Joe, Boot Juice singer, Tracy’s sister (who played a beautiful flute in a flute/guitar rendition of Amazing Grace), the Boot Juice guy.

Founder Bill Fairfield.

The Rita Hosking Trio: Sean Feder, Rita, Bill Dakin.

Hattie Craven and her dad Joe.

Boot Juice.

There was one other group that I didn’t get a picture of… the opening act — always comprising students from some DJUSD music program. This year, it was a Jazz combo from Davis High that was terrific, the Alexander McClintock Quartet. Tears actually formed when they started play. I love seeing kids on their paths… motivated, passionate, earnest.

I’ll go to bed tonight singing, “Eating my way through the holidays, bite by beautiful bite,” a Bill Edwards original.

Also, happy Solstice.

This was fun

I stuffed, he sealed. It was a big deal!

(This was actually yesterday. Days to spare!)

Today was one of those days where I hit every green light (metaphorically speaking). All the remaining stuff that I’d ordered arrived, which meant we could wrap said stuff and mail the last of our packages; our cards were reproduced, folded, signed, stuffed, sealed and sent; and even a final bit of shopping happened. These are the fine details of the season.. the accomplishing of which is important, and feels so great, even as this is not the reason for the season.

On an unrelated errand to pick up a couple bottles of organic, Capay Valley hand-bottled olive oil from Nory (who has a friend…), Nory sent me home with some homemade eggrolls. That was completely unexpected and solved the dinner question! (This kind of day had originally called for Ikeda’s chicken pot pies.) A bonus dinner on top of an end-to-end busy day! How great is that?

Jim and I had never cooked eggrolls before .. but nothing a pan full of hot oil couldn’t take care of. May have left them in a smidge too long, but they were delicious and we didn’t have to cook. Thanks, Nory! Served them with leftover rice and Harry & David pears from neighbors Mary and Lou.

Dinner for the win!

~~

But you know the best news of the day? The former pres, running again in a gambit to avoid jail, just learned — as we all did this afternoon — that the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that he cannot appear on their state ballot because three years ago he led his followers in an attempted coup… a failed and fraught effort to stay in power after losing his reelection. Turns out, engaging in an insurrection against the government and constitution you swore an oath to defend disqualifies you from holding office. LOL.

The wheels of justice crank ever so slowly. It was THREE years ago to the day that this whiny sore loser started his little insurrection ball rolling. Here’s his famous “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild” tweet from December 19. What a dimwit.

All in all, a fabulous day.

I am not sure if these are the exact ginger candies that Ruby Freeman carries in her purse and dispenses to anyone who’s ailing (and has for years, maybe decades, according to everyone who knows her), but close enough. I am honored to eat them. They don’t taste anything like thumb drives full of doctored election results! Rudy Giuliani tried to convince the world that Ruby and her daughter Shaye were up to no good in that Georgia elections office by fabricating a ridiculous story about supposed election tampering, but it was all a big fat (obvious) lie.

I’m very grateful for the verdict handed down to America’s-Mayor-turned-sociopath – so just, and oh so richly deserved. But hoo boy that $148 million in damages was a whopper of a judgment and holy f*ck it’s about f*cking time one of those f*cking slimballs was held accountable. This defamation trial is just one of many. I’ve lost count there are so many charges against him. He’s a piece of work, that Rudy.

I tried one of those recreations of a favorite photo of yesteryear… can’t say it worked too well. I’d have continued to work it, but I was losing (big time) the patience of my subjects. (I found the modern version as I was reviewing 2023 photos for our Christmas card.)

Whattya think?

Favoritest picture ever (I mean EVER!), taken circa winter 2002-ish, when on a trip to Yosemite valley with the Cavins (such fun times). Peter’s about 4, Jim’s about 49.

And here’s the re-enactment, taken this summer, in Yosemite valley.

Sigh. I love this picture too, but I’ll have to do a better job positioning the Frame boyz. 

God, I love these guys.

Four Christmas cards came in the mail today. These are the first two I opened:

Someone out there’s taking quite a bit of artistic license (a couple of someones).

I’m a blood donor. It’s one of the easiest things… and has such amazing, tangible, immediate benefit to people in need, sometimes dire need. That’s cool. I was sort of relieved when they told me my veins were too small to give platelets, only because that’s not as easy. It takes a few hours — nearly two of which are hooked up to a machine — and just seems like a much bigger deal. But a few months ago, one of the techs dispelled the myth of my small veins and thought I’d be a good candidate, so I acquiesced and did a platelets donation. I’ve probably bragged about this before. LOL.

They were so enormously thankful.. onsite as well as in follow up emails and voicemail messages. Really.. it was embarrassing how effusive they were. But it worked! I decided to do it again. My second appointment ever to give platelets was today.

You go through the same rigamarole as when you give blood — a lengthy questionnaire, a pin-prick blood draw to see if your iron is sufficient (ouch), the collection of other vitals, chit chat — then they hook you up, which takes a fair amount of time, as well. Platelet donators get heated blankets for the legs, heating pads for shoulders and forearm, and a heated bean bag to hold. One gets cold donating platelets.

Anyway, we go through all that and about 30 minutes in, the needle site really hurts, but I don’t say anything. The machine alarm goes off a couple of times and they make adjustments, and I just carry on. But on the third alarm, the tech looks under the towel at the needle site and says, “oh dear, it’s bruising,” and discontinues the whole operation. Somewhere along the line — due to small veins, likely — the needle poked the wall and stuff was leaking and this is not a good thing. It’s not earth shattering, but it stops a donation.

The good news: they collected enough platelets for maybe a baby.. so my effort was not for naught. And maybe the other good news — sorta — is I’m not a good candidate for platelets.

This is what platelets look like:

Gross, huh?

What they do is, they drain your blood into some collection vessel, the machine extracts the platelets (right there on the spot), and returns your blood to you. Not really sure how that’s done with a single needle prick… maybe a special needle? In any case, platelets are yellow.

The good part about donating platelets is you leave the center with the same amount of blood you came in with .. which is less a physical drain for people. So they say.

Still: I prefer giving whole blood.. so it’s back to that.

Aren’t these wonderful?

They are sea glass art pieces. I bought the one with the laundry line last year when visiting Lauren and Lucas in Mapleton. They took me to a gallery in the seaside town of Florence and I saw this sweet piece, loved it, and bought it. When Carrie and I drove through Florence a couple weeks ago, also on our way to see Lauren and Lucas, we returned to that gallery and I bought another one… the house under the tree. Almost too cute for me.. but it goes with the other one (which is the perfect level of cuteness for me).

A holiday funny:

Isn’t this just the coolest picture? I could stare at it all day.

:: You can’t even see Alcatraz.. but for a spec.

:: It shows so clearly the slot and why the winds and tides are so consistent (and excellent) for sailing in the bay.. especially the area between the Golden Gate and Berkeley.

:: Golden Gate Park is so big!