Life of Wry

For the second year in a row, we forwent the traditional and attended (yesterday) Monica and Dror’s annual 4th of July middle eastern feast. This suited me. Middle eastern is one of my all time favorite cuisines, so that made me happy. But I also have a tinge of resentment for the hypocrisy of people celebrating a democracy so many are bent on destroying. There’s a lot of flag waving these days that flies in the face of what the flag really stands for. That is not sitting well with me. But I’m not going to go into that (again).

So.. anyway… I was content to put all the traditional stuff on the shelf and indulge in a somewhat multicultural gathering of people feasting on middle eastern fare.

Two items were missing when I took this picture.. the chicken shawarma and the pot potatoes. This just could not have been a more beautiful and delicious spread. Dror made all of it (except the green salad).

All homemade: pita bread, baba ganoush, hummus, labneh, tahini, a green salad, a tomato/cucumber salad, roasted peppers, carrots, mushrooms, a turkish (I think he said) tomato dish, hot sauce (the green stuff), corn salad, and then olives and pickles. Others brought desserts and wines.

For me, best of show: the pita, and the hummus, baba ganoush and tahini. Also loved the peppers, corn and potatoes.

I’ve been a huge fan of local artist Sara Post for decades. I have a whole bunch of her (with husband Tom) ceramics that I use and display daily. Love to look at it every time I enter the kitchen or sit at our kitchen table. Lately (for the last, I don’t know, twenty years?) she’s been painting. I love her paintings, too. The above — a few agagpanthus, which grow all over the hot valley — was her tribute to the 4th of July today. Fitting, I think. Delicately celebratory. That’s a bit how I feel.

Want to celebrate democracy. Been not in a celebratory mood… as democracy — everyone is urgently saying these days — is on the ballot.

I’m actually optimistic.

On this Independence day, I’m hopeful. Hopeful we’ll replace Joe. Hopeful Kamala will head the ticket with a strategically chosen VP. Hopeful we’ll rally behind them. Hopeful the conversation will be about the threat of the other guy to everything this country has aspired to (and largely achieved) over the last couple centuries-plus, and all that the democratic ticket can continue to deliver. Hopeful, hopeful, hopeful.

If delicately so.

My watch tracked our hike today thusly:

From car to peak (ish):
3.58 miles
1731′ of gain
2:47 (a few trail-finding booboos, stops to snap pics, catch breath, etc)

From peak to car:
3.22 miles (I started it late and we made no booboos on the way down)
all down hill mostly
1:32

All Trails says it’s a 5.4 mile hike, roundtrip, and 1747′ of gain (from 7300ish to 9100ish). I’m confident in our mileage, so maybe they start the counting further up the trail (but a mile and a half??).

So.. a good day. I’m prouda us.

About 2/3 of a mile in, we got a good view of the peak (a ridge with 3 distinct turrets). I’m pointing to the highest of the three. That is our destination. We got to its base. Jim scrambled up about 50 feet or so then determined getting to the tippy top was too exposed and not a smart risk. Smart man. We ran into a young woman (trail runner, hiker, rock climber, obviously in great shape, who also forwent the peak for the same reasons).

At a junction (1.7 miles in), we had options.. continue on the PCT toward Peter Grubb Hut, Basin Peak, others or turn right and head to Castle Peak. There were other options as well.

Lotta wildflowers on the trail:

The trail was steep in parts.. the road part and a little spur trail were steady up, at times as high as 20% grade, then along a ridge on the way to the Castle Peak ridge, it got steeper — some parts 25% — then on the actual ascent to Castle Peak it got really steep: I saw some readings as high as 43%.. lots of 30+%. I never think in terms of percentage grade, but All Trails is great that way!

The three turrets were craggy. I believe I’m standing at the base of the middle turret, looking at the third one..we’ll head over there to check it out. This is looking southeast-ish.

I’m standing below #2 here, looking back at #1. I think that’s a human on #1. We were up there, then downclimbed to get over to #2. Now we’re headed to #3.

This is Jim trying to figure out which is the actual peak (#3): To the right of his head is the long ridge we hiked to get to the ridge we’re on now.

This is Jim climbing up #3, looking for a safe route to the top (didn’t find one).

Then he came down and we hiked back over by #2 and ate lunch. This was our view. That’s Basin Peak in the middle of the shot. Doing both Basin and Castle is a 10-mile loop.

This is down on that ridge (the one right of Jim’s head in a picture above), looking back at the Castle Peak ridge.

And that’s about it. Good workout. First hike at elevation this year.. that added (for me) some challenge!

Here’s how my good friend Matt summarized yesterday’s news (of course, I don’t know Matt, but have been following (and supporting) his daily one-sentence synopses — What the F*ck Just Happened Today — since 2016).

And here’re a few Supreme themed memes (say that 3x fast!):

For starters, there’s this:

Good lord.

~~

If I had the energy (I don’t), I’d rant about the Supreme Court’s decision today that defines presidential immunity (I just can’t). It’s complicated and will likely lead to evermore challenges, so at this point it’s hard to say how it will impact real life and real presidential immunity. But the one thing that is true: this is a huge victory for the former guy. For one: loads of immunity. For two: the ruling came down so late (months and months after the case went before the Supreme court and on the last possible day of its session) and the process going forward will be so mired in challenges and appeals that, effectively, he’s already achieved the immunity he sought. In other words: the only remaining case that had a chance to be tried before the election, the January 6th case — the one where he faces criminal charges for efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election — will certainly not be. So, people will be voting for president without knowing whether one of the candidates is actually guilty of trying to steal an election (which he is). And, his team is already in the process of challenging cases that were previously settled (like the hush money/election interference case) on the basis he should have gotten immunity. Said Justice Sonya Sotomayor, “The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.”

Also: Steve Bannan went to prison today. Four months is way too short a sentence.

It’s been a full week — birthdays, political action (the usual), visiting friends (Carol, Bill, Tony, Jack), a nice hike, a horrible debate, nonstop political fretting….

With all that going on, I have yet to write about our two Mandela Fellows and the dinner we enjoyed with them about 5 days ago (I’m writing this on Sunday — while swinging in the hammock, listening to Bruce Springsteen, in a 98-degree light breeze — filling in a few missed posts).

So, Tuesday. We had our two fellows over for dinner. We learned about life in Zambia and Namibia, we learned about their jobs, we learned about the projects they are initiating as part of this fellowship. All impressive. I’m including photos from the evening, as well as a pair of biographical cards posted on a giant map of Africa — part of a display at Friday night’s Mandela Washington Fellowship reception — that provide a nice overview of Nalumino and Beauty.

The Friday reception was a very interesting, worthwhile two hours where we ate some typical African fare (rice, potatoes, cabbage, a chicken dish and spongy Ethiopian bread — interesting, all yellow); heard from officials, planners, sponsors and the fellows themselves. There was drumming, dancing and a lot of presentations. Pleased to hear Jim later say he really enjoyed it all and was up for hosting again next year. I’ll include some of those pics, as well.

Among other things going on this week, there were visitors!

Carol and Bill came through town on Tuesday. Jim and I had a lovely couple of hours with them, including a walk downtown for lunch at Cloud Forest.

By way of introduction: Carol was the “best person” in our backyard wedding nearly 28 years ago (an event and anniversary I misrepresented as having occurred 18 years ago..math that just does not add up! Ooops!!) Bill and Carol were actually celebrating their 41st anniversary on that day. Carol’s a retired planner for the City of Albuquerque and Bill’s professor emeritus in linguistics at U of New Mexico. They were in California for the quarterly follow up to Carol’s cancer diagnosis last year (she’s doing fantastically; in the all-clear zone!). Extra fun for them to wander around Davis as Carol attended school here (my roommate, in fact) and Bill visited a lot (and.. hm.. might also have taken some classes here … there’s that memory hole again).

On Friday, I got to spend some time with Tony — one of my favorite colleagues from the way back. He was out in California to attend an Alliance for Community Media conference in San Jose, but more interestingly to ride to that conference on a bike from LA. He ended up in Davis because of a couple of other mutual former colleagues… and I was pleased to get him for a couple hours. We met at Cloud Forest (I’m giving TH a lot of extra business this week!). Tony lives in NYC and is a bike riding fool!

So… speaking of biking fools….

Sally’s son Jack came to town yesterday (Saturday) because he just got accepted at UC Davis (!) and will start in the fall in the Theater Arts program. He’s here to see Davis for the first time and hopes to go back up to the foothills having secured a place to live and a job. Having spent most of the day with this impressive young man, I think he might accomplish both. (Until then, he’s hanging out with Mrs. Alden.. Sally’s mom, his grandma, in Mountain Ranch.)

So… not having a working bike at the moment (and having failed at finding a bike to borrow), I rented a bike from the Green Bike people over on Olive. Heavy clunker bike, a helmet and a lock: $20 for the day. Such the deal. (Also, super fun!)

We met at 10:45 and headed right out… Coffee at Mishkas, a walking tour around downtown, then biked all over campus and a couple neighborhoods. We also had lunch at Cloud Forest, then he took off (3:00). So much great conversation (politics, AI, psychedelics, theater). As I said, impressive kid.

Here he is in front of Sally’s first house in Davis… over on Miller Drive.

The Thursday presidential “debate” (twice impeached, multiple-indicted, convicted sexual assaulter and convicted felon hoping to win back the presidency in order to avoid jail versus the current prez who’s, frankly, too old to continue in this role) was the most deflating, terrifying thing I’ve witnessed in a long time. So much at stake.

All Joe had to do was present himself as solid and present, and assuage all the fear out there that he’s losing his grip (and there’s plenty of evidence he may be). I don’t know for sure that he IS losing his grip — many close to him say he is not and what do we really know anyway — but I, and the entire world, saw a guy who, as somebody said, looked like he’d just realized he may have left the stove on. Deer in the headlights eyes, at times a vacant stare, plenty of misstatements of facts, too many stumbles to count, a few lost trains of thoughts, and that dang OPEN MOUTH that just hangs there, confirming that he is, in fact, a very old grandpa. It’s OKAY TO BE AN AGING GRANDPA! Joe: just give us the confidence that you are processing information and making sound decisions. We don’t care that you stutter and stumble, we don’t care that you have arthritis and walk [really] funny, just assure us you are in full control of your faculties.

It absolutely did not look like he was.

Dems are breaking into two main camps right now: 1) dance with the guy who brung ya or 2) scramble for a replacement at some kind of chaotic brokered convention. The existential threat and absolute imperative has not changed: the convicted felon must not win. We (the US, the entire planet) are in serious peril otherwise.

I am hoping against hope that the smart people are going to figure this out. I’m a committed, loyal soldier and will fight for whatever may be, but dammit, figure this out stat.

After listening to endless handwringing commentary and a particularly on point analysis today from the Pod Save America boys, I’m in the ditch Joe camp. Harsh, I know. In my heart, I’ve been uneasy for a very long time about his grip and ability to not only do the job, but mobilize/excite/engage huge swaths of dems. Importantly, this world is on a fast track to something unrecognizeable (thanks to climate, geo-political alliances and tensions, and Artifical Intelligence) and we need a person who is f*cking agile and articulate and modern. Joe’s got decades of experience and wisdom that is useful, for sure… but he’s old, old school. Even with the best people around him, his is a wee lost in our rapidly changing world. Me thinks.

Here’re are some of the memy things floating around.. presently, there are two sides in this impending family feud, but only one side’s going public with their memes. Nobody’s memifying the case for switching out Biden. Sharing the stay the course ones anyway… (and they make good points… )

I am too distressed to write about the big presidential debate tonight (though I will post below some opening comments I wrote for Biden yesterday in the shower — where I do my best presidential speech writing — that I wish he’d delivered at the beginning of the debate).

So for today’s blog, I’ll post a couple of shots from today’s [Dolomite training] hike somewhere near Castro Valley. We hiked with Jim’s high school friend Dede and her husband Collin. Dede is a fiend of a hiker — hikes about 4-5 times per week (and not slouchy hikes, either.. serious hikes) in parks all over the bay area. Today’s was in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area.

Here are the hike facts:

:: 9.6 miles
:: 1581′ of elevation gain on the way out; 712′ of elevation gain on the way back (2293′ total)
:: 4.5 hours, with about a 30 min break at the turnaround point

Good hike! No blisters, no ticks, hopefully no poison oak, hopefully no lost nails.

Some pics:

One direction.

This was one of two creek crossings. I’d say half the hike was on a narrow trail in a dense forest, and half on a wider road, mostly in the sun (though, actually, a lot of that was shaded, too).

~~

Here’s my undelivered speech for Biden:

Look folks, let me address the elephant in the room. 

First, I have terrible arthritis in my hip. It hurts and makes it hard to walk. I shuffle. It looks weird. This is embarrassing to me and very frustrating as I have prioritized being physically fit and active my whole life. But I try to accept this with grace and part of growing older. 

Second, it’s no secret I have a speech impediment. I have managed it my whole life. Like arthritis, these things also get worse with age. I don’t have time to slow it down; I have a lot to say and things come out slurry. I know the right is having a field day with that. That is their problem. Most of us have the decency to look past such things. 

But folks, let’s be clear. I may look weird when I walk and sound weird when I talk…but, what hasn’t been touched by age is my judgment, experience and understanding of the job. Rest assured, this is the most important job in the world and I am 100% there for you every day with the wisdom and experience that comes with 50 years in government. I will be talking issues and policy in this debate. And I’m looking forward to that. 

I’ve been to jail for realz… but that’s a story for another time. This near-jail experience is the result of trying to include the picture below in a Facebook birthday collage celebrating Peter earlier this week.

This photo was part of a fave photos collage, but shortly after I clicked the publish button, I got a notice back from Facebook saying that my post included a photo that was sexually suggestive and it was removed.

Hrrumph, I said to myself. I’ll do a workaround: I’ll post the photo instead in the comments section and explain how I’d originally posted the photo as part of the above collage, was scolded and disciplined by the Facebook censors, so here is the offending (not!) photo down here in the comments. Ha! Take that, over zealous censors.

But Facebook snagged that one, too, and sent me a message saying I was skating on thin ice. They told me to be careful or there would be consequences. That got my attention. They offered me the option of challenging their ruling, so I did that. In the meantime, as I await their review, I’m needing to be on best behavior… or Facebook jail will be my fate.

I expect my photo will be approved, but it’s a bit too late for the birthday post, so, instead, I’ll post it here.

May I present Peter snorkeling in the bathtub. Not having sex with anybody.