95% and rising

just returned from my first date in i don’t know how long.

it went very well, i thought. i think jane feels the same.

we both ordered spicy chinese, water – no ice, ate with chopsticks; several other coincidences ensued throughout the evening.

i don’t know how we were able to eat as the conversation never lagged.

i had a very enjoyable evening!

today was ron’s birthday.

happy birthday ron!

ran him over to carmel so he could have dinner with susie.

while we waited for her to get off work we roamed around the carmel plaza, listening to live jazz and i sipped a cappuccino.

the band was ok. the guitarist had his moments! some of his licks were really hot. but, at other times he played clumsily, certainly much better than i could play! i doubt anybody else there, except maybe any musicians in the crowd, perceived that. the bass player was the real standout in my opinion. the keyboard player was adequate but nothing that really flashed-out at me. the drummer was very tasty; his sticks were so huge cozy powell would have been comfortable with them; they were practically the size of tree limbs.

i told ron and susie that i was not sure of how to get back to pb. they suggested i just get on rt. 1 and head north. but, i felt like i could remember the way back. or, at least close enough to get me to the carmel 17-mile drive gate.

after a few minutes i got a call and it was susie asking me if i was lost. i told her no. she replied that i was going the wrong way. they were a couple of cars behind me. retracing our ingress, i turned at il fornaio. susie then told me i took another wrong turn. but, all the roads looked familiar. in less then a minute, we met at an intersection and both heading toward the 17-mile drive gate. i guess i am getting to know this area after all.

picked up my new sport coat from the tailor this afternoon. that thing fits me like it’s an outer layer of skin! for $125, it had better! pari is quite a seamstress! it felt nice walking around all the beautiful people, and at dinner with jane, with custom threads. i caught several heads turning as i walked passed them amidst the jazz, wine and cheeses. i only wish they had been women’s heads and not men’s. i don’t think they were gay. maybe just envious of my silver hair. “don’t dye your hair and yours might look as good!”

whatever!

speaking of seamstresses: i got a text message from kathy today. she was driving through wisconsin with john on their way to st. paul, minn. i’ve been thinking a lot about her this passed week. partly inspired by the fallen bridge in minnesotta; we drove over that bridge together about 15 months ago. i have also been thinking a lot about the haiku i wrote for her. it’s in my other computer back in fallon. i need to get that out of there and file it online. it is one of my favorite short-pieces.

i guess i’m finally over whatever it was that was ailing me this week. no idea what that was about; i had a headache that was not my “regular” tmj headache. no, i don’t think it was a stroke; the headache started gradually on tuesday; faded away to a faint pain that night, only to return to full-gale-force on wednesday. i was nauseous for most of the time and my bones were very achy; i spent most of wednesday asleep. i was about 85% on thursday and 95% today.

ron just returned to inform me that we have to take lulu, the forehead and devil-child to the airport so devil child can go back home to north carolina; so much for sleeping-in.

missing the sun's goodbye

while standing in the front-backyard just now (we have two backyards) i could hear a seal barking in the not-too-distance.

the days just get more interesting here on the monterey peninsula.

i mentioned today that i would like to audition for the theater after car week is over and ron went into action! he’s ready to become my agent! i couldn’t ask for a greater proponent! this could be a rough place to try to get a principal role. i got lucky in freeport. this place is just loaded with artists and actors (clint eastwood just one of them. oh my: i just realized that i may be onstage in front of clint eastwood!). so, if i can make it here. . .

it looks like i’m now the harrison family laundry technician. i did 11 loads at the local communal washtub. somehow, i get the feeling i’m also going to be susie’s personal assistant.

my moving announcement has garnered the attention of robin; another peculiar occurrence as my life continues to make this bizarre change.

we’re still painting the media center. i feel as if i’ll be painting it for the rest of my life. the more we paint the more seems to need painting. it’s not that the house is so huge. but, the 20 foot vaulted ceilings made of rough-hewn wood is pretty tough to cover. where are those long-legged, large-breasted, doe-eyed devotees ron keeps promising me?

had dinner with ron and susie tonight at il fornaio in carmel. what a great place! it’s in an old hotel: the pine inn. the hotel was built in 1889 in the style of an elegant country inn with wood from the old tivoli opera house in san francisco. i couldn’t stop smiling all the time we were in the building. such a great vibe! ron and i were there to choose hors d’oeuvres and arrange the western automotive journalists concours d’elegance reception, of which ron is president. i thought the calamari was a little tough, but the batter was very light and tasty. the breads were very good: some kind of olive ciabatta and a very-crusty (as in crunchy) bread that tasted sourdoughish. i had the fettuccine alla bolognese made with in-house fresh pasta. oh, what a wonderful thing to have between your teeth!

as i returned to the taurus, i noticed a very familiar logo on the back of a shirt being worn by a man about 30 feet from the car. “excuse me!” i interrupted. “are you in scta?” “no!” the stranger replied! “but, i was just down there last week.” bob, and his friend erik (i think), are in town for the motorcycle races this weekend at laguna seca. well, to make a long story. . . bob wants to build an entry for bonneville (he seems enchanted with streamliners. who isn’t?) but, can’t decide on motorcycle or car. both bob and erik are going to show “the world’s fastest indian” in bob’s shop later this summer. this movie has become a religious experience for so many people who have watched it.

tony hopkins (as burt munro) and the scta logo

i keep missing the sunset by about 3 minutes. tonight, it was just a coincidence that i drove into the setting sun. but, for several nights in a row, one thing or another has kept me from reaching the beach before the orb disappears beyond the horizon. the color, however, was absolutely amazing as i drove the coastline between carmel-by-the-sea and pebble beach on the famous 17-mile drive. what a beautiful drive!

i wonder what the accumulative value is of the homes just between here and carmel? certainly in the billions! maybe in the trillions? the opulence is over-the-top!

these are my neighbors!