Assisted Living-Traveling.

I think it's time to seriously consider my sanity. I say this,dear reader (you should feel special since you are the only one...), cuz if you are my friend you will say something.
I made a decision to spend the New Year holiday with my father's sister's family in, wait for it, Dallas. Now, I must say that my previous visits have all been great. I really enjoy my family and all the people I encountered were always super polite and friendly, so I have nothing but good experiences in the Lone Star state. Still, I am a liberal Californian and admit to a certain amount of prejudice. It doesn't help that I am listening to a report about voter roll purging in the state.
But what does that have to do with the thrust of this blog? Well. Nothing. I like to rant.
What I am writing about: everything that could go wrong when traveling, has. No really. Delayed flight. Rental car smells. My cold hit with a vengeance. The hotel power went out. We moved hotels. It's raining. Oh did I mention that the old guy is seemingly more deaf and loosing his memory for things said 2 minutes before?
Still tonight we Jews will celebrate 5773 years of disorganized existence. Some will go to Shul, some will have large family dinners like the one we will be at tonight. And I am happy to have that connection to a blood line.
So despite the week's trials and tribulations, I shout a L'Shana Tova to all. Since a New Year means a new start and who doesn't love a new beginning?

Photo Collage, Assisted Living.

My friend M. says that Blogs need lots of photos. I think its because she thinks people won't read anymore and need the quick visual. She's probably right. Still, I do love me a juicy, well expressed sentence. Not that I am the purveyor of said writing, of course.
Anyway, back to the photos. Below you will see what things I attempt to do to keep The Old Guy healthy, clean and safe. Naturally, all this depends on one thing and one thing only: Him actually reading the notes. One can hope.

Public Service Announcement: How to Subscribe!

I found the "SUBSCRIBE TO" my blog button at the very bottom of the page on the left side, directly under the last post. I am sure you don't have much time,so this might be a way for you to find out when my latest literary missive has been posted. Thanks for reading!

TDT, aka Assisted Living Part 9.

My WWII air raid ring-tone goes off. Its the Old Guy. "Say do you have my wallet?". "How would I have your wallet?" (I am 10 miles and 2 galaxies away). "I guess I must have lost it in the City Ride bus." "Ok" says I. "I'll call them", says he.
So I call them, game the system and get to a human being in less than 40 minutes. Yes, the supervisor (hold for the supervisor) says, we have his wallet. I can bring it to you on Monday. Great!
Now this was before we were going up to San Francisco (see below posts), so I thought I would try to fool the Old Guy but putting together a "fake replacement wallet". But no, each day we are gone he asks me where his wallet is. Finally, I can't take it any longer (see below post). As today is Tuesday and obviously the wallet was not delivered yesterday, I approach a City Ride driver after I drop Old Guy off at the Adult Day Care Center where he goes on Tuesday and Thursday (see future post). The driver takes pity on the crazy lady and actually calls the dispatch. They do indeed have the wallet. The driver says, in his humble opinion he would suggest I just drive out to Pacoima to pick it up, that it might be 2 weeks before they actually bring it to me. And that is just what I did.(Random thought: what a horrible place to work and why wouldn't someone want to get out of there, if only to deliver a wallet someplace nice?)
My next challenge: how to talk the Old Guy into a wallet chain.

TDT aka Assisted Living Part 7

Preparing for a trip away is always daunting, but in addition to figuring out how many black tee shirts I should bring (2 per day, if it is a hot clime) I must figure out how many tight-y white-y's to bring for the old guy. Yes, it is a lot like having a kid. Now the kid will get more capable, have a mind of their own, and come to resent you. An aging parent, will get less capable, loose their mind and if you are lucky, thank you every day. And most of you will find this charming; me? Well, lets just say its been a long 8 years...
So we hit the road, an hour late. The ride is long and hot; my left arm begins to hurt,as well as my back, and I am wondering why I didn't just rent a lot of movies with San Francisco in them?
But despite traffic (and you NOCAL folks think LA is bad, au contraire) across the bridge, we had a delightful dinner with my cousins (the liberal white sheep of that side) and fairly easy drive back (did I say that every event possible was happening in SF that night?). The next day, in true fashion, the old guy had no idea why were were here, but in spite of my impluse to do something untoward, I pushed on. We hit the beach (foggy and cold) the mission (warm and uber hip), the Zen Center-no I am not meditating, it was once my mother's home and where my parents met. No, it was A Jewish Women's Residence designed by the famous Julia Morgan. I remember Passover Seders there... And a cray-cray trip to the Ferry Building, with every other tourist. Did have a kick ass snack at the Slanted Door take out window! And a surprise visit to the Railway Museum (all the trolleys), which I dearly love.
Upon return to the Berkeley Marina, we took a plunge and short swim, showered, rested and met Hannah and Felicia at the delicious Pizzaolo in Oakland. Lovely Lena was hostess and so we got rock star treatment. One word: panacotta!
The next day we walked on the Marina, did a quick drive by of the campus, ate Bagels and Lox at a Cambodian owned bagel store and hit the road.
My left arm still hurts, and I slept like a log, but all in all, I am glad I didn't just rent the movies.

Eavesdropping. 18 year old girls in SF

So I am taking the old man on the last grand tour. SF the home of his young adulthood. We are having a tourist breakfast at the historical Louis' overlooking Sutro baths. And next to me, ate two girls discussing the upcoming year, college choices, and who among their male friends is gay and who is not, and if they should date only Asian. And I predict the one going to Mills will have a lesbian affair and the one going to USC will marry before she gets her degree.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Some fun!
youtube video: Gigi Goes to a book Club. You have to find it your self cuz I am not able to get the link to work on this right now!

from the New York Post!

That Gigi Levangie Grazer will celebrate the release of her fifth novel, “The After Wife,” at an intimate party hosted by Christopher Burch in Southampton next Friday, where guests expected include Chris Cuomo and Cristina Greeven Cuomo, Rita Schrager, Fern Mallis, Alina Cho, Serena Altschul and Nacho Figueras.

(I used to work for Fern Mallis! I am sure she will not recognize me...)