Boys v. Girls

Julia's new sandals, secured after our hard-fought shopping trip. Notice the toe ring.

***

Some days, the logistical aspect of single parenting bewilders me. Other days, my growing absent-mindedness disturbs me.

Today, both combined to expose the sad truth that I am over-extended. Nevertheless, despite one major failure, it is a good day and a nice night, despite the huge, unwanted (by me) plastic machine gun that now sits in my flat.

Losing your Internet access can be quasi-traumatic these days; and for me, the past few days have been just that: quasi-traumatic. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, thanks to a free Internet cafe Progressive Grounds nearby.

Actually, that link takes you to the original coffee house of the same name, on Bernal Heights, but a second one, less well-known, sits at the corner of 21st Street and Bryant, just around the corner from me.

Today was a holiday in the U.S. -- Memorial Day, when we honor the many who have died wearing our military uniforms all over the world. Did you happen to see Doonesbury yesterday. Gary Trudeau devoted the entire strip to the names of our recently dead young soldiers, men and women, thanks to the Bush Administration's ill-conceived war in Iraq.

It's fascinating that a mere list of names can be a political statement. Though I have not yet checked, I would not be surprised if some newspapers refused to print the strip, but then again, why? What exactly does such a list mean, politically?

***

The cable-modem guy came by today, replaced two ancient splitters (one outside, one in) and my Internet connectivity seems to be back at a better level than I've had for a long, long time. My oldest son also came by today, and helped me hook up the printer to my computer and secure my wireless modem with a new password.

Peter has been helping me with technology since he was about eight. Unlike me, he has a perfectly logical mind, plus a lot more, allowing him to think through and trouble-shoot software solutions that elude me. By contrast with my boy, I am impetuous, impatient, illogical, and given to bouts of extreme helplessness. For years, I have relied on his visits to help me get my systems back in order.

He always comes through.



Arriving as he did this afternoon, taking a break, in fact, from the very same Progressive Grounds plugged earlier, Peter found himself challenged to a basketball game by two of the fiercest little competitors you'd ever wish to face: Julia and Marisol.

It was boys against girls. Two six-footers, one extremely athletic, one previously athletic, against two four-footers who talk constantly and employ an unusual defensive strategy -- they grab on and don't let go.

Despite this smothering defense, the "boys" made a credible showing, probably more or less playing to an even score, though no one was keeping it.

***

My sweet housemate returned from her three-week vacation in Mexico and remembered my one request -- that she bring me a piece of seaglass. Turns out there wasn't much there, but she grabbed the one she saw and brought it to me. She looks so tanned and relaxed and pretty; it reminds me how wonderful vacations in the tropics can be.

It's been a while.

***

As part of today's logistical challenges, I found myself waiting outside the Glen Park Bart station for 20 minutes this evening. With no book to read, I finally cracked the owner's manual for my car. This vehicle is three-and-a-half years old, and has over 55,000 miles on it, and except for one Burning Man expedition, they've been pretty much all put on by me.

But tonight, May 28th, for the first time since I got it, my car's dashboard displays the proper time! It's always been roughly two hours off and I could not figure out how to fix that. Thanks to having to wait at a strange locale with nothing else to do, I discovered my car has some sort of technology called DMS, which allows me to align my car clock with some of the universal resources out there, courtesy, I suppose of GPS.





Yesterday, at Carnaval, my 12-year-old son, Aidan, put on a show at the NBA basketball exhibit. He's the best basketball player in our extended family since my cousin, Ed Ross, who was all-state at Royal Oak Dondero in the early '60e. I'll never forget one game I saw, where Eddie has 17 by halftime and went on to score 27, leading his team to a rout.

Aidan's got a ways to go to get to that level, but he's got the pure talent, IMHO, if he wants to go there.

***



I have no idea why I took this picture, except that it is what Julia and I had for breakfast, way back there this morning, now so long ago...

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