Celebration

Here are some of the grandkids at today's party -- a party that used to be called a baby shower -- at Peter and Clarie's house.

The new little girl who is to join our family is due in about five weeks.

As I have grown older, I have realized how blessed I am. I am not rich, far from it, but when it comes to the people who love me I am the richest man in the world.

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Surprises

Yesterday, out of the blue, my youngest texted me that she was listening to our latest Bay Curious podcast, "East Bay Walls." I didn't know she was even aware of this work, let alone would spend time with it.

She's in college near Baltimore, starting her sophomore year. Her probable major is Peace Studies. I've been contacting friends about informational interviews she might be able to get to explore career options in that field, which are numerous in the D.C. area.

It gives me great pleasure imagining my daughter traveling the world, trying to help make it a better place.

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End of Summer

When I was young, back in Michigan, Labor Day weekend was he last of the "big three" (the others being Memorial Day and the 4th of July) when our family would go camping and celebrate summertime.

Before we bought into Rolling Hills, we would often go to Ludington State Park. There, we would catch fish in Lake Hamlin and collect blueberries on the Island Trail. At Mud Lake in Rolling Hills, we would catch fish and collect blackberries and apples.

We always had enough to eat.

The thing that always struck me on Labor Day weekend was nostalgia. Summer was coming to a close and very soon we would be back in school and experiencing increasingly cold weather.

Since I arrived in San Francisco in 1971 I have become accustomed to a very different climate. Here, it is cold in summer (fog) and warm in the spring and fall. Winter is normally the rainy season but we often have droughts.

I realize all of these tendencies are threatened by climate change. Humans have altered our environment so radically that who knows what kind of places these will be in the future.

But for now, for me, Labor Day still signals the end of summer, even though here it is more the beginning of summer, actually.

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Political Developments

Well, it was quite a week, with the conviction of Trump's former campaign manager and the guilty plea by his former lawyer/fixer.

Nancy Pelosi visited our station and denounced Trump's "culture of corruption."

The extent of that corruption is just becoming apparent. Younger people ask me whether this is worse than Watergate. As I think about it, this is much worse than Watergate because in that case, no one accused the President (Nixon) of being personally corrupt.

Rather, he presided over and directed a coverup of a burglary.

Trump, by contrast, appears to be mired in many layers of corruption. I fear we have a President so evil and compromised that there may be little we can do to correct the situation.

Impeachment may be the only solution. Pelosi said the Democrats need 23 seats in this fall's election to take back control of the House. It is the House of Representatives that can issue an impeachment order.

(The Senate has to convict.)

I can see no other course than impeachment now. A sitting President cannot be indicted, apparently.

Trump's arrogance is apparent. He thinks he can get away with anything and maybe, sadly, he can. If the Dems fail to retake the House, he will have at least two more years to continue this horror show.

Meanwhile, Special Counselor Robert Mueller continues to close in on Trump. As a former investigator myself I recognize his strategy. He has charged and/or convicted the lower level people around Trump to flip the higher-ups. He already has Cohen, the lawyer, accusing Trump of crimes in his payoffs of his mistresses.

Trump must feel like a caged animal now, with the walls of the cage moving in on him.

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Family Party for Julia

Lovely Julia (with the short hair) goes back to college on Tuesday and we had an unusually big family party last night, where all six of my children and their partners and all six of my grandchildren were in one place at one time.

It is a remarkable family -- multiracial, multicultural and with so many personalities and inclinations. Laila and Loic and their three kids are panning to move to France for six months a year from now, where the kids will go to schools where the only language is French. Loic has always spoken to them in French, so they understand it, but they rarely speak it...except when they are in France.

What an adventure! They are all dual French and American citizens.

Sarah's three boys started school this past week; Laila's son and two daughters start tomorrow.

A great deal of attention last night was paid to Claire's belly, where she and Peter have a little girl growing, due to be born October 14.

Aidan and Kelsey arrived, as did Dylan and Meghan at our party eventually after they had a birthday party for Meghan at Dolores Park.

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I Wonder Why...

...on weekends, when I do not have any real deadlines, I wake up so early. And on weekdays, when I have to go to work, I can barely wake up in time to get to work.

It's a puzzle. I suppose it is so exciting to have my time as my own that sleep ends early on Saturdays and Sundays. I feel a freedom that on Mondays through Fridays I cannot feel.

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Nice Party

Lunch with old friends yesterday, some of whom I have not seen in years. Bagels, lox, fruit, and many other treats. I find that every work day is a struggle -- to get up, go there and endure. But I will continue as long as I can, because they need my support.

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