Berkeley and Bernal Heights.
Not much today for today. Our plans changed, as we were going to head up to Cynthia’s in Marin county, but she wasn’t feeling too well, so we’ll hopefully head up there tomorrow instead.
I did get my required 7,500 mile oil change and service check at a local Kia dealer (although I’m at around 8,700 miles now), and, happily, they gave me a complimentary car wash (as the car was caked in dry mud on the rear, wheels, and undercarriage from coming through the Mendocino Pass the other day).
It took hours to get the car back, so meantime Kaye and I went out and got a couple of things for her apartment and went shopping. I also took a short walk around the neighborhood as years ago I loved seeing the great front yard gardens on two neighboring streets, Derby and Carleton. They’re not as good now, especially on Derby, so what happened? But there are still some nice looking gardens on Carleton.
Late afternoon, I headed over to Bernal Heights in San Francisco, to visit Steve Shapiro and Gail Williams, who have been living in this working/middle class community since the late 80’s and are very much part of the community, which is exactly Steve’s thing, and always has been for as long as I’ve know him, dating back to C. W. Post, 1973. Steve and I lived together for a while in Hempstead, NY, and our house in Bayville from back then was previously rented by Steve for 3 years, which is how we got that house. Our schefflera plant (a large potted plant), which we’ve had since those Bayville days in 1973-1974, was inherited from Steve, who’d already had it three years or, making that giant plant in our dining room at home about 55 years old. Steve and I go back quite a ways.
It was great seeing both Steve and Gail, and sharing new and old stories, and of course talking about Bev, who Steve knew quite well from way back then and over the years. Steve was one of the people I let know when we thought Bev’s passing was imminent in late 2022, although being the tough cookie she was, Bev said the hell with that and stayed with us for 14 more months.
We went out for an Italian meal, a five minute walk from their home, hung out a little more, and then I headed back to Kaye. As I left, Steve, who is a world class traveler, asked me to keep him posted as he might just come out and join me along the way. And he might!
Arriving back at Kaye’s, I see Cooper seems to have adjusted to me well, although you definitely stroke Cooper at your own risk.
