Help, I’m Crumbling!

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Last week I clipped my fingernails almost down to the quick, where barely any of the white parts show. Why, you might be wondering, did I do such a thing? I thought you’d never ask. And I have a very good explanation for that. Pain. It has to do with pain. I’ll explain…

fingernails

Bye bye nails

As you know, I’m dealing with this damn back of mine to the point I’ve not been able to exercise in over 4 months. Boo-hoo. As a consequence, my body now closely resembles the blubber in the movie, Flubber. Except I’m not green.flubber

And as an added bonus, I’ve gained 5 pounds. Yep, I finally broke down and weighed myself with my super-duper-never-wrong-bathroom scale. I wish I could call it a liar but sadly, it’s honest to a flaw.bathroom scale

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Don’t Let Cute Fool You

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So it’s been nearly 4 months since I adopted Taffy, a 2 1/2 year old female Chihuahua mix. If you remember, I’ve already blogged about her twice. And although she simply can’t be much cuter, she’s not exactly what I expected from our initial meeting. In other words, don’t let cute fool you.Taffy cute 2

Now don’t get me wrong. I adore that little pain in the ass who’s only slightly bigger than a gnat. But when all is said and done, Taffy misrepresented herself when we first met. Yes, she’s a sly one, that gal. She caught my eye with her adorableness, but I wasn’t alone. On walks at the shelter, nobody passed by who didn’t comment on that sweet face. Her cuteness is like a magnet pulling you in. And trust me, she uses it to full advantage.who me

While I fostered Taffy after she had puppies, she was on her best behavior. I mean, she’s no dummy. She saw a sucker coming and thought, here’s my chance to escape the shelter and go home with this lady who I bet has a bunch of animals I can play with. And she was right.

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In My Mind’s Eye: Remembering Dad

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Here’s my annual Father’s Day post, adapted from an article I wrote in 1997 for the San Francisco Chronicle about the relationship I shared with my dad. Here’s to fathers everywhere…There’s an image I have captured in my mind. I’m in my car in front of the home my parents have shared for most of their 45 married years. Mom and Dad are standing on the front porch.

From the street, I can see the huge eucalyptus tree in their backyard, silhouetted against the evening sky. It’s gently swaying in the warm breeze while the full moon illuminates the manicured lawn. My parents are smiling and waving as I drive away after a visit.

Mom lives alone now that Dad is in an Alzheimer’s nursing facility, so that scenario has changed. But it never does in my mind. My parents always stood on the porch to wave good-bye when I left. Even in pouring rain, they still stood in the open doorway together. I always looked back and returned their waves. Continue reading →

Beautiful

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One of my besties, Sue, was born in July, 12 days after me. Being slightly younger, this is something she reminds me of each year. Since I’ve known her for 48 years, that’s a lot of reminding, don’t you think? Anyway, we’re both about to be 64, so as the more mature one, I let the youngster tease me. You see, Sue likes to laugh and since it’s on my Favorite Things To Do list, we get along quite well.

Susan AAA

The youngster

To celebrate being one year closer to collecting Social Security, becoming a member of AARP, and taking an interest in commercials promising to disguise age spots, we decided to treat each other to dinner in the city and see the musical, Beautiful. I arranged for us to have dinner at my tennis friend’s restaurant, Hayes Street Grille, and also found some nice seats in the orchestra section at Golden Gate Theater.Beautiful musical

Because I’m directionally challenged, I used the Waze app to find a parking garage between the restaurant and the theater so we could park, then walk to both. Oh, and I also drove us there. I’m sure you’re wondering what Sue did. I can answer that…NOTHING, that’s what. Not a damn thing. But hey, as her elder I’m used to taking care of her, you know? Continue reading →