Lovely Eagar

Got here about 4pm yesterday and Chuck was outside to direct me up on the leveling blocks he had ready. He's been fighting what he calls "a cold" for two weeks now. It's accompanied by muscle aches but he poo-poos the notion that it might be the flu. I'll be here until 23-24 March and then head for Asheville.

Weather today is sunny but very windy. Possibly rain or snow later today and tomorrow, but then Monday should be much warmer and nice. I'm being a slug today.

Off to Arizona

Leaving Wed. am for Chuck's place in Eagar, Arizona. 1000 miles. Should take about 3-4 days. Talk to y'all later.

Persian Feast

Forgot to tell you about the dinner on Tues. eve. Bro is friends with Manocheer (sp?), an Iranian refugee who came here after the Shah's downfall. Classic story: no money etc but lots of drive and ambition and is now quite well-off. Lives in the Walnut Creek area about an hour east of SF, in a mcmansion makeover of a traditional ranch house. There's him, wife Roshana, daughter Shayda (17), son Arian (16), and family friend Paymon (28) (all spellings approximate).

When we got there, Manocheer was making kabobs on special flat sword-looking skewers, so Deborah got a lesson. About 30 skewers were made and then grilled outside. Wine and tequila were poured, many toasts were drunk; nuts, cheese (goat), crackers, yogurt, olives, etc, placed around for munchies. Eventually, meat was ready, big platters of salad and rice with saffron put on table, and we all settled down to serious eating. Later, there were Persian pastries and tea.

Arian is quite a musician. H and I went out to the garage where he has a complete drum set and he played a solo. Right after dinner, he got out a cello and played a Bach piece. Then he got out a tombok, a traditional Iranian drum and played a fabulous concert on it. Very high level. Shayda's boyfriend had shown up around dessert-time so they disappeared.

Everybody was very nice and a good time was had by all. We got back to the city around 11.pm. A nice end to Diana's visit.

Back to Antioch

Nasty weather today but I slogged across the Bay Bridge and went to Aamco so they could do a couple of final tweaks on the new transmission. Then off to Hercules to visit Peggy and Charlie Lucke and look at each other's photographs (me and Charlie). Then off to the fairgrounds to get settled in for the week. Nice flat land. Still being nasty weather (lots of snow up higher) for the rest of the week.

Buddhist Day

This is Diana, my friend from NC, and her friend Mina, at the Japanese Buddhist Temple south of San Francisco in or near Ca~nada. Mina drove into the city to get us (she actually doesn't live too far away) and then drove south about 30 minutes to the temple. She guided us through the service, with beads and chanting etc. Then off to the rec room to eat bento lunches. About 2pm we drove back to her house, met her husband, and settled in for an afternoon of snacks and sake. About 6 she insisted we stay for a home-cooked real Japanese dinner, so we did. I can't tell you what we ate but it was all good. Lots of tofu things, bean paste, salad, soup with special mushrooms, and so forth. Finally got home about 9pm. Whew.

Lazy Day for Me

Diana went off about 11.30 to meet a friend down in Chinatown, and I took the day off. Just walking up and down the block to the rig and back is a stress so I decided to baby them. About 9pm I called D to find out whether she was still alive (she had thought she'd be back about 6pm) but it went to voicemail. She came in about 9.30 having had a splendid day wandering around with her friend (who was supposed to meet her at 1pm but didn't show up till 3.30) and eating lots of wonderful things.

She's going off again today to meet a different friend. Tomorrow, another friend will pick us up and take us to the East Bay to a Buddhist temple ceremony and then we'll have lunch, possibly in Japantown. And she'll bring us home, too. Looking forward to that.

Trip to Alice-land

Got up at 7am yesterday (Thurs) and Deb deposited me and Diana at the Bart station at 8am. We caught a train to Richmond, Quinn picked us up, and we immediately repaired to her house to use the bathroom. Then we set off to a retirement community called Lincoln, near Roseville, about 20 miles north and east of Sacramento, at least a 2-hour drive. Got there about 11.30.

Over the years, Quinn has talked a lot about Alice as both of them were horse people and stabled their horses at the same place etc. She's as short as Quinn (5 ft) but one of those thin energetic types. Big smile. Funny. Loves to talk. We went off to have lunch at "Mimi's Cafe," a widely scattered chain. Diana says there are a few in the South and she likes them. Everybody else got some sort of salad (steak, spinach, asian); I had the grilled fish with steamed veggies and tiny roasted potatoes. The waitress very kindly made me some sweet tea.

Back to the house and all of a sudden we're all heading for the car again. I had no idea where we were going but we wound up at Kohl's Dept. Store. A couple of hours there and then back to the house, where wines and snacks starting appearing, winding up with three kinds of ice cream.

A neighbor came over (female, 71, artist) and we walked over to see her new painting and admire her new landscaping. Back to the house, more wine, snacks, conversation. Very pleasant.

Eventually, we started back at 7pm, at the Richmond Bart at 9pm, called my bro after we'd crossed under the bay so he could meet us. Got back by 10pm. Long day, nice day.

Back in the City

Such an exciting time I've had, here in the Aamco lot. Yesterday, I took myself on a half-mile walk to the closest Starbucks, got an over-priced cup of coffee, found a plug and got online for the first time since last Sunday (when I left the fairgrounds). Also bought a newspaper to amuse myself with after I got back (I like to read a Sunday newspaper thoroughly).

My brother came by Sat. night about 10pm. He was on his way back to Napa with supplies for his daughter's new house. He's tiling two bathrooms as well as doing other stuff. Anyhow, he wanted to check on me and make sure I'm locking my door etc.

I posted to the Toyota group about my woes. About 5pm there's a knock on the door and a guy named Kim had come by. He's in the group and had just read my post. He lives in Berkeley about two miles from Aamco. Too bad, he said, this all happened so suddenly because I know a really good mechanic not far from here and this Aamco doesn't have the greatest reputation. He himself bought a Sunrader model and is fixing it himself (he's a mechanic). Nice of him to drop by.

If all goes well, the tranny will be done tomorrow, just in time for me to drive into the city. We'll see.

And it was ready by 5pm so I started in. Bumper to bumper traffic. Finally got here about 6.15pm (it's 15 miles). Deb off to a meeting. H and I out to a Japanese dinner. Went and got Diana, who was a little late coming in. We're now all at the Mouse House (9:30 pm).

Bad Week

Well, it's been a very expensive week. Last Sunday, I started into Richmond from Antioch to visit Quinn for a few days. About 2 miles from her exit, the charge light came on and the temp started going up quickly. I dived off the next exit and found the closest place to stop (a business park). Popped the hood and waited for it cool off -- all the coolant had spewed out the overflow. I looked underneath and saw the busted fan belt hanging down. Called the ERS who sent out a mobile mechanic, who fixed it and replaced the coolant. $200

Went on to Quinn's and stayed until yesterday afternoon, when I was going to go back to Antioch for a few days until time to head into the city. Wouldn't start, not even turn over, just heard a click. So a tow truck finally came about 7:30 and towed me about 5 miles to a Midas shop (this was all arranged by the ERS), where I boondocked for the night. This morning they replaced the starter motor. $300

All ready to go, I got in and started the engine. Started down the street and realized it wasn't shifting out of first. Back to Midas, who tried it out and tried to knock it loose or whatever. No luck. They don't do transmissions so sent me down the road about 2 miles (in first gear) to Aamco. And they've discovered a lot of problems and are preparing to put in a new transmission. $4000

And I'll be sitting in their lot until sometime Tuesday. Diane arrives from NC Tues. evening.

AAARRRGGGHH