helping Sara out, so she could get stuff done
I flew Alaska Airlines there and back without any trouble, ate well, helped Sara, read 3 books, went to Powell's and bought 5 more, sat for Augie a couple times, and went to Reed College library. Sara needed help while Pierre was in NYC doing legal stuff, related to bitcoin. He's a lawyer. Sara does accounting, mostly from home. Augie is in kindergarten, and also goes to a camp, or swim lessons (after school). He's not into soccer. He's going to be a police officer for Halloween.
The flight there was saved by a flight attendant who moved an obese passenger from next to me to an empty row, which I really appreciate. I sat by a window on both flights. The trip back was full. I paid $30 to check my (oversize) luggage. They served lotus cookies (I used to work for Corona-Lotus!, in SF).
I had a sushi burrito from the nearby new food truck (Sara got the double spicy, I got the dragon), Mexican tortas (sandwiches), Thai food (that didn't have a paper menu to bring home), pizza (from Atlas), a burger (from little big burger), a 7-11 apple fritter, peaches from a fruit stand, a pastor burrito from the taco truck near Reed, beef stew (made by Sara and Pierre's friend Chris), pozole (from the next door neighbor), and delicious spaghetti (made by Sara). I offered to buy a meal, but Sara bought everything.
Sara had a pile of papers, mail and documents, that I sifted and sorted, processed into files. She got a new desk that can be either sitting or standing. I took apart the old one and brought the pieces downstairs. I brought the parts of the new one upstairs. Chris assembled the new desk. I rolled up a rug that had been peed on, one too many times; took it outside. There's a humongous spider on the side of their house. I walked through the web of another spider, by accident. I swept the steps, and picked up poop, and pulled out the tomato plants, and watered the front, and brought the bins in, and took the recycling and trash out, dropped off some mail in the nearby box, and played with Augie, who is 5 years old, and who calls me Uncle Jesse. She says he'll miss me, now that I'm back in Berkeley. We played with magna-tiles, dinosaurs, cars, nerf guns, ball, and watched tv. He's really into nerf guns, right now. There are youtube videos about the nerf guns ("blasters"). We played outside on the trampoline, the swing, and with the 3 toys I brought for him (lunar launcher, spud gun, and 'jolt' nerf pistol). We broke the launcher. The spud gun is kind of a dud, but funny in a way. We tossed and rolled the balls around. Keep away from the dogs. 2 balls at a time, passed, like juggling. It was funny when the balls collided. We broke Pierre's alebrije lizard, but it can be glued back together. (an alebrije is a painted wooden mythical animal from Mexico). They have a new (old, used) piano, which I played with (not played). I walked the dogs (Banh Mi and Poutine) 2 or 3 times a day. I told Sara I don't like to do night walks. I brought my poop bags and hip pack. The dogs ate all my treats when I wasn't looking.
I read the 3 books I brought with me (from the Berkeley public library). They were the short history of Germany (by James Hawes), The Parade (fiction, by Dave Eggers), and Zucked (by Roger McNamee). I took the #2 bus downtown, and walked to Powell's Books (the largest bookstore on earth!). I was too late for the guided tour. Anyway, I bought 5 more books, spent about $80. I bought the $5 bus pass, because I didn't know about the "honored citizen" discount, or whatever. Anyway, I read Augie one of his own books (aloud), about Mei-Mei and her chickens. And I returned the book I borrowed from Sara, Fates and Furies, by Groff (unread). I gave them a 'masd' book. 'masd' is my term for martial arts/self-defense. I don't think they need it, specifically, but it's always good to know, to be prepared, and I told her I'd give that book to ANY of my friends. I bought an excellent Jiu-Jitsu compendium, in addition to 4 books from the Big Book Of series (comic books). I had 8 from the series, already. Now I have 12. I also read the New York Times and some Economist at the Reed library. I love that place. I used Pierre's bike (and lock).
Chris drove me back to the airport, with his dog Bagel. Back to dogwalking in Berkeley, tomorrow. I bought a subway sandwich, for dinner, today. I had fun. I'm looking forward to returning. The weather was nice. I slept well. I left Banh Mi in her crate, with the house locked, front and back. It's good to be home. I'm on page 184 of 287 of 'Zucked'.
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