Sunday, 8/25/2019
Coffee this morning at Mlle. Collette, who definitely have the best pastries. Walking across to there I was reminded that University avenue is closed off for the Palo Alto arts and crafts fair. I returned to that about 11am and walked the whole thing.
The first couple of blocks of this were somewhat emotional. Practically the only other times I’ve walked an arts festival I’d done it with Marian. And this time, of course, I was seeing things that she would have stopped for. A purple blouse, she’d have checked that out; every jewelry stand she’d have stopped to look over the earrings. So it was a bit sniffly walking along. But in a nice way, I guess.
I was taken with some hand-woven wool blankets. My one and only blanket is very utilitarian. I bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond and basically picked one that was the right size and not ugly; but it’s plain and the fabric isn’t friendly to the hand. So at the end of my circuit I looped back to that stall and bought one. Back home I remade the bed with it and it looks very nice.
I also found a cheap broom and dustpan combo at Walgreen’s. I needed that mostly to sweep up the debris from repotting the wax plant yesterday, and in general to keep the balcony tidy.
I’ve been thinking about the tour I’m going on in just a month from now, and thinking how and what to pack. I think it is likely I can get everything I need into a single carry-on bag, not even my roller bag but a smaller one that fits under the seat. I also thought about what I wanted in my pockets, and the answer was: nothing. I don’t want to lose my phone, passport, and/or credit card to a pickpocket. Then I remembered that I still own a “man purse”, a nice leather cross-body bag about 6×9. I will carry passport, credit card and phone in that, clamped under my elbow; nothing in my pockets.
But what about clothes? The Road Scholar pamphlet actually advises having a few quick-dry garments and hand-washing them in hotel sinks. If I do that, I only need, besides what’s on my body, maybe three pairs of shorts, three of socks, two shirts, and a second pair of pants. Plus a jacket. Which all fits in that small bag.
But I don’t have any quick-dry pants. Mostly I have jeans. I don’t want to put my new slacks to this kind of rough treatment. So I sat down and poked around internet retailers and ordered a couple of easy-care chinos from Eddie Bauer.
About 4pm I drove to San Jose to meet with Dennis and Toni for supper at their favorite weekend restaurant, the Black Sheep in the Willow Glen area. Nice supper and conversation. Dennis is a great fan of the Celtic Games which are next weekend, and I’ll probably join him there on the Sunday.
They also reminded me of the upcoming wedding of daughter Denise, which reminded me I need to make some kind of wedding gift. So when I got home I looked up their registry; a very practical couple, they are registered with Crate and Barrel and Target. I bought one item off their list, a camping tent.
So between the packing and the pants and the wedding gift that was a bunch of niggling frets off my mind, with not even the satisfaction of a to-do list to check off.
Codgerville 