artykins

Today was an interesting day.

I started off my day meeting my dad at church.  Every so often there are men's breakfasts and my dad will normally go to them and help set things up (i.e. make coffee, unlock chains for parking lots, etc.).  I called him yesterday afternoon, though, and asked him if he'd like to go out to breakfast.  My dad is a notoriously early riser and I've been missing my talks with him, so I figured I should make the effort to meet him once in a while for breakfast.  So anyway, I met my dad and church and picked him up, so to speak.

Today's port of call was Arizmendi's, a small co-op bakery near the lake that turns out some seriously good breads.  I had a brioche knot with a big cup of green tea and my dad had a cup of coffee with a sweet sallie and a cheese roll.  I'll admit that I stole a few bites of the cheese roll.

After breakfast, we drove by the lake and down to the west part of town, which is where the rail yards and docklands are.  Apparently, there used to be a place, just across from the navy base, that would roll people and freight in on trains and they would load ferries there to take them all to San Francisco.  Well, the place still exists, except its been turned into a park with loads of cool photos documenting the history of the area.

There was a group of Army Reserves there when we arrived running their mile test.  Every six months, the Reserves are required to take a mandatory PFT (Physical Fitness Test) and run two miles in twelve minutes or something of that nature.  Me, being the jar head daughter that I am, offered to go make fun of them, which pleased my dad because he knew I was rooting for him even if I didn't mean it about actually teasing those guys.  My dad, being my dad though, stopped to talk to a few of them as we got back to our car.  It helped that some of them were sitting right near it on the curb.

They chatted and talked about what their requirements are versus the requirements of the Marine Corps (they had to run three miles in twenty-one minutes...seven minute miles in full on military gear and boots!).  And then we were on our way to another part of the park to look at more photos and more history.  But my dad, being my dad, mentioned that he forgot to thank the soldiers he talked to for their service to their country.  I didn't say anything at the time, but I felt a rush of affection for my dad at that moment because he's simply a decent human being.  I count myself extraordinarily lucky to have him as my dad and to call him my friend.

Anyway, after we had our fill of history and wandering around, we were off to Jack London Square to bum around and see what was going on.  We ducked into the world market for some tea and then meandered back to the church where I dropped my dad off and came back home to get Matt.  After collecting him, we were off to the house to collect my mom and grandma.  Last weekend was Mother's Day and we told them both that we'd take them to San Rafael for some Sol Food.

Sol Food is a little Puerto Rican eatery in downtown San Rafael and I'm not gonna lie to you...it was damn tasty.  I wanted one of everything on the menu, more or less, but I settled for a bistec sandwich and some fried plantain (the sweet ones instead of the green ones today).  I also had the world's greatest limeade.  Well, Matt had it, but I tasted it.  I had an iced tea that was really good and that I'm going to try and replicate someday soon.

Home again, home again we came after thoroughly stuffing our faces and I finished up some laundry.  It was sheet/white day, so this morning we stripped the bed, got all our towels and white clothes together and washed the daylights out of them, which we do weekly.  Speaking of bed, apparently that bed bug has made a stunning resurgence in the states.  WTF?!  What the heck is THAT about?!  As if my compulsive tendencies didn't make me a clean freak already, now I have this to know!

Ugh!

I had to go to the pharmacy downtown today to pick up in inhaler.  My asthma is really bothering me this week and I haven't had issues with my asthma since I was in college, so a few years now.  So I'm back on albuterol, the foul-tasting glorious medicine that I now have tucked away in my purse.  And downtown is always exciting.  I get to see all manner of strange and lovely people.  Like the woman who pressed the elevator button, waited all of two seconds and then exited the corridor before it came.  That was an interesting moment.

Matt and I made a quick stop at the store to get some milk and cleaning products.  We're running low on laundry detergent and colorfast bleach, but also we had no milk in the house, which is remarkable.  There's always milk.  We came home and Matt attacked the bathroom with bleach and a coarse brush because I have an inkling that the dampness in there encouraged some kind of mold or mildew (perhaps both) spores to flourish.  So now every window in the flat is open and we have all our fans going to air the place out.

And as I get to this point, I think I'll call it quits and go shower as quickly as I can before hopping into a clean bed with fresh sheets!  There's no greater joy in any night than that.  Well...there's one other that I can think of, but I won't go into that.  For now, I'm very much looking forward to fresh sheets and pillows that have spent the day airing out.

- Arty