Bark, Bark! Cough, Cough! Vote, Vote!

Written last night:

Dear Friends,

Zing won't let me vote. He got a cough early this afternoon and Grateful Dog called and asked me to take him home. I’ve been in touch with UC Davis. They said cough is not a known reaction to the meds he is taking. We have a 3 p.m. appointment tomorrow with the vet, and can’t take him to Grateful Dog until he gets a clean bill of health,  But I can’t leave him at home while I vote, and I can’t take him with me either.

I have a message in to Cassi; I hope she can help me. Otherwise, I might not get to vote! 

Terrible timing!

However, I have the feeling something will work out.

Written at 7:33 this morning:

 Just in case, I took my voter ID along on our morning walk, and we went past the polling place. 
Yes! They let dogs in.
Zing sat quietly while I marked my choices. We already voted!

Love,
k

The Zing connect: Trains and high-end restaurants

Written last night:

Dear Friends,
Today I left Zing alone and he didn’t bark. He was on a tranquilizer (clonidine — the smallest dosage). I left him for 10 minutes, as Karen the UC Davis veterinarian directed. I left my iPhone videocamera on the table, aimed at Zing, to record sounds and (maybe) his movements. There was no sound of barking. As for movements, all you can see in the video is an empty chair. I think Zing went to the door; he was there when I returned, but there were no signs of scratching on the wood. Tomorrow I’m supposed to give him two clonidine pills and then repeat the video exercise. I report to Karen what’s happening. 

This is supposed to be short-term, to break Zing out of his barking frenzy habit.
I’ve got to admit that Zing breaks the ice when we encounter people on our walks. People would not talk to me if it weren't for Zing, and sometimes they do ignore me and only talk to Zing. 

For instance, on our bedtime walk today, we met Mary, whose dog came from a shelter and had suffered similar barking issues. Mary needed to leave her alone when she went to work. She told me she’d used a citronella collar, which emits an unpleasant sound and smell each time the dog barks. Two barks and her dog was cured; Mary leaves for work in peace now. She offered me the collar, in case I want to try. I was tempted, but, no, Zing and I are going to follow Karen’s (slower and possibly more humane) techniques. 

Then there’s Jody, a soft-spoken person who walks a service dog on weekend mornings. We usually exchange a few words. This morning Jody told me he and his wife had had dinner with a friend last night at The French Laundry, the famous restaurant in Yorkville, CA., in the Napa Valley. (I looked it up — $310/dinner. It is supposed to be superlative, maybe the best restaurant in the world) Jody said he works on trains, and his duties include hospitality, and his wife has always loved food, so they jumped at the chance to eat there with their friend, a “food professional." The pork was best, he said. People here seem to love food and be willing to drive a couple hours and pay a lot for a near-heavenly experience. 


Jody works for Siemens, which he said is about finished building the trains for the new high-speed line from Miami to Orlando in its factory here in Sacramento. Jody will be riding the first train from Sacramento to Chicago, and then it will go on to Florida without him. Clark was passionate — about this train, and he would have loved to talk to Jody. But instead, this morning it was me, discussing high-speed rail with this expert. Then our dogs nudged us in different directions. 

Love,
k

Believe me and the squirrel

Written last night:
Dear Friends,

I didn’t say much yesterday because it was my birthday and I kind of took it off. But it was rich with love and connection. I was thinking of my continued life and Clark’s death and all the other crashes and near-misses with mortality of the past year. It set me thinking and hoping that all of us make the most of each minute. “Notice your feet as you set them on the ground,” Patrick was saying today (Or something like this…) 

I spent part of yesterday in long talks with friends and family. It was fun! The farthest away was my artist friend Dale from Lyon, France. We worked at the Miami News together. My phone started ringing as I was caught at a red light in a traffic jam in midtown rush hour, and stupidly I answered. Who can resist a call from across the ocean? Dale started singing Happy Birthday (in English) and I started laughing and told her I had to hang up because I could get arrested (an exaggeration, I think) for talking on the phone while driving. I knew I could face a fine. Dale laughed and kept on singing. It was 2 a.m. in France. Eventually I hung up on her, and called her back a bit later after I’d gotten Zing at Grateful Dog. 

Earlier yesterday I had a call from the purple couch people. Delivery had been scheduled for the end of November, but they said it can be pushed up. The purple couch is coming Thursday! That call was Clark’s birthday gift, not even subtle, not even maybe. 

Then Patrick and Steph brought Chicago Fire pizza and flowers and chocolate fudge cake with chocolate frosting in a pink box. Even though I forget the name of the bakery, I have been in Sacramento long enough to know that cake in a pink box is the best you can get here. And it was. We had a lovely, relaxing evening, and I was happy that my new home is comfortable for family and guests. 

They took me to a birthday brunch today too, at The Porch, which is a New Orleans-style place in midtown. I had a hamburger with fried pickles on it. They had their favorite, chicken and waffles. I had coffee in a big cup. By dinnertime I was not hungry.

Speaking of hunger — Zing has lost his appetite. Karen the veterinarian says it’s because of the Paroxetine and I should give him just half a pill instead of a whole one. We’ll see.

Susan, who loves terriers, has befriended Zing wholeheartedly, sight unseen. Yesterday I was complaining to her about Zing’s troubles, and Susan let me know that she would never forgive me if I were to give up on Zing. I won’t.

Today, as I was walking to meet Steph and Patrick, I saw something you will not believe. I was passing the Capitol Building — I think it’s called Capitol Park — when I saw a squirrel nosing a doughnut along the root of a big tree. It was a completely whole, circular doughnut. The squirrel picked it up in his teeth and scampered up the tree and out onto a branch and into the leaves where I couldn’t see it any more. I pointed this out to a woman headed my way, and she grabbed her phone for a photo, but it was too late.  New York has its pizza rat and Sacramento has a doughnut squirrel. I didn’t get a photo, but you must believe me because it is (the day after) my birthday.

Love,
k

Routine, the bones of the day

Written last night:
Dear Friends,

Karen the veterinarian says have a routine. She says it's good for Zing, but we both know she means it's good for me. And it is emerging. A routine is the bones you hang your day on. 

Since we’re just creating a schedule, it’s hard to fit in time to test out the tranquilizer for Zing. That is not in the schedule.  Today he couldn’t take it before going to Grateful Dog, because then Zing would be Zombie Dog and unable to play. So I gave him one pill when we got home late this afternoon, and it slowed him down some. Tomorrow I’ll give him the same amount, and then leave for 15 minutes.  

While Zing was gone I went to the Color Theory class at the Crocker Art Museum; we mixed paint again and all of us had the hardest time making green. Also violet. The teacher told me my feathers lack unity, that I should go home and work on it. She said it nicer than that.

When I got back home I was going to put my class papers on the table, then hurry out again to pick up Zing before the evening rush hour. But my doorway had disappeared behind a blockade of boxes: Three sinks. Also a garbage disposal. I edged past the cardboard welcome, opened the door, and one by one dragged those boxes inside. At least they wouldn’t bother the neighbors (I am very nervous about the neighbors.) 

Then I was possessed by one of those whirlwinds of energy, so I grabbed the red box cutter and stabbed through the tape, yanked open the boxes, threw mounds of gray foam packing into the hall, yanked the (!!!***#$#$!) sinks out, inspected them for color and cracks, put them back into their boxes, piled the boxes on the other side of the bed where they can hide awhile, threw the foam back into the larger carrying boxes (so much bigger than the sinks!), and one-by-one dragged them down to the first floor trash room, where I stabbed the boxes into something flat and threw it all into the bin labeled cardboard only. I was on a creation fling and felt like I could probably install the sinks right then.  Clark would be proud. 

After this, my friend Caroline called and we talked like there were no miles between us.  

Love,

k

Trying on a shawl from Gretchen

Grateful moments

Written last night:
Dear Friends,

Today I took Zing to The Grateful Dog and then had some moments to myself. What a great feeling! However, these days I am always second-guessing my choices, because so much is shifting. In the middle of last night I wondered if I should have bought the month of time-off for Zing. Of course, the answer is Yes, but you know how things are in the dark. 

First thing, I made a hair appointment, and when I got there Marisa told me I can bring Zing along next time. So I have no excuse to let my hair get all straggly! 

Then I walked to the one place that welcomes everyone (except dogs): the church across from the Capitol building, which hosts a concert at noon on Wednesdays. Today I finally got to go. The audience didn’t fill the church exactly — there was plenty of space between people, but it was a sizable crowd (wish I’d counted!). We heard contemporary jazz, with bass, piano, and singer. Some in the audience ate lunch as they listened, and I tried to sketch the bassist. Not easy! Next week the program is classical piano.  

Then I went home and traced around feathers for my Color Theory class assignment: You find some natural objects (last week lots of people had done leaves), then arrange them on the page and draw around them. Then you color in the background with black marker, leaving the shapes free. You are supposed to use the Gestalt Principles, which were new to me: SIMILARITY / CONTINUATION / CLOSURE / PROXIMITY / FIGURE and GROUND. Used artfully, they are supposed to make a pleasing image. Yay! this was a chance to use my feather collection. Yes, I brought a folder of feathers from Florida! You know I only brought the important stuff with me. 

I was planning to try out the Clonidine (the stronger relaxer drug) with Zing at the end of the afternoon, but decided to wait until tomorrow.  

Love,

k

Falling feathers
11" x 14"

Sacramento through new eyes

Written last night:

Quick, before it disappears into the everyday, let me tell you some Sacramento idiosyncrasies:

• The young men take good care of their hair: picked, poufed or parted, it’s art for Everyman. For a while, I was trying to take a photo of a new man’s hairstyle every day, but it was hard to be  subtle. I’m still thinking about it. Among the men I see, that bald, shaved-head style seems to be disappearing. Clark would stand out.
• This must be the backpack capital of the country. Men especially, seem to have switched from briefcase to backpack, much more than what I saw in north Florida.  And, of course, the homeless often have a backpack.
• People aren’t terribly stylish here, but they look good. Today I worked with a saleswoman in baggy jeans at Home Depot, passed many women in heels on their way to work, and dodged a gardener at a bank building on Capitol Mall wearing pressed khakis and safari hat, riding a lawn mower set precisely on the diagonal to the street. And yet, I blend in wearing jeans and a t-shirt (or I feel like I do.) 
• Purple (for the Kings) is a big color here.
• Dogs are welcome at Home Depot -- at least the one next to PetSmart. (Zing was calm and disinterested as I selected sinks and countertop.)
• Low-water landscaping is common. Think rocks and air plants and succulents. 
• Ordinary food is extraordinarily delicious.
• Here pedestrians actually DO have the right-of-way. Cars always stop when a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk. (In Miami you never did that.)
• Cars do not enter the intersection on a yellow light.
• At least in midtown, cars stop at stop signs.
• People here don’t say Sacramento; it’s Sacto, and I thought I've heard Sac too — as in I live in East Sac, but maybe they talk faster than I listen. I live in Sac, and I love the city.  **
• In the afternoon they wish you, Have a good rest of the day. (Does everyone say this and I just never noticed?)
• Taco trucks dominate the food truck scene. I recently enjoyed a delicious farm-to-table Vietnamese taco. 
• Long-time residents I’ve talked to don’t know which one is the Sacramento and which is the American River.
• And today I was on the phone with a service person in Texas who took my address. I said the street number and then Sacramento, and the zip code. He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, “What state is Sacramento in?” 

I’m getting acquainted and pretty soon all this will be normal.

**My friend Susan, who has lived in San Jose for a long time, has enriched this discussion. She just wrote me, "The rest of the state calls it Sacto, not Sac." Could be they say Sacto here too, and I just heard wrong. Maybe they talk faster than I listen. Either way, they (we!) shorten the name down to one or two syllables. Kind of like Tally for Tallahassee. 

  

Love,

k

Home: a puzzle

Written last night:

Dear Friends,

All the details that make a home! 

It’s like a puzzle: none of it’s right until it’s all right. 

To those of you (and to Clark and me too, in the past) who have made a home, grand or humble — perhaps you don’t realize the immensity of your  creation. I guess I took it for granted, that process of combining bowls and silverware and pillows that are perfect for each person, along with routines to count on and the resources to make it all work. It’s kind of wonderful. 

Today I took a few more steps to making my Sacramento home: State Farm, Target, UPS… The shipping people called to say the purple couch will be here the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. And Zing is not following my steps so closely. 

Happy (day after) Halloween!

Love,

k

Zing on the balcony