Do We Ever Leave After We Have Arrived?

“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”–George Orwell, talking about times like we’re in now…

“If you are figuring on telling folks the truth, you better smile and make them laugh, or they’ll kill you.”–Mark Twain

Cuba Gooding, Jr. is 42, Taye Diggs, 39, Scott Underwood (Train), 39, Doug Robb (Hoobastank), 35, Jerry DePizzo, Jr. (O.A.R.), 31, Kelton Kessee (IMX), 29, and Kate Bosworth is 27.

Keith Kreitman in his column says something about if we ever leave Iraq and Afghanistan. He knows we never leave any place we’ve sent our troops. We just keep the troops in country on bases separately from the population. Hell, we haven’t even left the UK, or for that matter, Iceland yet. Oh yes, we left Vietnam. That’s about all.

The Half Moon Bay Public Library reopens for the new year tomorrow. Right now I’m standing outside the library plugged into the power and the wi-fi hot spot. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. I’m standing by the book depository. There sure are a lot of beautiful women returning books, CD’s and DVD’s. After today I’ll probably be moving indoors again.

Happy New Year to Everybody Out There

Sandy Koufax is 74, Michael Nesmith, 67, Davy Jones, 64, Patti Smith, 63, Jeff Lynne, 62, Tracey Ullman, 50, Jay Kay (Jamiroquai), 40, and Tiger Woods is 34.

On This Day in History, in 1853, the US and Mexico agreed on the sale of 45,000 square miles of land from Mexico to the US “known as the Gadsden Purchase.” In 1907, a report claimed baseball’s invention by Abner Doubleday, though hardly anyone agrees with the finding. In 1922, “Vladimir I. Lenin proclaimed the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.” In 1936, “the United Auto Workers…staged its first “sit-down” strike, at the Fisher Body Plant No. 1 in Flint, Michigan.” In 1948, “Kiss Me, Kate” premiered on Broadway. Ten years ago “George Harrison fought off a knife-wielding intruder.”

As this year comes to its close I want to wish everybody a happy new 2010. Looking over the year of 2009, I see I’ve done some things. I typed manuscript copies of several of Carol’s books, including “Charity’s No Substitute for Love,” “The Terrorists and other stories,” “Letter from an English Prison,” “Pizza Pete, Jewel Thief Kate and the Underground City,” and “Now Cissy is Five.” I finished typing the draft of my novel “Praying.” It feels like I’ve had some accomplishments in 2009, and it feels good. All and all looking back on it now 2009 was a good year for me for a change.

The New Year’s holiday engenders New Year’s resolutions. What are mine? I will finish typing my story “The Sleepwalker” in 2010. 2010 will be the year I learn to kayak. I will try to eat healthier, home cooked meals.

A Quick Entry on the Next Rain Coming

“I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea.”–Lu t’ung, from on the Trader Joe’s green tea bag packet

Dame Maggie Smith is 75, Edgar Winter, 63, Alex Chilton (The Box Tops, Big Star), 59, and Denzel Washington is 55.

Finally this morning I baled out and rowed in. But it feels like there is more weather on the way. So I’m trying to wrap this up quickly. I came into the Half Moon Bay Public Library, and there was nowhere to plug in in the quiet room. Now I’m on the library’s patio, and it is cold out here. I can hear the wind blowing through the trees. Rain is on the way. It’s just a question of how soon. Right now it’s feeling like sooner than later.

Celebrating the Holiday with Family in City

Christmas babies included Hanna Schygulla, 66, John Edwards (The Spinners), 65, Jimmy Buffett, 63, Sissy Spacek, 60, Annie Lennox, 55, Robin Campbell (UB40), 55, Shane MacGowan (The Pogues, The Popes), 52, Rickey Henderson, 51, Noel Hogan (The Cranberries), 38, Mac Powell (Third Day), 37, and Jess and Lisa Origliasso (The Veronicas) was 25.

On This Day in History, “In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England.”

Birthday babies this weekend include Phil Spector, 70, Bob Carpenter (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), 63, Ozzie Smith, 55, David Sedaris, 53, Lars Ulrich (Metallica), 46, Eden Sher, 18, and Zach Mills is 14.

On This Day in History, “In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American boxer to win the world heavyweight championship as he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.”

I hope everyone is having a good holiday season. I spent the day in the city yesterday with Jeff, Alicia, Derek and Kate. In the evening we watched “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Afterward I took Derek over to his new home in the Mission. I didn’t go in, but now I have an idea of where I can find him.

I made it into the Saturday morning free breakfast in time today. It had been moved to the Methodist church at 777 Miramontes in Half Moon Bay. The floor in the Community Center was being redone. Next week will be the last time they’ll be serving at the Methodist church. After that it’s supposed to go back to the Community Center.

Frank Tells Me a Crabbing Story

Ronnie Schell is 78, Emperor Akihito of Japan, 76, Jorma Kaukonen, 69, Harry Shearer, 66, and Estella Warren, 31.

After waiting for the rain, and then the wind, to pass, finally, today I was able to bale out the rowboat and row ashore. It’s a beautiful day in Half Moon Bay under a sunny blue sky.

I made my second circumnavigation of the central Pillar Point Harbor the other day. But I won’t be doing that for awhile. My friends aboard the Elise, Mike and Christine, along with crew Robert, and pets Pee Wee and Brandy, pulled up onto a mooring just across from me. So now they are in my part of the neighborhood. Oh, I bought them a CD of Beethoven, including “Fur Elise,” which I think of as a kind of a theme song for the Elise.

A few days back I visited Frank on the bay side of the county to pay him the rest of the $200 I said I’d pay him for the rowboat which I’d already paid him for, but that’s another story. He immediately took the $100 I gave him to the management of the motel he’s been staying in. $100 is good for two days there. I don’t know where he gets the rest of the money to continue staying there. I didn’t ask. I think having been ill and not being able to be in the harbor has taken their toll on him.

He told me a story about when he and another guy were tending crab pots out at sea a couple decades or so back. They came up on a man who was clinging to the floater on one of their pots. Somehow they got him into their boat. He was hypothermic of course. Frank and his buddy stripped off all their clothes and put them on the man to warm him up. The man survived. Ten years later Frank’s crabbing buddy took his own life. The memory brought tears to Frank’s eyes.

Is There Anything Left to Support?

The temperature in New York City, New York is 27 degrees Fahrenheit with light snow falling.

Cicely Tyson is 76, Maurice White (Earth, Wind and Fire), 68, Alvin Lee (Ten Years After), 65, and Jennifer Beals is 46.

(I’ve got to stop doing this.) Today I may make my second circumnavigation of the central harbor. I stopped off at Mike and Christine’s boat, Elise, and chatted with them and crew Robert. It’s not the stopover at another boat that makes it a loop, but instead, where the stopover is located. Too bad I’ll not be able to continue doing this indefinitely, as Mike and Christine and Robert and pets Pee Wee and Brandy will be pulling up the anchor for their trip south sometime soon.

So Nelson becomes vote number 60 in the Senate preventing Republicans from filibustering, but how much has been lost getting Nelson’s vote? Is there anything left to support in the bill?

Joe Lieberman Deep Sixes Health Care Reform

As it looks right now it appears that Joe Lieberman has deep-sixed health care reform in the Senate. What happens next may prove to be interesting. Can a public option still be put back in?

These days I get onto the boat and don’t want to leave for two days. It gives me the chance to continue reading “The Making of the English Working Class” by E.P. Thompson. I’ve a new reading light that lets me go on reading into the night. Another great thing about staying on the boat is not spending money on those days. Of course I compensate when I come back ashore again. By the way I completed my circumnavigation of the central harbor the other day.

Rowing Around in Circles

Yesterday, December 13, 2009, was Jack Hirschman’s birthday. He is, I think, 76. Happy birthday to Jack.

Also yesterday, is the anniversary of my mother’s death in 1968; let’s see that was 41 years ago. These dates do stand out in one’s mind, don’t they? One stands not to forget.

Since last Thursday I’ve spent a lot of time on the boat waiting for wind, waves, wind waves, and rain to pass. I made a little trip to Pacifica yesterday helping Aubrey get a new phone for Cristal. This morning, finally, I baled out, then went over to Mike’s boat where he and crew, Robert, were aboard with pets, Pee Wee and Brandy. Christine was coming back from the library. From my boat to their boat and back to the dinghy dock earlier, plus from the dinghy dock back to my boat, tonight, will constitute the first time I’ve made a circumnavigation of the harbor, or at least, my little part of the harbor. I’ve been rowing around in circles today.

New Computer Transformer Coming from Amazon

Frances Reid is 95, Kirk Douglas, 93, Dame Judi Dench, 75, Beau Bridges, 68, Dan Hicks, 68, Joan Armatrading, 59, John Malkovich, 56, Donny Osmond, 52, Nick Seymour (Crowded House), 51, Felicity Huffman, 47, Crown Princess Masako of Japan, 46, and Thomas Flowers (Oleander) is 42.

On This Day in History, “in 1987, the first Palestinian intefada…began…”

I’m back in the Half Moon Bay Public Library again. My toothache is back, and I’m running out of pain relief gel and pain pills. I may soon be making a trip to the dentist.

This morning Jeff helped me on Amazon with purchasing a new transformer for my computer to replace the one that I’m using now, which is frayed and half the time wants to go on the blink. On battery my computer screen darkens. It’s always done that. But maybe replacing the battery would help brighten up the screen on battery.

Before returning from the city, I went shopping at Trader Joe’s. Now I have another couple sacks of groceries, basic items plus treats to keep me going in December.

Jeff Thompson Art Show Opening Tonight

Maximilian Schell is 79, James Galway, 70, Bobby Elliott (The Hollies), 68, Gregg Allman, 62, Toots Hibbert (Toots and the Maytals), 61, Kim Basinger, 56, Phil Collen (Def Leppard), 52, Teri Hatcher, 45, Sinead O’Connor, 43, Bushwick Bill (The Geto Boys), 43, Ryan Newell (Sister Hazel), 37, Chrisette Michele, 27, Kate Voegele, 23, and AnnaSophia Robb is 16.

On This Day in History, in 1941, one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US enters WWII. Today’s, Tuesday, December 8, 2009 date is a day that shall live in infamy. I’m talking about the assassination of John Lennon on this date in 1980.

“Fellowship is life, and lack of fellowship is death.”–William Morris, sent from Christy Rodgers at whatif@igc.org

Tonight I write on the 2200 Cafe wi-fi, as I’m in San Francisco staying with Kate while her parents get to go to her dad’s art show opening on 16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero next to the Roxie Theater. Jeff has a show with one other artist in this bar/gallery in which he is exhibiting some of his large canvases. I can’t wait to see it myself.

Mike had to go up to the top of his foremast today to replace an anchor light. He recently dove on his anchor to get it unfouled. Some people have all the fun.

It’s a bit chilly for San Francisco, but warmer than it is on the boat. We’ve got something like seven days of rain in the coming weekly forecast. It doesn’t start before I can make my way back to my boat though I estimate.