I don't mean "chill" as in cool though it did turn a bit chilly this evening but I'm using it the way Taylor does as in relaxed, not too much pressure, the slowest paced day so far. Which I actually needed.
CHILL DAY IN SAN FRANCISCO
I don’t mean “chill” as in cool though it did turn a bit chilly this evening but I’m using it the way Taylor does as in relaxed, not too much pressure, the slowest paced day so far: Which I actually needed.
I had a leisurely morning in Palo Alto and by that I mean I did not have to leap out of bed at the crack of dawn to catch a plane. I got here around eleven thirty and it was one of those perfect San Francisco days. I’m staying in Union Square. Do all big cities have Union Squares? I may have to Google this and find out.
Obligatory room shot. They all sort of look alike don’t they?
I met up with my friend Tracy Hammister, One of the troika of Tracys in from our school days. Now actually this is one person I have been in touch with. In fact I contacted her seven years ago as she was someone I was always very interested in and wanted to see again. So when Taylor was 13 we were out here and had lunch with her at the same place we did today, the Rotunda at Neiman Marcus and we have kept in touch. We could keep in better touch, but Tracy is someone I always liked and did not lose track of. She lives up here with her husband Alan, they love opera and she has been working as a CPA since she got out of school. We all remember her as in the fifth grade she is the only one of us who looked and acted like a mature person. I never forgot d that. We all seemed like little kids in comparison to her. She was a very sophisticated fifth and sixth grader, by ninth grade many caught up, but all the girls were in awe of her. She and I went off to sumer camp together one summer, not the pirate one, a cowboy one where I cracked my head open riding a horse under a tree. We shared a bunk, we go way back. I am always happy to see her. She has been a devoted follower of the blog and I am very grateful.
Tracy H and Tracey J. Now you have met all the Tracys.
Today was a kick as bookstore day. After I left Tracy I spent the rest of the day doing book stores. They were all outposts of a chain here called Books Inc.
I must say this was one group of amazing booksellers. One was nicer than the other. I have had some really lovely encounters at stores and warm welcomes, especially since for the most part I come in cold. E. Shavers in Savannah was full of Southern Hospitality and Village Books and Book Soup in LA both offered to have me back. And Outwrite Books in Atalanta was very enthusiastic. There was actually only one negative encounter the whole trip. But this little chain has a great group of people in each store. One manager spent ten minutes asking about Face to Facebook, one head of events invited me back, Lydia the manager of one branch talked to me about being in our fifties. Every shop was just a little gem of an encounter.
They were all at different parts of the city so this guy Tom~
Drove me all around SF in his cab. He was going off duty when I got in and he really did not want to drag me all over San Francisco, but somehow I convinced him to stick with me and he did. He spent close to two hours driving me from store to store, dropping me off, waiting while I did my thing and they schlepping me to another Books Inc. He won’t see this but thank you Tom, I could not have done it without him. Well, I could have but I might still be in the Castro trying to find a cab.
I had a dinner date with my friend Lydia Emmett Winkler, we go back to school days too. She lives out of town a bit and was taking the ferry in. We made meticulous plans and I got to the restaurant and she wasn’t there. I waited then called her. She said it’s tomorrow night. I said no it’s tonight, my only night here. She felt awful, I was sorry to miss her. But she said stay and and eat there it’s great. They had a bar where you could eat so I ate dinner alone and I was actually fine doing that. I was sorry to miss Lydia as I was looking forward to seeing her, but the place was lively and the food was good and the fact it was a bar everyone was chatting. And then about fifteen minutes in I got an email from Lydia and the fault was totally mine. I had said tomorrow. I guess with this schedule it was bound to happen once. Sorry Lydia. Next trip we will do it for sure. I could blame it on my Mobile Me which is really acting up, but the fault lies with the real me. I just told her the wrong day.
I can’t believe this, it’s ten thirty and I’m going to bed.
YIPEE!!!!!
Tomorrow Seattle and Susan Stoltz Davis my old next door neighbor and best friend when I was a kid!
