Sunday, December 12
We had a full day ahead of us doing most of the things we had been kept
from last year:
going to The City for some holiday shopping;
attending Wade and Brent's Cookie Frenzy;
then on to the Body Electric Soiree; finally, attending a
holiday concert down in Palo Alto. It was a pleasant, sunny day,
though quite cold. I wondered again if we would ever again see Don's
jacket, which was still on vacation in Hawaii. Diana had not left
me any information when she had called Don earlier. I was afraid
Don might get chilled, especially since he insisted on wearing
shorts instead of long pants. All his pants were in the laundry,
he said. "Besides," he said, "if my torso is warm, I'll be warm
enough." I'd heard him spout this theory before and I didn't
have any more faith in it this time.
Indeed, he got quite chilled as we walked to the Haight.
We started our Day in The City at Amoeba records, and the abient
temperature in the former bowling alley didn't do much to warm
him up. But he was quite pleased with the results: he found two
CDs (though not the ones he was looking for) and I got both Trio
and Trio II.
UCSF was right up the hill from
the Haight, so we dropped off the MRIs for duplication
before heading for the Cookie Frenzy
at Wade and Brent's in the Castro.
Because both Peterson and Hancock were concerned about Don's
weight, I was concerned that he eat well today. I knew I could
fill up and be statisfied at the Cookie Frenzy, but I was
concerned that it wouldn't be enough for him, or that it would
come too late in the day. Fortunately, an opportunity presented
itself at UCSF. We got to the film library but found out they
only took checks and cash. I sent Don back to the car, where
he thought he had his checkbook, while I went to the bathroom.
I felt a little uneasy about asking him to find the car and then
find his way back to the library, so I went down after him.
He had found the car all right.
"Another triumpth of Brownian motion," he announced, but he
admitted he had not been looking forward to finding the film
library in the innards of Moffet Hospital.
On our way back up to the library, Don mentioned he was hungry
enough for lunch, so he stopped at Panda Express while I
continued across the street to Moffet and paid for the duplicates,
using cash I'd withdrawn from an ATM in Milberry rather than
Don's checks. Although the librarian on duty had been adamant
that they accept only cash and checks, she was a bit taken aback
when I actually presented her with currency. "I don't have
any change," she said. "How can you accept payment in cash if
you don't have any change?" I asked. I decided it was a pointless
question and accepted a receipt with an kind of I.O.U. attached.
I'll pick up my change when we pick up the duplicates the next
time we're in The City.
When I returned to the cafeteria, I told Don about getting the
ominous fortune cookie last time I ate here. He opened his to
see it was less chilling that the one I had gotten on July 2nd.
It said,
EXCITEMENT WILL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO
Don decided he'd had quite enough excitement already
and didn't eat the rest of the cookie.
We had a great time at the Frenzy and I ran into a few friends
at the soiree. The soiree was in a lovely house with stunning
views perched on the side of Twin Peaks. Don and I explored
it thoroughly. He thought the top floor, which consisted of
a single bedroom with panoramic windows, would be a great
writer's get-away. I said it would be a great make-out spot.
Although the soiree was friendly, we soon grew tired and said
our good-byes. On the way out, I asked Colin if he heard much
from Miguel or David these days. He said he hadn't seen either
of them in quite some time. We said we looked forward to the
couples retreat on the Big Island in February, and he said he
looked forward to seeing us there.
We arrived back in the South Bay (well, Palo Alto, to be exact)
in good time for the Schola Cantorum concert. They even had
coffee available in the hall next to the church, so Don had something
hot to drink. I remarked on how he seemed to tolerate coffee more
lately. "I think it was the Thalidomide," he said. "All I know is
I would look at the coffee and think, 'Nope. That's not going to go.'
Now, it's no problem."
The concert was excellent, of course. I was particularly interested in
the SATB arrangement of Susa's Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the
Southwest. Since the Silicon Valley Gay Men's Chorus had just done
the TTBB arrangement the week before, it was very interesting to hear
the alternative voicing. They mixed Spanish and English, though, and
I didn't care for that. However, the final movement, a lullaby that fades
into the distant stars, was so moving it brought me to tears.
Don and I sat in the third row, or, since this was a church, the third
pew. As we walked down the aisle during intermission, I saw several
well-dressed matrons give Don disparraging looks, presumably because
he had the temerity to wear shorts in a church. Here they were, all
dressed up in their holiday finest with their manicured nails, elegant
coiffures, and subtle but unmistakable jewelry, and what should they
have to look upon but a scruffy man in shorts and a blue down vest,
unshaven, shuffling up the aisle of the First United Methodist Church.
And at Christmas time, too!
I wondered if those same matrons bothered to read the translation of
O Magnum Mysterium the chorus sang in the second half of the
concert:
Oh, what a great mystery and holy wonder it is
That animals should gaze upon the birth of the Lord.
Did they get the message? Thinking back on the disdain they took
no pains to hide, did they finally understand who is the Blessed One
and who were the cows?
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Monday, December 13
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Tuesday, December 14
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Wednesday, December 15
Don's ride picked him up at the Stanford Hospital Cafeteria
as planned (and rehearsed last week). When Don got back
home sometime around 11:30 PM he said he had a wonderful
time.
"Who got the present we picked out?" I asked.
"Rachel," he said. That seemed appropriate.
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Thursday, December 16
Don complained of a headache, but said he knew it was nothing
to worry about. "It's a hangover," he said. "I had two
glasses of wine last night."
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Friday, December 17
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Saturday, December 18
Don and I thought Carol was coming for lunch, but when she
hadn't shown up by 3:00 PM, he called her. She said she was
coming down around dinner time. I had made lunch by then,
so Don and I had a late one.
Carol brought the check register for the original "Friends
of V" fund. Now I can finally get a complete picture of
how much money has been spent on Don's health care this
year.
We had dinner at Global Village Cafe and Carol picked up
the tab. That was so sweet of her, after all she has done
for us. She protested that it was nothing, but I know it
took some time and effort to set up the new account.
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