Dinner is served.............

I was going to copy the idea of "the five things you probably don't know about me"
but opted to write about the five people I would invite to my perfect dinner party.

1.-Drew Barrymore
2.-My biological Mother
3.-Bill Clinton
4.-My friend who used to work at Starbucks,then went to Pizzicata, but now lives in Japan
5.-John Steinbeck

Drew Barrymore- because I have a secret crush on her. (not so secret anymore)

My birth mother- cuz it would be a dream come true to meet her and have a meal with her.

Bill Clinton- because he would have good stories to tell and might play the sax for us afterwards and I admire him greatly

My friend - because he is one of the most awesome, spirited people I have ever met, and there would never be a lull in the conversation, and he is the only person I know who has almost every Elvis recording on Vinyl.

John Steinbeck- He wrote East of Eden. Need I say more? My favorite book ever.
Plus I think he would smoke with me on the porch and we would discuss social issues; then and now

We would have cheesecake for desert.

jb

California, here I come........

I am leaving to California on Wed. and I am allready stressing out on packing. I go through this every trip. I have a very hard time getting realistic on the size of bag I take. I don't want to look like an idiot showing up for four days with enough luggage for 8. The only person I know who panics at packing like I do, is my friend Kevin. He totally gets me. He starts hypervenilating about a week before a trip.
I e-mailed my friend in California to ask If I should pack a rain coat. She said no, but I should pack a parka! This does not amuse me. I am going to California and the dream of sun filled days immedietaly left me when she said that. Seems they are having weather similiar to ours. This is ok I suppose. At least I will be looking at new sites while freezing.I am most excited to be going to the John Steinbeck Center in Monterey. A whole center dedicated to my favorite Author and the characters in his books. The house he grew up in is in that town too. When I told my friend I HAD to go there, and was she a fan like me? She said, "Steinbeck, hmmm, I think I have heard of him." To me, this was as unbelievable as someone reading David Sedaris and not liking it. I will pay her way into the center and hope she is a good sport. Or maybe she will do something else while I am there. The have the actual truck there that he drove accross the USA in and wrote about in "Travels with Charley." (This gives me goose bumps.)
My daughter called me today from Florida where she announced it is 80 degrees and beautiful. While I am thrilled for her, I can't help but be a little annoyed that I am not going somewhere just as beautiful.
Now, back to the packing. Literally I will start tomorrow for a Wed. Departure. I will arrange, reaarange, take out, put back in, switch to a smaller bag, switch back to the bigger one, and try to envision what I will look like to my friend when she sees me with my luggage. It's a sickness.
jb

The children are all grown up......

I spent the afternoon with my son today. We went to dinner and to coffee afterwards. We chatted about everything; Canada, food, gay men, traveling,kids, and dating. I realized while I was listening to him, what a nice person he turned out to be. Whether I am responsible for any of that is beyond me, but I am very happy with the kind of person he is.
I have noticed with both of my kids lately, that they are maturing into kind, funny, thoughtful people.
Through all the years of trials I have had with them both, I often wondered how it would all turn out in the end.
They have both been through alot with me, and it feels good to know they didn't end up hating me.
The relationship with your kids is one of the most important relationships you will ever have in your life, and I'm happy to know that I have come full circle with mine to a place of mutual respect and love.
I don't know if it's in spite of the way they were raised, or because of the way they were raised, or if they just figured things out on their own. I have a feeling with those two, that it was more that latter.
It was a good day though.
jb

the man has gotten me again

Well, blogger.com has finally forced me to get a google account to use this thing. That pisses me off! I came on here to write about something else, but now I am just mad. I went to sign on with my old account and it is just forced me another direction. Gee, I wonder who owns blogger.com.
I am no longer mucker98 I guess. Not sure what the hell I am now.
Not sure my millions of readers can find me now. Well, that's it for me. I just can't stand being forced to sign up for something I don't want. Now I probably have some fricking google e-mail account that is filling up with junk e-mails about enlarging my penis as we speak.
Damnit!
jb

Could you park my pigeon please?

What the hell happened to Pigeon Hole Parking? They could park so many cars in a small lot.
My new calendar of old time Portland, shows a pigeon hole parking lot in 1955. It is pure genius.
I looked it up on the internet, not much about it. I wonder why it never stuck? It is one of the best things I have ever seen.
jb

Softball...

I made the most important purchase of the year yesterday... a new softball glove. My old one had seen better days, so it was time. It's a tricky purchase. First it has to feel right on your hand, then it has to be soft enough that you know you can break it in quickly and most important you have to FEEL like it's the glove that's gonna help you catch every fly ball and scoop up every grounder that comes your way.
It is oiled, and ready to be put to use.
We are having our first softball meeting Thursday. I have missed my teammates, so it will be good to see everyone.
I often wonder how long I will be able to play. Each year, something new starts hurting. But I always remember the old guy I met at the airport. We were both coming back from tournaments, grabbing our bat bags from baggage claim. He had to be 65 or maybe even 70. He said to me "you can play softball forever. You won't get any better, but you can always play."
I think about that man often.

jb