From a few weeks ago. The size of the plant has diminished…

I always love wandering about in a nursery, looking at the abundant variety of botanical splendor, but today I’m here for a specific purpose: a new catnip plant for my cat Calvin. As I wander through the aisles, I am approached by one of the employees: Max, who turns out to be a catnip expert. I didn’t know there was more than one variety of catnip. He shows me a plant that is blooming purple and says: “this one is for Persians and Calicos” with a completely straight face. Playing along, I ask him if he has anything in a Tabby, and am promptly directed to another table that displays a different and also much smaller variety of catnip plant, that will also be easy to transport. Calvin will be most delighted.

A pit-stop for a beverage: Standing in line to order a cappuccino behind a young woman holding a baby I notice that she is wearing a 1989 Oakland A’s t-shirt listing all the games on the back of it of the infamous “earthquake” World Series. I comment to her that I remember the series and that day vividly, to which she responds: “Oh I bought this shirt on eBay, cause my dad played in that series – his name is Lance Blankenship”. I tell her that I do recognize the name. As time goes by I ponder. Just a few weeks later the last segment of the piers that held up the old Bay Bridge are safely imploded, a remnant of a bygone era giving way to the new gleaming white Bay Bridge, an astounding sprawling ten lanes wide, including a bicycle path to Yerba Buena island. A most definite improvement in every aspect.