Back on the Beach

Top of the Mark

Norma is from Tennessee, just like me. During WWII she travelled out here and ended up staying for three years. She worked at a printing company. Top of the Mark was one of the spots she frequented with her pals. Last night the five of us sat in the same corner where they used to sit, with a view of the bay.

Norma likes martinis. I had recently read a study that said the most important thing you can do for your brain is to take on new challenges. So I decided to learn how to make a martini, and had been practicing for weeks. When the moment for martini presentation arrived, I poured the drink and stuck two olives on the plastic pirate sword. I handed her the glass. Tom asked her how it was. She said, "Good. A little heavier on the vermouth than I'm used to."

Kelly then showed me how to make a superior martini. He poured vermouth into a glass and swirled it around, but ended up pouring all the vermouth from the glass back into the bottle. The glass was left with nothing but a thin film of vermouth. He then poured vodka into the glass, and then poured that from the glass into a shaker with ice. When he strained the drink back into the glass, it tasted nothing, nothing like the one I had made. It's clear that I must keep practicing.

Kids These Days

Kelly, 87 & Norma, 85, at the Parkside Cafe, Stinson Beach

Moochers

Norma and Kelly are Tom's stepmom and dad. They'll be sponging off us all weekend, along with Tom's sister Diane, who refused to be photographed. They're downing our wine like there's no tomorrow.

She Lives in a Box of Paints

Linda Davick


My friend Anne. I'd rather not say how long I worked on her site–but with the help of Sally Queen of Code Cruikshank, it's finished.

By the Sea

I found this creature at the base of the sea wall.

7 Things About Me You May Not Want to Know

from left: Jerri Blank (Strangers With Candy), Quasi (Quasi at the Quackadero)

I've been tagged by Luci to tell 7 things about myself that others may not know.

1. I wear a NightGuard when I sleep. One of my favorite things to do is to put it in and impersonate characters from my favorite movies.

2. I've collected 300+ pounds of beach glass from walks on Ocean Beach.

3. I have phone phobia, though it helps to wear my NightGuard when talking on the phone.

4. My favorite breakfast is leftover pizza with black coffee.

5. My mom taught piano. She wanted desperately to teach me. We made deals. If I got through a book, I would get to choose a reward from the Sears catalog. I finished one book. I chose an army suit.

6. I love sewn-on badges and stickers of all kinds. That's one reason I wanted the army suit. I joined the Girl Scouts so I could collect all those badges on the sash. But it took way too long to earn the badges, so I quit.

7. Method cleaning products turn me on. Especially the old bowling pin-shaped dish detergent bottle that never worked properly. Now that it's been discontinued, I'd do anything to see it again. Wait a minute! It hasn't been discontinued! You can order it online even!

The Secret Life of Words

I love it when something like this happens: Tom brought home some movies a few days ago. I wasn't too interested in the one called The Secret Life of Words; I thought it was about the guy who makes up crossword puzzles for the New York Times. Last night we turned on the fire and I plopped down on the FatBoy, looking forward to watching Breaking and Entering. To my surprise, Tom had already seen it the night before, and the word movie began. Reluctantly I settled in and decided I'd give it a try.

It turned out that it wasn't about the crossword puzzle editor at all! That's Wordplay. The one we watched is by Almodóvar (All About my Mother and Talk to Her are 2 of my favorites). But back to the point: The Secret Life of Words is the best movie I've seen all year. Oops. It's directed by Isabel Coixet (?) and produced by Almodóvar. Still. The best movie I've seen in two years. How about you? Seen anything extraordinary lately?

Get Well Card

Mapping the Human Brain

© Linda Davick
When Luci asked if spaghetti could be substituted with phad see eww, and Salzer suggested that everyone's brain might not be the same as mine, I was shocked.

Is your brain different from mine?

Mom and ... hey, that's Aggles!

For years I've kept this photo, thinking it was of Mom and me. But as I was scanning it this evening, I noticed a figure in the background. I realized that it's Aggles whose hand Mom is holding. The shady figure in the background is me. Picking up rocks.

Proof

© Linda Davick
Just to reiterate Thursday's portrait tip: Windblown hair does not have to mean out-of-control hair, if you use the right hair spray and avoid new cuts and styles.
(What is this thing? Does anybody know?)