-sounds good to us! robert & sandra mickanen
we could use a maximum-security, minimum-privilege penitentiary. it's important and valuable that we did, as a society, experiment with minimum-security, maximum-privilege jails..
experimented with lots [and LOTS!] of very expensive programs for inmates, criminals.. wicked and evil and violent people..
but the results are in. they have been in for a while now..
time to revert to when we had safer communities.. go back to "PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST!"
NOT CRIMINALS FIRST.. where public safety has been sacrificed and compromised and sometimes utterly ignored.. in favor of helping enabling criminals.
-somewhere in this article it reads that alcatraz held 260-275 prisoners
the most heart-breaking thing i write here, now..
how easily we could find 260-275 violent criminals in the state of california
the most heart-breaking..
we need even more island prisons to remove and isolate violent criminals [rapists, murderers,] from society at large.
but the lives that will go 'undestroyed' as a result...
the individuals, children, parents, families, that will be spared from becoming victims of invasions, violations, violence, rape, murder..
if you contemplate that..
preventing countless lives from being destroyed vs. the preservation of a tourist attraction.. [that once served as a prison; with an infrastructure and location well suited to..]
we can invest in new tourist attractions.. those can be manufactured
you can't 'undestroy' you can't 'unmurder' you can't 'unviolate' you can't 'unrape'
you can't 'unassault'
remove criminals; isolate and remove them..
we're all for it. reopen alcatraz... get us headed back in the write direction.. amen & amen
Did you know BART can take you to Europe.. learns (me!) sandra, tvgp
some kind of strange thing goes on in my brain about San Francisco.. like, even though it is, by geography,
/let me go fact-check here.. be write back:
***
43.2 miles; 52 minutes; and if driving a very fuel efficient hybrid, a mere estimated $3.50 in fuel..
even though it is less than 50 miles away by earth measurement; real world stuff;
it is like going to Europe in my mind; to my imagination. Now, I've never been to Europe, and I have been to San Francisco
which makes the whole thing stranger still. I already know its easy-access via BART. see! I traveled there with my beautiful children not too long ago for a Michael Jackson Thriller Halloween Party
I was there with my sister /"Hi Keeshie!" and IN one of the most awesome/perfect day/spectacular view parades of all time:
The Columbus, slash, Italian Heritage Day Parade..
I've taken BART and walked to, -and celebrated on The Hornblower Yacht for family birthdays and bringing in the New Year..
it is not like I don't know! and.. my trip with my kids to visit/tour
Alcatraz..
and my goodness..
The Nike Women's Half Marathon! and when I played the flute with the Good Time Band at Pier 39 "thank you!" to Bernie Berke..
/and will skip memories of the
Golden Gates 50th anniversary... and will skip
***
the point is, even though I have been and returned home on a variety of very blessed occasions, - for reasons I cannot explain
and only can share: each time, the very mention of it, the mere suggestion of going to San Francisco weighs on my mind like a suitcase full of rocks and bricks, and starts to tangle knots in the cerebral pathways..
My daughter and her friends visit San Francisco as easily as visiting the local mall, and my son and a group of friends all just went for the day
and when they share their pictures/stories, and I see pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, or beautiful views from the top of skyscrapers... its as if i'm looking at the Eifel Tower, and feel so proud and happy they made it a l l t h e w a y t h e r e and back home safely.
and when people say to me, "oh, I go there all the time..." i'm like, "really.. why? how? its so far away.. did you get a week off from work?."
the upshot being -despite a number of very positive and practical real life experiences to the contrary
"
its ten times more complicated and involved and time consuming and energy consuming in my mind than it actually just was!"
all of that prelude was just to share, that, "thank you!" here to Gerry Schoon, and her son, Kenny
my one ~
true day off, after surviving the Christmas Season in retail, working 7 days a week between Alden Lane and Ricks Picks, squeezing art in between.. and Christmas Shopping, and wrapping, and delivering, and then two days of inventory... etc., etc.
on my one ~
true day off, I went to the California Academy of Sciences in Europe via BART and BUS 5
the three of us! and Gerry, is like (me!) and my sister, that way.. She isn't one of those people who just spontaneously decides to hop over to The City like its in her own backyard. It was a big deal for her too.. and her son, -it was on the rare adventure list for him too
so we were, the blind leading the blind leading the blind..
but Ju-Ju helped with her experiences visiting there
all the time, and aided us by googling' directions/information, and Gerry did some research online..
and I re-read the website for the academy several times.. got lost in the beautiful graphics, excited to visit, but.. on the directions page, it never directly mentions WHAT? WHICH BART STATION do we get off on? SPECIFICALLY? NAME PLEASE?!
when your cerebral GPS is damaged or missing.. well, ive mentioned it before, and will mention it again.. how I wish the whole world was labeled a little more specifically and ubiquitously and color coded, so I can find my way...
its very taxing. -and unnecessary. i.e., at the PLEASANTON BART STATION
we had to go all the way back to where we had parked to figure out if we were in permit only vs. day pay spot.. and relocate the car, and then go back.. because the lady in the booth, couldn't tell us, by parking space #, where we landed.
this could be avoided if there was A SIGN! which identified
ROWS 1900-2200 permit only "but once again!" I tell Gerry, "they forgot to ask me first!"
I could be so helpful.. the potential for avoiding unnecessary issues/problems, disputes and world wars even.. if they would just ask me first..
anyway.. I'm way off the BART track..
Let me be very helpful here by sharing with you that you want to get off at
THE EMBARCADERO STATION
it is on the CALIF ACADEMY website, and in Ju-Ju's direct experience, that once you exit at THE EMBARCADERO STATION, you take the N-Juda
and per website, once you arrive at
one of several transfer stations, you catch the
Muni's N-Line
but "thank you!" here to a kind, total stranger, inside the booth at the Embarcadero Station,
we walked, along the write side, up the escalator, and hopped on BUS 5.. which took us almost directly to the front doors of the Academy; save a couple blocks, for $2.25
and let me say here, how blessed I feel to have a new friend! but doubly-blessed I was feeling as we walked past the incredible landscape that serves as entry to the academy, because my new friend is also a horticulturist!
that means, she could actually name the trees, flowers, plants as we passed by them!
and it turns out, her son is quite the knowledgeable one also. it was such a joy, and education, to take in the sights, sounds, textures, exhibits,
all of which are shared so professionally/brilliantly on the
website itself, it would be silly for me to be redundant
the highlights for me, were.. everywhere! but, of course, I get a bit of the gag reflex where they share the Darwin/evolution theory as if..
so I pointed to the famous/iconic ape to human standing erect on two feet picture
"that IS NOT an evolved human being!! -those who manifest the fruits of the spirit! THOSE are evolved human beings!"
-its much harder to capture that evolution in a graphic. but there oughta be an exhibit where they show the spiritual narrative.. born flesh/spirit.. baptisms.. spirit conquers flesh... fruits of the spirit manifest.. ego conquered/selfishness conquered/fears conquered.. forgiveness achieved..
from self-centered flesh motivated to loving humanitarian..
and, I remain curious about just how long it will be before the apes/monkeys that are currently apes/monkeys in the world and zoos write now.. how long before they too -evolve, via natural selection.. why only a percentage? or has it all worked out, that, -perhaps, the apes/monkeys go extinct, eventually, because the number of evolved, upwrite-standing humans are pro-creating and no longer need... ? and I am just personally convinced, that
well, who among us gets to check back in a million years; write. I'm just of the belief -born a monkey; stays a monkey. born a human; stays a human. stick as many years in between as you'd like. there is a master, and there is a plan..
***
I must interrupt my own story here to share..
it was a conversation which took place with a customer, -we got on the subject of raccoons.. and I said, what is practically script for me now, because the same cerebral hyperlink gets clicked on when..
(me!): "... and I didn't know they were aggressive toward humans until my neighbor..."
him: "well, they have to be! just think about it for a minute," he tells me, all proud and knowledgeable and certain, "look at their size compared to us humans.. they have to be able to protect themselves"
and it raced through my mind.. too many animals and creatures to itemize or count, but that are smaller than humans but not aggressive
and I decided it would take too long, would require too much effort to correct him, or explain, and the transaction at the cash register was over anyway, with another person waiting in line..
so.. he left just as confident as he had arrived.
and I spent the rest of the day wondering.. how many people have not taken the time or energy to correct me in areas of my own ignorant certainty?
-none of us can actually know.. there is something very funny, entertaining and sad about that all at once.
***
we had a great time, all of us, on our trip to the California academy of sciences in Europe. and brought our own picnic.. and sat outside, on a gorgeous day, to eat and visit, and take in the very beautiful environment..
plus, look at all these wonderful additions to the heart seen collection:
and we all felt -that, wonderful sense of personal accomplishment, having ventured out into new territory, and finding our way on public transportation.. and hanging out in such a stimulating place and
we had a very slight detour-accidentally getting on
-not the wrong, exactly, but a different bus on the return.. and, still arrived back to BART, and back home, fulfilled and safely.
***
and, Gerry and Kenny dropped me off and headed home..
but my one and only true day off did not end there. "thank you very, very, much!" to my mom
I got to conclude my adventure with a one hour,
very sublime
-perhaps, what was the best massage of my entire almost 51 year old life. /so, out of 12 or so, over five decades.
but, yes, the best of my life! so, go see Melissa at massage envy, pleasanton
***
when I sent her a thank you, I said, "this positions me well to deal with the upcoming stress of having to find a new room to rent by the end of January."
yes.. it is time to move ~again. the family i'm renting from now, are "BIG CONGRATULATIONS!" expecting their first grandchild..
a boy.
and the space I'm in will be for... /insert name here sometime in February.
***
"you know you always have a room here" says my mom with a smile..
***
In God's got me on the move again's name..
hallelujah! and amen! /picures to post when phone/upload issues are resolved..
Labels: alden lane, bart, Bernie, California academy, evolution, Gerry, good time band, gps, Kenny, massage, mom, moving, neuroscience, new friend, public thank you, rent, san Francisco, science, true day off, walnut
The Celebrity State, a poem by (me!) sandra, tvgp
The
Celebrity State
Mixed Spring
Glorious Green Salad Hills Seasoned with Salt & Pepper Cows
Business suits, Swimsuits, Birthday Suits; All with an ocean view
Stock
Markets, Farmers Markets, Year Round, Rain or Shine
Almonds, walnuts,
Strawberries,
grapes,
Lettuce & tomatoes; beef cattle, hay
Silicon Valley, Tri Valley, Calaveras
Valley, Napa Valley
technology, scenic drives, wine tasting, micro
beer or bottled water “cheers”
Warriors,
Kings, Lakers, Clippers,
Originally
Oakland Raiders -49ers, Rams, Chargers,
A’s, Giants,
Angels, Dodgers, Padres
Sharks,
Kings & Ducks
Sports bars,
spirit wear and a contagious world champion spirit
Snow to ski, waters to jet, lines to
zip, sky to soar, mountains to climb; or move…
Power walks, beer crawls, wine
strolls -bay area ridge trails path
Tennis
shoes, high heels, hiking, cow and rain boots, flip flops, bare feet, uggs
Poppies to
delight, quails to charm, redwoods to awe
Luxury
suites; homeless camps
Christians,
Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, secular, agnostic, atheist and indifferents;
unlabeled, unconcerned and in peace – picnic
together at concerts in the parks
Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Alcatraz, Angel
Island, Monterey, Alameda, San Diego
Disneyland, Universal Studios, Magic
Mountain and Great America
Heavenly beauty and manmade forms
of whole family fun
Gold Rush, Golden
State, Gold in the San Francisco Gate Bridge
More than
800 miles of put the top down on your convertible and coast…
Natives, immigrants,
locals and tourists blend into tertiary communities of hope
new shades of
political purples born from deep reds & denim blues
sales too taxed,
traffic too jammed, cost of living too high
California’s Indian
Name would be Mighty Chief Wins Hearts Breaks Wallets
But California was born speaking Spanish; Si
you can establecer su propio ritmo -crawl; surf; walk; climb a corporate ladder;
go! go! go! fly! stay grounded; grab a
hammock; nap and dream… work part time, work over time, work no time just
volunteer; work until you
‘tag you’re it’ the next generation
rent to own, own to rent, stay put,
ever wander.. be yourself, be quiet, be loud, be heard, be
seen in HOLLYWOOD
Born a
highly photogenic child star in 1850, our 31st state always lights
up for the camera, providing Oscar winning memories for each and every fan; and is
destined to receive a lifetime achievement award.
California has an amazing diversity
of people, impressive spectrum of terrains, dual paned bay windows of golden opportunities,
a variety of ‘keep the’ or create a faith systems, minimum wage earners to
billionaires, a plethora of creative instincts and uncanny knowledge, wealth of
theatre, art and museums, cornucopia of cultures, campus upon campus of
education, PhD’s in entertainment; still so much untapdanced potential plus
ever intriguing archives. Famous architecture. Rave worthy international
cuisine. Take a selfie with our celebrity state, California; say “Eureka!” and
smile.
Sandra
Harrison Kay
WriteousMom.com
