Great day. I walked around the gaslamp district of San Diego this morning and checked out a few of the shops, and had lunch at an Indian restaurant. I registered for my convention at the convention center at noon and then attended 7 hours of continuing education from 12:30 until 9 PM tonight, reviewing toxicology at its finest and ending with a rat poison discussion for dessert. Afterward, I took an evening stroll through the old downtown quarter of San Diego, the Gaslamp quarter, where the stores and restaurants were still going strong. I stopped at Patrick’s and went in for a few minutes to listen to the live band they had on stage. I was going to buy a souvenir glass, with diet coke, but then I realized it was a shot glass, and I felt a little ridiculous asking for a shot of diet coke. I wandered around looking at all the stores and bars and restaurants and people. I watched the folks across the street pictured here, playing Christmas songs in the street. I selected a quiet Italian restaurant for a light dinner, at 10 PM and entered. The staff was all attired in formal wear, the décor very elegant, and Frank Sinatra was singing all during dinner in the background. I thought the waiter seemed a little overstuffed and maybe a little condescending to me, attired in shorts and a sports shirt, so I ordered the soup, a salad, and some fresh bread with butter, but no garlic. “Uh oh, problem” he said, then quickly disappeared. In a couple of minutes he brought me some rolls fresh out of the oven with a dish of fresh butter. During dinner, I showed him a picture on my phone that Gwen Cox just sent me of a cow that had delivered quadruplets, all of them doing well and pictured together. He looked at them as I told him their story. He clapped very loudly and exclaimed that it was beautiful. My opinion of him changed immediately and I decided to return tomorrow and try the linguine with the white clam sauce. I pulled out my wallet before he returned with the bill but as I did he exclaimed: “oh, not yet. Time for temptation” as he slipped me the dessert menu. I looked it over and settled on the fresh berries. As I was leaving, he thanked me for coming and I called him over to me. “I dropped a blueberry under the table somewhere, so be careful you don’t step on it.” I told him. He laughed and said “You’re a good man!” I shall return. I was too tired to walk the mile and a half to my hotel so I engaged a taxi. My driver asked about me and my family and then I asked him where he is from. He told me he is Kurdish and wishes he was home right now to help in the fighting. He said “we don’t need any men to help, but we need the ammunition and equipment.” I told him during the opening days of World War 2, Winston Churchill said to the United States: “Give us the tools, and we will do the job.” I gave him a little extra tip and hugged his shoulder through the window and said: “God bless you my friend, I’m sorry for all your people are going through.” Our meeting on rat poison tonight was in a very posh hotel on the waterfront, full of people, mostly younger than me and looking very prosperous. I could have stayed there, but I chose a hotel that was much less expensive and definitely much less posh, but very quiet and in a quiet neighborhood outside of the old quarter. I found myself looking forward to getting back to its quiet, humble and much less stressful (to me) atmosphere. I still gage what I purchase by how many cow’s feet I have to trim and bandage to pay for it, and I can’t see having to do that many feet for one night’s stay. I’m a country boy now, and peace and quiet is what I seek. I made some friends today, ate some Ghirardelli chocolates, and furthered my education. I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 07:17:22 +0000
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