He's Home!
Issue 17 is for Romeo
Dear Friends, please take a deep breath. You need one. I need one. Let’s go…
Today’s newsletter was titled “Smiles, 3 for $1” until Romeo went missing for four days, and finally graced my eye-sockets just before dawn this morn.
Last seen on Friday afternoon, the past few days have been awful—a mere 30 degrees overnight. Before bed and in the middle of the night I had the feeling a parent must get when their teen goes out and doesn’t come home. It’s not like we fought.
My kids are getting ankle monitors. Maybe Romeo will loan them his.
He wasn’t wearing his collar. Yes, I’ve learned my lesson.
I awoke to a text from a guy in my neighborhood, sent at 5:11 am. “I believe I have your cat…” I don’t check my phone until I’ve had coffee and meditated. Today, I broke the rules and skipped meditation.
The guy’s name is Ryan. Romeo was in his garage, along with everything else in Ryan’s life. I didn’t know Ryan then, but I do now. This is one of Romeo’s MOs: community building. Ryan was awoken by a crash coming from his garage. A raccoon, he thought. Nope, Romeo knocking over a box. Smart!
The timeline is wishy-washy since Romeo’s not revealing much. But yesterday, I distributed over 100 fliers (no photo, no color, just a plain ol’ message, “Open your garage. My orange tabby is probably in there.”) and those puppies (kitties) did their job.
Romeo’s Other Mother, Michelle, came over with treats this morning—#communitybuilding. She’s been worried sick. Yesterday at 7 am, she sent her husband Dave to Nordstrom to make sure Romeo wasn’t at the mall again. Of course, he wasn’t, presumably because they don’t open until 10.
In any case, his GPS collar is charging beside me as I type. And, the kids will have matching ones in a few years.
A Gift from My Daughter
Emma made me this necklace for some occasion—Mother’s Day, my birthday?
Every time I wear it, I feel like a stripper. I don’t know how strippers feel, but this is how I’d feel if I were one (among other things).
I know what you’re thinking, “It’s kind of cute. What’s wrong with it?” Nothing’s wrong with it. Feelings aren’t rational. They just are. When I put it on, where it sits, and how it looks, feels trashy. Now you know.
Emma calls me out when I’m not wearing it so if you see me with this necklace on, I hope we’re clear on the reason.
The Original Title of This Newsletter
Smiles, 3 for $1.
I had ear infections as a kid. So many, I had dreams where I’d buy cans of earaches at the supermarket like cat food.
There was no shortage of aching ears and I fed the cats a lot. There you have it, my childhood in a nutshell. JK. There was a lot more.
I got to thinking, like earaches and cat food, would you buy smiles at the grocery if they 3 for $1? I’ve never seen them for sale, but if they were, I’d put them in my basket without hesitation.
Hand them out, save them for a rainy day, showcase them on your shelves—one can never have too many smiles lying around.
Wait, we decided last week this newsletter is that—smiles, but free.
It’s a good day!
A Hike the Bay Area Would Be Proud of
On Saturday, I hiked 10 miles, 27,500 steps. Redwoods, coastal views, fallen trees, trickling streams, moss-cloaked rocks, waterfalls, and hiking dreams.
I don’t have copious photos because I experienced the hike rather than photographing it (damn it!). The whole thing was a movie set—Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Goonies (I don’t remember Goonies. I’m just hoping that one fits in).
This is my backyard. You can see from the smile on my face how lucky I feel.
Black History
Last night, Emma asked me if I knew who Rosa Parks was. “Yes, I do,” I said. Then, we read about her before bed because I needed to brush up.
She was floored that someone could go to jail because they didn’t get up from her seat on the bus for a white person. I am, too, of course, but I’ve had longer to process. I like what Rosa said, “I wasn’t so much physically tired as tired of giving in. All I was doing was trying to get home from work.” Amen, sister.
After hearing this line from the book, “Her parents taught her that everyone was equal and the color of a person’s skin didn’t matter.”
Emma said, “IT DOESN’T!”
Amen, sister! 🙏🏾
Spelling Bee Is No Wordle, but it’s Good 🐝
If you have extra time and you enjoy playing Boggle-like word games, the NYT’s Spelling Bee is for you.
Annnd, since writing the above sentence, NYT bought Wordle for an undisclosed amount of money “On the low end of seven figures.”
Many folks are disappointed that their ad-free, not-behind-a-paywall, simple-pleasures word game will be none of these in the future.
Sorry. On the bright side, use “sorry” to kick off your next game. You’re welcome.
It’s a Date
I’m considering adding dating advice to my services. Hire me to market you online.
Which photos do I use?
How do I write my profile?
He/she/they are asking for my phone number, what do I do?
Why is everyone so weird?
You can’t coach unless you’ve played the game, and I have.
Drop me a line if you find this fun, interesting, and totally brilliant. 🙏
As always, you can hire me to write for you. If you’re interested, please fill out this brief form.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I'll take a dozen smiles, please. Where do I sent the $$$?
Happy to hear Romeo’s back! The Dipsea trail is incredible. One of my favourite memories from visiting San Francisco a few years ago. Love the smiles for $!