The State of the State I’m In…

My First Post Without Pics (Coming Later)

I’ve been slammed this last month:

• Reconfiguring Shelter Publications’ profit-sharing plan now that I’ve sold the corporation. Seemingly endless legalese, week after week, finally close to setting up the new setup.

• Dealing with broken little finger (ortho surgeons call it “boxer’s fracture," done 2 weeks ago in (slo-mo) bike crash. I know, I know, no nagging please…

• Having 2 credit cards and one bank account compromised and then the endless procedures and counter-checks to get new cards and new checkbook

• A blizzard of media attention from breaking the record for 90-year olds in the Dipsea Race last month. Whoo-hoo. A fine day (once past the aerobic pain), got under mountain waterfallhave on way home, got Polish and butterscotch/banana milkshake at Parkside burger stand. My first sweet spot in time in ages.

• Getting homestead ready to do without my daily care for my two weeks’ absence…

On My Way to Mexico For Two Weeks

So, great relief to get through an almost nightmarish boarding procedure this morning. I mean, I see people cooly breezing thru while I’m fumbling for boarding pass, passport, divesting self of multiple items on coveyor belt, stressed majorly, then getting dinged repeatedly by metal detector doorway until we figured out hand splint had metal in it.

When I finally got through, it took a long time get belt back on, computer back in backpack, blah blah blah…

Got good latte (surprised to see big Equator coffee stand (my Mill Valley go-to caffeinization cafe), almond crossant and banana from my bag for bkfst.

Airport wi-fi is sick. User-friendly, super fast. Plus cool charging outlets everywhere.

Am presently on an Airbus 320, which is pretty nice for a no-frills (like no monitors, no movies) model airliner. Seats not inhumanely close like say Ryan (which I hate).

I’m in between an 18-year-old bright blue-eyed Mormon missionary and a real friendly Catholic on pilgrimage to the Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe in Mexico City, we all have hit it off, and I’m proud not to have said anything. Didn’t even recommend they watch George Carlin’s take on religion…

I’m gonna try writing as I go on this trip.

I will also describe my bestest of friends, Chilon, who has guided me into Mexican realms unknown to gringos for over 35 years now, and is curating this trip.

The Solo Life

Boy, is it different. I feel like I’ve been married since age 12. (Gloria asked me to hold her hand as we walked back from the beach at the Russian River one day — in 1947). Lots of girlfriends, then marred the first time (at age 21) for 18 years, and then almost 50 years with Lesley.

For the first time I understand what life is like for a ton of my (single) friends. Doing all the shopping, all the cooking, all the gardening, all the washing. Nobody there at night when I come in from work.

Lesley was a Libra, and brought balance to my M.O. of wild swings, from the valleys of depression to the exultancy of the peaks. (Now I just have to go along for the unbalanced ride.}

From the rockin' of the cradle to the rollin' of the hearse
The goin' up was worth the comin’ down

-Kris Kristoferson

I hope Kris is right here…

Substack

I haven’t hit my stride yet on Substack. Right now I just run out to the studio when I get an hour and throw some words and photos up.

One thing I really love about Substack is the ease of dropping photos in. Bing! It’s there, ready to be re-sized.

Now, if we (Rick and me) can just figure out how to do some layout. Right now you have to choose a template, so the home page layout sets itself up. It does a pretty fair job (like usually choosing the best cropping for a lead photo), BUT me and Rick are book designers — used to hand-crafting each page, so we’re gonna see if we can get any layout controls. Mainly the home page, but would also be nice to do some word wraps around pix.

I plan to use Substack at this stage of my life (or, my journalistic career, if you will, as my main form of communication (along with, but way more robust than Instagram). I’ll do the occasional book, but I want to hit a groove with online communication.

I’m hoping that I’m now through a bunch of hurdles, and in the next few months can turn out some well-crafted (instead off thrown-together) posts.

This plane — an Airbus 320 — is really well made. We’re in “…un poco turbulencia” right now, and I’m looking down the line (sitting near back) at the overhead bins and seats and it all looks well designed and crafted.

The Garden

I’ve been struggling for a few years without the maestra of the garden. Decrease in ornamentals (that need care), increase in vegetables. Right now artichokes, kale, chard , the first tomatoes and cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash (both needing vigilance to avoid Godzilla sized squashes. Basil, cilantro, parsley, chives, edible pea pods. Strawberries, rasberriers, apples, plums…

The Stress of Travel in The Digital Age

Whenever I leave home, I get into different stress levels in not losing:

• iPhone

• Wallet

• Credit cards

• Car keys

I've had moments of close-to-terror when misplacing my iPhone (in Colorado, at Heathrow). Sad to say, I’m fucked if I lose my phone when out on the road or especially out in the world.

I use both Tile and the Apple buttons (plus recently Apple’s “Find My”) because it’s such a bummer to misplace any of the above essentials, which happens, probably because I’m multi-tasking (or stoned) plus I’m 90-fucking years old and dealing with increasing challenges…sigh…

This is my first post without photos, I already have a ton from just the last 2 days, will get them up ASAP.

“It ain’t what you eat, it’s the way how you chew it.”

-Little Richard