Addictions

"You were not meant to sit in the shade of Life."
-as heard in the HBO series
"John Adams"

Early this morning I stumbled upon a '5 Things You are Addicted To' question via the online social networking site of FACEBOOK. I surprised myself by thinking of '5 Things' very quickly.

What is an addiction after all? It is an abnormally strong craving, yes? An addiction is being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (like cigarette smoking-Yuck!). I came up with these five:

1. Investments
2. Veal Milanesa
3. Digital Photography
4. Coffee Eclairs
5. Foreign Films

I am sure I have more addictions that I neglected to mention. I used to be so addicted to bicycling. I think I should add bicycling, running and weight training to my world. I feel so ashamed that coffee eclairs was one of my initial top choices. Perhaps it's just that I fell in love with them after having one at the FINANCIER in Downtown New York.
http://www.financierpastries.com/

I am addicted to reading, blogging and writing handwritten letters. The list goes on and on...

What are your addictions?

Twenty-five years ago today:

May 13, 1984
Sunday

I quietly awoke at 7:30AM and everyone was still asleep. It looked like too good of a Sunday to waste moping around the house. I slipped into my bike outfit and got my gear together, riding to the Fruitvale BART station. I was there by 8:15AM. I was disappointed when I discovered that the BART station did not open until 9AM.

I decided to ride over to the Lake Merritt BART Station. From there I carried my bike down a couple of flights of stairs and decided to disembark at the Balboa Park Station in San Francisco. I got lost looking for Golden Gate Park. This is proof that I don’t know how to get around in ‘The City’.

I ended up riding into Daly City. All in all I was having a good workout. When I finally did find Golden Gate Park I continued on a beautiful ride. I watched a part of the amateur skate boarding championships. I love how I just stumble on these events. A thin blond fella kept eyeing me. It gave me the creeps actually. I decided to hop on my bike and split the scene.

I rode into Downtown San Francisco and enjoyed an A&W Root Beer float break. I left the busboy a .64 cents tip. It was time to return home. By 2:15PM I was on BART once again.

Mom was lounging on this relaxing Sunday when I arrived.
“I had a burst of morning energy and took BART to Golden Gate Park,” I announced proudly.
"I was wondering where you disappeared to but then I saw your bike was gone," Mom said.

PHOTO: 1984, Proud Uncle I

I was thinking it was time for a brief nap when Sherri called to say she was coming over with Ashley. Ashley was sleeping upon arrival. Ashley gets cuter with each day. Janet (Sherri’s mom) came along. I snapped a few photos, too.

PHOTO: 1984, Proud Uncle II


Once they left I decided to go out again for an evening bike ride (from 4:30-5:30). During that hour I learned that I had missed a telephone call from Suzy Miller. Oh well.

I telephoned Chris Cordellos and Barb answered .
“I don’t know where he is but he’s most likely with Jim Severn,” Barb remarked. She probably knew that would irk me.

I was watching “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” on television with mom when Michael Thoennes called me from Livermore, CA.
“I can stop by in Alameda,” Thoennes surprisingly said.
I arranged to meet him at East 14th Street and High Street out of convenience. We went to McGee’s, a local Irish bar on Park Street, for Irish coffee. He ordered a ‘Tom Collins’. Ugh!
I saw Mike Hansen and (I believe) Mike Gingrich, two old junior high/high schoolmates at McGee’s. I guess it’s a hangout for locals. Who knew? Thoennes and I left after our cocktails and took an evening walk along South Shore beach.
“I like your gray boots with the white jeans,” Michael T said.
“Thank you,” I said as Michael T went on to say that his sister, ‘Bubbles’ had asked for me.
“Bubbles is such a cutie pie,” I said.
During the walk I learned that Michael T’s birthday is on May 23rd. We discussed what each of us may do during the Memorial Day weekend.
“I might be going out with Chris Cordellos as he may drive down from Eureka,” I explained.

By the end of the evening, Michael T ended up with a kiss on the cheek as I felt a hand on my leg/knee. It could have led to more. Fortunately, he understands my predicament with the long-distance relationship with Chris.

By 10:30pm I was home again. I went to sleep after a quick sandwich and a talk with mom about the storyline of the Sunday Night movie she had just seen.