Spitting, Memorial Service and Cleveland!!!!!!

Here's an excellent column on etiquette today – or rather its lack. Having lived in SF, I can verify that what she says about spitting is true, although I lived there five years ago and I can't believe the spitters took a break for the past five years. I think she just started noticing or something. It was positively disgusting. I have stories to go along with it, too.

It was my first official full day of living in San Francisco and my friend J had taken the day off work to show me around The City. He took me downtown to the shopping district and then we walked over to Chinatown and then up California to Grace Cathedral and then finally ended up in the Haight-Ashbury right around lunchtime. We ate a little Mexican place (La Zona Rosa, perhaps) and then walked down the street and went into the Goodwill store because J wanted a blender. I was just standing there and since we had done a lot of walking (and up steep-ass hills) I was a little tired and I leaned on a table. BIG MISTAKE. I put my hand in something. I looked down and sure enough somebody had hocked a loogie right into this table and my hand was in it. I was grossed out beyond belief. I mean, really grossed out. I made squealing girl noises and shook my hand and said, "I need air. I need to get outta here." I ran outside and proceeded to take deep breaths while I tried desperately not to think of what had just happened. I was not doing all that well and then J came out of the store and said, "Oh my god, that was so disgusting. Did you see that? There were chunks and everything." I said, "J, you have to shut up or I'm going to throw up." His then girlfriend lived just down the street so we headed there so I could disinfect. We hadn't even reached the corner of Haight and Ashbury when J started it again. "Oh my god, that was so gross…" I'll leave out of the more extremely disgusting details. I didn't even have an opportunity to yell at him to stop it when I puked right there on the corner in front of the Haight's two faux homeless kids. Remember, I had just eaten lunch. J was just stunned that I had puked on the street. I had him get me a tissue because I couldn't leave that on the sidewalk where somebody would walk through it (not that it would have really shocked anybody, it was the Haight). He couldn't believe I cared, but he got a couple of tissues and used his big foot to shove the mess out of the way. The Homeless Kids made some smart ass remark but I essentially ignored them. We made it to Alix's house and I spent the next ten minutes in the bathroom scrubbing my hand raw. And then Alix got me a pop and I felt much better. To this day the Haight is my least favorite part of The City. I'd rather hang out in the Tenderloin than spend time in the Haight.

I can't even read my own writing to proofread it as I'm afraid that I'll make myself nauseous!!!

I leave today for Cleveland for the race. I'm so excited. Mom and Nephew are supposed to be at my place by 2:30 (that's so we can get underway by 3:00 – we'll see). I packed quickly this morning before I got to work at 5:30 a.m. I realised last night while at the memorial service for my friend's Mom that I hadn't packed yet. It really doesn't take me too long as I've been going to races for 15 years now, but it's still good to have it done before Mom gets over. I have to get my Texas-sized ass to Mervyn's right after work (so I drove) because none of my shorts are fitting. Do you have any idea how incredibly frustrating it is to be doing an hour to an hour and a half of cardio five days a week for the past two months and lose NO WEIGHT! And yes, I know, I'm building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat, but I'm talking about shorts fitting here, people, not just weight. My shorts still don't freaking fit. I've been telling people for years that the only way I have ever lost weight is by not eating. More than 15 years ago I did aerobics four days a week and let me tell you, I wasn't one of those wimpy women who barely follow the movements, I was sweating like a pig and just exhausting myself. Again I lost no weight in the two years I was doing that. So, I'm going to do my best to eat minimal food and fit into my freaking four pairs of shorts (but first I need a pair for this weekend or I'll be miserable). *sigh* And yes, Clarity, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to give up alcohol. Sad, but true. I need to get freaking serious here. The good thing is that I don't eat a lot during race weekends because we're at the track all freaking day and track food is very rarely vegetarian-friendly. Mom will bring grapes and celery and carrots, and that's good. And then tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 90s and who really feels like eating when you're just dying from the sun and heat. I hope to lose at least five lbs this weekend alone.

Ursa is joining Mom, Nephew and me this weekend. Yay!!! I had an extra ticket, so I offered it to her. She can't get off work tomorrow, but she'll have two very full days of racing to keep her happy. Damn, I love race weekends.

The Memorial Service last night was very nicely done. The priest who did the service didn't know my friend's Mom, but he took the time in the afternoon to meet the family and get to know her a little bit and then had also had the family talk about their Mom and say what they learned from her, what they remembered the most, etc. It was very moving and wished I had met her. I was very impressed by the turnout of our group of friends. Everybody was there, except a few people who have brand new babies. Afterwards we went back to our friends' house. I stayed much past my bedtime, but it was worth it. I didn't even regret it when I got up at 4:30 this morning, just so I can leave at 1:30 and find a damn pair of shorts. I really wish I could have stayed longer, but I am not as young as I used to be, and I really need the old beauty sleep.

And here's a positive article about the state of Champ Car, which always make me happy. We spent too long dealing with a negative attitude toward my boys and it's nice to see somebody saying something nice. I gave up my ten+ year subscription to AutoWeek last year so I have no idea if they've gotten less negative, but it doesn't really matter. I had stopped reading it, which was sad because I used to love reading it, but two of my favorite writers had died and I just didn't care much for their replacements. It wasn't the same anymore.