Asilomar, then A+B

I can remember sitting in the dining hall with the junior faculty and the grad students, but it seems like it happened in the distant past -- not last weekend. The day I spent with A and B seems much more recent. I drove home on Tuesday afternoon and when I arrived sometime after 6:00 there was an old SUV in the driveway. I didn't recognize it but I was sure it had to do with Gene and Barbara, so I stomped up the stairs and rang their bell. Barbara looked mystified and told me that she was hearing construction sounds from my house, which surprised me -- nobody has ever worked past 5:00 as far as I know. But she was right -- the dry wall guys were still working, and one of them was parked in my driveway. A few of the guys went home shortly after the SUV was moved, but two or three of them kept working until 7:30 or so. A couple/few had to came back three times, including this morning, to apply three coats of mud (a term I learned from Des). I grumbled when Ariel called to say there would be work going on today but I really want my house back so after a bit of moaning and groaning I sucked it up. I watered out

front and then drove over to Bernal Heights, thinking I'd go to the farmer's market and then get chips at either Good Life or Whole Foods. But then I realized I only had time to go to Good Life. 

The party this afternoon was fine. I spent a lot of time talking to a couple of SFPD officers -- Jerome and . . . Kevin, or something like that. Jerome, who is 25, grew up in the Mission; he may be Filipino -- he has a quiet way of carrying himself, which contrasts with his thick tattooed arms. Kevin claimed to be 40 but he looks younger; he has bright blue eyes and a habit of smiling pretty much all the time. I also enjoyed talking to Kisha (sp?) and Maxine and David F. It was tiring, of course. I came home and sat on the couch, nodded off, then got into bed, which is where I am right now.

I bought three paint samples yesterday at the paint store on Webster St. I got help from a tall, thin guy, maybe mid-thirties, with messy hair and nerdy glasses helped me -- he pulled off the trick of being knowledgable but not bossy or condescending. I decided to try the Benjamin Moore lavender and two C2 colors: a wheaty yellow-green called Outback and a blue-gray called Tidal. Tomorrow I'll apply patches to the siding.

The floors are going in this week -- I wonder if it's too late to get the living room floors refinished to match? I should ask.

The insurance company seems to be dealing with my claim. I called Mellinek Muchison twice and he called back when I wasn't paying attention to my phone, with a rather strange question about whether PG&E suffered any losses. Who knows. I just want him to ask me for an accounting of the costs I've incurred, so I can get some money.

I smell skunk.