Have you ever heard from a person you have known for 50 years — but haven’t spoken to in 48 years? That’s what happened to me when my childhood friend, Anh-Tuan, contacted me on Facebook. We last saw each other in 4th grade, in 1962, when we were classmates in Germany. And then we found out that we are now living within a 40 minute drive, in Southern California! Finally, this weekend, we got together for an unreal day of catching up. We were later joined at a Vietnamese restaurant by his wife, YLan, a very well-known Vienamese singer. After enjoying dinner, Ylan was recruited to sing a few songs for the appreciative diners — as was Anh-Tuan!
San Diego Woody
While I attended a conference in San Diego, the motel hosted an auto auction. Naturally, there were great cars in the parking log, owned by those who were doing the bidding. This Ford woody was one of them.
Rhino
A tragedy yesterday at the parole office where I teach remedial education classes. One of my favorite students, nicknamed “Rhino” for his wide and sturdy build, didn’t come to class, and he didn’t call to tell me he wasn’t coming, as was his usual custom. A fellow classmate found him yesterday morning, lying facedown on his bed in his parole-furnished motel room. He had passed away during the night from a heroin overdose, cutting his 39-year life very short.
Rhino was the one who, just two weeks ago, called me into the hallway, where he wept openly as he told me that he might not be able to attend his son’s continuation high school graduation because of parole restrictions. His son was the first one in the family to ever graduate from high school. George was ecstatic when it turned out that he was able to go to the graduation after all. Two days ago, George had brought his son’s printed graduation program to class to show me his name.
What? A Shuttle at Metrolink?
Yeah, well, this thing was on top of the Metrolink rail schedule when I went to work today. Are aliens responsible for this? And, no, I didn’t see any tiny people embarking or disembarking from it.
Robot Unloading Zone
I walk through a college campus on my way to catch the train to work, where I noticed this sign. No evidence of any robots, however.
Episcopal
Ah, the robes! I had the privilege of helping my close friend, Randy Uselton, as he performed the wedding of his his son, Jordan, to Lydia, in Franklin, Tennessee.