Troublesome Tooth, hot pho and Jesus.

Good thing I have a dentist appointment on Monday, because my tooth that I am going to get a root canal and crown for just broke. Nice.

So yesterday for some reason I didn't eat anything all day until it was suddenly time to leave for work at 6:00pm. I stopped at Pho Viet Nam, at Sebastopol and Stony Point to pick up some dinner. As I left the strip mall I was in the left turn lane, heading towards the freeway on ramp. The aroma of the hot pho in the back seat was making my tummy do the dance from Thriller. I seriously considered trying to eat it while driving, but that's not so easily done with scalding soup that hasn't even been put together yet. For those unfamiliar with take-out pho, it comes as a tub of broth and a baggy of veggies and meat which you combine with various seasonings to-- such as the ever popular "rooster sauce".

But I digress. Back to the on ramp approach.

I saw this guy standing at the side of the road, not at a corner, not with a sign, but just standing quietly with his hands cupped at his waist in a very "alms for the poor" posture. He was wearing a long denim skirt with jeans peeking out from the bottom. He had a long beard and long sandy blonde hair, much like the quintessential Jesus Christ portraits.

He was very clean.

He did not try to make eye contact with anyone.

He seemed oddly content.
I have been known to give food to homeless people, and occasionally a buck or two. I felt like this guy deserved something, if for no other reason than he was polite and unsmelly. Or at least he seemed so from a distance.

Unfortunately "Jesus" was on the curb at the right and I was in the left turn lane (as I mentioned) so I had to back up and maneuver myself into the right lane--also a turn lane as it happens but going the wrong way. I thought about giving him my dinner but quickly dismissed the ridiculous idea. I was ravenous and there would be no time to go back and get more without being late for work.

So, I rummaged in my wallet and found a one and a five. What to do? I pulled over and he smiled at me and made eye contact for the first time only after I had rolled down my window and summoned him over. I crumpled the five and pressed it into his still cupped hand as he said warmly, "Bless you. I love you, little sister."

I wish I had taken a picture of him. It would make this much better. Then again, he likely would not have shown up since he certainly appears differently depending upon who is seeing him. As the matter of fact, I swear that as I made my turn I caught a glimpse of him in my rear view mirror and his clothing was changing already.

The rest of my drive was filled with psychedelic sunset visual effects.

I arrived at work one minute late. Immediately I sat down at the table, assembled my soup and slurped it down with little ceremony or concern for manners. Using the scrawny free chopsticks (more like a couple of skewers really) I wolfed down the noodles, beansprouts and veggies in record time. I suppose it's a good thing I enjoy this food so much, as it requires very few teeth. If this one broken tooth is a harbinger of things to come I'll have about as many teeth as a jack-0-lantern one of these days.

Sunset in Marin

When I looked out my window today the sky was grey and somewhat overcast. I expected the air to match when I stepped outside. That is to say I expected it to be cool, perhaps even a bit brisk. A fair enough expectation, yes?

What greeted me instead was something very different. It was warm-- no it was actually hot. I would say about 90+f, but it was not bright and blinding as it usually is on hot days. It was uniquely pleasant actually! I believe it was the first time I have ever felt such high temps and thought, "Hey, I like this!" Normally the sun is so harsh to my skin and eyes that I run for cover within a few minutes. I always thought the heat was unbearable, but without the sun it was a different thing entirely. Interesting, to discover this at 43.

Driving to work later the sky was a dozen different paintings. While passing through Santa Rosa I started getting these gushes of liquid golden light pouring in my rear-view mirror, flooding my car with an apricot haze.

Later as I descended the grade from Petaluma to Novato the sun lighting up the clouds was breathtaking. Every color of pink and gold and violet you could imagine was there in glowing vibrancy. I kept wanting to pull over but I was just barely going to make it to work on time so I didn't. Instead I grabbed my trusty mini camera and snapped these pics out the window.