Thursday, November 13, 2008

i left my heart in san francisco...and met st. chad...


On Sundays, The New York Times is my guilty pleasure...although I've only ever been to New York City for a half day meeting...

But in the book section -- along with books -- there it was...something called One Day University.
Had I spent more time in classes during my final years and fewer in The Silhouette office writing articles and pasting up a paper, I could have enjoyed a full term full of classes about Linguistics.
Still, I've only ever once been asked for transcripts....the artilces got me most of my jobs.

But there it was...a Linguistics course....in San Francisco...about word origins...with a doc named Seth Lerer from Stanford. November may not be high season in the lovely city, but it is San Francisco....

When I mentioned it, my Mom said she might go too...a bonus since we haven't been able to get her to travel much since my Dad died.

My brother Paul and his fiance Chris decided to join us although we're counting down to The Lads' wedding in December...more about that later. They are way better travellers than Mom and I are. They're more adventurous...they have a better sense of direction...and they own a brilliant selection of guidebooks.

Chris found us the coolest hotel...the Hotel Carlton...

http://www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/carlton
Hotel Carlton1075 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94109, P: 415.673.0242, F: 415.673.4904, Reservations: 1.800.922.7586

It was an absolute find! Close to the BART lines and a nice walk from Union Square.
Mom walked it with us one night and she's a bit arthritic so it's easily doable.

They're a green hotel and the restaurant in the hotel serves a wicked breakfast that's worth staying in for much as I live for Mama's on Washington Square. There's a Rite Aid two blocks over (if your luggage goes on a side trip as ours did) and a great little grocer/liquour store deli a couple of blocks up called Sutton Fine Foods.

When you meet Theo at the desk, tell him his Canadian fan club (the one with the Hemingway cats) sent you. And let me know what you think...

So on to One Day University...
They were knew to me and while the Linguistics section got me, the other speakers I heard were great.

History: Hitler-The Man and the Mystery
Jonathan Steinberg, Penn
Astronomy: A Grand Tour of the Universe
Alex Filippenko, University of California
Linguistics: Inventing English: Where Our Words Come From
Seth Lerer, Stanford
Music: Beethoven's Ninth-the Story of a Masterpiece
Thomas Kelly, Harvard
Dr. Lerer didn't disapoointment...but neither did the others. Dr. Steinberg was brilliant...and Dr. Filippekno - introduced as the Robin Williams of the astronomy world will make you wonder why you never thought to do that with yogurt before....
But in my mind, the final speaker was the most gracious...
What I know about Beethoven, I learned from Schroeder...and candidly, I was planning to duck out.
I'm glad I stayed....
That Ninth Symphony owes its fine tradition (at least in part) to...wait for it...drinking songs. (My Dad was right...) And you don't want me to tip the hand about The Star Spangled Banner. It's hard to be the elegant gentlemen who follows the comedians but this gracious soul did just that. Look him up...
He's just scored a big victory for my trivia team! Small victory for him...huge for us...
But let me tell you about the high point of my trip...
I met two very good friends in that lecture hall. Bill and Janette are local to the area...and two of the nicest folks the Good Lord breathed life into. I met Janette on the morning break and we just hit it off. We spent much of the rest of the day together and these kind folks got me back downtown. When you're a nervous navigator - as I sometimes am - their kindness was a godsend.
The brilliant conversation was an added bonus...and we've been keeping that up!
Here's the other thing...these two have been married...a long time. They have children and grandchildren...but nothing Hollywood has ever shot matches the glow they get when they look at each other across a room. While Janette was talking to one of the speakers, I asked Bill how they met...and he got this little smile and said he'd spotted her on campus at Berkley...and that was it. And his eyes danced as he said that.
So the next time you read about bad news, remember that there are wonderful people writing good news stories with their actions every day of the week...and feel free to be one of them!!
Oh right...St. Chad...
It rained while we were there...a lot...like build an ark rain.
Still, my brave Mother joined us for a trip to the Castro to my favourite book store.
I like the one on Market Street...which has one of the best staff of readers going!
So while we were exploring (if you liked Goodnight Moon...you'll love Goodnight Bush...and yes...that Bush...) we parked Hopalong Mom in a chair. As I was walking up an aisle, I found a book about Saints (tell me my Father ain't hanging about...and I'll tell you why I know he is...)
The first up when Mom opened the book...St. Dymphna! Patron Saint of the insane (and most offices). I didn't know there was a nun who taught my Dad who had that name...'til Mom told me. I have to wonder about a postulant who opts for that handle...
Better still...
The patron saint of contested elections (contested being the key word here...)
ST. CHAD
He was an Irish archbishop in the seventh century...never got to Florida...never voted...
Proving God has a sense of humour...although you had to believe he did...