GATI GREETINGS 2022
GATI GREETINGS 2022
2021 has come to a close.
We’re sending this greeting, and we suppose
It’s a wonderful way to end the year,
And send warmest thought to you from right here.
As usual it is sent in rhyme,
But we know you have so little time
To spend any more than just a few minutes.
You only have tolerance and do have your limits.
So if just the pictures you want to peruse
And don’t read the poem, ‘cause you refuse
To spend any time on what I have said.
Images trump anything you’ll have read.
Scan it or read it out loud if you will.
Save it for when you have time to kill.
Politics, short trips, family overview.
Select what you want - all verses or a few.
We started off this year on a worrisome note.
Trump lost the election, but wouldn’t accept the vote.
The U.S. Constitution requires
The transfer of power in peace and no fires
But what was promoted by Trump and his fans:
The election was “stolen” with fraudulent plans.
His followers wanted to stop the count
and thought that by trying to say the amount
Was incorrect, undemocratic, unfair;
They stormed the Capital on a Trump dare
Judges and A.G.s, each state registrar
Dispelled these claims. Then they came from afar
Trump’s folks wanted to prevent the count
And slow-or-no DC police there to mount
what was needed to stop the mob
MAGA-folks came, for Trump to keep his job.
Watching this scene of rebellion and treason
Lawlessness, treasonous acts for no reason.
A poor attempt to keep the Presidency
This was “Trump’s law and order” legacy.
Doors and windows they really did break
Inside some offices, disruption to make
And interrupt the business scheduled for the day
American patriots? No way were they!
Destruction, division, violence, bad.
Instead insurrection, an attempted coup had,
Out-of-control crowd like in many-a-country
But WE pride ourselves on our democracy.
It just showed that the gap was wide
And the new administration faced a big divide.
No one was prepared for this human onslaught.
The Capital police did their best, and they fought.
But five people died. We were surprised
Who some of these people were, when analyzed -
Some white supremacists, some Q-Anon,
Some dumb followers, just hangers-on.
Security there has changed forever;
“Normal” is over. Before will be never.
The injuries, commotion. That’s so bad!
Destruction and chaos is what we had.
The siege of the capitol was over but still
Most of us hoped there could be good will
That elected officials would work with each other
For each American sister and brother.
That fine state has not come to pass
There still is no unity; that’s reality, alas.
At the same time of this globally-shocking event,
democratic voting, a great message sent.
Voters in huge numbers, these are the facts,
Elected two Senators, new Democrats
The special election in Georgia proved true
Reverend Warnock ’n Jon Ossoff, changed to blue
The red state of Georgia divided but moving on.
Democracy’s fragile, but “the common good”’s not gone.
So . . .
January 20th, Inauguration Day in DC.
Biden and Harris started THEIR journey.
Trump was out, wishfully to anonymity
As far as I’m concerned, for infamous infinity.
If only a wish that surfaces in rhyme,
It may find it can, be truth in time.
Trump’s people stormed the Capitol; they had hopes
To stop the Electoral College votes.
They made an ugly insurrection
Saying that their move was from Trump’s direction.
But Biden was sworn in with Kamala as V.P.
A Jewish First Gentleman, and Jill, First Lady
Joseph R. Biden, our President now,
Kamala Harris, you show ‘em, girl, how!
Lots of problems there are ahead,
But United for the future, by your leadership we are fed.
America’s spirit remains alive.
All ages and ethnicities trying to survive.
The feeling this day was hopeful and grand
Hopeful, uplifting, and change in the land.
Ideals of life and liberty,
Justice for all and equality.
The message was right. We’re now looking up.
But we’re drinking from a half-filled-up cup.
Biden started with executive docs,
Reversing Trump’s legacy, like throwing big rocks.
The border wall, the Iranian deal,
Covid -19 vaccinations were real.
Re-joined the Paris accord, again with the W-H-O
The Europeans know we support NATO.
Trans folks are welcome in the Army
And fracking is not good energy policy.
Climate change is a number one goal
To attend to this problem, from pole to pole.
The trillion-dollar-aid package the Dems did not fail
But got those stimulus checks in the mail.
“George Floyd, George Floyd. Say his name.”
Minneapolis has a new kind of fame -
Where this black man and policeman in blue
Did what a man should never do.
Pushed on his neck with his hard-ass knee
9 minutes 29 seconds; it was he
Who murdered the guy and the jury agreed
The policeman’s in prison - yes, indeed.
It was April 20th, 4-20 Weed Day
The cities are intact. Glad it went this way.
Therefore, it just says with video proof
We, as citizens, on the street or the roof
can show what happens in encounters, real-time
And can be the witness with proof of real crime.
Not often it is that a white policeman
Is convicted against a black woman or man.
The giant container ship Evergreen
In the middle of the Suez Canal was seen
Stuck and unable to move for a week
Before a solution the people could seek.
400 vessels and oil tankers, stayed.
Billions of dollars in cargo, delayed
While all the world watched, unable to do.
Finally unblocked, all the ships could go through.
It’s “Red Code” for the environment;
the UN report, to the world has sent.
Time is up. Action required NOW.
People in the know are telling us how
Climate change is everywhere
Around the globe are those who care.
Extreme events, the planet is screaming.
We cannot continue this way, as if dreaming.
No doubt much hotter the weather has gotten
Heat advisories cannot be forgotten
106 in New York, 107 in D.C.,
98 in Boston, Portland 116, whoopee!
Record temperatures scorching in places world-wide,
Soon there’ll be no place to cool off inside.
Especially when you hear that in Sicily
120 the Fahrenheit degree.
In Dallas/Fort Worth it rose to 110
And storms, tornadoes and winds then rolled in.
And power was lost; electricity gone,
People in the dark till fixed and turned on.
In the Western states wild fires won’t cease.
In California, the Dixie fire; on the mainland of Greece.
In Italy and also in Canada
Disaster in Australia.
Trees burned and smoke filled the air
And pollutants rose to the stratosphere.
Lives devastated, some lost, houses burned.
Beautiful trees from green to black turned
And animals displaced or died in the smoke.
This is real tragedy. It ain’t no joke.
If folks got out on time, where did they go?
It’s not so easy; recovery is slow.
And we see only the photos we choose
That pass by quickly, on the daily news.
Floods in Africa, India, Turkey,
In Switzerland, the UK, and Italy,
Luxembourg, Hungary, Romania -
Trinidad, Tobago, Costa Rica,
Afghanistan, Kurgystan, Tajikistan -
Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran.
The Philippines, Yemen, and Japan,
Mexico, Colombia, Oman, Sudan,
North and South Korea, also in Chad,
Nigeria, Niger was really bad.
In the U.S., damaged homes and roads
Some rescues had to be made by boats.
New York, Alabama, New Mexico -
Nebraska, Utah, Ohio.
In human terms and monetary cost
People drowned and lives were lost.
Vehicles and people swept away in landslides.
Rivers overflowed and unexpected rip tides.
Death and destruction the world around,
And we thought we lived on solid ground!
Scientists say if we’re carbon free
And make use of renewable energy.
No fossil fuels like oil and coal.
Make 10 years, our long-term goal.
Global temps now gone sky high.
The sea is rising. There’s less blue sky.
From car emissions, greenhouse gases
Are affecting all the world’s masses.
A solution is possible, but our system is flawed.
The fossil fuel industry is here and abroad.
We’ve had this in place; much money is made.
Who wants to give up and watch profits fade?
The climate caucus knows just what to do,
But it’s lethal politically, and all those who
Could say it clearly and yet they don’t.
NON-ACTION, their solution; they’ve decided they won’t.
Say it: “Keep ‘em in the ground - fossil fuels and coal.”
We need gutsy people with substance and soul.
The job of Congress in D.C.
Is to pass legislation to help the country.
Bipartisan support, should be how it works.
Most Dems and Republicans are just plain jerks.
Finally passed an infrastructure bill
So roads, bridges water, and broadband will
Be repaired. We hope this comes true.
But. . . there is oh so much work to do.
Childcare, healthcare, a Medicare mission,
Student loan forgiveness, two-year college-free tuition.
September and August were months so depressing,
We had in our heads and all were addressing
The feeling that finally everyone was free
To do all things as before, normally.
But as it turned out - a COVID surge
Of the Delta variant. So, the CDC’s urge
For everyone who did not yet have the jab
To drive, walk, run, bike, be wheeled, or take a cab.
Doctors, nurses, health experts, anyone who
Could direct the reluctant and the lazy to do,
“Yes, do the right thing. If you’ve procrastinated,
Make an appointment. Get vaccinated.”
From 5 and on up, that was the rule.
Inoculate kids, a precaution for school.
When hospitals said ICU beds are filled,
We did a rethink and were not thrilled.
Things did get better yet still problematic.
Hand-washing, distancing, masks automatic.
We’ve trained ourselves, and we know how -
The virus response - it’s what we do now.
COVID remained at the top of all lists
Of news items that refuse; it insists
That it would not go away; in case of fact
The Delta variant proved that we lacked
The numbers who’d taken the vaccine in an arm
Those afraid, that a vaccine would harm.
Not trusting science, infections surged high
And many cities reported more folks who had died.
Masks were mandated, vaccinations required,
Especially in public jobs, they would be fired.
It’s a matter of health; what a challenge it’s been
We, like many, went nowhere, stayed in.
THE (summer) TOKYO OLYMPICS 2020
Held but all venues, they were empty.
They’d been postponed, so they didn’t start the fun
Till July and August, 2021.
There were no crowds, friends or family,
But the athletes performed quite beautifully.
Women and girls’ medal numbers did mount,
Better than the men on the overall count.
Swimmer Ledecky, gymnasts Biles and “Suni” Lee
Performed and competed exceptionally.
I loved the synchronized swimmers' routines
And also, the Chinese springboard teens.
Have you ever seen perfection in motion?
The Chinese divers are as smooth as lotion.
All I could say was “O.M.G.”
At marvelous diver Xie Siyi.
The teenage partners in synch perfectly
Zhang Juqi and Chen Yuxi.
The most decorated, male or female athlete
In track and field, she can’t be beat.
To see is believe it, all I can say
100 and the 400 relay.
Allyson Felix, 11 medals won.
Hard work and talent, amazing job done
It’s really too bad what the virus brought here
For everyone involved, worry and fear.
A strange OLYMPICS the world did see
But at least viewed on, computer or TV.
Haiti, the island, had bad news galore.
A president assassinated, storms off her shore.
“Fred” brought to Florida heavy rain
And “Grace” followed, to do it again.
Haiti was hit; more causes to suffer.
Those poor people there, no time to recover.
Death and destruction from a 7.2 quake.
1400 people died, never to wake.
And 6,000 injured, no hospital care.
Antibiotics and pain meds, not there.
People who survived were at the behest
Of those who could help them. They did their best.
Thousands to Texas border did go,
Hoping to cross in from Del Río.
Overwhelming the folks at US immigration.
The Federal policy is now deportation
Processing impossible ‘cause numbers keep rising
Back to the home country is not surprising.
AFGHANISTAN’s a country, to which we are tied.
Twenty years of warfare. Thousands died both sides.
Four of our Presidents sent soldiers in,,
George W. Bush, it started with him.
Osama bin Ladin 9-11 mastermind.
Finally was taken out; what a major find!
Obama sent more troops, but Trump wanted out.
When Biden came in, it was certain, no doubt
That when they took Kabul, those Taliban,
Ashraf Ghani, their President ran.
August 15th, he abandoned them fast
And the Americans knew it was time at last
To evacuate, but what a grand mess.
With no exit plan, it was a big guess
For diplomats, Afghanis both women and men
It looked like a replay of Vietnam again.
Other Americans wanted to get out,
But by August 31st, it was in doubt
That all who had visas and others who thought
Exit was possible, not leaving, but caught
In a dilemma -, where to go, what to do
Only a dream, freedom ’n rescue.
And then out of nowhere ISIS K
Suicide bomber then 13 Marines lay
Dead on the ground with 170 Afghans
Another tragedy, blood on our hands.
We retaliated; we did it with a drone,
Like carrying on war with a smart phone.
While the push was to evacuate all
The Afghan government did in fact fall.
Not all who wanted were able to leave
But by end of August, we couldn’t conceive
Of other ways to get people out
The mission was over; we had no more clout.
What will happen to women and girls?
The question that lingered and in the air whirls.
This old-fashioned way of patriarchal ruling.
Who do they think in this modern age they’re fooling?
Will not be so minor in their daily lives.
Those willing to stand up, we give them “high-fives”.
The Taliban are in charge, there is still worry
For women and girls, concern if they hurry
And try to go back to school and to work.
This will drive the Taliban berserk.
The Taliban want the females to hide.
But how can the world be on the side
Of no education, just at home stay,
Restricted lives, day after day?
Protests they tried, effective - NOT,
For principles and status, for all this they fought
Not easy to give up, what progress there’d been
Giving up means they never will win.
The Taliban (all males) now wholly in charge
With guns and power, their influence - large.
They promised to let life continue as was
It’s a concern. We’ll see if it does.
Who is this IDA? A hurricane’s name.
Damage she left in her wake. Yes, she came
First to the Gulf Coast, brought havoc there.
New Orleans and all the parishes where
Winds 150 miles per hour,
No electricity; knocked out the power.
16 years to the same exact day.
Katrina landed in the very same way.
Then by this same storm, the East Coast was hit.
Streets became rivers; flash floods did their bit
Destroying houses, flooding subways;
People died not expecting such days!
For climate-caused disasters, we too in the West
Have out-of-control fires, who would’ve guessed
That buildings and roads and forests would go
And in the Midwest, each tornado
Makes us think we must make a plan
These we must tackle and yes we can
Think about what real trouble we’re in.
We must as a country, plan to win
And not to lose focus, to do what is right
And join together in this climate fight.
Bridges, roads, levies, dams, sewers in need.
Too many things, you say, “Oh yes, indeed!”
Our infrastructure is poor and aging
We’ve neglected a lot and the climate is raging.
We expect tsunamis and earthquakes right here
More severe weather events sure to appear.
ABORTION rights - providers frustrated.
TEXAS made changes; conservatives elated.
Six weeks the limit, in fed courts they’ve found
Other states have tried, but all were struck down.
It’s a $10K bounty they’ll give to you
To any private citizen willing to sue
Another person in some way who
Makes it possible an abortion to do.
Justices - Barrett, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh,
Thomas, Alito - want to change the law.
With the Mississippi case, they’ll have it made
To try to overturn Roe v Wade.
The decision is now, with the Supreme Court
Whether it’s OK or not to abort.
At least from the federal point of view.
The states still can do their own review.
One thing is sure, California will be
The place all will come for sanctuary.
One-child policy in China is gone.
Two and three children, now are not wrong.
What a disaster that dumb policy.
Their people knew it. At least now they see
Making social laws are against the grain
Most of the leadership is insane.
Those who think that top-down control
Can keep society cohesive and whole
Never learn, till it’s too late.
The people are smarter; it’s control they hate.
Here’s something said by Billie Jean King
Listen to the words; they have a good ring:
“Show up. Stand up. Speak up.” To quote
A woman with guts is one we should note.
New York’s governor Cuomo - me-twoed
This got more press than a family feud,
And he had to leave office disgracefully
Politicians must also pass socially.
Our own governor, Gavin Newsom was tested
In a recall vote. Survived and he bested
42 candidates hoping to go
To California’s capital in Sacramento.
GAS went up to almost five bucks
Supermarket stuff was higher - that sucks.
We’re not spending what we used to spend,
But others complained, “When will this end?”
Western alliance - Aussie, U.S., & UK.
The French are angry - furious I’d say.
Nuclear-powered subs the Aussies will build
Contracts with France, we don’t want fulfilled.
Our treatment of an ally in our defense pact
Isn’t very happy the way that we act.
Conventional subs we do not want more
Relations deteriorating with China - trade war.
We want these subs in the South China Sea
It looks like a new, cold war strategy.
Unprecedented, Macron made a fuss;
Recalled ambassadors from Australia and us.
North Korea sent up into the air
Nuclear missiles, just testing, they dare
To frighten the rest of us, South Korea most.
They too are testing all along their coast.
This is for real and not just fun.
Who can trust that Kim Jong-Un?
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| NASA Space Telescope |
Russia is threatening in the Ukraine.
Looks like they’re on the warpath again.
Three citizens and one billionaire
Launched successfully high in the air
In a Space X ship for three days to see
What it is like in space to be.
Hubble was good, but James Webb is grand.
A space telescope launched to help understand
A time machine to dark matter unknown
Questions: Where do we come from? Are we alone?
To answer: the origins of the universe,
Way back to the Big Bang burst.
BUILD BACK BETTER is the cry
From the Biden White House, and you ask why?
President Biden knows the country’s not together;
The Legislature’s trying with “Build Back Better”.
Infrastructure fixes and climate crisis stages
For jobs and fair pay hourly wages.
To coordinate Covid, all variants that come
Make certain tests & vaccinations are done;
Promote racial justice, police reform,
Women’s rights, Roe v Wade, the unborn;
Gun violence prevention, legislation bugs,
Reduce health care costs & prescription drugs,
Protect Medicare and Social Security,
For folks very young to those in maturity.
Give Dreamers a chance to be citizens too.
Give immigrants asylum to those in need who
Have to leave places where endangered they’d be.
They’ve come here to live in the “land of the free”.
Why does it cost so much? Let me tell you.
Childcare, climate change. higher ed - a few
Of the problems, we need to pay for
Was 3.5 trillion; some would like more.
But Senators and Congress critters did compromise.
Our country needs fixing, or otherwise
Those needing help will have nowhere to go.
We must not abandon folks, this we do know.
We must help our own people, infrastructure, too
We are not dumb; we know what to do.
Money and jobs are all that we need
We should be behind this. Oh yes, indeed!
Republicans say, “Who will pay for this plan?
Dems answer, “The wealthiest Americans can.”
Big corporations, and the two percent on top
NOT paying fair share of taxes, must stop.
This old expression is not dead:
“Income helps you get by; wealth gets you ahead.”
Those who pay no taxes, they know the loop holes.
Get away with it always; not on the tax rolls.
For them that’s got, they still shall get,
And the rest of us will pay our taxes, you bet!
‘cause every year at this time, I don’t feel well.
That doesn’t mean I don’t think about this all year.
There’ll never be reform. That’s what I fear
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| MARIA RESSA |
Some good things can come from behind.
Maria Ressa from the Philippines
Risking her life by any means
To report the facts - truth is her mission.
Technical platforms have brought great division.
“Lies laced with anger” social media she sees
Covers up truth, like a bad disease.
A woman who’s able to open our eyes
Deservedly given the Nobel Peace Prize
FAMILY
We’d been vaccinated and went with the flow.
OUR BIRTHDAYS, in June, so itching to go.
Planned a short trip; we drove to L.A.
A cargo-van rented ‘n were on our way.
Our agenda was full; the list was long
Juggling all events so nothing could go wrong.
June 24th, fine, the drive down,
Packed the van ‘cross from DAVE’s; odd that we found
On checking next morning, a door had no lock.
Obviously someone had been on our block;
But U-Haul sent a locksmith, and he fixed the door.
And we had no trouble like that any more.
I surveyed DAVE’s garage - MOM’s life in boxes, yes,
But how was I going to deal with this mess?
Slowly, one by one, I filled the van.
DAVE helped, and some stuff was taken by DAN.
Saturday, June 26th was the day,
Real estate agents who were OK
With only seeing the house from outside.
The tenants were gone, so good ethics abide.
Those interested in the CYTRON House to see
Sat in the back yard with DAN and ME
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| DAN & SALLY |
We sent them away some buyers to find
And keep this Mid-Century NEUTRA in mind.
On June 27th, I turned 8-0.
Yes, getting older, but hope it ‘don’t” show.
On June 29th, FRANK was 83
We both had parties with friends and family.
From Texas came LANA and son RILEY,
SU PART, RONDA, PETER and ELLIE,
ANDREA, MARC, EDDIE, DAVE 'n DAN
@Mizlala and Nueva, Mideast and Mexican.
So much fun to join in a meal
We know again just how we feel.
KAREN and STEPHEN we really missed.
Not feeling well, we virtually kissed.
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| FRANK |
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| ELLIE & PETER |
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| SU PART KAVESH |
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| ANDREA & MARC |
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| MARY & LEN |
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| GRANDPA FRANK & RILEY |
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| SALLY & RONDA |
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| EDDIE & LANA |
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| RILEY FRANK LANA DAVE |
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| DAVE & GEORGE |
To Woodland Hills, FRANK with DAVE went
At good friend GEORGE’s, nice time they spent.
NICK never showed but sent his greetings.
Difficult now to make these meetings.
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| BRITTANY & JOSH KLINGER |
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| DEBORAH & STEVE KLINGER |
Prior to Independence Day
One thing before returning to the Bay:
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| ROBERT MICHAEL DEBBIE LEONARD HOROWITZ |
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| DAN FRANK SALLY DAVID |
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| STEVE & JONI HOROWITZ |
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| JUSTIN HOROWITZ |
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| SYDNEY & ALLURA HOROWITZ |
JOSH and BRITTANY’s wedding event
At the Newhall Mansion, DAVE, DAN, and we went,
A flapper affair; all vows were exchanged;
Episcopal/Jewish - DEB and STEVE had arranged
Saw EVAN, MICHAEL, SUZIE, STEVE and JONI,
SYDNEY, ALLURA, ROBERT, TRECI,
LEONARD and MARY, friends of BRITTANY
Family of BRITTANY and JOSH - all happy.
A really lovely memorable eve!
In Santa Clarita stayed; Sunday to leave.
Arrived in S.F. on 4th of July.
We loved our week. When busy, times fly.
One-way flight bought for LA
In November, was on a Wednesday.
Three-fold mission, I had there
To see brother DAN, for whom I care;
To see son DAVE, whom I adore
To try to sell the house once more
I spent a lot of time, the time I had
Didn’t sell it then and yes felt bad.
But LEN and DAVE said they would try
So after 12 days I said good-bye
To be at home with FRANK for a time
But ready to go back on the flick of a dime.
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| DAN |
Brother DAN is 76 and now thin.
Something very unusual for him.
He lost the weight, using aspartame
Not calculating the cancer game.
Did-in a kidney, metastasized to his spine
Now undergoing a Kaiser-regime, trying
Rather than surgery, to target the mass:
OPDIVO infusions, daily CABO pills pass
Throughout his system; so far he is well
A follow-up PET scan is what will tell
If all those cancer cells will go away.
So he is living with hope every day.
With positive results, patience and time
We all hope that he’ll be fine.
DAVID 47 still living in L.A.
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| DAVID |
Working from his home, does this every day.
Uses computers, monitors, speakers and more
Takes up a whole room, on the floors to the door.
Working for the Testing Group as a QC -
Quality Control checks what’s supposed to be
If each disc and BluRay does what it should
He notes every problem, so playbacks are good.
As long as movies are there for dreaming,
Have captions and extras for on-line streaming,
People make errors, and he spots mistakes
Conscientious, detailed guy - that’s what it takes.
Knows stars & second-rung actors - a whiz,
A font of knowledge ‘bout the movie biz.
DAVE got a RAZR, a brand new cellphone
Not a prepaid, or one on loan.
Joined up with this century 21;
Now we can talk anytime to our son.
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| DAVE'S BOOK ABOUT KEVIN SMITH |
The marketing folks at Schiffer, busy
Put out some PR that you can see -
Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, Good Reads
Have blurbs out there. Let’s hope it succeeds.
It will be published, June 2022,
But pre-order now is what you can do.
It’s KEVIN SMITH: His Films and Fans
When it comes out, you’ll have it in your hands.
At 2249 Benedict Canyon Drive
With Matilda and Shirley no longer alive,
We have to sell the property;
It’s a Neutra-designed Mid-Century,
2 beds and 2 baths, gorgeous but small
Lushly landscaped and historical.
With Len in Arcadia and Dan not well
Makes selling the house a bit hard to sell.
So while in LA I let folks tour
Supervising workers and making quite sure
That all could be ready to entice a buyer
To look at the place and kick every tire.
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| THE CYTRON HOUSE |
Back in San Francisco I came
To be with FRANKIE. It’s not fair to claim
That being in LA will do the trick
So DAVE is our savior, he’s learning very quick(ly)
‘bout real estate selling, of following through,
Of talking to clients, he knows what to do.
His help’s indispensable; without him we’d be lost.
Assistance like this is worth the cost.
Right now no bites just hopeful nibbles
Restoration talks and expansion quibbles.
Buyers who love the place are there we know.
We’re just waiting for the right one to show.
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| FRANK |
FRANK’s 83, has his good days and bad.
His CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] just makes him mad.
He has to be careful with sugar and salt,
I’m a veggie meal planner, so it’s not my fault
When he transgresses from veggies to meat
‘cause he’s a Hungarian who meat likes to eat.
He spends lots of time reading Facebook posts,
In touch with family and friends, the most.
Takes writing classes online and then shares
With teachers and each fellow student who cares.
They listen, they comment, they really do lots.
They learn about writing as they share their thoughts;
He’s given up TV but watches news more
On YouTube and Facebook than he did before.
He loves World War II shows, reality cops.
Spiritual gurus, (the list never stops),
Classical music, operas, the blues.
He even tunes into Hungarian news.
Sometimes he watches Bill Maher or Seinfeld,
Plays chess a lot; his rating he’s held
At Excellent level. He loves the game
So much that “Chess” is his middle name.
For certain it definitely challenges him.
The results can be draw, resign, lose, or win.
And when his opponents lose or resign.
He gets the feeling that’s mighty fine.
Talks to Nick and George on the phone,
His Hungarian friends; they’re not alone.
We took many walks at the beach to get out.
Lately the pandemic has given us doubt
As to how often we go, we’ve cut back on these.
But we always enjoy the sunset and trees,
The ocean, the birds, the waves, and the sand.
It’s a way to renew and say nature is grand.
FRANK and I walked; here are some shots
Of places we’ve been - we liked them lots.
Candlestick Park, Gray Whale Cove, Presidio,
Mountain Lake Park, Pacifica, & San Bruno.
Fort Funston's hang gliders; Ocean Beach near home,
Griffith Observatory, with DAN and I alone
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| Griffith Observatory Art Deco door |
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| SALLY |
SALLY is not only a vegetarian,
But add to that an octogenarian.
To be 80 and also described as hoary
I’m certainly not in that category.
I am, however, involved in a lot,
In everybody’s life, I seem to be caught:
In DAN’s recovery and each daily chore,
In FERI’s health, what advice to explore,
For DAVE’s book, a loyal supporter,
A voice when needed with the publisher.
With LEN my cousin, a fellow trustee,
Regarding the sale of the property.
Speaking of which, let me explain
What’s being done to drive me insane.
Almost every sales agent in LA
Has called to have me list with them, they say
Can best expose the house to many buyers
But mostly they are outright liars.
They’re just looking out for a big commission.
But something is wrong; there’s a big omission:
They know nothing of architecture nor of art.
All they know is “Get this in the cart.”
“My client will pay cash. I have Proof of Funds.
You let me see it. I’ll make you tons.”
There is a market, albeit niche
To whom we have to make our pitch.
Mid-Century Modern, if you like this style,
Beuatifully landscaped, so muse for awhile.
House and property, small Neutra gem
Is meant for someone who’ll appreciate them.
Spend some Zen time in a quiet space
And no doubt you’ll fall for this lovely place.
Look at the YouTube video
and the article to let you know.
My jobs related to this selling chore -
Have been a building contractor
As well as a real estate agent in disguise.
It sure has opened my naiive eyes
To what is marketing, sales, and smoke
And what is real and what’s a joke.
And never again will I do this ask
Just wish me luck to finish this task.
Still cooking and baking banana and corn bread
Sure beats the bakery; it’s home-cooked instead.
What thrills me most in my stay-at-home state,
The pandemic’s taught me we can alter our fate.
Made a friend, of a feathered creature,
And he has been my aviary teacher.
I’ve learned so much from our Scrub Jay
Who also knows with me he can play.
“Get your peanuts; come to Sally’s hand.”
And sure enough that’s where he’ll land.
In rain or wind or in the sun,
Backyard or upstairs window, he’ll come.
Many-a-story from a recent date,
Here is one I’d love to relate:
JUNIOR’S IN CHARGE (10-26-21)
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| JUNIOR & CSUNYA |
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| JUNIOR |
There was JUNIOR, looking at us
Frank and I were there to discuss
How Junior knows to get our attention
Something he knows, with no apprehension.
I saw, through the window, him looking in,
On a branch he likes and has often been.
I called him over; he flew to my hand.
He knows what to do, just where to land.
If CSUNYA’s around, JUNIOR makes it known,
She’ll have to wait till he gets his own.
JUNIOR’s so full of himself and bossy,
Chases her away from her perch on the tree.
She tries to hide in some thicker places.
He’s like a poker player with Aces.
You can’t fool him ‘cause her he sees
And shows her that being near, sure doesn’t please.
When he’s got his peanut and flown away,
That’s when a little game we play.
I throw a peanut onto the table
CSUNYA dives in as soon as she’s able.
She’ll come as fast, as she can,
So as not to annoy her ol’ man.
She takes her prize inside her beak
And flies away quickly, like a thief on the sneak.
SAMMIE is 5 and JAY is 2
Sons of KATIE and MICHELLE who
Share them with us. Both Frank and I,
LANA, 56 had a tough year.
In touch on emails, zoom, phone, so we’re clear.
When things got better, we felt good, of course.
And when not, then of course, we felt worse.
She got some small jobs, but as the year waned
She landed a job for which she was trained.
Selling senior housing, this was brand new
Even sent to Florida to learn what to do.
She lost that one yet loves that industry.
Now hoping for something with a similar company.
23 years ago, Las Vegas wedding.
To the Florida Keys, their anniversary setting
Enjoyed the weekend, flew there and had fun
Now memories stored, no regrets, not one.
TONY 62 manages Fairfield Inn (Marriott)
He’s right for this administration spot.
Plays golf and cooks and reads when he can.
New grandson Julian makes him a proud grandpa-man.
MATT, his son, in San Francisco,
Will join the family for December’s HO HO.
RILEY 19, college sophomore and cool,
Living in a shared space with friends from high school.
Texas State program, some online, some not,
General Ed courses, drama electives he’s got.
Getting good grades, seems to like his classes.
All we can hope for is that he passes.
All three are coming on Christmas to us
Northern California will host Texas.
Tourist stuff, they will see on their visit,
Alcatraz Island is great, but then, is it?
DAVE will be driving up, he’ll be here, too.
A family reunion, so nice to do.
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| KELEB STEPHANIE ALAN TROY |
ALAN, KELEB, TROY, and STEPHANIE
After a Giants’ game popped in to see.
We sat on our deck, so nice for greeting,
Talked and caught up, post-pandemic meeting.
It’s at least once a year, keeping in touch.
Short time but satisfied, yes, very much.
We are not finished; we are not done
We’ve a new variant, called OMICRON.
A fast-spreading virus, SARS-Co V-2
Research and testing is all they can do.
Still Delta affects tens of thousands each day
To mostly unvaccinated, scientists say.
The effect of MRNA with the jab does wane,
But milder outcomes are the benefits we gain.
Shutdowns are terrible, for economic fools;
Societal breakdown of business and schools.
All we can hope is that we remain OK
To look forward to another day.
So . . .
Stay true to who you are. It’s wise advice.
Send hugs from afar; they are the right price.
Eat something sweet and be sure it’s delicious.
We also send kisses with these wishes.
Now we finally send our greetings to you
For a HAPPY and HEALTHY
Incredible how active you are, Sally, both in what you do and what you pay attention to! Thank you!
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