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Vanguard
The great secret of succeeding in conversation is to admire little, to hear much; always to distrust our own reason, and sometimes that of our friends; never to pretend to wit, but to make that of others appear as much as possibly we can; to hearken to what is said and to answer to the purpose.
-- Benjamin Franklin
Saturday, December 5, 1998
One year ago: Under the Viaduct
Last night, as I was walking to the Century Ballroom, I saw the signs: Half Price sale at Value Village on Saturday. I had my mission for this morning!
But I really should have gotten down there earlier. I walked down the hill at around eleven o'clock and the place was packed, with long lines at every cash register. Immediately, I changed my frame of mind and started to try not to find anything that I wanted to buy. I did go through all three floors, and look at the clothes and various items, but I didn't see anything that I absolutely had to have. I bought myself lunch at the Kentucky Fried Chicken around the corner, then walked back up the hill.
I was happy to be home, away from the rain (again!) and damp. Walking into the kitchen, I saw some cups of applesauce that I bought the last time I made sack breakfasts for the homeless men. Oops! The sight reminded me that I had to do the same thing this afternoon, for delivery before this evening! I was glad that I had remembered, but annoyed that I would have to get this errand accomplished when I hadn't been planning on it. If I'd remembered, I'd have gone to Costco as soon as they opened in the morning! But now I'd have to go to Safeway instead. It took about an hour to drive to the store, buy the stuff, drive back home and bring it in, assemble the bags in my kitchen, then drive to the parish center and drop them off. The only problem: the refrigerators in the parish center basement were packed with food to be taken to the main shelter later. There was no room for my twelve sack lunches! So I left them on the counter. (Note: foreshadowing!)
* * * * * * * *
I wasn't sure about Jack coming to Vanguard, or if he'd have a chance to come over to my place afterwards, so I made some stabs at cleaning and straightening during the rest of the afternoon, in between getting online, bathing and dressing, and general putzing around. These efforts wouldn't be wasted, since it was all work that needed to be done anyway.
* * * * * * * *
I arranged to give my buddy Bluejack a ride to Vanguard, so I waited for his call. He called me just a few minutes after eight o'clock, from downtown, so I zipped over and picked him up on the way, then headed north over the Aurora bridge. We forgot to look for the place where the bus went over the edge, the day after Thanksgiving.
Vanguard was good, as it almost always is. (Jack didn't make it after all. But I kept myself from looking eagerly at the door every time someone walked in, I hope!) For some reason, the main room became filled with folks sitting on the floor! This sometimes happens late at night, but this was early in the evening. Why? I don't know. I had brought a box of Matsuma mandarin oranges as my contribution to the refreshments. Bluejack said he'd eat one, if I ate one myself without getting all sticky and covered with juice. Of course I succeeded, since the ease of peeling and eating the little tangerines was the reason I bought them! They are seasonal, so one needs to take advantage of the season.
I talked with Jane some, about Luke moving out. She seemed sad and baffled, but is bearing up well. Both of them were so kind and sympathetic to me when I was mourning a loss earlier this year!
It was fun walking the few blocks home (from where I had to park) with Bluejack, re-hashing the party. This was his fourth Vanguard, so folks are starting to remember him. But it's the first one he's been to at what I consider to be the most typical Vanguard location, Jane's and Vonda's house.
There was a message on my answering machine! A volunteer had called from the overflow shelter: how long had the sack lunches been sitting out? The yogurts had gotten rather warm, and one of them had popped! Rats. I probably should have left them sitting outside the basement door, but I didn't think of it! It was far too late to call back. Good thing they often have an extra sack or two, and even if they decided to throw out all the yogurts, there was enough other food to satisfy the recipients.
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