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Olympia Ride
There is sublime thieving in all giving. Someone gives us all he has and we are his.
-- Eric Hoffer
Thursday, December 23, 1999
One year ago: Chili and Rice
Two years ago: Gifts for Who?
This last day at work before the holiday was even quieter than the earlier part of the week. Kellie took the day off. I went to the grocery store in the late morning, and was surprised to see it so busy! There were lots of people stocking up for holiday festivities, instead of waiting until tomorrow. I was getting food for the homeless men, since it was my turn to provide sack breakfasts at the overflow shelter at St. Joseph's. I assembled the bags on our conference table, which was easier than doing it on my kitchen floor at home -- less bending down.
Chip called from Florida, guiding me through some manual data entry that we needed to do. A part of our build process got bollixed up last week, and we'd just been ignoring the result: a few of our charts weren't getting updated properly. I was semi-familiar with what I needed to do, and the whole task didn't take that long. I wouldn't have been able to do it at all, if my new contacts hadn't arrived yesterday!
* * * * * * * *
I made a first attempt to drop off the food on my way home, but I couldn't figure out where the men would be sleeping tonight. The floors were being refinished at the cafeteria, which is where they were sleeping last time, and I didn't see any other likely place. I drove home and gave the shelter program supervisor a call, and she offered to meet me back at the church (she lives just across the street) and show me the current procedures. I've been volunteering for her for years, but I don't remember the last time we met face to face.
It turned out that the men are now staying in the old gymnasium (spellchecked, but that word still looks odd!), which is a room with massive pillars underneath the sanctuary. I don't think I've been in that room for years!
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I'd sent mail to Jack early in the day, to ask when he might be arriving, but I hadn't had a reply yet. Turned out he sent a reply around six pm, but I didn't get it because I was staying off line in case he called!
I broke down and called at seven. Jack's daughter H---- answered (she's been staying up there the past few days); Jack was down in the laundry room. Obviously he was running very late. He called me back in a few minutes and we discussed options. I opted for him coming by here and picking me up, then I'd ride with him to Olympia and back, so we could drop H---- back at her mother's place.
Jack and H---- buzzed my front door around nine o'clock. I was amused and pleased by the two big bags of potato chips Jack was carrying -- Arizona brand Salt and Pepper potato chips from Costco, with bows stuck on, gifts for me.
My gifts from him: a small Etch-a-Sketch for my desk at work, a large "Professional Percussion Massager," and some Neutrogena rainbath shower gel and body oil. He also gave me a nice wooden backgammon set (he'll have to teach me to play); very pretty hoop earrings, with hearts; and a nice card with an IOU for a weekend getaway soon. I felt bad when he described his efforts to find a few CDs I'd expressed an interest in. I didn't ever want shopping for me to become added stress for Jack!
Jack was pleased but not surprised by my gifts, since he pointed them out in the Walmart flyer a few weeks ago. He'd pointed out a set of tools that all use the same rechargeable batteries, or, as a lower-cost option, a rice cooker. I bought both. I'd gotten a small box of those good Joseph Schmidt chocolate truffles that I gave him last Valentines day, too. At least he was surprised by the Christmas stocking I gave him last Sunday. Then we were off for Olympia!
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This drive to Olympia is a leitmotif in our relationship -- we've made it so many times!
My cough returned as we were driving. Jack disapproved of the meds I had taken, judging by the sound of my coughing fit. "You need to be taking an expectorant, not a cough supressant." We stopped at Safeway when we got back to Seattle, buying juice and windshield wiper fluid for Jack, and the proper sort of cough syrup for me. It was midnight; I set the alarm for four o'clock in the morning. Only a few hours of sleep for Jack, but I was glad he'd decided to drive back and sleep at my place, rather than get a hotel room in Olympia. To share a bed with him is comforting for me, companionable.
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