November 23, 2009
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The Daily News
1 I vacationed at the VA Hospital in San Francisco on Friday.
2 This was the place we took my Dad to for his surgery.
3 To begin, his surgery was a complete success, and for the first time in around four years he will finally be able to hold down food.
4 His operation had been scheduled for 6 a.m., making for a very early morning and amazing excursion to this rather unique facility in the heart of the Land’s End area of San Francisco.
5 We got in there, and my Dad had this terrifically gorgeous nurse polking and prodding, looking for a vein. He looked fine, and in fact was enjoying the fact that so nice a nurse was helping him.
6 My sister told me earlier that she said, “Do you have any questions?” to which my Dad answered, “Not now, but if I were younger, I’d have a LOT of questions!”
7 She took out a mallet and popped him over the head. She reminded me a little of Jessica Rabbit, the only cartoon character I ever had a crush on:
8 Well, she didn’t QUITE look like that. Her movements were more reminiscent of Harpo Marx. She wore a huge cloak and had a funny hat on, and kept dropping syringes on the floor. It reminded me of the scene in the Marx Brothers’ classic film Animal Crackers when Harpo shakes hands with an inspector named Hennessey, causing silverware to fall out of Harpo’s coat. This prompts Groucho as Captain Spaulding to remark, “I can’t understand what’s delaying that coffee pot!” Within a few more seconds and a little more vigorous hand-shaking, a silver coffee pot falls out of Harpo’s overcoat and clangs to the ground.
9 Anyway, that was how the day began, with lots of laughs and a great medical staff at the VA.
10 They took my Dad in pretty quickly, and so we decided to go hang out in the cafeteria.
11 The VA in San Francisco has this two-tiered cafeteria with an enormous wall-sized window overlooking the Golden Gate. The view was spectacular, as the water from the Pacific crested past us, and the clouds moved in and out with breathtaking artistry.
12 We sat and chatted about everything and nothing. In the early afternoon, my sister Gayle and I walked outside to the Land’s End trail, which stretched from the Golden Gate all the way to the Cliff House. We took a beautiful hike along the hills overlooking the Golden Gate, and stepped out to look at the views.
13 We came back in having broken a nice sweat and a great hike and decided that we should probably return to the surgery waiting room.
14 We got in there, and instantly felt an awesome vibe going on. Right next to us, pulled up at a small coffee table were three psychics, I kid you not! They asked if we would like our fortunes read. At first I was reluctant, but stepped in, almost like enjoying a parlour game on vacation.
15 These gals were instantly riviting and funny, and we fit right in. They threw out Tarot cards. They were there because one psychic’s husband was having hip surgery.
16 Now, I know nothing about Tarot cards, like, zilch. But when I chose a card,it was of a guy holding up some structure, and everybody else toiling all around it.
17 The first psychic looked directly in my eyes and said, “You’re going through a great deal of turmoil right now.”
18 I answered, “Yes.”
19 I was really fascinated.
20 She said this: “If you look, this person (the one holding the structure) is you. YOU are actually doing fine, in fact, you are really stable, grounded, and have been doing a lot of things to make your life better.”
21 I thought of the 15 units last year, and of the songwriting, the going to the gym now 18 out of the last 21 days, my raise, and of my new devotion to teaching regular classes with the same intensity that I used to direct plays. I answered, “Yes, actually I have been, despite the turmoil.”
22 “You are actually surrounded by lots of turmoil that others are going through. You have been headed in the right direction for some time now.”
23 I stood astounded, when another psychic picked up the card, thought, and then said, “You are very creative.”
24 I stood a bit astounded, because my sisters and I had been talking about the turmoil surrounding me while in the cafeteria, and I also had told them about my songwriting. This was right on target.
25 She went on: “I’m finding something having to do with your heart.”
26 “Physically or emotionally?” I asked. She wasn’t sure, but I actually have felt my heart get stronger the past few days, and I had just returned from the hike, where it pounded from the uphill. Close enough.
27 There was MUCH more. Heidi, for example, is a guide. We all have guides. She might not be in my life anymore. Regarding nines and ones, the first psychic said this:
“Nine means completion. One is a new beginning.”
28 Somewhere in the past two days I either wrote the very words “new beginning” in the DN, or in some e-mail. It’s too late to check at this writing, but I’ll try to get on that.
29 I also talked quietly to the psychic sitting right next to me and told her that I have experienced a lot of coincidences, to which she responded with a kind smile, “There are no coincidences.” Last night while reading students’ papers, a student wrote those exact words, “There are no coincidences.” Which to me is a coincidence. I smiled, as always. = ) <——sideways smiley dude
30 There was so much more, some fascinating things, but it’s late, and I need sleep. It has been a lonnnng weekend of grading papers and preparing for getting our grades in by Tuesday.
31 Anyway, Dad is home, doing great, and should be able to enjoy Thanksgiving. I’m going in a new direction, and don’t it feel good?
32 You have a great Monday; I’ll be able to write more as soon as I post those grades. I’m pretty close to done, so I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving break, where I’ll have time to relax from all of this “turmoil”.
33 On behalf of my Dad and my entire family, thanks again to everybody who prayed and sent me nice e-mails, comments, and all the rest. You all rock. It meant a lot. So much love.
34 Anyway, sail through the day; it’s Monday.
35 Below is a picture of the exact spot Gayle and I hiked to. It’s a lovely spot.
37 Enjoy your day.
38 Peace.
~H~
