Unfairly booked

I received a letter from the Department of Traffic and Parking reminding me that I have failed to pay a parking ticket from the beginning of January, and that they have now added a $25 penalty fee.

It would be fair if I actually had failed to pay it, but I didn't even know I got a ticket in the first place.
And the street they say I parked on I never actually park on, I only drive down there to pick up Holly from school.
Is it worth contesting, or should I just pay the fine and consider it "one of those things"?

I am reading Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids, about her relationship with artist and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. It is so beautifully and candidly written, I can highly recommend it.

Some things that should be very simple takes a very long time in this country. Filling out forms, for example. Waiting on the phone for a Costco costumer service agent to take your call. Getting a cab on a Saturday night.
And having something repaired.
Exhibit: Extract from email I wish I had written to my landlord after fixing a leak in the living room window,

...after the field guy came out for the initial inspection there was a week of phone calls and emails with office representative and said field guy to arrange the repairs. This was a week with a lot of rain and therefor, a lot of kitchen roll has been used to keep the window sill dry, something that was very important, I was told by field guy. After a week of "can someone please tell me when you can come out?" field guy finally passed me on to one of the guys who works for him. After a lot of phone calls, most of which for some reason seemed to go straight to voice mail this guy finally sent one of his guys around to fix the problem. There has also been some confusion as to what actually needed doing. Field guy gave me an estimate but was somewhat vague when asked what repairs was actually needed. After fifteen minutes of "bla bla bla bla" I felt the need to ask:
- So tell me exactly what it is that you will do.
It was then obvious that I needn't to worry my little head with the whole thing.
- Just let me take care of it, and it will be OK, was the answer. OK. So when Guy 3, who's been ordered to come by Guy 2 who's taken over from field manager, comes over, he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. He asks me for instruction, which of I have none since I has been told to just let field guy "take care of it".

Guy 3 leaves to call Guy 2 and maybe also field manager and it takes a while because all calls goes straight to voice mail. When he finally comes back with answers, it kind of doesn't sound like the original job. So, he has sealed top of windows instead of bottoms, which is where the original leak is. He also had to leave a second time go get his tall ladder because no one told him that the windows where above a garage, and hard to reach. A fifteen minute job took 2 hours.

Anyways, it's all done now- no, hang on, he's come back - oh, he forgot to do something. It will take another 30 minutes apparently. I will have to get back to you. PS: also, moving heavy furniture isn't included in the service, and I had to do it myself while he was getting his tools. Should we ever need them again, I will have to schedule an evening appointment so that Richard and a very strong friend is available to lift.

Instead, what I really write is:
Yes, the window guy has been here, all is done, all is well, let's not hope for any more heavy rain, take care,
Cecilia

If I'm not allowed to do crime, I'd rather not do time

I've been called to do jury duty in February.
I need to contest to get exempt.
If I can't vote for Barack Obama I'd rather not have anything to do with the legal system either.

It is nice to meet people

One thing I do like about San Francisco, and, I guess, Americans in general, is their ability to not only make contact with total strangers by striking up random conversations in public places, but to also turn this supposed act of randomness in to something deeper and more meaningful.

Example: Holly and I escape the home and our convalescence in order to have a quick lunch at our local Boulange. Equipped with books (Harry Potter for her, Stieg Larsson, Swedish edition for me) we sit down to our open sandwiches and hot beverages when we notice that the couple next to us are looking, whispering and smiling towards us.
- You're book is Swedish, says the woman. My husband is Swedish.
The husband, her company, introduces himself.

Holly would point out that she had managed to eat her entire lunch by the time we finally got around to finish our conversation.
We all leave the cafe with phone numbers, email addresses and several tips and recommendations on things to do, stuff to check out on Flickr and a suggestion to meet again, for a longer chat.

I like that. It is effortless. It makes people happy.
(Ok, so only 1 out of 3 people was actually American in this example, but she was the one who made the first move - that counts for something:))

My life is slow right now, and so is the blog

There is a reason for why I am not writing right now. Apart from the torrential rain that is stopping me from interacting with the rest of the city I seem to be suffering from unidentified sinus infection which, of course, I refuse to see the Doctor for, and therefor, am sunk, at home, in my comfy's, with no energy to do much apart from reading and getting through my netflix-list.
I'm not complaining, it's kind of nice.
Shame I have to do the school-run, though. Wouldn't it be ace to completely disappear for a few weeks?

How many handymen does it take to change a lightbulb?
At least two, is the answer.
And two hours later they are still at it.
I know my house is an electrical maze of mis-matched switches and a thousand recessed lights, some of which are so high up you need a fireman's ladder to get up, but I didn't ask them to re-wire the whole thing, just change the bulb.

Oh deary me...

You know that you are suffering from something serious when watching Vicky and Don from RH of Orange County renew their wedding vows on a beach in the Caribbean brings tears to your eyes.

Do I need to get out of the house maybe?

...meanwhile, in a different part of town...

...Holly can barely contain herself at pick-up:
- Guess who I saw today?!
- Who?
- Guess!!!
- ... I have no idea...
- Barack Obama!!
- Barack Obama? The president of the United States? Where?
- He was walking past the school yard when we had lunch recess.
- Really?
- Yeah! For real!
- Alone? Just walking? On the streets of Hayes Valley?
- Yeah. It was really him.

She's so excited I don't want to crush her dreams by telling her that what Obama really is doing right now is dealing with the bombing attempt of an American aeroplane over Christmas, amongst other things. I am very sure that there would be no other place he'd rather be than walking down Gough Street, had he had nothing better to do.

Word count

I'm in the kitchen overhearing Finn practicing his words in another room.
What words is he working on?
- Nej. Mamma. Nej - mamma. Nej mamma.

You don't need google translate to figure out what he's saying.

Happy New 2010

It's 2010, not only the beginning of a new year, but also (and it's getting a bit old now) the beginning of a new decade.
My new years resolution?
To be happy.

Suitably fluffy, vague and non-committal, I agree. I wish I could have made promises of triathlons and moving houses, like the other guys around the dinner table on New Years Eve, but this is my resolution and I stick by it.
This year will be my time to enjoy the life that happens close to me and after a long year of supplements and treatments, I will finally be able to feel really happy about what happens around me. So that is my promise: a happy and optimistic new me!