These few days are terribly busy. Soon after arriving on Wednesday, my dad and I picked up my car from the storage, then I spent a few hours at my sister Sam's basement to download and print some documents from email. The next day, we went to the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco to have those documents notarized. Yesterday, I went back to the consulate by myself to pick up those documents, since that would be faster than having them mailed.
While waiting at the consulate, I went out in the hallway to respond to voice messages that I got while I was out of the country. Then, while I was on the phone, I noticed a familiar face inside a glass-windowed room. She was with a couple of people next to a display of Philippine-made products. While she listened to them, she looked at me with a knot on her brow. She was probably trying to remember who I was too. Then it hit me. She's the Philippine Trade Commissioner for the US western region; I met her last June at the Philippine Trade Conference in Seattle. After I got off the phone, I waved at her and she came out. She remembered my last name but I had to remind her of my first name. She told me what was going on in San Francisco. She's organizing a trade tour of the Philippines for businesses that want to do business there. Then she took me down to the fifth floor for a preview of an art show. They weren't open yet, but they allowed us in. She said there would be cocktails there later and she invited me to come, but I had to get going after I picked up my documents.
In the evening, I drove to my sister Dee's home in Brentwood. The drive was shorter but it was still more than an hour. A big bright full moon rose on the horizon as I got close to Brentwood. Two of Ian's cousins were sleeping over. Dee was putting Stone to bed but he won't sleep yet, so Dee sifted through the pasalubong I brought with me. Carlo's shirt wouldn't fit him, so Ian got it instead. The cousins got a hematite necklace each. Later in the evening, I played Hilarious and Guesstures with Ian and his cousins, then I got on the computer and stayed up all night.
I drove back to Alameda today, got an oil change with a free carwash*, washed clothes, and packed. I have the big suitcase and a duffle bag full. Then I have small items in smaller bags. Would we all fit in my car?
* If you live anywhere near Oakland, California, try the High Street Car Wash Oil and Lube, just across the street from the Shell gas station off of the High Street exit of Highway 880. The least expensive wash is $14, but the $22 car wash comes free with an oil change. But whatever the price of the car wash, it's well worth it. They take incredibly good care of your car. The car is vacuumed, then it goes through a washing station. After it gets out, one or two people do the finishing touches which could take at least a half-hour. First, they wipe the car dry. And not just the outside -- they open each door and wipe down the door edges and jambs. Then they wipe the vinyl surfaces inside the car. Then they spray the windshield and the windows with glass cleaner and wipe them down -- inside and out! Then, if the side of your car has a plastic bottom, they scrub that, too, taking care not to touch the paint. Then, they use a scrub with tire cleaner to clean your tires. And you know that part of the body that goes around your tire? They clean a couple of inches inside of that too! Those people aren't car wash employees; they are car wash artists!
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