SAD and Antidote --- Days 10/186 & 187

Walk: 1. Vogue Theater (Howard's End, Maurice)  2. probably Trader Joe's

Distance: 1. 3 miles  2. probably 2.5 miles

Today, after 10 hours sleep, it took Ciwt 2:17 minutes to complete the NYT crossword mini.  In other seasons the small puzzle takes her anywhere from 0:25 (her record) to 0:50 seconds.  Thanks SAD.

Every year it's the same for CIWT readers.  They have to read about Ciwt morphing into her fall/winter SAD self.  Like @500,000 fellow travelers, her whole being slows down, waking briefly after outrageous hours of sleep only to look forward to comfort food and bedtime. It's why she was thinking of Pooh bear on Day 10/181.  He and his kind get to officially hibernate; SAD people do it unofficially. 

Doing much of anything feels like an imposition.  But, luckily, Ciwt found a perfect SAD activity yesterday.  She accepted a free invitation by a neighborhood theater to attend back to back screenings of two classic Merchant Ivory films.  While the sun shone crystal clear outside, Ciwt sat inside watching wine being sipped from crystal glasses by late Victorian English men and women.  Their lives so mannered they were more akin to acting than living.  

Nothing particular happened on the surface of either Howard's End or Maurice, at least compared with the non-stop action of so many movies these days.  But that suits the SAD mind; we like to slowly mull and contemplate nuances rather than have to follow ever changing dynamics.  And we love basking in the blue columbines, pink hollyhocks, yellow kingcups and miles and miles of rolling green English country side.  Oh, and those English actors!  What can be better than watching and hearing the tiny and perfect curled lips, raised eyebrow, clipped speech, insincere smiles of Emma Thompson, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, Hugh Grant and other other superb English thespians? 

Now, yawn, just a few hours before dark...

Adventurer and Crusader --- Day 10/189

Walk: Vogue Theater (Becoming Cousteau), Presidio

Distance: 4.5 miles

Jacques Cousteau aboard his 'mate'

If you are like Ciwt, you know the name Cousteau and his ship Calypso, but, other than his involvement in oceans, that's about it.  So the new and well done documentary Becoming Cousteau was an interesting watch for Ciwt this afternoon.  Also a sobering one as Cousteau turned from a pioneer explorer of the oceans to a pioneer and impassioned crusader on behalf of their future.

The End Begins --- Days 10/185, 186, 187 & 188

Walk: 1. Hood, SFSPCA 2.No, Rain😀 3. Refuse Refuse Clean Up 4. the hood

Distance: 1. 6 miles, chair yoga 2. 0 3. 5.5 miles 4. 3 miles

So, TODAY is Veterans Day, not four days ago as posted on CIWT (Please See Days 10/182 & 183).  There was an extensive article and a parade that day which confused Ciwt and maybe had her readers scratching their heads.  But really any day is a good one for thanking service people, animals and birds who have fought for centuries to preserve our beloved country.

Of course Ciwt should have known Veterans Day is on November 11th to honor an armistice between the  U.S.-led Allied nations and Germany. It went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 and is officially recognized as the end of World War I.*

*The treaty was signed in Versailles seven months later. 

Green Grass Brown Dog --- Day 10/184

Walk: Presidio

Distance: 4 miles, Yoga

Spring in November?  Yes!  The grass is so baby fresh and innocently green at this time of year in the Bay Area it brings tears to Ciwt's eyes.  

Salute to a Veteran on His Day --- Days 10/182 and 183

Walk: 1. Very short with 3 Zoom events,  2.Presidio, Hood

Distance: 1. 1.5 miles, small yoga,  2. 7 miles, Yoga

Wallace "Wally" Levin (1930-2021),  'Backer of U.S. Vets and SF Sleuth'

So today is Veterans Day, and the parade that honors it in San Francisco will likely continue its downhill tally of flag wavers and cheerers.  Most significantly missing will be Wallace (called Wally) Levin, the larger-than-life Korean War Veteran who never stopped volunteering after his war tour ended.  

In fact, Wally Levin became a such a visible local advocate for veterans that the Mayor of San Francisco appointed him the city's Director of Veterans Affairs.  And from that appointment on, continuation of the Memorial Day Parade in the San Francisco Presidio 

 and the Veterans Day Parade downtown were assured. Because Wally was overseeing them.  He also was instrumental in the establishment (finally) of the Presidio's Korean War Memorial in August 2016.  

Wally died this year, and his baton was passed to Nestor Tom as director of the Veterans Day Parade. Tom expressed deep gratitude for Levin's tireless service keeping the flames of rememberance alive for all veterans.  “Think of it,” Tom said, “they died young. They never grew up to get married or have kids, go to the ballpark, see their kids graduate from high school or live their lives.” But Levin also wanted to honor those who served their country in war and time of peace. “He honored all veterans,” Tom said. The parade was his way of doing it."

Wally Levin also had other lives.  He was married to his wife, Arlene, whom he had met in high school, for 64 years.  They fathered a son, Michael, who was so influenced by his father's example of service that he became a police officer and later served as a Secret Service agent performing such duties as protecting the Clinton White House and working on cybersecurity and computer crimes.  

Wally also became a sleuth.  He spent 15 years as an investigator for the San Francisco City Attorney's offce where he also became a legend.  His former City Attorney boss said of him "He possessed determination, cunning and old fashioned street smarts.  Most of all, he never tired of doing the right thing."

Even as Ciwt writes this, Wally Levin's Veterans Day parade is passing by down at Fisherman's Wharf and Wally is being saluted by comrades along his final route. Thank you for your service, Wally.

A Good Day for That --- Day 10/181

Walk: Hood

Distance: 2.6 miles

   Ciwt thought it was a good day to think about Pooh.

"I Want My Clothes to Make You Smile" --- Day 10/180

Walk: deYoung Museum (Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love exhibition)

Distance: 7 miles

Patrick Kelly (1954-1990; American, active Paris) surrounded by models in his clothes at the end of a Parisian show

So Ciwt went to the recently opened Patrick Kelly fashion show at the de Young Museum* expecting to find over-the-top, zany, essentially unwearable clothes.  And of course there were some of those 

Patrick Kelly and David Spada, Woman's Ensemble, Fall/Winter 1986, Yellow and green plasrtc, pink metal wire, black synthetic rubber

But for large part she found 'happy' AND tasteful (what a combination!) clothes that enhance every body type.  Clothes, many of which she would love to have in her closet.  

Turns out that is exactly what Kelly was going for.  As he said in a 1989 Parisian fashion magazine: "My clothes let you know that whether you are fat or skinny, have big hips or no hips at all, the shape of your body is just fine the way it is."

The mannequins were all super sleek, of course, but you could easily imagine the wrapped dresses above being larger or longer or shorter depending on the wearer's body and sense of style. 

 

Simply wrapping one soft piece of cloth was one of Kelly's specialties and ways of creating "Fast Fashion." Which really is one way of saying "Affordable Fashion."  Instead of building in the expenses of exotic fabrics and costly couture workmanship, Kelly would do something like take a simple fabric like the jersey many sweat pants are made, of cut it into a refined shape, sew just a single hem and create The Coat that was all the rage in the 80's.

Kelly clearly had an eye and appreciation for classic designers, and many of his pieces are homages to some of his favorites - with his own whimsical or outright funny touches.

Coco Chanel's large fake pearls, anybody?

Or one of her boxy tweed jackets?

What fashionista could forget Yves Saint Laurent's bright fushia and other intense colors? 

Just Happy and Fun:

Ciwt's cats would love (and shred in seconds 🙀) this cat dress.

Kelly didn't graduate college so he created this graduation outfit to celebrate his inauguration into the prestigious Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter 

You could easily wear this tailored outfit to a job interview today. People probably wouldn't even notice the black pattern is rolling dice.

* Patrick Kelly, Runway of Love, de Young Museum, October 23, 2021 - April 24, 2022

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Kelly_(fashion_designer)

Don't Wait For Me --- Day 10/178 and 179

Walk: 1. No; Monday blues 2. Hamilton Pickleball

Distance: 1. 0, Yoga  2. 6.5 miles, 90 minutes pickle

Ciwt is finding it a bit difficult to get started these days.....