Chapter 16: Compare and Contrast

But here's how it really happened (one of my favorite lines from Clue)
1) Went downstairs to check on the staff meeting
2) Drank some water
3) Worked on my secret project
4) Had my 3rd lesson with S
5) Drove S home
6) Hung out with S, her 3 boys, her sister, her aunt, and Mom. Had Coke, awesome salted seeds, and tea with sugar and sage. No juice was served.
7) Drove at moderately high speeds past the Canyon Mall, over Summer camp bridge and down the road to Cinematheque (which Hen told us was actually called White...this will make sense only to Dad)
8) Had a 3 hour tour of appetizers, dinner and desserts
9) Ran back to the guest house to grab some parting gifts for Joey and Hen, but mostly Hen
10) Led Joey and Hen towards the Begin north..by car...not wagon train
11) Came back to the guest house
12) Went directly to bed...collecting no money along the way
13) Slept through the night...no interruptions. I don't even think I moved...which is definitely not like me.
Mom and I are working hard on our secret project (we were given a directive by Claire many moons ago and are currently trying to do the foundation work necessary for it...all will be revealed in time)...and that sentence doesn't go anywhere. Today I walked our Lily's dog, Blackie. It was nice and also uncomfortable. I get the feeling women are not supposed to walk dogs in our neighborhood, certainly not enormous black dogs that come up to said lady's waist. Veiled women were crossing to the other side of the street, men and children were alternately cat calling are sending me dirty looks, even the wild dogs that hang out around the dumpster gave us a wide berth. However one teenage boy was happy to see us. He started talking to me in Arabic, I told him I wasn't nearly good enough for that yet, and then I asked if it was okay for me to be walking Blackie. He said, "for me it is okay, but for the people here...it is not okay" and then he called Blackie by name, gave him some cuddles and scratches and then rode his bike alongside us until we were out of the neighborhood. What a gentleman. On the way back, when I was sans escort, some little kids tried to mess with us, one in particular. But his attempts were so halfhearted, so lacking in inspiration, that both Blackie and I looked at him with a mixture of disappointment and disdain. Needless to say (and yet I say it anyway), I was happy to get back to the guest house and help Mom with dinner preparations (Special Potatoes take time, effort, and love...they don't just magically appear...they're not those kind of potatoes). I apologize for my low standards of whimsy and amusement today...I think it's because I need to take a shower. (uh oh, I can here Lily talking to the neighbor and I keep hearing the words "Blackie" "Americani" and "anjad?!?!" crop up...anjad means "really"...I did have permission to walk Blackie, but I got it from one of the boys, not their mother...granted the "boys" are 27, 22, and 18 and I got it from the oldest, but I think I'm in for talking to...)