A doggone controversy

I was in the produce section at Safeway on 19th tonight when something poked me in the leg. I turned around and a mid-size Shepherd mutt on a leash was there. She hopped up on her hind legs, and proceeded to jump up on me. I gasped, and the owner pulled the dog back.

Stock photo; not my Safeway

My conversation with the owner went like this:
  "I thought dogs weren't allowed in grocery stores!"
  "She's a service dog."
  "Service dogs don't jump up on people."
  "She's in training."
  "Then she should have a jacket on." (BTW the dog had a choke collar on, the kind with pointed metal that jabs the neck when the leash is pulled.)

Right next to me was an employee stocking bananas, ignoring the whole thing. I asked him whether dogs are allowed in Safeway. He was non committal and offered to call the manager for me, but since I was ready to check out, I told him that would not be necessary. I did tell him that I didn't think it was fair for one of Safeway's customers to have to be the bad guy and comment about the dog, when the dog and his owner had probably walked past three or four employees.

As I walked through produce to check out, I saw two more people carrying small dogs in their coats. "No doubt more service dogs," I thought.

I should state that I wasn't scared of the dog(s) I encountered, and I did not feel endangered, but I am really annoyed for health reasons, as well as potentially for safety concerns, that this practice is allowed. Dogs aren't allowed at the Farmer's Market, and are not allowed inside many other food-sale establishments, so why does Safeway permit it?

When I got to the manager, his response was, "I agree with you, ma'am, but you'd be surprised how many lawsuits are filed by people who want to bring their service dogs into the store." I wondered why he wouldn't worry about lawsuits filed by people who are bitten by dogs, or allergic to dogs, or phobic about dogs.

There's also the whole scam around certifying "service animals," or the questionable practice of using emotional support animals, which, really, is another rant; but clearly the dog I encountered was not a service dog.

I don't own a dog, so maybe some of you will use that as an immediate write-off of my position. Where does the service-animal-requiring person's rights trump the rights of everyone else? If an individual needs a dog to quell anxiety about grocery shopping, why can't the next person say they feel anxious shopping with dogs present?

I found some other blogs that provide additional details to the legal ramifications of service dogs, emotional support animals, and why retail establishments can only ask two questions of a person with a dog in a store.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Safeway-tries-to-enforce-service-animal-rule-3334176.php

http://thesunbreak.com/2012/02/22/no-more-dogs-in-grocery-stores/

http://phillips.blogs.com/goc/2008/03/dogs-at-safeway.html

House Hunting

Today while killing time in the Central Library, I discovered an area of research that captivated me for the better part of an hour.

The telephone directory included an address directory by street for many years. Using the directories in the library, I was able to discover the original purchaser of our house (Wm L Schmitt and his wife Lucille). Today's concerns of privacy were not the concerns of yesteryear.

Mr. Schmitt bought our house new in 1940. He was a salesman at Capital City Chevrolet; after a few years he was noted as a mechanic at Sacramento Air Depot. I'm not sure if this was the Executive Airport or something different. By 1970, Mr. Schmitt was "ret" -- retired.

By 1975, Mr. Schmitt was not in the picture and Mrs. Lucille was listed on her own.

The next owner had a wife but several years later, the wife was listed as the homeowner. I searched for the husband's name and discovered he'd shown up at a new address with a new wife!

This was an interesting sojourn into the world of genealogy.

Suffragette City

Susan B. Anthony

I am trying to think of an appropriate Halloween costume to wear for the elementary school dance. A friend suggested I dress up like the suffragette for whom the school is named. Unfortunately, Susan B Anthony is pretty dour and severe-looking. I'm afraid she'd be a scary costume, so I'm off to think of other things.

However, I did come across a funny suffragette photo while doing my research, which caused me to take a break and pose some thoughts and questions.

These women are marching to convince the rest of the US that women should have the right to vote. I'm going to assume that these states are the Stars and somewhere ahead or behind them are women (labeled as states) with Stripes on their capes. Pretty darn theatrical.

At first I wondered if it was an impromptu event, but if so, how did they make sure all the costumes matched? Even the shoes look the same! No, this looks like it took some time. Today we'd be using duct tape to fashion the funny conical hats, and maybe garbage bags for the capes.

Views of women have altered a lot even in my brief life span. I started school when girls couldn't wear pants to school. My mother told me I couldn't play clarinet in the school band because that instrument was for boys (and showed me the illustration next to the entry for "clarinet" in the World Book (featuring a man playing it), just to drive her point home. I did get to take it, against her wishes. I wasn't any good, so my rebellion was a moot point, I guess.

In 1988, I was hired as purchasing manager for the Four Seasons Clift Hotel in San Francisco. Right away, I was told that I was the first woman ever hired into that position. Why that job was male-dominated, I'll never know. Because I had to deal with storeroom clerks? or the stevedores who delivered pallets of food? Because I had to supervise inventory, or create cost analyses?

While I never went out on a limb for my gender, I never felt like the weaker sex, or that I was being held back by being a woman. But I don't know how I would feel if I were told that I couldn't vote. Maybe that would be me in a snazzy get-up, marching in a parade to raise consciousness about the plight of women.

Summer in Sacramento

Morning:

The air is soft and still.

Green leaves lushly circle the yard.

Sprinklers whoosh lightly one-by-one as watering timers kick on up and down the block.

Birds call out to one another: peeping softly, singing happily.

Squirrels scamper up and down the trees, chasing tails and leaping with grace.

The clear hot promise of the day lies ahead.

Recharging batteries at the OSF

I just returned from a four day trip to Ashland, Oregon, during which I saw three fabulous theatre productions. This is my fifth trip to Ashland in seven years and there is something in the experience that truly speaks to me.

There is a vibrancy and energy to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival that gives me positive personal support. The setting is restorative. Upon my return this year I felt relaxed, clear-minded and energized. It's hard to put my finger on it, but when I return I just want to spread the good feelings around.

This year, the Festival was hampered by a serious structural defect in the main theatre, the Angus Bowmer. With very short notice, the company was forced to reschedule all plays performed in the Bowmer. Our trip was not adversely affected, as two of the three productions were in the Elizabethan amphitheatre adjacent to the Bowmer.

I felt I was a part of history going to see To Kill a Mockingbird staged not in a theatre, but from the bare-bones stage of the Old Ashland Armory. The actors performed the play in costume with minimal staging and very limited props. (And yes, the ham was one of the props that was included!)

Please understand we felt a little trepidation that the production might be less than spectacular given the change in locale (but OSF was extremely generous in giving us full credit for our tickets, even though we attended the show in its alternate location). The sets, lighting and staging of theatre at OSF is consistently dynamic, and contributes hugely to the entire performance. I'm sure many wondered how the show would fare without those additions. Needless to say, I don't feel I missed out on anything seeing the play in this format. In so many ways, the production felt more pure. We just saw the acting and it was impeccable.

Though I've read the book at least four or five times, I've never seen the stage production. There are many plot themes that are omitted for length, and the show's main conflict surrounds the trial of Tom Robinson. While I missed Scout's experience in school, and nuances of her relationship with the housekeeper Calpurnia, it didn't change my enjoyment of the story.

OSF always throws in a few twists to make things interesting. Actor Howie Seago played Bob Ewell. I last saw him as Marcellus in The Music Man. He is a deaf actor, and to incorporate his disability (or ability?) into the show, the actress playing Mayella signed as she spoke so that he could follow her testimony during the trial. This allowed for some interesting unwritten staging, as the attorney tried to hamper Ewell's understanding of Mayella's testimony by standing in between them as she spoke. It was a great "why not?" moment. Seago's performance did not ring of stunt casting. He fit the role in every way: dark, menacing, sloppy.

The post-play discussion (traditional for matinees at OSF) was led by actor Michael J. Hume, who played the judge. He thanked the audience for their support, and likened the company's response to the adversity to Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland's movies of the 40's: "Let's go to the barn and put on a show!" None of the company would consider cancelling shows -- they definitely wanted to continue providing the product that they are known for.

I also can't say enough good things about the production of Pirates of Penzance. I wasn't sure I would enjoy Gilbert and Sullivan since I don't have a strong background in their material. But - Wow! - was I ever wrong. I think I may consider this one of my favorite productions at OSF in my limited visits. I'd even consider seeing it again before the season closes in the fall. The show is swiftly paced, the language clear and the songs contribute towards the total effect.

The OSF "twist" here was to intersperse traditional G&S musical numbers with a few bars of contemporary music, giving the audience a quick "huh?" moment. For example, when Frederic is singing to Mabel, asking her to wait for him through his indentured servitude to the pirates, he sings a few bars of the Beatles' "When I'm 64" -- including the phrase, "...you'll be older, too." The ensemble of Keystone Kop-like policemen did a brief hip hop dance. This may be seen as a way to get younger audiences to embrace the material, but it was not overused and to me provided another layer of interest.

Coming back to earth after a trip to OSF is always a bit disappointing. I am still coasting on the good vibrations of a phenomenal theatre experience, and hope to be back there before long.

What price volunteerism

As someone who devotes a sick amount of free time to volunteer causes, I'm beginning to rethink some of my commitments. Not in terms of stopping what I do, because I only do what I love, but in terms of what effect it is having on our society in general.

Can I say that volunteering has a down side?

California continues to spiral down in revenue, creating dire budget status. Volunteer organizations are being to be asked to "step up to the plate" and fill in the gaps, either with hands or wallets, even more so than previous years.

In our high school, booster groups are vying for the space in the front of the school for weekend car washes. Clubs are selling more and more goodies in order to support themselves. Parents will be exhorted again and again to provide donations to sports teams, the band, clubs, student government, and the like.

I can't support everyone financially - so I politely ignore some of the requests: can't buy tamales sold by the friend's soccer team, must pass up the car wash on my way to the store today, gonna skip the frozen yogurt benefiting the sports team, and I really can't participate in all the run/walk/thon events that come my way.

I guiltily encourage my friends to visit my own daughter's soccer car wash, but I completely understand when not all of them show up.

On another note, super volunteers are possibly taking jobs that were once held by every day people.

My kids' elementary school has a tradition of raising money to pay for the librarian's salary, year after year. This goes back at least 15 years at this point. It's great that the school can manage to raise that kind of money in a consistent way, and that the parent group continues to support that use of funds in their yearly budget review. However, now there is no incentive whatsoever for the school to consider budgeting for a librarian in their annual school plan.

I'm thinking also of the local neighborhood association which organizes regular groups of volunteers to go to the park and trim bushes, clean trash, prune branches and plant new landscapes. This program has kept our park beautiful and our neighborhood desirable. But perhaps the City will not re-staff at pre-crisis levels once tax revenues come back, thinking that the volunteer corps will continue to pick up the slack.

I know there's a balance -- people with time on their hands and good hearts SHOULD continue to volunteer. It feeds my soul to be useful and help others. But I certainly don't want to be continually filling the void with cash that could help my own kids fund their college education, or with labor that keeps an honest person from a job. How do we reconcile this?

Welcome

It's the end of summer here in Sacramento, at least it feels that way today. The breezes have picked up, and it's barely above 80 degrees at 3 in the afternoon. I always wonder how people without kids feel at the end of summer. Is there any anticipation of the beginning of fall and the start of school? In some areas, the start of school means that traffic gets heavy again as parents are on the road carpooling away.

I am looking forward to the return of structure in our lives, though I know the kids are going to miss it.