Feeling poorly, 007 & a short trip down memory lane.

Kids are pint-sized germ transmitters. My cousin's children, ages 3 and 6, are, I now think, especially germ-y. We played a few rounds of Concentration with them while we waited for the Thanksgiving turkey to finish cooking and that's all it took. A few days after Turkey Day, both my husband and I came down with nasty colds. It's been a coughing-sneezing-sore throat fest for the past four days at our house. 

Eric worries that this cold has set him back for the Festive 500, training-wise. I hope not as it would really bum him out to not be able to complete the ride. Anyway, I suppose we'll see come Xmas how he fares on the bike. 

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Possibly a controversial opinion, but I think that Timothy Dalton was the best (and best-looking) Bond. His Bond was a more faithful portrayal, i.e., he was not always keen on following orders. Why did Dalton only make two Bond flicks? Was he not warmly received in the role when his films came out? I don't remember what I thought other than he was a more physically attractive Bond than his predecessor, Roger Moore. I mean, I dug Moore in the role, but, over time, his films felt kind of goofy. 

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I was doing a small shop at a market in my hometown today, loaded up on throat lozenges and cough medicine, when I saw the mother of a childhood friend of mine. I intercepted her as she was making her way out of the store and asked if she were Mrs. N. She said that she was and I told her that I had been a friend of her daughter, Margaret, back in 1974-5. I wasn't yet in school and I think that my mother and Mrs. N. had gotten to know each other in a women's group. That must have been how Margaret, who was one year older, and I met. I was five years old when I last saw Mrs. N. She must be in her 80s by now, but, to me, she looked just the same as she had all those years ago. 'I can't believe you recognized me!' She told me that my recognizing her made her made her feel very good. I'm glad that she felt complimented. 

Mrs. N. and I chatted a bit about our families as we made our way out to the parking lot. She surprised me by remembering my mother's name and that, as a girl, I had been a towhead. My hair is now dirty blonde. It's been almost 45 years since we last saw each other. How remarkable that old memories yet bubble to the surface! She told me that Margaret had married a very kind and an intelligent man. I said that I would have expected nothing less as her daughter was also very intelligent who wouldn't have married a dummy. She laughed and said that she'd have to tell her daughter that when she comes to visit for the Christmas holidays. I asked Mrs. N. to give her daughter my well-wishes before we parted ways.

I hope that this doesn't sound like a humble brag, but I think I may be a bit of what's known as a 'super recognizer'. I'm actually no longer as sharp as I once was in the recall department, but still do fairly well as the above example might indicate. I should have put my skills to use when I was young and become a spy or a private detective. 

Left to right: Corky, me, Margaret, and Chris celebrating my birthday in Golden Gate Park, 1975.