A Day with the Evans Family

    My son Manny,  who recently took his oath for the United States Air Force reserve,  and I spent the day hanging out together yesterday.  He has been living with his Dad for a few years since we moved from a very large duplex I shared with a co-worker in Millbrae.  In between spending a year and a half in Oahu,  Hawaii attending the Waimanalo Job Corps and receiving his GED and helping his Uncle Ben with his boat building business in Kapolei,  Manny has grown into a fine young man.
     Searching at the Sprint Store for smart phones is a daunting task let alone the prices on these pieces of electronics makes you want to walk back out.  My son's phone is in need of repair and we were advised to call the insurance people which we'll do at another time.  By this time,  hunger got the best of us and we drove through Inn-n-Out burger.  At this time,  I received a phone call from my good friend and co-worker   Carmen,  who had just landed at San Francisco International Airport with her young 14 year old son Maurice.  They're here to visit her mother,  Diane,  who I affectionately refer to her as " mama ".  We made arrangements to meet at Daly City Bart so that we could all visit with mama at her new Studio apartment in San Francisco.  Driving into "The City" is always adventurous and not for the faint of heart.  I love driving there and have been asked to do so numerous times to do so.

     Visiting Mama's apartment,  she lives in the heart of the Tenderloin District,  rich, vibrant, loud, colorful and all of which is characteristic of a lively neighborhood.  Mama loves it there and it shows,  she is flourishing!  Her Senior Studio apartment is very spacious, bright and in her words, "I can watch the parade from my window"!  Mama has all that she wants and needs within minutes from her doorstep,  corner grocery store, fruit stands,  numerous ethnic restaurants, BART, Muni, Taxi's and of course walking.  Manny and Maurice walk to Glide Memorial Church then onto Maurice's Uncle Kwame's Apartment a few blocks down. We all gather at Mama's apartment and walk to a local Middle Eastern Restaurant that they've frequented before and highly recommend.  Food was plentiful and spicy,  conversation was endless and the complimentary Chai Tea flowed freely to the point of us drinking it all.  Nightfall started to cloak the area and it was time to leave and goodbye's to Mama and Kwame and her new apartment.  Manny and I drove Carmen and Maurice to the San Francisco International Airport for Maurice's flight to San Diego to visit more family for the Holidays.  After some conversation of our own,  it was time for me to say good-night to my son.  On my drive home,  I realize how Adult our conversations have become and how I will miss the little boy that he once was and embrace the young man he has become.