Yesterday started out normally with taking our car to Toyota for routine maintenance and the inspection of break pads. We got there at 8 am and were told most stuff should be done by noon. So we headed out for breakfast.
Occasionally, we drive to Uptown Coney Island for breakfast but yesterday we walked from Toyota which is not more than a few hundred meters walk. Breakfast was great as always and our waitress was wonderful. When she heard that we had walked over from Toyota she told us there was no need to rush. So we didn’t.
We got back to Toyota around 9:45 am and sat down. We both brought a book to read so it wasn’t too bad. At noon we were told that the rear breaks needed to be replaced and it should be ready at three. So, another long wait.
We decided to walk to Base Camp for lunch. This was a longer walk, but less than a mile and a half.
We got there and were pleasantly surprised to see how packed they were. For some reason whatever restaurant has occupied this space hasn’t lasted very long.
We both had a lamb dish for lunch, which was quite nice. Then we headed back to Toyota. Well, shortly after three we were done. By the time we got home we had been gone for eight hours – much longer than we had anticipated.
While at Toyota I finished reading Patti Smith’s latest book – Bread of Angels.
What a great read. This was truly a memoir. It covered from her earliest memories until writing the book, over 70 years.
While the entire book was interesting, although a bit slow at the start, I found the best part was about her relationship to Fred “Sonic” Smith the amazing love of her life. Most of the time that the two were together they lived in Detroit. Reading her description of mostly Downtown Detroit. It brought back memories of Lafayette Coney Island, the Ponchetrain Hotel, the Renaissance Center and so much more.
Fred Smith died when he was 46, leaving Patti with her two children to raise on her own. She moved back east and the rest is history.
You really should find a copy and read it.
More later…
Michael's Place 
What a coincidence. This morning am at Toyota for my 2024 Highlander Hybrid 55,000 mile check up. I drive the 80 miles to the dealership where I bought it, in Johnstown, NY. They were the only one that had a Highlander Hybrid at the time and I was so lucky they did; the Subaru Outback was a 2012 and the Escape was 2009 and neither could make the drive to work reliably, which is 90 miles one way on superhighway with roughnecjs driving at high speed to Glens Falls, which this morning is minus 17 degrees. I’m glad I’m not there today! Afterwards, I’ll go to Jackie’s Diner for lunch, which is just down the road. If I remember correctly, you had told us Toyota wanted to take your phone number and you negotiated a Prius at cost and $3000–is this the same Prius? I hope so. I love the Highlander and love Toyota.
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No, not the Prius, that was totaled in 2010 (I T-boned an illegal left turner doing 35 mph). Replaced that with a newer Prius. Then in 2019 traded in our Prius for a 2019 RAV-4, which we love.
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Wow, what a long time ago! My niece had a Rav 4 and loved it too! Safe driving/journeying! Glad for the update!
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Im reading In The Presence of Grizzlies by Doug Peacock. His Grizzly Years memoir of coming back from Vietnam and healing in wilderness among the grizzlies of the lower 48 is exceptional. I just also got from the local library here in Germantown True Nature, a biography of Peter Matthiessen, wrote The Snow Leopard( also outstanding) and also one of my very favorite books, Nine-headed Dragon River, part Snow Leopard, much his coming to study ZenBuddhism. Thanks for the Patti Smith recommendation.
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