According to the Almanac, winter 2016 will be extra cold. That was easy to believe this week. Temperatures in the 20’s and a few snowflakes, it’s December. We do love those crystal clear days when the Olympics look close with their bright new snow. But I prefer to view them from 40 degrees or better. We don’t have a view from The Men’s Shelter on Phinney Ridge, but it is warm and dry inside, and the food has been quite good lately. Jonathon (UGM staff) and his wife, Tiffany, and her mother who had just flown in from Florida, served lasagna (vegetarian and beef), and tossed salad, and garlic bread, and two kinds of cake with three flavors of ice cream. It was Vernon’s birthday this week, so he wanted cake. The conversation went something like this,

“Would you like some cake Vernon?”

“Sure, I’ll have cake.”

“What kind of cake would you like?”

“What kind do you have?”

“Two kinds……..”

“Would you like ice cream with your cake?”

“Sure.”

“What kind of ice cream would you like?”

This conversation was repeated a few times until everyone knew the choices. There was a lot of life in those women. I just sat back and watched.

We did have some other kinds of excitement this week. Mitch thought the building was on fire, but it turned out to be a building under construction over at the Zoo. Lots of fire trucks. No people or animals were hurt.

And then one of our guests got maced somewhere outside the shelter and needed help when he got to us. That meant the medics had to come and wash his eyes out, and that meant the police had to come also. Five police officers is overkill for our shelter, but not for some other shelters, and they were just being careful. The problem was successfully taken care of, and everyone is fine.

I hope to see you soon at the Men’s Shelter, on Phinney Ridge.

Ben Paul