-Diane Ackerman
A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES
Twenty-five years ago today:
May 21, 1987
Thursday
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Headline:
IRAQ Says It Will Pay for Attacking Frigate
On 17 May 1987, an Iraqi Mirage F1 attack aircraft launched two Exocet missiles at the USS STARK USS, a Perry class frigate. The first struck the port side of the ship and failed to explode, though it left burning propellant in its wake; the second struck moments later in approximately the same place and penetrated through to crew quarters, where it exploded, killing 37 crewmembers and leaving 21 injured. Whether or not Iraqi leadership authorized the attack is still unknown.
Initial claims by the Iraqi government (that Stark was inside the Iran–Iraq War zone) were shown to be false, so the motives and orders of the pilot remain unanswered. Though American officials claimed he had been executed, an ex-Iraqi Air Force commander since stated that the pilot who attacked Stark was not punished, and was still alive at the time. The attack remains the only successful anti-ship missile strike on an American warship.
At Pac Bell Yellow Pages Account Collection Office we have reduced from 103 delinquent San Francisco (book) pending accounts to forty-three. That’s pretty good word I’d say.
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s great working the 8AM to 4PM shift. I’m just very bad in that I keep taking a nap once I get home. The mental exhaustion of work makes me feel like I really need the nap.
I gave Chris Cordellos a call and we had planned on meeting up; however, it seems that both his brother and sister have job interviews tomorrow. Why that has to interfere with our meet I’ll never know, so I’m out of the picture.
I chalked it up by saying, “Oh well, we can just meet up another time.”
I went for a short, brisk bike ride and spent some time reading the local Alameda Times Star.
I definitely decided against the idea of the Oakland Airport Shuttle chauffeur job.
I watched some TV and laughed during PORKY’S II, a funny flick. I didn’t watch it all.
Tomorrow night I will celebrate Pearls’ birthday (a former coworker from the old Pac Bell SDC department). It will be fun to see some of the old SDC coworkers for dinner at The Embarcadero.
I reviewed my 'bill paying'. It was enlightening. It’s getting better though. Once I consolidate two more accounts I will feel so much better.
This weekend is the Golden Gate Bridge Celebration. I mentioned it to Carla.
Carla said, “Big deal…fireworks and that’s it.”
I laughed and asked, “So what are you going to do this weekend?”
“I’m going camping at Russian River.”
I thought it funny how she lives in San Francisco but she knocked that whole Golden Gate Celebration as a fireworks farce.
Dinner tomorrow tonight will be fun. I’m looking forward to it.
It’s really nice when people remember your birthday. I’m thinking of Jeff Sombat in Hawaii and Johnny in L.A. I was especially surprised to get a birthday card from that older, nice lady named Suzanne that I met in Hawaii. Of course, mom always remembers. I can always count on mom.
We make sense of one another with amazing agility, although we do occasionally have to work at it.
Once when I was in Fayetteville, Arkansas, I asked my host if there were any spas around. I knew of the famous HOT SPRINGS in the southern part of the state, and I thought visiting it might be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
“Spas?” he said in a think Arkansas accent. “You mean Russian agents?”
-Diane Ackerman
A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES
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