“What is wrong with this picture?” queried Carlie, as she skirted home crossing Carl Street one curly evening. Carlie looked up at her friend’s bizarre and lost expression. She knocked on his door and ran up the stairs to talk to her cuddly big-eyed red friend, Elmo.

“How many Republican presidential candidates can this crazy country keep piling on?!”, exclaimed Elmo, his eyes rolling like a slot machine! “I’m fed up, and honestly, I’m stumped, trumped AND I need to borrow a piece of Trump’s hair!”

Carlie laughed loudly, and hugged her friend goodbye.

Carlie loves to read! Her latest undertaking is reading all of Vladimir Nabokov’s novels. Her favorite is Lolita followed closely by Speak Memory. “But what oh what to read after this crazy obsession?”, as Carlie clambered up Carl Street towards the Sunset. In the distance, she noticed a tall towering yellow bookcase. “Oh, don’t tell me. Not another garage sale!”, Carlie exclaimed as she shook her glasses off. But when she got closer and within arms length of this “Big Bird”, she saw shelves of books in all different colors and sizes with not a person in sight!

Then the sign. It read, “Carl Street Free Library” in LARGE print, followed by “No Fees. No Dues. No Cash Required.” “WHOOPEE”, shouted Carlie.”I have discovered a tremendous treasure for book worms like me!”, as she grabbed a couple of interesting novels and slithered the rest of the way home!

Yes, there is a happy ending to the mysterious and sometime blogger of Cole Valley, Carlie Cole. Her boyfriend of two and a half years proposed to her last summer of 2014, and they were married on Sept. 5, 2014 at City Hall. It was a warm almost fall day and the bright sun shone on Carlie’s pearl and tulle headpiece. She skipped up and down the hilly Frederick Street humming the familiar wedding tune. The slight wind sparkled her face as a smile filtered through. It was time, she thought, and gathered up her two proud sons. They happily sped off in a black limousine from her familiar Cole Valley street to pick up the handsome groom at his office.

Well, the wedding was fabulous, serene and saucy, which says much about Carlie. She’s back into the swing of things, and hopefully will blog more. Yes, let’s hope so. There are very interesting ideas rumbling through Carlie’s head and if you stay tuned, you will not miss a beat.

Carlie was minding her own business when she skipped down Waller Street on her way to a walk in the park. She bumped right into a standup sign on the sidewalk. “What on earth does F*G*W mean??”, Carlie said to a nearby squirrel scurrying up the tree. Since he couldn’t give her the answer, she walked into the open doorway. “PINBALL MACHINES!! YIKES! And just around the corner from my house!”, she exclaimed wanting to play every single one. Carlie went over to the owner and asked how this all started and what did those strange 3 letters mean anyways? The space began in 2006 as a simple silk screen print shop at 1767 Waller, but they always felt the space was poorly used. With a long virtually idle hallway that served as a showroom leading to their workshop, they started adding some pinball machines. The response was so very positive that the shop started adding more. With 20 pinball machines and other arcade games, it’s a virtual fun house! “I am definitely coming back with change in my hand to play these beauties”, said Carlie, and darted out the door. Those strange 3 letters? Free Gold Watch! Go figure!