Mar
2
2013
As you might have guessed by their names, days were pretty dull for Gray & Nameless before they met. But together, they’ve found that every day can provide lots of opportunities to learn, to be of service, AND to have exciting adventures! They demonstrate that everyone who applies themselves, no matter how different they are from the pack (even 1″ rubber pit bulls!) should be accepted, treated with dignity, and given a chance to prove their value to society.
The Saga Of Gray & Nameless” looks at our society from the perspective of two 1″ pit bulls. They live in the same world we do, and face the same responsibilities and challenges that we face. But for them, even the most mundane task — like dropping a letter in a mailbox — can pose a difficult and dangerous situation. Yet their enthusiasm to accomplish each and every goal remains undeterred.
In addition the their daily pupdates and mini puptales, there is the series of stories (suitable for kids of all ages). Follow their saga on their own site, www.grayandnameless.com, and if you’re on Facebook, click here to visit their page. Become a fan and view their photo albums to see their full (yet ongoing) story.
no comments | tags: childrens book, saga of gray & nameless | posted in The Saga of Gray & Nameless
Jul
1
2010
Please visit us at our new virtual Pup House!
I’ll miss them here, but it was time, and they’ve earned it. Gray & Nameless now have their very own website: www.grayandnameless.com. There you’ll find the Daily Pupdates, exciting Puptales, and the complete collection of children’s books, and other fun stuff — SOON. There’s an awful lot of content to upload. But their Facebook page will live on, as will their presence on Twitter . You can even write to them at pups@grayandnameless.com.
no comments | tags: daily pupdates, gray and nameless, puptales | posted in The Saga of Gray & Nameless
Jun
17
2010
When Gray & Nameless visit their dear friend, Mr. Boo, in his San Francisco neighborhood of Chinatown, they discover an entirely different culture — and are set on a journey to learn about as many cultures as possible in San Francisco’s many ethnic neighborhoods!
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On Monday, Gray & Nameless were delighted to receive a phone call from their dear friend Mr. Boo. Mr. Boo invited them to lunch in his neighborhood, Chinatown, and even offered to give them a personal tour!
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They were so excited to see Mr. Boo — AND get a tour of Chinatown — that they ran the whole way there. Even up the hills!
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“Look, there’s Mr. Boo now!” Gray & Nameless found Mr. Boo just where he said he’d be: outside his shop, selling souvenirs to tourists who wanted a remembrance of their trip to San Francisco’s Chinatown.
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Mr. Boo showed Gray & Nameless lots of pretty things that came from China.
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He also showed them lots of Chinese art!
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One store sold all sorts of Chinese herbs and dried plants that Gray & Nameless had never seen before. “How do they make it so pretty INSIDE the jar, Mr. Boo?”
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Another store sold foods new to Gray & Nameless in all sorts of bright, pretty packages. Speaking of food…
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SNACKTIME!!! Mr. Boo took Gray & Nameless to his favorite restaurant in Chinatown, where they enjoyed “Dim Sum” for the first time. “Delicious!”
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Gray & Nameless were far too excited to nap after their fun-filled day with Mr. Boo. “Chinatown is a whole different world, and yet it’s so close! There must be more nearby neighborhoods that are home to other cultures and traditions, Gray.” “I’ll bet you’re right, Nameless. Lets find out where they are, and visit all of them!”
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So Gray & Nameless learned that indeed, there are many ethnic neighborhoods they could explore in San Francisco. The only hard part was deciding which one to visit first!
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Gray & Nameless started with the Mission District, the vibrant neighborhood that is home to San Francisco’s Latino culture.
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They quickly lost count of all the markets selling fresh produce and colorful crafts.
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Of course it isn’t a visit to the Mission without a snack at one of its many taquerias!
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“After all that walking in the sunshine — and now a belly full of food — I sure could use a nap, Gray.” “Me too, Nameless. But here in the Mission district, it’s called a ‘Siesta’!”
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Next up: Japantown (or “Nihonmachi”), where many Japanese people moved to after much of San Francisco was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake.
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San Francisco was presented with a Peace Pagoda in 1968 by its sister city, Osaka. “Peace Plaza” is home to many Japanese cultural events. Such as…
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“Mochitsuki!” It’s a mochi-pounding ceremony. Gray & Nameless had never heard of mochi, a delicious traditional Japanese treat made of rice and sometimes filled with bean paste. “Look, Nameless, there are people banging on drums over there!”
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Look over there! They’re pounding out the mochi to the beat of the drum, Gray!”
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Their next stop was obvious: MOCHI!!!
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Finally, a souvenir: Jananese animation, or “Anime”! Gray & Nameless had a hard time deciding which one they wanted most, there was so much to choose from!
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It was a beautiful day out when Gray & Nameless headed to Washington Square Park in North Beach, the Italian neighborhood. There they saw the famous Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Fun fact: Many people think that Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (an Italian-American who grew up in North Beach) were married at this church. But they were really married at City Hall in San Francisco.
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Gray & Nameless hiked all the way up Telegraph Hill, home to the historic landmark Coit Tower. They also had the most majestic view of the entire bay area! “Here’s another fun fact, Gray, The name ‘Telegraph Hill’ stems from earlier days when a semaphore was used to signal the arrival of a ship through the Golden Gate.” “Nameless, what’s a ‘semaphore’?”
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At every turn, Gray & Nameless could smell delicious Italian food cooking, and see the markets that sold the ingredients for classic Italian dishes. Many of the markets have been owned by the same families for several generations!
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They were eager to learn how to play “Bocce Ball,” a game with roots that date back to the Roman Empire. They waited and waited. But sadly, no one was there to play that day. “I know just the thing to cheer us up, Nameless…”
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A snack, or “Uno spuntino”!!! So Gray & Nameless went to one of the many Italian Coffee Houses that North Beach is famous for, and shared their first cappuccino & biscotti!
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In the Inner Richmond district, home to descendants of many “White Russian” Immigrants (those who opposed the Bolsheviks in Russia’s civil war), Gray & Nameless saw an Orthodox Church. It looked very different than the Catholic Church in North Beach. Fun Fact: Each dome-shaped ceiling is called a “cupola”, and is meant to represent the sky.
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Gray & Nameless spent much of the day trying to read the Russian writing on the church sign — never once noticing that they were trying to read it upside-down!
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Not surprisingly, Gray & Nameless were drawn to the pretty packages of food in the local market. “I guess that’s one thing all cultures share, Gray. A love of snacks.” “I can certainly understand that, Nameless!”
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Next up, Gray & Nameless paid a visit to one of San Francisco’s growing ethnic neighborhoods, the Vietnamese “Little Saigon.”
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There, they saw an awful lot of signs for something called “Pho.”
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But Gray & Nameless agreed that their favorite neighborhood was the colorful Western Addition. People were especially friendly to them there!
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Not only were the streets filled with the sounds of lively conversation, even the walls and fences carried messages from the residents of the Western Addition. Most of them were notes of praise to the beloved community, neighbors, and friends. And so pretty!
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So Gray & Nameless pulled up a chair in the sunshine and joined the conversation!
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Barber Kevin thought Gray & Nameless might be getting awful hot outside, and invited them to join the conversation inside. They never laughed so — Kevin had the funniest stories!
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Gray & Nameless thoughtfully took the time from their “world travel” to send a postcard to their dear friend, Mr. Boo.
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On the journey home, Gray & Nameless were absolutely exhausted from all the fun and adventure! So they decided to find a comfy spot in the park and take a long, long nap.
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And when they got home, Gray & Nameless invited their dear friend Mr. Boo over for tea (bought in Chinatown!), and to thank him for inspiring them to venture out and learn about other countries and cultures on their “World Tour” of San Francisco!
no comments | tags: Chinatown, japantown, San Francisco, travel, western addition | posted in The Saga of Gray & Nameless
Feb
11
2010
Feeling the urge to be a more productive part of society, Gray & Nameless set a goal to join the workforce!
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Gray & Nameless had always heard what fun it was to ride the ferry, so they decided to do so one morning. They were surprised to see so many commuters getting off the ferry before they were allowed to board it. “I had no idea so many people come to the city to work, Nameless!” “Neither did I, Gray. I wonder how many different jobs there are…”
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Once aboard the ferry, Gray & Nameless were delighted to find a whole bar full of snacks!
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Gray & Nameless were walking around the deck when they saw the captain in the cockpit, driving the ferry. “He sure has a fun job, Nameless!” “He also has an important job. He takes all those people to work and then back home every day, Gray.”
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The nice captain saw how curious Gray & Nameless were, and invited them into the cockpit. Once inside, he showed them all the equipment he uses to navigate the ferry…
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.. like the map of the bay — the actual bay itself! — on the computer.
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The captain even showed them how to operate the control panel…
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…and the radio…
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…and even the electronic navigation system!
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Gray & Nameless discussed how rewarding being a productive part of society must be. They agreed that the first thing they would do when they returned to the city would be to look for a job and join the workforce!
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And that’s just what they did! They looked online for jobs that seemed fun and like they might give them a sense of purpose.
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They even went to an employment agency, where they met with a career placement counselor. Since Gray & Nameless had never worked before, the counselor suggested they try a variety of “temp” jobs, to see which might be a good fit for their most unique skill set.
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Gray & Nameless’ first assignment was as assistants in a hair salon. Customers couldn’t rave enough about the quality and attention to detail of their shampoo & scalp massage technique!
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Next, Gray & Nameless took a job in the fun-filled hospitality industry! Carrying the cocktail trays was a little tricky…
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…but they found that they were natural-born glass polishers!
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Some days, Gray & Nameless had to ride BART to another town to get to their job. First they purchase a ticket…
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…and then went thru the turnstile. That took teamwork & timing — important skills to have on-the-job AND off!
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But the hardest part was always finding a seat on the train during rush hour!
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They even started making new friends! Nameless went out with the guys after work one night to watch the game…
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…while Gray enjoyed “dessert night” with the gals!
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Of course some jobs were less enjoyable than others. At times they had to clean some rather unpleasant messes.
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And there were jobs that were physically demanding, requiring them to lift extremely heavy objects. Like books.
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One morning over breakfast, Gray & Nameless talked about how work can be both challenging and fun. “But wouldn’t it be good to have a job where we know we’re helping others less fortunate than ourselves, Nameless?” “I couldn’t agree more, Gray. Let’s find one that allows us to really make a difference for the better.”
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So Gray & Nameless searched for a job where they would be providing an important service to others.
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They were told that they could not be guide dogs due to the fact that they are so small (there is a minimum size requirement for the writing on the harnesses to be legible to the general public). However…
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Gray & Nameless learned they could volunteer to visit blind people in their homes and read to them. They quickly became the most highly-requested volunteers — but that may be because they were always thoughtful to bring tasty snacks to share!
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And when they finally got a well-earned day off, Gray & Nameless enjoyed their new favorite activity: riding on the ferry!
no comments | tags: career, commute, guide dogs, volunteer | posted in The Saga of Gray & Nameless
Feb
8
2010
After going through an unsettling ordeal, Nameless has difficulty returning to everyday life. But with Gray at his side for support, he gets the help he needs to put the experience behind him and move on.
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“Look, Nameless! We’ve been invited to a party at a new sushi restaurant.” “Let’s go Gray! We’ve never had sushi — or been to a party — before.”
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There was a DJ at the party spinning records, and he let Gray & Nameless choose one to play!
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The DJ even showed them how to operate the mixing board.
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Gray & Nameless loved the little sake glasses — just their size!
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There was even a TV camera crew taking pictures! Gray & Nameless — who won the award for “Littlest Guests” (they made a special category just for them!) — were asked if they would pose for a picture. Of course they were happy to do so.
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Finally: SUSHI!!! Gray was so curious about all the exotic food they put out for guests — seaweed! octopus! — she wandered around and tried it all. Nameless was very content with the tuna roll.
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When Gray returned to their table, Nameless was gone! She waited, then she looked… soon everyone at the party was frantically searching and the police were called. But no sign of Nameless. It was as if he’d disappeared.
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The police took Gray home, and promised they would keep searching until they found Nameless. Too sad and worried to sleep, she waited all night in the window for him to return.
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The next morning, Nameless woke up in a park he’d never been to before, frightened and alone.
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A nice lady saw that he was lost, and brought him to the nearest police station.
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Nameless explained to an officer that a man had taken him from the party. The man was very gentle and treated him well, but strangely, he kept calling Nameless “Zeke”. When they got to the park, the man got very sad and said he couldn’t remember where he was going. So they stayed there, and eventually fell asleep.
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The police brought Nameless home, where Gray was waiting for him in his favorite spot: under the lemon tree. It was the happiest moment of their lives!
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Later, Nameless helped police identify the man who took him on the restaurant’s surveillance tape. It turns out the man is “sick”. Not like when you have a cold; “sick” in that he gets confused and doesn’t remember things. He had honestly mistaken Nameless for a dog he had when he was a little boy. He never meant to harm or frighten Nameless, and he felt just awful when he learned what he had done.
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Nameless found that returning to everyday life wasn’t so easy. He couldn’t sleep, remembering how frightened he was and not knowing where he was or how he was going to get home that night. Also, he felt guilty about how worried Gray was while he was gone, even though it wasn’t his fault.
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Concerned about Nameless, Gray went online and learned about something called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and encouraged him to talk to a counselor about his ordeal. Nameless agreed, but under one condition: that Gray go with him.
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With Gray by his side, Nameless talked about what had happened, and all the confusing feelings he was having as a result. The counselor listened and helped him understand everything a little better. He also suggested that Nameless might want to get out of the city and go someplace peaceful, where he could relax and recharge for a few days.
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And so Gray & Nameless headed off for the mountains, and the peace & quiet you can only find outdoors in nature.
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It was exactly what Nameless needed! He and Gray had fun climbing trees…
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… and discovering exotic plants. Of course, Gray & Nameless know better than to eat mushrooms growing in the wild!
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They took long, long naps out in the fresh air and sunshine.
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Eventually, Nameless found himself feeling strong and happy again. “I’m ready to get back to our life in the city, Gray. Let’s go home!” Gray couldn’t agree more.
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So Gray & Nameless returned to the city. That evening, they relaxed by watching one of their favorite movies, “Lady And The Tramp” — and as usual, they shared a big bowl of spaghetti afterward. “You know Gray, having lots of people and DJs and a TV camera crew is okay. But I think THIS is the best kind of party!” Once again, Gray couldn’t agree more.
no comments | tags: alzheimers, lady and the tramp, party, police, PTSD, R&R, safety, sushi | posted in The Saga of Gray & Nameless
Jan
12
2010
One night, Gray & Nameless learned that helping others is its own reward. And it can be fun!
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Gray & Nameless were excited for a long overdue dinner in Chinatown with their dear friend, Mr. Boo.
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While waiting for the bus, they decided it was such such a nice night out that they should walk.
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Suddenly it seemed like there was Mysterious Writing wherever they looked!
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“Look over here, Gray. Why, it’s everywhere!”
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“It’s as if they contain Secret Messages. Let’s decode one, Nameless!”
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Gray & Nameless concentrated so hard on decoding the Mysterious Writing, it made them dizzy!
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They soon realized that they still had a long walk ahead of them, and if they didn’t hurry they’d be late meeting Mr. Boo at his bus stop. However, they were relieved to take one more little break.
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“Look, here it it! Here comes Mr. Boo’s bus now!”
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But the bus didn’t stop. It kept right on going — and no Mr. Boo!
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They waited a while, but still no Mr. Boo. “It’s unlike him to be late, and it was raining on his side of town. Do you think he’s okay?”
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“We’d better give him a call.”
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It’s a good thing they called when they did: Mr. Boo had taken a nasty spill in the rain as he was leaving, and hurt both his legs! The ambulance was on its way to take him to the hospital.
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Gray & Nameless rushed right over to the hospital, but then hesitated to enter. “It will be sad to see others sick or in pain and not be able to help them, Nameless.” “You’re right, Gray… But we’ll be helping Mr. Boo just by letting him know we’re here for him.”
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They sat in the waiting room with other visitors, and that’s when they got the idea for the perfect way to cheer up Mr. Boo….
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Chinese takeout! They ordered from Mr. Boo’s favorite Chinatown restaurant, and dinner was delivered to them right there in the hospital. Mr Boo was very grateful for Gray & Nameless’s thoughtfulness, and felt better immediately.
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On their way home, Gray & Nameless talked about how being there for Mr. Boo not only made him feel good — it made them feel good, too! So they gave their leftover Chinese food to a poor man on the street who was hungry.
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And they took the time to hold open a big door for a nice lady in a wheelchair. Boy, that wasn’t easy!
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The next morning was unusually bright and sunny, and Gray & Nameless slept especially well after their night of helping others in need. They couldn’t wait to see what the new day had in store for them, and how they might be able to help others!
no comments | tags: charity, Chinatown, giving, graffiti, pit bulls, San Francisco | posted in The Saga of Gray & Nameless
Dec
21
2009
We love nothing more than getting in the spirit of holidays by making cards for our friends!
no comments | posted in The Saga of Gray & Nameless
