By Ann Christoph

Covid engendered a lot of changes . I no longer look like my photo in the Indy ( new headshot coming soon ). I adapted to working alone at the office , bringing my lunch instead of going home .

It saved time , and I was away from more tempting food at home . I ate less , changed food types ( almost completely gave up ice cream !) and lost weight .

Not wanting to be exposed to possible viruses at a salon , I let my hair grow very long . Whatever makeup I used before was abandoned . Masks covered our faces anyway . But more change was needed . I needed to be

stronger . John Thomas told me he had a trainer . “ But he ’ s very tough .” John ’ s skeptical expression implied that I might be unable to measure up to this tough trainer ’ s rigorous program and demands . I called the trainer , Cliff Smith , anyway . I found that he is very demanding but also very kind . I wondered , where was this drill sergeant-like person John had described , so I asked Cliff , “ Are you harder on John than on me ?” “ Of course , I am always harder on men than on women . Women are self-motivating . Men need a stronger push .”

Cliff confessed other things , like he hesitated to call me back because he had heard all these bad things about me from his other clients .

Oh dear , what were they ? I was demanding and meddlesome and always trying to have things my way . ( This was not surprising to me . My kindergarten teacher wrote on my report card , “ Ann tends to be somewhat bossy at times ,” and I probably haven ’ t changed much .) And these unnamed clients accused me of being affiliated with those evil people of Village Laguna . ( I believe those evil people have helped save Laguna , so that didn ’ t bother me either .) Probably there was more bad stuff that he was

too polite to mention . Little did I know , I was such a subject of conversation in the fitness world . . . I ’ m glad Cliff is open-minded and believes in giving everyone a chance to prove themselves . Now I get to experience his endearing , encouraging and demanding nature twice a week .

Ray Pierson was not one to make comments like the fitness clients had . His favorite refrain was , “ When are you going to run for city council again ? We need you on the council .” Barbara and Morrie Granger have regular neighborhood parties . Ray would be at every one , and every time he told me that same thing — for years ! In 2018 I did decide to run for city council . Ray was 89 by then and was having trouble getting around . But there he was at my office door — reached by climbing a flight of stone steps — handing me a $ 100 bill for my campaign . “ Thank you , Ray ,” and he was gone . I gave my treasurer the cash , and she deposited it .

Then she went to a seminar on how to be a campaign treasurer and learned we should not accept any cash .

Drat ! So we wrote Ray a check for a $ 100 refund , and I wrote a note about why we couldn ’ t take the cash and left it at his door . A couple of weeks later , he was again at my office door , having

climbed the steps again with a check for $ 100 . That is dedication .

I first met Ray when we bought our house in 1980 and needed more keys for the front door . He was a locksmith who was an expert in the locks of Laguna ’ s elderly houses . Our house had the original 1933 hardware throughout .

He duplicated the keys and checked out our locks . “ Don ’ t lose these keys ,” he emphasized . “ Those require a blank that isn ’ t made anymore , and I just had a few left .” That was my only experience of Ray other than the parties . When I was on the council in the early 90s , he never called me about any problem to be solved .

I don ’ t remember his ever testifying or writing in on any issue . Yet he had a favorable impression and was determined to support me — the opposite of my trainer ’ s clients , who had other views .

In 2014 , we were early in our fundraising campaign to purchase the South Laguna Community Garden Park and had one of our potlucks . Ray made one of the largest donations we had received at that point .

“ I don ’ t need that thousand dollars ,” he said , “ I want it to go toward the garden .” Ray died this month at 93 . Quietly endearing . Remembered .