Wednesday

Okay, I finally did what I've been meaning to do since Hector was a pup (no, Mom never used that one--I just think it's funny): 

1. I dealt with my credit card situation. 1. I called Discover, told them I want to close my account and found I have a credit of $5.75, plus a cash back reward of $4.09, so they're going to send me a check for that amount. 2. Here's the big one: I had opened a BOA Visa Unlimited Cash Back card in August and noticed--but more or less in passing--that not only did it do the cash reward thing, but if a thou is charged in the first ninety days, you got a $200 bonus. I was skeptical--yeah, sure, there's gotta be some catch--but I called and hey, mama--it's legit! On October 18, $203.00 (no, I don't know why the extra three bucks) will be added to my cash rewards. Yay!--I'll say it again as I've said it before: There's nothing like money to make people happy.  😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄 

Walked to The Market and back, so got my three miles in. I remembered that a few weeks ago, Suzanne had given me some cherry tomatoes from her garden. I tried to bite into one and found it was difficult to break through the skin; I had to cut it in half. I thought I might have the same problem with grapes, but at the store, I surreptitiously popped one into my mouth--no prob! So I bought some and enjoyed them during my hour of TV (DVD) viewing. 

What I'm watching now, incredibly enough, are excerpts from old Johnny Carson shows, given to me by Julie and taped by a friend of hers. The first few are from the sixties and are in black and white. They're actually pretty good, but I'll probably soon get tired of them and go back to movies.

Tom, the termite guy, called and the job is done; he'll send the other half of the bill and that'll be that. As for other business type things, I had sent my information to the attorney at Elder Law several weeks ago and called to set up an appointment to do the trust. Talked to what passes as the secretary--no customer relations skills whatever--and was surprised to hear he "takes care of his own." I'll have to try to contact him by email or something--or maybe just shop around for another attorney. 

Office Max, A Birthday, And Murder

Took off for Office Max (I had ordered Charmin' on-line for pick-up) about 10:00; walked the mile down Victoria to Telephone and caught a bus the rest of the way. Picked that up, then went across the street to Burlington (what they used to call "coat factory," but I think they've dropped that). I wanted to get more of the little covered casseroles I like so much. I got two, then saw two others with the sayings "Amen" and "Say Grace" on them, so I picked them up to give Suzanne for Christmas.

Bused home and spent some time copying this thirty-five year-old picture and sent it to Doris and Marilyn. This was in December, 1986, around my fiftieth birthday and, boy, was I tubby:

Doris is on my left, then cute little Joel (now approaching his fortieth!) then Marilyn and Joan Millen Hardman (she married the boy next door). I know my family was there, also other friends, but didn't feel like scanning other pics.   

After lunch, I walked to the Hill Street library branch to pick up Portrait of a Monster, about the guy who murdered at least two young woman. I just watched the DVD, Natalee Hollowway, about the murder in Aruba, which he surely committed. The library also has books for sale, so for two bucks, I bought one of the history of philosophy. I'll dip in here and there and may be able to talk intelligibly with Jim sometime.

When I got home, I pared four big potatoes (I still have plenty of my five pounds left), then boiled them on the stove and whipped with milk and butter. I had some with dinner and boy, were they good. The rest I put in one of my neat little casseroles, and froze for later. 

Old Friends, Vaccines, And More Eliot

A good day, because active and engaging.  After breakfast, about 9:00, I called my old pal, Doris Goodenough. Doris had worked the library at Rider when I was still in the support ranks. We had a falling out--over something petty, can't even remember what--and I haven't had any contact with her for certainly, more than twenty years. We were good chums for quite a while, though, and I just started thinking about her.  We had a great, hour-long talk. She used to go back and forth between Lawrenceville and where she now lives all year in Chincoteague, Virginia, but just sold the house in Jersey. Anyway, it was great fun--we brought each other up to date on family--I knew her other son, Michael, too--and she now has a four-year-old grandson. She asked me to send Koushin's picture, which I did via email. Doris then called me a few hours later to chat again. This time, she asked me to send pictures of Vivian and Violet, which I will. 

Later, I called our mutual friend, Marilyn Machmer, to tell her and we caught up with each other, too. Marilyn graduated from Westminster before Rider bought it and is an organist, besides still being with the state. It's hard to believe, but Marilyn is now 65, not much older than my oldest child. I always felt such an affinity with her; she's one of the most guileless and good-hearted people I know. Her fiancé, Sam, died suddenly quite  few years ago and what a blow for Marilyn. Anyway, we had a wonderful catch-up and I hope to see her when I get to Jersey--still hoping that will be in October. 

After my first talk with Doris, I walked to the CVS at the Smart 'n' Final shopping center and got my Pfizer booster. I was asked if I wanted a flu shot, too, and sure, why not?  Got both, bought some Romaine and a spaghetti squash, then stopped at The Dollar Tree for two more cute little containers. Home, I did a fair amount of food prep, including preparing the squash and a baked apple. I then moved several things around and finally hit on a nice way to store and display my beans, rice, pasta, and so on:

 

I may get some more containers, though, as I think there's too much white. What is it? No-calorie sweetener. I put a small amount on my oatmeal every morning, but I think I bought too much of it. I also switched around a few other things and even put my "prosperity tree" on the patio.

I'm continuing to study The Wasteland, and was bemused that Eliot wrote the following about teeth. I CAN RELATE!

When Lil’s husband got demobbed, I said—

I didn’t mince my words, I said to her myself,

HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME

Now Albert’s coming back, make yourself a bit smart.

He’ll want to know what you done with that money he gave you

To get yourself some teeth. He did, I was there.

You have them all out, Lil, and get a nice set,

He said, I swear, I can’t bear to look at you.

And no more can’t I, I said, and think of poor Albert,

He said, I swear, I can’t bear to look at you.

And no more can’t I, I said, and think of poor Albert,

He’s been in the army four years, he wants a good time,

And if you don’t give it him, there’s others will, I said.

Oh is there, she said. Something o’ that, I said.

Then I’ll know who to thank, she said, and give me a straight look.

HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME

If you don’t like it you can get on with it, I said.

Others can pick and choose if you can’t.

But if Albert makes off, it won’t be for lack of telling.

You ought to be ashamed, I said, to look so antique.

(And her only thirty-one.)

I can’t help it, she said, pulling a long face,

It’s them pills I took, to bring it off, she said.

(She’s had five already, and nearly died of young George.)

The chemist said it would be all right, but I’ve never been the same.

You are a proper fool, I said.

Well, if Albert won’t leave you alone, there it is, I said,

What you get married for if you don’t want children?

HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME

Well, that Sunday Albert was home, they had a hot gammon,

And they asked me in to dinner, to get the beauty of it hot—

HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME

HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME

Goonight Bill. Goonight Lou. Goonight May. Goonight.

Ta ta. Goonight. Goonight.

Good night, ladies, good night, sweet ladies, good night, good night.

              

Avocados, Olivia, and T.S. Eliot

A reasonably okay Sunday, but nothing to write home about (another of my mother's old-timey sayings!). I did complete the crossword, which for some weird reason, always pleases me. Did a bleach wash while I was having breakfast, then gathered up the trash and recycle to take them to the bins. When I walked out, I found an inscripted paper bag at my doorstep:

From my neighbor, Olivia, whose sister has an avocado grove. She's given me some before, but not four at a time. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to use them all, so I walked around to Vickie's and gave her one, then rang Suzanne's bell and ditto. She asked me in and we chatted for a half hour or so. It seems her third niece (in Washington State) has COVID, but the other two in Idaho are recovering.

I messaged niece Carolyn to see when she could bring Betty for lunch. She and husband are going to Texas next week for his aunt's funeral, so we settled on Wednesday, October 6th. That should be equal parts fun and gruesome. 

Bused to town after lunch. Just strolled Main Street, which was very crowded, although it was overcast. It gives me a lift to see people enjoying themselves.

For some reason, I started reading T.S. Eliot on the laptop. I was never a big fan of his, but read Prufrock, then The Wasteland.  It's the one that starts with "April is the cruellest month...." Everybody knows that quote, but few know where it's from.  Some of his stuff is pretty obscure, but some I like a lot, i.e.:

 

Here is no water but only rock

Rock and no water and the sandy road

The road winding above among the mountains

Which are mountains of rock without water

If there were water we should stop and drink

Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think...

Saturday

Thank the powers that be, I slept well for a change and got up late--for me--at seven. After breakfast, I walked over to CVS for two birthday cards, then to Von's for apples and other stuff. 

I called my brother, Larry, in Florida, and we had a good talk. I was surprised when he told me about the "Catholic Hospice" there. They are providing all kinds of services for Helen, including--incredibly--respite care. They'll actually transport Helen by ambulance to a nursing home for eight days and Larry can be free of his caregiver duties for that time--and recipients can take advantage of this every thirty days! They do this even though Helen does not have to be declared dying and although Larry is well off. I'm hoping he takes advantage of this and can come here sometime.

I got out of the freezer the sandwiches left over from when Julie and Noreen were here and arranged them on a platter. Also retrieved what was left of the apple crisp. When Jim got here for lunch, he ate four halves, so two ham and swiss cheese sandwiches, also a large bowl of the apple crisp.  Strangely, he said he had never heard of it before. I take it his mother wasn't much of a cook. Anyway, as the old saying was, we had a good talkfest. I showed him some of the books I'm reading and we discussed them. Today, he's going to a group at someone's house to discuss the book he wrote for his classes, The Origins of Philosophy, which he gave me years ago. I'll have to look it over again. 

After Jim left, I actually lay down and took a nap of about an hour. I know why I was sleepy: because instead of beer with lunch, I had two glasses of red. However, I was fine when I got up. Went out to get the mail and found a letter from my darling granddaughter, Vivian. She brought me up to date on her scholastic and almost-dating life (the boy and she, she wrote, are "still in the talking stage," although she thinks we'll be dating pretty soon). She including a picture of the boy (Cosmo), as well as one of herself and four friends at a birthday party. What I would have given for a life like hers when I was a senior in high school! I video-PMed her Dad, Mike, and said hello to the whole family, including Violet, 13, to whom I'll write next.

  

T.O.P.S. And The IPA I DON'T Like

At home, I was 128.4 for a gain of 1.4; at T.O.P.S., I was 126.9, a loss (according to our weigh-person, Bobbi) of .06. I can't even figure all that out, myself.  The meeting was okay, I guess. Lennie is back, but in a few weeks, she's going to a Scrabble tournament in Idaho or somewhere exotic like that. The meeting lasted pretty long--until almost 10:00--but I was patient this time.

I called Primary Medical to try to get a referral for an ophthalmologist. When I finally heard back from Natalie, the referral person, I was told I HAD to go to Miramar, because I have Seaview IPA. What the hell? The only IPA I'm interested in is Indian Pale Ale, my favored beer.  The doc I wanted to switch to, takes Blue Shield--yet I can't go there?   It's unbelievable that insurance companies have such control, and I'm steaming about it. I was on the phone, yet again, with CVS Caremark, about the continuing problem, which I fervently hope, is now resolved. 

Walked to The Market and Wal-Mart after lunch, just to pick up a few things. As soon as I got home, I chopped up three onions, half to stir-fry for dinner, half to stow in the freezer. Made the stir-fry, adding peppers and garlic, and it was delish. 

Julie left me a voice mail to the effect that she had given her friend, Margaret, my phone number. It seems Margaret was going to be buying tickets to see My Fair Lady and wanted to invite me.  I assume it's on stage, but I'm not sure where. My first impulse was to jump at the chance, but there are complications, one being I'm still not sure when I'll be going to Jersey. The second? I don't really like Margaret, although I was awed to hear she had sung in Andrea Bocelli's backup chorus in Vegas. Well, we'll see.  

Jim called to say he had forgotten he can't come on Sunday for lunch, as he has another commitment--he asked how today looked. Said I'd talk to Ellen and let him know. Did so, and yes, Greg is working, so I told Jim to come today. I got out of the freezer the sandwiches I had leftover from when I had Julie and Noreen over, plus what was left of the apple crisp. With a glass of red, that'll be a good lunch for both of us. 

 

Thursday

Suzanne and I stepped outside our doors (about two feet apart) at exactly 9:00 and off we went to WinCo. I stopped in first at The Dollar Tree to get new measuring cups and there I saw some darling little containers and bought four of them. Back at WinCo, I got a lot of heavy stuff: five pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, five pounds of grapefruit, and an eight-bottle group of Diet 7Up. Also got paper towels and a few other things. I was able to get in the door with them, though, and was especially pleased with the grapefruit, since I switched from tangerines with breakfast to them.

I had a horrendous time on the phone with CVSCaremark. I get my prescriptions from them and there was a big mix up I don't want even to repeat, involving my former email address and blah, blah, blah. I don't think it's resolved even now and will probably have to call them again--damn! 

Vacuumed and swept the floors, then emptied the dirt devil and Shark on the patio. Galvanized, I did a few other household chores before lunch. After, I got my cart and headed off over the footbridge for the little lending library in the park. I hadn't been there for several weeks and I wanted to see if they had any good books, plus I had one I had finished and three DVDs to donate. As I entered the park, I was so pleased to see my old friend, Diane. We stopped and talked for a half hour or so. She told me that our mutual friend, Irene, is happily recovered from surgery (she had had a malignant tumor on her kidney) and they still walk the park every morning. 

I went on, then stopped at a bench to call Jim. We talked for fifteen or so and yes, he'll come for lunch on Sunday. Home and I transferred a lot of staples (red beans, black beans, white rice, and brown rice) into the darling little containers, then washed the big ones and filled them with pasta, brown sugar, and oyster crackers. I think the kitchen looks nicer and it frees up a bit more of counter space, too. 

Wednesday

Julie picked me up at 9:00 and off we went to the farmers' market. I bought broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, all organic (although I don't follow that custom) at about--oh, three times the price I'd pay at The Market. We then went to Trader Joe's, where I got swordfish, shrimp burgers, and mac and cheese made with--get this: not pasta, but butternut squash. Hey, I was intrigued and am looking forward to trying it.

Julie told me about a wonderful ravioli they make with ricotta and lemon zest--did I want to get some? No, I told her, I'd wait on that. As she put her bags in the truck, I returned her cart. When I got home, I found a package of the ravioli in my bag.  I called and left a message of thanks, but in truth, I wish she hadn't done that. I'm not sure if she's rolling in dough and/or thinks I'm barely scraping through and/or has a major inferiority complex, but she has often done things like this and it makes me uncomfortable in a variety of ways. I could elaborate on this, but I'll leave it there.

Suzanne stopped in to show me pictures of her great-niece in Iowa (or Idaho--same damn place to me) and we discussed the fact that baby's parents refused the vaccine, then both got COVID. However, they're fine now. She asked if I wanted to go to WinCo this morning and yes, indeedy. I need some bulky and/or heavy things, so will appreciate the ride.

Bused to town and took a DVD back to the library, then sat down and starting reading a book called A Matter of Death and Life. It's non-fiction and written by a husband and wife, he an emeritus professor at Stanford, she an author. Both have published a number of books; this one is jointly authored and about her dying and his living. 

Home and I washed and cut the fresh carrots, trimmed the broccoli, and prepared the swordfish to be roasted in the oven. Oh, yum, what a terrific dinner!  

 

Luncheon

The luncheon was quite a success, I'm happy to say.  Noreen and Julie enjoyed it and so did I. 

After breakfast, I tackled the apple crisp. It took a while to pare and core six apples, but my good ol' Chop Wizard made the chopping a breeze. Combined the ingredients, put them in my large pie pan (it's actually ceramic), and left it on the counter until time to put it in.  

Made the ham and swiss sandwiches on French bread and put the crystal pickles in a dish. I had intended to serve deviled eggs, too, but couldn't get the damn shells off without taking half the white with it. This happens when the eggs are too fresh, so I'll use them for something else. I added my homemade stewed tomatoes to the meal instead.

Julie got here at 12:30, bringing me a nice bottle of chianti. She and I sat and drank Margaritas until Noreen came about 1:00. The three of us then chatted for a half hour or so before I served the meal. It was enjoyed, I know, and certainly, the good talk was. They stayed until about 3:30 and I walked them out. Julie asked if I wanted to go to the farmers' market this morning, and I do; will meet her out front at 9:00.

I'd love to have other little luncheons--or even dinner parties--with more than just two guests, but most of the people I know seem to still be afraid. 

Monday

Still pretty busy. Did a load of wash in the morning, then dusted and mopped the floor, and got out the dishes I want to use for my little luncheon today. My dental appointment was at 1:15, so I had an early lunch--which consisted of a hard-boiled egg and cottage cheese on bread. Rushed out and got the bus and arrived at Dr. B.'s office at 12:30--45 minutes early and they close for lunch.

Actually, that turned out to be a good thing: There was a sign on the door of ophthalmologist who had been next door to the effect that he had moved across the street. I walked over and asked if they too Blue Shield and yes, they do, so great--this will be a more convenient place for me to go.

Went back to the office at 1:15 and the dental technician took me right away. His name is Dave and the cleaning took a full hour. Ellen called later and she was amazed--her cleanings take about fifteen minutes. (But you see, the difference is that she had taken care of her teeth.) Anyway, Dave is a neat guy. He's 53, used to live in Vermont and his wife is seven years older than he is, and I heard lots more. I guess some people would be annoyed at that, but I loved it.  I questioned him about doesn't he think it's weird to be looking in people's mouths all the time, but he said no, it's different when it's your profession. He also gave me information about what tarter is and how it forms from plaque, plus saliva, plus bacteria, and so on. Fascinating. 

Walked back to the transit center and hopped a bus to town. There, I stopped into one of my favorite shops and bought six Margarita glasses--everybody needs six Margarita glasses, don't they? Home about 4:00 and I went right over to Von's to get stuff for today. I'm duplicating the Frenchified lunch I served Suzanne, Vickie, and Mary: French bread with ham and swiss cheese, red and white wine, and I'm going to make a apple crisp today. Got vanilla caramel swirl ice cream to go on top.

When I got home, I emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the stove, and generally tidied up. I then sat down to yet another weird meal--rice and two kinds of squash--and read more of one of the best books ever: The United States of War, by a professor at American University named David Vine. I'm going to get in touch with him soon. 

Sunday

Spent the morning stowing things away, cleaning up a bit, and otherwise doing busywork. I found a clipping of HSHS football, featuring Pat from--oh, seventy-three years ago, which I posted on Facebook.

Jim came at 1:00, as usual, and we had lunch. Talked over different subjects, including dentists and I suggested he may want to look at Dr. Babbitt's web site. Also mentioned Yelp. It didn't surprise me that he had never heard of it. He asked me to write it down and, presumably, he'll look into it. 

Noreen called to say she had a pinochle lesson at noon, so would be late for lunch tomorrow, which I had thought would be 12:30. No problem, as Julie and I can just chat when she gets her--and maybe indulge in a Margarita, too 😁.  

I had intended to catch a ride with Jim to the transit center, then go on into town, but I changed my mind. It's usually pretty busy on Sundays, plus the bus schedule is pared down, so I skipped it. Said goodbye to Jim about 3:30 and just did a few other chores.  

I was stunned to see in my bank account that $600 had been added, a "stimulus" grant from the government. But why me? I have no problem with money, unlike others who may have lost their jobs, are bringing up children, and/or have huge financial problems. I wonder if Bill Gates gets one, too.

Saturday

 Walked to The Market, then Wal-Mart in the morning. This time, I almost overbought. I had four pounds of tomatoes, a pound of onions, a large container of oatmeal (not the instant kind), shampoo, 500 sheets of copy paper, and assorted other items. I couldn't even get my purse in the cart, so had to carry it "overbody." However, I got a bus home and didn't have too much of a problem.

Jim called to say he thinks he has solved his tax problem, but to thank Michelle and tell her he'll ask her to do his taxes next time. We talked for a long time, as he has to fax something and he didn't know where he could do that. I looked it up for him and found Staples charges the least (1.50) and FedEx the most ($2.00). I asked him over for lunch today and yes, he'll be here.

Other than that, I did plenty of food prep: Followed the tomato/onion/garlic/oil and vinegar routine, roasted and stowed them in the fridge.  I decided to serve crystal pickles when the girls are here on Tuesday, so sliced, seasoned, and froze those ingredients, as directed. Hard-boiled some eggs; I'll make sandwiches for Jim and me today, and will hard-boil more for deviled eggs on Tuesday. I wanted to make applesauce in the slow cooker, but didn't get around to coring, paring, and slicing yet. 

Suzanne rang my bell to show me her new exercise bike. It's a gift for her longevity at St. John's (35 years) and she has it on her patio. We sat and chatted for a bit and enjoyed our neighbor status.  

Went over to Von's for red and white wines, plus individual bottles of Margaritas. I had intended to buy the ingredients for "the best Margaritas ever," according to Jim. But they include the tequila, of course, triple sec, and several other things and frankly, I don't feel like spending that kind of money on booze. The made- up kind is good enough and that's what I bought. I still don't know what dessert I'll serve the girls on Tuesday, but am leaning toward an apple crisp. 

Friday

First came T.O.P.S., of course, and only Julie and Bobbi showed up. As for the weight, my home scale read 127, a one pound loss, but the T.O.P.S. scale read 127.5, a 0.4 gain. Weird, but I'm not concerned. I had prepared a quiz, which I gave to the two members, then we discussed their answers.

SO-FI had sent me an email to the effect that they were having a takeaway breakfast for residents. It was a promotion for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, but I didn't have any money with me. I was surprised that it was pretty lavish. Not only was plenty of good coffee offered (that's all I took), but they had Danish, bagels, and a few other things. I invited Julie to have some--why not?--and she took a bagel. When I said I didn't have any money with me, she put something in the pot and said, "This is from both of us." Holy Hannah, it was a twenty dollar bill! I would have dropped in maybe two bucks and, frankly, I'm not happy about reimbursing Julie ten dollars. She also gave me a homemade DVD--Helen Mirren in The Queen. A friend of hers had recorded it and she said she didn't want it anymore. I really don't care for docu-dramas when so much actual footage of the queen herself is so available. I feel the same way about books; I want to read factual or fictional, not a hybrid of both. BTW, I asked manager Bianca for two apples, saying I would make applesauce, and she gave me six of them--great! 

Asked Julie for lunch on Tuesday and called Noreen for the same when I got home. They're both coming and if I can think of somebody else compatible, I'll ask her, too.

Breakfast late, of course, then I took a bus to the transit center and went across the street to a little shop I like. I bought a blouse and looked for Margarita glasses, but didn't see any. I'm determined to make them from scratch with the recipe Jim gave me.

Got home about 4:00 and did a kind of not-really-up-to-me chore. Some of the neighbors have gotten in the habit of letting their dogs play unleashed on the big grassy area between my building and the next. It's not permitted there, of course, but they do it, anyway, although there's a dog run within the compound. The dogs had been playing with stuffed animals there and, of course, managed to split one open. The result was that tufts of white stuffing were scattered all over the grass.  That was unsightly, so I went out with a bag and spent fifteen minutes picking it up. Took it and the squirrel it came out of to the dumpster. Met Gordon on the way and we had a good chat. He's exactly the same age as Ellen, just turned 58, and is an aspiring musician. He plays classical guitar, among other instruments, and performs daily dialysis on himself at home. Really neat guy.

Jim emailed me "thank you thank you thank you" in response to the tax board info I sent him. I'm not sure if he called Michelle, but should hear from him soon. 

I'm trying to think of something to serve for dessert on Tuesday. Both Julie and Noreen are members of T.O.P.S., so maybe I should go with some kind of fruit compote. On the other hand, they might want to deviate from the straight and narrow on occasion, as I do, so maybe a blueberry buckle. What I don't want is to have any left over, so may go with my old standby, homemade pudding. Hmm...

 

Thursday

I spent time on-line and on the phone fighting with Target and Office Max. I think the first is resolved, but not sure about the second.

Went over to the office to ask Bianca about the new fees for paying with debit and credit cards, but because I have those taken directly from my checking account, they don't apply to me. Also, I forgot I have my apartment lease just on-line, so asked her to email me a copy (it's more than fifty pages long, which is why I never printed it out). She also informed me that, because it expires on February 6, 2022, I'd be getting a renewal notice in November, which will inform me of a 9% increase. Actually, I'm okay with this--new people coming in are paying up to a thousand more a month than I do and I thought it would go up much higher.

Jim came at his usual 1:00 and we had a good lunch. As ever, he had wine, I had a beer, then we shared the small bit of Skinny Girl Margarita left from when El brought a bottle over. Good talk, then he left about 3:30. Two hours later, I got a call from him. He had received a notice from the California Franchise Office saying he owed money. He was very upset, had no idea what it was all about, and thought I might know. No, of course I didn't, so he asked for contact information for my tax accountant. It's Michelle, who has been doing my taxes since I moved to California. Naturally, I suggested he call the office first and he will today. I then called Michelle to see if she'd talk to him and she will, so I called him back to give him her number. Of course, he intends to pay her, but I also looked on-line to see if there was free tax help, especially for the elderly. Well, there is, but none of them seem to be operating now. I'll look further today.  

I finished up the T.O.P.S. meeting stuff, which I'll conduct in an hour or so. I think this will be my last, as why the hell should I be the sub leader all the time? Let somebody else do it for a change. Unfortunately, Sharon won't be here, so as happened before, it may only be three of us. 

 

Jim, Julie, and John Steinbeck

Jim called at 8:00 am, asking "did I wake you?" Ha--he should know better. Anyway, he called to ask when we could get together and he'll be over today. Gee, that's three lunch dates this week--I'll have to see about filling in the rest of the week 😁.

I got an email from SO-FI (they should change the name to SOBs) apartments to the effect that we're now going to be assessed a fee for paying rent and other charges by credit and debit cards. Un-friggin'-believable! 

Sharon called to tell me she wouldn't be able to come to T.O.P.S. on Friday. Hmm...that means there'll probably be only Bobby and Julie, besides me. What a drag.

Speaking of Julie, I had a good day with her. She picked me up at noon and we went to the farmers' market. I didn't get as much as last week, but bought a squash and tomatoes. Meant to buy more peaches, but just forgot. We went from there to Aloha for lunch. I had their good white roughy, rice, plus, of course, a Chef Peak. Had a nice leisurely meal, sharing our backgorunds. We then walked The Promenade to the estuary and back, about a mile and a half. From there, we went to first, Office Max, so I could get ink, then across the street to WinCo. I completed my grocery shopping--spinach, broccoli, and so on--then home. 

I finished watching East of Eden. Not only did I find the acting stilted, I thought the the story line was badly done. It failed to flesh out several characters, didn't resolve the conflict between Cal and Aaron, and made Abra look like a two-timer. I'm half tempted to read the book, but I never enjoyed Steinbeck, although I've been in the house where he grew up--twice.

Paper Work, Patti, and James Dean

Finally, at long last, I got most of my paper/electronic work done. I finished the info about the trust, added the house deed, and another paper, and copied everything for my files. Found a big enough envelope and prepared it. I also filled out my mail-in vote--the silly crapola that goes on in politics!--plus an envelope from Primary Medical which was actually for one J. Demayo. I called and was asked to send it back; did so.

The fun part of the day was talking with my friend, Patti, in Jersey. We actually talked for one hour and twenty-three minutes--from 9:04 to 10:27! Well, we had weighty things to discuss: Muckie's major   changes, the Nu-Step, and the peculiar traits of the men in our lives, among many others. Beforehand, I had stripped the bed, re-made it, and done a white and a color wash. 

Finished just before lunch (I still have to complete other financial stuff), ate, then walked to the post office. Dropped off what I was mailing, bought stamps, then--on impulse--jumped on the 6 bus that was just arriving and went to The Marker. I didn't get anything there except pretzels, as I didn't have my cart and couldn't carry much.

Also, I did something yesterday I've never done before: went out without my phone, which I left charging. I had forgotten to look earlier and was alarmed to see it was at only four percent, so I left it charging when I went out. When I got home, I found a message from manager Bianca that somebody had found my debit card and turned it into the office. Damn, I didn't even miss it!   

I decided to skip the P. T. workshop; just didn't feel like getting the two buses and leaving an hour ahead to be there at 5:30. Besides, it's getting dark earlier and I'm not very familiar with the area. No harm done, I guess.

On Facebook, there was a great video tribute to Joe LaRocca by the Erector Contractor organization he founded. I tried to contact Rider's public relations department, but didn't even see it on the web site. I emailed the university and hope to hear back. Joe graduated from Rider in 1955...

...speaking of which, I'm in the middle of watching East of Eden which, incredibly, came out at the same time, sixty-six years ago. I consciously note acting styles and am intrigued by the changes from that time. James Dean's studied, twitchy portrayal, with the facial mannerisms and nutty jumping around are about as natural as Michael Jackson's nose. The other players, too, show the Actors Studio veneer--in great vogue at the time--but not to such an extent. However, I guess I'll go on to the finish. I'm toying with the idea of re-reading the book, but no--I just can't go back to Steinbeck.            

But happy day: I slept wonderfully--just got up at my preferred 6:30--yay!

Monday

I spent much of the morning preparing some T.O.P.S. stuff for Noreen. I added the pictures and rhymes I had used, plus a few weight-related writings. Just as a joke, I put in my before (204 pounds) and after  (127). Put it all in a large envelope and took off for the bus.

Noreen was sitting in the outside area when I got there at 1:00. I was glad to see her, as I like her so much. She hasn't had an easy time of it with the death of her son and some physical problems, but she's pretty cheerful. I was a little hesitant about what to order, but settled for a soup and half sandwich combo. The soup was creamy and very good. The sandwich consisted of cheese, tomato, and raw red onion. I thought sure I couldn't manage the last, but I was able to bite, chew, and eat it fine.

Naturally, we talked and talked--a lot about our childhood religions. Noreen was raised Baptist, of all things, and now has somewhat hazy ideas about an afterlife, a god who listens to prayers, and so on. Since she lost her son last year, she says she's sometimes depressed, but she does have other interests, including two huge Weimaraners, which would probably scare the hell out of me. It occurred to  me that I'd like to have a little ladies luncheon, so I asked Noreen if she would come if I invited her. (You never know if someone might be uneasy inside with others) and she said she would love to. Good, and I'll ask Julie, tomorrow when we go out. That leaves another seat and I'm trying to think of who would be compatible. Not sure yet. We went over the T.O.P.S. stuff I had brought and she was very grateful. Said goodbye about 3:00 and I went down Main to get the bus. 

While I was on my way, my cousin, Sally, from San Diego called. She said she'd like to come see me and Betty in October. Sure thing, but we'll have to coordinate in light of my trip to Jersey, which will probably be in October, too. Sally's going to Florida to see her daughter tomorrow and will call when she gets back. 

Ellen called after dinner to discuss me taking her and Greg out for dinner. He's going to Colorado for a few days, so we postponed until next week. 

Note: Darn, I had a terribly sleepless night. Awoke about 3:30, tossed and turned until 5:00, when I got up. I intend to clean up all my paper and desk work today, so will try to take a nap.

Sunday

Awoke and got up at 5:00, although I prefer another ninety minutes. Usual Sunday, crossword okay, and oatmeal good. Took off for The Market a bit after 10:00--walked there, shopped, then went a few more blocks to Wal-Mart. As I often do, bused part of the way back, so I guess I got about two and a half in.

I spent the next hour or so on food prep: washed, microwaved, and cleaned squash, cut up some of my leftover beets and carrots, diced lettuce, added all that to my salad, along with crab meat and a hard-boiled egg. I was about to sit down when Suzanne rang my bell, so lunch could wait. Ever an interested friend, she wanted to know how my day at Carolyn's had turned out. She knew I had been apprehensive about it and was relieved when I said it was a wonderful day. I told her a bit about it and the conversation somehow segued into the fact that her brother is the champion fisherman of Idaho--seriously. He was in some kind of contest and won for the state (caught the most salmon or something), and will compete in Georgia. Interesting!

Off she went, I had lunch, then tried to decide if I should take a nap. No, dint wanna. Instead, I snagged a bus to the mall to see if Macy's, Penney's, or Target had Vassarette undergarments. According to the Internet, all did, but I checked at each of them and they didn't. Maybe I'll order them on-line.

I was pleased to get a call from Jim, who asked how my day with the siblings had gone. Really well, I said, and we had a good talk. After that, Noreen called, asking for ideas for a T.O.P.S. group she's in (not the same as mine). After an annoying interlude with her non-functioning phone, we had a good talk and decided to meet for lunch today at Dargan's. I'll bring her some of the things I did in our group.

Called Carolyn to thank her again for the wonderful day--if partly in Bizzaro Land--on Saturday and we had a good chat. Decided that one of these days, she'd bring Betty here and I'll have them for lunch. (Ha, ha, that always sounds as if I'm going to roast and serve them! Mimi, you're an idiot.)

Family

I regretted not getting my hair trimmed on Friday, so decided to rush over to Great Clips (right in the Von's shopping center) after breakfast. Walked in shortly after 9:00 and was taken almost immediately. Lourdes  did a pretty good job, it looks okay, and you just can't beat the convenience: I was back home at 9:30.

Heard from Carolyn and Ellen about getting to Santa Barbara; C. asked us to come about 3:00 and El said she'd pick me up an hour earlier. I prepared the things I'm taking, which included the coffee pot I had borrowed from El, plus the "Frank Book," plus the crystal pickles I had made the other day. 

Spent time on the this machine looking for the picture Mike had mentioned showing him, his friend, Steve, Betty and me at a computer fair at what was then Trenton State. I've been looking all through the  pictures (there are hundreds and hundreds) here and I've come to the conclusion I never copied it. I know I still have the original 8 by 10, but haven't come up with it yet. I'm going to keep looking. 

El picked me up and we got to Carolyn's at 3:00--what a wonderful day we had! As soon as we walked in to hugs and kisses, Carolyn and Francine wished Ellen a happy birthday. I had El I wouldn't mention it, but Carolyn already knew. 

Frank and Betty were sitting side by side on the couch and I sat down to chat with them--rather, respond to nonsense, but oh, well. I gave Frank the book I had made and he sort of went through it; as I knew would happen, Francine enjoyed it more than he did. Carolyn's husband, Dana, and children, Finn and Claire, were there, too, as was Calvin--you can't party without him! (He's clumsy, though--he knocked over over glass of something on the coffee table wagging his tail.)

We all talked and laughed and laughed and talked. Ellen and Carolyn sat at the piano playing a kind of duet at the piano. What fun to see the cousins interact!

 

Carolyn then set up on her laptop some wonderful old home movies from her brother, Wes, taken by their Dad. We're talking movies here, not videos, as these were from fifty to sixty years ago. They took place mostly at Betty's, Mom's, and  my houses and featured various members of the extended family, a wonderful experience. Here was Mike as a toddler, Ellen as a baby, niece Joan as a teenager, Betty and me as slender young matrons. What was eerie was seeing Mom close to the same age my oldest child is now. My husband, Pat, was there, a young and handsome father; so was Wes Senior, with no inkling, of course, that he had less than a decade to live.    

Francine brought me up to date on her own family:  husband, Charlie, who is an associate professor of sociology at  Holy Name College in Oakland, and her three boys, the oldest of whom goes to Berkeley and will be twenty tomorrow. In between times, Betty or Frank would mention something and we'd listen and concur without the slightest knowledge of what they were talking about.

I had brought crystal pickles and Carolyn made a good salad, then Dana went out for pizza and that was a yummy casual dinner. I was so surprised and grateful when Carolyn brought out a tiramisu with three candles and we all sang happy birthday to Ellen. Pictures were taken; I'll ask Carolyn to send me hers later, but the one above and this one are all I took:

Betty and Frank seated,

Carolyn, me, Ellen, and Francine standing

We left about 7:00 after a full day, joyous, melancholy, and fun, all  mixed together.  Sad--no, tragic--as it is to see my siblings' decline, I'm aware of my remarkable luck in being born into this family.  

 

Lennie, Sharon, Muckie, Pat, Jim, Joe, And Others

So my home scale and the one at T.O.P.S. continue to differ. At the former, I was 128 for a gain of .06; the latter had me a 127.1 for a loss of .09. Natch, I'll take the second.

The usual at the meeting: Lennie unprepared, Sharon going on and on and on and on...., the rest of us just enduring it. I conducted my little before and after picture game and they seemed to enjoy it. Only five were there--I suspect new member, Margaret, won't be continuing, as she hasn't been here two weeks in a row. Anyway, it lasted until 10:00, an hour and a half, which, by my reckoning, is much too long. Lennie again will be away next week, so I'll conduct. Julie will take minutes.

We were almost finished when Jim called. I had invited him for lunch today, but he said he had something he had to do. Now he said that was cancelled, so did I still want him to come? Well, sure. When I got home, I changed, then started off for Von's to pick up a few things. As I reached the center of the complex my phone rang and who was it but Muckie Datesman? I was so happy to hear from her and we talked for a full hour--Von's could wait. 

The gist of Muckie's news is that she had had emergency gall bladder surgery at the end of August, then was in rehab at Betty Bacharach, then sold her house in Linwood (son Matthew, she said, did most of the work)--incredibly, with an enormous amount of things still in it--and moved permanently to Charlottesville, Virginia. Whew! It's a lot to absorb and adjust to for her, of course, but she's happy and I'm thrilled for her. I don't think Betty knows (or, maybe, would get the gist) or Carolyn, but possibly they do, as Muckie said she's spoken to Pat Hayes, so she may have informed them. Anyway, it was great to hear from her. I always liked Muckie a lot and still do, of course. Maybe when I'm in Jersey in October, I'll plan a trip to see her. Texted our mutual friend, Pat Rogers to share this, but haven't yet heard back from her (hint, hint). 

I prepared lunch for Jim and me and had it ready when he called again to say he'd be late, as he was on the phone with the technical people at the college. They were trying to help him figure out some technical problem for his class. I didn't mind, as I had had such a late breakfast--in fact, eating later suited me fine. He came about 2:30 and we had lunch and our good talk. He stayed until 3:30, then I asked him to drop me off at the mall--thought I'd go to Target. However, when I got there, I went across the street to The Bargain Box instead. They're only open until four, but I got a little succulent plant for Ellen, then just bused home, then went to Von's.

I was so very sorry to hear from his daughter that Joe LaRocca, who graduated from Rider in 1955, has died. I visited him only six weeks ago, as recorded in my blog entry of July 9. Glad I got to see him then. I sent Donna a condolence comment on Facebook and will copy my entry for her. I hope the funeral is around here, so I can go.

Just thought I'd this pic of my family from about forty-five years ago. They all look so grouchy! I put it on Facebook and someone asked if it was a limo. I was amazed when son Patrick noted that it was a 197X Chevrolet Bel Air. I hadn't remembered that car at all, but he did. 

See that little rascal in the red coat? I was happily surprised last night to get a Messenger Video call from him and his darling daughters in Singapore. Had a great time talking to them.

HORRENDOUS!

The morning was nothing special. I told Tom, the termite guy, to go ahead, emailed tenants to tell them he'd be in touch, filled out the contract, added a check for the deposit, and sent it off. Otherwise, I cleared up a few hanging things. Showered and washed my hair--I may or may not have it cut today--and dressed for the doctor appointment. 

After that was the MOST HORRENDOUS EXPERINCE OF MY LIFE!  (Okay, maybe not the most, but close to it.) I had requested the Access Van to get me to my 3:40 appointment. As usual, I was told they'd be here between certain times--in this case, from 2;58 to 3:10. On the day of, got the usual call that it would pick me up in ten minutes. Went out and waited. And waited. I started to get concerned when fifteen had passed by and there was no sign of the van. Called and was told they were "trying to get you a driver."  What? It seems somebody had called in sick and nobody else was available. WHAT??? I called the doctor's office and was told they'd wait only ten minutes for somebody to come to their appointment. Access Van person then called back to say the van would be there in--well, sometime. At that point, I saw Suzanne coming back from the pool. I hailed her, she said she'd drive me, and I call doc's office and was told if I could get there in fifteen, I'd be taken. 

Damn, Suzanne wanted to change out of her bathing suit first and she did, which delayed us. Long story short, we got there, I rushed in, and was told I was five minutes too late. AAGH! Had to make another  appointment--next one, A MONTH AWAY, on October 8--damn, damn, and double damn! When I got back in Suzanne's car, I was fit to be tied (my mother's expression, of course). Suzanne saw my distress--I was furious and showing it--and said we needed a glass of wine. 

YES, that's exactly what I needed, anyway--Suzanne drinks only non-alcoholic beer.  So when we go home, we sat on our mutual front walk with our pretend beer and real wine and talked and talked. We ranged over 9/11, her brother's Downs Syndrome, and other topics we found interesting. It calmed me, the missed appointment really wasn't some kind of major disaster, and I simmered down.

The important thing was, I realized how lucky I was to have what I have, including somebody like Suzanne for a neighbor. 

Wednesday

Julie picked me up at 9:00 and off we went to the Farmers' Market at the mall. I went a little nuts with plant foods. Bought carrots, beets, squash, peaches, and cucumbers. I love buying produce from the very people who, presumably, planted and harvested it. 

When I got home, I immediately started food-prepping. Put my split peas in the slow cooker, scrubbed and cut up some of the carrots and added them. Diced an onion and ditto. Started my signature crystal pickles by thin-slicing the cucumbers and doing the same with a big onion; combined them, added salt, and stowed in the fridge for two hours, as instructed. After that, I added sugar (had to borrow some from Suzanne) and vinegar, mixed, and put them in the freezer. I think I'll take them to Carolyn's on Saturday. I trimmed the beets and later, pared and cooked them. Also got a pound of blueberries out and used my blender to smoosh them; had some in plain yogurt later. 

After lunch, I took off over the footbridge to the Hill Street branch of the library.  Stayed to read a bit and took out a DVD. From there, I walked to the bank to make a deposit, then home down Victoria, so I got my three miles in. 

Jim and I often email back and forth. I had sent him info on colonoscopies and asked if he was available for lunch on Friday. No, nor Saturday, either, but how did Sunday look for me? I think okay, as we're going to Santa Barbara on Saturday, but if we're invited back for breakfast or something (the Oakland contingent isn't leaving until 5:00), I'd have to cancel, I told him. Fair enough. 

For dinner I had some of the split pea soup (I had also added chicken), some of the beets, and a potato. Love fresh veggies. 

Almost forgot: I send a message to Ventura Public Works, asking that the bus stop area in front of Von's be cleaned up--the sidewalk preferably power washed. This is where Steve and other homeless used to stay all day and it was pretty rank. I got a response back that it's "in progress," which I guess means they're working on it. I'll keep looking to see.

Tuesday With Babbitt

Spent time in the morning on the trust info and other crapola in what used to be paperwork and is now computer work. Julie called to ask if I wanted to go to a supermarket. I thanked her, but no, I really didn't need anything. She then called again to say she was going to the farmers' market at the mall this morning and did I want to go? Sure thing, and she'll pick me up at 9:00 this morning. She then called a third time to see if I wanted her to take me to my dentist appointment yesterday. No, thank you, I said. Now, I'm a little puzzled...

Does Julie think I'm a feeble old lady who doesn't get out much?  Doesn't she realize I go to a variety of supermarkets several times a week? Isn't she aware that all the city buses go the mall on both out and back trips, because that's where the transit center is?  Presumably, she doesn't know that I walk and bus virtually every day. If I can do it without making her uncomfortable, I'll ask her about those things.

Got to Dr. Babbitt's at my appointed time of 1:30 and was ushered into the torture room right away. Actually, this wasn't too bad. He did have to add Novocain twice, as the cavity in one of the teeth was low--actually, below the gum line. However, it went well and I was out of there by 3:00. I was able to chat with him a bit and actually asked him if he was ever teased about his name. Occasionally, he said, and then he told me about an unrelated family of Babbitts who had practically founded the city of Flagstaff, Arizona.  I mentioned Sinclair Lewis'es book, which he knew of, but said he hadn't read. (Don't bother, I told him, it's very dated and pretty boring.) I thought it was hysterical when he asked if I remembered Lorena Bobbitt, who cut off her husband's--. Oh, gawd, this guy has a sense of humor--I howled!  

We said goodbye, then I went out to the office and made an appointment for a cleaning on the twentieth. I also told Stephanie I wanted to pay the bill. "You already did," she said, and gave me a copy of my account. What? This didn't show up on my credit card, so what gives? When I got home, I checked and no, it isn't on there. More about this mystery when I get to the bottom of it later...And I did. The credit card didn't kick in until after the payments--long story I won't go into, but all is okay.

Went to Von's after dinner--a sparse one, as I was still partly numb--then walked a bit. Niece Carolyn called in the evening and we talked for almost an hour about Frank and his daughter's pending visit. 

Monday

I thought it would be a horrendous day because

   ONE: No newspaper

            and

   TWO: no bus service!

However, it turned out pretty good. I finished the little book for Frank, plus the card for Ellen, plus I prepared a little game for T.O.P.S. (if Lennie wants me to do it). 

After that, I walked to Smart 'n' Final and got lettuce, which I was determined to try to eat. I picked iceberg, not romaine, for it's--uh, reputation for "cleaning out." (I'm too modest to be more specific.) I couldn't easily eat it at first, but I then diced it with my good ol' Chop Wizard. That did the trick and with crab meat and tomatoes added, it was yummy.

I was pleased to get a call from Suzanne, inviting me to Happy Hour. She said she'd ask Vickie and Mary, too, and suggested we meet out on the picnic table between her and V.'s and M.'s. Sure thing and we did at 5:00. Suzanne actually brought a table cloth to cover the picnic table, plus some cut veggies and dip. Vickie brought fruit and I, pretzels. We all brought our own drinks, but I was the only one who consumed alcohol. Suzanne had her usual O'Doul's (why bother?) and incredibly, Vickie brought three bottles of wine: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, all of which were called "Fre." This is a little play on words meaning free of alcohol.  I did sample some pretend merlot and meh--I like wine, but it isn't the taste I'm after. As I have no problem expressing, I like the buzz and since this has no buzz, it can buzz off.

However, we had an enjoyable time. After we had eaten, drunk, and chatted, Vickie went back to her place and brought back a Bingo game, which we played for a half hour or so. We then said so long about 7:00 and Suzanne came back to look at the little book I made for my dear departed brother. Here's the cover and the first two pages:

After that, I put in about fifteen other pictures, in a kind of age order. The last one is this:

Will he like it? I doubt if he'll have any idea who the little boy is. All I can hope for is that he'll know who his sisters are.

Frankie And "Fracture"

 Another pretty good Sunday. There was not only the regular big crossword, but a bonus, an even bigger one in the dual Sunday/Monday edition. (It's still unbelievable that they can get away with that.)

After breakfast, I continued working on the "Frankie Pix" book, adding some stick-on faces and so on. I hope he'll like it, but fear he won't even know who it's about. I'm about halfway finished with the card for Ellen; I have time for that.

Lunched, then walked to The Market for brown rice, split peas (dried--I want to make soup), onions, and three pounds of tomatoes. When I got home, I immediately chunked and diced, oiled and seasoned, and popped the last two in the oven. I wanted to see if I can eat them as simply stewed tomatoes and it turned out I can. Essentially, they have the same vegetable ingredients as canned, but without the preservatives. And, hey, they taste immeasurably better then what may have been sitting on a shelf for two years. Later, I pureed some with milk added for soup; I may have that for lunch today. 

Julie called me to be sure I knew there was no Soaring Spirits lunch gathering today. She had already told me that, plus I had messaged (now a verb, fer cryin' out loud!) Vera and she had confirmed. 

I'm re-watching Fracture, and boy, where had that been all my life? It's excellent--premise, script, performances are all top notch.   

Saturday

After my horrendous night, I thought I'd be wiped out all day, but I actually wasn't. I spent several hours gathering, editing, and duplicating more pictures for the little "Franky Pics" book I want to give him., choosing a light and flexible loose leaf binder that will be easier for him to handle. (I had given each of my Acting For Amateurs members one, with their scripts inside. Since it was readers' theatre, I wanted the setup to be uniform.)

When I was tossing and turning over Friday/Saturday night, I had the inspiration to make a slurry, which I thought was any mixture that was fairly thick. I hadn't looked it up, just did, and found it actually means a mix of flour and water (I stirred in a slurry every time I made gravy). Anyway, I knew I had several containers--at least a pound, in fact*--of blueberries, plus some raspberries in the freezer. Incredibly, I got up--it was 3:30 am--took them out and poured them all in a large Pyrex dish. Put that in the (cold) oven, just to have it defrost, which it was in the morning. After breakfast, I pureed it with my handy new gadget, and this was the result:

While indulging in my daily hour of DVD, I mixed it with plain yogurt (I added no sugar to either, as sugar is poison) and had some while I re-watched Fracture. It was truly delicious! (The pretend slurry, that is--the movie isn't bad, either.)

Had canned chicken noodle soup for lunch and was delighted to note I had no problem chewing it. After that, I bused to the transit center, as I wanted to browse a certain shop I like to see if I could get something for Ellen's birthday. Yes, I'm taking her and Greg for dinner, but I wanted to get her a little something else. However, I didn't find anything.

Home and worked more the "Franky Pics" book, which is shaping up well. I doubt if he'll have any interest in it, but his family should like it. Called niece Francine and found she and Frank will stay with Carolyn in Santa Barbara, which I assumed and El and I will drive me up there.

Note: I decided to delete most of what I wrote the other day about Frank visiting. It's okay, I want to see him and I have to remember the world doesn't revolve around me. (Maybe it should, but it doesn't. 😁)

Happier Note: I slept well last night--YAY!

As Long As I'm Making Notes, I Might Add This One Note: It's just unbelievable what corporate America is permitted to do. I got an email from the Ventura County Star, for which I pay almost fifty bucks a month (I may be the only daily subscriber left in the universe) telling me that they were "combining" the Sunday (today) and Monday (tomorrow) editions, so I wouldn't receive a paper tomorrow. Words fail.

*Actually, I checked the containers and it was a bit over two pounds: 32 ounces total.

Friday, T.O.P.S., And Colonoscopies

The entire attendance at the T.O.P.S. meeting totaled three: Sharon, Julie, and yours truly, who conducted the meeting. I asked Julie to take the minutes; she also had the scale, so acted as official weight mistress. I weighed in at 127.4 at home, a gain of 2.2 and 128 on the T.O.P.S., a gain of 1.8. I'm perfectly okay with that--expected it, as I'm now able to eat more than pureed.  

I started off with information about, and a discussion on, a mainly plant-based diet--I was able to keep Sharon's verbosity to reasonable lengths--then played the little before and after game I described yesterday. S. and J. enjoyed it and generally, the meeting went well. We finished about 10:00, so it lasted an hour or a bit more, which was okay.

Home for breakfast, then I tidied up to get ready for Jim. He came at the usual 1:00, just as Suzanne was going out. They had met before--in fact, what seems like decades ago, I had them both here for dinner, along with Ellen. I just looked it up on this blog and found it was almost four years ago: November 20, 2017. Jeez.  Anyway, Suzanne stepped in and chatted with us for a few minutes. It seems she's in a book club at Church of the Assumption and Jim used to be in a similar one there. (It's surely not the same one, since Susan's concentrates on religious themes.)

Jim and I had our usual. For a change, I also served dessert--the watermelon I had bought the other day and that I'm now tired of ("of which I'm now tired," but so the hell what!). Talked a lot about our backgrounds; of course, I have to drag any info out of him, but I found his great-grandmother lived to be 100. We also discussed colonoscopy, which he says his doctors (plural?) want him to get and everybody he talks to who have had one say it's terribly painful. I protested that it wasn't; I've had two, one in Jersey in 2006 and the other here in 2016, which showed an ulcer. Of course, the preparation is no fun, but with twilight sleep, I didn't have any pain and didn't even remember anything. I suggested he look for info on the Internet and I'll send him some, too.

Ellen called on her way home from work and we had a good talk. She suggested I call niece Francine about next weekend, which I did. I'm feeling okay with them coming now and agreed when El asked me not to mention it was her birthday. In fact, it occurred to me that what I posted yesterday was an "all about me" rant. Naturally, they're not coming just to see me--it's partly for Betty, which is as it should be. I called Francine and left a message; I'll see if I can help with any arrangements.

Suzanne stopped in after dinner and visited for a half hour or so; we had an enjoyable talk.

Note: I had the worst, most sleepless night ever. Made the mistake of looking at the time when I awoke: 1:30. Make the further mistake of getting up about an hour later. Why? To take several containers of blueberries out of the freezer so I can make a slurry today. Mucho more mistake: I started composing a rhyme for Ellen's birthday, using her name. Finally got it--it's pretty mediocre--but got out of bed to type it on this machine. Finally fell back and got up at 6:10. I'll certainly take a nap today.

AAGH--TOO DAMN LONG!

This is a long, long, long one, which I should probably cut, but I just don't want to. I apologize in advance to my legions of readers. 

Busy day, but pretty satisfying. I vacuumed the living room and bedroom, then put the bathroom rugs and tub mat in the washer. Dusted and mopped the hard floors, swept the patio, and made an attempt to train the ivy geraniums to cling to some trellis-like frames I have. I may have to buy others and I know I want to get paving stones.

Since Lennie asked me to run the T.O.P.S. meeting today, I spent several hours on planning. Besides a segment where I want members to discuss weight-related questions, I made up a little fun thing: I found and printed out before and after pictures of weight losers, cut them apart, and made up little rhymes about each. I'm going to distribute them, but each member will get a picture of an "after" that doesn't match the "before." I'll then recite little rhymes I made up, so they have to be exchanged. Here's a sample:   

And the matching rhyme is:

Butterflies are nice to wear

On your tum or in your hair

  And even better than a beanie

Is a sexy black bikini.

Okay, it ain't Yeats, but I was in a hurry and I did six of them.  Unfortunately, I got an email from Bobbi to say she had a fall and hurt her back, so she won't be here. 

Besides that artistic endeavor (ha!), I found and duplicated some pictures of Frank as a baby and little boy, along with some of the rest of the family. (See note below.) After that and having been glued to the laptop for so many hours, I decided I'd bus to town--but the best laid plans...

As I came out of the front gate, I saw in front of me, my neighbor, Benny C. He was, as usual, dressed in full African regalia and had his flowing (certainly a wig) black locks down his back. I was immediately concerned because he was alone. I  had never seen him without a caregiver before. I asked him where he was going and he said "the Chinese restaurant." He then walked into the street without looking and he was several feet from the crosswalk. There was a fair amount of traffic and I held up my hand to ask them to stop which, luckily, they all did. Benny then walked into the parking lot, always a busy one, until I suggested we go on the sidewalk in front of Von's. We did and I tried to email his brother, James, whom I know--not sure if it went through. When we got to the restaurant, it was clear Benny was known to them; he was greeted and seated right away (it was about 3:00, so sparsely occupied). Out of Benny's ear shot, I asked if he had ever come in alone before. She said he's usually with someone else, but occasionally, he does, so I left. Later, I emailed James again because I wasn't sure my cheapie phone had sent the first one. He reassured me that sometimes, Benny goes to the restaurant alone, but thanked me for getting in touch. He also said he's been concerned because Benny's been getting moody lately. Yes, that's one of the phases, as I well know.

Went into Von's and got coffee, olive oil, and a few other things, paid, then realized I didn't have my cart and they were too heavy to carry. Asked Maria, who seems to be the manager, if I could leave them and go home for the cart. Sure and that's what I did.

I then had another interesting experience: As I passed the apartment closest to the side gate, I saw a woman sitting in a lawn chair on the front walkway. She said something like she liked my cart and we fell into conversation. It seems she was visiting from Canada and it's her son who actually lives there. He has a two-bedroom and when she told me what he pays, I almost collapsed: FOUR GRAND! How could that possibly be? And now that I think of it, I don't believe it; either I misheard or the son's a fibber. Her grandson is going to Ventura College (I told her my friend, who teaches there, was coming over for lunch today) and we chatted. She asked about my children and when I told her where my sons live, she said how much she liked Singapore. What, she's been there? Yes, many times, as her late husband had a business in the Far East (he seems he owned a company that makes eyeglass parts). She also likes Bangkok, where he had a place; I told her my brother, who's 96, moved there last year. We exchanged ages and I couldn't believe she's 80; she looks about sixty, maybe. Unfortunately, she'll only be here for a few more days, but I gave her my card and asked her to get in touch when she gets back.

Wednesday

 As noted, I had slept well, so was pretty perky yesterday. My adorable little grandson in Tokyo turns eight years old on the ninth (his auntie, Ellen, turns--well, considerably more than that two days later). I picked up a train book at the lending library, but first of all, it isn't new (none of them would mind that), but I thought I'd check how much the postage would be. Walked to the post office to find out and found it would be roughly thirty bucks. I actually wouldn't think twice about paying that, but I know my son would be very disapproving and I don't want to go against his beliefs (I'm serious).

I'm always in a quandary as to what to send K. I've gone to Amazon Japan (you can have it translated), but for various reasons, that seems to be problematic. Therefore, I emailed his Dad to ask advice--could he get something, have it from me and I'd reimburse him? That seems simple, but when you're talking two different currencies, it isn't. I did buy a card with a game in it, wrote precious Mr. K. a note on the back and walked back to the P.O. to send it off. I emailed son, he said I can get the book on Amazon Japan--new, of course, and it would run only twenty-five or so and no postage, so good, I'll do that.

I sent Jim an info email about the Access Van and added two relevant web sites. After lunch, I bused to the transit center, then walked to 3555 Loma Vista, where Primary Medical and my new doctor are located. My appointment's next Thursday and I'll take the Access Van there, but hoof it back.

I then walked to The Market and bought a few things. Bused back and sat down to work up the T.O.P.S. meeting for tomorrow. I have to add a bit, but it came out okay. 

Tuesday

Somewhat of a dull day. I again had trouble sleeping; finally dozed off and didn't get up until 7:30. After breakfast, I forced myself to address some "issues," as the cliché goes--i.e., categorizing and filing a ton of paperwork, checking on-line some equally tedious financial stuff, and generally doing the kind of boring office work I thought I had left behind at Rider. I send Tom, the exterminator guy, a check for the ant job and read his contract for the termite thing. It totals nine hundred and something, but I might as well have it done now as later.

I called Grey Law re the trust I want to set up and talked to the--somewhat dotty, it seems--secretary, Kathy--or Cathy--who surely qualifies, age wise and she's the cranky type, too. I have to fill out the paperwork I was given before I make an appointment to see the attorney. That needs to have all sorts of financial things filled out, too, so damn.

Finally broke out and took some books and DVDs to donate to the little lending library in the park. Couldn't resist taking two more books home. I hopped a bus, but got off in a few blocks to stop into the Hill Street branch of the county library. Read for a bit, but succeeded in not allowing myself to take anything out. 

Called Jim after dinner and we had a good talk. He's very apprehensive about the future of the college generally and about his classes in particular and he has reason to be. I filled him in about the Access Van and will email him information. He'll be over for lunch on Friday. 

Note: The good news: I slept through and got up at my usual and preferred time of 6:30.