TUESDAY

I started off the morning with some annoying problems with Amazon Japan re Christmas gifts, but I don't want to go into detail. 

Left at 11:30 to meet Noreen at Danny's Deli, which is right across from the transit center, so very convenient. She had invited her friend, Gary, along, which was fine by me. We had a good time and they insisted on treating me for my birthday--nice. We all had salads and I an IPA, Noreen Chardonnay. After a leisurely meal and good talk, I asked the server to take our picture:

I'm usually the oldest one in any group, but in this, I'm the youngest--yahoo!

Said goodbye with thanks to Noreen and Gary, then walked the half block to the transit center. Stopped at Target for a few items, then took the 6 bus home. As I was walking in the gate, Julie called to ask if I was available today for dinner with her and Lora. Actually, yes. Ellen's coming over to help with my laptop questions after her P.T. appointment at 3:00, but  that shouldn't take long. As I hung up, I ran into Vickie outside her door and she invited me in. She gave me a card and a pretty "tomato cup" for my birthday:

We then talked, especially about the pending law suit, being brought by Mary's children and Vickie, against the facility where her former partner, Mary, was mistreated. 

When I got home, I found an email from the offspring in Tokyo saying they wanted to Zoom me on my birthday and what would be a good time? The time difference always have to be worked around, so I left it up to El. She decided on a change in our itinerary: I'll still bus to her place on Saturday, we'll have lunch, hang out, get the call, then go to Sea Fresh for dinner. I'll stay over that night, then we'd see Betty on Sunday, after which El would drive me home. Sounds like a plan and it works since Betty doesn't know our birthday's on Saturday, anyway. 😔 (I have NO IDEA when I can't get rid of the space!)

Called Great Clips to get my hair trimmed, but they don't take appointments, so I'll go in about 10:00 today and take my chances. 

Note: I called Grouper and find it's a new thing by my health insurance, SCAN. The fact that they trust their customers to tell the truth that they've been active blows my mind. In my case, it's true, but how is they trust everybody to report it? Doesn't make a lot of sense, but if they want to send me twenty bucks a month, that's fine by me. 

Note Two:  Blogger refused to update this entry when I tried to top it off this morning. I called and they were "doing maintenance" from 7:00 to 8:00 am. Had breakfast first and am now back to finish up at 9:37.  

MONDAY

Did this and that after breakfast then packed lunch and walked to Telephone Road to take the 11 bus to Petit Avenue. Dropped off my donations at GoodWill, then stopped into Grocery Outlet. They had some nice apples and other produce, but they were just too heavy, so I'll go back another time.

Walked the half mile to Diane's park, finding her there already--she's always early--and we settled in for one of our talk sessions, along with our IPA and chardonnay libations. We talked over our usual hundred topics and, happily, the weather stayed warm and mostly sunny. Said goodbye about 2:00 and bused home. I stopped at the library on my way down Hill Street and picked up a bio of Joe DiMaggio for $2,50 (they sell books, too) I'm still in the middle of The Tragedy of Science, A Great Flash of Light, and The Most Bizarre True Crime Stories, so what's my problem with buying yet another book? Just can't help myself, I'm afraid.  

Called Lily, the social worker at Victorian Care Center, and left a message asking if Jim was still there or was placement found. Haven't heard back from her yet. 

Notes: Damn, people keep sending me money.                                                                                            1.) I just got a check from 'GROUPER" for twenty bucks. A week or so ago, they sent me fifty. I honestly don't know why, but it seems to have something to do with me being active; guess I signed up for something and I'll have to look them up.                                                                                             2.) BMO Bank just sent me a check for $55.93. At one point, they said I owed them money. This has something to do with the fact that they used to be Bank of The West and were absorbed or something. I don't understand it, but I told them to close my account and they sent two notices that they'd done so.      3.) Citi still owns me $174 and change; I told them to send me a check.

Lunch at Danny's with Noreen today.

SUNDAY

A pleasant enough Sunday: Crossword was good, just challenging enough, I took the pill, changed the bed, washed the sheets, re-made, then packed lunch and took off. I like to plan out part of my days to a certain extent, although if something better comes along, I scratch them. Nothing did yesterday, so I kept to my schedule.

I walked the mile or so to Telephone Road and just missed the 11 bus, so had to wait for almost an half hour. When it came, I bused to Office Depot for a 2025 calendar, then crossed the street to Dollar Tree (no longer a dollar, of course) for the socks I like from there. Also got a pair of sunglasses to replace the ones I lost. Went from there to WinCo and got frozen fruit and a few other items, I then stopped into Boba, a little Thai restaurant that has tables and chairs out front. I explained that I had my lunch and could I please sit there and eat it? "Of course," the young woman behind the counter replied, "You can sit out there or inside, if you'd rather."  I thanked her, but opted for outside, as it was warm and sunny. 

Ate my lunch in a leisurely fashion, enjoying the variety of people walking by. Finished, then walked across to bus back to the transit center, then wait for the bus home. Got in at 4:30 and--they finally got it right, because I found this on my doorstep:

I started reading it and it's not bad. Frank Bognar, the author, had been director of Catholic Charities in Ventura; I must ask Suzanne f she knows him.

Showered, washed my hair, and settled in for the night. Today, I'm meeting Diane for lunch at "her " park across from where she lives. I'll first go to GoodWill and donate more precious treasures (junk, that is), then stroll up to her place. 

SATURDAY

Aside from excursions to T.O.P.S. and Von's, I was stuck inside all day on Friday. Happily, I got out yesterday after spending a few hours in the morning finishing up Christmas cards. Packed my lunch, then walked to the P.O. to buy more stamps (I got some Kwanza, too), and mail the completed ones. Bused from there to town and stopped in a few shops. 

Ate my lunch at my favored place across from the mission, then bused to the mall/transit center. Went to Target for grapefruit, crackers, and ground turkey. Home, I saw the Amazon guy at my front walk. He gave me a package and I thought, "Good, it's A Great Flash of Light, by Mary Ann's husband;" I had been alerted it would come on the fourteenth...

...NOT!  I was sent this:

Went into Amazon and found a notice that my book had been delayed, but should get here today. This is the second time in a week Amazon screwed up: A few days ago, I got two rather nice kitchen towels from them (or it), in cellophane--or whatever it's called nowadays--and tied with a ribbon. I notified them I hadn't ordered it and read that I should just keep it. Okay, fine by me, and I'll keep the book above, too, but I want the one I ordered and paid for. I did get notified that it had been delayed in shipment, but would get here today. 

Sent See's candy for Christmas to the Tokyo gang via Amazon Japan. Think I'll do the same for others, but I still have to get other gifts. 

It rained a teensy bit here and there, but it was California rain, so I didn't even bother to take an umbrella. Speaking of weather: Yesterday, about 6:15 am shortly after I got up, there was a great clap/roar of noise. Was it thunder? That's very unusual here, for some atmospheric reason. Maybe a jet plane or something? Maybe a nuclear bomb and I'm really not typing this, but have been pulverized into an afterlife? Sure, that must be it.

FRIDAY

The weight thing: home, I was up .04 to 127.8; at T.O.P.S. up .05 to 128.9. That's by my calculations, but according to weight recorder, Cheryl, I was down .05.--weird, but I don't care. We had our little arts and crafts thing--wish I had taken a picture, as the amount of artifacts Sharon and Bobbi brought was incredible. Anyway, it was fairly enjoyable, although I am not good at handiwork at all.  Here are the two things I made, which I'll probably discard, anyway (or as the illiterate say, "anyways"):

Kindergarten level, but that's about all the artistic talent I have.

Cheryl dropped me off, as ever, but when I got in, I realized I didn't have my purse (I had my keys in my pocket). My phone was in my purse, so I went next door to ask Suzanne to phone Cheryl, who was nice enough to drive over and drop it off.

After all that, I didn't actually eat until 11:00. Spent about an hour after that writing out Christmas cards. I mailed some, but ran out of stamps, so must get to the P.O. Ellen called and suggested we go to Santa Barbara on Saturday, Betty's and my actually birthday, instead of Friday. Fine by me and  I'd just as soon not stay for lunch in S.B. I'll sleep over at El's that night after we have dinner at Sea Fresh; she'll invite Greg, too. 

Lorraine called and went on and on, as she does, complaining about Michelle and the state of the apartment complex. I don't see any big problem with it--guess I'm too absorbed in other things. After talking to her, I didn't eat lunch until 3:00, which is fine by me, as I prefer to eat dinner later than my usual 6:00.

Mike Messaged me to ask is I was available to talk about my new laptop questions in a few hours, as he was walking (it was Saturday for him)., I said sure, and he got to me about 5:30. We were on the phone and the laptop for about an hour. My question wasn't answered, probably because it was just too difficult to do 20,000 miles away, especially when I'm not very adept. Mike suggested I ask Ellen to come over, so she can actually be at the laptop and he can be on Facetime and advise her. Anyway, it isn't a major concern--the laptop still works fine. El later called and suggested Wednesday, which is what we'll do.

Note to self: I got the mercantile license for my house. It was sent by Little Egg electronically and won't allow a copy. That's okay, I just noted it here. 

THURSDAY

I spent most of the morning writing Christmas cards and got the overseas ones in the mail. Went to Von's (I think I'm going to move in) for a few items, including a bottle of Jameson whiskey. What--have I started boozing with the big stuff? No, I'm giving it to Cheryl as a little thank-you for taking me to T.O.P.S. every Friday.  She mentioned that she and her husband have a something or other every evening with Jameson in it. I'm not sure what the drink is (whiskey sour?), but she had mentioned Jameson, which happens to be my great-nephew's name. 

Made my lunch and took it out to the middle with my book. I've been doing this a lot lately, and it's so pleasant in the warm sunlight, with the attractive foliage, and the quiet calm of the afternoon.

When I got home, it occurred to me that I have dozens of DVDs and nothing to play them on so I went into Amazon and ordered one. The case worker from Agency on Aging returned my call, but as I suspected, she couldn't tell me anything I didn't already know about Jim's prospect, as the info is confidential. Diane and I made a lunch date for Monday at her park.

I have something in mind to give my kids for Christmas, but I'm not quite familiar with the process of setting it up, so I Messaged Mike and he said he's walk me through it. What I don't know is how to upload. He and I will work on it over the weekend when he's free.

Ellen texted to ask if I'd like her to take me to see Betty next Friday, the twentieth; our birthday's the next day. Yes, I'd like to and she invited me to stay at her place overnight--I'll like that even better. 

About 4:00, I went to CVS to get the ZZ-Quil sleep aid I've been taking. Darn, I had taken an OTC sleep aid for twenty years, then weaned myself off it, but now I'm back, although it's a different one. 

I rearranged my Christmas stuff a bit and took pics of my beautiful amaryllis to show Noreen:

WEDNESDAY, JIM, AND THE AMARYLLIS

I went to see Jim yesterday, walking the mile and a half to Victoria Care Center. I had packed my lunch, thinking I'd bus into town later, but as it turned out, I ate there. The scenario:

--When I got in, I asked to see Lily, the social worker, as I had several questions regarding Jim. She wasn't available, but the receptionist took the message. Went to Jim's room and he wasn't there.

--The nurse told me he was in the dining room, so I went there. Tables for four were set up (along with some nice Christmas decorations and lights around the room) and I was greeted by a young woman seated at one of them with Jim and two female residents. It turns out she's a psychologist and was there to  help them with swallowing or something. Actually, she was very nice, as were the women and we had an enjoyable time.

--I asked is it was all right for me to eat (the lunch I had brought, of course), and she was fine with that. (I didn't mention the IPA and Jim actually got a kick out of that.) We ate and talked.

--Jim looked considerably better to me than he had before and he ate most of his lunch. He seemed fairly "with it," too--for Jim, that is. I told him Greg had said hello and that Mike and Vivian had been here for Thanksgiving, and he remembered them.

--I accompanied Jim when a aide wheeled him back to his room. Earlier, he had said he can walk with a walker; I assume not without, though. I was saying goodbye when his roommate, Steve, asked if I would open the drape (he's on the window side). I did and chatted with him for a bit.  He has several guitars and a music amplifier (I think it was), so I asked him about it and it turns out he's a musician. He's not young--probably seventy or more--and told me he has some kind of internal problem. Anyway, he seemed a nice guy.

--Said goodbye to Jim, then searched out Lily, the social worker, at her office. However, she was at lunch, so I said I'd call her when I got home.

--Did so and was stunned at the news: Lily said that the 100-day max that Medicare would pay was over and that somebody from the Agency on Aging was looking into private placement for Jim; she added that Jim has agreed to it. 

--I called the agency and left a message asking to be called back. I want to know if Jim's in a conservatorship (Lily said he wasn't) and any other information I can get, if they'll let me.

--Called Vickie later to get some insight from her re the situation with placement in a skilled nursing facility. Doesn't look good if you don't have money and that prompts my frequently-noted truism: In this country, there's only one god and his name is Mammon. 

Other than all the above, I started writing out my Christmas cards, a task that will continue for several days. Noreen called and it was good to know she's feeling better emotionally. We made a date for lunch on Tuesday, when I want to show her the magnificent growth of amaryllis she gave me: 

TUESDAY

In the morning, I did all kinds of boring, mundane, everyday stuff, such as making a new dentist appointment for January. I then turned to food prep:: scrubbed, cored, and seasoned three big apples and put them in the oven to roast. I remembered I had some dough in the fridge left over from the pie I made for Thanksgiving, so I rolled that out, spread it with the apple sauce Mike had left, and popped it in the oven with the baked apples. They turned out not terrific, but okay.

While they were cooking, I whipped up the rest of the cream I had left over, also from Thanksgiving. Actually, there was two and a half cups, so I whipped to soft peaks, added the appropriate amount of sugar and vanilla, and continued to stiff peaks. I then put it in a container and stowed it in the freeze. Yes, you can freeze whipped cream--I've done it often. 

Called Muckie about 1:00 (4:00 her time) and we had a long, good talk--almost two hours in fact. She said she's thinking about getting an iPad, which I fervently hope she does. I think she'll enjoy it so much; right now, the only Internet source she has is her son's computer and he's very busy, so she doesn't see that much on-line. I asked about the cancer and was glad to hear it seems stable; she'll get another check in January and if continues to be, she won't have to have the next for a year. It's been two years since she's was diagnosed.

About 1:30, I walked to the post office to send off my ex-daughter-in-law's mail--wow, what a mob, even though it was Tuesday. Presumably, everybody was sending off Christmas presents. Also got stamps and I hope this year to actually get my cards out early. Stopped at CVS after, but decided to wait to examine the SCAN OTC info.

I didn't go home then, but had lunch in the middle first.  It was very quiet and pleasantly warm and sunny. A woman I've met before came up to say hello and we started talking. Her name is Rosario, she looks about sixty, and she's trying to perfect her English. I would never have commented, but she asked and I told her it isn't bad at all--she just could work a bit on pronunciation. She has lived in the complex for twenty years--almost as long as Suzanne has--and I was interested to learn she's originally not from Mexico, but from Peru. I gave her my card and hope to see her again. 

⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘

Note to self: Subscribed to Microsoft Backup; $1.99 + tax per month on debit card. 

MONDAY

Put sheets in the wash when I got up, then got in myself--to the shower, that is, not the washer. Before breakfast, all was pristine, so I ate, then strolled over to Von's for a few items. The important ones to me were eight "C" batteries for my candles in the windows. I like these so much: They look so attractive and understated and they're light-activated, so at dusk, they turn on; you don't have to use a switch.

Got home and put in a white wash, then realized I had accidentally bought half "D" batteries, so had to rush over and exchange them. Home, I put them in, but damned if one doesn't seem to work; I don't know if it's the new batteries or something else. 

Lunch, then did this and that until Ellen came at 3:00. We piled all my donations in her car, then drove to GoodWill to drop it off. From there, we went to Peet's Coffee to pick up Greg, then drove in to town.

Greg had suggested Steven's for dinner, which was okay with me, but he later suggested Lure's, which I like a lot better. We went there--by that time, it was dark--and got a parting place on the street. Greg suggested The Calico Cat bookstore first, and we went there and browsed. 

Before we walked down the street to Lure, I persuaded E. and G. to pose for a picture in front of the Christmas tree:

And below, Ell and her decrepit Mum--good grief, that washboard forehead!

At Lure (pricey, but worth it), we had good seafood dinners: Ellen, trout almondine; Greg, sea bass; and I rockfish, with various sides. Had a good time talking, of course, although I was sorry to hear Greg's mother, who is 92, is in the hospital with pneumonia. She lives with her other son, Frank, who is a cardiologist/oncologist at the Mayo Clinic. Hope she recovers okay.

Home at 7:00, had a Frasier session (I'll get over it), then slept pretty well. 

SUNDAY

Crossword was annoying obscure, but oh, well. I've been sleeping well, I'm glad to say, and got up at 6:15. Zipped through my morning routine, had breakfast, then took a deep breath and dived into my Christmas stuff. 

I shall now draw a veil over that activity, except to say it took me several hours to go through, decide what to keep, what not, and separate the two.  Along with the clothes and other things I'm donating, it's a pretty big pile. Mind you, I haven't yet delved into drawers or, for that matter, anything in the closet except what was on hangers. Still, I feel better about it and I cleared much of the bedroom, too, so that's good. Here is, so far, what's going to GoodWill:

Suzanne stopped in before I took this and when I asked if she'd like anything, she picked out a straw hat and a calendar--good, I'm glad she can use them. 

I put aside some of the Christmas stuff and decorated outside a bit. Here's the setup:

Actually, I think the above looks pretty crappy. When I get around to it, I'll get some pine boughs (either buy or cut off some of the trees here and steal it), so it's more attractive. Here was my front door originally:

..but AHA! As I was typing this, it occurred to me that I have that beautiful Christmas tapestry with an angel on it. Darn, I like that better than the above, so I switched:

🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶🤶

Note to myself: Today, I went on-line and signed up for paperless mortgage statements from Chase; they'll still send my tax statement through the mail. Since I have it on auto-pay, I don't know why I kept receiving and filing the monthly paper all these years--I'm a slow learner, I guess.

SATURDAY

The Access Van picked me up, as promised, but at the incredibly early tine of 9:52. That meant I was almost a full hour early for my 11:00 start as welcomer to Dudley House. However, I browsed the goods, chatted with other volunteers, and otherwise occupied myself until my stint started. 

We had a good amount of people and I enjoyed greeting them. About noon, a young man--a seventh grader, that is--came out to wait for his mother, who was still shopping, and we fell into conversation. What a neat kid! Nelson is half Cuban/black and half Caucasian; he has dreadlocks (or whatever they're called), is an only child, plays football, and wants to got to Cornell to study marine biology. I have no doubt he'll go far, as he was so bright, articulate and full of life, it was a pleasure to talk to him. We must have chatted for an hour before his Mom came up. I had taken a picture of this ceramic tree and she had bought it: 

Why did I take the picture? Because my mother had an almost identical one fifty years ago.

I told Nelson's mother I wanted to adopt him and said I'd look for him on the TV when he plays in the NFL. While we were chatting, the woman who does the Dudley House newsletter asked to take our picture together--different generations and all that. She'll put it on the website, she said.

After my stint was over (1:00), I bought a ceramic turtle for Vera and a Christmas wine holder for Cheryl. These will just be thanks for all the times they've picked me up and taken me home. While I was sitting outside waiting for the Access Van to go home, two women visitors came up and we fell into conversation. One of them left, but the other, Esther, sat down and said she'd wait until the Access Van came. We had some good talk (she moved here from Arizona several years ago) and, as usual, I got the recorded message the Access Van would arrive within 7 to 10 minutes. It did, but when the driver got out, he said, "Diane?" He had the wrong name and what's more, he told me an address that wasn't mine. We talked this over--I'm pretty sure the dispatcher screwed up and when Esther said she'd take me home, he drove off. Management doesn't work in weekends, but on Monday, I'm going to call and give them a piece of my mind. 

Home, I packed my lunch--by this time, it was late afternoon--and took it and my book out to the middle to eat. Enjoyed it and after, I didn't feel like doing anything productive (I'll gather more donations today), so just watched T.V.

About 7:00, the nurse at Victoria Care Center called to give me a report on Jim. His sores are healing well, I was told, and he's eating well, too. Maybe I'll visit him today. 

I ordered A Great Flash of Light from Amazon; that's the book Mary Ann's husband wrote. Should be interesting. 

FRIDAY

T.O.P.S.: Up two pounds at both venues, but I don't care; at 127.4 and 128.4 respectively, I'm still well within my comfort zone. Meeting was meandering here and there, as ever, and next week, via Sharon's suggestion, we're going to revert back to third grade and do Christmasy arts and crafts stuff. Why? I dunno. Something interesting, though: I was talking with Mary Ann and she mentioned her  husband's book. It's called A Flash Of Light, about nuclear war, and I'm going to buy it on Amazon. A review will be posted here later. 

 

Home, I spent several hours on the phone with the organizations listed below; info is just for my future reference.  Why such a hassle? Because I have a bad habit of procrastination and should have addressed most of this when these when they came up, but didn't. 

After all the travail, I packed my lunch and went out to the middle to enjoy it on a lovely, 72-degree day. Got a text from Ellen, suggesting we take Greg out for his birthday dinner on Monday. She'll drop him off at Peet's, then pick me up about 3:00, and take me to GoodWill to drop off my donations. We'll then get Greg and go to dinner (probably to Steven's Greek). I texted back "Perfect!" But...

I had entirely forgotten that just a short time before, I had scheduled the SCAN (Lyft) pickup to take me to the dentist--on Monday. I called Zak Dental and lied in my teeth by saying I had "a family emergency" would have to re-schedule. I should be ashamed, but I'm not.

Before dinner, I went into my closet and selected nine tops I'll donate to GoodWill.  Added some padded hangers and a number of other things. Tomorrow, I'll continue my clearing out and will go over Christmas items to see with which ones I can bear to part. 

Here's the amaryllis Noreen gave me. It's now 23 inches high and almost ready to bloom:

\\

😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬

CRICKET--okay, scheduled automatic monthly payments of $40.

ACCESS VAN--okay, got ride to Dudley House. To: between. 9:52 and 10:22; from: 1:00 to 1:30.SO-FI BANK: okay, closed it out and they will send bal. of $43.18 to my savings acct.

CITI: okay, and they'll send refund check of $174.32; conf. #:624120.

BMO Credit Card: okay, they'll send me a check for $55.93. I closed my account and btw, threatened to get in touch with the banking commission. Also, talked to employee, Paula, in Marketing, to demand they correct my credit rating. They will and she admitted this whole thing was entirely on their plate. 

PENNYDELL: Okay, I sent for three "Cryptofamilies" puzzle booklets; cost: $21.75.

OTC: I'll do that another time, dammit. 

😛😛😛😛😛😛😛😛😛😛

THURSDAY

Met Diane for an early lib lunch (11:00) and we had our usual compatible time for about two hours. It was a bit chilly, though (68 degrees was the high) and it was good to get back home. While I was waiting for Ellen to come, I called UBreakIFix to see if my laptops were ready. Happily, they were and when El came, we went over and got them.

All data seems to have been satisfactorily transferred from the old one to the new, aside from the one game I've had for years--Match Royale. I bought that years ago, when I still lived in Jersey and I really like it, but guess I can live without it. I'd like to re-buy, but I  looked and I doubt if they have it anymore. 

Anyway, my dear El set me up with the new device, oriented me to it, and even got the printer working from the Internet--it had been so cranky before. She also promised to take me to donate to Goodwill the enormous amount of stuff I need to weed out of here. I also need to follow up on some things, plus get this apartment into shape. 

Sent a birthday card to Greg, whom we'll be taking out lunch soon for his birthday. Must synchronize our schedules for that. 

Yesterday was my baby boy's fifty-eighth birthday. He's still in California, now up in Cupertino, but will be flying back to Singapore on Saturday. Happy birthday, dear Mike!

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, 12/3: Ellen came to take my old and my new laptop to UBreakIFix to get the data transferred. After, we went to The Little Lion for lunch and had a good time.

Wednesday, 12/4: Julie picked me up at 10:15 and, along with her friend, Noella, we went to the BCNN Christmas luncheon. Incredibly, Joan A., checking people in, said she hadn't received my check for the party. I had only $25 in cash, so had to borrow the extra ten from Julie. Here are some pics of fellow members:

And here are my tablemates, from left, Julie, Regina, and Noella:

Obviously, lots more went on during those two days, but aside from my doing several loads of wash (big whoops!), I can't remember what they were. No prob, though--now I'm back on my daily entry track.  

MONDAY

Walked to Wal-Mart to get a few items; also looked for a tree ornament, as we do an exchange at the December Soaring Spirits gathering. I didn't find anything and was tired of looking, so decided I just wouldn't participate.  Home, I packed my lunch and went out to eat in the middle area. 

I had no sooner sat down then Lorraine joined me to chat while I ate. There were also two other neighbors there, Heidi and Paul, to whom Lorraine introduced me. It was pleasantly warm and sunny out, so I enjoyed myself.

Once I got home, I did some chores, then this and that--so important I don't remember what they were. Left for the Stone Fire Grille at 4:00, but ran into Vickie getting her mail. That dear friend offered to take me to the Grille and I accepted. We sat in her place and chatted for an hour or so, then took off.

I got there a little early, but Vera came soon after. I got a kick out of her headpiece:

Soon, we were joined by others in our group; surprisingly, there were only eight of us--many fewer then usual. We had a good meal, though--I had pasta and, of course, an IPA, then we did the Christmas ornament exchange. Susan absolutely insisted on giving me one of the extra ornaments she always buys, so I put that in as my contribution. 

Vera had made up some pieces of paper with numbers 1 to 8 on them and the idea was to have each pick a wrapped gift. After number one, though, people could take from what someone else had chosen. I coveted what Gayle had gotten: an elephant and this bear:

Gayle had mentioned how much her little niece liked elephants and that she would give it to her. When I heard that, I waited until she went to the ladies room, then slipped the elephant into her bag to find when she got home.

Anyway, here's the Soaring Spirits group of last night from two angles:

Bottom pic, from left: Gayle, Vera, Gandall, Fred, yours truly, Susan, and Kathy.

Glenda, who is on the left in the top picture, took the bottom one.Vera took me home and got in at 7:30. I won't see these guys until 2025, when we meet the first Monday in January for lunch. 

Ellen and I will take my two laptops to the computer place today, then have lunch at The Lazy Lion.  

NOTE: I don't know for sure how long I'll be without my laptop, but maybe several days, so Mimi's Musings will suspend publication until I get it back. 

SUNDAY--DECEMBER FIRST.

Followed the usual Sunday routine before breakfast. Suzanne left an acorn squash at my door with a note: "Happy Thanksgiving"--I guess  she didn't use it on Thursday. I texted her back my thanks and had it with dinner. 

Julie picked me up at 1:00 and off we went to Thousand Oaks. It took about a half-hour, although it's in Ventura County. I was intrigued by one of her neighbor's front area--love the vine arrangement: 

T.O. is a wealthy area and Sandy's house is large, nicely laid out, and obviously worth a bundle. I'm sorry I didn't take more pictures, but here's part of her living room:

Julie and I were introduced all around to both Hondurans and Americans, then sat on the lovely and spacious back porch area. Two of her house guests are from Honduras and they made wonderful tacos--your choice of beef, fish, or chicken, plus a number of tasty sides. Wine and beer were offered, also, along with fresh fruit for dessert.   

At the gathering was Sandy's son, David (Schultz), who has some kind of law suit going against a golf conglomeration. I found what he told me very interesting, but am not too clear on the details--will look him up.

After everyone has eaten and talked, Sandy took us into her converted (three-car) garage and we saw a video of some of her activities in Honduras. We socialized a bit more after, then said goodbye about 4:00. I'll be sending her a check or something to support her work

On the way home, Julie reminded me about the BCNN Christmas party on Wednesday--of course, I also have the Soaring Spirits Christmas gathering this evening. How the hell did it get to be that time of year already? The Fourth of July was last week!

Ellen called after dinner and we had a goog talk. She used the turkey bones to make soup and, now that she's retired and has mor time. She's coming over tomorrow to take me to YouBreakIfix, the computer place so the rest of my data can be transferred to the new laptop.* We discussed Greg's birthday, which is Sunday (yes, Pearl Harbor day) and tentatively decided to take him out for lunch or dinner. On Sunday, I'm  also am acting as greeter at the Dudley House Boutique, yet another addition to my schedule, but hey, who wants to sit around? 

 * That means that there may be no Mimi's Musings for several days after tomorrow's entry, I understand the transfer will take several days. I'll try to use my phone for short entries, but not sure if I can.  

SATURDAY

 I slept pretty well, I'm happy to say. After breakfast and a few chores, I hard-boiled some eggs, then cleaned up some paperwork (computer, actually). 

I'm having a problem changing over my rent payment method, so decided to just write out a check and give it to Kim in management. Walked over to the office and found it as closed until Monday for the Thanksgiving holiday. I think they sent out an email to that effect, but I've been so busy, I must have overlooked it. Annoyingly, I couldn't find a mail slot to put the envelope in and dammit, they'd better not charge me a late fee. I think in the future, I'll go back to an automatic deduction from my bank account, then pay utilities separately.

Mike and Vivian got here about 12:30 on their way to LAX. How I'll miss her! As I told her, she's not only a wonderful granddaughter, but when we hang out, I feel as if we're girlfriends together. I hope she'll be able to come back in the summer. Mike will be leaving early today--first to San Francisco, then Singapore. They stayed for only ten minutes or so, then I walked them to the car.

After that, a little down, I packed a sandwich and IPA took it to the center area for lunch. It was sunny and fairly warm--very quiet except for some kids in the pool. I just read my book and chilled, then took a nap when I got home. Did a color wash after. 

Julie called to check on our excursion today to the party in Thousand Oak and yes, she'll pick me up at 1:00. I stopped into Suzanne's to thank her for putting my Friday newspaper under my door mat. Oddly, when I read it at breakfast today, I found that one of the two crossword puzzles I do daily, had been partially filled in. Of course, Suzanne hadn't done it, but who had? It's bizarre.

Got a call about 6:00 from Victoria Care Center with an update on Jim; his sores are healing well, I was happy to hear. I'm booked today and tomorrow, but I'll definitely visit him sometime this week. 

Political note: This is the sign Ellen had had on her lawn before the election. The first one had been stolen by--I guess--a Trump fan.  Talk about bizarre! 

 

Thanksgiving Thursday And Day After Friday

It was good fun, of course, but I'm having a problem transferring pictures on here, plus it's almost 6:00 pm on Friday* and it's been a long two days, so this will be spotty with just a few random pics. First, I guess, the action: Mike drove to LAX to pick up darling Vivian...

...then stopped for me on the way to Ellen's. What a darling girl, my granddaughter is--I hope I can post more pics of her here! At Ellen's, we visited together, then Mike, Vivian, and I walked the mile and a bit to the shopping center, partly through the meadows. Mike picked up some things for hostess, Ellen, then walked back to get the car, while Viv and I sat on a bench until he picked us up. 

Back at El's, we did this and that--she did almost all the work, though, and we mostly talked together. Make, who admits to being a tea addict, in Ellen's side yard:

Greg got there and fired up the grille for sea bass and his own creation, zucchini strips with his pesto sauce--they were yummy.   turkey was accompanied with stuffing, roasted root vegetables, roasted Brussels sprouts, candied yams, cranberry sauce, along with the sea bass and zucchini, then for dessert, my pumpkin pie with whipped cream. White wine was a good addition for some of us;

After. we naturally talked, laughed, and generally had a good family (we now consider Greg one of the family) time. Greg left in the evening and we turned in fairly early (I slept over), thankful, as ever, for my priceless gifts. 

FRIDAY: Up early. There was somewhat of a crises before breakfast when the (separate) electrical system went out. This is an older house (Ellen calls it "quirky") and has some kind of a electric box that occasionally gets overloaded and a switch outside has to be pulled. We had to awaken Ellen, but it got fixed. The funny thing is, the lights and other things stayed on because they're connected to regular power lines.

Mike made breakfast (eggs and toast with salsa, if wanted), then we cleaned up and boarded the new Mercedes he had rented and drove up into the Ojai hills. We car-toured the camp Vivian's sister, Violet, had attended in the summer, stopping at the overlook, of course. A couple there took pics of all four of  us, which I don't have yet, but here are the three important ones: 

We drove back to El's, had lunch (leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, natch), then Mike and Vivian left for a hike in the high country. Ellen, dear girl, drove me to the bus and I got the 16 home. I did little before bed except unpack and clean up a bit. 

M. will drive V. to LAX today (sob) and they'll stop to say goodbye to me on the way. Tomorrow, Mike himself will leave (sob) to drive up to SF, then back to Singapore.

* It's now 8 am on Saturday and I'm just finishing this up. I'll probably add more chronicle and pictures on subsequent entries. Added note: Vivian was one of the very best things about the holiday. What a darling girl: pretty, intelligent, and full of 20-year-old life and enthusiasm. I love her so much and am so thankful to Mike and his (ex) Paula, for the gift of her:

WEDNESDAY

Yet another biz, biz, bizzy day. Mike came over about 9:30 and immediately sat down to address the new laptop questions I had written down. It took quite a while, but he got most of them resolved. We then went over to YouBreakIFix, which conveniently, is right across the street in the Von's shopping center. Of course, I walk over there frequently, but the spoiled kid had to drive. (Considering he bikes miles and miles--twenty some at a clip--daily, it's a little odd, but oh, well.)

At the computer store, we talked to programmer Val and he recommended that I take both laptops over to have the local(?) data transferred. Mike wants Ellen to go with me, as he doesn't think I have a brain in my head when it comes to how the Internet works (a valid assumption, I'm afraid). 

We then went to CVS and Von's, where I bought all the ingredients needed for my contribution to turkey day, pumpkin pie. I had thought of making apple, too, but just didn't think I had time.   

We then went to The Little Lion for lunch. I had a "pumpkin butter grilled cheese" and an IPA  and Mike eggs Benedict. It's a pricey place, but both were good and Mike treated, so hey, what's not to like?

Back to my place, then Mike left. He'll go to bed early, as he's picking up--or picked up-- Vivian at LAX at 5:00. They should be driving here now to get me and we three will stay over at Ellen's.

I tackled the pumpkin pie. I rolled out the crust and it fit the pie pan well. I'm afraid the rim isn't up to my standards, but it's okay. Popped it in the oven and it came out pretty good. How we'll safely get it to El's is a question, but I'll figure something out.  

I put in a wash, then partially packed, called BMO, with which I'm having a feud, but it's being addressed and to my advantage, I believe.

I set the alarm for 5:00, just got up, and now it's Thanksgiving Day. I have plenty for which to be thankful and every once in a while, I realize that. 🦃

Note: I'm not taking my laptop to El's, so next entry will be on Friday--I think...

TUESDAY

A fun day.  The Access Van got me to Ojai and Ellen's at 10:30. After the three of us chatted for a bit, Ellen continued cleaning the oven and Mike and I went to Rains Department Store. I like this place a lot--seems to me they have items you don't see anywhere else, including cards by local artists and so on. It's pricy, yes, but worth it. I didn't buy anything yesterday, but will go back with list in hand. The Rainbow Bridge is right behind Rains, so he and I went there after to say hello to Greg. He's going to make fish on Thanksgiving and Ellen will do the turkey.

Mike and I then went to Westridge Market to get some things Ellen needed. I had planned to get the ingredients for my pumpkin pie, but the place was very busy, it was hard to find things, and when I saw the prices of the ginger and cloves, I decided to go today to Von's for them, as well as all the other items. I did buy myself a turkey sandwich on a croissant for lunch. 

Back at El's, we ate, talked, and otherwise amused ourselves. I took a brief nap on Ellen's bed (I like hers almost as much as mine), then she and I watched some of the documentary Grey Gardens T.V., which features Jackie O.'s eccentric aunt and cousin. I believe it was made years ago. 

Later, we settled in for yet another cutthroat game of gin. I was losing badly (Mike cheats, El insists, and her muse was asleep or something), but incredibly, I rallied and won. Nobody was more surprised than I was. It was a lot of fun, as ever, as we don't take it seriously.

The Access van took me home and I got in by 7:00. My friend, David W., the ornithologist, texted me to offer a half dozen avocados. I accepted with pleasure and when I got home, I found them at my door.  

Mike will come over today and clean up some of the lingering questions about my new laptop. Then I'll start the crust for the pie. 

Oops, almost forgot to mention the news that I'm starting a new career in agriculture. Here I am with one of my offerings, which Mike bought yesterday: 

MONDAY

Wow, what a day. Mike got here about 10:30 and off we went to Office Depot. We spent time looking at laptops and I got this one, which I like a lot and which was one on sale remarkably low-priced. Went from there to Barnes & Nobel, where Mike and I browsed; he bought four books, I none; since I mentioned before, I'm working on four of them already. We were pleased to run into Greg at B & N; he was looking for a particular Chinese cookbook. It's good to know he'll join us on Thanksgiving, 

I suggested the Stone Fire Grille for lunch and that's where we went. Had a good lunch, then took off for my place. There, Mike started working on transferring data and setting up my new laptop...

...let us draw a curtain over the drama that ensued--suffice it to say that Mike declared me an nincompoop (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree) and I cut him out of my will. Okay, okay, it wasn't quite that bad, but it's true I'm  not exactly the Internet Genius of the Year.  The worse thing was this blog. I won't even go into the problems, but they entailed my old email address which I haven't used for years and the good one  Happily however , thanks to Mike, it was resolved and the thing is set up.

We had called Yandoo Communication to  come out tomorrow in case the issues couldn't be solved, but were able to cancel after Mike did his thing.

El asked me over again today and I'll take the Access Van again. I asked to get to Ojai at 10:30 and they're picking me up between 8:30 and 9:15 or something, so much earlier than needed, but that's okay, I guess. 

SUNDAY WITH MY KIDS

💓Busy, fun day. Access van picked me up early, so I got to Ellen's about 11:15. She was still dressing, but Mike came out, energetic as usual, and he and I went to the Ojai farmers' market. I was amused by this sign and am going to send it to Bev, who had brought persimmons to our T.O.P.S. meeting (she and husband have a farm in Santa Paula):

I got broccoli, but nothing else, as I was annoyed at the incredibly high prices. Yes, yes, some are "certified organic" and yes, yes, I'm not hurting for money, but charging a dollar each for very small lemons is a crime. El had asked Mike to get some sweet potatoes, but the ones we saw there were misshapen and didn't look all that good, so we went to The Rainbow Bridge for them. 

Back at El's, we had a late lunch--her yummy, homemade chicken vegetable soup--then talked and laughed. The kids, Ellen and Mike--61 and 57, respectively--had a few things to do and while they did, I took a short nap on Ellen's bed. Got up and Mike and I went to Bart's Books--he bought four, I none, as I have several at home I haven't started yet. After that, we sat and played an uproarious game of gin rummy. Mike won by a longshot, but we were all winners, as we had such a great time. 

Access van came to get me at 6:00 and off I went home after a wonderfully good day. Mike wants to go to Barnes & Noble today and I may or may not go with him. I told him I'd be flexible--whatever they want to do, I'll do today. I would like to be with them tomorrow (Tuesday).  The water will be out in my building for part of the day. Then on Wednesday, I'll be making the pie--I decided on just a pumpkin, no apple and there'll only be the five of us. 💓

SATURDAY

In the morning, in quick succession, I did a color, than a white wash. Got an email from management that on Tuesday, the water would be off for 3 to 5 hours between 9 am and 5 pm. Gee, nice, right before Thanksgiving, thanks a lot. 

Called the Access van and I'll be taken to Ellen's for lunch today, then picked up at 6 pm. El invited me to stay over on Thanksgiving, which I'll be happy to do. I'm gathering my supplies for the pumpkin pie, but I still need to buy some things, ginger and cloves in particular. 

It rained! Started about 9:30 and dripped off and on half-heartedly for several hours. Therefore, I didn't go out at all, except to get the mail. Annoying and I hope it doesn't start up again. 

Mike texted me at 3:00 to say he was already at Ellen's--good, I didn't think he'd be in that soon. Can't wait to see him today. 

The other day, I got this Thanksgiving card from the Tokyo Trio (names obscured, as I've been instructed not to reveal them):

 

I've been getting these handmade cards ever since Mr. K. was born, eleven years ago and, of course, I've saved every one of them. 

Other than the above, I just lazed around all day, playing my Jewel Match Royale, reading a bio of Alfred Hitchcock; I started No Bad Parts, but want to take it in stages. Otherwise, looked at YouTube, and mostly just spent the day idling. Showered and washed my hair before dinner (salmon and Brussels sprouts), then did more of the same--idling. 

FRIDAY

 We had the T.O.P.S. brunch yesterday in the gathering room at my place. I got there at 8:00 and Sharon (on left in the first picture) and her husband, Louis, were already out front. I brought all the utensils, plates, napkins, and other items and the gals all brought the food.  I also brought tomato juice, plus the vodka our former leader, Lolly, had given me when she moved away. We're still friends on Facebook and I sent her these three pictures. On the right is Louisa, who is not a member and hasn't been for four or more years. Actually, she used to live in SO-FI, when I first moved here, but I always found her snide and nasty. Why she was invited is a mystery and it pissed me off.

In the picture below, Bev is in the back on the right and my good friend, Lora, is on the left. That's Louisa again in the front left, next to leader Lennie, and seated are Mary Ann and Cheryl.

Here's Cheryl below; she's the one who picks me up for T.O.P.S. every Friday:

I wish I had gotten better pictures, but I was too busy. 

It was great that Kim, the "assistant community directory" (oh, give me a break) had the K-Cup coffee machine put on the counter, moving it from its usual place in the main office. 

We had decided not to have a regular meeting, but we did get weighed in and Bobbi and I won the biggest loser bucks, each having lost 1.2 pounds. Lennie had said last week we'd tell stories about our husbands and I was annoyed when she first opened a paper with prayers from several different religions and asked each of us to read one. WHAT?? Her husband may be the retired pastor of Trinity Lutheran, but this is a secular group. Luckily, before the paper reached me, all the prayers had been read. I would have passed, anyway.

We then did tell some anecdotes about husbands--that is, three of us got a chance (how we met hubby and so on) until it was Sharon's turn and she absolutely would not shut up. I was glad when Cheryl got up and started clearing the table while Sharon was still talking; I did, too and soon, so did most of the rest of the group. Incredibly, Sharon still held forth on while this was going on. 

Everybody cleaned up their own and packed up, then we said goodbye. I stayed longer to wipe the table and counter and pack what was left of the utensils and so on. Before I left, I went up to the office and thanked Kim and Soyant for their help. 

Home and Ellen called to say Mike was flying into San Francisco today--YAY!--but she wasn't sure what time he'd be in. I don't know if he's coming directly from China or not. We agreed that he would probably be tired, as he'll have to drive here for several hours, so I'll wait to go to Ellen's tomorrow.

Took my lunch to the middle and ate there while starting No Bad Parts, the book Carolyn has sent. It's absorbing and I think might be life-changing. After, I took a short nap, then went over to Von's for provisions, then to CVS for ZZ--Quil.