Happy Hour Wednesday

Left for Kimball at 6:45 and good grief, it felt like Antarctica--it was 39 degrees! Geez, if I was okay with that kind of weather, I would have stayed in Jersey!
Carolyn B. called to say Nancy had developed a problem tooth and the dentist could only see her at 3:30, so she'd miss Happy Hour--darn.
Walked, had breakfast, then loaded up my mesh laundry thing and rolling cart and took not one, but two big loads to the laundry room. By the time I had washed, dried, folded, and put away, it was noon and I went over to see if manager Bianca would put out some flyers for Art Comes Alive.
I was impressed by the way the big room here looks: It was spotless, nicely appointed (they had re-decorated last year),  and there was a big, roaring fire. It occurred to me that I'd like to have my Happy Hour buddies over there for lunch one day. Manager Bianca was out, so I talked to Jim, the assistant manager, Jim, for just a few minutes; I can't stand the self-satisfied jerk for long.
Had lunch, changed, and took off for the bus stop. Incredibly (but this is common here), it had turned sunny and pleasant; I actually went back and left my scarf and gloves. Got off at the library and asked if I could put some flyers out; received permission from the friendly head librarian. By then, it was almost 4:00 and I walked the four blocks to Pacific to meet Carolyn and Diane.
We had a good time, as ever. Carolyn asked if I'd give her my weight loss regime and of course, I will. I mentioned that I had the fifty-some year old Weight Watchers book (not that I follow their diet plan) and she asked if I'd lend it to her. Sure thing. Diane invited me to go to tai chi again  this morning at 10, then stay at her place for lunch. Sounds good and I'll leave to walk, then take two buses there shortly.
Nancy called while I was on the bus home. She had gone to the dentist and so far, the tooth stays in, but it's iffy. Home at 6:00, skipped dinner, showered and washed my hair, and settled in for the night.

Back

Hey, things are looking up. True, I didn't walk Kimball yesterday--I had a doctor's appointment at 7:15--but I'll resume today.
Appointment went well. I was pleased to see I not only didn't gain weight, but seemingly lost 1.7 pounds. However, I was on two different scales: Friday at T.O.P.S. (128.7) and yesterday at the doc's office (127). Doc noted approvingly that I've kept the weight off. That was gratifying, as the last five days, I wasn't able to follow my regular walking regime and also ate a lot I usually don't.
I showed her the strange bump I have between my breasts; she smiled and said that's my sternum and I had probably only noticed it recently because I lost weight.  She wrote a referral for a podiatrist because I have growths on the sides of my big and next toes. Said they're the result of bunions.
Anyway, I was actually home and at the breakfast table by 8:00 am. Did this and that, then left at 11:00 to get the bus (actually, two) to meet Nancy at the Regency. We saw Mary, Queen of Scots, which was pretty good; I'm not sure how factual it is, though.
After that, we had "margarita pizzas" and, of course, nice glasses of Chardonnay at The Cave, then Nance dropped me off at WinCo, which is nearby. I bought blueberries (natch) and grapes before it occurred to me I'd better not add anything else, as I'd be catching the bus home and had to watch how heavy.
Betty had called during the movie, and I called her back,  then settled happily into the evening. Today, I'll be glad to get back into my cozy little routine and I'll launch it by walking Kimball--right now!

Lousy Day

If yesterday wasn't the worst day of my life, it came close.
Left Betty's to get the city bus to the SB Library, where I'd catch the 10:30 SB to Ventura bus--I thought--as I've gotten it there before. Got off and saw the sign said it left at 8:32 and the next one wasn't until 2 something. Took another bus to get to the transit station.
You have to have exact change and I had only two fives--put one in the change machine and it returned four quarters. What the--! Had to get the change and a request for reimbursement form from the clerk, then rush a block away for the bus. Got to Ventura without incident and caught the city number 6 .
Home, I had lunch, then gathered up my props, which include a large basket and other items, for rehearsal. Showered and dressed, then went out to wait for the Access van. No reason to take my umbrella, as the sky was a lovely blue...(ha!).
Uh-huh. Bus came with one other person on it (I was pleased that Ce-Ce, a young woman I've had before, was the driver) and off we went. It seemed to me it was the long way to get to Oxnard, but I was early for 4:30 rehearsal, anyway, so no prob. Unfortunately, it started coming down in sheets during the ride. However, I was dropped off, early, in fact. Saw Connie, others came in and we helped set up chairs in a semi-circle.
There were about 20 attendees, all in costume and looking good. Connie introduced herself, then me, saying I taught acting to adults, and would be helping her critique. I was sitting near the end of the semi-circle and was pleased I had remembered to turn off my phone. I was also glad to see the wall clock almost directly opposite me, so I could keep tabs on the time (the van was scheduled to pick me up at 6:00).
Participants went on one-by-one, with Connie and me occasionally mentioning some suggestions to improve. About half--maybe more--read their scripts; I, of course, already knew mine, although I hadn't had time over the last four days to rehearse. When it was finally time for me to do my little shtick, I confidently got up with my basket and said "Who-dan-dach, (goodday), I am Anke (Un-ja) DeJong (Deyawl)..."
...and the rest of my talk went completely out of my head. Was I embarrassed? More than I've been in years. However, I apologized, explained I'd had a stressful week, and sat down. I know I'll retain it for the actual event, but boy, I wanted to crawl under the rug.
 By the time we finished, the clock on the wall said ten of six, but that was okay--the van would be waiting. But it wasn't.  Looked at my phone and saw I had had a text, telling me it would be there in 14 minutes--but this was sent about 5:45 when my phone was off.  I now realized not only had I failed to see  it, but it was 6:40; clearly, the museum clock was wrong. So there I was, in the dark and rain, without a ride home.  However, that didn't worry me; I knew somebody was probably going to Ventura and, if worse came to worst, I could call Uber or Lyft. It turned out that my friend, Lynn, from Dudley House, was about to drive off and offered to drive me home.  I accepted, but on the way, decided to join the widder group for our regular monthly dinner at Stone Fire Grille, so I could give them flyers about the Art Comes Alive thing. I knew somebody would drive me home from there. Lynn dropped me off, drove away, I went in, and--
--my group wasn't there. I called Nancy and she said it had been our lunch gathering, not dinner. Oh, great, and now it had started to pour, again.  I was dressed in my long-skirted fisher wife outfit and was carrying a large basket with artificial fish in it.
Yeah, it should have been funny, but somehow, I failed to see the human, as it was now after 7:00, teeming rain, and I was exhausted. I started out to get the bus, but couldn't face it, knowing I and my props would be drenched by the time I took two buses, then walked two and a half blocks to get home. I finally called Suzanne--if there is a god, she'll sit on his right hand, if not in his lap--and she came out and picked me up.
One last thing: After I had settled in with Frazier, I realized my purse wasn't with me. Searched frantically, then had to tap on Suzanne's door and ask her to look in her car. She went out and found I had left it there.
Okay, now I have to get ready for my doctor's appointment at 7:15. Today has GOT to be better than yesterday!

Monday--I think...

This will be short, as I just got back from Santa Barbara and I'm due to leave for "Art Comes Alive" rehearsal at the Maritime Museum in a half hour.
Finally got to SB, but not until yesterday (Sunday) and that took a look of back and forth. I arranged for Suzanne to take Betty to mass, then she picked me up and took us to the bus station. We got to SB, then took a city bus to Betty's, then her grandson picked up us about 2:00. Stayed at Carolyn's (who's away) and her family to see the Super Bowl, were driven back, I stayed over, and blah-blah-blah until I got back to Ventura about noon.
Lots else going on, but now I'm off the rehearsal and will fill in tomorrow.

GAWD!

Boy, it was quite a day.
Although it wasn't yet raining, buckets of it was predicted and I gave myself a pass for Kimball. Betty and I had breakfast, after which it did start to pour. I washed up, packed up, and picked up--my umbrella, that is, and took the trash to the receptacle.
I made a big salad and we had that, Betty adding the Fresh Rolls (same as Spring Rolls) she had brought from lunch on Friday. After playing some solitaire at the table together, we prepared to join Suzanne next door at 1:30.
By this time, it was coming down pretty good, but I had decided to take only one umbrella (Betty didn't have one, but I had two), as I didn't want to add to what I had to bring home. We left Suzanne with many thanks and stayed under the Staples overhang to wait for the bus. We waited and waited...
When 2:04 had come and gone, I trudged across the inner road to ask the driver on a bus to Camarillo if the Santa Barbara bus was coming soon. He pointed to a small sheet of paper posted on a wall: "Highway 101 is closed in both directions due to flooding, so no buses are running."
GAWD! Here we were, in the pouring rain, laden with suitcases and bags, and the bus wasn't coming! Okay, the number 6 bus was available and we got on that to get home. Almost the instant we got on, the rain stopped--damn.
Trudged the two and a half blocks home and got in. I'll draw a picture over the next hour or two while got on line for bus information, then tried Amtrak and was put on hold for 35 minutes. In the meantime, Betty called her son-in-law and was told the news was on at 4:00.
We watched that, but there was no information about the 101; finally, we decided we'd  go today. I'll probably stay over, but am very concerned about my rehearsal at 4:30 in Oxnard tomorrow. Asked Suzanne if she'd take Betty to mass this morning and, of course, she will, at 9:10.
I'll now look and see if the road is open and the bus running.

Fun With Bobbi

Walked Kimball (Betty declined), changed,, then my twin and I left for T.O.P..S. Betty fit right in to the group, who were very cordial. As for the program, there wasn't any: Nobody had signed up for it and leader Lennie doesn't seem to have grasped it's her responsibility to provide one.
It wasn't too bad, although it had nothing to do with weight loss. Lennie started talkng about "love"--in the platonic sense--and there was a discussion about that. After the usual announcements of overall weight loss and gain for the group and the trite truisms ("quote of the day" and "inspirational message:), I managed to maintain at 128.7, a slight gain (.08), but I was okay with it.
After a late breakfast (10:30), we walked to the bus stop, boarded, and rode to town. Had a ball visiting the different thrift shops, then lunched in a Thai restaurant. Got back about 4:30 and we drove to Dollar Tree, where Betty got a few things, then to WinCo, where we both got a few things, such as ice cream and cookies, naughty girls that we are.
By the time we ate, it was 7:30, very late for me. I served tilapia, baked potato, mushroom and carrots.  I went over next door to Suzanne's to ask if she would drive us to the mall to get the SB bus today. I had planned to simply take a city bus; barring that, I could have called for the Access van. But heavy rain is predicted and the first would mean we'd have t walk a distance, the second, we'd have to wait outside for up to twenty-five minutes and Betty has some heavy stuff with her. Suzanne  kindly agreed to tak us, but as she works until  12:30, we won't get the bus until 2:04.
After dinner, Betty talked to her grandson--she'll see the Super Bowl tomorrow with him and his dad--then she played solitaire, while I sat at the table with her chatting and shamelessly eating half my pint of salted caramel with chocolate chunks (but Betty had already had some of hers--so there!).
Bed after a fun day with Bobbi (childhood nicknames: Mimi and Bobbi).

Twin Time

It started to rain when I was halfway through the Kimball walk, so I turned back, but still, I guess, completed the mile and a half. After breakfast, when I drove to the mall, it was coming down pretty heavy.  However, I parked and caught the 9:43 bus to Santa Barbara without incident. It was eerie to see the beautiful oceanic views on the Pacific Coast Highway so dark and heavy, but it was still an awesome sight.
I called Nancy and we talked almost the whole way I was riding, firming up our plans for Tuesday:  Mary, Queen of Scots at the Regency, then Chardonnay at The Cave. The rain had slowed by the time I got  to the SB transit center and I had to wait only five or so for the number 3 to Hitchcock Way. Disembarked and was just a few yards from the steps to Betty's place 11:30.  After chatting for a bit, we took off for Islands Restaurant at the mall a block from her.
Niece Carolyn met us there shortly and we had a good lunch. She drove us back to the apartment and we picked up Betty's things and walked to State Street to get the 6 bus (I'm actually getting to know the bus routes in both municipalities--wow!) back to midtown.
By then, the sky to serenely blue, which was wonderful. We got off at the library and, since we were forty minutes early, went in and looked around--very nice and sometime I want to spend time there. The Big Blue Bus (that's what they call it) took us back to Ventura, the mall, and my car. On the way, Betty called Ellen to thank her for the amazing amaryllis and I got a call from someone else whom I love. Home, and I just had time to slice bananas into the fruit salad I was bringing to Toastmasters and freshen up a bit when we left for the Toastmasters "covered dish" or whatever. 
This was fun. There were only eight people there, but Fern did a good presentation pretending to be the owner of "Fiesta Catering"; she had the ingredients for 7-Layer Dip in different containers and illustrated how to make it. She then put it on the buffet table and we ate it with the other stuffs. Since Betty and I hadn't had time for dinner, we were glad Joy had brought Kentucky Fried Chicken; I dislike it, but was hungry, so had a drumstick.
We had assembled at 6:00, so got home just before 8:00 and, while I watched an episode of Frazier, Betty played solitaire (with an actual hard deck of cards). We turned in at 9:00 after an enjoyable twin time, which will continue today.