Tuesday

Walked to Telephone, then took the 11 to east (or more east) Ventura. Dropped off my donations to Goodwill, then met Diane at "her" park across from her place. We had our usual enjoyable talk, confiding in each other with this and that, commiserating about problems, and laughing over a lot of stuff. I'm a little concerned that Diane has dropped several of the activities she used to follow. Granted, it was a lot, but she is now leaving her Buddhist group and her book club She's also dropping out of BCNN, which I'm attending today. She was disappointed that she didn't get more interest in her offer to lead a kind of psychic/spiritual group. She's experiencing more fatigue than she used to, and I didn't ask, but I'm afraid that may be a result of her progressing neuropathy.   

We did have good talks on a multitude of topics, and we lingered for three hours. I went from there to Grocery Outlet down the street for veggies, pretzels, and this 'n' that. Bused home and got in at 4:00. I  immediately put in a wash, which included what I was wearing. Had dinner, then jumped in the shower, washed my hair, and settled in for the night.

BCNN meeting today, so Julie will pick me up at 9:00. I'm hoping she plans to go to lunch after. Frankly, that's what I mostly look forward to lunch; I'm getting bored with BCNN myself. I might drop out, too, or maybe not--I'll think about it. 

Monday

After my shower, I called the Little Egg Harbor Zoning Office in fear and trembling to get to the bottom of the rejection of my homeowners insurance. After a great dal of back and forth with Monica, my liaison there, I found that the state had sent out the requirement that this years' insurance be raised by $200,000! That brings mine to a huge sum, which I won't reveal, but it's surely more than what my house is worth. However, since I have until December 31, I'm much relieved and can deal with it easily.

Left at 10:00 for Soaring Spirit lunch. I usually walk the mile and some to Telephone Road, then take the 11 to Stone Fire Grille, but I just didn't feel like it, so bused both routes. So pleased, as ever, to see Vera and Susan, and there were three other men, but I didn't get a chance to talk to them. Glendall (no, I never heard that name before, either) came in and sat next to me. Across from us was obnoxious Fred. He never shuts up and I wasn't in the mood to be tolerant, but as happens with many bores, he didn't notice my bitchiness. Anyway, it was fun to be with the gang.

Bused from there to Target at the mall to get grapefruit, but horrors, they didn't have any! I asked the produce clerk about it and she said they had ordered them, but they didn't come in . Darn, I  hope this isn't a trend. I did buy several pounds of onions, sweet peppers, plant milk, and this IPA:

I love craft beers!

Home, I immediately chopped the onions and peppers separately, then seasoned and fried a portion of the onions, then stored them separately in the freezer. Now, the next time I buy ground turkey, I can use, after added some stray veggies.

I was pleased when a rep from Primary Medical called to react to my reaction, i.e., my response to their "survey" about my satisfaction with them. I don't often respond to these things--because why should I do their marketing for them?--but I wanted to let them know I was impressed with the P.A. and annoyed about them closing for lunch--and the caller was friendly and courteous.

Also got a call from Victoria Care Center from Jim's nurse. She wanted to let me know he had fallen out of his wheel chair and wants to order for him some kind of device to present that. She was very nice and I didn't mention it, but good grief, she called at 10:30 at night! That's the univalent of my friend, Pat, being called at five am, so of course, I had been sound asleep. However, I didn't mention it and I appreciated her calling. I'll try to get over to see him on Thursday.

Lunch with Diane today across from her place, after I donate some items to Goodwill. She'll get a kick out of the Voodoo Ranger.

*Note ot myself: Her name is Sandra.

Sunday

For the last few months, I've been taking ZzzQuil, an OTC sleep aid put out by Vicks, and it works fine. However, I decided it may not be a good idea to rely on it, so Saturday night, I skipped it. Hmm...I went to bed late (for me) close to 10:00, figuring that would encourage me to sleep all night. It didn't. I awoke at 3:16 and didn't get back. Yes, I stayed in bed with my eyes closed and rested, so I guess that was better than not, but I finally gave up and got up at 6:15 (DSL).   

Took my usual once a week pill, had breakfast, and did the Sunday crossword, but I'm getting seriously annoyed with Frank (Longo, the one who does it). His clues and answers are getting more and more obscure. Who, pray tell, knows the middle name of the vice-chancellor of Samoa? Sure, I could look it up, but then why bother to do the crossword? However, I got the other three I do daily (Wordle took me all the way to six). 

I decided to walk down to Smart 'N' Final after lunch, but I had gone only about a quarter mile when I turned back. After so little sleep, I was just too tired. Home, I noticed the patio was really in need of a clean-up, due to the damn fir needles all over the place, so I spent about a half hour tidying up. I still have plenty to do.

E-mailed Diane to see if she wants to  meet across from her place for lunch tomorrow, as I have some things to do in the shopping center there. She does, and we will. As for today, it's Soaring Spirits lunch; I'll go, them maybe see if I can find something to buy at Kohl's with the gift certificate I got months ago. 

Aside from preparing and baking six apples (some for today and tomorrow, the rest in the freezer for later) I didn't do much else except play games. Ellen called and, among other topics, we discussed Thanksgiving at her place. I was surprised to hear that Vivian won't fly into LAX until 5:00 am on Thanksgiving morning. Mike will pick her up and may stay over in L.A. Wednesday, since it's so early. El said Greg will be coming, also--I'm very pleased about that.  

Julie called to ask if I wanted her to pick me up for the BCNN meeting on Wednesday. Her last trip (she travels a lot) was to Florida, just in time for the hurricane. Luckily, our mutual friend, Lora, was able to get her and her companion a flight out in time. Yes, I'll go to BCNN although, frankly, I'm losing interest in it. 

Happy day--I slept well and just got up at 6:16--YAY! 😄

Saturday

Showered and did a color wash before breakfast. Cleaned up a bit after, then thought about how I wanted to arrange my day. It probably would have been best to vacuum or work the patio, especially since Bev, my pal from T.O.P.S. just brought me some more little succulents (she and her husband have a farm in Santa Paula). I want to plant them, but I just didn't feel like it; I'll try to get to it today. Even though it was too cool for my taste and there had been a bit of light rain for a few minutes, I decided to go into town. Packed my lunch and took off.

I had forgotten there was some kind of festival or street fair going on, but I strolled Main away from it. It again started to rain very lightly--more like a mist--and I hadn't brought my umbrella, but I was okay with that. However, it was too wet to eat across from the mission, so I bused home.  I ate my lunch in front of the television--Frasier, again--then took a short nap.

Had some of my fresh salmon for dinner; baking it with orange slices and Italian seasoning--very yum. Mike called about 8:00. He was going to pick up Violet from the airport after her three-day sojourn to Indonesia--it was Sumatra, not Borneo, by the way. Mike is going to Hong Kong for a few days, but  Violet will stay there, anyway. Her school is right across the street and Liz, the live-in helper, will be there. 

Can't wait to see Mike and Vivian for Thanksgiving. Vivian will be here for only a few days, but Mike will come for ten or so. Good--he can help Ellen with preparations. She asked me to make the pie--I usually only do pumpkin, but may also do an apple this year.  I'll bring the cream, vanilla, and hand mixer to her place to whip the cream. What, just buy the canned stuff?  That would constitute the rape of the pie!  

Friday

Weight was up both at home (a pound, to 128.6) and T.O.P.S. (.05 of a pound to 129.1), but no big deal. There was a a mix-up about the meeting venue: leader Lennie had texted Bev that it would be at my place today, whereas that won't be until next week. Anyway, we straightened it out and indeed, we'll meet here next week while floors are being laid at Trinity Lutheran.

Didn't get home until fairly late, put the bath rugs in to wash, so didn't  finish breakfast until almost 11:00. I then--finally--dusted and mopped the hard floors and put the the rugs in to wash. I was alarmed when I got an email from some outfit called SDL Portal to the effect that my mercantile license was denied because I need a higher amount of insurance. I called Little Egg Zoning Office and left a message, but probably won't hear from them until Monday.  

Another annoying happenstance: Ellen texted me to the effect that she had tried to called, but got a message to the effect that I wasn't taking calls at this time. What--since when? After a great deal of travail with Cricket Wireless, I discovered that I had accidentally put the wrong debit numbers on my automatic payment thing. The resulting crapola is just too long and boring to explain, but I got it straightened out. 

Decided to eat in the middle of the complex, as the sun was shining, so packed my lunch and did so. Ellen called just as I was finishing and we had a good, long talk. She bought a new slow cooker and made some delicious chicken soup; we also discussed Thanksgiving when Mike and Vivian will be here. After I ate, I went to Von's for salmon and other goodies. While there, I ran into one of my neighbors, whom I had just seen around the complex. Yesterday, though, she greeted me pleasantly and we fell into conversation. Her name is Deidra (I'm sure that's not how it's spelled ,but Spellcheck doesn't seem to know, either) and she's lived here for more than twenty years. I enjoyed talking to her and hope we can get together for lunch sometime.  

As for darling little Vivian--not so little, she's 20 and in her senior year at U. of Hawaii--she texted me thanks for her Halloween card. She went to a dress-up concert on Halloween as the Black Swan and I asked her to send her picture:

And her little sister, Violet? At 17, she sure isn't moping around at home in Singapore. She and her scout troop are now in Borneo, according to her father, or in Bukit Lawang, Indonesia, according to her mother. I not quite clear on whether they're the same place or not. Here are the girls:

Good grief, that looks strenuous!

Thursday

My goofy neighbor (not in the same building, luckily) called at 7:00 am to complain about plumbing and other topics of no interest to me at all. She wants to take me out for lunch--hey, I'll let her, as I think I deserve it after tolerating her nonsense.

Got picked up via the SCAN benefit, but was furious when the Uber guy told me he had been instructed to wait at the wrong place--the gate on Woodland Avenue! Over and over, I've called, emailed, and texted the SCAN person in charge and still she's sending them to the wrong place!

Anyway, he got here and took me to Primary Medical. It was about 12:30 when I got there, which meant I had ot wait because they close for lunch. Why they don't stagger lunches is beyond me. Anyway, the P.A. saw me and yes, my nose things look like basal cell, so I'll get a referral. She's new there and I hadn't seen her before, but she was so nice I'm going to send a note of appreciation about her. We started chatting, I asked if she was a native Californian--yes, indeed, right from the area. When she asked me the same, I answered with my little joke: "I was born in a different country." "Oh, which one?" "New Jersey." This is a good ice breaker and people get a kick out of it. She then told me she was going to New York shortly because her boyfriend was running in the NY marathon. That opened up an interesting discussion when I told her my daughter and son-in-law had run that and many others. It was fun. 

What wasn't so amusing was the fact that this was set up in the waiting room:

I realize medicine has more and more become simply a money-making enterprise, like supermarkets and shoe stores, but I was disgusted with this. Oh, well, I already knew Primary Medicine is a private company,, I just think this commercialism puts them over the top.

I had packed my lunch, so took the 6 bus directly to town after my appointment and ate at my usual place across from the mission. Just as I finished, niece Carolyn called me and we had a good chat. We'll going to set a time to go see Betty during the coming week and that will be good. We also talked about the possibility of attending the Byrne gathering in Florida in December--that's intriguing. Strolled around town for a while--it was very quiet--and bought two pairs of jeans. 

Home at 5:00 and, since I hadn't had lunch until 3:00, I wasn't hungry yet, so spent an hour making cabbage fritters. This isn't simple, as a head of cabbage has to be shredded, then combined with dry and wet ingredients and fried in olive oil. However, I now have a good supply of yummy fritters in the freezer and will enjoy them tonight and for the next month or so.

While I was preparing them, the doorbell rang and two monsters--one a dragon, the other some kind of hairy thing, came to the door. I don't buy candy for the kiddies, instead when I stopped at the bank the othr day, I got a lot of ones and I gave them each one. They were really excited--these are about 7-year-olds, so I was glad I had. Later, an adorable little girl came and I gave her the same and she said thank you very politely. 

I got a call from the social worker at Victoria Care, telling me that Jim's bed/floor sores were seen by a "wound specialist" (I didn't know the existed) and are healing nicely. Must get over to see him one of these days.

Today, after T.O.P.S., I'm determined to spend cleaning the hard floors and other household chores--I've neglected them long enough. 

Wednesday

Put in a color wash, then showered and washed my hair. I'm always pleased to realize it will dry while I'm having breakfast, then I can fold and put away after.

Made lunch and took off at 11:00 to meet Diane, going early, so I could stop in the library to read for a bit. I was anxious to hear about the CMT conference she attended, but was sorry to hear it wasn't at all what she had hoped. To begin with, there were only twenty people there and only one had the same type of condition Diane has. She did talk to one of the doctors, but sadly, was told they didn't know of any research going on at this type. Although neuropathy isn't uncommon, the hereditary kind Diane has, very much is. Anyway, the meeting was a disappointment to her and she also is having trouble with Lupe, whom she pays to drive her outside the area. I won't go into the problems, but they could be serious. 

However, as always, we had a good convivial meet-up for about three hours. Said goodbye close to 3:00 and walked to the bank to deposit the check I got from Community Memorial Hospital--I had somehow overpaid for my emergency room visit a few months ago. Also got some cash to have around--I like to keep smaller bills for tips and so on. 

After the bank, I walked down to Ralph's Supermarket for fresh shrimp and a few other items. Bused from there to the mall, so I could get the 10 bus home.*

Ellen called about 6:00 and we had a good long chat. She said that Greg's housemate, Carl, had been at the peace presentation on Sunday. Darn, I've never met him; if I had, I would have enjoyed seeing him there--he's Caucasian, but follows the Buddhist way and has gone on pilgrimages to Nepal. 

* I can take the 6 and the 21, too, but they turn at Victoria Avenue, which means I have to walk two blocks further to get home. However, the 10 runs only every hour or so. I know it's silly, but I always consider the universe is on my side if I'm lucky enough to get the 10 bus!  😉