Phone Calls, But Not To Elva

I did a big load of wash, then cleaned the bathroom area--I say "area" because the toilet and shower are in one room and the sink and dressing in an adjoining room--the hall. (I'd love to meet the idiot designer who started that trend.) Cut up my cauliflower and put it in the slow cooker with oil and seasonings.
I called Yandoo to straighten out something about my bill, then BOA to try to change my "rewards" designation. That resulted in long, long waits, interminable recordings, and "we'll call you back so you don't have to wait." When they finally did, there was another long wait! I simply gave up and will try calling again today. Called the Ventura Housing Rights Center and was asked to leave an explanatory message, which I did. They'll also, theoretically, at least, "call back."
Betty called several time, being agitated--again--about something I know has no basis in fact--I don't want to be any more specific. Lolly, from T.O.P.S. called and we had a long talk. She seems very worried about the virus and barely goes out at all.
I thought I'd call my old friend, Elva Gruhler (that was her maiden name), with whom I graduated from St. James an incredible seventy years ago, but the phone was no longer "in service." Looked her up and, damn, Elva died three months ago. I'm not sure why that hit me so hard, but it did. We had a history--Dr, Gruhler and his family lived on Rosborough Avenue, as we did,  I went all through grammar school with Elva. They moved away, we lost touch until about ten years ago, when we reconnected. I visited Elva at her Lamberville Gallery of Fine Art, bringing Jeanne Dollard once and Peggy Hartman another time.
I don't know why I feel so bereft; the last time I talked to Elva was shortly after I moved here. She had called just to say hello, not realizing I was in California. I wish I had called her a few months ago. Elva's entire birth family pre-deceased her and her brother and sister were quite young. It's another part of my childhood gone forever and I remember some history with Elva that now, nobody else in the world remembers. It isn't even important or very significant, so why does it still clutter up my mind? That's a rhetorical question--I know why.
Went to Von's for tissues--they didn't have any--but didn't walk the footbridge, even though I could have, the light rain yielding to sunshine after lunch. Just got out about 4:30 and walked around the block--big whoops, as the kids would say.


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Down, But Then Up

I've had better days. Rain had been predicted, of course, with great alarm expressed by the Ventura County Star--head for the hills, everybody, it's going to rain!  Okay, I'm exaggerating, but they did run an article above the fold that warned of possible thundershowers. What actually happened was a light shower in the morning and a few little drizzles here and there, but otherwise, just gray and lowering clouds, my least favorite kind of weather.
I cleaned the kitchen counters and what's on them, which I've been meaning to do since Hector was a pup. (I've always liked that expression and would love to find a dog named Hector. Not have one, you understand, but meet one.) Swept the outside entrances to my and Suzanne's door.
I tried to order the fifth season of Will & Grace on Amazon, but there seemed to be a screw-up. I want the actual physical DVD, but they wanted send it to me electronically--or something. I ordered and it "rang up" as much more than I had thought it would. I cancelled and they refunded, but it was frustrating.
My daughters and I spoke and saw each other on Facebook Messages--I never even knew you could do that until Mike did on Saturday. We just talked for a short time.  After that, I called Jeanne Dollard P. and she asked if she could get back to me in just a minute. She hasn't called back yet.
Had lunch, then played Solitaire at the kitchen table. My mood wasn't improved when I remembered my mother used to do that. She was lonely and so was I.
I decided it would help to get out, so I took my cart over to Von's. They finally have Plexiglas at the cashier lines, but still no masks for employees. I got romaine, Brussels sprouts, salad dressing,  sponges, and an enormous cauliflower, which I intend to prepare in the slow cooker and feast on tonight. I also decided to treat myself and got a yam. I almost never eat anything in the potato family, but once is a while is no prob.
Got home and was mopey--until Ellen called on Facebook Messaging. I told her how I felt and she was sympathetic. She suggested some things and mntioned again that I should have a virtual happy hour with my friends. You know, now that I understand I can do it on Facebook, I'll call Nancy this morning and see if we can set it up. I actually did call El back that way as an experiment and was delighted that I could see her on the laptop.
My mood improved after talking to El and I had my weird dinner: spinach, peas, and the yam, which was yum.

Family and A Fire Pit

I called my nephew, Wes, Betty's son, who's an attorney in Chicago, to talk about this "utility charge," which I say is a rent increase. The upshot was that, if they raise the rent within 12 months, I might have a leg to stand on, if I argue the current charge is actually an increase.Up and out after that--to Von's for grapes.
Later in the morning, when I set out for the footpath bridge over the 101, I met up with Suzanne just walking in the complex. We talked for about fifteen, catching up on each other's recent lives. I then walked the path, but just to Kimball, not all the way around it, so put in about two and a half miles.
Lunched, then Ellen called to say she had left something on my patio. I looked and found a gift MORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD:  Cottonelle toilet paper!  Wow, that was exciting. El and I talked--she was on her way to Green Thumb for a cilantro plant--and we'll Zoom today, along with somebody else.
Because Carolyn had come up with the great idea of making some word games for Betty, I decided to do the same and started a little "Byrne's Beach" quiz. As for the 1985 "BB" paper, I had sent it to my three brothers, also, and my brother, Jim, 94, called to thank me. My pal, Pat R., gave me permission to put her funny "magician in the old people's home" joke on Facebook and my FB friends enjoyed it. 
Here's the new fire pit area, with two outdoor stoves, just installed in the middle of our complex. Actually, they look pretty good and, once they're operational, I'd like to sit out there some evenings.

In the evening, I was pleased to get a video call via Facebook messaging from Mike and the girls. Vivian was about to go to the mall, Violet was "with" her friend electronically, and Mike was his usual nutsy self. Starting on Tuesday, Singapore is instituting the "shelter in place" thing and they'll all be more or less confined, I guess. 

Boy, is this confinement stuff getting old.

Trader Joe's And Other Stuff

After breakfast, I called Carolyn B., Nancy's and my erstwhile Soaring Spirits/happy hour/lunch friend. Carolyn said she had just had a Zoom meeting with Toastmasters and she had delivered her talk. I asked her what her topic was and she said she didn't follow the topic schedule; however, she didn't say what she talked about.
This is typical of Carolyn, as Nancy and I have noticed. It's amazing how uncommunicative she is about unimportant subjects. She also said she had been "tired" lately. Considering she seems "tired" most of the time, that wasn't big news. It was sad that, when I asked if she and her two children, 20 and 23, had played games or otherwise done things together, she said, no, they had pretty much done their own things. However, she was pleased that I had called and we had a pleasant talk. I called Nancy after and we chatted, also. She said she had been on Zoom with her knitting group, but since some are in Finland and elsewhere, the language thing was a problem.
I then took off for Trader Joe's for their frozen salmon and ahi tuna, which I've bought there before and like a lot. Outside, the line, people six feet apart, stretched all around the front and side of the building, but no matter; it was a beautiful day and I had no pressing other matters. I put on my mask and gloves, of course, and when I got up to the door, I was greeted by the--well, greeter. I was amazed to see he had neither a mask nor gloves, although he talked to me from about three feet away.  I asked an employee where the fish was and he directed me; he didn't have mask or gloves either. Nor did he cashier. Nor did he security guard outside. I asked each of them if Trader Joe's provides masks and/or gloves and they all said no.
This is incredible. Just like Von's, this supermarket, which makes huge profits, spouts all the sanctimonious bullcrap about how much they care for their employees and customers, but when push comes to shove, it's all talk. I was glad to have gotten the walk in, though, a total of 3.8 miles.
Home, I had lunch, then started on my quest to see if FPI Management, which owns this place, is cheating me or not. Talked to somebody from Ventura County government and she gave me number
I'll call on Monday. I also PM-ed my attorney nephew in Chicago and will call him over the weekend.
Betty called, having gotten the second "edition" of Byrnes' Beach, which she greatly enjoyed. She also got a letter from Ellen, which she read to me, about Patrick's visit and so on.
And speaking of my girl, El, she stopped in after work and we had a nice visit. She's got a lot on her plate what with making up packets, being in touch with her students, and trying to continue to educate. Anyway, it was so good to see her.

Rent And The Roosevelts

After breakfast, I walked down Victoria, then went over to Von's for tangerines and shredded cheese, donning my mask and gloves before I went in. As for paper goods, they had exactly four very thin and beat-up looking boxes of tissues. It was an obscure brand that surely held an inferior product and it was priced at $1.99! Luckily, I have six boxes of better tissues that I might very well have to use for something else someday--eew-w-w!
As for the ConService bill, about which I expounded on Facebook, I'm pretty sure it's legal. I'm also sure FPI Management has a stable of lawyers to check and make sure of that. But here's why I say it's rent increase: 
My rent was a certain amount when I moved here three years ago. It was raised by $80 a month two years ago. I now get a bill for water, sewer, and trash removal. I never received a bill for these before last month, but of course, there's no question it was factored into the rent. Presumably, I paid a percentage of the total usage for all the apartments here. In other words, say there are 500 units here and the trash removal bill is a thousand a month. Wouldn't my rent include, say one-five-hundreth of it? Since rent remains what it was, isn't that double payment? I'm going to pursue this.
I walked out to get the mail which, incidentally, has been extremely slow, and met up with Michelle. We talked and talked for about an hour about the rent situation and I tried to explain the above. She asked for my phone number, so she can call me and I can tell her husband. What good that'll do is questionable; Michelle seems a little kooky.
Betty called to say how thrilled she was about "Byrnes' Beach" and I was so glad she had enjoyed it. Sadly, she didn't remember when she first got it thirty-five years ago. I was thrilled to also get a call from someone I love. El called later, but just on the phone, not Zoom. We decided to invite the other person to join us on Zoom over the weekend.
I had registered for a group called "Shut Up And Write," now virtual, thinking it was some kind of writers exchange or something, but it wasn't. Turned out that the leader, Hillary" simply called time on email, during which participants were supposed to work on their projects, then ended it after fifteen or so. Dumb and I dropped out.
I did something last night I haven't done for an age: watched the "news" on television, both local and--some of, but not all of--national news. I was stunned to find that, as far as I could see, there was not one single item about anything else but the virus. There must be some other activities.  Aren't we still slashing and burning around the world? Don't we still have an embargo on Iran? Isn't Venezuela still on our kill list? Aren't the criminals in Washington still stealing and conniving? Apparently not.
Later, I came across a Ken Burns PBS bio show on the Roosevelt families, both Theodore's and Franklin's. That was interesting, but it continued after 9:00 and I went to bed. I'll check to see if it will be run again or on YouTube.

The Floors And Futility

Reluctantly, I texted Gail about 8:30 that I wouldn't be joining her for our walk. She wrote back immediately to say she was already here (outside the gate at Hill Street). I called her and said my daughter was concerned about us meeting, so I thought we'd better not, at least for a time. She was okay with that. The truth is that I'd just as soon walk in the afternoon, but maybe later, I'll contact Gail and ask if we could resume.
Maybe later. What's going to happen "later"? I hope before too long, things will go back to normal, whatever "normal" is.
Made up my little newsletter packets for Betty and my brothers and walked to the P.O. to mail them. Met up with Suzanne as I was going out. She was coming back from Von's and we chatted a bit. I was surprised to see she wasn't wearing a mask or gloves; didn't think to ask if she wanted me to give her some of the latter.
I cleaned the hard floors with the Bona process and washed the bathtub mat and bath rugs and so on. Rather than putting them in the dryer, I laid them out in the sun. I know the sun is a germicide and besides, I remembered Wilfred Owen's "Futility":

Move him into the sun—

Gently its touch awoke him once,

At home, whispering of fields half-sown.

Always it woke him, even in France,

Until this morning and this snow.

If anything might rouse him now

The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds—

Woke once the clays of a cold star.

Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides

Full-nerved, still warm, too hard to stir?

Was it for this the clay grew tall?

—O what made fatuous sunbeams toil

To break earth's sleep at all?

The operative phrase, "Was it for this the clay grew tall?" makes me think of the present situation and its dire ending for some. I was in a a reflective mood, I guess. 

After lunch, I oiled and seasoned two chicken leg quarters and put them in the oven to roast. I then tidied up a bit until Ellen and I zoomed at 3:30.
It makes such a difference to me that we were able to see each other and not just hear ourselves. She showed me her newly-arranged guest room, now her office and it looks great.  After that, I walked the footpath--my new fave walking place, but didn't go more than about two, as it was getting a little cool. Betty called while I was walking to tell me about various word games Carolyn had devised and brought her.
Had one of the legs, plus spinach and zucchini for dinner. I put on Wall Street, but lost interest after a half-hour and turned on the television for Dateline about a grisly murder in Miami.  I had forgotten there were so many commercials, but was mildly interested because it's been so long since I watched television, I had never seen them before. Several of them were quite informative, as I learned how very altruistic, civically enlightened, and wonderfully compassionate these big corporations are as they react to the crisis. They care only about their customers, not dirty money, of course, and so does FPI Management, which just raised my rent.
Are these new times? You'd better believe it. Here's the 101 from the footpath over it, yesterday. It was Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at 5:14--that is, rush hour:

Well, I'm rambling on, so now I'll just ramble away...

Byrne's Beach

I thought it was a stroke of genius for my niece, Carolyn, to send out a message to family and others, asking them to write to Betty through the actual U.S. Post Office. Many agreed to do so and of course, I will. What's wonderfully coincidental is that last week, I came across the following, a kind of (extended) family newsletter I had created thirty-five years ago.
I had sent out a teaser first, telling everybody to be on the watch for it, then sent the first "edition," dated January, 1985. It chronicles the comings and goings and doings of our big family and everybody got a kick out of it.

I thought it was the perfect mail to send Betty, so I copied it, added the teaser and sent it off. Since I thought they'd enjoy it, too, I sent the same to my three brothers.  

(Hmm, after I added the above, this damn machine is refusing to start at the left margin--guess I'll have to make do with the center.)

After I had copied and otherwise prepared it all, I walked to the P.O. to mail them. I'll send the second edition tomorrow; unfortunately , that's all I ever got around to doing originally. That was odd, as I didn't have anything else to do: just care for a house, a husband, four children, a full-time job, and college classes.

Stopped at Von's for romaine, batteries, and Oxy-Clean on my way home. Put in a load of whites. adding the aforementioned (I can't help myself!), and they came out beautifully. Had lunch, then set off for my walk. I called Betty once I reached Kimball Park and we had a good chat. I didn't tell her what I had sent--I want it to be a surprise. We said goodbye and I started off again, the ran into Diane, one of my walking buddies from when I did Kimball at 7 every morning. We talked for about twenty minutes, conscientiously standing blah, blah, blah. She and Irene still walk everyday and she invited me to join them, but I've gotten out of the early-walk habit and prefer later.

Went on my way and circumnavigated the park, then walked home via the bridge. I figured this was a good five, at least, and probably a bit more. It was a gorgeous day, 70 degrees and sunny, but with a gentle breeze. 

Had another vegan meal--black beans, cabbage, and butternut squash, but today, I think I'll bake the chicken I had in the freezer. 

Talked to Ellen. She has a Zoom meeting with her colleagues this morning and this afternoon, we'll zoom together and she'll show me her newly-arranged home office.

(This being forced to be aligned in the middle in driving me crazy!)