Wednesday

Julie picked me up at 9:30, along with her friend, Sharon, and we went to the Neighbors and Newcomers meeting at The Comedy Club on Ventura harbor. I hadn't been terribly enthusiastic about going, as last month's program (global warming and we should all get electric cars) had been a bore. 

This speaker, though, was dynamite. She was "Chef Amy" and had instituted a course at the county jail to train inmates to be food people--cooks, sous chefs, and so on.  Having been in human resources, it interested me immensely; in addition, she had a wonderful delivery, full of life and verve.

After the gathering,  about twenty of us walked to The Greek restaurant for lunch. the room is mostly windows and overlooks the water, an ambiance I loves. I met, and bonded with Pat, who is an artist and also an adventurous lady (she's driving by herself to Arizona and New Mexico shortly); Dee Dee, who  retired after many years in banking, then was a tour guide in various areas of the west (she was born in Brentwood and I told her all I could think of was O.J. Simpson); Erica, who is a native Californian; and Lauren, who wants to get into film-making and might want to call me to discuss. I gave them all my card and will be happy to hear from any.

Home about 2:00 and I bused to Miramar to get my new glasses. It'll be a chore getting used to bifocals, but I can now see middle distances perfectly. I think I'll still use my dollar-glasses for close work, but that's okay by me.

I had intended to bus to a particular store in midtown, but started walking and went the mile and a half without realizing it. However, I saw on the door that it's now open only on weekends. Presumably, they have a staffing shortage, as so many have lately.

Got home, Suzanne stopped in and brought me a lovely rose from her garden, then we had a glass of Irish crème and chatted happily. She confided that she's going to retire soon, her fibro neuralgia being more painful than ever. Good--she's 74 and it's high time. She's apprehensive about it, though--she's been at St. John's for 35 years--but I know she'll find activities in retirement she likes to do.

I made oven-roasted cabbage "steaks" for dinner. Yes, that sounds bizarre, but I happened to see this on-line and wanted to try it. Brushed with olive oil and seasoned with garlic salt, it was yummy, I thought--it may not be for everybody, though. 

Tuesday

From 9:00 am to noon, I was on the phone and laptop, getting my affairs in order.  Called Little Egg township tax collector, Dayna, talked to the assessor, Dawn, and found I can't pay in installments the additional property tax of $1250 (for the six years I didn't live in Jersey, so don't get the widow of a vet deduction). That's not really a problem--I just transferred some dough, sent it electronically, and I'm finished. However, it took time because I had to go back and forth from the tax collector to the tax assessor. 

Dealt with the Ventura County Star with a deal of great deal of rage and frustration. The upshot is, I'll pay $32.00 a month instead of $44.00. (That's just two lines of type, but it took 25 minutes and ten years off my life.)

Ascertained that, yes, I received refunds for both the items I returned to Amazon. I actually LIKE dealing with that company; the Star could take a few hints.

I called Holy Spirit about the group picture I posted yesterday of girls in my class and their mothers. Talked to a very nice person in administration, who asked me to email the picture to her and she'd try to find info about it. Did so.

Did a few other crappy finance-y chores, then resumed reading my dear sister's diary. I then looked up her yearbook: Holy Spirit, Class of 1942. Here are some pictures from it. It's too bad the graduates' pictures were in caps and gowns--they're not very becoming on anybody. (She, of course, is in the lower picture; I can't seem to crop the other grads out.)

Above she's second from the bottom on the right; that's not a good picture of her, though.

 

Gene with one of her many boyfriends on the boardwalk. 

I love reading the diary, but you can't stay in the past too long--you may never escape. I put it aside and had a quick lunch, then took my cart and walked to The Market. It was a glorious day--temp in lower seventies, no humidity, and enough sunshine and blue skies to satisfy even me.

Also walked to Wal-Mart for staples: cabbage and Brussels sprouts and went over to the bus stop after. There, I met yet another woman and we started to chat. We got off at Telephone (she lives in Cypress Garden Independent Living and I wanted to go to the other Von's there), we exchanged names, and I gave her my card and asked her to get in touch. Hers is Alice. I assumed she was about my age, and was amazed when she told me she was 93. It's higher unfair that she looks several years younger than I do!

Home and it was only 4:00, so I again violated my own rule, got my book (incredibly, about the almost half-a-century-ago Watergate scandal) and a beer,and sat on the patio for an hour and read. It was wonderfully peaceful and good to be there:

Got a call from my new friend, LaVonne, and we chatted, then made a date to meet for brunch at the Hill Street Cafe on Sunday. This morning, Julie will pick me up and we'll go to the Beach Cities Neighbors and Newcomers breakfast meeting, then presumably, to lunch. Hey, my social life is heating up and that's good, too.

Good, Gooder, Not-So-Good

 I'm going to sketch this out quickly, as there was lots of activity--and not all good. 

What was good was reading my dear big sister's diary. I printed it out, but am reading it on-line. It runs through 1939, when she was 15, to parts of 1940 and 1941. The entries--most is about her busy social life in Ventnor, at Holy Spirit, with girlfriends and boyfriends, her crushes, the parties, and the multitude of friends. She was so pretty and so full of life. She was much older than Betty and me, of course, and I only vaguely remember her as a teenager--she was married at 22, when I was 11. In one of her entries, she said she had "taken the babies (that's Betty and me, folks) down the beach." In another, she said she had "helped the twins find crabs; they like to see them, but not to touch them."  She also wrote about dancing with a boy she liked and how much fun it was. "But it ended at last. Why do things have to end?" That almost broke my heart.

Another gooder: Julie picked me up at 11:45 for the Soaring Spirits lunch. I was surprised when she said she wasn't coming in because she wanted to go home and nap; she had come back late the previous night from a week-long trip. I protested that she hadn't had to pick me up, I would have had no problem getting there, but she brushed that off.

Anyway, I had a wonderful time, of course, with my widow and widower friends. Hugged Vera, Susan, and Gayle and talked happily with newcomers Diana (her wife died only last month) and Ana (her husband died a short time ago, too). Stayed chatting after, then said goodbye and bused to the transit center. I impulsively got on the 21 bus, thinking I'd take it to Oxnard, but I changed my mind and got off at Wal-Mart to get oatmeal. 

My new friend, LaVonne, texted me with her phone number, and I texted her back, asking if she was available for lunch on Thursday or Friday. She hasn't yet gotten back to me. 

The not-so-good part: Home, and I took my Gene Match return box, containing my swabs, to the office to ask them to put it in with their outgoing mail. I was surprised when Jasmine said she was just about to call me. Why? Because, she said, your "ledger" shows that  you're in arrears with rent. What? How can that be, considering I pay it automatically through my bank? No, she said, my rent wasn't paid in September--six months ago! After that, there ensued a long session of Jasmine looking up and printing out things, me trying to get a handle on it. The upshot was, I took what she gave me the material and I said I'd get back to her with my information. Looked it up when I got home and it looks to me as if it was paid, but I'll have to pursue it further. Jasmin also told me there seems also to be a month when I didn't pay the utilities bill, and possibly, I did overlook it, and will have to research that, too.  Along with the fact that I owe $1250 to Little Harbor with the veterans tax thing, I may be on the street soon.

The very good part: Ellen called, then came over after school to get the coffee pot I had borrowed. She also brought the recipe for leeks I had asked Greg for. Best is that she stayed for an hour and we had a good talk, ranging from the dance she's doing with her third graders for Cinco de mayo, my problems with Jim, and the rent thing with management. 

So, on balance, I guess the good outweighed the bad and really, I'm not that concerned about the money  thing--it just seems a minor annoyance at this point. (I should be ashamed of myself: Only those who are financially secure would ever write such a thing.)   

Sunday

A good day, starting with the crossword, which was punny and funny. Got all but two answers before I put it aside. I mentioned yesterday that I had wanted to resume transcribing my Dad's work diary. After breakfast, I sat down for an hour of it, and boy, this is going to take a while. I'm only on February 17 (1945) and it goes through the year. Okay, a few days at a time.   

Before lunch, I swabbed my gums for the Gene Match Alzheimer's Study I'm in. You can't eat or brush your teeth for an hour beforehand, so that was the right time. Followed the instructions for packaging and mailing and I'll drop the box off at the post office today.

I definitely didn't want to sit at the laptop all day, so got my cart, put in the Amanda Knox book I had finished and walked over the footbridge to the Little Lending Library in the park. Picked up two books from there, then thought I'd take the bus and maybe go to the mall. Went out to wait and saw a woman I've didn't know, but have often seen on the bus. We fell into conversation and like me, she hasn't driven for a year or so. I was sure she was a lot younger than I am, but no--she's actually six months older and will be 86 in June. We got on the bus, exchanged names--hers is LaVonne--I gave her my card, we chatted, then both got off when we saw an outdoor event going on at a Telephone Avenue complex. It was actually and kind of combination of antique cars and various booths. We greatly enjoyed talking to the vendors and LaVonne got a taco. This was one of the attractions:

I thought she was adorable, so took her picture. She was part of the show for Industry Horror, which has a shop downtown; I often pass it. 

Anyway, it was fun to be there. After, LaVonne accompanied me over the footpath to my place. I invited her in and she stayed for fifteen or so for a glass of water and a chat. I then took her out to Telegraph and Victoria, where she could get a bus home. Julie called and will pick me up for lunch with Soaring Spirits at 11:45. This is the first time we've met for months and I can't wait to see my friends.

Just stripped the bed and will put in a wash before breakfast. 

Joan, Jim, Muckie, and a Gathering

After digging out the picture with Sister Peturna, I called my niece, Joan, to ask her to look in the 1930-194? diary that her mother, my sister, had kept in high school. I wanted to find out if she mentioned anything when Sister was our au pair. Happily, Joan said she had typed it out and would email me the copy, which she did. I had read it years ago, but will look forward to it again. I told Joan I'd been typing out my father's 1945 work diary and would send her that. 

At about noon, I was so pleased to get a call from Muckie Datesman. She said she was "returning my call," which I made, by the way, about a month ago, and we laughed over that. We had a good talk, then Jim came and I told her I'd call her back after. 

As we usually do, Jim and I firs sat on the couch and chatted. I showed him the Gene Registry box I just got--must swab my mouth and gums here and there, then send in.  We talked over a few more things, then sat down at the table. I just served hard-boiled egg sandwiches, along with my applesauce and  lemon cake/blueberries/yogurt for dessert. Wine and beer, too, of course, then we each had some Molloy's Irish Creme. After, we again sat on the couch and talked. Jim suddenly got very solemn and said he wanted to say something. 

I actually became uneasy, thinking it was something--well, I didn't know what, but something I didn't want to hear. But it wasn't; it concerned a problem in his apartment. He doesn't want to notify the landlord because he thinks his rent will be raised. I know what he pays and it boggles the mind. I won't mention the amount, but incredibly, it's four hundred a month less than I pay, although his apartment is considerably larger than mine, plus he has two bedrooms. It's certainly in as nice an area and is as well kept, it seems to me, so I'm amazed. What's even more amazing is that Jim said his rent hasn't been raised since he moved there seven years ago. I just find that impossible to grasp, having tenants myself. 

Anyway, it seems he has some plumbing problems and he's afraid if he tells the landlord, his rent will be raised, so maybe he should pay for repairs himself. Sheer idiocy, but he asked me to go on the Internet to find various handymen, then search each in the Better Business Bureau site to see what their ratings are. Some were on, some not, and Jim wanted me to look up what the ratings mean--another exercise in futility, if you ask me, but I spent a full hour and a half on all this. Jim seemed oblivious to the time and effort this took and, as ever, expressed little appreciation. We (again) had words and I'm beginning to wonder if this friendship is worth it.

It was five o'clock when Jim left and I immediately called Muckie and we had another great talk until close to six. She mentioned that someone had given her the picture below (which I may have posted here before--not sure) and we tried identifying people. I had put the picture on Facebook some time ago--I think it was from Jeanne Dollard Painter--but have yet to come up with the occasion. These are all members of my class of '54 and, interestingly, Betty and Mom are in it, but I'm not.  Muckie, who uses neither email or anything else on the Internet, asked for Betty's and a certain friend's 😄 contact  information, which I gave her. Before we hung up, we resolved to keep in closer touch.

Friday

Home: 126.8 for a gain of .04; T.O.P.S.: 127.7, for a gain of .09. I'm fine with these tiny ones, of course.

I did the very short quiz program, then took out Molloy's Irish Crème, the glasses, and some Ritz Crisp and Thins, with creamy onion and sea salt, and served it up. Everybody loved both.

"Everybody," though, consisted only of Bobbi, Lennie, Lora, and me. Sharon had called me at 7:00 am to say she had been sick all night and Julie was on a trip. However, the four of us had a good time talking--what's in T.V. commercials, gender liaisons, and relatives. We then veered into our childhoods and upbringings and I mentioned my mother, with six children, had an au pair stay for the summer. She was a high school girl from Philly--this was common when I was a kid--who later became a Sister of St. Francis. My mother kept in touch with her for years and I have two pictures of Mom, Betty, and me visiting Sister Peturna (?) at the convent. The pictures are dated 4/14/41, so we were four and a half. Incredibly, I remember the occasion and I recall being very bored and restless--so was Betty--while Mom and Sister talked on and on:

I was amazed and delighted when Bobbi, who grew up on Long Island, NY, mentioned that she had been an au pair herself when she was 14--in Ventnor!  She didn't remember than name of the street, but said she had stayed only a month because she became homesick. 

Anyhoo, it was a good session, although (or maybe, because of) it had nothing to do with why we were actually there. My brother, Larry, called while it was going on and I said I'd call him later, which I did when I got home. We talked for one hour and five minutes and I was so pleased to realize he's still all there; Larry will be 90 in June.  

Had a late lunch (2:15), then took off. I walked over the foot bridge to Telephone Avenue, then bused to the mall. Went to Target and got a few things, including a little Easter gift for Mr. K., my grandson in Tokyo. Going home, I started composing a name rhyme for Larry for his birthday. Have to keep working on it.

I called Jim at 7:00 and he said if I hadn't, he would have called me--okay, good. We talked for a bit, then--natch--I invited him for lunch. He accepted--natch--and will be here, as ever, at 12:30.

P.S. The answer to yesterday's quiz question?  According to the study I have, it's Florida that has the highest percentage of both overweight and obese citizens.

Thursday

 After the previous busy days, I had a quiet one. Slept well, getting up only once, then back to sleep until 6:30. After breakfast, I cored and quartered the four pounds of apples I had bought at Smart 'n' Final, cut up a big naval orange, added cinnamon, and set them to simmer in the slow cooker.  

I then went over to Von's for the heavy cream and Sensodyne I had forgotten on Wednesday. As I was coming back, I ran into Michelle, my neighbor, who is the most talkative person I've ever met and I mean that sincerely. She simply never stops and she has this up and down delivery that's enough to curdle my blood. This time, she went on and on about her mother and how mean she is--I've heard this many times before--and how her mother doesn't understand how much Michelle misses her father, who recently died. Michelle is about fifty, by the way, and the mother is 87. Michelle asked if I'd walk with her to the DVD some day next week, roughly four miles away. I'm not so sure I want to go that far in one stretch, so I'll think about it. 

Made up the Molloy's Irish Crème (it's fun to use the spelling with the accent mark, even though that's French, not Irish) and happily, it fit perfectly in the container I had bought for it. I'll bring it this morning to the T.O.P.S. meeting. Also worked up a short--very short--program, which I had promised to do. Here's the first question: 

1. What state has the highest percentage of obesity? a. Mississippi  b. Florida  c. California d. New Jersey. Answer tomorrow!  

I spent some time deciding how I'll get the crème, glasses, and crackers to the meeting and finally decided on a kind of heavy canvas carryall I have. I don't know why I go to such lengths (and spend the amount of time and money I do) on things that are just whims of mine. I think it's because I sometimes get restless and bored--I just don't have enough to do. I'm considering joining Friends of the Library and maybe some other kind of volunteer work, but do I really want to? Not sure.

After lunch, I lay down for a nap--only an hour--and felt better when I woke up. I don't want to get in the habit of napping every day, though. For me, I don't think it's a good idea. I was re-invigorated enough to do some work in the patio: deadheaded the geraniums and cut back the daisies. Looks nice.

Anyway, after the crème had been in the fridge for several hours, I sampled some. Oh, mama, is that good!