THURSDAY

Full of new-found energy after my lovely sleep, I stripped the bed, added some clothes, and trudled the load to the laundry room. When I went back to get it before lunch, I found both dryers were taken, but no problem, I took them to the other second-floor laundry room to dry.

I spent twenty minutes on the stationary bike before going down to lunch. Ate with Paula, LaVerne, and Mary. Kathie didn't show, which was concerning since she had told us yesterday that her daughter had had to be taken to the hospital. It seems she broke out in hives after cleaning her daughter's newly-bought home, a fixer-upper that Kathie believes had some kind of toxicity in it. I called her after lunch and left a message. Re-made the bed and put away the clothes. 

I was fooling around on the laptop, then thought I'd get a glass of water, which we keep being told we should drink more of. (No--incorrect! It should be "of which we should drink more," but that sounds so awkward and old-fashioned, the hell with it.) Anyhoo--I went to the sink and horrors--again found tiny, tiny ants. This time, I investigated further; after emptying the surface places and the long drawer, I found a tiny cracker piece in the latter and yes, it had ants around it. I then spent an hour emptying all places in my little kitchenette, washing or wiping them out, washing what they contained (silverware and other kitchen supplies), then replaceing everything. Whew, what a job, but I'm confident I got rid of the problem.   

Had dinner with Kathie, LaVerne, and Paula; as ever, I enjoyed their company and our--sometime naughtily worded in Kathie's and my case--conversation. Entree was shrimp and I enjoyed that, too.

Mary Ann has some escrow thing going on, so won't be at T.O.P.S. I texted Cheryl and she'll take me; I'm not opptimistic about my weight though. Showered and washed my hair before settling in for the night.

WEDNESDAY:

 It seemed like a busy day, but I guess it really wasn't. My dermatology appointment was at 12:30, but the uber driver, courtesy of my insurance, picked me up at 11:40. Therefore, I got there a few minutes before noon and had to wait a half-hour. Dr. C. saw me for roughly one minute; she had only to check the lesion on the cheek and zap the thing on my nose. I'll go back in March to follow up.

Home about 1:30 and I had a small portion of potato salad, then put some of my Japanese aritifacts in the walker and, as promised, took them downstairs to Mindy. She was delighted and arranged them in the display case: 

 I geared up for dime Bingo at 2:00; went downstairs, played the game, and won three. By that time,  it was a bit after 4:00. Found my Amazon order at my door and put away the contents. How I absolutely love the fact that I can order what I need, pay electronically, and receive the goods within a short time--in this case, overnight.

Ellen called to say she had made an appointment for us to see P.A. Natelie in October. She also said she and Greg will pick me up on Saturday and we'll go to a Greek restaurant in Camarillo to celebrate her birthday. It's actually on the eleventh, tomorrow, but Greg is off on Saturday, so it's more convenient. 

By the time I was ready to go to the dining room, I was starving. Went down and joined Paula and Denise; neither Kathie nor LaVerne came down, as happens often. We had some good, fun talk and a delicious kind of roast beef and cheese on a roll with French dip. Remarkably, they also had no sugar added ice cream and I had a small bowl of that.  No plans for today or tomorrow, except for T.O.P.S. or Friday, which is fine by me. 

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Note: Happy day--I slept soundly all night! By the time I turned in, it was ten-thirty and I just got up at 9:00. It's remarkable how good I feel after ending several days of restless sleep. I just stripped the bed and will wash, then do some household chores and the exercise bike.  😴YAY!

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TUESDAY

Put in a load of color wash in the morning. Ellen called to say she had heard from Primary Medical about my knee and she'll make an appointment for us to see P.A. Natalie the week after next. Fine by me.

Early on, I called Dermatology Medical to see if I have an appointment today, hoping against hope I didn't., but I do, at 12:30. Called SCAN Transportation and will be picked up at11:46. Okay, I'll miss lunch, but will eat something here.

Down to lunch and saw that our usual table was filled. Kathie was sitting elsewhere and I joined David and Lisa, a nice change. They're the couple who met here at The Orchard and now live together. We had an enjoyablet time, which included a game they play--"Contexto" or something--and we played it. I'll have to look it up, as I may like to play it, too.

Back at my place, I prepared for 2:00 dime Bingo. Went down and enjoyed it; also, won two games. The session wasn't over until 3:30, at which point, I did this and that regarding minor housekeeping. Do-Lannie had done the floors and bathroom and it looks good. 

Had dinner with the companians I enjoy most: Kathie, LaVerne, and Paula. It was a kind of Asian salad, very refreshing and the conversation that went with it was enjoyable, too. There's a new server named Ava, whom we met--she is, of course, in her late teens or early twenties, as they all are. I enjoy interacting with them so much.

Showered, but decided not to wash my hair. I'll wait a while or maybe have Caitlin cut it, if I can ever get hold of her.

Very poor sleep last night, and I'm dragging. Will drink my coffee and try to bouce back. 

MONDAY

Susan picked me up at 11:15 and off we went to the Stone Fire Grille; her little Gizmo came, too, and was perfectly behaved during lunch: 

 There were five others there, including Barbara Q., who hasn't attended in some time. I was so pleased to see her and we had a great time. When that sweet girl, Susan, dropped me off, she said she's pick me up in two weeks for our dinner gathering, so I don't even have to text her beforehand. 

It was almost 2:00 when I got back, but no prob, as I didn't have anything else scheduled. Took my nap, futzed around, and then it was dinnertime.Neither Kathie nor LaVerne showed--they often stay in their apartments for dinner--so Paula and I sat together by ourselves. We had a good talk getting to know each other more and, as mentioned before, I like Paula so much. Although she's only in early seventies and looks younger, she suffered two strokes three years ago, and has been working on the effects ever since. Happily, her speech is perfectly okay; it's her memory and her balance that cause her some problems. Anyway, much as I like the others with whom we usually sit, it was good to chat with her alone.  

I went to bed very late for me: ten-thirty. Even so, I awoke too early and got up, so I'll have to nap again today. That's okay, as I have no plans except dime Bingo at 2:00. 

SUNDAY

Susan texted me, asking if I wanted her to pick me up for Soaring Spirts lunch today. I had forgotten it was the first Monday, and was glad she asked--sure, I'll go.

Had lunch with Kathie, LaVerrne, and Paula. Kathie told us her daughter, Stacy, had been taken to the hospital by ambulence, as she had developed a body-wide case of hives. It seems she had been cleaning out the house her daughter just bought and Kathie is convinced there was something in there  that triggered the hives. Guess we'll find out.

Back at my place, I fooled around on this machine, then went down to play Yahzee at 2:00. Beverly and Ada played, as well as volunteer Cindy. Mary G. came in just to watch, which was as well, as she's a non-stop talker. We played two games and Ada got Yahzee twice. After, Cindy asked if I'd like to have dinner, meaning there at The Orchard. I sure did and I like Cindy a lot, so we went into the dinning room. I thought our usual table might not accomodate all of us, so sat at another. I made the mistake of picking the table where Bruce, yet another non-stop talker, sits. He came, he never shut up, and I'll invite Cindy to sit with all of us another time. 

I've been having some trouble with this computer, but I hope it's resolved now. If not, I may try going to Asurion one of these days to have several (minor) problems addressed.

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I just came across this pic of the Little Egg Theatre Company''s production of Quiet Please, a simulated radio show we did about twenty years ago. There I am, standing on the left, along with my colleagues of another life. Good memories. 

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SATURDAY

 Happily, I slept well and didn't get up until 7:00 am to follow my usual routine. Niece Carolyn called at 10:00 and we had a good, long talk. I was so interested to hear that she's continuing her writing of a 1904 incident in Santa Babara where she lives: the accident of a trolley hitting a pole in which five people were killed and dozens injured. The trolley, with 40 seats, was packed with 120 people. Carolyn's 24-year-old son, Finn, is atttending a "Burning Man" gathering in Nevada, the particulars of which are beyond belief:

It's a week-long kind of concert and art event, during which attendees build a house, then at the end of the week, burn it down. Makes sense, right?

She's also going to take her daughter, Claire, upstate to UC Davis, where she'll enter college. In addition, Carolyn's husband, Dana, will be at a conference in Nova Scotia--he's retired, but does contract work--and she's going with him and will meet her cousin, my niece, Chrissy, there. Once she gets back, she'll get in touch and will visit me.

Went down to lunch and sat with Kathie, Paula, and Denise; I had only a salad, as I knew Ellen, Greg, and I would be having an early dinner. As scheduled, the Access Van picked me up at 12:20. The driver had to pick up two other people and drop them off at their destinations, so it was about an hour before I got to Ellen's, but that was no problem. El and I sat and chatted on her lovely porch/patio, then she taught me RummyKrob, which I greatly enjoyed. Greg came about 4:30 and we went off the SeaFresh for an early dinner. I had salmon--excellent--with roasted broccoli, along with an Liquid Candy IPA and it was yummy.

We got to Ellen's just in time to get the Access Van, driven by James, a really nice guy who I've had before. Off we went, and picked up one other person, a woman in a wheel chair close to my age. We talked and I was interested to hear she had lived at The Palms, the assisted living facility right behind The Orchard. 

As soon as I got home, I put the homemade chili Ellen had given me in the fridge and the cornbread she had made in other containers and stowed them in the fridge. However, I was horrified to see ants on the sink surround--AAGH!  I know a few other residents have experienced ants, but I never have. I'll have to let Joseph know and maybe he'll spray. Happily, I didn't see any this morning. 

Have no plans for today, but I'm toying with the idea of asking Noreen if she'd like to meet for lunch. Mebbe yes, mebbe no...

FRIDAY

Mary Ann picked me up for T.O.P.S. at our usual 8:15. Sharon, as she had called to tell me, was absent, but Cheryl, Lennie, Lanie, and Cherlean were there and guess who won the biggest loser prize? Yours truly, that's who, which came as an incredible surprise. I really hadn't made much effort, but somehow lost two pounds, going to 140.6 at home and 141.8 at the meeting.

Home at 9:30 and I lay down for a bit before changing and going downstairs to meet Suzanne and Vickie at 11:30. It was great to see them, of course, and Vickie gave me the good news that she and her group had won a trophy for first place in a pool (billiard) tournement. Here she is by herself and with Suzanne, our  Sister of Mercy mutual friend: 

We went to Casa de Soria, where we've been before and I like a lot. I had a tostedo (probably misspelled) and a *free* Margarita and a not-free beer. Had a great time, of course, talking and catching up. 

Home in time to go to Happy Hour (a second Margarita!), where the "Shoreline Singers" was the entertainment:  

They've been here before and I'm afraid I'm not terribly fond of their selections or their singer--however, the Margarita was good.

Dinner was right after and I sat with Kathie, LaVerne, and Paula. We talked again about Keith and our sadness at his passing. 

Ellen called and we discussed the fact that I'll see her and Greg for dinner at Sea Fresh today. Also, she invited me to come next Friday to celebrate her birthday, which is the day before, September 11; Greg will cook dinner. Sure thing.

Mike Messaged me about 7:00 and we had a nice chat. He'll be leaving for London in a few days (Vivian is already there to start doctorate studies), then back to Singapore, then to Savannah to take Violet to college. Hey, they get around.