21.9.12

Friday - 9/21/12

Friday - 9/21/12

At least I got enough sleep last night. The alarm is obnoxiously telling me it's time to get up. The cat's sleeping on the rug next to my bed. He takes off running when I get up to turn off the alarm. I sit back down for a little bit. He slowly comes back to his space on the rug.

I'm trying to leave early for the bus stop this morning. It's the first morning I've remembered that I want to do that. I don't have many things I have to do either. So, I may be able to manage it.

Shoot! I forgot to send in a work request and I can't do that from the yoga center and the computer I use for that is turned off!

Here I am, leaving late. Heading off to the farther away, alternate stop. At least I know I'm leaving in time to catch the bus there!

I'm really not feeling it today. The whole bus things Getting to me. I get up early enough on a normal day. This is silly. I remind myself to be grateful. I am really grateful for this chance to work on my finances. I'm grateful I could make a choice to do this. I'm grateful I have a wonderful place to live. I'm grateful I get to teach yoga this morning. Heck, when you think about it, very few people on this planet can say they get to share yoga this morning and I do! How wonderful and awesome is that?! And heck, the lights in my scooter wheels are still awesome too!

I'm crossing the street to the bus stop. There's the bus, coming up the road! I'll make it the light's with me. I didn't think I was that late though. I'm going to have to work on leaving earlier! I'm so grateful I caught the bus!

At the bus stop I've adopted. There's a few bigger pieces of trash. I put my vinyl gloves on, pick up those, look for the bus, pick up some cigarette butts. I think this stop is staying cleaner. That's encouraging. The bench has been tagged in a few spots. Maybe next time I'll bring something and try to clean that off. I wish I could just paint over it with flowers, but that would be considered tagging too.



20.9.12

Thursday - 9/20/12

Thursday - 9/20/12

It's a day at home! I'm enjoying being here, watching the cat play!

Rather than putting items up on eBay, I'm cleaning up photobucket. I use it for hosting eBay item pictures. I haven't deleted the "sold" items for awhile. I have over 200 to get rid of! I love photobucket. They make it easy to upload item pics and get HTML code to link to them. This is where the site falls down. It's slow and painful trying to clean off these files!

How cute! The cat just dumped over the trash can and then, after "killing" a few papers, he's curled up in it!

Charles is coming over later to pick up a shed one of my tenants wanted to get rid of. I've been planning on working on the backyard. Now is the time, since I can send the green waste off with him for composting!

It's a small patio yard, and I'm done for now. I filled up four small/ medium container with green waste! Things really grew while I was at burning man!

19.9.12

Wednesday 9/19/12

Wednesday 9/19/12

On the bus. I'm late. I'm hoping to catch an earlier 43 bus to get to Avalon on time. I think today is the first day since coming back where I've started to feel I'm getting it together.

The couple in the front moved their suitcases so I could sit down. That was really nice of them.

After the majority of the people are off the bus, I move to give the couple room to spread out again. An Asian lady with white hair that tightly pulled back and a bright pink top on, sitting in the seat across the aisle from me just started preaching to the whole bus in a very loud voice! I put my earbuds in and turn on my music. I can still hear her over it. As near as i can tell, she's catholic Now she's singing! Loudly! Now she's back to preaching. She holds the bus hostage for the rest of the trip... Preaching religion. Call me funny, but I don't think holding a bus of people hostage is the way to say that your religion has the answers... And I used to think people talking on their cell phones was annoying!

Off the bus, she walks away from the bus stop with her bright pink top and bright red parasol.

It's past time for the bus to come I'm worried that the same driver will be driving this 43 route tonight. He doesn't seem to care about the schedule and habitually runs 20 minutes late. If I'm right, they switched schedules last week and we will be stuck with him for awhile. It doesn't seem fair though. I know the 43 tends to run late and sometimes, because of circumstances I just can't make the next bus. But that is the exception, not the rule. If his guy's going to run 20 minutes late, well, I'll be missing the bus again and on a regular basis.

The bus arrives. It's at least 20 minutes late. It's a different driver though. I say something to him about this bus always being late. He says it isn't this bus, it's the bus behind us. So, I have gotten on the next 43 because it. Came before the one I'd been waiting for. How funny!

We're miles away from Disneyland when my bus is supposed to leave. That bus is almost always on time too. That means I'll have a half hour or so to wait. So frustrating!

I go to the far stop for the 460, just in case they were running late. I stand here awhile. No luck. I'm tired and hungry and don't have my water. I just want to go home.

17.9.12

Monday - 9/17/12

Monday - 9/17/12

The alarm is going off. I want to go back to sleep. I have that heavy feeling of being in the middle of deep sleep. I didn't do the weekly reports yesterday because I was gone. I have to do them this morning. That means getting up.

16.9.12

Sunday - 9/16/12 - showing apartment!

Sunday - 9/16/12

It's 6am. I'm awake. I think I need to sleep longer. It's going to be a long day and I'm worried since I wasn't feeling good yesterday. The cat's crying and running around chasing bits of fluff. I guess I'm awake.

I'm doing photo editing on the eBay pictures I took yesterday. It was a huge thing that I got so many items photo'd after purchasing them It would be bigger if I could get all the photos edited and the items listed this quickly. I'm jazzed about the possibility!

It's time to stop. Prakriti will be here to pick me up in less than an hour. I need to get ready. I'm so grateful that I've got a ride down and back today! It makes everything easier. I'm glad I made a list last night of everything I needed to bring! With being gone for the day and doing different things, it's easy to miss things you need. I need blank CDs for Prakriti and paper for Avalon....

I'm waiting out front. It's not like Prakriti to be late. She's normally early. I hope she remembers that she's taking me to Sunday morning celebration. Well, if she doesn't come, maybe I'll stay home Get more sleep. Oh yeah. I can't do that! If she doesn't come I'd have to turn around and get on a bus and hope I get down there in time for the open house I've got scheduled. I'd miss Sunday morning celebration too, and I want to go to that. Well, she never forgets. So I know she's coming.

There she is! We're on our way! She says if I want to have lunch at mother's with her that she'll drop me off at Avalon afterward. How nice!

At Avalon. I'm printing up layouts and fact sheets for the apartment I'm showing. I'm also blowing up balloons. I want them to put on the rental signs so people know there's an open house. I'm not sure about traveling with them. I started off thinking I need 3 to 6 balloons. Now, I'm working on 9. That way if a few pop on the way, I'll still have enough.

I think I must look funny, pushing along on the scooter with my backpack on and balloons in my hand. They keep annoying me by getting in my face. I 'm working on different ways to hold them. There goes one! The yellow one just popped! I don't have a clue of what popped it. At least I planned for that and have more!

The open house is over. I'm heading back to Avalon. It's getting cooler. I'm regretting leaving my jacket at home.

Leaving Avalon for the yoga center, YS is in his car and offers me a ride. I drop the idea of stopping at Mother's Market for a snack and accept. This feels like luxury! I feel pampered by the universe! We'll be there in time for meditation! Prakriti's taking me home tonight so no more scootering for me today!

10.9.12

Monday - 9/10/12

Monday - 9/10/12

How did it get to be so late?! I must have been laying in bed trying to wake up for longer than I thought. I've got less than a half hour to get my Monday reports done and get out of here!

Is it Monday? It feels like yesterday was Monday. No. It has to be today.

I've got my clothes packed for tonight and the deposit ready. I'm starting to work on the bills. No. I need to go. I grab the bills, the one out of the scanner and stuff them into my backpack. I'll have to fill them out and email them to the office from the yoga center.

It's taken me forever to get out of here. I'm leaving 8 minutes late. 8 minutes is a bad number. I have to go to the farther away, alternate bus stop. I still might not make it. I have to try though.

Some days the scooter feels like it rolls easily, others it feels sluggish. I don't know what the difference is. It's been feeling sluggish for the last few days. I'm very thankful that today it doesn't feel that way!

It was good of Valadana last night to tell me that she saw my lights from a distance. I now know that with the light up wheels and the lights on my backpack, I am definitely visible!

This is one of those mornings I could see the bus go by in front of me, without me. I decide to visualize something better. I'm spending the trip visualizing my getting to the stop, folding up my scooter, and then having the bus come. I'm keeping that picture in my mind.

There's the bus stop. We'll soon see.

I reach the stop, fold up my scooter and look up. There's the bus! Just like my visualization! Nice!

7.9.12

Friday - 9/7/12 - Long Day

Friday - 9/7/12

The good news is that I fixed the iPod. I'm back to being woken up gently with nice, comforting music. The bad news is that it's time to get up. I know I slept some during the day yesterday. Still it feels wrong to get up after only an hour of sleep.

I have to get up and get around, get the deposit ready for villa Tuscany.

I think I'm leaving on time to make it to the bus at the closer stop. I hope so. I'm not ready for that extra 1/2 mile of trip. Ok. I'm not ready for any of it, but I'm going to do it. This decision is make or break. If I miss the bus because of going to the closer stop, there's no way to go back and do over and everything becomes harder. I still think I'm on time. I head to the closer stop.

I'm not quite to the corner when I see the bus. It's coming up to the stoplight. The light's green. I'll miss the bus! I've got one moment to choose and take one chance. I can rush for the bus stop and make it. My experience is that the drivers don't stop then. They don't see someone rushing on a scooter as equaling someone running for the bus. On the other hand, they don't have to stop for you if you aren't at the official stop. I decide to stand here, on the corner and wave, rather than rushing for the stop. The bus is pulling over! He's seen me and is going to stop fat the stop and wait for me! Terrific!!

My bus pass expired yesterday. I thought I had today yet. Oh well, I'll buy a daily OCTA pass for today. Thank goodness I'd already arranged with RJ to bring a pass for me to the office this afternoon! I'm sending him an email now to remind him (thank goodness for smart phones!)

Waiting for the 55, I'm feeling like I'm back in the old routine I pull out a rubber glove and start picking up trash. It's nice to feel like you're making a difference somewhere.

I stop at staples and home depot on the way to work. I'm hungry, but that can wait. I have apartments to rent.

I have to go look at the one vacant apartment, make sure there's a sign out front and see what I need for the open house tomorrow.

The day was so busy! I didn't notice that RJ never came with the bus pass! Now what do I do?! I need to buy and use one before I leave orange county so I can easily come down for the open house tomorrow. I know I can buy them at Ralph's groceries, but the one I know of is in the opposite direction. I look up sales places on the octa web site. Some check cashing places sell them! There's one on the way to the bus. I wonder if it's the right type?!

It isn't. Look, there's another one! It isn't the right type either.

At the bus stop I try again for places that sell the bus passes. Look! The Von's at harbor and Adams sells them!

I keep checking for quicker routes as I travel to harbor.

I debate using the scooter to get to harbor and adams, But the bus is due soon. It may be farther away than it seems too.

The bus is late. Really late. I think they may have just skipped one.

While we are waiting this sweet lady from India asks me to show her how to get the bus schedule by texting. I show her how. It would be easier to explain if this bus stop had more than one bus that comes here. Still, I think I got it All across.

a part of me wants to just stay on the 43 and go home. I know that's the wrong choice. I need a pass for tomorrow I'm tired though. I check with google maps. It says there will be another 43 by in just a few minutes. If I can get the pass quickly and get back, I could get home by 9:30.

At vons. They do sell buss passes, but only 9 to 5! How was I supposed to know that?!



6.9.12

Thursday - 9/6/12 - Last Day of Freedom

Thursday - 9/6/12

I need to go to Brookside and pick up the paperwork for Villa Tuscany from Cynthia.  She's the one who's been watching the place while I've been gone.  I've decided to ride the bike over.  Google maps says there's a bike route part of the way and I'd like to try it.  It's a 5 mile trip one way.  I'll either be really sorry I took the bike that far, or I'll know I can go anywhere I want to with the bike.

It's almost noon.  I'm finally taking off.  This time I remembered to bring water!  I'm bringing pretzels too.  I'm a little worried about finding the bike path.  I try to set google maps on my phone to the path I'll be taking.  It turns out it doesn't do the bike routes.  Oh well, if I have to I can use my phone to take surface streets.

There it is!  How funny!  I was so worried about finding the entrance to the bike path!  There's a sign saying bike path pointing to the entrance!

The path is empty, deserted, traveling along the side of a concrete river.  I'm the only one here.  I wonder if it's because it's a week day, or if it's just always this way?

Finally!  There's two people walking in the opposite direction.  It looks like they're having a business meeting while they walk.  Good for them!  Nice too that I'm not the only one out here.

I made it!  I'm at Brookside and my knee is still good!  Yay!  I pick up the paperwork and head back.

The entrance to the bike path from this side has signs saying "no trespassing" and "no loitering."  That seems counter to what you'd want with a bike path.  You want people going on it.  You want people to stop and have a picnic if they want, don't you?  This side isn't nearly as well kept as the other side.  Oops!  I just realized the other side had two directions.  This side isn't a bike path at all!  It's probably just a service road!  That explains the signs!  I'll keep going forward.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get off this side and onto the other side at the next road.  Now, I'm off-roading.  Under this bridge there's only dirt.  I can still get past, to the road on the other side of the bridge.

No luck!  I'm at the end of this road and it's gated and locked.  There's nothing to do but to go all the way back to where I got on and go back to the "correct" bike path.  I was hoping to not back track.  Sigh.

Now, I'm worried.  What if it was a temporary thing that the gate was open?  I could be locked in here!  I'd find some way to get someone's attention, but it'd take a while, and heck, I'd be trespassing!  Heck, I am trespassing!

The gate's still open.  Yay!  Now to get onto the real bike path and go home!

How funny!  The actual bike path has the same "no trespassing" and "no loitering" signs.  The only difference is the bike path has a walk through gate as well as a drive through one, where the other path only had a drive through gate.

I don't have to be home for anything specific.  I'm taking my time on the path, stopping to look at the plants and trees coming over the walls from people's back yards, and the birds enjoying the stream in the middle of the concrete river.  I wish my phone camera had a zoom feature.  There are birds down there, enjoying the water.



There's this fantastic rose bush on the way.  It has to be the tallest rose bush I've ever seen.  It rises high above the wall.

As I'm standing, looking at the rose bush, a yellow swallowtail butterfly flies by.  I haven't seen one of those in ages!

I'm definitely moving slower than I was on my way to Brookside.  My knee's still OK though.  So, all's good.

Home finally.  I think I'm going to do some more "forced" kitty petting, while watching TV and relaxing.  Wow!  He's starting to behave like a "normal" kitty!  He's moving a bit to put my hand in a better position!  I'm amazed!  Two days ago I was ready to give up and find him a farm, and here he is, becoming a house kitty!

I'm dreading going back to being gone for the really long days, traveling for the 6 hour round trips to Costa Mesa and back.  I don't think I understood how much it bothered me.  Now, all I want is to stop all this and stay home.  I know it's not possible, but it's what I want.

It's late.  I slept on and off, bits during the day.  I'm hoping that will tide me over tomorrow.  I can't sleep.  I have to get up in a couple hours.  Have to start my long day.  My first long day back.

5.9.12

Wednesday - 9/5/12 - Bike!

Wednesday - 9/5/12

I have to start officially telling people I'm back.  I've been avoiding that, enjoying the quiet.  Enjoying being home.

First things first though.  I need to do the monthly accounting.  See where my finances are.  I expect I will have created a little more debt in this last month.  Vacations do that.  I tried to keep it minimal.  Hopefully that helps.

Wow!  It turns out I went down a whole $10 from where I was last month.  That's great!  Sure, I'd prefer to have paid off a lot more, but for this month, I'm just happy I didn't add more!

The next challenge is paying the bills.  I have checks in my hand for $275, but the bills for the first part of the month come to a little over $500.  I know there's more money coming, and if I can get the almost eviction people to pay I will get a bonus for August, which would help.  Somehow it will happen.  I'm supposed to be babysitting soon too.  Everything helps.

Tracye texted, I told her I'm back.  She's back to working night shifts.  I didn't like that last time, trying to keep the kids quiet while she sleeps.  We worked it out though.  It'll be OK   

Well, maybe it won't be OK.  All the babysitting dates we had scheduled have been canceled.  She needs different days now.  It sounds like she only needs help on Mondays.  I can't babysit on Mondays.  I don't like leaving her in the lurch.  I don't like missing those opportunities to be with the kids.  Fortunately, she needs me to watch the kids for her a couple of other times, so I've still got time scheduled with them.  I'll have to start scheduling times to go over and take them for awhile.

Six months without being the main babysitter!  I don't like that at all.  I keep trying to think of a way to be able to babysit on Mondays.  It's a big day for Avalon, and I teach yoga in the morning.  Neither of them are easily changeable.  It just doesn't seem doable, not without quitting.  Tracye says she'll try and work something out.  I hope she does.  Somehow there's a blessing in all of this.  I'm just not seeing it right now.

I'm worried my one automatic credit card payment will post tonight.  There's no money in my bank account.  I want to stay home, but it's important to have the money there.  I decide to take my bike for it's first run and deposit the checks.  This is major.  The bank isn't far, but if I can do it without hurting my knee, then I'll know the bike will work out.

I did it!  All the way to the bank and back and my knee is OK!  My knee is saying I did a different type of exercise.  That's to be expected.  It isn't the horrible pain I've had before though!  I have a bike and it's usable!!

It's evening.  I'm trying again with the cat.  He seems like he's warming up to being petted, almost like a "normal" kitty, well, except he isn't moving around at all.  He's still playing "captive."  We're sitting on the couch watching "The Dresden Files."






4.9.12

Tuesday - 9/4/12 - Resting

Tuesday - 9/4/12

This must be my third time laying down "to rest," then falling asleep.  All I seem to be able to do is sleep.  I'll get up, do a little, then lay back down.

The cat will still tolerate being petted.  That's good.  He hissed at me when I picked him up.  I'm sitting here on the couch with him, watching Dragnet on TV.

Soon I need to clean everything I brought back with me and get ready for the rest of my stuff to arrive.  For now though, I'm enjoying a day off.  I wasn't supposed to be back yet.  It seems OK to relax, pretend that I'm not here.

My Avalon boss knows I'm back, or at least in cell range.  I had two apartments there about ready to go into the eviction process.  I've been trying to work with the tenants all day to keep the evictions from happening.  Fortunately, we got the people in unit 13 to move out.  I'm still working on getting unit 4 to either move out or pay.

People do this really silly thing when they get in over their heads.  They stop listening and communicating.  It's like the game you play with little children, where you cover your eyes and pretend they can't see you.  Somehow they think not communicating, ignoring everything will make it go away.  It doesn't.  It makes things worse.  I'm having a hard time getting the people from 4 to communicate with me.  I just have to keep trying.  An eviction isn't good for anyone.

It's the middle of the night.  The cat's crying.  I wonder if he's lonesome.  I go into the bathroom and am greeted by this spitting, hissing ball, that quickly rushes back into the cabinet.  He's not getting used to me.  We can't live like this forever, with him locked in my bathroom, living in the bathroom cabinet.  Yet, I feel responsible for him and want him to stay safe.  I wonder if I could find a farm or something for him to live on, to be an outdoor kitty?  I wonder if he knows how to hunt, if he'd remember?




3.9.12

Monday - 9/3/12 - On The Way Home

Monday - 9/3/12



We're on our way home from Burning Man.  We left in the middle of the night last night, after the temple burn, along with thousands of other people.  Exodus was long, hours, 6 or more lanes of cars barely moving in the dark.  I would doze a little, then wake up, talk with Dreamy, then doze again.

I hadn't known we'd be leaving when we did.  I stayed up all Saturday night.  I'm grateful he's driving, it gives me a chance to relax.

It's breakfast time and we need to stretch.  Dreamy is teaching me to use Yelp to find vegan restaurants.  I use my new-found skill and find a restaurant that's on the way and will be open soon.  The winner is: Baagan in Roseville, CA.

We''re here a few minutes before they open.  It's a good to walk and stretch.

I order the grilled eggplant sandwich special and some "slim" tea that she says is about detoxing.  I just want some hot tea and the ingredients sound yummy.  We get our food to go and head out.

The eggplant sandwich is great!  I wish I'd gotten a second one for the road!  I have to remember to use Yelp to find places.  We've had great luck with it on this trip!

Home finally.  We unload my things into the apartment, and say goodbye.  Dreamy leaves, off to his place.  I don't envy his job of cleaning the rental van.

The trip was very enjoyable.  He was a great conversationalist.  I'm glad we rode together.

Me, I'm longing for a bath and a long sleep.  I think I'll go find those.