Awkward day - 2/6/12

Monday - 2/6/12

This morning "should" be fairly easy.  I kept Charles' truck so I can take a box to the post office later.  This means I got to sleep a little later.  I had trouble sleeping last night, though.  I'm tired and things aren't working.  I'm finally leaving the house, but later than I had wanted.  I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to get the hang of leaving the house on time no matter what, even when I have a car.

The funny thing is that I'm feeling a bit sad that I have the truck and am not riding the bus.  There are some advantages to going that way.  I miss riding the scooter and having the time to sit and listen to audio books.

I'm having this big debate in my head.  I feel like I need to go to Home Depot while I have the truck, to pick up some blinds for the vacant apartment.  If I don't get them now, I don't know when / how I'll be able to.  I'm also worried that if I do that, I might not manage dropping off the truck on time.  I have to have the truck dropped off and be at the bus stop by 11:30 to make it back to Avalon in time for work.  I know Charles said I could keep the truck for longer, but I don't want to.  I want to get it back to him.  

I decided to chance it.  I bought the blinds, delivered them to Avalon, along with dropping off my backpack.  Then, I headed out to the container store (buying more boxes for eBay things) and Frys.  I've figured out that I didn't manage to drop everything off that I meant to, which will make the bus ride back to Avalon a lot harder.  Then, I look at the time and realize I can't get to Charles' in time to catch the bus.  I feel so discouraged.  I tried to do too much.  I called Charles and told him I couldn't drop the truck off today.  He's fine with it.  I'm the one who is bothered.

Now, I have the debate on when to take the truck back to Charles...  how to fit that into my schedule, and where to keep the truck in the meantime.  I'm at Avalon.  Do I leave the truck here and ride the  bus, or take the truck with me to my Daughters (I'm sleeping over tonight so I can babysit in the morning.)  I decided to leave the truck at Avalon, for a bit.  I'm not happy about that decision, but I wouldn't be happy about the decision to take it with me either.  That would mean paying for more gas, and it would  be me driving a truck when I could have taken the bus.  This is awkward!

Shopping! - 2/5/12

Sunday - 2/5/12

I slept in today!  I think I slept until 9:30!

Nice to wake up in bed and just relax.

Now that I'm up and moving, I'm realizing that I have the unique opportunity of having transportation and not having things scheduled.  Which means that today is going to be about shopping!  I've been running low on some of the "heavier" staples that I use, things I don't want to carry on a bus.  This is a great chance to stock up!

I've been wanting to check out some farmer's markets, too.  I generally buy my vegetables from Mother's Market.  I buy only organic.  I think we are hurting our bodies and our planet with pesticides and GMOs and could give you a long blog just about that.  So, the fact that there is no grocery near where I live that offers organic vegetables is a bit frustrating!  Trader Joe's is the closest.  They are about 5 miles away.  They don't have a large selection of organic produce, but they do have some.  Back around Thanksgiving I started getting boxes of fresh, organic vegetables from "Farm Fresh For You."  I had a 50% off Groupon to try them.  The first box thrilled me, and they even had an awesome recipe in the box for summer squash.  The other boxes I've gotten from them haven't thrilled me as much.  The following recipes haven't been vegetarian, and I can't seem to keep it in my head when they are coming.  So, I've generally just stocked up on vegetables when their box arrives!  I'm ready to cancel my subscription with them.  I don't think the vegetables I get from them are worth the $31.50 the box costs.  However, they do seem to be better looking than the vegetables I get from Mother's Market.  Which is why I wanted to check out Farmer's Markets.  I want to see what the going price of the same vegetables is, and if I can match the health and freshness of the vegetables and also get organic.

I researched on the web for Farmer's markets that happen on Sunday and decided to go to one at the Great Park.  It's too far away for me to go to on a regular basis, unless it is a extra fantastic market, but I've never been to the Great Park.  So, I'll not only get to see what their Farmer's market is like, I'll find out where the Great Park is, and get to learn a bit about it!  It's noon now and the Farmer's Market ends at 2!  I better get myself moving!

Driving back to the Great Park, you wouldn't know it's there.  I wonder if they have a lot of people who come.  It's tucked away and the entrance looks more like a military entrance than a park.  It looks like they are still building the park.  There are a lot of trees sitting around in planters.  

At the entrance to the Farmer's Market there is a park representative with several fliers.  I tell him I haven't been to the park before.  So, he helps me pick out a few fliers.  I had been avoiding going to the park because I figured that there would be an entrance fee and a fee for each of the things they had there.  It turns out that it's all free!  There is no entrance fee!  They also have a Merry-go-Round and a hot air balloon ride (they take you up and then back down) and he says that is all free too!  I'm going to bring my grandkids here sometime soon!  We'll have a blast on the Merry-go-round!

It's now almost 1pm and the Farmer's Market closes at 2.  I want to look over the whole market while I'm here, to get a feel for what this one is like.  I go up one side, planning to come back down the other, and it just keeps winding around and around.  The funny part is that I'm really only interested in vegetables, and am only desperate for lemons and all of the vegetable shops are on the other side of the aisle...  the one I'm not going down right now and soon there aren't any vegetable shops at all.  I'm starting to get a bit worried that I won't make it back to the vegetables before the shops close.

Part of it seems more like a swap meet than what I think of as a Farmer's Market and it just keeps going!  Finally, I figure out there isn't just a Farmer's Market here, that they also have a Antiques Market and that is part of where I've been walking!  I'm really proud of myself that I didn't get drawn in and spend money on any of that!  

I finally made it back to the vegetables!  They all definitely look good, and are a lot cheaper than what I've been paying.  I'm going to have to find a way to shop regularly at a Farmer's Market.  There is even a group of musicians playing.  It's really lovely being here on this gorgeous sunny day!  Now that I'm done with my purchases, the market is closing and the musicians are packing up.  I wish I had come earlier so I could have spent time just sitting and listening to them!  I'll remember next time!

Now, it's on to shopping for items to sell on eBay.  I found a few things!  (yay!)  I actually have a large back-up of items to list, but sometimes you find something really special and it's going to be harder for me to shop for items without a car.  So, I figure when I do have a vehicle and the timing works, I should look!

The truck uses a lot of gas!  I'm not sure I'm saving money on gas, but the alternative would be to occasionally rent a car and that would definitely be as expensive.  I think it's too soon to know about the $$ savings (or not) on gas.  I'm just tracking it for now and I'm VERY grateful that there is a vehicle I can borrow when I need to!

On to Mother's Market and then Trader Joe's.  I picked up extras of a lot of the staples I use (frozen veggies, canned tomatoes, canned olives, flour, etc...)  None of these things will go bad and this way I won't have to do this kind of shopping again for awhile!  I bought 3 non-necessary items; two candy bars and a thing of wheat grass.  I think I'm doing good, and I definitely feel that I'm prepared for once!

I had a wedding dress sell on eBay today.  I'd like to drive that to a post office, but can't drop it off today because the box is too big to use the Post Office's drop box.  I called Charles and he said it was fine to keep his truck for another day, so that I can drop it off at the post office tomorrow.  Today has definitely been a good day!

Driving A Truck - 2/4/12

Saturday 2/4/12

Today I have my friend Charles' truck.
I work tonight at a Jazz Concert at the Ocean Institute until 11:30 or even a bit later.  The ending time depends on when the event actually finishes, which is never when it's scheduled to finish.  Anyway, it seemed easier to borrow a car than to do anything else.  I don't want to try and ride a bus that late.  They stop running at a certain point in the night and I don't want to be stranded.  So, here I am driving a large, silver, extended cab pick-up truck!  I think it must be funny to watch a smallish woman climbing out of this truck!

Even though I don't normally work at Avalon on Saturdays, I set a few appointments there around 2pm so that I could try to rent the vacant units.  Avalon is almost on the way to the Ocean Institute.  So, it makes sense.  I had pre-approved one lady.  She was going to come today and bring her husband and sign a lease.  They didn't show up at all.

I find it very strange.  When people know you are doing something special for them, and that you are showing up when you wouldn't normally be there, that they will still stand you up without calling.  I understand that people change their minds, that isn't a problem.  I'd much rather they change their minds before signing paperwork than after, and I definitely don't want anyone trying to live somewhere that they won't be happy.  It's just amazing to me that people don't have the guts or the respect or whatever to call and say they won't be coming.  I had them and one other gentleman stand me up.  The stop wasn't wasted though!  I had a very nice woman show up looking for a place and I think she will fit in well.  She didn't have the money to do it today and says she is going to come back next week to rent.  I hope she does!

The event at the Ocean Institute is terrific!  I really enjoy listening to all the Jazz.  It's thrilling to me that I get to come to this event that I couldn't afford to go to....  and, I'm getting paid to be here!  Rick Braun, David Benoit and Mindi Abair are all here.  Yep, I have to work, and where we are sitting is cold, and I only get brief glimpses of the performances.  But, I'm really enjoying being here!  They even brought the jazz artists over near us to have their pictures taken and they are playing a little bit while having the pictures taken.  That is SO special to be here for!

At the end of the night we were given the flowers from the centerpieces.  I came home with this big bunch of white orchids and two red roses.  I put them in water so they won't wilt, but I'm too tired to do anything else.  I can't wait till tomorrow to arrange them!  They are so amazingly beautiful!

I Got To Sleep In! - 2/3/12

Friday 2/3/12

I woke up at 5am this morning and I am SO thrilled that I got to sleep in!  I think that's funny, the way that life changes.  There was a time in my life when 5am was early!

I think it's "easier" now to get my things together and get out of the apartment to leave in the morning.  I've been having to do that on a strict "you will miss the bus if you don't" timeline and I think that's helped me learn to do better.

I'm leaving out of the apartment door at exactly the time I wanted to, 6am!  Yay!
I've even managed to clean the electric tea kettle that I got at Costco yesterday so that I can take it down to my work office today, while I have a vehicle.

Then, I get to the truck and realize that most of the Costco items are still in it.  There's also a car parked next to me that shouldn't be.  I open my garage and unload the Costco items.  Then, I search for a pen and leave the car another note that they can't park there.  This time I think I've found the answer!  Normally, I threaten towing, which is a threat that has very few teeth.  I won't actually have anyone towed, except in extreme circumstances.  This time, I tell them that if I see them parking there again (and they have been trying parking their car there for awhile now), that I will start charging them $100 a month for the space.  I think that will do it!  They could rent a garage space for less than that!

Doing all the things at the truck has now made it so I'm leaving later than I had wanted.  Sigh.  I guess I still have more to learn about setting aside time for these things to happen.  I'm leaving early enough that I'm still going to get to class in plenty of time, I'm just not leaving when I wanted to.

I stop at the post office on my way to yoga class and drop off eBay packages.  It's very nice to be able to do that!  I had a postal pickup scheduled for yesterday and for some reason no one came.  That's not normal.  Normally the post office is amazing.  Nice to be able to fix it all by driving them in myself!

During yoga class I notice that my mind is trying to jump here and there a little more than it has been.  I wonder if the act of driving makes my mind more chaotic than the act of riding a bus?  It could also be that doing the time on the scooter in the morning helps to clear and calm my mind.  I wonder if other exercise would do the same.  I'll have to try some experiments!

I really enjoy teaching yoga.  I am so grateful for it in my life.  I can't imagine where I would be without it. Now, after yoga, I am happy and glowing.  I always am.  Life is definitely good!

I showed the two apartments that I have for rent at Avalon to four different people during a two hour time frame.  I may have even rented the one unit.  We set an appointment for her husband to come see it tomorrow (which thankfully I can do since I have Charles' truck tomorrow too and it is on the way to my other job!)  That would be terrific.  That complex gives me a bonus for having all the units paid up and rented for whatever month.  With the economy, I haven't managed to get that bonus since 2009.  Before that, I got it all of the time. I have one more person moving out of this complex.  So, a total of 3 units to rent.  Everything rests on that.  I've already lost any bonus for February.  Funny that I can say that on the 3rd of the month!  It's now all about picking the right tenants.  If I manage to get people in who are good people and have a good income and are happy with the place and will stay awhile, I could possibly start getting the bonuses again.  That would be nice!  I'm not counting on it, as we are a weekly rental place and there are always people moving out, it's the nature of our niche, but it would be nice to have.

Working the jazz concert is fun!  I'm at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point for the concert.  Normally, when I work an event or auction, they have us off in a little room somewhere, with our computers and credit card machines, and I only get occasional glimpses of the party that is going on.  This time we are close enough that we can hear the jazz being played.  It's awesome!  I'm really enjoying the evening!  It is cold.  They have our tables set up right in front of the door, but at least I knew in advance and wore silk long johns under my black business suit.

I'm getting in the truck to go home at 12:30 in the morning.  I'm very grateful to Charles for loaning me the truck.  It is so nice to be able to easily go straight home!

A Day Off! - 2/2/12

Thursday - 2/2/12

Thursdays are something I call a "day off."  Actually, it means that I get to stay home, but work at the apartment complex where I live, or on eBay things.

Today, my friend Charles is coming over to help put the Christmas Tree away.  I have trouble lifting the Christmas tree box back into the cubbyhole where it stores for the year.  So, he does it for me.  The garage where I store the tree has been getting messy.  I wanted everything to be as easy for him as possible.  So, I'm doing some picking up and organizing to make sure there is a clear path where he needs to go.

I made a nice pumpkin and lentil recipe and a salad, hoping that I could re-pay Charles in some way for his kindness, and I always tell him there is food here for him, but he ate before he came over.  I think, being a meat eater it's possible he isn't as thrilled that I'm offering him Vegan food.  I'm a little disappointed.  I love cooking for people.  However, the food was good and I enjoyed it and it's nice to have company!

Charles is working on downsizing his life and as a part of this has been letting me list some of his comic collection in my eBay store.  I split the money with him.  So, it's a good deal for both of us.  For the whole time the car has been out of commission, I've been neglecting my store and not adding more items to it.  I need to get moving forward on it again!  It's a part of my income and as it gets going better it will help to pay down my debt.  I've been bugging Charles to come over and sort through comics and give me more to list, as those are easier to list than a lot of things I normally do.  That's part of what he's doing while he is here, sorting and going through comics.  It's sweet to watch him go through the different comics and listen to him reminisce about them.

If you want to check out my eBay store it's here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Kshemis-Clothing-and-More-Store
I will get my act together and start posting more things soon.  So, keep checking back.

I get to work at a Jazz concert tomorrow and Saturday, but that means I'll be working really late and down in Dana Point, which is a ways from where I live.  The time I'm getting out makes it impossible to come home on the bus and I didn't find a carpool.  Charles is loaning me his truck for the weekend so that I can make the job.  Aren't friends wonderful?!

On the way back to Charles' place we stop at Costco and I get to buy some supplies.  Having toilet paper is a good thing!  They also had an electric tea kettle for a good price.  I've been thinking about getting one for the Avalon office.  Having hot tea when I've been out in the cold would be nice.  It would also enable me to have instant soups and things like that, which should help keep me from spending money on food on the days I'm down there.  I bought it for $20, I think it is worth the investment.

It's fun to go back to the Victorian where Charles lives.  They rent out rooms.  Because of the number of people living there, often there are people hanging around.  Today, I got to visit a bit with Lois, which I always enjoy.  As I'm leaving, there is a gaggle of 20-something-year-olds having a conversation right outside the front door in the dark.  I joined them in a fun, momentary conversation.  I'm leaving with a smile on my face.  The one girl, especially was so sweet.  She is helping and encouraging her friend to stop smoking.

I'm now driving Charles' truck home to my place.  I think it's funny that I'm driving a stick shift again.  I've always owned cars that were sticks.  When the last car died, I purposely went shopping for an automatic because I had seen what happened to my friend Rose when she hurt her knee.  She ended up having to sell her car and buy an automatic so that she could drive while she was recuperating.  I figured that was a good selling point for trying an automatic again.  So, my Acura, which is parked in the garage, is an automatic.  The first one I've had in forever...  and here I am being saved by a stick shift truck while that car needs a transmission!

Oops! Almost Missed My Bus! - 2/1/12

I wrote this blog from the bus...  and it doesn't seem to have saved!  Let me try to recreate it!


Wednesday, 2/1/12

Wednesdays I don't teach yoga, but I do still travel to Costa Mesa for work  I get to sleep in and take my time.  This morning I was taking my time, moving slowly, and starting to put my place back into order...  when I suddenly realized that if I have a 3 hour trip that means I should be leaving soon!  I checked with Google Maps and they confirmed that I needed to leave in 20 minutes!  I'm still in my PJs!

I thought I could take a connector bus on Wednesdays and use the bus stop that is only a half a block away rather than the one that I normally take that is a mile away.  Google said "no" though.  To get there by the time I needed to get there, I can't wait for the connector bus to come.

The time Google tells me I could walk the distance in, is almost exactly the time it take me to use the scooter to do the distance.  I think they must have had a tall (longer legs), fast walking person do their time trial!  I guess it is good for me though, because I don't have to try to figure out how long it will take me, I can use their numbers!

I scrambled; brushed my teeth, found clothes, re-packed my backpack, even managed to pack some food, and then took off for the bus stop.  I made it!  A whole 1 minute before the bus was scheduled to come and 4 minutes before it actually came!

It must be funny to watch me at the bus stops.  My scooter folds, and it is nice to have it folded for on the bus.  However, it has something wrong with it and only folds with the help of a pair of pliers.  I take my backpack off, set it on the bench, put the scooter up on the bench, collapse the handle, dig my pliers out of the backpack, work on one side of the scooter and then the other side, and then repeat working on both sides of the scooter and then it folds!  Today, my headphones keep coming off and falling into the middle of everything.  They keep doing that!  It has to look like some Laurel and Hardy routine!

The bus that comes is full.  I had to stand for two stops before there was an available seat.  There are a lot of people sleeping or dozing.  It seems strange.  The early morning crowd isn't like that.  I'm sitting on one of the benches that faces the side, rather than facing the front.  Across from me is this really cute little girl.  She must be five or six.  Her hair is in corn-rolls that end at the back of her head in a really cute puff of hair.  She is sitting on her Mother's lap with her Father sitting on the seat in front and an uncle or something sitting in the seat next to them.  She and the Uncle are playing together, with lots of giggles.  Then, after she settled down, the Uncle went to sleep and the little girl went to playing quietly on something like an itouch.

There is a pair of Asian girls, early 20s, cute, dressed in shorts, sharing an audio source.  They are sitting next to each other, each one with one ear bud in one ear.  Both are asleep, with their heads hanging forward.  I can't help but wonder if they are purposely listening to a subliminal sleep tape of some kind, you know, the type that teaches you something while you sleep.

Toward the end of the bus ride Dad noticed that the little girl is playing with the itouch and took it away from her, it sounds like she had been previously banned from playing with them.  This starts a loud crying fit. Dad was reminding her that they were going to Disneyland.  She just keeps on crying.  Finally, she got into her bag and pulled out a lovely green princess crown, puts it on, and stops crying immediately.  It was cute to watch.

The next bus is taking forever to come.  The funny thing about the bus stop at Disneyland is that the tram's tracks are part of the roof for the benches (I think), they are at least very close to it.  It's interesting to have the tram whizzing across over your head.

The Orange county bus is very busy today.  The LA bus had been full and had on and offs, but not a lot at each stop, just an overall and maintained full.  The Orange County bus has what seems like a constant mass of people getting on and off at each stop.  This must be the time when everyone is out and traveling around, or maybe the bus is running late and we are getting people both for this bus and the one that is supposed to follow it.  I don't know what time it was supposed to get to us, so I'm not sure.  But, I did see the bus driver consult his watch a few times.  So, it's possible.

I haven't listened to any audio books yet today, just music.  I have a "Like" playlist on my ipod, mixing many genres, but all music that I like.  I've been listening to that.  I'm riding the scooter from the bus stop to work in the beautiful sunshine and the song "I've got a brand new pair of roller skates" (sung by Melanie) comes on.  That so fits today and the mood!  Just happy!  Heck, someone even drives by, honks and gives me a thumbs up for riding the scooter.  It's a good day.  :-)

People Are Wonderful and Helpful - 1/31/12

I am feeling so blessed by this whole experience.
I can't even describe it.

I'm also feeling really grateful to those who go even a bit out of their way to offer me a ride somewhere.
On Sunday night, Jaitri drove me all the way home.  I know it isn't close to her place, and that she has a trip coming up that she should be focusing on, but it was incredibly sweet of her to offer and to do!  Sunday nights are the awkward nights in my schedule.  I may have to figure out a way to stay over in Costa Mesa that night, though I'm still looking for someone to take me part of the way, to Disneyland (and thus avoid 2 different buses).  I'm sure though that something will work itself out.  Life is good that way!

I babysit my Grandkids sometimes for a whole day.  I absolutely adore them, they are perfect!  Yes, I know you hear that about everyone's Grandkids, but it is true about mine!  ;-)

One of the statements I had going into this was that I wanted to make sure my time with them would not be cut out by my taking the bus, if I hadn't been able to work that out, I wouldn't have been able to do this.  They, and the time with them, means too much to me.  Though the other side is that I am, in a way, doing this for them.  I want to make sure to be a good example in their lives and part of that is being responsible and being debt free.

My babysitting time normally starts at 6am and I could not find a way to get there by then using transit.  What I ended up figuring out is that I need to go over to their place the evening before and stay over night.  Monday night was my first time doing that.


Monday  1/30/12

It's really funny!  There is a bus stop not too far from where I work.  When I first started looking at bus schedules I just assumed that I would be able to find buses to and from everywhere that would just pick me up and drop me off there.  Boy was that wrong!  Now that I have gotten somewhat used to the bus system and how it seems to work, when google maps told me that I could get on a bus at that stop to go to my Daughter's place, I had to check the results several different times because I just couldn't believe it!  It turns out that one of the few buses that goes to that stop will take me directly from my work to a few blocks away from my Daughter's house.  That is amazing!  No bus transfers, no anything!  Just a straight trip!  That just doesn't happen!  Though I'm incredibly grateful that it does in this instance.

Most of the time when I stay over at their place I have a "sleep-over" with my Grand-Daughter.  (I have no idea what is going to happen when my Grand-Son starts asking for them!  I can't be in two rooms at once!)  It's a great time of bonding.  Christina sleeps on an air mattress on the floor (and gets the joy of not having to make her bed in the morning - this is a big deal - and of having Grandma all to herself) and I sleep in her bed.  I arrived there Monday night in time to watch the end of the movie "RIO" and then we did our sleep-over.  Being able to show up for my 6am babysitting in Pjs is definitely a more relaxing start to the day!


Tuesday 1/31/12

While I'm babysitting I have the car that they have allocated to the kids (the one that will hold two car seats, stroller, etc...), which is what we've always done.  So, for that part there is no difference, everything runs smoothly.

I wanted to go to a Yoga Metaphysics class tonight, at the Yoga Center where I teach (The Yoga Center of California in Costa Mesa.)  I had the bus routes pre-researched in case the timing worked out.   Christian got home in time for me to make it, I just had to push past the pleas from Christina asking me to stay just a little bit longer.  I had prepared her that I would have to leave when Daddy got home.  It didn't make a difference, and in a way that is good.  I am so blessed to have Grandchildren that love me and want to spend time with me!

I arrived at class just in time!  I had a slight spill on the way from the bus stop to the Yoga Center.  My first spill since the first day doing transit.  I caught my scooter tire the wrong way in a crack in the sidewalk.  It was minor though, no problem.  I just got up and laughed about not noticing that crack and went on.

Class was awesome!  I'm so glad that I had the chance to go!
I had thought I might have a ride home from there, but in the end, I didn't and that was fine.  Mary took me to a bus stop near where she is living so that I could cut the bus trip down to two buses instead of three.  Yay for friends!  It is really cold at the bus stop tonight!  I think I'm looking forward to summer weather..  though I still have to find my sun hat, oh and my rain hat too.  They have to be the same place together, where-ever that is!

Riding the bus to Disneyland (Disneyland is a main transfer point between Orange County and LA,) when we are very close to Disneyland the bus driver suddenly calls out asking if anyone needed to catch the 460 (that is very strange, bus drivers don't normally do that.)  I called out back that I needed to catch it.  He stopped at the next bus stop, pointed down the road and said to run down there to catch the bus and emphasized the word "run".

I got off the bus and went that way and even got on my scooter because I don't run quickly...  but I didn't see the bus I was supposed to be running to catch and I was afraid of missing it and it was dark and I didn't see a bus stop either.  I just started heading down the road.  I stopped and stood there, feeling abandoned and like I had just missed a bus I had never seen and I certainly didn't know what to do.  All of a sudden the 460 bus comes around the corner.  That was a welcome sight!  But, I'm not at an official bus stop and those buses aren't supposed to stop anywhere but official stops and I know that.  I just don't know where the bus stop is!  I'm standing there all tense, ready to get on my scooter and race to where-ever the bus does stop and at the same time waving at the bus driver, hoping he will notice and wait for me.  He was incredibly nice and fudged the bus stop a bit so that I could get on...  and then gave me a lecture about the fact that I had to be right at the bus stop.  I told him that I was very grateful for his help and asked where the bus stop actually was (so now I know!)

This was all such a blessing!  That is his first stop *after* starting his run at Disneyland.  Had the first driver not pointed out that I should get off, or had this driver not been gracious to stop and wait for me, I would have had to wait for the next bus, which I think would have been another 40 minutes.  At night time, 40 minutes is a lot!  I am very, very grateful!

I have learned some new things.  I learned that it didn't help much to have Mary take me farther down the line for the 43 than I normally go, because I still had to wait for the same bus to come by.  I also learned that I could get off a stop or so before Disneyland when coming home and have more of a possibility of catching an earlier bus.  Cool things to know!

My home is nice and warm and welcoming.  It has been a great few days, but I'm very glad to be back too.  :-)

I've been getting some very nice feedback about my blog.  Thank you all!  I hope you all keep reading and enjoying!  Please feel free to share my blog with others!