April 2012

Welcome to the month of April!- Spent the day packing and getting ready for my trip to the Southbay!

Monday 02- It is still windy as all get go, but I’m headed to Redondo Beach to stay at my friend’s condo on the beach.
It was a nice drive and the Cougar ran just fine using little gas. I stopped off at Carl’s Jr. on PCH and 190th and got me a Big Burger. Called Kula and Tom, they’ll be waiting outside to open the security gate.
They got me settled in, gave me the nickel tour of their beach condo. Then Kula and I went for a short walk down on the bike path.
Kula cooked up some fantastic chicken and rice we had for dinner.
I went for another walk along the beach at night.



Tuesday 03- Beautiful day outside.
A woman from France came to pick up a table that Kula had listed on Craig’s List. Tom and I carried it down to her car and put it in her SUV. Her husband worked on the Harry Potter movie filming. She also said her family is going to JT and I suggested she try Joshua Tree Lakes Resort to see if they could get a better price than the $600 for three days she was telling me about.
Tom helped me get my cheap Chinese bike I bought at WalMart ready to ride the strand. I really need to get a better bike, especially after seeing Tom's nice bike. He does a lot of riding up to PV and back. I don't need anything like his, but I do need a proper bike.
I went for a walk to the pier.
I went for an evening walk.


Wednesday 04- Tom and Kula woke me up at the ungodly hour of 5:45AM so I can drive them to the LAX airport so they could catch a plane going to Iowa. I got back to the condo and went back to sleep.
I rode my bike to Hermosa Pier stopping along the way to take a lot of pictures of the marina where I lived so many years.
I went for an evening walk along the strand.


Thursday 05- Very nice day.
I drove over to visit Tom and Aki in Torrance. They are doing fine and appear to be in good health. Had a nice chat with them about old times and places we’ve been.
I then went to the Fashion Mall in Torrance. I visited a huge Barns and Noble store there and talked to the tech guy there about their EBook readers. I bought a pair of running shoes because the pair I brought are hurting my feet and I forgot to throw my running shoes in the car before I left Joshua Tree. I got a good pair of New Balance for $39, so I didn’t feel that ripped off.
I think I ate my last Super Star at Carl’s Jr. I need to start eating healthier.
I then walked across the parking lot to Albertsons to get some supplies. I saw a woman I recognized, but couldn’t place her. Her name was Fatima or something close to that. She has been working there for 30 years and I used to shop there all the time, so that’s probably where I’ve seen her; she agreed.
I got back to the condo around about 6PM. I tried to help two women put a large table into their car that was parked in the underground garage, but it wouldn’t fit.


Friday 06- Smiley day!
I went to visit Aunt Audrey. I could have spent another 6hrs with her but we both were tired after the first 6 :)
She has so much history. Her service in WWII, her stay in Flim Flon Canada working at a trading post, and her work here in California as a blind man's assistant for a children's charity. One funny thing happened is when Aunt Audrey had called someone and handed the phone to me and said it was Kelly and Kelly started talking to me saying this and that about her family, and I'm going ah huh, ah, huh, while I was trying to figure out how she was related to me. I only found out after finishing the call and hanging up the phone and asked Aunt Audrey who I was talking to. Kelly is my second cousin, my Uncle Frank's granddaughter. Audrey had probably mentioned Kelly before, but there are too many relatives for me to keep track of. Aunt Audrey told me all about the Gooseberry bush out back in her yard in England in the 1920s.


Saturday 07- Another Smiley day!
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
Then I went for a long walk down to Torrance beach taking pictures all along the way. Once I got there, my objective was the old steep ramp we had to use in the olden days before the city made less steep ones to the north. I use to climb that ramp struggling to get to the top when I was 8-10 carrying all kinds of beach paraphernalia like chairs, buckets, balls, while wearing flip-flops sandals. Later I would carry my surfboard up and down without any problem. I rode my skateboard down a few times flying out onto the sand for many yards.



Sunday 08- I drove home.

Monday 09- a little overcast here and there, but still nice. I cleaned and mopped the bathroom. I watered the plants. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. Mailed Condo key to Kula. Neighborhood Watch meeting, then Board Meeting.


Tuesday 10- a little overcast and not as warm as yesterday. I did my stretches and ran a mile. I went over to Stoney’s to check on the roof, run the suburban for a spell, took a plunger to tub and tried to unstop it; Roger said it was slow to drain. I talked to Jimmy later in the evening and he said it was okay to use Drano or whatever to free it. I did my laundry while I was there.


Wednesday 11- the wind was blowing really hard. I did my stretches and lifted weights. Kelly called to tell me she saw a big UFO


Thursday 12- the wind is blowing harder and clouds are moving in. I did my stretches and ran a mile. I went to town to get Kelly her meds.


Friday 13- there was bad weather today; wind and rain all day. I did my stretches, core trainer, yoga, lifted dumbbells, rode the bike, lifted weights, punched the heavy bag, and ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs dumbbells in each hand. I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.

Saturday 14- the weather is still a little nippy at 59 degrees and mostly cloudy. I did my stretches. I was on my way to the Honda dealership in Yucca Valley to buy a Honda Metropolitan 49cc scooter when John Massey dropped by to hit the heavy bag. He also wanted to check them out because he ain’t getting much fuel efficiency. We spent most of the day at the Honda shop jawing and swapping bike stories with Rocky and Chris who work there. The mechanic got the scooter all ready and I had John drive my car back home while I took the scooter. On my way back home I took the side streets to stay off hwy 62 and passed through different neighborhoods were children would wave and tell me what a cool bike I had. I never got that response on my Harley, from anybody! The little Honda drove very well and I was surprised at the power it had- not that I’d win any races, but it did climb up a long hill at an average speed of 30-35mph. At 114MPG it will be very useful on driving short distances here and there. And besides I ain’t in no hurry to get anywhere.


Sunday 15- A fine day outside; just right for visiting neighbors. I heard hammering across and down the street. I knew it was my new neighbors that came out to do some work on their cabin. Watered all the plants. I rode the new scooter around later in the day. I was being chased by dogs and stopped by the house to have a talk with their owner. He seemed not to care, but I was polite to him anyways.


Monday 16- just a beautiful day. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I took the scooter over to visit Mac. He says he likes the little bike. I did a night run.


Tuesday 17- the weather is getting kinda warm out there! I did my stretches and ran a mile. I messed around the house fixing and cleaning this and that. I did a night run. I played the guitar. I need to get back into playing it more.


Wednesday 18- the weather is nice with temps about 85 degrees. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I took Kelly to Rite Aid, state disability, post office, McDonalds for some hamburgers and fries, back to Rite Aid to pick up her meds, then to Stater Bros to do her shopping. I got home around 9:30PM.


Thursday 19- the temps are now into the 90s! I did my stretches and ran a mile. I drove to Yucca with John Massey. I had to deposit a check at BofA and then shopped at Home Depot- needed sandbags to hold down heavy bag, and a few other things to hookup another solar panel. Around 4PM Kelly got a hold of me to fix her air-conditioning unit- turned out a nut was loose on the fan motor which I tightened and that fixed the problem with the loud noise. We went down to her mailbox and painted her name and address on it. We got back to her house where I dug a hole for her kitten that had passed on earlier in the month. Got back to my house and washed the Cougar. I’m feelin mighty tired…
I went for a night run at 11:30pm.


Friday 20- temps are in the mid 90s on a cloudless day. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand.




Saturday 21- temps got a bit over a hundred! I did my stretches. I am rearranging my exercise schedule a little bit where I do the heavy stuff on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be my running days. Saturdays and Sundays are my days off. I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa website and sent out the Newsletter. John Massey came over in the evening after dark and we sat and jawed about astronomy and science while watching the Lyrid meteor shower. John has practically no night vision. I’d be pointing right at a big one that shot across the sky and he wouldn’t even see it. Most of them were dim and if the Moon would’ve been out we wouldn’t see them at all, but there were others that came in hot and their tails smoking. John left around midnight while I stayed out till almost 3AM- I always feel as one with the universe when I gaze into this dark starry vastness. It was well worth it!


Sunday 22- temps are still over a hundred and no wind. It’s Earth Day and I put up a new solar panel to run a small 12volt DC Igloo cooler to keep a few food items that I don’t want frozen by my freezer.


Monday 23- a little bit windy, but still hot with a few clouds rolling by. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I didn’t do much of anything except mess around some on FaceBook. I’ve been doing too much of that these last few months… I went for a night run.


Tuesday 24- the weather was a little cooler with a few clouds rolling in later in the afternoon and evening. I did my exercises and went for a mile run. I rode the little Honda to fetch my mail and then drove it to Landers. Mac came over and we set him up with an online account and he bought himself a laptop on eBay.


Wednesday 25- it was very nice outside today. I got up early to take Kelly down to Social Services to see VA Rep. We got there a little after 9AM and found out the Rep called to say she wouldn’t be in, dang we’ll have to try next Wednesday. We went to Denny’s and ate breakfast. The wait for food was long, but the food and the service were okay. After Denny’s we made our way to the Social Security office in Yucca Valley so Kelly could get duplicates of her stuff. I checked out when I should apply. They said no until three months before my 62 birthday; I’ll be 62 in one year and three months on August 8th…. We stopped off at WalMart and Stater Bros before going back home.


Thursday 26- it actually got a little hot today. I did my stretches and ran two miles. My neighbor Mark Delgado came by with his son Mark Jr. to see my solar panel setup. They are out for the weekend to do some work on their cabin across the street and down a ways from me.


Friday 27- it was nice and cool. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I heard hammering across the way. It was my neighbor Mark Delgato, his son Mark Jr., and brother-in-law Royal working on their cabin. I went on over for a visit. Later in the afternoon I took Kelly to the post office to pick up her new cell phone. We then went to a Chinese restaurant and got stuffed on sweet and sour pork. We sat outside at her house drinking cokes and jawing.

Saturday 28- it was nice and cool again. I did my stretches. I went to potluck were about twenty happy but hungry desert folk showed up. Chris Jonas made his Fabulous Macaroni Salad. Folks were asking Dorothy Jacobsen for her recipe for her macaroni and cheese corn casserole; her fig bars were tasty too. Dyan Carroll provided a wonderful shrimp and crab seafood lasagna along with Sunday truffle that was mighty fattening. Ruthie Malton brought a Bundt cake that disappeared quickly. Mary Koval and her daughter Chris cooked up a feast of Cowboy Casserole, miniature date nut muffins, and chocolate strawberry cupcakes. Marie Morrison’s Au Gratin potatoes vanished quickly from the table. David Royer spent hours concocting a scrumptious pasta tuna salad for our gastronomical pleasure. Rose Matich steamed up some carrots and peas. Pretty Marybeth Rubin cooked us up some vegetarian chili with cheese bread that I really liked. I noticed sadly nobody had any of the rice I brought. I thought that Marybeth’s chili would go good on my rice and I must have said it out load because most everybody came back to put it in with their chili. The rice and the chili were gone in a flash. I stopped off at Kelly’s to drop off some leftovers and we drank a few cokes outside again.

Sunday 29- it was a little breezy and hazy outside. I did my stretches. I called a few friends and family. I dropped over to Linda and Blake’s for a bit of tea and to chat about thermonuclear devices. 

I started writing a new book after seeing a drawing of Bonnie Young’s. Name of the book is “Girl in the Cellar”… I still need to edit my first two books :(



Monday 30- it is getting hotter, into the 90s, and so hazy you can’t see the mountains to the west. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I planted some tomatoes and dell peppers, so I guess I’m finally starting my garden… Goodbye to April- seems like I packed a whole lot of living in ya!