DISTRICT ATTORNEY CALLED

Today out of the blue the District  Attorney's office called me to see if I would be interested in testifying in the case against the guy who has been harassing our neighborhood.  If you read this blog consistently, you might remember back in June I was a witness to the guy breaking into the house across the street.  I did a citizen's arrest.  I was so anti-climatic.  I called the police to say I saw him enter a vacant home and since the police were not there I was able to do a citizen's arrest when they showed up.  I didn't have to do anything but say I was doing a citizen's arrest.  I didn't think anything would come of it since he tried to break into the next door neighbor's home, then he tried to break into my home.  It seemed like the police's arms were tied and the DA was not doing anything about it.

Then I got the call.  The office had not put all the police reports together from this street.  I gave them all the information about all of them.  Now they are building a bigger case against the guy.  I am hoping they can get him some help and not just throw him in jail.  He has serious mental health and substance abuse issues.  He needs help and not to be just thrown behind bars.  I know I am an idealist but putting him in jail for 6 months means he becomes our problem again when he comes out.  He is delusional and thinks he owns the homes in our neighborhood. Six months in jail is not going to change that.

Now I am waiting for the phone call for my court date to testify.

Until tomorrow...

BURNING

The fires on the West Coast are horrible.  Houses burnt to the ground.  Businesses gone.  People killed.  Whole neighborhoods gone.  It looks like a bomb has gone off.  An apocalypse.

The smoke is so bad even miles away, I had to stay indoors and wear a mask most of the day.  My very slight asthma made it hard to breathe.  Normally my asthma doesn't bother me but today with the horrible smokey air, I was coughing and my chest hurt.  Once I got the mask, I felt much better.  We all stayed in the house and kept the windows and doors closed.

Hopefully tomorrow the fires will be put out and the air will be better.

Until tomorrow...

ETIQUETTE QUESTION

I went to a brunch at a friend's home today.  It was a very nice affair.  I was invited to the brunch during a party a few weeks ago.  The couple insisted I attend their brunch.  They gave me the time and date and made me promise to attend.  They said I would get a follow up email.  This provided a very interesting etiquette dilemma for me.

I never got an email.  So do I go or not?  I sent a text that morning asking if it was still on.  No response.  I decided that I would go.  I took a bottle of booze and hiked up the hill.  I figure if it was cancelled, I would apologize.  If I was late, I would just blame my dogs.

What would you do?  What do the etiquette books say to do?  I have no idea.  It was a nice day and I wanted to go.

Half of the way to their home, I got a phone call from one of the hosts apologizing for not sending me an invite.  He said he knew he invited another person but could not remember who it was.  He said I showed initiative by coming.  He liked that.  I got there and had a fantastic time.  There was good food (actually some thing I could eat) and fun people.

Until tomorrow...

SWEET VERSUS SAVORY

My friend S came over to have a late breakfast coffee with me.  She brought all these awesome vegan/gluten free items to munch on while we talked.  We had these amazing chocolate and coconut tarts.  These little cookies that tasted like macaroons.  Then some sesame cookies.  These were kind of weird tasting.  The sesames tasted smoked or roasted so instead of the cookie being sweet it was savory.  With the other snacks being so sweet it was weird eating something savory. 

It was so nice catching up with S.  We do not see each other enough but we are both busy.

Until tomorrow...

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

Today was a busy day.  I put too many activities in this day.

I got up early to be at my doctor's office bright and early.  Everything is fine.

Then I decided to go to a concert in the park.  It is a free concert and I decided that since it is a Friday, it might not be too crowded during the day.  I packed myself a picnic lunch, took my Kindle and a blanket and went to the park.  For about 3 hours I had a good time sitting or laying on my blanket in the park.  It was not crowded for most of the time.  The later it got, the more crowded it got.  The vibe changed and people got more ugly.  During the day the crowd was mostly older folk and mom's with kids (sort of hippie types who home school).  They were all mellow.  As the day went on the park filled up with a younger crowd who came from work.  They were rude and pushy.  That was when I left.

When did it become okay to sit on someone else's blanket without asking?  I had a guy hit me in the head and when I told him his answer was not "gosh I'm sorry." it was "how did that happen?"  My answer to him was "How would I know how it happened?  You should be saying, I apologize for hitting you in the head."  They left the area soon afterward.  I think I harshed their mellow.  I say learn some manners!

I came home from the park and took a nap because I was going to the movies to see Blade Runner 2049.  I would love to give you a thorough review of Blade Runner but sadly I fell asleep.  It was the 10:45pm showing and I had a very busy day.  Even with a nap, I nodded off.  I even brought crunchy snacks but even that didn't help.  It was a super long, slow moving movie.  I would not have fallen asleep during Furious Five but Blade Runner was too cerebral for me at midnight.  I will watch it on DVD.

As you can see a busy day.  I did have a very nice 20 year old gentleman hold the elevator for me at the movies, so I know not all of the younger crowd has lost their manners.  His mother brought him up right.  Also my movie buddies are all chivalrous.

Until tomorrow...

HAPPI IS GETTING HER GROOVE BACK

Happi has been doing much better. All of a sudden today she wanted to go for a walk and dragged me out the door and down the street.  We got about 1.5 blocks and she wanted to keep going.  I made her turn around and head home.  Lately she would be laying down by this point and I would have to start carrying her home.  Not today.  She was moving slower but she walked the whole way home.

It was exciting that she seems to be getting better.  I guess the doctor was right, she just needed to rest and take painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications.  My baby is getting her groove back.

Until tomorrow... 

WHAT A MORNING

I woke up early because my alarm company technician was coming to make the beeping stop on my alarm system. He arrived on time and showed me how to fix it myself.  I realize that four years from now I will need another tech to come do it again. Who remembers these things?  He also reinstalled it back on the wall.

Then he tested the alarm. The loud blaring made the dogs howl and run away.  The tech left now that the alarm was working again.

Not five minutes later my doorbell rang. I thought he returned because he forgot something. No, it was the police asking me if I was okay. My panic button went off and there were three police cars out front.  The alarm tech forgot to put the system in test mode to test it and instead he set off the panic button which alerted the police.  I apologized and told them it was the alarm tech that did it. I thanked them for their quick response.

Once they left I called the alarm company and gave them hell. They wasted police resources of an already strapped police department and a false alarm could cost me a fine. If you get two you have to pay. Well this one was not my fault.  They marked it in my "file" that it was their fault and if I get a fine they will pay it.

About 1.5 hours later I was working and boom, the electricity goes out.  For almost 2 hours I had no electricity. No internet. No TV. Ergh. Since I had no idea how long it would be out, I had to conserve. Last time it was out for almost 4 hours.

After lunch the world got back to normal.

Until tomorrow...

REIKI - YES OR NO

I have never done reiki.  I have heard about it but I have always been a cynic.   Reiki is a non-physical healing energy made up of life force energy that is guided by the Higher Intelligence, or spiritually guided life force energy.  It is a non-invasive, completely benign healing technique.

I have been advised by many people that I should get some reiki.  It is wonderful they say. Life changing they say.  Healing they say.  

After hearing all these accolades, I think I will put aside my cynicism and give it a serious try.  

Until tomorrow...

TERRIBLE DAY

What a terrible day. So scary to hear about the shooter in Las Vegas.  Those concert goers just wanting to hear music and instead they are running for their lives.

My thoughts are with them and their families.

Until tomorrow..

ROLLER COASTER OF A DAY

Today was another street fair.  I went with my friend M.  We hung out on a beautiful sunny day.  I got some ice cream while I waited for him to arrive.

I have become a person who just does what I want to do the older I get.  I danced with an older gentleman who was dancing by himself at the country dance floor.  I danced a line dance.  I don't care what other people think.  I guess next I will be part of the Red Hat Society.  Who knows?!

Then I came home and watched TV and there was an Emergency Alert.  There was a mass shooting in Las Vegas.  Horrible.  There isn't much information tonight except that many people are killed and injured.  Condolences.

Until tomorrow...