Oh, the Places You'll Go

Dr. Seuss was foreseeing PokémonGo when he wrote that story, because Go has led me to discover places and things that have been right in front of my eyes the entire time I’ve lived in the Inland Empire area (since 2006, minus that year I relocated to Long Beach to help a relative out), but which were never noticed.

The laptop has been running hot last few days, signaling the death knoll of my current chill mat, need for a new one. So off I go to Best Buy this morning.

Getting out of the car, I scanned the area for Pokémon. Nothing new, but did manage three recaptures (300 points) at the door.

Leaving with the last chill mat they had in stock, I was surprised at the level of theft prevention inside the store. Not only was my purchase enclosed in a clear bag, so they could see what I had when I exited the store, but there was a guy at the door who double checked by comparing my receipt to what was in the clear bag.

Not only that, but I was shocked to see a Security Guard walking around the parking lot.

This is a nice area, thought I. The fact that they’d gone so far as to employ security for the parking lot tells me something has happened here. It’s a sad commentary on life that, probably more than once, someone had been robbed of valuable electronics after leaving the store.

On the brighter side of life, heading home, I was drawn to what looked to be a body of water behind the Outback Steakhouse.

Before PokémonGo, I would not only have not noticed the sight, but definitely would have not stopped to explore.

After parking, I set the app, did not find any Pokémon but did find -- sandwiched between the rear of Outback and a business park, PokéStops and a little slice of heaven in the form of a soothing calming waterfall and duck pond.

City Woman that I am, I can't remember the last time I saw ducks or even IF I ever saw them in a pond before.

National Coffee Day

After two nights of sleeping straight through, another day without borders – yesterday all to myself, and considerable progress having been made on that Red Team PokémonGo Trainer jacket for Halloween, I was ready to brave the weather and other people’s chi energy today, National Coffee Day.

Deciding to bypass Krispy Kreme’s free glazed doughnut and free 12-ounce cup of coffee, hoping to run across new and different Pokémon than are available in my area, I drove 12 miles to the Starbucks in Redland’s Citrus Plaza.

Nothing free there. Their offer was “for every cup of México Chiapas coffee you buy, Starbucks will donate a coffee tree to help a farmer's future”.

Having never heard of México Chiapas before, I gave it a try and couldn’t really tell the difference from the every-day blend.

As for new and different Pokémon, I did come across one new, earning 500 points versus the 100 points for recaptures, and a few “different” types I needed more of but could not find locally.

So, all in all, it was worth the drive.

Assemblying the jacket for Halloween went rather quickly after I finally got the proportions correct. All that’s left to do is to put in the zipper and add some top stitching.

Now that I see it up close and personal, the design reminds me of something from the past – a 1960/1970 car hop uniform perhaps or a jockey’s uniform? Looking at the picture on the pattern, I’m even reminded of 1960 Stewardess uniforms.

I dunno???

Maybe it’s just me because, reaching Level 894 of Candy Crush this morning, I thought it looked like Donald Trump.

Second Time’s the Charm

Even though I went to bed early last night (10 p.m.), and found myself wide awake at 12:45 a.m., the exhausted feeling of the day before was gone.

Sometimes being around other people, no matter whom they are, can drain a body. So, being successful in erasing the border yesterday, in that I had time alone to myself – did not go anywhere, see anyone, did me a world of good.

Though I wasn’t my usual high-energy self today, due to last night’s sleepus interruptus, which was the result of an angry gut, I’d managed to fall back asleep around 3:00, slept until 7:00, and had sufficient energy to get out, get gas, coffee, run by Home Depot for cleaning products, and Joanns for more fabric.

I’m finding that the older I get, the fewer foods I can eat without a resulting upset stomach. Anything with wheat or soy as an ingredient is off the list, and now it appears the gut doesn’t like turkey dogs, so they too are off the list.

The trip to Joanns for more fabric was necessitated by a huge mistake I made with the fabric previously purchased for the Halloween Costume.

When the pattern arrived in yesterday’s mail, I was so excited to get started that I immediately pinned the pattern to the fabric and cut without double checking  the pattern measurements at bustline.

Once I’d stitched the back to the right front/left front and tried on for fit, it became clear the pattern should have been expanded.

It’s just a costume, thought I, doesn’t have to be perfect. So thinking about how the designers on Project Runway solved similar problems with a “Make it work moment” of adding panels, I took the work apart and began adding fabric to the sides and shoulders.

Without a dress dummy, as they have on Project Runway, it was a tedious process; and being as how I’m a bit of a perfectionist and the tediousness was getting to me, I decided to head to the fabric store this morning to repurchase fabric and begin again.

The decision to make the costume, rather than purchase, was based on budget; but, at this rate, doesn’t look like there’s much savings involved. However, the second try is coming out nicely.

Expecting lots of interest in today’s 3:00 Residents/Management meeting – the first since Nurse Ratched was escorted off the premises, wanting to get a good seat for the show, I headed down to the Community Room at 2:30.

Met the new Complex Manager.

She’s young. Younger than the Assistant Manager, but seems nice, friendly, smiles, not all stuck up and full of herself as Nurse Ratched was, and said what she had to say without threats and lies, so it’s looking good.

Not much else new was discussed except, by year’s end, we will not have to pay for carport parking.

I declined to hoop and holler with others in the room at this announcement. Those approving the change are probably those who do not now have carport parking, opted for uncovered parking, because they didn’t want to pay for it and, in future, will be getting it free. Instead, when the Assistant Manager asked, “So everyone’s happy about that?” I replied, “No, I’d rather pay for parking, keep my current carport spot, rather than have to hassle for a spot.”

I was assured spots would be “assigned” but, after the meeting, I introduced myself to the New Manager, said “I like you already because you’re friendly, but I’d just better be “assigned” my same spot.”

One old lady was not that nice about it, “I’ve been here 11 years. If you change my carport spot, I’ll be calling my lawyer”.

Weekend Update

Fortunately, though it was hot and humid, the projected weekend triple digit heat never arrived.

Unfortunately, the Santa Anas showed up instead.

That drive out of the area – to my Sunday appointment with the locktician, through dust storms and winds so gusty that the car rocked back and forth, had me gripping the steering wheel like my life depended on it, and dodging trucks being rocked back/forth for fear one would topple onto me.

The moment I wished I’d invested in a dash cam was when, over to the side of the freeway, I observed three cars parked, people outside those cars, some pushing, some pulling a mattress up from an embankment just off the freeway, where it appears to have been blown from the top of one of those cars.

It wasn’t a funny sight (well maybe a little), just interesting; and thank the powers that be the mattress blew OFF the freeway rather than onto other cars, but the sight was a Kodak moment.

Needless to say, there wasn’t any Pokémon Go hunting … except for the Pidgeotto captured inside the salon.

Exhausted from the drive AND from having awakened at 3:00 Sunday morning, after my braids were retightened (new growth locked into the braids), I headed home through the same rocking back and forth, gripping the wheel.

Happy to be back in my little unit, I immediately got comfortable, i.e., disrobed, put a turkey dog in the broiler roasting for a late lunch, nuked the coffee, and planned on doing nothing more than resting on the couch, while watching the Poldark on Masterpiece episodes the DVR recorded while I was away, when all-of-a-sudden my phone went “ding”.

It was a text message from granddaughter asking for a ride to Walmart after she got off work.

So at least I got to relax two hours before getting back to, what my blog friend Dkzody so aptly describes as Living Along the Borders.

Awake once again at 3:00 this morning, goal for today is to erase the border – go nowhere, do nothing.

Right on Cue

Knowing I was to be out-of-the-area tomorrow morning, and plan to combine that errand with locating new and different Pokémon, I headed to the University bright and early this morning to load up on PokéBalls before triple digit heat set in.

We are creatures of habit because, driving out of the parking lot at my usual little after 9:00, right on cue I spotted the Archeologists’ car parked in her husband’s faculty spot and, leaving campus, saw her walking with her cute little daughter and snotty son.

At some point, I’m going to stop avoiding her because I sense a sadness about her.

On the surface, she seems to have it all – education, husband, children, home, friends, money but, and I don’t know if this will make sense, but I sometimes sense what is going on with people at a deeper level, and she comes across as nervous, sad, insecure ... a little frightened even.

Because her daughter is so sweet and her son pompous, arrogant, I’m thinking he’s emulating his dad. That his dad may be transmitting women are lesser beings in the home -- which may account for the son looking down his nose at me when we were introduced, and may also account for the nervous, sad, insecureness I sense in the Archeologist, and maybe even dad is mean, controlling -- which would account for her seeming frightened.

So at some point, I’m going to avoid avoiding her and transmit some of my positive uplifting energy, but it will have to wait until I’m feeling patient and emotionally strong enough to give it.

I’d only managed 40 minutes of walking this morning, but logged in 1.59 miles at quite a nice pace of 26.02.

I’m getting faster.

This back to every day walking is loosening up my joints, and though I’m not losing any weight or inches, instead of previously feeling heavy and slow, I now feel leaner, lighter, which may account for the faster pace.

Perhaps weight loss and inches down are on their way.

Remainder of today is back to that needlepoint project and catching up on recorded TV programs.

I finally got through MasterChef, saw Shaun crowned winner. Caught up on BBC America’s Luther, saw DCI John Luther exonerated as his two nemeses got what they deserved from a crazed gunman; and, by end of today, I should find out if police detective Karl Roebuck gets his son back from yet another crazed criminal, then it’s on to the Great British Baking Show.

Summer BBQ Potluck

After an easy morning of having nothing to take care of, other than picking granddaughter up from the bus terminal, dropping her off at the market for groceries, meditating in the car while waiting, then dropping her off at her apartment, it was Starbucks for coffee and home to prepare for the 1:00 potluck.

Having signed up for coleslaw, I’d switched to the old standby deli potato salad when, at the store yesterday, I found slaw doesn’t come in 3 pound tubs like potato salad, and the cost of having the deli put together an equivalent amount of slaw was too costly.

So, putting together my personal care package …

… consisting of a container of oil/vinegar dressing, organic relish, jalapeno mustard, and chopped onions, I headed to the Community Room at 12:45 with that tub of potato salad and two packages of Jennie O Turkey Franks, because I don’t eat beef hot dogs and others seem to enjoy the turkey as well, so whoever was grilling could add them to the mix.

I’m what you might call a careful healthy (for all the good it does since I never lose weight) finicky eater, bringing my own condiments, but that’s only because I know what I like, want to make sure it’s available, and don’t want to hassle in a crowd to get it.

So walking into the room, I found the grill off and a room full of residents eating, some already on dessert, some (I was told) had been and gone.

Looking dumbfound I said, “You started early? I thought it wasn’t until 1:00”.

“No, we started at noon”, replied the Activity Director.

I later rechecked the Activity Calendar and 12:00 was the posted time.

Where I got 1:00 from is a mystery. I can only surmise I was not wearing my glasses when I looked at the calendar and didn’t see the 2.

But oh well, I didn’t want and couldn’t eat the prepared beef hot dogs, so I switched to chicken.

Lunch and Dinner Tonight

With two packages of turkey dogs to use up, I won’t have to wonder about what to fix for lunch/dinner for the next two weeks. There was already a tub of potato salad on the table when I arrived but, as folks made plates for later, the second tub came in handy and what wasn’t used up will go into the Community Room refrigerator for whoever wants it.

As late as I was, residents did come in even later, one of which was my next door neighbor.

She brought a Pineapple Upside Down Cake, she'd just made.

My favorite.

I couldn’t resist.

Before she arrived, we were having good conversations about this, that, the other, a lot of speculation about what Nurse Ratched could have done to have her items boxed up and herself escorted off the property, but neighbor is a politico/activist/news junkie type, likes to get on a soapbox about anything/everything, and kept bringing up Trump and the killing of unarmed Black men.

Because of my spiritual belief that everything happens for a reason, the “They meant it for evil, but the Universe meant it for good” theory, that we just hold to that no matter what we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and wait for the larger plan to unfold, I didn't want her negativity in my head and kept trying to steer the conversation away from discords going on the world.

She wasn’t having it.

Unable to get neighbor off so adamantly expressing the need to do this, do that, I decided it was time to go.

Her cake was delicious, but not perfectly so, because she burnt the edges. Perhaps if she’d paid more attention to baking, and less time on the soap box, the edges would not have been crusty black.

All in all, I’d say the event was successful and we’re now looking forward to the Halloween Costume potluck.

Apache says he already has his costume but, like last year, is keeping it a surprise.

My plan is to reuse the Minion costume I put together for last year’s Halloween 5K in La Mirada, though I doubt many here will even know what a Minion is.

Kids and Cars

With every intention of taking the bus to the University this morning, that plan went awry when I awoke at a very late 9:30.

Quite a surprise, since I never sleep that late and wasn’t ill; but oh well, time for a new plan.

I drove and ran into a sea of kids and cars. The campus was packed, the parking lot was full to overflowing.

Fortunately, when I’d tried to find side street parking last week, I ran across an area off campus, by a field, with no parking restriction signs. Unsure if it was okay to park there I’d passed on it but, checking back today, cars were lined up and none had been ticketed, so I took a spot, set my Lucky Egg for extra points and began the next stage of Pokémon Go -- Evolving.

What evolving does, besides earning me points, is it transforms a creature into a new being.

The egg was only good for 30 minutes of extra points, 15 of which was taken up by the evolving process because I had quite a few I could evolve, the remaining minutes of which was me walking across the field to get to the University’s PokéStops, capturing Pokémon and PokéStop items before extra points time ran out.

By the time all was said and done, I must have collected points in the thousands because I leveled up from 13 to 15.

Campus was so alive with activity that I hung around, logging in 1.44 slow miles as I took it all in remembering that the plan after retirement was to go back to school. For what specifically, I didn’t know. It was just that I had a thirst for knowledge. Looking around, I was glad that didn’t happen because I woke up, spiritually speaking, realized that road was not for me and, looking around heard myself say to myself, “What was I thinking. Why would I have wanted to put myself through this? To what end?”

Inasmuch as I’d had that thought earlier in the day, I had to laugh when I logged on this evening and saw Mage had commented on the last post, “You could take a class”.

In addition to kids and cars, there were sorority tents, vendors, free ice cream (I declined), and bus loads of elementary school children on what I surmised was a field trip.

Leaving campus an hour or so later, walking slowly back to the car on an out-of-the-way narrow path between what looked to be maintenance buildings, I heard rustling behind me.

Looking left, right, I didn’t see anything and decided the rustling sound were leaves hitting the ground, as it was quite windy.

The rustling continued and something told me to turn around.

I did, and there was a woman driving a cart.

I think she thought she’d scared me (she didn’t), that I thought she was going to run over me (I had no such thought) because she said, “You’re alright. I make it a point never to drive faster than the person in front of me is walking.”

She pulled up beside me, held out her hand and introduced herself as J from Risk Management.

Knowing I was walking someplace I shouldn’t have been anyway, I felt awful that I’d been walking so slow, holding her back and said, “You should have honked. I’m just here hitting up your PokéStops”.

“Oh do you play? I play too.”

We chatted game for a bit, I said “It was nice meeting you”, she went back to whatever it is Risk Management people do, and I headed to the market to pick up turkey dogs and potato salad for tomorrow's "Summer BBQ Potluck", here at the complex.

We had all summer to do this but the powers that be decided to do it the day after the official start of Fall.

ROFLMAO!

All Over Town

Today was a good day out-of-the area at the fabric store, for not only did I have a 40% off coupon, but knit fabrics were on sale.

Looking for white rib knit and red 2-way stretch wool/lycra knit, I found neither in a sea of lycra/spandex and cotton/spandex blends. I was beginning to think I’d have to drive to the fabric store on the other side of town, or order online.

Finally, after going down the row, pulling down all the reds, reading the blend labels, I came across a red that had no label but, fortunately, someone had written “Jersey Knit” which I knew to be wool/lycra.

I scored on that $18.88 a yard fabric at the sale price of $9.09.

The only rib knit on the shelf was gray. I needed white, so back to thinking about a store across town or online. However, when the young clerk measuring out the yardage asked if I’d found everything, the answer was “No. You only have the one color rib knit.”

“What color are you looking for?”

“White”.

“Let me check. Sometimes they put it in the wrong place.”

She came back with two types of white rib knit – one smooth, one ribbed, both at $10.49 a yard. I chose the ribbed and got it for the sale price of $6.99.

It was a good thing I piddled away yesterday morning and didn’t make it to the fabric store, because I’d have been one day shy of the sale prices.

The young clerk also asked, “What are you making?”.

I pulled up a photo of the Trainer costume on my phone and, inasmuch as the pattern is so new they didn’t have it in the store yet for me to get precise yardage needed, we had to guess on how much.

“Who are you making it for?” she asked.

“For myself”.

She looked surprised.

It was the same look I’d gotten when making myself tutus for a several Tutu 5Ks year before last.

Why is it so surprising that an old lady like to wear tutus and costumes when it’s obviously for Halloween, a time when folks are in costumes everywhere?

Then she asked, “Do you play?”

“I’m addicted”.

She lit up at this, thought it was “great” and turned into a total geek, telling me where to find PokéStops in the area.

In the area turned out to be a city 6 miles away, where I found myself in a shopping center with a winery (Wine tasting in progress) and a Souplantation. I don’t drink, often wish I could and, had my system been able to handle the alcohol, would have gone in for the tasting. Instead, I hit a few PokéStops and picked up a salad for lunch despite the fact there was a snake at the salad bar.

Making my way to the freeway, to head home, I saw a sign for “Red Hill Park”.

I’d heard there’s been some interesting Pokémon found at that location, so I turned in.

Right the rumors were. I captured three Psyducks in a row before I even got out of the car.

After getting out of the car, there was nothing. Would have been if I’d walked around the park but, by now, it was 3:30, I was starving for that salad picked up for lunch, and headed home.

Going to have to schedule a walk around that park some time in future on a nice cool day.

For now, I’m going to once again try for a bus ride to the University tomorrow morning.

New classes start tomorrow, the sororities will be out campaigning, so the campus should be full of energy, which in turn will generate new Pokémon.

We’ll see.

Busy Doing Nothing

Sunday’s spa manicure/pedicure was well worth the over-the-top price. My cuticles are oiled and neatly pushed back, bottom of my feet nice and smooth. I did not get my favorite spa color – a traditional French, or my favorite to do at home color – bright red, because I figured the needlepoint project would scrape off the french tips before the day was over and red nails would leave marks on the whitish canvas.

The Sacrifices I make for art.

I settled for a color from the Shades of Grey line called “My Silk Tie”, because it won’t mar my project and I can easily touch-up the color at home.

Hot and muggy on Monday, I did absolutely nothing but needlepoint and try to catch up on recorded television programs, until granddaughter phoned for a ride to/from an errand, after which it was back to needlepoint and television.

I heard on the news it rained in the area, but I saw no signs of it.

Today was cool and in the 80’s – pretty good for walking, but I blew it by getting online to research an idea I had for the costumed Halloween Spooktacular 5K.

Originally, I was planning on doing the fan favorite Michonne yet again; but then the idea of Pokémon Trainer popped into my head.

Online at 6:30, looking at all kinds of DIY ideas and ready-made for purchase costumes, I found tons, but not much that floated my boat for various reasons; and ready-made for purchase were priced at the insane level. Thinking creatively hours later, I began googling sewing patterns. Nothing on the Simplicity site, but struck gold on McCalls.

I don’t even have to make the entire outfit, as I might substitute my black leggings/black top for the dress, and I already have black workout fingerless gloves. I just have to make the jacket, get a toy PokéBall and do something about a cap.

Since Pokémon is hot right now, I imagine I’ll see a lot of Trainers at the Spooktacular, some costumes way more elaborate than mine, but I can’t imagine any will be as cute as I think I’ll be.

So anyway, pattern ordered, and not a lot of time to waste if I have to order fabric online, I decided to devote remainder of the day to browsing fabric stores. Only, I realized it was already 11:30, I wasn’t dressed and I’d been so preoccupied with researching that I’d failed to fix breakfast and felt the faint twinge of a hunger headache.

By the time all was said and done, early bird that I am, the day was essentially over. I didn’t even get out for coffee until 2:00 (hope caffeine this late in the day doesn’t keep me awake all night). Fabric browsing will have to be tomorrow, after I drop granddaughter off at the bus station for an out-of-town trip.

Early Bird

It was a cool 58° when I headed to the University this morning.

By the time the sun began to heat up, I’d gotten in 1.96 miles, filled up my Pokémon Go Backpack and was at Starbucks when a message came in at 8:57 from the Archeologist, “Going to csu for Pokemon”.

I thanked her for letting me know but said “I’m the early bird; just left with a full bag”.

So her schedule is to head to the University when the sun is up and it’s starting to get hot, while mine is to beat the heat, which gives me a good excuse for not hunting with her and, hopefully, that’s the end of that.

On the off chance I’d run into her on campus, I parked on the opposite side of campus to where I ran into her last time, and found PokéStops I’d not already discovered – unlimited photo ops for my Go site.

Finding myself in an off-the-grid area of campus, who should I run into but my Dumpster Diving Neighbor.

“This place is so big, I’m finding things I never saw before”, says I.

“But you found me”, she laughed.

So with a full bag of 156 PokéBalls, 33 Great Balls, 2 Incense, 1 Lucky Egg, 38 Revive, 33 Potion, 33 Super Potion, 85 Razz Berry, I’m good for the week insofar as gathering at the University. I don’t plan another trip until next Saturday, which leaves tomorrow free and clear for a spa manicure/pedicure I really don’t want to go to the expense of, but must because a professional job, versus what I’ve been doing for myself, is desperately needed.

Comedy of Errors

The Calendar of Activities indicated Bingo, 12:30 today.

Planning on staying indoors -- working on that needlepoint project, catching up on recorded television programs, I hadn’t planned to attend but was lured down in hopes of getting another cell phone pen.

Last month’s bingo was hosted by a healthcare group that handed out promotional pens which held a dual purpose of serving as cell phone stylus.

It was a great little tool for throwing PokéBalls so, inasmuch as I’d yesterday misplaced the one I had, I thought to go down for Bingo today in hopes of obtaining another.

Things didn’t go as planned because, first, we were advised the group coming in was running half-hour late.

No problem at first because, seated at a table with two new residents, I was enjoying our conversation.

No one showed up until 1:10, and it wasn’t the same healthcare group. Instead of a pen/stylus, we were treated with ice cream.

I indulged, hung around after, planning to go through with Bingo, but my patience came to an end when, at 1:45, we were still waiting for someone to show up with the cards.

Today’s activity was just a comedy of errors, but though it was messed up, I did notice positive changes already now that Nurse Ratched is gone.

First was the increase in the number of residents who showed up for Bingo -- residents who deliberately stayed away from activities, because of their dislike of her, are now showing up. This is also true for next week’s BBQ Potluck. Instead of the usual five to 10 names on the sign-up sheet, so many have signed up that management has added a second page to the sheet.

Second is that the TV remote is now kept in the Community Room, accessible to us residents. Previously, Nurse Ratched kept the remote in her office and, if residents wanted a channel change, they had to go through her. She’d not give the remote to the requesting residents; she’d change the channel for the residents and take it back to her office.

On another note, I did not get confirmation about Creepy Guy and the machete, but I did learn he’s been hospitalized; and not just because he’s gone off the deep end mentally but because it’s also physical. Word was “He’s done. Not going to make it.”

I’m at a loss for words. He was creepy, caused so many problems for female residents that formal complaints were filed, got that one woman evicted because -- when he said something vulgar to her, she’d lost it, pulled a box cutter, threatened to slit his throat -- which threat of violence caused her to be arrested, evicted and lose her job a week into moving in; and though I went out of my way to avoid him at all costs -- to the point where if he walked into the Community Room through one door, I’d immediately get up and leave through another, I feel a tinge of sadness for him.

Big Girl Undies

Couldn’t find those panties this morning, so that didn’t happen.

You can’t believe how difficult it is for me to step out of my comfort zone and do something as simple as taking the bus versus driving this morning.

The buses in this area, especially the express bus to the University, looks clean, safe, fast, so I'm not sure what the holdup is.

It’s not like I’ve never been on a bus before. In fact, there was a time in my past when I did not have a car, and buses, trains, cabs were how I got around, no problem. When I did have a car, it was not unusual for me to leave it at home, continue to take the bus and/or train. I had a monthly pass and, before monthly passes were a thing, I’d drop money into a fare box.

It was simple back in the day.

Now it’s those daunting looking fare monstrosities, and machines that take money have never been good to me, so that scare me off; plus the fact that buses run on schedules, and if you don’t meet that schedule, there's wait time. Looking at the bus company's website last night, “peak” and “non-peak” hours were indicated, with wait times of 15 minutes and 1 hour respectively.

Life's too short.

Plain and simple, I’ve become accustomed to the freedom of not having to meet schedules, whether peak or non-peak, not having to wait for someone/something to get to where I’m going.

I needed more PokéBalls, plus I had a Lucky Egg – which is best utilized in evolving a Pokémon in a crowd, so I jumped in the car, drove around the area outside the University looking for a side street to park.

For those of you following along, learning the game with me, Pokémon Go is much more than just catching. I’m actually having to do research and make notes. A Lucky Egg is a PokéStop gift, the advantage of which is double points from PokéStops and capturing.

To take full advantage of the Lucky Egg, it’s suggested one finds an area with lots of PokéStops -- the University is the place to go, but also to go during the busiest hours of the day, activate the lucky egg and start evolving Pokémon – “Evolving” being transforming a Pokémon into a stronger more fierce version of itself.

You still with me?

At any rate, the surrounding neighborhoods are all marked “No Parking At Any Time” or “Permit Parking Only”. Even the residents of nearby homes had permit stickers on  cars parked in front of their own homes.

Driving onto University property, thinking I might risk it, but then deciding NOT when I saw the number of Parking Enforcement Men/Woman on duty, I spied a “Get Parking Permit Here” sign and decided to check it out -- $2.50 for 1 hour, $5.00 for 2 hours. One hour would be rushing my time on campus, but I went for it, fed $2.50 into the machine and got nothing in return.

I pushed, I banged, I cancelled … nothing.

See what I mean about me and machines that take money. Even when ATM’s first came out, I twice ran into an ATM taking requested cash from my account but dispensing no money.

So that’s $2.50 down the drain. The bus would have cost $1.50. I could have stayed home and bought 100 PokéBalls for $1.99.

Tomorrow is another day, but I don’t think my Big Girl panties are gonna turn up. I’ll just head out early, try to beat the triple digits Saturday/Sunday and, since there are no crowds at that time, hold onto the Lucky Egg for my next crowd event – the Halloween Monster Run 5K in October.

Senior Happenings

Except for a Crisis Team coming in and taking Creepy Guy to the VA Hospital for evaluation; and except for next door neighbor confronting the Maintenance Supervisor, who lives upstairs across the quad, about the ongoing mess his family keeps on their patio ruining her view, there’s been no happenings here at the senior complex as we wait to see if things are going to get better for us, i.e., more activities, fewer rules, now that Nurse Ratched is gone, or worse – though I can’t imagine worse.

Creepy Guy, the complex’s pervy perv, was observed behaving erratically over a period of days and, when someone saw him outside the complex, standing in the same spot for two hours, talking to himself, a call he might need help was made. When help arrived and decided he needed to be taken in for observation, he didn’t want to go. Taken anyway, he was released the same day, so I guess he talked a good game, though the fact someone reported having seen him walking around with a machete indicates he does need help.

Thankfully, I haven’t seen him leering about and thus haven’t had to go out of my way to continue to avoid him. I'm not worried about the unconfirmed rumor of the machete, because I'm way faster than he.

So there’s that.

And then there’s the next door neighbor’s patience coming to an end when the mess on the patio across the quad went from just the children’s drum set, some sort of tool, clothing piled in a corner to this …

Dirty Diapers, Empty Diaper Box, Drum Set, Clothing

Her complaints to the office, during Nurse Ratched reign, had gone unaddressed so she decided to complain to the Assistant Manager, who is now in charge until someone is appointed to the position. Neighbor said she went down yesterday morning, found the office closed for “Training”, then marched across the quad, knocked on the door, said “Are you ever going to get that mess off the patio? I’ve been looking at it for over a month!”

It’s been way longer than a month but, at any rate, the direct approached seemed to work.

As for me, I've been taking advantage of the cooler weather with daily walks -- including hunting for Pokémon, trying to reach this year’s goal of 100 walking miles by year’s end.

This weekend’s weather is predicted to reach triple digits again, so I’m going to try to get in as many miles as possible before that happens.

Since walking at the University this weekend if we do get to triple digits is out of the question, and since I can’t park at the University during the week, I’m trying to work myself up to taking the bus.

The express stop is just across the street from the complex, and takes me straight into the university but, and this sounds a bit pathetic, I'm having a hard time pushing myself to do so because I actually don’t know HOW to ride the bus – how much does it cost, how do you get tickets out of the complicated looking machines, what do you do with the tickets once on-board.

Tonight, I’ll be Googling the bus website, looking for step by step instructions and hopefully I can put my big girl panties on tomorrow, head across the street, and figure it out. Maybe I’ll run into other folks there who can help me.

Visit to the Dentist

Arriving at the dental office, I booted up the Pokémon Go app and began checking the area.

No PokéStops, but plenty of Pokémon.

Walking to the door of the office, I added a new capture to my collection (a list called Pokedéx), several common Pokémon, then shut the app down for my visit.

Today was x-rays, cleaning, and dreading confirmation there was indeed a cracked tooth.

It was a fresh new face, substituting from my regular long-time-dentist, that handled my last visit and found the cracked tooth. Maybe his vision was better than my regular guy, maybe he was just trying to drum up business but, whatever his motive, I didn’t mention those findings to my regular guy, and regular guy didn’t find anything wrong. So, unless and until something starts to hurt, I’m going with it ain’t so.

My long-time dental hygienist is an older lady – much older than the other girls in the office and, I'm now guessing, probably not into the latest craze because, after the cleaning, while she was scheduling my next appointment, I once again booted up the app and what do you know … there was a Rattata on her lab coat.

I took a photo, captured the creature and, showing her the picture said, “There was a Pokémon on you.”

She looked aghast.

“Who did that?!”

“They’re everywhere”, said I.

She then began to hit at the back of her lab coat in an effort to shoo away whatever was there.

ROFLMAO!

Hours later, the image of her panicked look and swiping away at the back of her coat, keeps popping up in my head and I start laughing all over again.

Before leaving the dental office, I captured two Growlithe at the receptionist’s desk and encountered an Eevee in the lady’s room. That one got away because I was indisposed at the time it showed up and, by the time I was disposed, it had run away.

Leaving the dental office, I turned around to see what giveaway treats were on the counter and saw the office is capitalizing on the Pokémon Go craze.

It says, "Catch some Pokémon at Hospitality Dental for a chance to win a $20 gift card", and all one has to do is take a screenshot of what is captured inside the dental office, post it, tag the dental office, and best photo wins $20.

How clever of them, and what fun for its clients.

Had I know, I’d have had the app running the entire time I was inside and taken more and better pictures, as only the one on the lab coat came out well.

A Word

At 9:30 this morning, the Universe broke my blogger’s block with a word. That word is “awkward”.

Having used up most of the PokéBalls gathered over the holiday weekend, and having learned “Your bag is full” was not the end of the ability to collect more than the 130 I had amassed, that I could purchase a bigger backpack for 200 coins (the equivalent of $1.99), and I could also make room in the bag for items I want and need by deleting items I do not want or need, armed with a little better understanding of the intricacies of Pokémon Go, I was back on campus bright and early this morning for more.

Heading back to the car an hour and a half, 2.28 slow miles later, I saw a silver car circling the parking lot. The car made its way over to where I was and parked a little ahead of me in a faculty spot. Not being able to see who was in the car, I made a point to veer off towards my car in a direction away from the silver car. The driver's door opened and who should step out but the young woman who wanted to hang with me (let’s call her The Archeologist).

AWKWARD!

Before she could speak, I blurted out, “I’ve been here an hour and a half. I’m done”.

“Are you?” I heard her say as I waived to her little girl, smiling at me through the car window, and continued on to my car.

And that was that.

Earlier in the week, catching Pokémon in the market while waiting for granddaughter to finish her shopping, who should I see in the checkout line but The Archeologist with her whole family -- husband, little girl and son, who looks to be around ten or twelve, and who came across as bratty, stuck up, elitist. At least, that’s how I read his response when I attempted to engage him, but maybe it’s just a ten to twelve year old boy thing.

This reoccurring theme of running into The Archeologist is odd because, though we recently discovered we live very close to each other, our paths had crossed only three times in the last three years, all of which was out-of-the-area at 5Ks.

At any rate, this morning’s encounter gave me a word which opened up space in the blogger’s block I’m experiencing. It’s off to the dentist tomorrow and, if I have words tomorrow, hopefully they won’t be “Expensive” and/or “Excruciating Pain” because they thought they saw a cracked tooth last visit.