Honey(s) I’m Home

Hope you all enjoyed your day of thanks.

It was a good thing I was heading out of town because, just before I hit the road, there was a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) message from the utility company due to the heavy winds.

The all-clear power back on didn’t hit my phone until 7:35 PM last night, so my getting out of the complex for the first family gathering I’ve attended since the Pandemic could not have been timed better.

On the road for three hours, the only news being the GPS giving me turn-by-turn directions, I didn’t find out there were guilty verdicts on the Black Jogger Murder until late afternoon.

I would have been very surprised had it been otherwise, and even if the three don’t get the kind of time they’ve earned, at least what they are given will be time enough to think about what they’ve done — taken the life of another because of the color of his skin and screwed up their own lives in the process.

There were a few issues checking into the hotel, due to a recently installed hi-tech card verification system, the room’s A/C cranking out a horrendous noise, room entry card not wanting to work — all of which prompted me to tell the front desk that “I think this hotel is cursed”.

Once the dust settled, I then discovered the unsecure condition of the door lock.

The screws are loose, lock about to fall off, no pushing the door needed to bypass and get in.

Too tired by then from the long drive and chaos thus far to request a different room, I set up my own security measures.

The noise of the chair scraping across the floor, and the carrier falling are sure to wake me up, whereupon I’d tase and pepper spray the intruder.

After that, it was smooth sailing and I woke up Thanksgiving morning, with this view.

All Hail the Queen Mary

I je t’adore looking at the Queen from afar when I'm in the area.

From "afar" because it’s haunted. I don’t want to get close enough to tempt some invisible someone to attach to me, follow me home.

Granddaughter suggested maybe even having that view was close enough to have caused all the issues checking in, that the hotel may, as I suggested to the front desk, be cursed.

The Queen is now a Ghost Ship, both figuratively and literally.

Completely shut down, unsafe, in deteriorating conditions, with an estimated 700 million dollars’ worth of needed repairs, unless someone with an extra 700 million steps in, the powers that be are considering sinking the Queen.

Another thing I je t’adore is the out and proud nature of the area.

So pretty, and several intersections along Broadway are painted thusly.

This is the Starbucks where, back in the day, when Actress Sandra Bullock was living on Ocean Boulevard, she could be seen having coffee with her then husband Jesse James, then of West Coast Choppers.

The quality of the following video isn’t the best, due to wind and sun, but suffice it to say someone in the area really loves Christmas.

Grandson-in-law impressed me with his mad skills in spatchcocking and baking of the turkey. He made a stock that looked good enough to eat as was, even made a roux to thicken the stock to gravy.

There was the usual Thanksgiving faire — turkey, dressing, gravy, potato salad, greens, mac and cheese, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, pies, brownies. None of which I can eat. I satisfied myself with spaghetti squash and special turkey meatballs I made and brought with me.

Finally got to meet the in-laws — grandson-in-law’s mom and pop.

A sweet couple that met many moons ago in Tall Club.

Grandson-in-Law was a late in life baby, so they will be the baby’s Grandma and Granddad.

Grandma will have to work it out with Grandma Twin 1 as to how they are to be addressed, but I’m thinking White Grandma and Black Grandma. I’m the only GG.

White Grandma told me that she’s making a baby quilt. Coordinating with granddaughter as to what granddaughter wants the quilt to look like (different animals), she’s putting it together but sending it out to a professional quilter.

Having already had to undo mistakes made to the quilt I’m making, mine isn’t going to look all that professional ... or professional at all, but I’ve told no one, so it will be a complete surprise for granddaughter.

Three generations of Queens.