The Day After

So that was a short respite.

I’d prepared and planned to stay in Long Beach through Christmas Day, return today Tuesday, with the caveat that, if I was having a good time, I’d extend the stay.

As it were, the great grandson opened his gifts 7:30 Christmas morning, after which I did an early checkout of the hotel and was back in my unit at the complex by noon.

Long Beach was a drag.

I did not get the Harbor View Room I’d requested ─ the side of the hotel with a view of the Queen Mary. Instead, I ended up with a view of a restaurant’s alley. Which might have been cool had anything interesting happened in the alley, but all I saw was restaurant linen being piled up and the occasional worker running through.

Energy in the area has shifted. The streets were relatively empty ─ nothing interesting to see, to do. No longer safe to walk around visiting old haunts due to an explosion of the unhoused.

Driving down the street, I spotted a house all decorated for Christmas. The house had a chain-link fence separating the property from the sidewalk and in a little area right next to where their fence ended, right up against it, was where an unhoused person had erected his living quarters.

Passing the Covenant Manor retirement complex, along the entire outside perimeter of the fence were the unhoused.

When checking out early at the hotel, I saw an unhoused individual walk in, stride right over to the coffee bar, help himself to a cup of coffee, go to exit the hotel, stop in the door to yell something I couldn’t make out, exit, walk across the street, disappear down an alley.

The hotel did have a security person stationed at the desk ─ first time I’ve seen that ─ which tells me they’ve had some problems, but he’d stepped away. Was returning just as the unhoused gent had yelled whatever it was he’d yelled and was walking away.

With extra time on my hands Christmas Eve, having decided it wasn’t safe to walk down to the Big Penny selfie site, get a photo I’d been wanting to take during previous visits but never got around to, I drove over to the site.

Seeing the old guy camped out front .... for why? I didn't dare get out of the car to try to take a selfie. Not to mention, capture an image of the penny's flipside because, if you look closely to the right, you'll see the legs of one of two guys I spied lurking suspiciously behind the penny.

Long Beach has changed ─ a drag and a downer.

Long Beach was not a complete drag and downer, as I did get to see the new baby girl.

Even got to hold her for a hot second.

However, a hot second was all that was allowed because, with so many people granddaughter and grandson-in-law know learning later rather than sooner ─ before they were around others, thereby jeopardizing the health of others, that they have covid, the two are being extra cautious of who comes into their atmosphere as the baby does not yet have immunities.

I was the only person allowed to visit since the new baby was born; the only person allowed to spend Christmas with them. Everyone else has to wait until March, when the new baby will be four months old, and her immunities have taken hold. That included White Grandma, White Grandpa, the Black uncles.

Though I’d been boosted and, knowing I'd be around little ones had taken the extra precaution of a home test before heading to Long Beach, I was yet and still limited to look, but don’t touch — other than the hot second I was allowed to hold the little princess. I wasn’t even allowed to kiss all on the great-grandson as I usually do.

So, after watching the great-grandson open his gifts, no place safe to go, nothing safe to do, no kissing, no holding, I headed back to the hotel, packed, checked out early and drove myself home.

Traffic was easy breezy going up and returning but, because of my gut issues, there's so much preparation involved in travel, and my being so stressed with worry about what could happen as I’m behind the wheel on a long drive since that tire blew out on the freeway, that I don’t think I can do this again.

It's just too much work and, with my being on edge during the drive up and back, going anywhere further than a few miles away is just too exhausting.

So, unless I win the lottery and can employ my own personal driver, this last trip may be my last trip.

First Look

First and Last hot second hold.

The great-grandson was gifted (spoiled) with way too many toys for an 18-month-old.

Included in the gifts from his parents was a pair of toy binoculars and a spy glass, which he instinctively seemed to know how to use.

Shades of having picked up his GG’s propensity for observing others perhaps, LOL.

I'm also told he likes to hide behind doors, jump out, try to scare his parents.

They don't know where he learned that, but believe it may be inherited, because that was something I did through my early years, well into adulthood, and still enjoy watching TikTok videos of people scaring other people.

For sure, the great-grandson doesn't seem to have inherited my adventurous nature, like when I jumped right on the Santa Train at the Breakfast with Santa Event and was ready to ice skate until I thought how an injury could end me, because great-grandson wasn't quick to accept the Mickey Mouse airplane, with all its unfamiliar bells and whistles, as being his forte.

His parents say, from how he was at first fearful of the exercise ball in the room, but has now embraced it, that he has to first observe certain items, get accustomed to before he trusts, and will send me vid when he does.

So, while he was somewhat alarmed by all the bells, whistles, spinning, I positioned myself to where I could take a spin around the room without putting my full weight on his toy (no vid to show you).

I also couldn't wait to try the spaceship he'd acquired since my last visit.

Ready for Take Off

He seemed none too pleased, like what the hell daddy.

So, though Long Beach was a drag and a downer, no kissing, no hugging, look but don't touch, I managed to have a fun time and got to play with the great-grandson's toys.