08/10/08

I'm typing this page off line because after everything I've gone through to get this new computer up to speed I end up loosing the dial tone and my DSL. I check both phones, no go. I go next door and Hilda has dial tone, so it's not an area outage. I call my phone number and get the voice mail so it's not cut off and we're not behind on the payment, but I ended up paying the bill a couple of days ahead of time anyway.

Good thing James wasn't coming over tonight as is his usual schedule. He had to change his schedule for his other woman and it's probably for the best. I've gotten the old computer removed, area cleaned up, things reorganized and the new computer settled in its new location. I'm fixing to do laundry after I get back from doing a grocery shop. By the time I'm done with the laundry there's the cardboard boxes to break down and take to recycling.

I'm just frustrated that I have no dial tone or online access. I had to call James at work, using Amy's cell phone, to tell him about it so he didn't think I wasn't answering his email because I was ticked off at him or anything. He's gotten into the habit of writing to me a couple of dozen times a day and we end up having these deep discussions about metaphysics when he's at work. When he's home his nose is in EverQuestII and we hardly speak at all.  My life is so weird.

Well I best go to the store. I have to be home tomorrow between 8am and 7pm for the phone tech person. If I need anything from the store I got to go now.

Three hours later. Schlepped to the local super market, my sweet Arab family, I know I can spend less and get more elsewhere, but I'm taking a "push-push" (four wheel grocery cart) and cheaper larger stores need a bus ride or bum a ride from a pal. I'll just walk 10 from my home and pay more with people I know and who treat me so lovingly. I get to be a Muslim for a minute. There's a young American born clerk, Rumzi Al-kHudi, as beautiful as he wants to be. A reader, I'm turning him on to older classic films. Anyway, he isn't used to having me just fill the cart and not have 2-3 more bags hanging off like an old Western git-away saddle bags. I did a big shop recently; this was provisions to hold out while waiting for the phone repair person tomorrow. I had to replace the sugar cereal and ice cream for Amy. She buys sweets and I'm weak at midnight. Oh a whole banana sliced in disks, with three small scoops of Ben and Jerry's" Phish food" (Chocolate with big chocolate chips),topped with fresh cut strawberries tossed in white sugar. It's like a diminutive banana split.  I got to get back to going to the gym.

I couldn't even get to the grocery store, the scav at the end of the month around these tower is choice. Some latina, who used bookmarks with the Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes, must have studied computers. Had a ton of school paper, 3 hole punch with lines (three packs unopened), three boxes of small white mailing envelopes, useful books like Shrunk and White's Elements of Style, Basic Speller/Divider, Dictionary of computer terms.

But best of the paper scav was the cutest "Teach Yourself the Internet and Would Wide Web Visually". It was published when the online providers were Delphi, Genie, AOL, Prodigy. I had all but Genie, 10 years before that book got published. It was like going back in time. No mention of RSS. No mention of mobile devices. It's rather quaint. I'm going to keep the book because it was published (1997) when I was working at AOL, New Tech, as an admin. From the 5 million to 15 million member growth. I have the AOL varsity jacket, even though I was a temp, even though I just started with them, I got that damned 5 million member swag jacket. EdyMay got it XL so if one of my boys wanted to wear it they could. Now I would wear it just because it's my milestone swag. I got a plaque and a watch as swag for 10 and then 15 million mark. Nothing was as good as that jacket.

Along with the books and stationery there was a pair of brand new pink house slippers. Bottoms not even marked. I know they'll fit. It's a little girlie for me, but God provided me with house slippers, and a pair of fancy flip flops with beaded toe straps, dark blue and I think there's some cranberry beads, didn't look at them closely yet. Fancy.

Got a burgundy throw rug that goes over by the toaster oven/ microwave area. Moved the white throw rug with tassels to be in front of the stove. I have three throw rugs in a galley kitchen now and they are all scav'd. A burgundy table cloth. Nice when scav matches. A light blue waste paper basket that's accordion pleated. I thought it was a lamp shade when I was digging through the recycle bins.

So I found so much usable stuff in the recycle bins that my shopping cart was full to the top and them some. I had to hoof it back to the apartment and then go to do groceries. Two college gals opened the door to the tower for me and the elevator opened right away. "I'm glad when that happens," says an Asian with long blond hair and her girlfriend nodded. "I'm glad when it happens when I'm dragging scav back into the building." I laughed. I got one floor to get a smile or a laugh. It worked. We bid each other good evening and I off loaded my finds and headed back out to the store again.

Got stuff for making spaghetti tomorrow, even a long baguette. If I start around noon it'll be really good around 8pm. I make a mean spaghetti sauce. I sauté in olive oil garlic, onion, green and yellow peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and yellow squash. Toss in a jar of spaghetti sauce, Progresso, I think. I doctor it up with soy sauce and molasses, yum, tons of Italian seasoning, coarse black pepper. When it's simmered for a couple of hours I take out a couple of scoops of vegetarian sauce and freeze it for my youngest, Said. He doesn't eat any pork so my kielbasa doesn't cut it with him. Then I sauté the kielbasa and add it to the sauce.  I figure I'm Muslim lite. If I buy a lotto ticket, eat a hot dog, and have a beer I'm burning in hell. But I'll only burn for a little while. I'm just not going to get all wound up over a bit of pork.

Did the laundry. I'm in a space with clothes that strictly utilitarian. I love my sports top with the built in bra. I have two that I wear with two pair of capris, cotton socks, leg warmers, all black. One to wash and one to wear. If I have to leave the apartment I've been wearing a black and white flowered caftan top, cover my bulgy belly and booty. I live in my black berkinstock suede slip on, black, free, found them in recycling. Perfect fit, like God was looking out for me.

I found Amy a black coat, fit her perfect, just needed a few buttons replaced. She liked it very much. I keep on finding really fashionable clothing down in recycling that just fit her. I know her style, a clerk girl goth lite, works at H&M so she's into young fashion.

Now it's 12:02am and really April Fool's Day, but all that I wrote is the stone cold truth.

It's 12:08am and the hella loud fire alarm is going off again. Since they put it in we get false alarms so often no one even sticks their head out the door except for the Korean lady across the hall.  They are 4 to a one bedroom too so the alarm is really loud in our units. I went out to the fire escape landings and looked and smelled and there was nothing to be discovered. We got a notice saying if we burn incents or candles it could trip the alarm off. If we burn food we're told not to open the apartment door because that'll set it off. It takes an hour or so for this to stop and if James were here he'd be put out because he'll be trying to sleep to go to work tomorrow.

I usually call Central Services but I got no dial tone.

Hilda came to the door, she's alone tonight. At 95 she should have someone there every night. I told her when the alarm stops ringing to lock her door. While it's still beeping leave it unlocked and I'll get her if we have to leave out into the night. "I will be cold." she says. "Don't worry, go back home." I walk her to her door. It stopped while I was talking to her. Less than 10 minutes. I did hear the fire engines though, coming up Brotherhood way. In that  notice that was taped to our door it said that there's alarms being pulled for no good reason and if they find who is doing that it'll cost $500 in a fine, because that's what Park Merced has to pay each time the fire engines come and it's a false alarm.  It's happened so often that people don't pay it attention except to call Central Services to complain. This time of night it's not right to have that go off. It's so loud that I have to stick my fingers in my hears when I run past them in the outside hallway. It's been 15 minutes since it went off and my ears still hurt.

I should fold the laundry.

1:12am, time for sleep. I have this trick where I'll choose some science On Demand and then set the TV to turn off after 60 minutes. I don't usually last to the end of the rerun of Super Novas.

Did you know that the Nova car didn't do well in South America? It means "No go". But I'm going to commune with the Pharos.