Pottery and a Pool Party

Something Ive had to get used to is the USAs use of old measuring systems. Everything is in inches, yards and lbs. Even paper sizes are completely different, being more square looking. I found this out as a filing cabinet I bought was too short for our documents and even the photocopying has different sizes. There is no A sizing here, so no A4 - weird!!

WW had lots of laughs this week. There was lots of weight loss, but not from me as gained 2 lb from Mexico (must have been all those margaritas!) and of course my birthday. Still I had a great time and the 2lb was worth it. 😊

I had a really good chat with Stephanie about the state of US politics and corruption. We also discussed taxes and the town hall talks which had been televised on CNN. I must catch up on them. She likes Bernie Saunders and Elizabeth Warren for their ethics and calls herself liberal, which is very refreshing. One of the older ladies called Celeste was knocked over by car outside Walmart. I wondered if she had looked as many people step out without looking as Ive said before. Anyway the poor lady usually walks with a stroller, but was relying on the cart to walk steadily. The car hit her shopping cart and sent her flying. He had driven off, but someone chased him around the carpark and he came back. Then police had the nerve to ask if her body had damaged his car. It is a society where everyone sues everyone after all. It turns out that Char knew him. He is her next door neighbour and is 93, notorious in the area and shouldn’t be driving.

Marla came for a cup of tea and we talked about her trip to San Francisco to visit her older son, who works for Google. They were given a tour of Google and it sounded an amazing place to work. It has games rooms and nap pods. I think they expect them to work long hours, but apparently he hasn’t worked too late yet.

She told me about when she was a Graphic Designer in San Francisco and how the first office was a boat moored off one of the piers. Way more glamorous than my graphic offices in Surbiton. They are all having a 20 year reunion later this year.

Choir was intense this week with full rehearsals ready for the competition. I am so, so glad I said no for this time as it a massive amount of pressure. Ill be ready for next year for sure. I filled in the documents for officially joining the Ahh! Capella chorus and paid cash for the yearly subscription and the costume fee – you all know how much I love to dress up. On the website it even talked about how we should have our hair and nails – and I used to moan about Rock Choir saying no dangling earrings – this is much more strict.

On Thursday I tried a new Aqua class at Woodland Hills on the recommendation from Marla. I couldn’t find the entrance and wandered around for ages as well as walking into a camping store, before I asked a young lady with clearly botoxed lips and a rather too rotund bottom where it was as she had a yoga mat. It turned out it was on the upper floors over the top of the shops.

It was a great atmosphere. Steph, the instructor was so friendly and didn’t tell us off as Veena does. Steph tells jokes and plays songs which everyone sings loudly along to. She told us about her date in San Diego. A lady called Betty walked in with a walker and everyone cheered and chanted Betty- she’d had knee surgery, but was still keen to do the class. She did slip and go under half way through the class which scared all of us and Steph nearly jumped in. its definitely a class I will go to regularly.

The Aqua class on Thursday had a substitute which was a man and he was brilliant too with brilliant old music – such fun.

The news this week is terrible again. Sri Lanka news was so sad, but no US channel covered it. They were only running items Trump! The only exception I saw was the news on Notre Dame. Of course we also had the attack in San Diego too. I even had a text which was a Child abduction alert while walking dog.

It is a terrible time we are living in where in the past six weeks, churches, mosques and a synagogue have been targeted in a series of shootings and bombings spanning three countries.

Pottery was good fun and was the first one of this term. Kitty started in authoritative way and all the headway I thought I’d made last term seemed to make no difference ad I was back to square one with her being indifferent. I miss having Harry and Carol there, as they don’t do the Wednesday unfortunately. I’d left my clay on the Saturday shelf so although she knew I was coming back as Id paid for the new term, she said she’d given it away to someone(we found it), but I’m sure she hadn’t really, it was just to tell me off and make sure I didn’t do it again.

I spoke quietly to another couple of ladies there and they said they didn’t think Kitty liked them- so I think that’s everyone in the class feels the same. A lovely man after seeing my photos of my pottery, said that I should come to the extra Thursday session which is a free. He said Harry is there (the intimation is that Harry is the lovely one- and he is). On the way home though the 101 stood still yet again and it took me 1 1/2 to get home, so maybe next week...

It was getting very hot here. Ive had the fan on during the night and abandoned the duvet cover for a single sheet. Lulu has her paddling pool which she goes in to cool down. When we go on our walks, she decides that she’s going to keep the ball, thank you very much and goes to lay under a shady tree, hiding it from me.

On Saturday I travelled to Thousand Oaks, which looks like a Stepford Wives/ Milton Keynes type area, with all new housing and perfect front lawns. The houses are all huge and one the ladies’s from Chorus, Bernie’s house was massive with a huge wooden front door opening into a gallery hallway. Her pool has a high fountain with a woodland at the back – amazing!

I helped the Chorus ladies put together baskets from donated items we had all brought in. The baskets are being auctioned at their Mother’s Day event and they took great (if a little frustrating) care in presenting the groups of items well and naming them. I can’t make the event unfortunately as we will be on our way to Singapore. Just as I was leaving to go to my first pool party at Jennifer’s they were breaking out the Margaritas and Mexican tacos. I was offered one, but I said I was driving. They all said, so are we, but didn’t seem to worry about it.

Mark has been away all week, but it’s not been so bad apart from really wanting to see Avengers. I had planned to go on my own, but chickened out.

I have put together yet another bed from bits as when Poppy comes in June, she has invited an American ‘friend’ for 2 days….. I am so fed up with kits!!!!!

I hope I get lots of visitors….. 😊 3 bedrooms are all ready!!!!!!!

Just when I think I am used to being here I see strange things, ;like a lady with blond obviously wig like pigtails at traffic lights with rainbow head scarf and bright blue tracksuit and a man woman with a large beard.

So Saturday afternoon, I was invited to my first Pool party. Jennifer invited me and said I didn’t need to wear a bikini!!! My only experience of pool parties is seeing them in teenage movies, where they all get pushed in after getting very drunk. Thank god it wasn’t like that. I did wear my swim suit, but it was about sitting around the pool chatting which was much more up my street. Jennifer as usual was so welcoming and I met up with a few of the Mexico Blackline lot, so had a really good laugh. Jennifer had booked a lady who drew henna tattoos on us and I had a lovely design on my hand. I had a very strong sangria, but then moved onto Persian mint tea as Mali the hair dresser was there. She didn’t mention my hair, which clearly needs doing, but I feel bad about spending that amount of money again. I met up with Mandy again from Mexico who took the mickey out of me and quoted my British accent as Id been bossy about her dancing with us at the time and Id been very drunk. I thought she was feeling left out but she was telling me she had been very hung over and wanted to sit quietly by herself. Anyway, I was mortified, but they all loved it apparently. She told me all about her experiences going to Burning Man for several years and that children go too.!! I know it may sound prudish, and I know in the past I would have said I’d have loved the kibbutz style life, but in my older age, I can’t think of of anything worse. I made them laugh as I said I was concerned about the toilet amongst other things. No not for me…..although maybe I should try it before I return to the UK……

On Sunday I went to the Topanga Vintage Market with my neighbour Marla, which was wonderful. They sell things from $2 to over $100, ranging from pottery to furniture. You could furnish your whole house from there. I love it as it is all American memorabilia, and so good to browse through. I was desperate to watch GOT on Sunday, but I just couldn’t watch it on my own – I need support. So I have my T Shirt and Mug ready to watch it Wednesday when Mark is home.

On Monday Mark called and said we had a surprise visitor coming for 10 days before we go to Singapore….. Jake!!!!

Soooooooo excited!!! So I spent the rest of Tuesday putting together a schedule of events on excel – how sad am I.

Next week will be about Jake and of course GOT!!!!!