Why is there a bomb on my sat nav?

zaphod2010
Mar 18, 2019
6 min read

News this week has been very sad, yet our American leader had little to say.

USA news includes yet more ravings from Tango man and also news items about the rigging of college places. Everyone seemed to be surprised despite the fact that we all know that when a wing is built from donations from rich parent’s, places are guaranteed. The news reader said this was ‘Sparking debate of money and influence in American society’ 🤣 Really????

Choir was good this week and I much prefer the lead part. I was put next to a lady called Sue who is a Brit, but has lived in California for 50 years. She is lovely and unlike Cathy who I was clearly a nuisance to, Sue took me under her wing and really helped and supported me. The whole experience was much more relaxed.

Monica the choirmaster was friendly, but I was told that whilst I smelt lovely, I shouldn’t wear perfume because it affects voices. Well, you learn new things every day.

We stand on risers to practice and have some weird routines which involves waving our arms around and vibrating our lips while humming tunes. I tell you it’s more difficult than it sounds – have a go, you’ll see what I mean.

My audition is tomorrow night and I have to sing in a quartet. I’m not sure how I’ll do…..

On almost every street there are signs for Psychics and Ive just seen an advert on TV where you can call a number and speak to California Psychics for $1 a minute. A lady on the advert, suppodely a real person said - ‘She knew all my details’ ….no shit!

Mark was away last week in the UK. I was sent pictures of Mark and the kids having dinner together which made my heart ache.

It was an incredibly windy week, but at least we haven’t had rain. The house rattled and there was knocking in the night, which sounded like someone at door. This was a bit creepy. Lulu looked up, but didn’t seem worried. She is definitely not an attack dog. Ive mentioned my heavy torch, which I held onto tightly as I went to check. Maybe I need self-defence lessons…..or a braver dog !

Other noises this week were: crickets, now the sun is out, which sound lovely in the evenings, though it’s not warm just yet; wind down the chimney like a growling noise; and a really loud deep buzzing of something out of eye shot, that made me keep ducking when I was sitting out in the garden, it sounded like a very, very, very large bee. I made myself stand very still and watched a humming bird hover near my face look at me then fly off - well you don’t see that every day! Ive put elastic bands around my wind chimes as they’ve been making a crazy amount of noise.

Although JozeB had done a good job Friday, I was cleaning my pool, as the wind had meant the surface was covered in leaves and what looked like butterfly grubs. I pulled a dead rodent/rat out of the pool, which I later discovered was a possum. It was so cute. I thought the fence we had around our garden was impenetrable! I also fished out a very strange and large wasp/beetle type thing. Weird!

This week I’m kicking myself as after making a fuss about not finding beetroot, I've now found it in Ralph’s in a tin no less. I had spent $6 on a jar – it was 79cent in Ralphs!

I loved this week’s Zumba Gold at 24hr Fitness. Christy, the instructor is a Chinese lady who is very smiley. She was interested in the newbies and keen that everyone enjoyed themselves. They were a variety of ages and fitness and of course my lovely neighbour Marla. The lady next to me was very chatty and was keen to be friendly. She is 91 and called Doris, originally from New York. In fact, they were all friendly – so different to LA Fitness. Hilariously Christy had turned up late as she had got confused about what class she was teaching. She also kept forgetting first lot is steps, then talked about what a good memory she had. I did think she was joking at first. Christy also gave us a motivational speech about the news being full of hate and how life could be made better by being kind and being positive.

I knew I was going to love it and keep coming back when the first song was ‘Born to be Alive’ by Patrick Hernandez and ended with our stretch and cool down with Elvis ‘If I Can Dream’. Very American - Brilliant!!!

On the way out, Marla, Doris and a few others were talking about Marla’s son’s school going into lock down last week, as there had been a threat of a shooting written on a toilet wall in his school. The person didn’t come through with the threat, thank goodness.

Terrifying isn’t it.

Mark and I went to our St Patrick’s night party at Brendon’s Irish Pub in Agoura Hills. We were all set for an evening of Irish live music, but when we arrived, we were told that the band hadn’t turned up. Very disappointing. The pub was filled with families dressed in green. The atmosphere was ok, but like any pub really and the food was ok, although it was nice to have shepherds pie (our waitress however was determined to make sure we didn’t have to wait long for food…..so much so that the mains arrived whilst we were still on the starter !!!! ) . We were due to meet Jennifer and her husband Brett (brilliant guitarist) at the pub, but they were very late. It turns out that they had gone to the other Brendon’s a few miles away, which did have a fantastic party atmosphere with a live band and bagpipes!!! We definitely went to the wrong place.

Jennifer and Brett did still make it to us, but unfortunately our evening ended there with a DJ setting up a karaoke- awful. The evening was rescued as we went back to Jennifer’s beautiful house and had wine, while they smoked a funny shaped cigarette. I may have a go at some point, but not yet.

On Sunday we went on our Pottery field trip to Claremont University. It appears that Universities have amazing exhibition spaces. Mark and I picked up a lady we had chatted to at pottery called Arlene, who lives in a very salubrious area of Calabasas. Her house was beautiful. She was such a great character, full of fun. She is an artist who specialises in acrylic and ceramics and also collects art. On the 1 ½ hour journey she gave me a plethora of wonderful information, including art fairs, vintage shops, botanical gardens and restaurants. I have a list to work through!

We arrived early at the pottery ready for the onward journey to the University and so Arlene took us to a juice bar. Mark picked the most healthy disgusting drink going, then felt obliged to drink it as Arlene had bought it for us. We then had a good chat at the Pottery with Kitty who appears to want to take me under her wing and introduced me to the Wednesday pottery ladies (I’ve changed to Wednesday during the day for next term). Kitty told me all about her time in the Graphics industry and then teacher for 20 years – a mirror of me.

She then told us about her ‘lock down shooter story’. She had to lock the doors at either end of the corridor and then hide. Some of the students apparently knew the shooter and they swapped clothes with him, so he could escape. No one was hurt, thankfully. Its crazy to hear stories like that twice in one week.

Its also amazing that after the horrible events in New Zealand, that they are able to re think their gun laws. Why oh why does that not seem possible here. Well it won’t happen under Trump for sure!

We had a wonderful time in the exhibition, and had the extra fantastic experience of going down into the archives in a cellar of the university because Harry (Kitty's partner) who owns the pottery studio, knows the curator. It holds the most wonderful collection of ceramics. it was a treasure trove and a real joy to see.

Lulu now has her own “go to place” she loves her doggy day care place Wagon Tail Ranch and has her regular crew. They send me pictures which are wonderful to see.

Max and Dani are here next Friday, I can't wait!