Monday, July 13, 2015

Hello, it's me...

I've missed being in touch with you.

The last three weeks have been filled with day to day obligations and surprises.

Obligations
The day to day obligations still include time reserved for wrist exercises.  It may not impress you, but I am excited that I now am doing my exercises alternating one and two pound weights.  It is a quiet excitement, but excitement nonetheless.

The person who has been pushing, massaging, and encouraging me for the past couple of months is Jeri.  Tall like the letter "J" and cuter than the letter "i".  We exchange stories and laugh when I'm not about to break a sweat lifting the two pound weight.  Go ahead and chuckle; I started with four ounces.  I will miss Jeri when the days of rehab are done.

This is the third week that Lali will be attending her training classes.  She is bright and determined as is displayed by this nest she created for herself.  We just have to help her get a little more "civilized". As in not barking her fool head off when people are walking on the far side of the street or deciding that anything she sees on the ground while she's out for her constitutional needs to be tested to see if it is correctly seasoned.  

First week she was the only dog in attendance so we covered a lot of ground.  Last week, the sweetest calmest, longish-haired dog joined the group.  She's taking the class as a refresher.  She is Lali's role model.  Her name is "Homie".  I don't know how she got the name, but I am curious.

Surprises
Went to a meeting on June 24th; came out of the meeting and began to walk to my car.  Walked and walked and did not find the car.  Called Pasadena Police Department to let them know I thought it might be stolen.  They shared that it was impounded!  For unpaid tickets.  Tickets that I think were paid.

A Dickensian saga followed: offices, walking in the heat, officers, tellers, expired license - not mine, bus, walking, AAA, and more.  Result: we again have the car.

May I share with you that if you pay tickets electronically, you know via the 'net, the DMV doesn't always let the Police Department know that this transaction has taken place.  This must happen with some frequency because we were automatically sent a form to be used to contest the action.

Good surprise
We are now a two car family.  There is a FIAT 550e that is a part of our two car fleet.

Name and license plates are pending.  
Front runners for name are Chica and Chapita.









8 comments:

  1. The thing about the tickets is weird. The way Pasadena handles—or doesn't handle—parking citations is pretty bad. We've farmed out the work to an unscrupulous company and we're suffering for it. Maybe it's a "choose your battles" situation.

    Meanwhile, Lali is still adorable.

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    1. I think this go 'round it is the DMV that may get the responsibility for not handling things well. I'm pretty sure the tickets were paid since James told me that he paid the ticket(s). I'd heard her making nesting noises but paid no mind to that since she does that with some frequency. Then I wandered in and there she was sitting in the midst of the

      Yes, Lali is adorable and quite a kick. I don't remember why I went to our bedroom, but there she was surrounded by blanket.

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  2. Oh, you're so wonderfully philosophical about the ticket incident. Lali -- take note!

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    1. Perhaps I should have taken notes from her. It must be fun to twirl, and grrrl, and end up surrounded by a warm blanket on a cool morning. The blanket reminds me of a merengue. It must be dinner time.

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  3. Well, you certainly are having your share of adventures! Glad to hear you're continuing physical therapy on the wrist and having some fun with it. And yes, the DMV is not your friend!

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  4. I kept thinking as I was going the DMV/PPD/impound labyrinth, what is it like for those who have limitations I don't. If you are a person with limited means and are working at least one job, what would it be like to be in the same situation? I had the luxury of speaking the language, not having to worry about childcare to do what I needed to do, had a husband who had a supervisor who took him where we needed to go, and beyond this had credit available to them to be able to pay the tickets as well as the additional fees. There were charges of over $100 for both the process and the PPD. The impounding fee was also over a $100. If we had gone to pick up the car and they had had to open up after hours there would have been another charge. The whole of this "adventure" would have been close to a month's rent.

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  5. It's easier than we think to be plunked into a really bad situation. Cautionary tale -- I was in a neighborhood I don't normally frequent, to say good-bye to a couple of friends who were leaving San Marino. I parked about a mile away so I could walk Albert and he'd be properly tired when we arrived. I left my purse in the car, on purpose, as I supposed this was a safe neighborhood. After my friends drove away and I got back to the car, I saw these temporary tow-away signs, pushed in the ground, maybe six inches tall. Don't know how I missed them, except I normally look up rather than down for such warnings. Anyway, my car was still there. But had it been towed? What would I have done? I had no ID, money, cell phone, or phone numbers. All I had was a tired black lab and my car keys. I wonder what I would have done. Might make a good short story.

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    1. Karin, So true. Even those of us who try to be mindful of "things" find it easy to forget how fortunate we are.

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