Customer Service Wolf

Sprawled

All our cats are champion sprawlers but this one is the absolute best. Of course, there is more of him to sprawl.

Although he is a little leaner now since he lost his baby (eating the kittens' food) weight.

Stamps

Mary at our post office is so nice. I asked for stamps and she said, "We just restocked these, they won't last long."

The dragon stamps are gilded!

I need to send some cards. They're all too nice for bills.

Thrift Shop Score

Wine glasses break a lot around here so I only invest in the very best thrift store glasses. This was a lucky haul, 2 that match, and another that matches one I already have. Not that I care if they match. It's easier if they don't, then I'm less likely to mix up which one's mine.

$2.16 with tax.

Note the stack of bowls for cat food. Also thrifted.

Two views

The recent SpaceX launch plus my new expensive roof. We ignored the state of disrepair of our house during the tuition paying years so now we are catching up.

The Trash Saga

A friend on Faceboook posted the saga of the candy wrapper which would not be picked up for hours... reminds me of when I worked as an aide at our elementary school.

ME Please pick up the trash. 

THEM [whining] But it's not MIIINE!

ME But you didn't pick up your own trash either. I pick up all sorts of trash that is not mine. So?...  ...  ...

THEM ??? [totally blank and incomprehensible response]

ME: If you pass it, pick it up. Make the world a better place. 

THEM [Groaning]

Then there was bribery. 10 pieces of trash for a "good for you" ticket which they could accumulate to exchange for cheap stuff from a PTA cart. 

I'm sure they hated me. 

Corgi Trio!

I admit I am not a dog person.

But Corgis!

OMG! Awesome. I believe this trio has visited us at the book store before. One of my coworkers arrived on shift right after I took this picture and she leaned over the window display (to pick up the chalkboard to make the next book signing sign) and she was transfixed. After many moments, she turned and dimpled and said something delightful like "I would kill for those dogs." I feel it too.

There is a delightful book by David Michie, The Queen's Corgi: On Purpose



I am saddened that The Queen is not having more corgis but at age 93 it's probably a good decision.

Self-Diagnosis

I know they say self-diagnosis is a bad thing, but I really think my recent stabby head pains are occipital neuralgia. Inflammation of the nerves in that area. First treatment: ibuprofen.

I was taking it sporadically when it got too stabby. It went away but flared up again. And then I remembered when the kids were teens and had their wisdom teeth out and were told to keep taking the ibuprofen prescription until it’s gone, even if they didn’t have pain, as it was reducing the inflammation. So I'm taking it consistently and I see a difference.

Also now I don't feel the dull tooth ache (since my root canal) and the mystery pain in my foot so much. So that's a good thing.

Small Town Robbers

Last week my small town was robbed twice!

Earlier we had been given a be-on-the-lookout photo of a man who was perpetrating smash and grab robberies. He looked like Bryan Cranston (bald Walt).

Tuesday night he hits the clock shop around the corner from the book store. The perp had walked through our parking lot and the alley so the police came to review our security camera footage.

On Thursday the bank was robbed! Different guy I think. I had been there with the store's deposit only an hour before.

The clock shop robber has been caught but I don't know about the bank robber.

Time to Close the Door?

Eew. There are rodents in my garage. I’ve seen poops. Something was eating The World’s Best Cat Litter. (Cats didn’t agree that it was the best, when Tiny came with Tidy Cat litter, they chose that but I still put the worlds best in the extra box.) Then last night I heard something scrabbling around. I pounded on various appliances hoping to scare it out. Nope. We have left a door open for 31 years. It’s time to close the door.

Another Grave Visit

On Handy's grandma's birthday we brought flowers and cleaned up the grave a bit. It means a lot to his mother.

We had the usual ordeal finding the grave. I knew it was on the edge by the road but he went even deeper, and then went back to another road. I gave up for a bit, cuz nobody ever believes me.

But I wasn't wrong. I walked a little further and found it. I took a photo with landmarks. Note building and large redwood tree, for future reference. Now I can just search my blog the next time I need to find it. See, it's RIGHT HERE.

We were lucky there was no gopher activity. One grave I walked by was completely covered with gopher diggins.

I went back to dig/sweep that one off, and a couple of her neighbors. Their name was McIntosh. Which ironically is the name of the exceedingly polite Looney Tune gophers, Mac ‘n’ Tosh.

Flying Pig

This magnificent beast was called The Flying Pig. I guess they stab it so its bacon wings won't flap it off the plate. 4 kinds of pork. Handy devoured it. Later he said it was too big, he was full after half of it. So why did he continue to eat the rest, hmmm? Methinks he doth protest too much.

I had a sandwich which was a mash-up of grilled cheese and bacon avocado and tomato. It was yummy too. No photo, though.

New Toy

The Target Christmas house bit the dust. So I got a new structure for the posse. The cat in this ad is NOT TO SCALE. It's about a half size cat.

The brothers enjoyed it right away.

The first night they chewed off one of the dangly balls. The second night they pulled the fur off the second ball.

The third night the second ball was gome completely. Children! This is why we can't have nice things.

Now they seem to like the top hammock as a launcher for parkouring around the room. At least they're using the thing.

Humming

No, I don't take good cell phone photos. I was walking home from the post office and came across a hummingbird (circled). That was the excitement for the day. Small town life. Sometimes that's a good thing.

Ma’am

I had a woman Scream. In. My. Ear. on the phone when I told her the price of a book she wanted us to order at our independent book store. “But I saw it on Amazon for..,” I said: We can’t possibly match their price. Go ahead and order it from them. Sputtering, she said, “Well but but I want to support you but I’ll have to think about it.” Well, I’m not paid a lot but she wasted at least $4 of my time. 

Amazon does not have people who will coddle you when you ask what books a 2 year old would like. And wow, how anciently gendered are you that you must have gender specific books for a 2 year old. It had to be a boy book.  And then the 4 year old girl could not have a book with a boy in it. These were specifically Valentines books so yeah, not a huge selection. And then we had to look at the books in the window and coming back into the store she had to know how often we watered our flowers. And that’s when I said Ma’am, I just don’t know about the watering. 

Ooh, my coworkers know if I start ma’aming I am pissed. 

Amazon wouldn’t know how often the flowers were watered either. 

Visiting the Departed

We head north frequently to visit the Handy Husband's mother who gladly is still with us and NOT departed.

Well, Handy got himself the idea that he should find the grave of Ernie Ball, guitar string king. Don't ask me why...

I had to do the navigating through the graveyard for him. Men. Cheez. They just won't ask for directions. He had used findagrave.com to locate the cemetary but I took it a step further and triangulated the location by looking up other graves. I felt rather clever. It was at the opposite end from where we started.

Cannon!

I was happy to go on this trek as I got to tick off another place visited on my Atlas Obscura list. This is the Dorn Pyramid.

More lunches

And still more wonderful lunches.

Chicken enchiladas verdes.

Ramen

Grilled Ham and Cheese.  Incredibly good.

Spring Pea Salad at the ramen place. 

This seafood had an italian name that I can't remember.

Flashback to St. Pat's

Clearing out all my draft posts, this goes back to Saint Patrick's Day.

This is of course, Claudia's best corned beef in the world, from her food blog Idiot's Kitchen.

Not only is it delicious the first time around, it makes spectacular corned beef hash.

Lady Who Lunches

I miss those days of Driving Master Ernest to the zoo, when I would have a block of time to fill by reading a book at the beach, taking myself out to lunch, and taking photographs.

Well, I still take myself out to lunch from time to time.

"Street" tacos in a fancy restaurant.

Crab Cake Salad

Hammered Pig Salad (breaded and deep fried pork cutlet)

The most divine egg salad sandwich I've ever had. House-made pickles, too.

Noses and Chins

Just a bunch of random cat noses and chins over the past 3 months.

The June Project

The Book Loft is expecting a great-grandbaby in June, so the window will be all about babies!

This is nothing fancy, but I finally got to try out my set of brush pens. I like them. I'm a sucker for art supplies.

The Poppy Project

We featured wildflowers in the May window. I had this crazy idea to make a field full of poppies.

My usual painted newspaper technique. I scored a batch of the New York Times from the store owner. Wow, that is the best newsprint I've ever used. It's like art paper compared to the local weekly.

Here we go!

I folded like crazy while watching TV.

And here's our "Superbloom."

How many poppies did I make?


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177.  (there would have been 180 but 3 were torn.)