Of the Dog Days of Summer, Open House and Vampire Cowboys~~~~

Hello Darklings,

Well it is the “Dog Days of Summer”,  and we’ve been having heat with monsoon humidity and now it’s just warm with a breeze.

But during our heat wave both Belladonna and Weiner Dog, were panting even with the fan on them and water close at hand with ice cubes in it.    Everything with the humidity felt sticky,  so cool cotton, and large sun hats were needed.

I haven’t been posting much of late, getting called in to cover for staffers, but now with vacation almost over and parents buying clothes and supplies for their children things are creeping back to normal.

We had a grass fire up in the hills and sad to note that it was arson caused,  the smoke made breathing difficult, I was sneezing a lot, fortunately Cal-Fire got it knocked down quickly, but still it’s frightening.

My brother and family have come back from their long vacation up north staying mostly coast side to take advantage of the cooler weather, but up in Canada there was a million acre fire burn and in one phone call from them it was difficult to breath at one point so the drove closer to the coast where the ocean breeze helped.

They’re back now, getting uniforms, going to appointments, getting school schedules, but they plan on going south for the weekend to the Beach Board walk in Santa Cruz, get in some of that old-fashion Summer-time fun.   But the children promised to go no further than up to their knees because there might be sharks coming closer inland.

I showed the children what I’ve been able to get for their lockers and in school supplies, My brother reimbursed me, but Christopher was happy with what he can do to organize his locker and Coralline was thrilled I was able to find the same things in Gold as well as the battery operated chandelier to light up the interior of her locker.   

Coralline is getting around a lot better with the compression cross-brace but she has to ice her ankle every night, it still swells up from time to time.   She and Christopher are looking forward to this school year, to see how things will go, but the twins are not looking forward to it, moaning that they can’t have fun and instead are going to be doing the dreaded homework.  

I’m feeling a bit sad today,  one of our long time neighbors are selling their house and going to move to Idaho, to a small town that has what they are looking for low crime, good schools, good after-school programs for the grandchildren,  affordable, good medical and a quaintness that has been lost in big city living.    Their son and daughter in law and their two children had been living with them for over a year, they had to leave their apartment because the rent went up and they couldn’t find an affordable place to live.   The Grandparents were fed-up with the craziness happening in this state and when Anthem-Blue Cross said it was leaving the state they too felt it was time to get out of town.

So today was open house for their property, so many people looking but one thing that is a bit off-putting for the house is that it does not have off-street parking, the new owner would have to park their car(s) on the street, so I’ll see who will be willing to buy the house, but I heard it had a sale price of nearly ¾’s of a million dollars, that nearly made me faint.   But it also told me that I’d have to plan my estate very carefully to see who will get my Great-Aunt’s home.

Our neighbors Crazy Son is home again, and for the last few months had been behaving himself, taking his medication,  but last week he went off the rails again ranting and carrying on, at 1 in the morning.  I called the Police because he was disturbing the peace and his sister was having a hard time with him.  The police took care of him, taking him in for evaluation.

I talked to the sister and she said her Father wanted him home thinking he’d be fine, so he was discharged,  Lovely I thought.   So we’ll see if he has to go back into the care facility.

At the end of September if I can I think I’ll do another wine tour but just a week I think,  I want to be home in October to decorate for Halloween.

But I have been discouraged at not finding more Gothic things.

Although last night on TV on Svengoolie he showed a vampire western---yes Dear Darklings a Vampire Western,   it was called “Curse of the Undead” 1959, with Eric Fleming (of Rawhide)  and Michael Pate as the  gun fighting vampire.    I have to say that the plot line was good as well as the acting there was nothing “cheesy” about it.   It did what “Billy the Kid Vs Dracula” (1966) couldn’t do.   Michael Pate even made the cowboy vampire seem both to be pitied and yet feared.  And he had a great line "Oh the dead don't bother me, it's the living that gives me trouble".

I’m not sure if I have it among my collection of vampire movies, but if not then I’m going to get a copy.  Who thought a cowboy Western Vampire movie could be so Gothic.  But this one is.

And now Sis has come by with dinner for us, take out Chinese, yes when you don’t feel like cooking but don’t mind driving take out Chinese is the way to go.

Later Darklings

                                                                      

I just found out I can buy a reprint of this poster,  I think I will and have it framed.

Of Teeth, washing things, Halloween and skulls~~~~~

Well My Darklings,

It's so true the simplest things can give us so much pleasure, I never thought being able to use my washing machine, my kitchen sink and for large gatherings my dishwasher again could make me so happy.

But in a way it's like having an artery that's clogged unclogged and then the whole house functions, yes Darklings, Houses, especially old houses that have a history can have "heart attacks", and they say that the Kitchen is the hearth or heart of a house, you have one problem go wrong it can be serious.

Doyle is moving around a lot better from his ailment, he can now wear his regular clothing instead of baggy sweat pants, and drive his car if he's not taking a pain pill, but lifting things is still a problem for him, his tests have come back so far looking very good.

But we have the radiology follow up appointment in two weeks, followed by his two doctor appointments but in the mean time he still had to see his oral surgeon.

Yes Darklings, Doyle has to have a molar pulled, no way of saving it, but since his dentist said it has "bulbous roots" it has to be done by an oral surgeon.  So Doyle went to see him today and the end of this week it will be done. 

I'll have to drive him, thank Goodness we won't have to worry about pain meds.  He has plenty.

When he came home he talked about the x-ray machine that went all around his head, it was fascinating he said, "I didn't have to have that negative thing in my mouth that always gags me, our regular dentist should have one"   Well who know that might be in our dentists future.

For me right now I'm planning other repairs, thinking of the best time for us to take that vacation Doyle promised, and already I'm looking at my Victorian Trading Co. Catalogue, my Grandin Road Catalog, my Pyramid Catalog and checking out the new offerings for Halloween.

Yes My Darklings, Halloween is just around the corner, why the minute the School supplies come out I immediately start planning my Halloween party.  So much to choose from, so much to set up.

Our Grim reaper has been waiting down in the dry basement for his next appearance, just the other day Doyle was testing the fog machine, at first I almost panic when I saw all this smoke come out of the basement but then Doyle emerged and said the fog machine worked fine, sometimes it's hard not to bust out laughing at our Adams family situation, and the reason why I say that is my neighbor who lives on the other side of my property was looking out her kitchen window and I could see her cell phone in hand, I had to yell at her that everything was O.K. it was just the Fog Machine.

I think we nearly gave her a stroke and she's only in her 30's,  I think she sometimes wonders what did she and her husband get into when they bought the house next to mine.  I think I'll have to formally introduce myself to her and her husband, maybe invite them over for drinks and a few munchies.    Hmmmm but I wonder what she and her husband will think with "kitty kat" and the other denizens of my house and garden.

---and we'll have to buy more Fog juice and some red and green spot lights, the old one's died over Christmas. 

And speaking of Halloween, Sis wants to go and see the Skull exhibit at the Academy of Sciences, it's been years since we last went there and that was when it was the old building, so to see the new one will be interesting.

I remember years ago the three of us with Mom and Dad took the bus to S.F. and then we had to find out which connections to the Academy.  We did have a problem, not one person knew what we were talking about, Dad even asked a policeman and he didn't have a clue until Dad said "well you know where they have those stuff animals and a planetarium and the Aquarium"  Well when Dad said Aquarium the policeman's eyes lit up and he said "Oh you want to get to the Aquarium"  and quick as a flash he told us what connections to take and where to get them.   

So when we got on the Bus Dad asked "Is this the Bus to the Aquarium?"  and the Driver said "It is, I let you know when we get to your stop"  and he did.  As we walked to it I heard Dad say "I guess that what the local's call it?"

And Sis and I are going to take public transportation as well, because no matter what parking is Hell in San Francisco.

Well I need to add some veggies to the crock pot stew I'm making and throw in another load of wash.  I feel soooo happy!!!!

Later Darklings.

Of Rain, Rain and hopefully more Rain~~~~

Hello Darklings,

I LOVE the Rain, its so moody, gothic and noir, even the wet streets at night reflecting the neon adds to the "Gotham" feeling, the dark corners, and slithery sounds of tires squashing though puddles.

Ahhh yes I had to work late last night, rain and rain, fortunately Doyle came to pick me up so I would not have to depend upon public transportation, not that I'd mind but of late Doyle is becoming more protective, if the traffic of San Francisco wasn't so congested and people driving like idiots I would enjoy going though this city, but stupid drivers and pedestrians make it difficult to seek the simple pleasures of just enjoying the city at night, in the rain, in the dark.

Driving back over the Bay Bridge (I'm sorry Darklings but I refuse to call it the Willy Brown Bridge it is the Bay Bridge and that is that), but driving over the Bridge I love the grittyness of the older part of the span, I keep hearing that song so often associated with a Mickey Spillane movie, I think it's called "Harlem Nocturn",  as we drive over it,  and then we go through the Tunnel at Treasure Island and bam we are on a bridge that is something out of a Star Trek Movie----Oh Darklings the aspects and designs of the 21st Century hold no charm for me.  I find them boring, a sterile sameness that just kills the soul.

Oh for the designs of the old Chrysler and Empire State buildings of New York, or the Gothicness of old New Orleans,  it's like that song "little houses, made of ticky-tacky, little houses all the same", then it becomes such a relief to walk into my own home, away from all the 21st century "stuff".

Oh well if people are blind to such early 20th century beauty then they are truely blind. 

My Gardener was able to take care of the trees that needed to be trimmed and he is soaking the severly damaged rose bushes in buckets of water with lots of plant vitamin B to help with the transplanting into the cemetery area, hopefully they will take and come back.   I'm going to the nursery Saturday, rain or no rain to select some new bushes to put into that area along with seeing if there are some annuals that can be planted to take care of the squashed plantings, until I can put in something more "permanet".  Louise my cousin will be coming with me, she has in front of her cottage apartment two cement planters so she needs soil and some plantings for it to help cheer up her entrance way.  I know how plebian, how mundane, but not everyone can live a totally gothic/noir life although I'd like to try. 

It sort of makes me wonder about evil characters like the evil queen in Snow White or Malifacent in Sleeping Beauty, who does their laundry?  Do they have to put on makeup each morning?  Do they suffer from headaches?  They can't always be scheming on doing evil deeds all the time, I would think it would be tiring.

Oh well,  and my contractor came by while there was a break in the weather, to look over the damage to the fence and give me an estimate, not as bad as I feared and I'll see if my home owners insurance can cover it, I know my neighbor can't, poor thing,  she still is in a state over it but I've been reassuring her to not worry,  as a matter of fact I'm inviting her over for dinner again tonight,  I am concerned about her health and I want to do everything to relax her,  Belladonna and Weiner Dog have been amusing her which is good, but still since her family lives so far away Sacramento I think, I want her to be in a "good place and frame of mind".

The arborist will be coming next week to see about her tree, I do hope we don't have to have it cut down, it is still a magnficent tree.

And the weather man is saying more rain is coming, more and more---oh that means people will be in the rain during the opening of the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale this weekend, and I do so want to go,  well I guess it will be rain coats and umbrella's or something.  I love the white elephant sale, you never know what one will find.  The only problem is parking, such a bear, completely horrible, but we'll see.

One of my co-workers said the only way we can break the drought is if it rains at least every other day for March, April and May,  we can hope.   I'd hate to think of manditory water rationing,  at least my cisterns are catching as much of the rain water as possible so that should help the garden and greenhouse, I have to thank my late Great-Aunt for thinking so far ahead on that.

Ahh but now I think I'll go ahead and prepare the salad,  and bake the pie for dessert, it's all put together apples and cranberries, I came across the receipe in one of those little cook books, the pie crust is pre-made but I did have to peel and cut the apples.  I think it will be a good warm yet refreshing thing to have.

Later Darklings 

Of Some changes but nothing new~~~~

Well Darklings,

The BART strike is still going on, people very frustrated, the infrostructure of temporary transportation pushed to its Maximum.

Things got a little hung up yesterday at the Golden Gate Bridge toll booth, a trucker from Canada attempted to go through the wrong lane and got.....STUCK!!!  

There is a wider taller lane for trucks but the driver was unfamilar with it and broke the front axel of his rig, it took a heavy duty tow truck to remove the entire rig,  there was back up but they managed to clear it.

But on the strike the Governor sent his top labor mediators along with a strongly worded letter to both parties and they are back at the table negotiating.   However the public is not pleased with the Unions to do this to the working public and also damaging the economy by 73 million dollars per day.

However several aquaintances that I know that use to use BART are taking the bus to the Oakland Ferry and discovered that it's really a relaxing way to get to and from work, except for the long lines to get on board and heaven help you if you miss your boat.   But they told me that except for really bad weather they will continue using the Ferry after the strike is over.

Today Doyle remarked to me that all the Ferry systems should use larger ferries like the old car ferries, not these hydrofoil jobs, it would carry much more people, I asked if they would have to modify the docks for them, he thought no considering the way they dock on the East Bay side perhaps on the S.F. side maybe but not East Bay.     Well maybe in the future.

Update on our dancing 51/50 (crazy person)  they police came by this morning at "oh please let me have my first cup of coffee"  and wanted more information on him, I couldn't tell them much but gave them information on his parents and the neighbor next to them who told me about him.   It seems he maybe kept longer than the 72 hour period.   Although one officer did ask me "Do they have horses around here?"  and we both smiled at each other knowing the joke.

The heat is beginning to retreat a bit, the coastal areas are at the mid-60's, where my house is its down to the Mid-to upper 70's although the house interior is still very stuffy and warm,  I've had to keep the front and back doors open (but front screen door locked) for air circulation, although the back door opens to the screened shady back porch which Belladonna it taking full advantage of.   I have a comfy bed for her as well as her water and dry food bowl out there.   She is recovering from the heat.

However the temps inland over on the other side of the hills is anywhere from upper 80's to just over 100, a huge difference of between 20 to 40 degrees just 30 miles inland from the coast.  The weather people consider this an unusual heat wave condition.  At the start of the heat wave my sister and I and now Doyle have been checking in on our elderly neighbor who baby sits Belladonna and she is doing very well,  her family lives out of town but they set up a cool spot for her for conditions like this with widnow air conditioning on the North side of her house,  it has a day bed, reclinder and small t.v. as well as a telephone extension, so when the heat wave started, she retreated there for the duration,  now I understand why Belladonna trotted so quickly to that room when I've left her to be watched by our neighbor a time or two during the heat wave.

I talked to my Boss yesterday evening before I left to come home and he suggested that next week I come in at 12 noon and work till 8 p.m. and he could bring me home, that way I'd be available to handle the confrence calls that would be coming in the afternoons next week,  it sounds reasonable, although he did agree that I was to only work half days, so after 4 I could rest in the staff lounge since there was a couch there that I could lie down on.  It sounds workable considering the unusual situation we're having.

Sis had to go early into San Rafel this morning to meet a client and decided to return via the Golden Gate Bridge it would be a reverse communte, she said it was strange and weird  because there was FOG totally shouding the towers, a misting fog, and hearing on the radio the weather predicting 100 degrees inland, and yet Fog coating the Golden Gate bridge.  And now she's heading back out again, she says she'll be so glad to have her house finished and then her clients can come to her, no more traveling around.

Brian is still camping is Sis's living room but the work on the kitchen and downstairs full bath is almost done, and he's received two call backs for 2nd interviews, they both sound promising.  For his sake I hope something comes from them.

My sleep routine is totally upside down, I managed to get some sleep last night but woke early again, however I did enjoy the cool morning overcast in the back yard with my cup of coffee, listening to lazy jays calling to one another, and seeing the birds taking morning baths in the bird baths that I have out, they dirted the water so much that I had to put in fresh several times.

But the bees and butterflies have not stirred one bit, although an amateur bee keeper in the neighborhood told me his hives are fine but it's been very hot for them, so they are seeking water, and he's been doing things to help them stay cool.

Also this morning another neighbor who has plum, apricot and cherry trees in her back yard has brought over laundry baskets of them, she is sharing her overwhelming bounty with everyone.   My Sis said "yay, apricot cobbler, apricots for canning and plum jam and cherry pies so they are now in the pantry which is cool and I anticipate a hot kitchen by this weekend.   Thank goodness we have canning jars, just need to buy new lids.   Sis still takes pleasure in old fashion things, so do I so I think I'll be helping her this weekend.   And come September there will be apples for apple pie, cobbler, apple sauce, I envision our pantry being very full.

4th of July is tomorrow but I think we'll stay home and just relax,  I have chicken marinating in the refrigerator and Baby Ray's bar-b-que sauce at the ready,  Doyle will do the honors to be King of the Grill and I have Belladonna's medication to keep her calm during the echoing sounds of the fireworks both tonight and tomorrow,  Doyle and Sis will watch her.

Nothing bizarre, strange or picular happening for now that would entertain an old Goth girl like me,  but I will be glad to get back into something that resembles our form of bizarre normalecy.   But it's just too hot.

Later Darklings