And we are off to a great start on another wonderful day in not-so-sunny California. The first time my phone alert went off was due to this. Did I mention I live in the country? This is one of the main roads I travel. Yes, it's another foggy morning, not helped by the billowing smoke.
This is a weird one. It's not a heavily traveled road and we are out in the boondocks. Somehow ... and we all know HOW ... the bridge caught fire. Another homeless camp goes up in smoke. Now I have to travel out of my way to get to town.
Don't feel sorry for them ... the City and County has set up very nice shelters, with food, bathrooms and showers ... and NO ONE will stay there. Instead, they do things like light bridges on fire.
About a month ago, one of our historic buildings next to the railroad tracks in town was burned to the ground by homeless. This image is yet another fire from two days ago. The current theory of "oh just let them live" isn't working out so well. They started ANOTHER fire and burned down our 100 year old historic library. It began as the first high school in this area, before becoming the library I grew up with. Now it's completely destroyed.
Right next door is our Courthouse, which luckily survived. Our entire downtown is a dangerous place to walk because of all the homeless everywhere who make scary advances towards you. Even at our Elks Lodge, the women never walk outside without an escort. Me included. It's become a very bad problem that no one wants to deal with ... so this is the result. Sorry for ranting, but they need to do something about it instead of continually looking the other way while our historic buildings are destroyed.
In other GOOD news, here's my new slippers ... for the time being. I went and tried on every pair of old running shoes I have. Most have so many miles on them that the heels are lower than the toes! This pair however ... has a heel just high enough to keep my back happy for the moment. I have to bend over, grunting and groaning, to get my foot in the back .... so maybe I can find those sketcher slip-ons!
I tried to rest up all day in preparation for another initiation. I don't know where all the people are coming from, but another 22 wanted to join. Every month we have 20-40 folks signing up. If only some of them would volunteer!!! I digress.
I stopped in at the bar to see how things were going with our head Bartender. He's been doing this so long he gives lessons once a month in how to make foo-foo drinks. I finally said yes ... make me something special, but leave out the alcohol. Well that's considered a sin, but he agreed to make a "fake" lemon meringue pie. I'm here to tell you it tasted JUST LIKE a lemon meringue pie. OMG! I'm ordering this every time I'm here!!!
Yes, everyone teases me about joining the Elks and not drinking. It's what they are known for and probably why everyone joins. Drinks are not only cheap, but served with TWO shots instead of one. It's called the Elks pour.
It's also because of the great food. No kidding ... you cannot get a meal like this downtown. On Lodge night, which was last night because we have a meeting also, this dinner sells for $20, including salad and dessert. That ribeye steak is 8" across and about 1-1/4" thick. It's also rare as can be. YUM!!
After dinner, we all head up to the lodge room for the initiation. This is me waiting to get in. Everyone, even officers, have to show their I.D. card (unlike voting in California) and cough up $1.00 for a chance to win 4 or 5 free drink tickets.
That is followed by a business meeting, meaning we all have to sit there for an hour. Just so you know how exciting it is, the guy next to me fell asleep. I nudged him awake, but not in time to miss the fine he got for so doing. It's all in good fun and we get a nice laugh at his expense. Next time I'll nudge sooner.
At last the meeting was over and I was headed out the door. That's when I became attached to this. Yet another turkey ... but THIS time ... a Butterball. It happens that I gave away all but one of the big ones I bought, since I found some folks who needed it more than me. This was a leftover, having been donated by the gal who works at Foster Farms, one of the big turkey and chicken producers in our area. He said "are you sure"? and she said "who do I work for"! So Nancy ended up with a turkey for Christmas!
And so ended another wonderful day with the best greeting EVER at my door when I got home. My alarm goes off every time I come in the driveway ... and he races to greet me. You just can't beat having a sweet puppy going crazy at your feet!!!
I see more turkey pot pies in your future ! That looks like a good meal in the take out box!
ReplyDeleteSue
That sounds like a good idea to me!
DeleteOn Sunday I bought a Turkey with no legs, thighs or wings. Thawed it out and on Monday night I spiced it and put in the Crock Pot. Tuesday I pulled all the white meat off and put carcass back into Crock Pot with some water and chicken stock and the juice from it cooking night before. Wednesday the soup was made, and now we have dinner through Saturday. YUM
ReplyDeleteThat's how I like to do it. It's too much work messing with the rest of it. Soup ... great idea, especially since it's cold here.
DeleteThat steak looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHomeless people are everywhere. They go through the trash cans in our neighborhood and throw stuff everywhere.
Be safe out there.
Frances:)
It's the same here. Everywhere you see them, there's piles of trash. People probably wouldn't care so much if they would just put trash in a container. The bathrooms ... those are another story altogether!
DeleteMr. Ed’s said why not deport the homeless to. for every Mexican, you deport, Assign him one homeless person But that’s only after he burned his bridges. Or it least try the great wall of USA
ReplyDeleteThe other thing, if the migrants are getting through on the open section, where there’s no wall why not take out an old wall section and put it where they are getting through is, so they can’t get in That would work
Knowing how good and resourceful homeless people are, they’ll probably tear the wall down and sell it for scrap
Sadly, they are not resourceful here. They built a nice apartment building for them, and within one year they had to tear it down. I'm a live and let live person, but when they destroy everything you give them, I have no sympathy. By the way, migrants CAN become citizens. Maybe now they will revamp the citizenship program without adding billions of dollars to some other country on the back end of the bill. That's why the last bill didn't pass. I look forward to lots of changes.
DeleteWe have similar situations with the homeless. It's like a disease. There are shelters available, but they risk freezing to death on the streets.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enoy!
It's about time.
I just can't imagine living in the freezing cold when there are places to go with heat, bathrooms and showers, not to mention food and security.
DeleteThe problem with homeless shelters is most of them have rules the homeless cannot follow. Some say you have to attend religious services to stay here. Some say you cannot bring your pet here. Some say you cannot bring your personal shopping cart here. Where are all those people supposed to go?
ReplyDeleteLinda Sand
They made it pretty easy here. They set up an entire area with tents, portable bathrooms and big garbage bins. Pets were allowed. They never used the bathrooms, but went right outside the door of their tent instead, and dumped garbage everywhere. It got so bad it was a huge health risk, so they made them all move and spent a fortune cleaning it all up. I just don't understand.
DeleteWe had a bridge burn down about a month ago. They have never released what caused it. There has been some thought that it was the homeless. They are supposed to get around to saying what caused it soon. We shall see. It sure has caused some people a lot of time to get home in the work traffic. Becky
ReplyDeleteNot only that, but it will cost a fortune to replace the bridge up to today's standards. Luckily the folks that live beyond the bridge have a canal road so they can get out.
DeleteThat's the plan. Flood the country with illegals to help destroy it all. Crash & burn. This waiting 2 1/2 months for the regime change sucks. How much more damage will the old senile crook do? WWIII? So he's too senile to prosecute but still has the nuke codes? Great.
ReplyDeleteI blame the people in control (and we really don't even know who that is) who it seems will also get pardons for things they haven't even been charged with. That certainly tells you they have been doing something really really wrong and are afraid of getting caught VERY soon!
DeleteIt really seems it's all scripted. Joe & Jill voted for Trump. The clues/codes are there for all to see. Obunghole has told us he would be running it from his basement. Who's pulling his strings is the big question. WEF? London? Israel? That leaves Blinkin doing the most as KommieLa is AWOL and Quid Pro Joe is done.
DeleteYou are a very lucky lady but you deserve every win!
ReplyDeleteEspecially the little greeter's kisses.