SOCCER AND TOMATOES

Another day is in the books.  It's perfect running weather this morning ... a lovely 57 degrees.   I should at least try to gather up SOME energy and go for a bike ride.  If I'm going to get an electric bike, even though they do most of the work, I should at least get some balancing experience under my belt once again.  It's muscles that keep you upright, and mine are losing their elasticity.  I'm a little sore from yesterday.

I should take a note from Kitters.  I don't know what she does at night, but she sure sleeps a lot during the day to recover from it.  The cool patio is one of her favorite spots.

I spent the next two hours on the phone.  I didn't stay in Arizona long enough last year to hit Algodones for my prescriptions.  The problem is I have no doctor.  They have either left the country or retired.  The last clinic I went to, the guy grabbed my phone, pulled up MY Amazon account and told me I needed another blood pressure machine.  No thank you, I have two.  He was ever so rude, telling me NOT to get my meds in Mexico, but to go to THIS website so he could get a kickback.  I won't be going back there.

I called five doctor's offices to no avail.  They are (admittedly) all so busy with immigrants, I can't get in to see a single doctor for a prescription renewal.  I finally located one who said they could see me, but not until September ... after my prescription expires and I'm out of pills.  I guess I'll keep calling around.  Oh there is one alternative now ... you can pay one local doctor $1600 a year, a concierge service they call it, and they will "fit you in" if you need anything.  I think I need a trip to Arizona.

That's when I got the call .... after two failed "I have the ink" episodes, this time it was "I have a new printer".  We can't get it to print a check.  Can you come fix it?  Okay, but can't it wait?  I'll be there in 90 minutes.  NO.  So off I went to print one check before returning home.  No use sitting there waiting for the bookkeeper.  

An hour later, I was back.  Remember this field?

This is what it looks like now.  I've no idea what's planted here, but this California soil grows things like crazy.

Though I wish they did, they do NOT grow tomatoes here.  These came from the bookkeeper, and let me tell you, they are the sweetest BEST tomatoes I've had in probably 40 years.  I'm going to find out what kind they are and grow my own!

With accounting done, I really didn't have anywhere to be.  There's no Mr. Cooper to rush home and check on, or to meet me at the door with his happy face.  So I drove all the way to town for some makeup.  I probably shouldn't waste the money, but it's better than crying.  

If you think prices are high for everything else, you should try buying some of this stuff.  Mascara that used to be $10 is now $30.  $3.00 nail polish, is now $10.  Here sits $180.00 worth of cosmetics.  It's all really nice stuff, but I won't be buying it again.  It's claim to make you look younger and beautiful, never works anyway!  

Back home, I looked at a few more bikes online, but keep coming back to this one.  It's 31 pounds is a big plus, AND the foldability.  It may still be too big for the inside of the van.  I would love to test drive it first, but so far have not been able to find a dealer with one in stock.  Just to test the weight, I got on my scales holding my road bike.  Wow ... it's only 21 pounds!!  My mountain bike rang in at 36 pounds, which is just a little too heavy to be lifting up onto a rack.  I would have to get a ramp.  Anyway, still looking.

At 5:00, I turned the TV to the soccer game.  I am NOT a soccer fan, but since the World Cup is such a big deal, I thought I would watch it this time.  It was pretty boring .... but the excitement of those men playing was contagious.  You could not have fit two more people in the stands ... and the USA outfits people were wearing was worth the watch.

Though I found their rules kind of weird, and that last ten minute add-on was excruciating, I yelled right along with them when the U.S. won the game.  This is not your local hockey game ... they are playing the best in the world!!  GO U.S.A.!!!!!

Dinner was quick and easy.  One small smoked pork taco with a huge pile of tomatoes and lettuce.  Gosh this was good!  Though I could smoke some pork myself, it always tastes better when someone else cooks it.

As I do every night, I talked to Cooper for awhile.  I haven't been able to talk about it, but here is why I have been so devastated.  Cooper went into the back yard and got under a rose bush where all the thorns and stems lay, to eat cat poop.  He's never done that before.  I yelled at him, and when he can out, he was coughing.  He coughed every time I picked him up the next day.  

I didn't realize it until much later, but I think he swallowed a thorn or piece of stick because the next day he had blood in this stool.  He went downhill fast, and two days later, I took him to the vet, not having any idea what was wrong at the time.  The vet said immediately that he could tell by his breathing he was in heart failure.  There was nothing he could do.

I'm crying again of course, so I'll go walk aimlessly around the house.  Maybe I'll go for a run after all.