Halloween and We Olive!

Let me try to get caught up with what's been going on.  Mostly we've settled into a kind of rhythm that's going to be very hard to break.  Don gets up first so he takes the dogs out for a walk while I attempt to go back to sleep after the banging that goes on upstairs ceases.  I eventually get up around 8 or so, drink a cup or two of coffee while laying in bed (it's the most comfortable place to sit) and play games on my phone (Scramble With Friends thanks to Colleen and Peggy).  I get up after 30 minutes or so and eat a breakfast of yogurt and granola with a few frozen blueberries thrown in (my attempt at eating healthy).  Then I get to do whatever I want whenever I want.  But usually it's finding something to fix for dinner, doing my image descriptions or reading my book.  I'm actually reading a real book, not my Kindle.  The latest is Little Bee by Chris Cleave, I highly recommend it!  I'll probably pass it along to Maggie when she comes.  I have to walk Missy every afternoon around 3 or so.  She still won't poop in the back yard and seems to need to move her bowels twice a day.  We're feeding her really good dog food so I don't understand why this is, but it gets me out of the apartment.  Then it's a walk to the market for dinner supplies and home.  After dinner Don and I usually gather around this laptop to watch something.  Sometimes it's the news, or some program I taped on Hulu.  That's it.  That's my life these days.

For Halloween Don got some mini cupcakes from a bakery on Chestnut for the little boy upstairs.  He came down with his mom, his nanny and his mom's "friend" to trick-or-treat at our apartment.

She told us about a block party down on Avila Street.  They barricade the street and all the houses have their garages open and everyone just strolls down the street visiting.  There are some interesting costumes.  It started drizzling so we didn't stay long; it was fun to see though.  Avila is my favorite street here.  It's like a neighborhood of it's own.

Every other Monday we go down to Chestnut Street to We Olive! for a cooking class.  We Olive! is an olive oil store so the chef cooks on hot plates using the different kinds of olive oil they sell.  Again, I don't really learn anything but the other people in the class are fun.  I met one woman that seems to have made a point to befriend me.  She's emailed me many times suggesting different restaurants to try.  Anyway, we get lots of food, bottomless wine glasses and it only costs $35!  It's a great deal and a fun evening.  Next week's class is full already, but I signed up for the next two weeks.

Then we leave!  I can't believe we leave here in 3 weeks!!!!  Where has it gone?!?  That'll be a sad day when we get in the car headed home.  Elaine died 2 months before we left so I haven't gotten used to her not being there.  And I heard they sold her house so when I drive by, there will be somebody else living in her house.  I drive by her house to and from work so I think I'll have to find another way to go.  And I'm afraid nobody will remember us.  Elaine was the person who held us all together.  Now that she's gone, we'll all probably just move off to our own little groups.  It'll be sad.  But I don't want to worry about that now.  I want to enjoy these next few weeks.

Just a comment on the weather.  It's a little colder than it was this summer, but only barely.  People are still walking around in shorts and t-shirts, but it gets chillier at night.  Highs in the 60's, lows in the 50's.  But it does rain sometimes now.  The first time I got rained on since July 14, was when Colleen and Peggy got here in October!  There's a touch of humidity in the air.  Tough, I know.

Next, Michael and Katie!