Febraury 13, 2015

Knowing I had the day off, I FORCED myself to stay down as long as possible.  I recall getting up as the sun was doing the same and putting the dogs outside.  I caught a glimpse of the most beautiful orange sky.  Lovely sunrise, sure, but this was no time for that shit.  I was sleeping in.  I managed to stay in bed until about 9:30, got up with coffee, brought dogs in, checked online and after 2 hours I laid down again for an awake-nap.  An awake-nap is when you’ve had three cups of coffee and you know there won’t be any sleeping, but you are determined to milk the day off for all you can.  I did a fine job.

There were many ideas of what I wanted to accomplish, but I decided to first take care of work and fill out time sheets for hours accomplished thus far at my site.  Since my practicum site was just cleared yesterday, that would be 5 hours.  It didn’t exactly go as planned <does it ever?> so I thought I’d print out additional sheets at the office.  Surprise of surprises!  When I got in touch with my supervisor, she informed me that they were closed today (!!) so I called my client to reschedule.  I hopped in the car and headed to school to drop of a check for yearbooks for the kids.  Once there, I spoke with Nora about “The Incident” with Ethan, which happened Wednesday.  Ethan had watched YouTube and had constructed a device which uses the sparking action of a lighter and a pen, delivering a tiny zap of electricity.  It doesn’t really hurt, but I warned him specifically NOT to take it to school.  Did he listen?  No.  He had told friends about it and  they wanted to see it, so, like a boy with no working frontal lobe whatsoever, he brought it.  And dropped it.  And it was discovered.  And he got in trouble.  The good thing is he had tears falling like the river Nile, but sweetlawdy.  That Boy.  

Once I got home, The Boy called.  No mentioned of Wednesday, of course (L said (and I quote) "it was on his watch so he'd take care of it," so I’ll be sure bring it up Monday), but Ethan did let me know that the boys (At dad’s girlfriend’s house) had used his bike without permission and left it with 2 flat tires.  THAT angers me.  A fantastic aspect is I see the boy who did this during third block at school, so I will be having a sweet little talk with this boy who owes my son 2 new BMX tires.  As for owing, I owed the dogs a walk.  I know Mabi loves running after balls at the park, but I’m really into this FitBit thing and needed to get caught up a little as I was at 4, 000 steps.  We walked all over old town Placerville.  The dogs did very well, minding me with heeling, etc.  Annie needs work on her “sit” and “stay” – she hasn’t picked that up via osmosis from Mabi.  I laughed at one point because I struggled to get Annie to sit while we were at a stoplight.  Once the light changed and we walked across the street, Mabi really scolded her.  At one point, we took a back alley, which gave us access to a hill overlooking downtown, just behind Main Street.  I saw old staircases, built into the hillside, overgrown with moss and plants.  I wonder what was here a hundred years ago.  I found a homeless camp, still in use, or very recently so.  I turned to walk down the steep granite incline and my foot slipped – down I went, but my hand saved me.  The muscle on the base of my palm is very bruised, but no broken anything.  Walking further, I saw an old entrance cut into the granite hillside from the mining days – it is currently shelter for a homeless man now.  This town has poor services for the homeless.  We need to follow Placer County’s example, but with the Board of supervisors we have, fat chance of that.  By the time I got home I had over 10,000 steps again.  <day total was 15, 735+>

Once at home, my carnitas were just about ready.  I had to run to the store quickly, but then made myself the most delicious carnitas burrito.  I also shamefully made myself a cranberry crunch for Valentine’s Day (I swear I thought I was out of cranberries, but found another bag hidden in the freezer) then I sat down to watch “The Day the Series Stopped”, an ESPN movie about the 1989 earthquake and the World Series.  Following that,  I set up the At Bat app on my phone for the Giants and a few other teams (including those dastardly Dodgers).  At one point while putting away dishes, I almost knocked myself unconscious as I quickly stood up on smacked the top of my head with the very sharp corner of a solid wood cabinet door.  I know have a dent in my skull and need to train Mabi how to be a rescue dog….At the rate I’m going, I’ll be unconscious by sun up.

I think I’m going to go hiking tomorrow.  I’ll wrap up a few carnitas burritos to bring and some dog food and hit a trail, or perhaps some yard work.   My social life sucks to high hell and I kinda dig it.  Honestly?  Men and relationships scare me and the longer I'm single the more I'm realizing that, as well as the fact that I am perfectly fine on my own.  Less laundry, too.

Pictures: The old staircases..where did they lead?; Mailboxes and a shed; A part of the gold rush era now gives shelter to the homeless;  A building that I've seen once before.  What was it, back in its heyday?;