1. There’s nothing quite like catching up with a dear friend from high school. I love rehashing memories yet again and being reminded friendships that last decades are the best! It’s always so lovely to see Joyce and to know she’s doing well…in freakin’ hot Arizona.
2. I saw a cute meme listing several signs you’ve gotten very used to living without a man. This one rings so true for when you think you hear something late at night. This is my personal checklist:
1. Freeze
2. Listen
3. Check camera
4. Turn on the lights
5. Consider calling somebody
Absolutely do not investigate like the woman in a horror movie.
3a. There were a couple of “Firsts” when it comes to animals this past week. For starters, a new wild cat species was discovered for the first time in over 100 years. It was spotted in Boliva and the powers that be named it “Tigrino.” I’m not saying I would say no to this one as a pet, as they are super cute and I would name mine, Suzie Q.
3b. The second first was more close to home. For the first time in recorded history, sea turtle(s) laid eggs in North America, specially at Seal Beach and then at Huntington Beach, California (it could have been the same turtle). The species of turtles is called ridley turtles and they’re the smallest of sea turtles weighing up to 100 pounds. Though I would never think of having a turtle as a pet, I think it would be cool as shit to have them up at my beach here in Ventura! [due to potential residual effects of hurricane Polo and resulting high tides, the Museum of the Pacific relocated the eggs to its facility]
#WarmerWaters #ClimateChange
4. My friend Mary Kay posted this on social media this past week and I couldn’t agree more. Her husband Steve’s response? “I see nothing weird about any of that.” To which she said, “I dig your weird man.” Me too. Love both Mary Kay and Dive Bar Steve Kramer. Miss you guys like the dickens and hope to visit you again up in Oregon soon. Need to see the new place…and get some couch time with the pups!
Steve, Brian and Mick were the Dive Bar Messiahs and they would play classic rock at Amigos, or the Watermark, or Grapes and Hops. You knew I’d be on the dance floor whenever they played “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Stones, which I always felt was just for me. They took a bit of the soul of our music scene when they disbanded, and then when Steve and Mary Kay left the area for the great Northwest.
5. My friend Linda is now a proud grandma! She got the word her daughter-in-law was in labor shortly after the photo taken in #1 above. Congratulations to Nicolas and Isabela, and a big welcome to Esther Rose! Some complications, but all is well in the universe again.
Wishing the family continued growth and happiness!!!
6. Brad Pitt’s latest film is called Heart of the Beast and it’s a story about him and a dog lost in the wilderness. I find it extremely entertaining that all reviews I’ve read to date provide the information that the dog does not die. Ever since Marley and Me I will not go see a film based on a relationship with a dog unless I have a guarantee that the dog does not die. Pitt can die, but not the dog.
This is now on my list of movies to see.
7. I was surprised and slightly disappointed to find when I searched for a new Stud Finder, I did indeed get photos of stud finders…though there were a couple of studs in a few of the advertisements. I renamed the photo from Stud Finder to Stud Found. #ArtworkNeedsToBeHung
8. Don’t you hate it when customer service prefaces everything with, “Thanks for your patience”? #NotFeelingPatient
Also, when taking a survey after receiving customer service online and then the final question is “What could we do to better our service?” I like to answer with “less surveys.”
9. If you’re of a certain age, do you remember Hands Across America in the 80s? I participated and held hands with five million other people across the nation On May 25, 1986, to raise awareness and funds to combat poverty and hunger. So when I saw our local chapter of Surfrider Foundation promoting Hands Across the Sand, I was intrigued. A rally was held on Saturday, September 26, 2026 on the sand just north of the Ventura Pier. The rally was to generate attention and let the powers that be that we say “NO to offshore drilling and YES to clean energy.” I attended and heard stories about previous oil spills. From Surfrider website:
Oil spills have been tied to the Central Coast’s history for decades. In early 1969, a blowout on an oil rig offshore from Santa Barbara made national headlines. For a period of ten days, an estimated 3.4 to 4.2 million gallons of crude oil flowed into the Channel, closing nearby beaches and critically threatening flora and fauna. The largest spill recorded at the time, the event created the groundswell for the first-ever Earth Day, on April 22 of the following year.
Bill Hickman – Surfrider Central CA regional manager
I’ve seen more than my share of black tar ball substances on our local beach here in Ventura over the years. I knew I needed to stand with Surfrider, the Sierra Club, cfrog (Citizens for Responsible Oil and Gas), Patagonia, IndivisibleVentura.org, Chumash People, Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez and all the people who came out to support this effort.
From my favorite quotes file: “We’re a part of nature. As we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. It’s a selfish thing to want to protect nature.” Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia.
Thanks for listening.
