I moved down here to try and get away from ...

I moved down here to try and get away from some people and especially their ways of thinking. So, my first stop on the way to town was at the K-Mart in Atascadero. I needed to get a Martha Stewart shower curtain liner, you know the kind that have the extra length of vinyl on the ends so you can "stick" it to the edge of the wall during your shower so the water doesn't get on the floor outside? Anyway, first disappointment was that the only vinyl shower curtain liners I could find only had about an inch or inch and a half on the ends. So, apparently they have once again stopped manufacturing something that works!! When will I learn to stock up when I find things like that? [Follow-up note: The Martha Stewart shower curtains have rusting grommets, who puts rustable grommets on a shower curtains? I wrote a letter to Martha Stewart but received no response!!]

Anyway, that was just the first disappointment. I approached the checkout lines, there were several to choose from, and headed for the shortest line. I noticed an older woman, probably in her late 60s, shoot for a longer line. I lined up in the shorter line and stood there wondering why she chose not to get in this line. I was shocked to realize that it was probably because there were BLACK people in line -- oh, the horror!! It was either that or she was an ageist who didn't want to get in an older cashier's line. Either way, I was bummed that people here are still thinking as if they are in the middle of the last century ...

My third disappointment happened as I waited in line for a restaurant. I had decided to return to The Bayside Cafe on Friday night, it is apparently quite popular even after 8:00 because the wait was about 45 minutes!! As I waited I people-watched, a habit of mine. There were tons of young surfer-dude looking folks. I think I need to get used to wearing flip-flops if I am going to fit in here. There were also a lot of comfortably dressed people waiting. The girl who set off my "disappointment meter" represented a lot of why I wanted to move away from the highly populated regions. She was a perfect Barbie doll, from her french-manicured fingernails, to her dyed-blonde mane, to her botoxed-cro-magnon-browed forehead!! Of course she was with a Ken doll. So, perhaps I should turn my disappointment into the realization that there will always be some of these vain people wherever I am and as long as the majority are the normal, comfortable people I should be happy!! The sunset and the Chicken Marsala were fantastic, so I suppose it was all worth it. On my way home I realized that I could actually see the stars in the sky, and even in my backyard I saw tons of them. I think I will have to have a chaise lounge for star-watching potential in my new place.

Speaking of my new place, I cleaned out another cupboard and drawers so I was able to continue moving my stuff. I just finished the room condition and cleaning report and sent it off the property manager, who didn't even return my call when I arrived yesterday to the smoke detector squealing. The letter indicates that the kitchen and bathroom will need to be cleaned this week so that I can move the rest of my stuff in. The place is really dirty and I need it to be cleaned so that I can feel like it's my dirt not someone else's!! I really like that there is a washer and dryer. I got the washer balanced so it is not rocking so much during the spin cycle. I have to drive home tonite so that I can pack some more tomorrow!! I was happy at the beautiful weather, but the cottage gets a bit warm. I am glad I remembered to bring down one of my fans.

Until next weekend ...