Again I am huddled at the Huntington Waterfront Hilton. Black suits stand at the front patio enjoying the view of Catalina, the Pacific and the lovely white pillow looking clouds overhead. Like clones of the others, these well dressed suitors strut and carry with them their smart phones. At the end of each stage of walk, they remove their cell phones. The size and number of apps of each phone tell you how important it is to their identity. I have never seen a lovelier sky than the one today.
I stand out like a mutated black lion among hundreds of Zebras. This is my day. My state teachers check arrived at my old apartments. And since I had not given the keys, had access to my mail box. I leaped for joy when I glanced down and saw the state letter. In fact I felt so good I bought a bag of licorice at Trader Joes, and played the fourth floor piano.
Yes I was on a high and it felt good to stroke a few white and blacks keys, that is until a grey ghost entered the activity room and destroyed serenity. She wore grandma's old robe with hair grayer than
"You are a crazy old man! Why must you play so loud?"
"Well I am sorry but my brother Mel just died and I needed to pound the keys."
"Well old man, you better stop or else!"
Now this scene had been played before. It had been obvious that the Five Points Apartments let anyone lease their rooms. I finally let loose with the F word and she disrobed to her room
In order to lease my new apartment on Magnolia, I had to provide for not one, but two security checks totaling $3, 600. That left me with fifty dollars to live on for the month.
To live on five dollars a day is not my cup of tea but the new apartments wished for a double security deposit-of course cutting into my food bill. My brother Mel bailed me out by donating money from his petty cash account.
"I'll take the usual...a tall black with room for half and half."
"That will be three twenty two please."
To the side of the coffee clutch area was a counter with small glass containers of honey, half and half and several types of sugars. I milked the large cup and tossed the honey around and around. My body jumped with the first sip of the straws brew.
Don't mind if I do, and borrowed a L.A. Times to look at the news before my number 25 bus arrived. I felt tickled to death that Long Beach would address the dirty air and clean up the trucks whose exhaust cause most of it...but what about the schools without AC, I thought.
It was now eight fifteen so replaced the paper the same way I had found it on a rack and strode outside. Yes, the blue sky with white fluffy clouds made me feel more alive. But outside many black early model cars had lined up to make a turn on Huntington Street. Traffic had been backed up and when I saw my bus I left the safety of the sidewalk and began to direct traffic.
"Hey, what is this convention all about?"
"A southern wine convention."
I halted the traffic so my bus could turn left. He stopped and opened his doors. to take me to the library and senior center And the good news was that this library would now be opened on Sunday afternoon, just like Beverly Hills. (No edited )
Nuts and Bolts for today: Del Mar's thoroughbred's season had begun. Like my Mom did, bet on the one and six. And don't drive there...Take the Amtrak or Metro and then the Coaster. The Big Red British bus will take you to grandstand.
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