New Things

Because D. had taken some time off he was riding more, running more errands, and generally getting out more. I suppose that is why he scooped me not once, but twice.

He was the first to point out that
our neighbor now has a little library.

He was also the first to notice
the charging stations near Trader Joe's.

There are two kinds installed, Delta and
Signet, and each has two kinds of charger.

This definitely does not fit our car!

I noticed the new power box (sign reads,
"Work in progress. Please do not touch.
Thank you,"), but that was not as exciting.

This is both a new picture because I took it just
this week, but it does look just the ones I take each year!

More Joy

I had so much fun looking through old posts to see what I had written about swimming pools. Sorry to everyone who doesn't like reading about swimming pools because I saw that there were lots of posts about lots of pools. Here's another one!

Don't bring any valuables, Dad said.
I knew I wanted to bring my phone to get a picture,
which is why I was trying to open the lock at the last post.
Guess who got a guest pass without a photo ID?
Dad is a persuasive guy (plus, I was in the system from last time).

I love this pool. I had my fastest high school swims here.
I saw some amazing swims during the DI Men's nationals here.

Lots of the pool records set then still stand.

It was great to swim with Dad, great to swim inside (the smell!),
and great to look up and be able to swim in a straight line.

Today was a treat, too. I had my regular swim with the team,
but couldn't resist another tiny swim because the pool is set up long course!

It is not as easy to swim in a straight
line, but it wasn't a bad view.

Expectations

 I love when everything goes even better than I expect, but maybe one day I won't worry ahead of time!

A. and I needed to renew our EU passports and I wanted to do it after he was 18 years old so that he could get a passport that was valid for ten years. We could not get an appointment for the weeks after his birthday before he left for college so we decided to do it this week.

The first step after getting an appointment was to gather our documents. Some were exactly where I expected them to be but one was missing. Glad I checked ahead of time because the next place to look would be our safe deposit box. 

The good news was that it was right near the top so that could be checked off the list. The bad news was that the next day I opened my wallet (not something I do every day so that was lucky!) and my driver's license was missing. I immediately realized it had not been returned by the bank after they took to verify my identification.  All I had to do was ride over to the bank and retrieve it, right? 

Ha ha. The person looked one place and said come back later. I went home, questioned my memory, and looked all over. No luck. Back to the bank, where I could see three different people looking here and looking there. Maybe I left in my box they asked? But I would have to go home and get my passport so they could verify my identity so they could let me get into the box. Aaagh. Time was ticking because I knew I would have to leave town before the bank opened the next day in order to get to LA in time. 

And then, miracle of miracles, it was is the fifth place they looked.
I guess I was the first person to ever leave identification at the bank.

But, wait.  There was another worry to add to the list.

A. wondered about that crack in the tire.

D. said it was fine since I was just going around town. I was relived until I remembered that the next day I would be driving to LA. The tires were going to be replaced over break and for now it would just have to be the fingers-crossed method of repair. I am thrilled to report it worked!

The drive in was uneventful. 

The most exciting thing was seeing the removal of the
Staples sign at the basketball arena. The Crypto sign was
up on by the time we were heading home.

We got there so early we had time to walk over to emili's cafe.
It wasn't the best view but the company was great.

We hustled back to the consulate on Wilshire Blvd., we were escorted to the elevator, and we were immediately helped. We had all the documents requested and even one that had not been on the list. Our pictures turned out ok and it was eight dollars less expensive than expected. What a great experience.

Nothing exciting on the drive home, stopped to get ingredients so A. could make dinner, and home by noon.

Definitely exceeded all expectations!

So Satisfying!

Finding something that was thought to be lost, putting in the last piece of a puzzle, and reaching the highest level of the NY Times spelling bee. Now there is another thing to add to the list.

My parents have a well-used Master Lock but did not have the combination.

They even have a collection of these little papers that
came with the locks, but none for the lock pictured above.

I watched some videos about cracking a lock (picking, breaking), but I could not get them to work. Mom suggested calling Master Lock, but I could not imagine that could work. Of course, Mom was right - they can help. 

Option one was printing a form and having a notary sign that the lock was not attached to anything. Second option was taking the lock to a retailer and have them call on our behalf. The last option was to take a picture of the lock to prove it was not attached and send the serial code from the back.

We chose the last option and got a message back saying it would take 7-10 days or longer, but the company would send the combination.

Less than twenty four hours l got the combo (which
I recognized as my gym locker from junior high).

So satisfying!

National Champs!

 We went to lots of men's water polo games this season,

day

and night.

After finishing first in the conference and winning the conference tournament, the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens earned a spot in the Division III tournament along with MIT, Johns Hopkins, and cross-street rivals CMS.

At the end of regulation the game was tied at 12.

Pomona Pitzer was the only team to score in overtime and
the team, coaches, and fans all celebrated in the water.

from sagehens.com
What an exciting finish!

CicLAvia

 It was another foggy morning but we had a safe drive to CicLAvia starting in South LA, not far from Exposition Park.

We got there before the official start and the streets
were closed but not many people were out.

As time passed more people were out and more dogs, too!

There were plenty of walkers and lots of runners today.

I did not get a good shot of the person on the penny farthing

and I didn't see the person sitting on his
handlebars while pedaling his bicycle.

Cycling somewhere we hadn't been before is always a high point.
We saw the  LAFC stadium for the first time.

Despite my best efforts we still end up with lots of freebies.
We also talked to neighborhood groups and learned
that the Obama portraits are on tour at LACMA and
there is going to be a new museum dedicated
to narrative arts (storytelling through images).

What a great event!

School Foundation Fund Raiser

We don't drink a lot and so we skip the Beers and Bros event and the Wine Walk, but the Chocolate Walk has been fun in the past, including when our international teacher won the raffle basket two years ago.

It was a cold and foggy morning (or warm and foggy,
depending on what you are comparing it to), but by
the time the event started the sun and burned through.

We parked at the new coffee shop, which was right across from the starting point.

I wish I had counted our steps our used our mapping app
since we walked all over in the least efficient route possible, I think.

It was fun going into familiar places

and new places, including this one with international candies including Smarties,

and this store that had vintage '80's cards!

The live music was good and we enjoyed running into friends.

We ate a lot of chocolate foods including mini cupcakes and chocolate ice cream,

from Nosy Neighbors Coffee site
but the best things were the freshly made donuts.

November Leftovers

 

Ceramic koi merry-go-round

Not like the chalk messages I saw in college

What a great word!

On a morning hike

Lots of California Buckeyes this year

Such a Great Time of Year!

 Persimmon time!

There are so many Fuyu persimmons this year.
I eat this kind like an apple.

So many Hachiya persimmons, too!

I wait for these to get soft and either eat them right away,
put them in the freezer, or use them for baking.

I was given a few pomegranates, which I open up underwater,
take out the seeds, and save them in a jar for sprinkling on oatmeal or salads.