Shots from the Lip

 I purchased my power-assisted e-bike at half off during the first week of October, 2023.  This was one of those truly great purchases I've made in my life - I love that bike!  During the first year I rode virtually every day.  Subsequently, I've been riding either two or three mornings a week - Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  Early.....before the idiots of the road wake up to Mad Max drive with reckless abandon and scare the shit out of any sane cyclist.  Going on the beach path is wondrous:  with the ocean on my right and beach sand both right and left, one realizes how truly insignificant one is in the overall scheme of things..... And then, Sunday morning, shortly after 8am, someone, out of vision range, lunged at my bike as I rode along Ocean Avenue to the paths.  He pulled at the bike with one hand, punched with the other.......I was down....there were witnesses........police and fire department were there within 5 minutes. Two days in Room...

 It is hot outside.....no sun...it is overcast....but it is hot:  32C at 2:02pm I am feeling much better on this 4th day, posat 'it'.  I see the opthomologist tomorrow morning and I emailed Jeff Fujimoto regarding seeing an ENT.  This weekend I must seriously apply myself to the height modification application and installing Microsoft Teams on my computer so we can submit our paperwork....... I fell asleep once or twice but other than that, made my way through listening to The Boat Rocker yesterday and today.   Tonight I will start Michael Chabon's Moonglow.  Next week I will start listening to The Left Hand of Darkness........and after that, 14 other books that I have but have never listened to.......by then I should get used to listening

 Sunday morning was absolutely beautiful!  On Ocean Avenue, just past the pier, I was accosted by a vagrant who pulled at my bike and punched me.  I fell.  I felt myself falling but it was an out of body experience all day on, from witnesses and an immediate police presence to the ambulance taking both me and my bike to St Johns where I was 'out of body' experiencing 2 Cat Scans, 1 brain MRI and a whole lot more. I was lucky.....fractured lower right orbital.......concussion......had I not worn a helmet I think I'd be dead now.  What now???  Good question!!!  I'n not sure........but I think my bicycle riding days are now over.  I recognize that this day would soon come - hey, it has been fun these past three years - the peacefui solitude out between the ocean and beach where one realizes how insignificant he really is in the over all scheme of things.....

 ....It feels like this may very well turn out to be the hottest day of the year, thus far, based upon early morning temperature.  I've been to Trader Joe's twice thus far today and in both cases I built up a sweat in a slow walk....that's the reason for my conclusion. We've got to measure the width of the property this morning - against the fence at the front of the house....and then back into the width, knowing that our property is 1,668 square feet.......we'll back into it by math..... Soon I will go to SMC to activate my transit pass through December, when the Fall Semester ends. I use it for everything in the County (public transportation, of course!) and at $90 a year, it ain't bad at all for transportation costs......

 Up at 6.  Out of the house at 7.  Arrived at Downtown Inglewood at 7:40.  First called in Dept 6, Superior Court where I was able to get my narrative (finally) in the process of ending this case with the 'proviso' that  if and when (and the when is actually just a matter of time) Berg verbally accosts us next, we'll get Court assistance when starting a new case. Our property is 1,668 Square Feet.   We'll measure the width tomorrow and then do the math to back into the length.  I'll take pictures over the weekend........but basically, both meetings (first with Public Works, then with Planning) will be dependent upon what the arborist we've hired to consult with us on 3 September has to say...... Tomorrow, also, I will go to SMC and get my bus pass working subsequent to the quarterly $22.50 payment already made....that'll cover me through the end of the year.....

 Tomorrow we go to court.  We've tried but Civil Law is laden with sufficient loopholes that it can be abused....but what is worse:  abuse of civil law where there is no bite to the bark or the jungle out there that causes animals to do what they do? Regardless, we have a full load between this and the trees....for which we are going to be as firm as an old tree trunk - unmovable....... Soon I go to the dry cleaners.....this afternoon I prepare....and after that????