The ongoing electric fry pan saga

Since my electric frying pan died a couple of weeks ago, I've been doing lots of research. I visited many stores in search of a new one. I posted on Facebook for suggestions. After reading lots of reviews, I decided to buy the most popular one out there and not spring for the very expensive name brand one Cuisinart(over $150) or the second name brand one Wulfgang Puck nearly $100. I have resigned myself to go with the Presto 6852 and live with it for as long as it lasts. I understand they don't make things like they used to and I am okay with that. So let the potsticker frying begin!

Got a nail in my tire, o Liza, o Liza

For the first time since we moved out here, I had to search for a "service" station or a tire place. One of the advantages of owning a new car is that for the first 3 years or so nothing is usually required expect for the periodic standard maintenance. Well on Tuesday on my way back from the village the low tire pressure gauge lit up on my dashboard. I had been procrastinating about pumping up the tires for a couple of weeks so I was not particularly surprised. When I inflated the tires (with our handy dandy air compressor), I was surprised that the right rear tire was as low as it said. But I inflated it as prescribed by the little tag on the door and didn't think any more of it until I went to the local market and the light was still on. By the time I got home the tire looked pretty soft. So I went in search of a tire place. It seemed kind of silly to go back to the dealer for a soft tire. There are a "million" places that claim they do tire work but I had no experience with any of them. I decided to "shop local" and try the guy in the village.

I now have a "tire" guy for anyone who needs one in Arroyo Grande. Family owned business. The owner fixed my tire. I picked up a nail in the tire somewhere in my travels. It's good to have a tire sensor and glad I wasn't miles away from home when it came on! Told me his life story. He has lots of experience and everyone in town seems to know him as almost every car that drove by honked at him. I even "yelped" him.

On losing a trusted friend...

You've been around for over 40 years. You saved me so much money when T and I were dating. You stayed in his room for all those years and provided us inexpensive meals. You put up with sponge baths in the dorm sink trying to get as clean as possible. Over the ensuing years you stayed loyal and trusted providing extra back-up whenever I was entertaining a very large crowd. You've been the go-to one whenever we were in the mood for pot stickers. You always cooked them perfectly. Of late you've been showing your age and with your recent hot flashes, it is time to say goodbye.



So goodbye to my trusted Sunbeam electric fry pan which I received from brother, M and sister-in-law, O for my college graduation! They don't make things like they used to! I will never find another that will replace you but I need to hurry up and find one soon before the hankering for pot stickers takes over.

Houston, we have a problem

One of the problems with living on a giant sand dune (the Mesa), is that when there is a problem with a watering device a sink hole can develop ever so quickly. It's all fixed now.

Goings on for July

July has seen a pretty "routine" month. The weather has been foggy in the mornings with the sun breaking through anywhere from early morning to 11 am and the sun staying out for quite a while and in some cases the fog hasn't rolled back in until early morning hours. So many people have been complaining about the lack of "summer" around here but from our experience here it's been this way every summer so far. This year the fog didn't roll in until mid June whereas last year it started in May and lasted until early August. That also means that the temperatures here are much milder than the rest of the country. If anyone wants full sun all day long they only have to drive a few miles inland and they can quickly get all the sun they want along with all the heat!

I started teaching a new t'ai chi class on July 7 with 8 brand new t'ai chi students. Through the first 4 weeks the class has made great strides and most have come a long way. I also started taking an therapeutic yoga class. I've never been able to do yoga because of the pressure on my shoulders and other injured joints. This is a restorative type of yoga where the poses are held for long periods of time and the idea is to use many props to support the body and not have any discomfort. It is so relaxing and I love it.

We had dinner with cousins P&S and K&C a couple of times this month. It's been great to have such great family so close by.

Our church held a "senior lunch" for the seniors and friends at the church as a way to engage that group of parishioners. We had 68 guests. The lunch takes place on the last Monday of the month and is free. The idea is to help seniors get out, socialize, visit the church on a non-service occasion, and hopefully encourage them to stay connected with the church. Also the idea is to help those who may be financially struggling to get a free meal close to the end of the month. Being one of the "younger" parishioners, I helped with the greeting, serving, clearing and washing up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the event and many have already signed up for next month.

Free fruit etc.

It's been such a lovely spring and the many fruit trees are producing like mad. One of our friends has what she calls a "giving tree" with a surfeit of peaches. She has bottled, jammed, frozen etc to her limit and is now giving some away. We have received two batches already and they are wonderful. Cousin S has wonderful Meyer lemons and an assortment of limes and we have been the beneficiaries of those trees recently. One of my friends from the fitness center has an avocado ranch. She said the trees are not getting enough sun so the fruit are not growing larger at the moment but there are so many on the trees that they are breaking the branches so she's been bringing them in for us to share! The sun is supposed to start breaking through earlier and earlier over the next few days so the supply of avocados may be going away soon.

Unexpected rain

After April we don't get much rain until maybe October. Last night around 3:45 there was some thunder and "dry" lightning and we got a short thunderstorm. The storm came from the east and they are reporting we may get more tonight. The temps are beginning to warm up and the marine layer is beginning to lift a little earlier each day. We're coming into the best times of the year here. September and October tend to be the sunniest and warmest.