Rip Offs

Something I did brought me to the attention of two bogus companies...which seem to be the same outfit. They got my name and credit card information and signed me up for memberships in HomePlay and Value Plus at just about the same time. These companies charge a monthly fee to send you discount coupons and percent off gift cards. My credit card company accepted one charge and then rejected the second charge and called me. Thank goodness! I had never heard of either company.

My card number was changed. That cost me $10.00 though. And I still have one bogus charge to deal with...though my credit card company said it would be removed. Looking through some junk mail before discarding it I found letters from each of these companies welcoming me to membership. URF! The coupons and discounts are with well known companies. Included in each letter was discount coupons to several car rental agencys. The problem with that is I'm not going to rent a car! Coupons are only worth while if you need the service or product.

I've always been one of those people that can't stand coupons and have said in the past that I would gladly pay not to have to deal with them. Remember when housewives would claim that they saved hundreds of dollars by using coupons? That was only if the stores would take more than one coupon for a single item...they were not supposed to do it then and now they are not allowed to do it. If they don't sell one item for each coupon it is fraud. The owners of a local run down market made tons of money by getting coupons from news papers and magazines. They didn't sell the products to anyone. They turned the coupons in to finance new stores. They did get caught and had to pay fines but they are still in business and quite well off.

So I would never pay some bogus company every month just to get coupons and discounts that are out there for free. They picked the wrong person. I sure would like to start a class action against these companies for all the people that were charged fees and didn't find out until they had paid and paid and paid for something they didn't want.

Anyway I used the contact form on each of their web sites to ask to be paid back for what they charged me and for the money it cost me to have my card numbers changed. I won't hold my breath until the checks come in the mail!

Swimmingly

Just spent two hours floating in the pool with my daughter Elizabeth. Considering it is been very hot here I feel great right now. Hope it lasts awhile. It was 106 here again yesterday.

I went to the pool supply store to get a couple of floaties...wanted swim rings but they were totally sold out. The man said that the company would probably send a new supply in a couple of months when no one wants them! I was planning on swimming when I got back but it was just too hot. Headache hot! So thought I would wait until it cooled off some but then it was so late.

And I don't want to go in the pool alone...I never learned to actually swim. When I was young all I did was sink. I didn't know it then but I have heavy bones and then I was always very thin. I've probably mentioned this before...I weighed 105 when I got married...I'm almost 5'8". No one talked about anorexia back then...

When I was nine we spent the summer in Washington state. We went to swimming classes at a lake. My cousin Joanne could back float like a cork. She won a back floating contest. They had us face float for the count of ten, and I managed to do that. Then back float and I sank...when water covered my nose I knew it was a lost cause. The other kids were dog paddling all over the place and I was sinking. So my time in the water over the years usually included an inner tube. A couple of years later our moms let Joanne, Barb, and me row a boat out into the lake...I still couldn't swim!

Later when we were teens my dad got two big tractor tires and we floated in Mission Bay. That was before it was developed into what it is now. Not many people went there back then and it was a lot of fun.

When my children were young I joined a backyard swim class for mothers. I learned to dive into the deep end of the pool, and to face float accross to the other side. My back floating was better because after having three children I had a bit more fat on me. Still actually swimming was still hard. The instructor was from the Y and she was a great teacher with lots of patients. During one lesson she had us line up along the edge of the pool to practice treading water. Then she told us to let go of the side. I started to sink, but kept at it. I was up to my nose when she grabbed my arm and lifted me up. She said I was doing everything right too. After a couple of more attempts she said I wasn't going to be able to tread water.

My sister could tread water and smoke a cigarette. She passed through all the steps back in those swimming lessons at that lake in Washington state. Anyway I realized that it wasn't all my fault that I couldn't swim like a fish. My granddaughter swims like a fish. I sometimes call her our little dolphin.

Standing in the Rain

During his brother's campaign for president, Ted Kennedy came to San Diego State to speak. It was a rainy day and the speech was to be in the open quad. There was a delay getting started. It was decided to move to a near by classroom. We got inside but the room was very over crowded and more students were waiting out side. The speech was moved back to the quad. Many of the students left during this second delay. They may have had classes to go to or just didn't want to stand in the rain. I was one who stayed. After all these years I can't remember exactly what Ted Kennedy said other than praise for John and that his brother would make a great president. Ted Kennedy looked so young. Among the students that stood in the rain that day there was so much hope for the future.

We couldn't know the tragedy ahead. That John Kennedy would be dead in a few short years and Bobby Kennedy would die on the day I voted for him in California's primary. And that another death would scar Ted's chances to ever run for president of the United States.

Ted Kennedy had a good run in congress. He also got a slap on the wrist for the death of Mary Jo. It really is about Power Privilege and Justice...

Dominick Dunne is also gone from the scene. He wanted to be among the rich and famous, and his hard work and talent made him famous. He knew all about the difference power and privilege makes when it comes to justice.

People forgive the unforgivable if a person is looked on as someone special.

Middle of the Night

Well actually about 3am. What am I doing up? Anyway, yesterday, Hailey and I drove to a wonderful place out on old Hwy 80 called Summer's Past. We met Glenda there to take some photos together. We didn't know before hand but there was a memorial service there at the same time. It is a big place so we did take photos and sat awhile at the tables too. We stayed about an hour.

This photo looks so bright...it hasn't been edited other than sizing for the web. It is just the way it came from the camera.

I have my camera set to take both RAW and JPG versions of each photo. This is the even brighter jpg with the camera set to Vivid and the Contrast, Sharpness, and Saturation set to High. Setting the camera for both JPG and RAW gives me more choices and it is even better when shooting in B/W as I also have a color version of the photograph.

Hailey doesn't go anywhere without her cell and iPod. So she can listen to music and text anywhere! Typical teen of the new millennium.

Sunday at the Park

Spent the day at Balboa Park. Because of an event it was not easy to find a parking spot so drove around until I found a little parking lot behind some buildings. It is next to a canyon. On the way back to my car got these two photos. They are the same scene using a different focus for each.



Taken in the Zoro Garden.

I took these in the Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden is at one end of the lily pond, and is a very large lath building with many plants. You can read all about it here: https://www.sandiegohistory.org/bpbuildings/botanical.htm



I took several shots of this flower to get this one.

This one shows the lathe of the Botanical Garden Building

The lily pond is also home to these carp and to some cute little turtles. Two turtles were sunning them selves on the concrete edge of the lily pond. Before I could take a photo a man walked up to some friends and scared one of them back in to the pond. Another man with the group told him to be careful. The children had been enjoying seeing the turtles. The man then reached down and picked up the remaining turtle and dropped it back in the pond. URF!

Dorothy

Sunday Morning

...and it is still dark out. Soon the cats will be waiting out front for their breadfast and I will be sitting there feeding them and hopefully enjoying a cup of coffee. Every thing is quiet next door and so think the drama is over. I have enough drama in my life with David.

In spring, summer, and fall the nicest times of the day are out on our front patio in the mornings and evenings.

Restraining Orders and Other Things

Dennis trashed Elizabeth's things. One was a big glass dolphin that she has had for years and loved...not something he had anything to do with. He broke her printer and her plotter. Today she went to court for the restraining order.

Then so he would have his truck and personal things she packed it all up, and put it in his truck. E.R. and John loaded up his tools and even the big tool box that sits across the bed of his truck that E.R. had given to him. They hooked up his boat and John drove it to Dennis' sister's place. E.R. and Elizabeth followed with Ashley as she had to go too. Not that we wanted her to. Hailey went along for support too. Ashley cried all the way there.

Dennis has more things here...a big screen TV, his computer and big computer desk, and other furniture. Elizabeth will see to it that he gets it all and just the way he left it. We don't trash other people's stuff.

The sister and ex wife are talking trash about my daughter. That is hurtful when all she did was give her time and money and love to Dennis and his children. What is wrong with people?

Hailey, Rose, and Reflections

Dorothy

A Minor Tragedy

Everything seemed to be going so well. Elizabeth and John have not gotten along for years, but they have been cordial to each other. I told each of them that the other one is my child and I love them both.

John is staying in the travel trailer. John was in an auto accident last winter. His back was wrenched and now he has a pinched disk. He needs an operation and today he is going to see a specialist and find out about an operation. John was working and trying to get his life back together when this happened. He took himself off state disability...not that they have paid him anything...so he could go back to work. He is in constant pain. In the past he has had problems with drug abuse. It cost him time with Hailey and a big part of his life. He is staying clean and determined to make things right.

Elizabeth has been living in my guest house with her boyfriend, Dennis, and his daughter, Ashley. Things for Dennis have been pretty good considering he is out of work. He had a place for him and Ashley to stay...and a nice place for his younger children to visit. He had a woman that not only loved him but cares about his children and she works! He did work hard getting our swimming pool patched up. Then E.R. Elizabeth and even the children helped with the pool. Dennis has beautiful intelligent children. They call me grandma. I haven’t met his oldest. It has to be hard for Dennis to be out of work when just a few months ago he was a working architect.

People let things get to them. Then they start drinking. Alcohol has ruined so many families. Dennis is spending a few days as a guest of the county now. After Elizabeth came over here and called 911, I got the two younger children and took them home to their mom. Dennis was going to drive away with them but was still in Elizabeth’s house breaking up her stuff. It took some convincing to get the children to go with me. Hailey went with us. I have a long palm lined drive to the road. I didn’t get out the drive way soon enough. Two sheriff’s officers were parked on the road and they talked to the children before we left. The boy had seen the fight and told the officer what happened. Dennis tried to drive out but my car was blocking the way and an officer stood in his way...then when I drove out the other officer drove into the drive way. His truck was blocked in. At least the children didn’t see their dad get arrested. The little girl cried all the way home. She loves us and was afraid that she would never see us again. Hailey hugged her and tried to reassure them both that we would see them again.

On the way back we picked up Ashley from soccer practice. She was in tears. Her dad had already yelled at her on the way to drop her off at soccer practice earlier and now this happened. From talking to Ashley’s mom when I dropped off the kids...Ashley can stay with us for awhile. They don’t get along. Until things get sorted. Hailey hugged Ashley on the way back and tried to reassure her that things would be all right and that she had a place to live.. Ashley was blaming herself. Once we were back in the house Hailey went to her room and cried. So it was time for her to get some hugs. Elizabeth said that Ashley has her room there and can stay.

I was going to take photos of Hailey yesterday...late afternoon...Hailey had agreed to pose. YAY! Sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them too. There is always today and hopefully tomorrow.

The Lily Pond at Balboa Park

While waiting for class to start, I spent a lovely time at the lily pond. The lilies are beautiful so couldn't resist taking photos. Most were straight on pretty shots.

Started to paint with a lens...trying to make the photo look more like an impressionist painting. Met a lovely lady while doing this. She asked what I was doing and wanted to see my photos. She told me her name was Carmin and that she worked at the Senior Center. She was on a break so we talked until she had to return. She takes care of her seven year old grandson during the week and I told her about Hailey.

This is my favorite from the lily pond.