LoveRundle

I debated posting because everything going on right now has me pretty stressed and depressed. I feel like America has lost the plot.... But I will give an update: I went back to Solvang with Sue. It's a bit of a drive and we stopped in at my favorite bakery that sells vegan/gluten-free items. I got a cookie which was fantastic! They ran out of scones so I couldn't get Emory a scone. I did finally get to wear my new sari. I wore heels which I thought would be difficult to constantly walk in, but that wasn't so bad.  We went to two wineries to pick up Sue's membership wines. One of the wineries we actually stayed and had a drink at. I love this one so much and it's kind of becoming a second home.... just kidding. I go probably three or four times a year when I get an invitation to get up there.  I did ask a group of women on a birthday celebration if they wanted a group photo and they really jumped at the offer! I love taking photos of people enjoying these moments. I...

The drive to Paso Robles was nice, but a third of the drive was in thick fog. That made me nervous, but thank Goddess, the road wasn't curvy. The hotel was so incredibly nice. It came with a breakfast bar in the morning and a ticket for a free drink at night. We did bring Mr. Mozart, and he loved the long walks and all the hotel guests wanting to love on him. He got so many pats on the head, and a few people said he was such a good dog. I think he's just too old to really be bothered to bark.  We went to a winery and did a sidecar motorbike tour. It was so much fun, and we learned so much about the vines and how the wine was made. I guess all wine is white, but red wine gets its color from soaking in the peels.  There were 14 owl houses on the property to hunt the little critters that get into the  field. I got to hold owl vomit. It sounds gross, but it was mostly dirt and bones.  The day was warm, and the drive around the fields was exhilarating. I guess either all ...

Sue is up at Roseville (about 5 hour drive from the valley), so I haven't seen her all week. She's having drinks with her friends. She's usually the only reason I leave the house as much as I do (besides leaving in the morning to work out with Emory), so it's been pretty quiet. I'm getting so much writing done and a lot of doom scrolling. Emory and I made plans to go to Sedona, Arizona, with our friends in a few months. The little cabin that we're staying at is not too far from Slide Rock. It's so pretty there, and it's hard to explain Slide Rock. It's this area that people go to swim at, but the natural rocks are smooth, and you can actually use them as slides. I enjoyed it a lot as a child, but even in the summer, the water is freezing, but then again, it's Arizona.... we're used to it being burning hot and our pool water to be as warm as bath water. Sedona, Arizona, is known for its vortexes. I'm so excited to explore. Emory and I hike...

Emory and I wanted to go to Cambria for the weekend, but the hotels are pricy. Maybe it's not too bad for most people, but I can't justify spending that money in our economy right now. I'm so scared, for more reasons than I can count. So we decided to try Paso Robles. It's cheaper, and there are some cool things to do. We're trying for a dry January, which means we're not drinking, but that's like going to Napa Valley and not drinking. Paso Robles is known for its wineries. Farmer Bill (Scottsdale Commune) and Sue (Porter Commune) said that Paso Robles has really great wine festivals. I think I saw that in November, but I really want to be careful how much I drink in general. I've already thrown up 2x in 2025 from drinking too much.   Jeffrey had surgery to fix a 3-point bone break. He's in good spirits. We laughed because I told him he could never do anything half-assed. He has to go all the way. He said if he's going to do something, he's g...

We made it! It's the new year. I am hopeful. I have a list of resolutions ready to go! I will only share one: I need to write more. I've been slacking.  It's been raining all week, but that didn't stop the fireworks. Emory and I did manage to stay awake until midnight for our New Year's kiss. Then we crashed. We already went shopping at a few places. Sue bought me a Halloween puzzle. She saw me looking and asked if I really needed another puzzle. I told her it was Halloween. She said she'd get it for me, and she did! Such a sweet woman. In one of the stores we went to, they had Martha Stewart on a Self... like Elf on a Shelf. She's so stinking cute! Emory says there was a Snoop on a Shelf, too. I would have bought both, not that we need more stuff, though. The communes on all ends have their New Year's traditions, so it's pretty funny getting pictures in group chats.  I bought a heated shawl for when we start traveling. I want to go to Alaska this ye...

I have to wear an "event" monitor for 14 days over my heart. The doctor said he already knows the fainting doesn't have anything to do with my heart. It's just to see if my heart is reacting to the fainting. I already hit the little button twice, but I felt too horrible to actually document it on the log.  I went a little past Solvang to hang out with Sue. It was such a fun day, and we visited two of my favorite (out of three) wineries. I wasn't feeling much pain until the next day. Yes, major hangover vibes. Good thing Emory was there to help me along. He made me electrolyte drinks, and when I could eat, he made me something light for my stomach. Awesome companion. Great best friend. The electricity in my veins... (if you know, you know). Emory and I went to Oxnard for Christmas, though it was a little scary to drive because Ventura is having flooding with all the storms that came through. There are three ways to get up there, and one of the drives had fallen tre...

Emory and I drove down to Glendale to see Madam Scrooge the Musical. It was fantastic! The masks the actors wore were a little different, but I think they added to the eeriness of the theater. I feel like I dressed a little too brightly. Most people who came to the theater dressed in darker colors. There was a decorated room at the theater and this was amazing, so we had to take a picture.  The show was fantastic. This is the second Scrooge play I saw in a month, so I thought I would be done with the story, but I'm so amazed by the singing and dancing. Both shows were very different and yet so familiar. We're now watching Scrooge, the television series on Disney. This version is extremely dark and gruesome.  Sue called me to say she wanted to go for a leisurely drive. I'm not so sure where we're going because the connection was horrid. I heard "leisurely drive... wine... lunch."  Our wine rack came in! It holds about 24 bottles of wine. We just need 6 more bot...

I've decided that I'd like to have a spiritual adviser. I did talk with the High Priestess, and it was so fulfilling. She gave me a beautiful little white heart stone that I can keep until I see her again, and we'll keep passing it back and forth as we charge it with our energy. What a wonderful concept.  I went to Arizona for four days, and I really missed Emory a lot. It was really busy. I spent the night with Jeffrey, and I actually crashed a little early, but woke up within a few hours. The weather wasn't too bad, but it is getting a little cold out in the desert at night. We watched Christmas light challenges, and a lot of the houses that won were in Arizona. I would love to have seen these homes in person. Friday night, we went to Stir Crazy and saw Stoner Rob. He called our row out. I couldn't stop laughing because he asked what I did for a living. He also asked Steven what he did, and of course, Steven's job is pretty advanced, so it's hard to sum up...

Mozart's hair appointment was cancelled. The little groomer was sick. I told them not to worry about it. Plus, now that it's winter-ish.... I say that so loosely- Mozart might want his fur coat. We're heading to Arizona with him dirty. I FINALLY watched Marvel vs Zombies. It was dark, like I thought it would be, but it was fun watching it with our moon family. I think it gave me nightmares, though. I definitely could see some similarities in my nightmare. I'm watching Peacemaker now. EEEEEEHHHHH!!!!! I'm such a fan girl. He's such a jerk, but in a lovable, doomed sort of way. I think I'm secretly in LOVE with Harcourt. Her anger and rage make her so doomed and so incredibly hot. I think I am secretly in love with angry people. What does that say about me? I found a Halloween coffee mug. We have enough, but this one was only 50 cents, so how was I supposed to pass it up? I should have bought all of them so I could give them as gifts. I'll have to do that ...

I found so many sweets for my Friendsgiving. Nothing I can eat because it all has wheat, but why punish the whole house? So we found cinnamon rolls, two pies, blueberry muffins, flavored nuts.... Sue came by to pick up the last of what we're taking out to Arizona. That's still a week or so away, and it's just the two of us going. Emory has to stay with the pets.  I spoke with Steven, and he said he would take me to a themed coffee shop that's in Phoenix, AZ. I'm so excited. Now, I think they offer tons of things, but I just want a coffee and to see the atmosphere. I think it's Harry Potter-themed, and I'm on the fence about the franchise. I don't know how people are feeling about the author. Her world really got tons of children reading, and people just love what was created.  I hope there is time to go. I have two communes to visit and a few houses to go to. I have events scheduled with everyone. I have presents that I need to wrap right away. It's ...

Wow! I have really procrastinated in making a menu for Friendsgiving. This is the longest I've gone without getting Yuletide gifts too. I'm so behind this year and I'm not really sure why.  Our heater is broken. Good thing it doesn't get freezing in Los Angeles, California. There has been a few mornings we woke up to go to the gym and its in the 40s outside. I got out my hand warmers that Emory gave me. They're little pandas! Super cute! He has a plan black pair of hand warmers so I need to make sure they are charged and ready to go.  I spoke with my best friend who has an idea for a story that she wants to write and asked if I'd like to do a writing session with her. It's where we set the timer and write whatever we think and then stop, read back the last paragraph and then set the timer and do it again. We had so much junk food and stuff the last time we did this. I wonder if we took any photos of it. That was a good year. I actually won the 50,000 word ch...

Rosey-Dosey got a new dog named Jones. The dog is so beautiful and still a bit of a puppy, so that said, they aren't going to Yosemite for Thanksgiving this year with the communes. To celebrate with the commune, she threw an early celebration. Can you believe this little guy is only 25 lbs? He's so big and yet he's all fur.  Emory and I spent the weekend shopping for Christmas gifts. Sue and I are heading to Arizona for a few days, and I need to have Arizona commune gifts ready to go. I usually stay with the people in Glendale, but I'm thinking about asking to stay at the Scottsdale commune this trip. Sue will probably visit the Scottsdale commune, but not stay.  We made Rice Crispy Treats with cereal that is extra sugary, and we slathered frosting on top of it. It's probably not good for our teeth, but it tastes so good on the tongue. I also found a vegan/gluten free caramel chocolate. So good. I love that all the sugar is now in the store.  Writing Update: I am fi...

I have a scrapbook, but I don't know anything about scrapbooking, so I don't know what to do with it. Sue and Darlene went to a card-making party, and Sue saw some scrapbook papers and things that said Colorado, so she nabbed a few items for me. She said she had eaten really bad. I wish I could have gone to that party with them, but I'm so not good at making things. I swear, anything I do looks like a first-grader's project with visible glue strings.  I have to finish shopping for all my peeps that celebrate the holidays. I am giving a lot of gift cards this year, which lacks a great deal of creativity, but I don't have the energy to shop. I see so many things that I like, but apparently, what I like.... well, it's not so popular with other people.  We got tickets for a show in December. Sue said the theater throws some really unusual shows, so that's exciting. The one she went to was Dracula the Musical. I really wanted to see that show, but timing is every...

I'm looking for a unique costume idea... however, Miss Rose had the best costume about five years ago, so I'm going to borrow her idea. She did "She Sells Seashells," which is based on that tongue twister, "she sells seashells by the seashore." The goal is to repeat that saying three times fast. I'm not sure how well-known that tongue twister is, but her costume was adorable! Emory and I now have to go to the beach to find a few shells I can paste to a cardboard box lid.  We saw Golden Girls, the Laughs Continue. It's a stage play with an all-male cast. The television show was from the 80s, but is deeply loved, so I couldn't wait to see what these actors would do with the theater show.  I had expectations of something silly and cute like the original television series. The play itself is very modernized and a bit raunchy. We laughed so hard, and we weren't the only ones. For me, it was the shock value of what was being said. I think these act...

It's so funny! Ann said she would NEVER buy me more coffee because I have "too much," which maybe she's right... Lucille said I drink too much coffee, and Ann agreed. They think I should have maybe two cups and call it a day. I drink a pot, and if I thought I could get away with it, I'd make another pot for good measure. So, Ann went to Canada and New York for a total of eleven days, and everyone kept asking her if she had tried this amazing Cooke's Coffee. It was so amazing that she had to pick up a bag of coffee for me and a 2nd for Steven, but on her way back through customs, they checked only the dark roast bag. Sue was teasing and said, "So if you find anything in your bag of coffee, it's courtesy of Ann."  Poor Ann.  But nope. There is nothing but coffee in the bag. I know customs is probably looking to make sure it was sealed, but does anyone remember the toys at the bottom of cereal boxes? That's what I sort of thought when Sue and An...

I went to this huge puzzle exchange. I dragged Ann and Sue to do it, which I'm so glad I was able to. They both have strengths in areas I'm very weak in.  Ann did so much talking. She actually talked up my YouTube puzzle channel to anyone who would listen. (She's pushing that I get business cards and T-shirts with our logo). Sue is much more organized than I am. She stayed with the puzzles and wrote down the lot numbers for the people trading with us. I only brought 20 puzzles to trade. Out of those 20, we brought 7 of our stock back. So how did I end up with 45+ puzzles to bring home?  I blame Ann. She said people were just telling her to take what she wanted. I was really surprised because the very first trade I went to, people were guarding their *treasure* like dragons. This trade group down by Magic Mountain was so laid back, and people really were telling us to take what we wanted. I told them to come and take our puzzles too, but very few people did. That's how w...

Much like the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey, sometimes I like to just see what opportunities await if I just say "Yes."  That said, I was walking Mozart in an unfamiliar place, and this man asked me to come inside. Now. I'm not a quick thinker, but something inside of me said, "Okay, let's see." So I followed him inside.  Let's call him Mr. P, and he was probably my mother's age. He was one of eleven children!  I had the most wonderful conversation with him. He was giddy like a little school boy because he had just gotten married. It sounds a little complicated, but everything in life is.  This was his mother's house, who recently passed away. He was giving her stuff away, and I guess a woman dressed like she hadn't showered in weeks with a little mutty-looking dog was the person to put his trust into. However, there was nothing I could fit into my apartment, which is sad because I would love to have a piece of his memory in my ho...

So many exciting things are coming up this month!  Sue is back from her adventure, and we went out for lunch. That was so much fun. We had a chance to catch up over strawberry margaritas. She has such a busy schedule with yoga and guitar lessons. She volunteers and also tutors on the side.  I went to the airport to pick up Ann. It feels like I was just there at the Burbank Airport.... maybe because I was. We dropped her off at the commune, and I stayed while they fed Ann. There was a little wine left over after book club (not my club, but the commune's club), so I poured a little to taste. Sue said she had no desire to finish the wine, so she told me to take the bottle home. That was incredibly nice of her. There is a Jaws 50th Anniversary party in the park. We're thinking about doing that.  I also need to drive down to the puzzle exchange location to make sure I know where to find it. It's in the same direction as Magic Mountain. I like that area. Emory and Sue both thin...

 The vacation continued because the posts can get way too long: Grand Junction was so fun. There was a lot to do, so we did some sightseeing. Nothing too crazy, but we did check out a winery, and then our hotel had a live band, so we went for a quick snack, which consisted of chips and salsa, along with more drinks.  Durango was our next stop. We had a ghost tour that met downtown, which was within walking distance from our hotel, but we didn't want to walk because we were both so exhausted. So there was a spot that is now a toy shop, but it used to be the morgue. They would prop the bodies along the walls outside to thaw so they could stick them into caskets. We took pictures, but we didn't go into the toy shop. We also saw the hanging tree. We went to a salon for drinks.... yes, we did this more than I thought we would, but we met the hotel manager, and he said he would give us a tour if we came back the next day. We got on the Silverton to Durango train. That was so much fu...