Cafe Hitch-hike

2019-04-26

The big trip

I discovered the people in my building buy their own equipment if they use Evil Telecom Conglomo's service, or they went to their rival. I don't know if I should cancel and switch to the rival, or bite the bullet and buy the damn box already. Our internet and TV service is seriously whack, and even their technicians are clueless.

I have to get a new refrigerator. I got the idea to get a used one because this area is full of people who redecorate every 3 years just because they can, so plenty of good appliances are floating around. I also heard that new refrigerators are pretty, but they usually die off quickly, so I'll opt for a used on. Hooray.

The former owner of my unit got a notice of past due condo maintenance fees for this past quarter although they were paid. Although the notice wasn't addressed to me, I figured I'd eventually be involved. I wasn't getting notices for maintenance fees, so something wasn't right. With great annoyance, I gathered as much documentation on my end that showed it was paid, and the very kind ladies at the closing office also helped with that. I sent the information to the property managers (PMS) who sent the notice, and now it's in God's hands. I knew when I walked into the PMS office with Carlos the realtor that they would be a source of-- PMS-like symptoms.

The joys of home ownership!


It's nice that weekends have been active since the demise of my last "relationship." Two weekends in a row were activities with my alma mater's regional alumni club, and then last weekend was home stuff with cleaning and putting up 2 new ceiling fans. Despite the headaches, I am growing into the new abode. Although I loved the layout, location, and other attributes of the Cannabis Condo, I already feel more at home here.

My walls, however, are bare. I freaked out about putting nail holes into them when I first moved in, but I really have to do something. A co-worker offered to help me make a valence for my living room window and I found fabric I liked for it. I got a new TV because I thought my old one died and I liked it more than I thought I would. Since the new one seems double the size of my old one, I have less wall space around it, so I need to figure out what I'd like to do with it.

I was gonna start working on updating my bathrooms, but will wait on the showers cos that shit's not gonna be cheap at all. I decided to hold off on that because of the upcoming vay-cay.


Speaking of travel, I have an active few months ahead (unless something falls out of the sky to change all of that). I will soon head to Michigan for a weekend to see Bernardo who offered to host. Cool, so he can see if the image he has of me in his head is for real. I hope to have a nice time kicking it around my old stomping grounds in Dee-troit, and yes, definitely get caught up with him.

Two weeks after that will be the family reunion being organized my youngest sis Rosepetal, so I'll head to the hometown for a long weekend. In the meantime, my mentor and I are working on getting me prepped for that trip.

The national library conference is in June, and I will be heading to Washington, D.C. for that. We had a choice for either Cleveland or DC, and the choice was obvious.

Then, my big, big trip falls in July. I never got a chance to celebrate the end of 2017 and 2018 which were the best professional years of my career. I also got promoted, and the trip is scheduled to take place after it's official.

I've been able to look up things to do and places to go on my trip. I'll visit my pal CO in London, and I was thinking of bumming around the seaside if there's time. I heard of a paddleboarding excursion on the English Channel with a view of its white cliffs from the ocean. I've seen the Cliffs of Dover. One of my college roommates was there before me and said she had a moment of agape. Well... I saw it soon before I saw the dolphin from the ferry I was on, and it was the first time I had seen one in the sea. Unlike my roomie, I was more at awe with the dolphin. It would still be cool to see the other seaside cliffs, and I was a little bummed I didn't get to visit the seaside while I was in England.

I wanted to see about yoga and meditation retreats in and around Amsterdam because I wanted a restorative aspect to my trip. I didn't see many at all, but found others offering truffles and other psychedelics. Truffles? Whaaa--?? Ayahuasca retreats were also available.

Timmy told me about 3MT (it's an active ingredient of aya) and showed footage of people who took it. I remember learning about aya when I saw 2 characters in a South American movie take it and I was intrigued. Could I really reach into the corners of my mind that can't be accessed through meditation or breathwork? Then again, maybe there are damn good reasons things can't be reached. I read up on aya, and my mentor was very open to it because I didn't have the risk factors. My massage therapist also advised me on it since she is also a shaman and does energy work. Ok, so after I see some Van Goghs and the Rijksmuseum, I can go do some psychediacs. I may be able to get a big trip, all right!

I'm glad I have 3 months because It gives me time to look around, make lists, and come up with some choices of what I'd like to do. I can also prepare. I bought an electricity converter and a purse that can clip on my belt loops and detach its shoulder strap. I have one from my biker days that served me exceptionally well, but I ordered one that wouldn't stand out. I also need new walking shoes... the wonderful Sketchers I've had since 2008 are splitting at the seams, and the heels are lopsided because they're so worn down.

Speaking of looking around, I went to my senior homecoming dance with the Dutch exchange student, Jens Copperas. Oh, my.... wouldn't that be something to get back in touch? He's now a folk singer (which was puzzling) and looks almost the same as he did in 1990. I tried 3 years ago but without a response. I thought we were pretty good together, but I kinda lost my head and got bit wiggy over him (I was only 17, that's my excuse). He probably thought I would again, and maybe I would had...


It's time for Puppy Dog to get her nightly puppy treat. I say the words puppy treat and she goes bananas. I'll then wind down, maybe watch the new TV (if the internet doesn't do its usual fade outs), and be refreshed for tomorrow's paddle boarding session with some ladies.

downwind | upstream