November is here!

Wherein I attempt NaBloPoMo (national blog posting month) – posting every day in November. October went by without a check-in (sorry), but I’ll wrap up the month now.

I’ll start with some stats:

• I worked at the bookstore 10 days (usually 4 or 4 1/2 hours each time). It’s not a lot, but honestly, I still like it. It breaks up the day/week just enough.
• I’m also still editing. I worked probably a total of 9 hours in October for editing, but I also helped them out with a side project from another agency where I got paid right away (otherwise, it’s every 2 weeks). It works out that I’m paid every week bookstore/editing/bookstore, you get it.
• I started a new exercise activity: solo tennis aka hitting against a wall. I did that 9 times.
• I also started shooting baskets in our backyard. I only did that 3 times.
• I’m still trail walking. I did that 7 times.

Now to some other fun/cool stuff I did.

On October 1, Mom & I went to the Fullerton Arboretum. It’s a really cool place. She enjoyed it. Here she is next a ginormous tree called the Ombu.

That weekend, I went to Denver! I had a reading scheduled for October 5 at a place called BookBar. I had tried to schedule a reading while I was out on tour, but it didn’t work out for June, but they asked if I could read on 10/5 so I said yes! It was a very quick trip. I flew in Saturday and left early Sunday morning, but I made the most of it. My friend, Daniel, lives in Denver (he hooked me up with the contacts for the venue) and we had arranged to meet at the reading then he said I could stay at his house.  Yay for free lodging! I got to Denver and figured out it was best to take a train into downtown, then to get a Lyft to the venue which is what I did. The train delivers you right to Union Station in the heart of downtown. It was decorated for Halloween.

I got to the venue which was in a great little artsy neighborhood. I had some time before the reading so I took a walk up and down the street. The weather was perfect. The venue is super cool. Part bookstore, part bar, all awesome. Here are some pics of a mural on the side of the building, plus some inside shots.

Daniel showed up and we chatted before the reading. There were some sound issues (new microphone), but I think folks enjoyed it. I read with a guy named Jared Smith. Here are a couple shots of us doing our thing.

After the reading, Daniel & I went to dinner at a nearby place called Parisi that was really good. We had a great conversation as well. I met Daniel in college, and we’ve somehow kept in touch over all these years even though he moved from San Diego not too long after graduation. He’s a great writer himself, and his kindness and encouragement means a lot to me. His house is cute. He shares custody of his daughters with his ex-wife. I slept in one of his kids’ rooms and hung out with his kitten Blackjack.

The next morning, he drove me to the train station and I was home by noon.

On Monday, Oct 7, I had my first appointment with my new doctor for my initial health assessment now that I’m on MediCal via Health Net. It was all easy and fine. She renewed my prescriptions and things are good. By the way, as of this morning, I’m down 30 lbs since I got home from tour! I’m stoked about that!

On Wednesday, Oct 9, I went to the Ugly Mug to see/hear my poet friend, Daniel McGinn (not the Daniel from CO). I read also in the open reading. It was a good night.

On Sunday, Oct 13, my publisher, Ted, was in the area so we met up to chat a while. He was happy with how I did on my tour. We discussed some other things that I’ll mention if they prove fruitful.

On Wednesday, Oct 16, I had an appointment to get TSA Precheck! It was all very easy. You fill out an application online, get an appointment to somewhere that finishes the process. My place happened to be at a Staples. But they take your fingerprints and a photo and then you wait to see if you check out with the government. I did so now I have a Known Traveler Number and I can use the TSA recheck line every time I fly (for 5 years). Woohoo!

The next day, my mom’s financial planner made a house call to deal with some of Mom’s retirement accounts. I also asked him some questions about my situation, and he had some good advice for me. We also made an appointment for him to come back to look at the trust.

That weekend, Oct 19 & 20, I went down to San Diego for a show. I stayed with my friends, Mike & Dana. We went out to lunch, sushi!, then watched some TV and hung out. Mike & I worked together at two previous companies, and he just recently left the company I had left in April. I’m glad for him. Then I went to the show, Rock the March, a fundraiser for the Women’s March, that featured my pals, Lindsay, Veronica, and Lisa. Lisa couldn’t be there it turns out, but I was glad to see L & V. On Sunday, I did one of my trail walks with Dana, which was actually more of a hike to the top of Cowles Mountain. It was about 6 miles total. I don’t think I could have done it last year. In fact, they both seemed dubious of me making it to the top because it’s pretty steep. But I did it! It was hot and hard, but I did it. I was very proud of myself.

On Thursday, Oct 24, Mom & I went to a place that we’ve both been wanting to visit. It’s a bar called The Cauldron that is across the street from Knott’s Berry Farm, and its motif is spooky. We each had a cocktail and shared some appetizers for happy hour. It was great!

We went to the arboretum again on Friday, Oct 25, but it was still warm and the leaves hadn’t really changed on some of the trees. Saturday, I took Lulu to get her haircut. She looks so cute!

The last fun thing I did was go to downtown LA to hear Saeed Jones and Roxane Gay in conversation to talk about his new book, a memoir, called How We Fight For Our Lives. I follow him on Twitter, and we’ve interacted a little. Roxane Gay is phenomenal. Writer, cultural critic, professor, she is definitely part of the zeitgeist. I enjoyed this evening so much. They’re both intelligent, viciously funny, and socially sensitive which is not to say that they are fragile, even though, as humans, as all of us, they are. They are friends, and it showed. Part of my ticket price was getting a copy of his book which he then signed. I had the courage to ask him for a selfie which he graciously granted.

To wrap up the month, the financial dude came over again to look at the trust. We’re now waiting for him to send some updated docs then there are some things we have to do.

And of course, yesterday was Halloween. I didn’t plan a costume this year, probably because I didn’t really have anywhere to wear it. But I did take on a project where I compiled photos of all of my costumes through the years which was really fun. I posted an album on FB, but I also created a Google album. I like the Google album better because it’s in order from when I was a kid to yesterday. I did get some good comments on the FB one though. Mom & I had decorated inside the house, we drew faces on our pumpkins, she put up lights outside. We sat on the porch and handed out candy (went through all of it), then we went for a walk through our neighborhood a bit to see some of the houses that were decorated. It felt very festive with all the families out walking.

In world news, the president is closer to being impeached, California is suffering from multiple wildfires, and the Washington Nationals won the World Series.

So now it’s November. Tonight, Mom & I are going to see Steve Poltz at McCabe’s in Santa Monica which will be fun. Otherwise, I have a gig in San Diego on the 17th, for my birthday, we’ll go to Disneyland, and I might do another weekend in San Diego before Thanksgiving.

Until next time!