Dog Day

Not that I needed it, but I’ve confirmation the black puppy that’s in TinTin’s unit now, is not the same one that came with a sister white puppy, both passed off as Argentine pit bulls.

Heading out for this morning's workout — hands full with carrying a gym bag, water bottle, trash bag to drop off at the dumpster, taser and phone (I’m always on alert so as not to become a victim), something told me to set the phone to video, as the puppy is usually outside, being walked around the time I head out on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Coincidence?

I dunno.

So, anyway, I set the video — which video, because of the way I had it positioned in my hand, not wanting to look obvious about videotaping while carrying all that stuff didn’t show much other than stairs, walkway, grass, the trash bag.

Then, sure enough, I got lucky and somehow caught the moment I spotted TinTin's female "roommate" outside with the dog.

Not only is the coloration and snout indicating to me it’s not the same black puppy and I’m being lied to but, whereas the original puppy was so cute and so small that I could have held him in one hand, this puppy is older much larger.

According to TinTin’s female "roommate", the dog’s name is Chanel ……… like the perfume.

No gender confirming disrespect intended, but "Chanel" sounds like a girl’s name. The original black puppy was a male.

Sure enough, in conversation with TinTin’s female "roommate" while petting the dog — which seems to have taken to me ……… got excited last time I ran into when outside with TinTin's male "roommate" and excited this time as well upon seeing me, there was a slip of the tongue when I asked if the dog gets this excited about everyone.

The answer was "'No, she yada yada yada"'.

No question. Not the same dog. This one is female.

I hate being lied to, especially when it’s an unnecessary lie. All the male "roommate" had to say was the pure black puppy came down with parvo and passed away along with its pure white sister.

So, anyway, I edited out the beginning of the video — stairs, most of the walkway, and managed to cull photos of Chanel from the vid.

Five Days In

Five days into June and no signs of an Activity Calendar for the month on our doors.

Is this lack of a calendar because, in truth, there are no activities to post? …… or is the not printing and distributing a new cost-cutting measure? …… or inasmuch as the month of June is when management can raise the rent for us non-Section 8 residents are they otherwise occupied putting together notices of how much more we’ll be paying for enjoying the non-existent activities and amenities they’ve somehow convinced themselves they’re providing?

Time will tell, but one would think that with so many vacancies due to previous rent increases, they’d cease with the increases, strive to keep the residents they have, but noooooo.

So anyway, it is what it is and will be.

The man and woman living with TinTin returned some time ago. So, I guess they were heading out for a weekend away when I saw them leaving with luggage the afternoon of the same day I’d petted the black puppy, and not leaving because I'd scared them off with my interest in the puppy.

I’ve caught a glimpse or two of the puppy since their return — once with the woman, once with the man, but it didn’t look like the same puppy.

Originally, they had a pair of flat-faced/snub nose looking puppies — one all-black the other all-white, which the man said were Argentine Pitbulls.

The white pup sadly passed away from parvo and, catching glimpses of the black pup last week, I was glad to see he survived the virus …… except, from the quick glimpses I got through the patio window, it didn’t look like the same black puppy.

Heading out for this morning’s workout, seeing the man walking the puppy on a leash, I got a good look up close and personal.

While petting the puppy, I asked "Is this the same black one?"

"Yes" said the man, but it was a blatant lie as this pup was black with white trim on the paws and a patch of white above the nose. Also, gone was the little snub nose looking face. This puppy looked like a regular everyday baby doggie.

Why lie, I do not know, except maybe he was hesitant to admit the other male, the pure black one, passed away along with its pure white sister.

At any rate, I hope the couple take care of this one. As for TinTin, it must be crowded in her little one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit, with herself, that couple and a puppy.

I'd go crazy with my space thus invaded.

In other news, I read No. 45’s felony conviction now means he’s banned from Canada and the UK.

I envy you Canadians and Brits.

He’s to be sentenced July 11. He'll probably get a slap on the wrist, if even that, but I don’t think it's too much to hope for 2500 Life Sentences +1000 years and once he passes away that he be charged with attempted escape and an additional 200 years added to the sentence, which he will begin serving in the afterlife once he gets to Hell. Should he be reincarnated after his death, return as another person, that he be arrested at birth, spend his entire next life in the penitentiary.

Memorial Day

Those are the flags flying on the patio of the No. 45 loving neighbor who lives around the corner. Evidently, she's retired Air Force.

Impressive woman.

Nice woman

Terrible taste in ex-presidents.

No three-day weekend for moi. In fact, it’s only a mere few hours into the day, the week, and I’m exhausted already.

After a peaceful restful weekend with no little knock knock, this morning started off well enough, but things went sideways halfway through this morning’s workout when I began to feel worn out, depleted of energy.

At the end of the session, when I told Trainer I was exhausted, he said, "You pulled 50 pounds".

SAY WHAT NOW?!

Instead of the usual High Cable Standing Row, Trainer repositioned the cable, had me perform a Low Cable Standing Row, which I thought nothing of as I'm adapt at the former. However, turns out pulling down on 50 pounds is a whole lot easier than pulling up on 50 pounds.

I survived ……… barely, and would have liked nothing better than to call it a day, head straight back to the complex for a rest. However, having run out of eggs, kale and a few other essentials, I had to drag my tired self to the market, where I expected a Memorial Day crush.

The creepy security guard that replaced the other creepy security guard back in March was at his station, only he’s no longer a bother as I’ve ignored him often enough for him to realize giving me leering eyes was a waste of his time ……… that this one (me) is not friendly.

He has no game insofar as I can see, but I’ve seen the leering work on two other probably desperate women.

Hope they don't catch an STD from him.

As for the crush, all hands were on deck, so I was in/out faster than on a regular marketing day, except I stopped to chat with a guy about the bird on his shoulder.

Meet Bubbles

Bubbles is not attached to anything, so can easily fly off, escape, which the owner says Bubbles has done a time or two.

"How do you catch him?" asked I.

"I chase and he eventually comes back".

Bubbles is five months old and, when the owner’s daughter went to pet him, the owner said, "Watch this".

The daughter had to quickly snatch her hand back as Bubbles tried to fend her off with a bite, which I attempted to capture, but the action was so fast that I caught the hand pulling back, but you can see by the way Bubbles is mad dogging her that he means business ……… "Do not touch me", LOL.

Speaking of looks, it later occurred to me the security guard was watching my interaction with the bird’s owner, possibly thinking I’m friendly after all and will test that theory when I next walk by his station with diasterous results ……… for him.

That Right Person, Right Place Thing

Early last week, while leaving Starbucks, I observed two elegant Beverly Hills looking women -- whom I’d earlier spotted relaxing in the patio, putting their dogs in a car. Evidently, one of the dogs didn’t want to leave Starbucks because, headed to the exit door, I glanced out the window and saw the dog running as one of the women tried to catch it.

It was kinda hilarious as the dog appeared to be playing a deliberate game of hide and seek -- ducking behind an object, waiting and, as the owner reached that object, the dog would duck behind another, look back, wait, duck again.

When it got to the pillar by Starbuck’s door, the dog hid and, as the woman looked behind that pillar, the dog waited then moved in the opposite direction towards me. Holding a cup of venti coffee in my left hand, without thinking, I reached down with my right hand and said, “Hey, you little runaway” in a soothing voice.

The dog stopped and went to lick my extended hand. I let it do so then saw I could hold the dog in place if I grabbed the leash harness, which I did. The dog looked back to see what I was doing, its mouth a mere inch from my hand, at which point it occurred to me it could very well bite me. It didn’t, thank God, and the owner was able to grab her dog and keep hold.

If I haven’t mentioned before … I am NOT a pet person. I don’t mind other people’s pets but, as a rule, I don’t get near, stroke or let them get near and touch me. So the fact I allowed a dog to lick my hand pretty much amazed me. I think I reacted to the woman’s dilemma out of instinct but immediately after, I heard myself say to myself, “What the heck were you thinking? That dog could have bit you and set up a whole set of unnecessary problems for you.”

At any rate, that was last week’s right person, right place episode.

Yesterday was another hot day here in the Inland Empire. Too hot to walk the less than quarter mile to the market, so I decided to drive. I did not come across any elderly residents in distress but, I did come across a neighbor widowed about a year after I arrived here in what was then Paradise but is now Purgatory. She asked if I could give her a ride back as the individual she was with was scheduled for an operation the next day, the groceries bags were heavy and the heat too much.

No problem but, on the drive back, I did ask why she hadn’t driven that big old truck of hers, rather than walk in this heat. Turns out, her deceased husband did all the driving. She doesn’t drive at all. The individual she was with (her adult daughter) is the one who’s been driving since the husband passed but, because daughter is having problems with her eyes, she CAN’T drive right now.

I hope there’s a right person, in the right place, at the right time for me when the time comes – which will probably be this coming weekend, because I’m beginning to worry about participating in Saturday’s Cheetah Runners Appreciation 5K if the heat doesn’t abate. After thinking my old tired body couldn’t handle participating in competitive 5K’s with the young guns any longer, I’m feeling less old and tired since clean eating and anxious to see if it makes a difference. But I’m really worried about becoming incapacitated on the trail due to the heat.

Even though it’s a timed event, the plan is respect the heat -- take it slow and easy. If I survive, I might be confident enough to sign up for October's City of Ontario/Citizens Business Bank’s First Annual 5K Monster Run.