Very Disappointing

 Well, someone had a shot at Low Budget Orange Hitler. It gives me hope for this country, but the guy unfortunately only winged him. Pus someone else near Dumpo died, which isn't like someone innocent was hit because no one hanging around with The Dump is innocent. But all in all, while I'm glad to see a present-day Nathan Hale, it's very disappointing that it didn't come out right. 

But back to Friday. I'd been drinking this Chilean red wine I bought at Sprouts, and had an awful headache when I got up. I packed the things that needed to go, got myself cleaned up, loaded up my load of books, and took off. After dropping the packages off at the post office, I rode right past my bank (since Ken didn't pay me this week) and to the used book store. 

I only got $10 trade credit for this batch, and had $55 trade credit on hand. The book I wanted that I thought was $75, was $65 so it came out just right. "The Koren Humash" (chumash). It's going for $100 used on Amazon so I did fine. 

Then I took the books that were not wanted and put them in the little free library on Park and Shasta, which turned out to have room. That was nice. 

Then I went over to Whole Foods and got a slice of pizza and a tall can of Trumer Pils, which is really good for super hot weather. I got a 2nd slice of pizza when I was halfway through the can so it was a real dose of good old pizza and beer. And that, and maybe the physical exercise, I'm not sure, made my headache go away. 

The Friday night service was as always, singing cowboy songs, doing the prayers which I'm very gradually learning, the usual things. This time I met and hung around quite a bit with a guy who's a retired doctor and "a hell of a piano player" (his words) which I believe. We talked about playing by ear vs. playing off of sheet music, and other things. Philip, the trumpet player, got accepted at this audition for Hammer Theatre he went to, for a part in Fiddler On The Roof. I'm intrigued by how a person can obtain the connections to get to do such a thing. Realistically any time I had free to do something like that is better spent out busking, but like everything else in this town, it's hard to find out there's a theater at all, much less to actually obtain tickets somehow or audition for a part. Ken and I laugh about how electronics surplus here is pretty secret and "insider" but everything else is like that too. 

I hope Philip does well, though. I can't really afford the ticket to see it, and can't afford the time to try to weasel my way into an audition, so it's not something I'll have anything to do with. When I was in high school I wondered why they were taking us to the museum and to various things. As an adult I realized that unless you're upper middle class at least, that one time you visit the museum or to to a symphony are going to be the only time in your life you ever do. 

Since the pizza filled me up pretty well, I just drank some ice water and hung out a bit talking with some people, then just had to tell the cop about the latest books I'd seen in the gun section in the book store. 

Then I took off, not going right home by way of Hedding but instead over to Whole Foods to buy things. I'm beginning to realize you can't get roast beef in this town unless you get the really super cheap stuff that comes sliced in those little packages, or you get a roast and roast it yourself. Sprouts didn't have it, and while in theory Whole Foods has it, I can never get anyone to cut some for me. I kept being told the guy would be back in 5 minutes and I think he'd left for the day. 

I'd gotten ground beef and kebab seasoning and was going to cook up 1/2 of it into kebabs I could put in the fridge and eat cold, but I never did it. Hence looking for roast beef in Whole Foods. I eventually got some cold fried chicken and other things, and sort of had my Shabbat meal but not really. 

It was so unbearably hot when I got home I had to have the door open and the fan on, so not only were lighting two candles a security breach because they'd perhaps be visible, but  I doubt they'd stay lit. So I had my chicken and more Chilean wine and eventually went to bed. 

I woke up this morning with a bad headache again. It could be I'll have to give up red wine but I think the problem is the Chilean stuff which tasted heavy and a bit vinegar-y. I poured what I had out and put the partial box out for the bums. Let a bum get an awful headache! 

Once it was evening I decided to do again what had helped me yesterday - a fairly light beer and greasy food. I rode up to H Mart, took a quick look in the hot case and there were some good things there, but I wanted to go over to Sprouts first and see if they had roast beef in. They did not, so I grabbed a "Black Box" of wine and a couple of different beers, and then it was back over to H Mart. I thought about checking out Mod Pizza but I remembered that I'd looked at the prices a while back and they were pretty high. I'd take my chances at H Mart, I decided. 

When  I got there the two things I wanted were there - a $9.95 beef and rice plate and a $5.99 package of just beef. I stacked those up and got a cucumber and at the checkout grabbed some Xylitol gum. I'd put the cheaper hot food on top and they're 2 for one where if one is more, they go for the greater price. But the checker was in a hurry so I got both for the $5.99 - cool. 

I rode back here and had beef and rice and pickled daikon and beer.