A bit early

 Ken came by a bit early last night which was fine. I got my check, we talked, it was all good. He brought by a few things to list, and I'd found some interesting assemblies with motors and relays and such things last night, so I have stuff to work on. 

After Ken left I organized 25 things to list, all ready to take the photos and go. But I didn't wake up until noon today; I guess I needed the sleep. 

What's nice is, since we're back to the rating of "above average", customers are finding and buying obscure shit we've had around forever, that I'm glad to see leaving the shop. 

I woke up at noon, and didn't really get out of bed until 12:30. I had to have my usual breakfast, and wash hair, shave, and get cleaned up because I had a 3:00 appointment at the temple, to talk with the "executive director" no less. 

I got there early, and she showed up at 3. We talked. A lot. Among other things, I learned that the "year" the memberships go by is the fiscal year, which starts on July 1st. And, she found a form where the recommended dues are calculated, and on my income, it came out to about $300. I said, "Oh, I can give a thousand". So it's established now. I'll pay my dues at $1k a year around July 1st, and in the meantime I will be concerned with the adult Hebrew class, Intro To Judaism class, and going to all the services I can. 

I now feel like this person is a personal friend. I can't really describe how ... reassured ... I felt when I left. Back when I was in Hawaii, maybe 22 years old, I had my ham radio license and started going to meetings of the HARC, Honolulu Amateur Radio Club. One time the club met in a restaurant and in my usual broke-ass style I got something small, maybe a slice of pie or some toast or some small thing. Someone had given me a sheet of paper with all the repeaters on the island listed, their frequencies, PL tones, etc on it. A treasure! 

So we all go trooping out, and I realize I'd left the sheet of paper on the table so I dashed back in to get it. It was gone, and the little pile of tips we'd left were gone too. Someone else dashed in and out after I'd come out, saw that the tips were gone, and of course being a hated "haole" the rumor was started that I'd stolen the tips. I never had anything to do with the club again. 

Now that I think about it, here on the mainland, a waiter or waitress would see a sheet of paper with a bunch of info on it and know not to throw it out. You could go in and ask them if they'd seen it and they'd say something like "Sure! Here it is! It looked important". But this was Hawaii. They'd probably been watching the "haole" and here was a chance to do 'em dirty. The waitress might have even lied to the person who went in after me, saying I stole the tips. They'd get to harm the hated "haole" and there's the chance they'd get tipped more to make up for it. That's how things are there. 

So the thing is, I kind of had this worry in the back of my mind, that this meeting today was when I was going to find out that I'm not really welcome, because I have a really goyische name at present, or because I'd committed some faux pas, or something. So I felt quite good, riding away from the temple. 

My next stop was Whole Foods for some food. I had  beet salad, salmon, a few mushrooms, and feta cheese. And one of those little bottles of wine. 

Then the bank. The numbers agree to the penny. These days I'm saving $150 a week instead of $200 a week, due to my donations to the Harris campaign. But things are ticking along OK. 

Now on to Walmart. But first I wanted to find this "Grapes Of Wrath" motel sort of thing on Monterey Road that's right out of the 1930s. I rode 'way down, far past where I thought it was. Maybe it's buried under new condos, I thought, and turned around. I found it on the way back. I went in. There's a cigarette machine there that's not worked but still smells like cigarettes. The Indian lady there said it's $120 a night. Robbery, really. I said I was asking for a friend, and got on my bike and took a slow circuit around the place, reveling in the squalor. 

At Walmart I got some things including a little food grinder that may be instrumental in my making chopped liver and also I want to make gefilte fish that tastes good. I stopped at Nijiya for eggs and a couple of other things, then rode back here. 

Books: The Handmaid's Tale I bought at Recycle Book store.  I had a long and very interesting conversation with the owner. He's got his kids in the preschool at my temple, because a friend of his, who's *really* connected, has *his* kids there. I found "Shoeless Joe", the book the movie Field Of Dreams was made from, and "Ellen Foster" on the way home. I'm only picking up books I want to read myself. 

I got back here, put things away, and started back out to go to H Mart and Sprouts. I checked the medical device place to see if there were more of those assemblies I'd picked up last night, but the whole trash container had been emptied. So I'd gotten there just at the right time. 

Tomorrow's Shabbat At Home or something. I want watch the service on YouTube. It'll feel good to stay in, other than the shipping run I'll have to make.