July 2022 – Me and the Doods.com

Negativity & Positivity

Occasionally I take advantage of my blog as a place to vent.

ELBEE Occasionally?

Once it was about the unpleasant man in the gym who added insult to injury by letting his shorts hang down so low his butt crack showed. Another time it was the woman who accused me of not cleaning up after the dogs when I had one full bag and three more empties with me.

This week I have had it with spam calls! I don’t understand how the woman who claims to be from the department of energy can call from four different area codes within twenty minutes. Not to mention the “police officer,” who says in a cheesy tone, “So glad you picked up. I was about to put on my answering machine voice.” Afraid I could be in trouble for what I responded, I checked with my police officer friends who assured me they never solicit by phone.

The other morning my cell rang around 7 a.m. The caller ID said it was from the United Kingdom.

ELBEE She thought it was the queen calling to wish her a belated happy birthday.

I was very annoyed when I heard they were calling to confirm my nonexistent purchase. And yes, I was disappointed that it wasn’t the queen.

Some events are a mix of positive and negative. I was walking in the neighborhood with Gus and Stanley when a car pulled over next to us. I was a little nervous until an older woman, wearing a fabulous baseball hat that read “Bad Hair Day,” got out and walked over.

ELBEE As if?

She politely asked if it was okay to give the dogs some homemade organic treats. Gus seemed to enjoy his but Stanley immediately spit his on the sidewalk.

STANLEY I am not a fan of organic.

Yesterday, I was driving up a busy street in the Valley with Henry in the back seat. As I stopped for a red light, I noticed a very sad looking, seemingly homeless man sitting in the shade of a strip mall with a cart full of his belongings. I was pleasantly surprised when he glanced up, saw Henry’s big head sticking out of the window, and started laughing.

This week my husband Doug had one of those days. You know when everything seems to go wrong.

ELBEE Like when they make old people use new computer programs.

When he walked in the door that evening, Stanley, Henry and even Gus glued themselves to him. It was much more than their normal “welcome home, why did you leave us greeting.” It was an offer of pure comfort.

Doug realized that with one thing happening after another all day, he hadn’t had a moment to relax and unwind. He was still feeling the stress. The dogs were using their pure positivity to fight the negativity. And isn’t that what they. do best!

I Made It!

The title of this post was prematurely optimistic. I wrote it the night before I set off on my annual birthday trek to the beach. To be honest, the day didn’t start off all that well.

First, hoping for a pep talk to get me going, I asked my husband Doug how I was going to do it. His response was, “I don’t know.” Then I accidentally sprayed 70 sunblock in my mouth.

ELBEE She doesn’t realize that at her age, the sun-damage ship has sailed.

Walking from my car up to the trail, it was already so warm that I asked myself, as I always do, if it would be possible to change my birthday to January.

ELBEE Or maybe start a normal tradition like going out to dinner.

At the beginning of the Temescal Ridge Trail, I shared with a random stranger that I was about to start my birthday hike and asked him if he’d mind taking my picture.

ELBEE Aren’t all strangers random?

Coincidentally, a few months ago when I was up in the mountains, a man running by called out, “Aren’t you the lady I saw walking to the beach on her birthday last summer?” He had been one of my photographers! I don’t know if I should have been flattered or concerned that he remembered me.

I have to rely on the kindness of strangers because I am not the queen of the selfie. The best one I took on Saturday, unfortunately, proves my point.

Despite the heat, I was comforted by being in the mountains. The views are picturesque. There is a sense of peace and tranquility. Most of the people I ran into seemed to feel the same way. There was a true sense of camaraderie.

The Hub Junction is kind of a landmark in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s a little wooden pavilion that provides shade and a place to rest. Of course when I got there I had to ask another stranger for a photo but I also took one of my own, three bikers with dogs in their baskets.

GUS, STANLEY & HENRY Why doesn’t she take us?

ELBEE Hello? Aside from the obvious, she can’t even ride a bike.

The last half hour of the hike is a welcome downhill into the Palisades. The only problem is that it’s narrow and a little rocky so requires a bit of concentration. By the time I navigated my way into Temescal Gateway Park I was delighted to see Doug waiting for me by the car. What made it even better was big sweet Henry with his head out the window ready to offer some comfort and love.

Tell Me Something Good

When I’m driving to UCLA on Wednesday mornings, I listen to KIIS FM on the radio. I like the music and it’s a welcome diversion from the news.

ELBEE She doesn’t know who half the singers are.

Ryan Seacrest does a segment called “Tell Me Something Good” which encourages people to call in and share something positive. Although I have never called in, I know without a doubt that as soon as I walk into the hospital with the dogs, something good is going to happen.

Actually at UCLA it’s often as soon as I drive up to the busy valet stand in front. Everyone is very welcoming, but there is one young woman who really stands out. She greets me by name and then peeks into the car as she asks “Did you bring Gus or Stanley today?” She’s an absolute delight.

Visiting kids in the neuropsych units, I never cease to be amazed at how the dogs can bring so much joy to young people with major problems.. Wednesday, several of the teenage girls were sitting on the floor with Gus smiling and chatting as they put French braids in his hair.

ELBEE They also told her she looked like Dolly Parton but quickly added that it was a good thing.

On a recent Friday, two more good things stood out when I took Stanley to Tarzana Hospital. We went in to visit a little boy who was around 5 or 6. His face lit up when he saw Stanley in the doorway of his room. As soon as Stanley walked over to the bed, the adorable patient started laughing, a great big belly laugh that only got louder as he petted Stanley and clapped for a few of his tricks.

Then I noticed his special dinosaur blanket on the bed, and coincidentally happened to have a pair of dinosaur sunglasses with me.

ELBEE Of course she did.

When I put them on Stanley, the boy burst into a such a huge laugh, he had everyone else in the room, including his parents, laughing.

When we were leaving the hospital, it was very hot outside and I was worried about walking Stanley on the concrete, even the short distance to the garage. A security guard, realizing my concern, said that he’d be happy to watch him while I got my car. A few minutes later, I pulled up to the shaded area where they were both waiting and thanked him as he helped Stanley into the back seat.

These may all sound like simple moments but I barely had to think about it before I could tell you something good.

Grandma Doesn’t Know Best

My thirteen year old granddaughter Samantha has her act more together than I ever will. Aside from being mature, sociable and talented, she really knows how to dress. I can only aspire to the way she puts herself together.

ELBEE Sad but true.

Despite my bodybuilding past and the fact that her mom Jennifer refers to me as”crazy for Cocoa Puffs,” especially when it comes to the dogs, Samantha will sometimes ask my advice. She’s considering going to sleep-away camp for the first time and wanted to know what I thought.

Unfortunately, my one and only time at sleep-away camp ranks right up there in the top ten terrible experiences of my life. To begin with, the whole family used to spend idyllic summers at my grandparents’ resort in the Catskill Mountains, a lot like Dirty Dancing, so I’m not sure what possessed me to leave for camp in the first place.

I was a shy twelve year old nerd with glasses, braces and orthopedic shoes who’d never been away from home on her own. To make matters worse, Sharon Clark, the friend who was supposed to go with me, broke her arm in a horseback riding accident and had to cancel at the last minute.

ELBEE She can remember all that but not what she had for lunch yesterday?

After my dad dropped me off, things went from bad to even worse, when they led me to meet my tentmates… three blondes who were best friends! They had been hoping for another blonde to show up. At the time my hair color could best be described as mousy brown. It was before it miraculously turned blonde.

ELBEE One of the mysteries of the universe.

As I was sharing the saga , which didn’t get any better unless you consider swimming in an ice cold lake to be better, Samantha, who is very empathetic, was feeling sorry for me. Probably hoping to find a positive note, she asked, “Well, did you make any friends?”

In the spirit of total honesty, I had to admit that my only friend was a turtle. It had dug a nest in the dirt outside of the tent. I never saw the babies hatch but I did see the little white eggs.

Trying very hard to be kind, Samantha asked if I’d given it a name. If memory serves correctly, it was Sally.

STANLEY, GUS & HENRY That was one of the most pathetic stories we’ve ever heard.

ELBEE And she wonders why she’s not a grandma “influencer.”

On a brighter note, happy Fourth of July!