Day 4 - LA County enters Red Tier for the first time.

Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens…the Redwood section…

3/18/21. Thursday.

8:30 – I hear the garage door opening.  L. is probably going to Blick for art supplies for a current assignment. Blick is the go-to art supply store for all students who are taking art classes.  The instructors assign an art project and place an order with Blick so the supplies will be on hand for the students – Blick is kind of like a college book store.

I go back to sleep.

Last week, L.’s assignment was to make a mold of her hand.  Although there are three Blicks in our area, none of them had the special Plaster of Paris she needed EXCEPT the one in Fullerton, 40 minutes away.  The assignment was due on Saturday, so L. left early on Saturday morning, drove to Fullerton, and picked up the mold kit.  She got home, mixed it, and it hardened within seconds, too fast for her to even put her hand in the bucket.

Devastated, and now out of time to complete the assignment, she asked me what I thought she should do.  I suggested she take pictures of the fiasco and email her professor so he at least knows she tried.  L. went one better and asked her fellow classmates for help – only one student responded with no advice, just words of encouragement.   L. then explained everything to her professor and he kindly gave her a 4 out of 5 on the assignment.

9:30 – 10:30 - I’m up. Exhausted.  I say, again, why do I do this to myself? I go downstairs to greet the dog.  She pooped near the front door so I clean it up and we go outside.  This is so irritating. I still give her a treat and coffee for me.  Upstairs and I take a shower. Lotion. Black turtleneck, leggings, and boots. Light make-up.

11:00 – I load everything in the car and I’m off to Santa Barbara!!!

-Driving

-I’ve been planning to go to the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens for some time and when I went online to reserve tickets, I found that you don’t have to reserve a date/time.  You simply show up and pay, just like in the Before Times. I wanted to make a day of it, so I asked L. for a restaurant recommendation and she made a reservation for me at 12:30 at Scarlet Begonias via Open Table.

12:20 – 2:00 - Arrive in the vicinity and find parking.  Then, I walk down State Street looking for the restaurant.  It’s hard to find the space because it’s tucked inside a courtyard.  When I get there, I find that Scarlet Begonias is no more.  They’ve been replaced by Cyo Pizza. A shame – another good restaurant goes down. I’m on foot so I wander into Olio Limone.  Everyone is masked but I note that the host asks me if I prefer inside or outside. Oh yes, I forgot – California guidelines have changed.  I look inside and see a family of four actually eating. Inside. This is so off-putting to me I can barely process it.  Inside dining! ? How dangerous. 

I request outside and everybody else, sans family, is also outside. It’s a beautiful day and I have an excellent glass of Prosecco – just one – while I read my book. Olio Limone is featuring a lunch special – a $25 Prix Fixe – and I can’t pass it up.  It comes with the potato leek soup and gnocchi, topped with mozzarella cheese shavings.  Complimentary bread of course, and I use it to sop up the soup.  Everything tastes amazing!  I have some leftovers so I box it for later and then order a $3.30 cup of coffee [I don’t care how much it costs].

I read my book, drink my coffee, and count my blessings that because I am RETIRED I am able to sit in Santa Barbara, on a Thursday afternoon, reading my book and drinking excellent coffee. I pay the check and walk to my car.

2:00-4:00 - The Botanical Gardens are only 8 miles away so I drive there and show my Pasadena City College student ID so I only have to pay $10.  A docent gives me a “paper tour”, showing me a map of the place and explaining where everything is located.  Then, I’m off! This place is incredible and I can’t possibly see everything in one day [76 acres]. I “hike” all over the place and come across the 90-year-old redwoods that the docent recommended.  It’s silent in this section of the Gardens and they are breathtaking, even though by Redwood standards, they’re babies.

I have such a great time!

4:00-5:30 – On the road and around 4:30, it hits me that I have class tonight!!  Last week was Spring Break and there were no classes, so I guess I just forgot, even though I taught on Monday.  Oh no!  I try to use my Ipad to log into Canvas so I can prepare the class for the 6:00 deployment but my Ipad isn’t working right. Garmin says I’ll be home at 5:30, but then I realize I’m low on gas!  Just like old times – rushing here and there, trying to get to places on time.  I don’t miss it.

-I fill up in Fillmore [get it] and make it home by 5:40.

5:45-9:00 – I ‘publish’ the Discussion Board and the class.  The students are listening to lecture tonight, then a podcast, followed by a podcast quiz.

-6:30-7:00 – I take the dog for a walk.

7:00-9:00 – I continue with my Home Page project. The class rolls on.

I have some left over gnocchi.

I check email from College No. 2 – nothing of interest. Same with College No. 1

Class ends without incident.

9:00-2:00 – I spend the rest of the night working on my Module Home Page project and I finally finish it.

2:00-2:30 – I know it’s too late for this, but I eat the rest of my gnocchi and read Strangers.

2:30-3:00 – Night time routine. Bed.  I set my alarm for 9:00 tomorrow. A great day.