Went to the mall by myself

Well, I feel at least 9 today, I went to the mall by myself.  Of course I was able to ride the bus to the downtown YMCA in Des Moines back in 1957 and never worry about a thing.  They were electric buses, with overhead wires in those days.  So smooth and quiet!  I really thought the diesels that replaced them were a step backwards.  My friends and I did all kinds of things that parents today would have a panic attack over.  We rode our bikes between 3 and 5 miles to the closest swimming pool.  It really was a pretty cool time and place to grow up.  I am always amazed at how many people from my HS graduating class still live in Des Moines.  One of them was mayor the last time I checked.

I grabbed a tricycle to the mall.  The ever resourceful driver pointed out that I took up as much room as 2 people, so he asked me to pay 2 fares.  Now I am bigger than most people, but I am getting smaller.  I tried on pants today, and I have lost 4 inches off my waist since I have been here.  I had 2 cheese pancakes (which really didn't taste like cheese), one egg, bacon, and black coffee.  Jackie slept in, and I was hungry, so I didn't wait for her to make lunch.  I guess I could tell her mother on her...Mrs. Belza promised to hit her if she didn't take good care of me....but everyone hates a tattle tale.  I did a lot of mall walking, bought a wireless router, 2 new, SMALLER pairs of shorts, and some groceries.  I tried to call Jackie and Joan to see what they wanted me to pick up, but either their batteries were dead or they didn't have any minutes, so I did the best I could.  The stupid router will only setup in Windows, so I have to start a VM to run the install CD.  Also, I forgot to check, and it needs an adapter plug, so I'll have to borrow the one off the iron until I can buy another one.  I need to get 2 because the printer also needs an adapter.  The normal Philippines plug is 2 cylindrical prongs.  The new apartment has all US style receptacles.  I dragged all the stuff home with minimal squishing of bread, and no egg breakage that I could see.  I think I'm going to try to cook dinner tonight if I can get a little help from Jackie with the rice and some vegetables.  I got a pork roast marinated in BBQ sauce and a mix to make some more sauce for the rice.  I'll cube the pork so I can cook it in the sauce, hopefully with some veggies.

I'll have to try for 5 times around the complex tomorrow, since I took it easy today...although there was quite a bit of walking and I did walk every inch of all 3 levels of the mall before I went to the grocery store.

Wel, the BBQ pork turned out pretty well.  Jackie was scandalized that I don't peel potatoes and didn't buy my argument that all the vitamins are in the peel, so I had to take my diced potatoes and peel them.  I made too much, so Jackie took some to her cousin, who lives in the next building.  They (someone is always hanging out at her cousin's, thus the plural.  I just don't remember who Jackie said was there today.) thought it tasted OK.  I don't think Joan liked it very much, but she was polite and ate some.  At my house while the kids were growing up, the rule was that if you cooked dinner, someone else did the dishes.  It turns out that the Belza family rule is that the person who cooks also cleans up and does dishes.  I think that was designed to encourage neat cooking and cleaning while cooking.  Anyway, I started washing dishes, but then Jackie told me she would wash up later.  She didn't think I was getting them clean enough, and decided to do it herself.  I did NOT pull an Adam and pretend to be clueless about how to wash dishes.  I could tell she thought I was "doing it all wrong" and had a hard time not laughing.