Class of '60 - Part Deux

I sent the ring. I wrote a little note and scanned an old picture of me, from that year.

This evening, my iPhone rang and I answered and somebody said, is this Fefa? I said yes, and he said I'm Oli. I am calling to tell you I got the ring and to thank you.

We talked for a while and he said when I called the first time he remembered who I was right away, but when he got the picture it really took him back to Barcelona and meeting me.

He said it was May 1962 (so I was 18). He remembers my telling him that my father was in the Travel business, and that I was working in a Travel Agency at that time (true). He also remembered going to a movie with me and my mother, to see West Side Story.

He asked me why I kept his ring all this time (51 years). He sounded happy to have it back.

We talked a little longer, he is married, has 4 children and 13 grandchildren (not much to do in South Dakota lol). 

I asked him if he was in Facebook, he said he doesn't have a computer, but if he gets one he'll look me up.

We reminisce a little more ( he said he waited to call me when his wife was out of the house, she had gone to some school function of one of the grandkids)
I thought that was funny. Could she be jealous?  ;)

It was sweet.

manicure

Right next door to the dialysis clinic, there's a nail salon & spa.
There's always lots of people there. I thought about going one day but it was really full and had 30 minutes wait.
Yesterday, after leaving Marvin, I decided to go see if they had an opening. I have been doing some gardening and my nails were really bad.
I went in and there were only 3 customers and several employees. A nice Asian woman dressed all in pink waved me in. She told me to sit and what was my pleasure? I said manicure. Then she took me to an area where there were tons of nail polish most of them quite garish. I didn't see any brands I recognized, finally I chose a natural color.
The place is big and not very well appointed. A long line of chairs set up for pedicures, several little tables for manicure, and a back area for facials.
After soaking my fingers, she started talking to another employee that was working on a pedicure, then she talked to me in the same language, I asked what language was she speaking and she said tieng viet which I assumed was Vietnamese. After shaping my nails etc, she took my watch and rings off and gave me a rather nice arms and hands massage with oils and stuff. Then she looked at me and said something that sounded like pei pei, I looked rather baffled and she said nine dolla!!! I gathered she wanted me to pay her, so I gave her $10 + 2 more. She smiled and bowed, then proceeded to stretch my fingers and soaked them again. She then presented me with her hand palm up and looked at me smiling, I wondered what she wanted now, another tip? what? so she said gimme keys! I asked you  want my car keys, she said yes. Well it dawned on me she didn't want me to ruin my nails by looking in my purse for money or car keys after she put the polish on.
Then she asked me if I was cold, I said no, so she smiled and got up and put my jacket on. I could hardly understand a thing she said she probably couldn't understand me either. So I sat again and then she put the nail polish on and a coat over it and more varnish and more topcoat. So I said thank you it looks very nice and I got up ready to go, but noooo, she took my arm and took me to a room with a hot light so my nails would dry faster. She bowed and said something like 15 minutes. After about 5 minutes I started to get antsy and checked the nails and they seemed dry to me so I left :)  The end.

So tha

Weekly recap

Just thought I would let you know what's been going on this week.
Most of the time I am outside doing some gardening, the tomatoes are doing well and the roses are blooming, Spring is here! well just a couple more days :)
Last Sunday I was looking at some pictures of Monica in FB and decided to call Nuri. Last time we talked she hung up on me, but I was curious to know how her new life inland is and what she's doing.
Well it's been 2 or 3 since we talked, and I  have to say, same same. That woman doesn't change, at least she's consistent. She right away started telling me about she had to sell the apartment where she lived (the peluqueria) and how she got hardly enough to buy her little condo in La Bisbal, and how she was planning on coming to the US and give some money, not to me because I don't need it!? but to Sandy and Lizzie, but unfortunately she loaned money to Sonia for the restaurant and she never got repayed and she lost everything and only has 400 euros a month to live on and blah blah. By the way, it doesn't match what Sonia told me. But whatever. After all she's my sister and I hate not having communication with her at all. I have to accept that's the way she is. Next time she says she'll call, we'll see.
On Tuesday evening, I took the truck to Cerritos Dodge to have it serviced. Norbert met me there and we went to eat at Olive Garden and then he took me home. The next day they called me to sub at Jersey, but I declined because I had to go get the truck. Norbert came to pick me up and we went back to Cerritos Dodge. He wanted to have dinner at Hometown Buffet, I told him I'd go with him but I didn't want to eat, since I dislike buffets. So that's what we did.
On Friday, Marvin and I went for a late lunch at Black Angus. 2 words: cheese bread!
This weekend has been slow. Marvin watered the lawn after the gardeners spread some fertilizer. We played outside with Lulu, and just laze about. Took naps and really didn't do much of anything.

Some of the movies I have been watching this week.....Identity Thief (terrible),  People Like Us...Eat Drink Man Woman and it's US version Tortilla Soup.

Class of '60

The other day I read in Yahoo, about a man that found his HS ring that he had lost some years ago, and how happy he was to have found it. Shortly after I read another story about somebody who found a HS ring and traced its owner.

It got me thinking.

Many years ago, during my dating years :) I met this guy from South Dakota. He was a GI on leave in Barcelona. I remember his name (Oliver McMartin) because he was the only guy I ever dated that was from South Dakota and because he gave me 2 rings, his High School ring and also a little silver one with 2 little pearls.

I don't remember anything else about him, how he looked or how long we dated, I know we wrote each other for a while. I think I was 17 at the time.

After reading about the lost rings, I decided to see if I could find Oliver's HS ring. It took me a while to go through all my boxes of jewelry, I keep everything. My good jewelry I keep in a safe place, but all other rings, bracelets, pins, etc. I have scattered in jewelry boxes, baggies, drawers, etc. Just as I was ready to give up, I found it!

Next step was to find if Oliver was still around. I checked Facebook but no Oliver there. He would probably be 70+ by now!. I looked in my little red book that I still keep, and there was his name and an address, but that was where he lived before he went to the Army. So I checked google.

I put his name, and Sioux Falls South Dakota, and surprisingly enough, it showed the White Pages, with his name, address and phone. Now, how many Oliver McMartins can there be in Sioux Falls? It must be him.

I called..riiing riing..a woman answered. I asked if I could talk to Oliver, she said what? I repeated myself and she said I must have a wrong number. I then asked if that was Sioux Falls, South Dakota, she said yes, then I repeated the phone number and she said, yes that's here, who did I want to talk to. So I said Oliver McMartin, please. She  left the phone and shouted Oli Oli a woman in the phone for you. I heard a man's voice asking who it was and she said, I don't know, I can't understand what she said (LOL). So then he comes to the phone and said hello?
I said hi Oli, this may come as a surprise but we met about 50 years ago when you were in the Army on leave in Barcelona Spain. He said where? and I said Barcelona and he said is this Fefa? (that was my nickname at the time) I said yes, and you gave me your High School ring and I would like to give it back to you.
He was happy, and said yes yes I'd like that. Thank you. So I said I would mail it to him next week. I asked how things were and he said things were good for him and where was I? I said I lived in California now. We had a nice conversation.

I will mail him the ring on Monday :)

Spring signs & news

I planted 3 tomato plants on Sunday. One Early Girl, one Better Boy and one Roma. I planted them in the hanging planters and I hope they do well but yesterday I  had to spray them because I saw a bug eating the leaves, grrrrr. I was ready to discard the pepper planter from last year, when to my surprise I saw that there were 2 pepper plants still growing, so I hanged that one too.

It feels like Spring with all flowers blooming and because of the rain this week, things look lush and green. The lemon tree I planted not long ago already has many miniature lemons, nice! My roses were cut down for the winter and are now blooming nicely :)

I also went to Lowes and bought a few plants to plant in pots. Zinnia and libelia and geraniums. Some of last year's bulbs are also blooming, tulips, grape hyacinth and daffodils. I've never been lucky with bulbs but this year they seem to be doing well. Unfortunately, Lulu was caught digging up some of them!

I sub in Kindergarten again yesterday. I enjoy doing it once in a while, but I hate to wake up that early! It's funny some of the kids I used to have in kinder they think I am still working and I was on vacation or something lol.

And now for the news. Christina and Rick have a baby boy, Jameson Lee. He was born at 9:45PM today. Mom and baby are doing fine. Bettie called me a little while ago to let us know :)

Now Jeff will have someone to share a birthday with!

March

Last month I didn't post books I read, so here they are:

Marion Keyes - The Other Side of the Story

Carol Higgins Clark - Jinxed

John Sanford - Stolen Prey

Elizabeth Adler - All or Nothing

 

I didn't read much in February because the weather was nice and I was outside a lot. Also both girls were here for a few days, and that was fun!

 

I don't have much to say, Marvin has been feeling pretty good lately. We went to Panda Inn last night and tonight he was a little worn out.

Lizzie came home in the weekend, and she and I went to El Torito for lunch, also Saturday I took Lulu for a haircut and to get her shots.

 

I will try to write something a little more interesting next time.