Camper

My lovely case manager, Erin, and I went to breakfast last Thursday morning at Starbucks, just down the street near Second and Central, right next to Yogurtland, the frozen yogurt store.
We've started having breakfasts together again, usually on Tuesday mornings, because we're such good buddies and all. We used to go to the Hippie Kitchen on these mornings, but Erin has tired of the constant offerings of beans and salad, and I can't say as I blame her. She prefers fast food at McDonalds to the beans and salad. I on the other hand, still eat at the Hippie Kitchen the other days it is open, not minding the rigid menu, (1) because they offer different kinds of beans each day (and sometimes peas!), (2) beans and salad are hearty and nutritious (and low fat, and fibrous), (3) the price is right (I'll take free food any day, that gives me more money I can waste on other things), and (4) they often give away bread and bagels (which is free, which allows me to waste the money I would normally spend on bread and bagels on other things I really don't need).
Anyway, poor little Erin was so tired last Tuesday morning, from working so hard here, that she over slept, and missed our usual breakfast date, so we postponed until Thursday.
That morning I was up in my room minding my own business, when the phone rang a little after eight in the morning.
"Hi Rick!" It was Erin. She was calling me from her car right outside our front door, using her magic iphone. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to Starbucks with me."
"Auh... okay."
I walked outside. My neighbor Lester was already out there haranguing her about something through the driver's side window. I quickly jumped in her vehicle as she was technically parked illegally. Lester was still yacking (once Lester gets rolling he can't stop) as we drove off, making a drastic right on Alameda.
She was buying this week, and she asked me what I wanted.
"Whatever you're getting," I told her. I tell her that every time we venture to Starbucks, because I have no idea what is good, or fashionable there, as I never go there on my own. The idea of paying over three bucks for a freaking cup of coffee to me is a little more than horrific.
We had some nice little breakfast sandwiches (tiny), consisting of prefabricated eggs slices on a biscuit with hints of bacon, and coffee latte grandes for beverages.
Starbucks seems to be recession proof, as the place was very busy and crowded. We did manage to find a little table to sit at though, and enjoyed our meal while chatting about her new roommates, Colleen and Christina, as well as her old one, my new friend Leah, the upcoming Academy Awards (Erin was unaware that the film "Avatar," was now the biggest grossing picture in history, "Really, I didn't know that," she said. "Yes," I told her. "Over two billion dollars now." "Really?" "Yes, and I don't even think It's that good a movie," I said, "You know, if I were the producer of "Titanic," I'd be really pissed off." "Yeah, I guess," she said, "Hey, wait a minute..."), the pick up truck she wants to buy ("I want an old pick up truck, like from the sixties or seventies, just because I like the way they look, but I want a new engine in it," she says) and other matters of equal importance.
"So, are we going to get up to Griffith Park and just walk around?" I asked Erin. "Because the observatory doesn't open until twelve..."
"Really."
"Yeah, look it up."
Which she did, utilizing her magic iphone.
We were talking about our impending field trip to the Griffith Park Observatory, and Paul and Erin had decided to leave at 10:00AM. We would be driving there, and the observatory is only about twenty minutes away, so we would have an excess amount of time to stand around and look at it's closed front door.
"Shitburgers! You're right. Well I guess we can hike around until it opens."
"Yeah, we can do that."
It didn't take long to finish our hearty meal, and soon we made our way back to the hotel, and her office to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the trip.
"The art of making a great P B and J, is to use lots of PB and J," I explained.
"I know," Erin replied.
Paul was now at work and in the office with us.
"I felt kind of besieged as I got to work today, "he told us. "about five people came up to me all at once wanting things."
"Now you know what its like to be Mariah Carey," I told him.
"Yeah," Erin agreed.
We needed to make a total of ten PB&Js, and Erin and I raced each other to see who would get five done first. How mature of us. Paul busied himself with the videos I had Emailed to him from the "Funny or Die," web-site, concerning the indigenous flowers of Southern California: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/ef21185066/the-indigenous-flowers-of-southern-california-ep-1 in honor of the reconvening of the Garden Club next Monday (today!).
Erin couldn't help but start typing something on her computer while we were making our PB&Js, and I won the contest by half a PB&J.
Ha! HA! on you Erin. Better luck next time.
I left them to their own devices for the next forty-five minutes or so, until it was time to leave for the observatory. At 10:15 we gathered in the lobby. Harold, Fred, Lester, Yolanda, and myself were the only ones to show, along with Erin and Paul, of course. At 10:20, Robert came down in his robe and slippers, wanting us to wait for him to take a shower so he could come too.
"Don't take a shower," Erin told him. "You're already late. Just get dressed and we'll wait for you."
What did Robert do, what any typical Republican would do, he promptly got in the shower.
"He what?!" Erin asked Paul, who told her where he was. "I specifically told him not to take a shower, or we'd leave."
Kind hearted Paul was going to wait, but Erin was adamant. I helped her to be adamant.
"He does this every time I go somewhere with him, Erin. Let's go, " I told her.
So we made Paul acquiesce and all piled into Erin's and Paul's respective automobiles, and the trip was on.

To be continued.