The Socks

Before Petaluma, Grammy lived in Sea Ranch in the far northern California coast. While living there, she worked as a massage therapist a couple days a week and spent the rest of her time volunteering at "Pay 'n Take" - a salvation army-esque establishment where people drop off crap they don't want anymore and then strangers come and pay less than a dollar for it. While working there, Grammy adopted every product that passed through the door that may ever have any use for any person. Some people might call this a hoarder. She owns no clothing she has purchased - it is all used from Pay 'n Take.

When I first started working at the winery, I needed new socks to wear with my hiking boots so I ordered some online. When they arrived, Grammy pointed out that she has LOTS of socks from Pay 'n Take and insisted on giving me a pair. I'm totally disgusted by the idea of wearing a stranger's socks. It's like underwear - you just want your own. Grammy wouldn't take them back and insisted I just hang on to them at least so I threw them into the bottom of my sock drawer.

I am completely neurotic about having things I don't need. These socks really bothered me. They popped up to the top of my drawer whenever I needed a pair and obscured my view of the rest of my socks. They were gross, they looked really dirty, and I wanted them out. So, I threw one away on the off chance that Grammy ask why her socks are in the trash. The other sock somehow ended up partially in my backpack while going home one weekend or something, because I found it in my car between the passenger seat and the door. When I noticed it, I was somewhere without a trash can or something and left it there.

Weeks later, I was taking Daisy somewhere and Grammy followed us out to the car. When I opened it to put whatever I was carrying into the front seat, the sock was there staring at us. It didn't even occur to me that Grammy had given me the sock - and she pointed at it and asked "You know where I found that other sock?." Long pause paired with a completely oblivious look. "In the trash can."

So I said "Oh, I think I was sure I had lost it's pair because I didn't know it was here and so I threw it out."

A few days go by and she brings me the grey sock (not the one from my car) and says "Here, do you know where I found this? I found it in the trash. Not the kitchen trash but the trash outside."

"Huh. Weird"

Ok, so let's recap here - she forced me to take a pair of used socks that she got for free. Then, she DUG THROUGH THE TRASH. I think this is the most disturbing part of this story. That is what homeless people do. Then she took out something from the trash, washed it, and now expects me to wear it on my feet. Then she completely forgot that she had already had this conversation with me, because with most things, Grammy struggles to remember what happened. However, the one thing she can actually track and remember and follow through on and is digging through the trash for a used sock and washing it and keeping it, unaware that it's pair even existed.

My Kwanzaa

Here's how Daisy and I spent our December 26th. I'm gonna miss her a ton while I'm in Australia - so all of you Bay Area folk: if you're ever driving through Petaluma you should swing by Grammy's and make sure they're both still doing all right.

Jitters

I leave for Australia in two weeks and I'm starting to get a little bit nervous since I'm going to be essentially in the middle of nowhere surrounded by people I have either never met or only met during a brief interview in a foreign (luckily, english-speaking) country.

While studying abroad in Spain a few years ago, I had a great time but missed out on a lot of aspects of American life/culture (see: Tila Tequila). I was also abroad with other UC students who were all my age and in the same boat. Very little was expected of me. I'm now going to be expected to do work and will be the sole Californian probably in the Yarra Valley.

However, Joe Cocker and INXS are going to be performing at the winery where I am working, so worst-case scenario I get to see some music played by some people who used to be famous!

I'm also very nervous about leaving Daisy with my grandmother un-supervised since recently the dog seems to be incapable of convincing Grammy to let her out so she can go to the bathroom. Additionally, I told Grammy to assert herself as the alpha - if she says "come" and is ignored, she is supposed to grab the dog and bring her over to where she initially made the command. Instead, this happens:

Grammy: Daisy, come.
Daisy: (stares blankly - doesn't move)
Me: Now go grab her. Assert yourself as the alpha.
Grammy: Daisy, look! (holds up treat)
Daisy: (perks up - still doesn't move)
Me: Don't reward bad behavior. That is a bribe.
Grammy: (walks over to Daisy, gives her treat, pets her) What a good girl. Best-us puppus.

I'm going to come back to the house after Australia to find it overrun by dogs and Grammy nowhere to be found.

Daisy and the Fly

Foul

I decided to see how long I can go without doing laundry since for some reason I'm jealous of my friends who don't have washers and driers and who end up wearing clothing they hate on laundry day. So, a few weeks in, I decided I should cave since I'm out of clean clothes that I enjoy wearing and on to things that I sleep in regularly, wear when doing activities that may result in my clothes becoming damaged/stained, etc. I also am letting myself get out of exercise since my favorite work out clothes are dirty.

I just finished sorting through my laundry basket and found a bunch of disgusting (still wet) sweat-soaked towels from my Bikram Yoga class at the bottom of my laundry pile. Ew.