Public Stuff

This was the first morning that I awoke to a clear sky, with no visible smoke, haze, or pollution.  I'm sad to say that the smoke haze has returned this evening.  The west coast is still ablaze, but I haven't heard any recent reports of new wildfires - and, for that, I'm thankful.
   A bear was back in the Githens Acres neighborhood Sunday night, and it tore a large branch from a mature plum tree.  I don't know if it was the same bear I had my encounter with on Friday evening, or if it's another bear.  I did find out that Joel was walking Rosie at the end of Lynn's driveway when the bear climbed over the garden gate and went into the front yard.  Joel decided it was time to take Rosie back home, even though it cut their walk short.
  And, after all the paper-work sent back and forth, and all the money I put down as a deposit for this apartment, I was shocked to receive an e-mail today stating that I was almost $500 in arrears in my payments to them.  I called and asked for an explanation, as they stated in the letter that it was "past due from June" and we signed the lease and moved in on 2 July.  The woman stated that that was a typo on her part, and that I hadn't been charged the $400 pet deposit upon moving in, and that my pet rent hadn't been included in the July rent, either.  So now I have to make up that difference in the next three months, but it was their mistake to begin with.  Am I missing something here?  They were the folks who told me how much I had to pay, up front, deposits and rent, to move in.  I just don't know why I'm now held responsible for their error.
   It amazes me what one overhears in public these days.  Apparently people aren't ashamed or abashed by any of their own actions.  Sitting four rows behind a pair of men talking on the bus, I heard one state that he had stolen over $6,000 in cash from the homes of his neighbors when he was 15 years old.  He stated that the prosecution wanted to "put" him "away" for 6 years, but all he had to do was serve 3 months of probation, since he was a juvenile.  I guess that he was bragging to his older friend that he, too, was a felon...  And I overheard a one-sided conversation, on a cell phone, that sounded conciliatory at the beginning, but, over a period of 5 minutes and 7 calls, became extremely mean nasty.  It started out with, "Hey, hon.  I wanted to explain why I..." and ended up with the phone being thrown onto the sidewalk as the man yelled, "F--- you, b----!  That's why I broke up with you last night!"  Why do psople insist on "sharing" their lives with total strangers?  It makes me dislike crowds, strangers, odd conversations, and cell phones.  -   But then, maybe I'm the odd one out.  (I do not think so, though!)