Dog Park Drama

Took the dogz to the Naples dog park after mailing home to myself some things I bought at thrift stores while down here. (Otherwise Delta would charge me $80 for the second check-in bag!) I was having a nice conversation with a man with a fluffy mixed breed, when another man with a beautiful boxer joined us. As we began talking, which is so very easy here, John, the man with the boxer, told us the story of his family moving into a brand new expensive house, only to have his wife and two children become ill, his wife very seriously. He too was ill. After many visits to doctors, it was revealed thru inspection that his brand new home was badly constructed and completely inundated with two kinds of very toxic mold. His wife lost her hair, and after being misdiagnosed with everything from ovarian cancer to MS, they all had extensive blood tests that finally diagnosed the various ailments they were all suffering from. Apparently the new housing here is often cheaply built. John and his family are now living in a rented condo, their beautiful house has to be demolished, his wife is unable to work as a nurse, and he had to quit his job to take care of her and the kids. Of course a law suit is in the works, but moving very slowly. It was a heartbreaking story. He has created a website to warn others of what could happen to them: http://www.thenapleslemonhouse.org/.



While the three of us were talking, another man came in with a scraggly little dog and smoking a cigarette. I asked him if he would mind putting the cigarette out (as I don't like second-hand smoke even outside, and knew this would not be good for John). He said, "Can I smoke over there?" and pointed to a place in the park about 50 feet away. I said ok. He said, "I like to smoke." He moved, then changed his mind, said, "Come on, Izzy, we're out of here." He huffed out of the park, slamming the gates, and then, although I didn't see it, the guy with the fluffy white dog said he flipped us the bird as he left. What a jerk. I do not under any circumstances support a person's "right" to smoke near me. Do it in the privacy of your own home, or don't go out in public. I like the places, mostly in California right now, that forbid smoking even in many outdoor public venues.



Yesterday afternoon I went to get an hour and a half massage at a place called Massage Envy. A strong small Ecuadorian woman named Juana gave me a great massage, and I got the introductory rate of $57 for the hour and a half, which is unheard of. I gave her a big tip. I admitted I didn't know anything about Ecuador, so I asked her some questions while she worked. I had been at the beach prior to that. The water has warmed up even more in just the time I have been here. Tomorrow I go home. Today was mostly overcast, which was fine, as I've been trying to find out why S's computer is working so slowly, and have spent much phone time talking with the Toshiba tech support. I'd call the Grand Lunar but don't want to bother him. He'd know exactly what to do, you can bet on that.

S. has a small pot of cactus on his lanai and living under a shard of pottery is the most stunning reddish gecko. I believe he must be a mail as a day or so ago he was strutting the ruffle down the middle of his back and inflating the flap of brighter skin under his chin. Handsome guy. I think S. will try to move him with the cacti when S. relocates this month to a freestanding guesthouse next to his sister's rental. Right now he has some clompy (a word?) walker over his head in this apartment, which drives us both nuts. Fortunately I have learned to use earplugs.