Big Yellow Taxi

2010-03-03 - 12:14 p.m.

Last night I went to refill a prescription at the 24-hour pharmacy. Rather than write down all the numbers, I simply took the pill bottle with me.

When they checked the prescription number in the computer, there was no record of it.

As it turns out, my doctor had given me a new prescription and deleted the old number to avoid duplication. Since there were still two refills on the old number, I didn't think I needed to bring the new prescription in. I was wrong.

So I'll go back tonight with the new prescription. Don't worry - I haven't run out. I'm fine.

===

I'm working on bringing my blood sugar down by not eating high-carb items. So I'm reading labels and so on.

Last night, I took my life in my hands and ate a rice cake - the Albertson's home-brand "buttered corn" flavor.

Not too bad. Pretty good, actually. I might put some cheese on it and nuke it next time.

Then again, maybe I won't.

===

California is, so they tell us, in a drought. The recent rains have helped, but we're still being told to conserve water.

A family in Orange had their lawn removed. They found that, over two years, their water consumption was cut by over 240,000 gallons.

That's good, right? Not according to city officials:

[C]ity officials told the Has they were violating several city laws that require residents to cover significant portions of their front yards with live ground cover. On Tuesday, the couple is scheduled to appear in Orange County Superior Court to challenge the city's lawsuit against them.

Soon after the city complained about the yard, the Has placed wood chips on top of the dirt, with help from neighbor Dennis Cleek.

"It's their yard, it's not overgrown with weeds, it's not an eyesore," said Cleek, whose own yard boasts fruit trees. "We should be able to have our yards look the way we want them to."

But city officials determined the fix was not acceptable, saying city codes require that 40% of the yard be landscaped predominantly with live plants.

"Compliance, that's all we've ever wanted," said Senior Assistant City Atty. Wayne Winthers.

Last summer, the couple tried to appease the city by building a fence around the yard and planting drought-tolerant greenery -- lavender, rosemary, horsetail and pittosporum, among others.

They sent a photo of the yard to city officials in October. But according to the city, their landscaping still did not comply with city standards.

"They put up a nice fence, but [the photo] didn't show anything about how they had complied with code, as far as the front yard goes," Winthers said, "nor did it include a site plan."

At the end of January, the Has received a letter saying they had been charged with a misdemeanor violation and must appear in court.

"It's just funny that we pay our taxes to the city and the city is now prosecuting us with our own money," Quan Ha said. "Doesn't it waste funds to go back and forth in court, rather than sending pictures, e-mails and having phone conversations?"

If it's nicely maintained and eco-friendly, why should the 40% rule matter...especially in these times of "drought"?

It's not like they paved over the whole thing and put up a parking lot.

===

Now they are calling for rain tonight.

I need to get going.

Be seeing you.

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