Friday, September 16, 2016

Comedy of Errors

The Calendar of Activities indicated Bingo, 12:30 today.

Planning on staying indoors -- working on that needlepoint project, catching up on recorded television programs, I hadn’t planned to attend but was lured down in hopes of getting another cell phone pen.

Last month’s bingo was hosted by a healthcare group that handed out promotional pens which held a dual purpose of serving as cell phone stylus.

It was a great little tool for throwing PokéBalls so, inasmuch as I’d yesterday misplaced the one I had, I thought to go down for Bingo today in hopes of obtaining another.

Things didn’t go as planned because, first, we were advised the group coming in was running half-hour late.

No problem at first because, seated at a table with two new residents, I was enjoying our conversation.

No one showed up until 1:10, and it wasn’t the same healthcare group. Instead of a pen/stylus, we were treated with ice cream.

I indulged, hung around after, planning to go through with Bingo, but my patience came to an end when, at 1:45, we were still waiting for someone to show up with the cards.

Today’s activity was just a comedy of errors, but though it was messed up, I did notice positive changes already now that Nurse Ratched is gone.

First was the increase in the number of residents who showed up for Bingo -- residents who deliberately stayed away from activities, because of their dislike of her, are now showing up. This is also true for next week’s BBQ Potluck. Instead of the usual five to 10 names on the sign-up sheet, so many have signed up that management has added a second page to the sheet.

Second is that the TV remote is now kept in the Community Room, accessible to us residents. Previously, Nurse Ratched kept the remote in her office and, if residents wanted a channel change, they had to go through her. She’d not give the remote to the requesting residents; she’d change the channel for the residents and take it back to her office.

On another note, I did not get confirmation about Creepy Guy and the machete, but I did learn he’s been hospitalized; and not just because he’s gone off the deep end mentally but because it’s also physical. Word was “He’s done. Not going to make it.”

I’m at a loss for words. He was creepy, caused so many problems for female residents that formal complaints were filed, got that one woman evicted because -- when he said something vulgar to her, she’d lost it, pulled a box cutter, threatened to slit his throat -- which threat of violence caused her to be arrested, evicted and lose her job a week into moving in; and though I went out of my way to avoid him at all costs -- to the point where if he walked into the Community Room through one door, I’d immediately get up and leave through another, I feel a tinge of sadness for him.

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