Rain and Regulators, Part 2

Inasmuch as there was no activity from the government regulator until 11:15 yesterday, I felt comfortable taking my time, no hurry to get out of the onesies or put on makeup first thing this morning.

Big mistake because, while standing in the kitchen making coffee, through the kitchen window I saw the regulator walk by with Head Maintenance Guy.

OH NO! thought I.

The regulator was pointing towards the unit beneath mine, so I figured that’s where they were headed. Instead, they kept walking.

Glancing at the clock, it was only 8:42.

Inasmuch as I wasn’t legally bound to let them in until 9:00, I figured I had time to scramble, make myself presentable should they come back, knock on downstairs neighbor’s door, knock on my door.

Fortunately, I’d already made the bed, my bathwater had been run and was waiting for me, so I quickly jumped in and out of the tub, did a rush job on the makeup and, believe it or not, was fully dressed by 9:00 sharp.

It generally takes me an hour to complete my morning ritual. This morning I managed in 18 minutes, but it cost me. I ended up with an enormous headache from pushing myself so hard.

Thinking the headache was due to a rapid rise in blood pressure, I did a quick check using the recently acquired Qardio system. I generally hover around 124. Yesterday it was down to 104, the lowest it’s ever been, which I attribute to all those days of taking myself out of myself -- sitting quietly in meditation. This morning, the Qardio indicated “over pressure” then “141”.

No sign of the regulator by 10:45, I figured he was done with the units and was checking the outside premise, so I headed out for gas and errands.

On my way out, I looked over to where the regulator had been pointing and realized he was probably asking Head Maintenance Guy about the cobwebs, leaves and dirt on downstairs neighbor’s patio. Because she’s weird, never opens her windows, her blinds, keeps the patio window locked up tight, never allowing fresh air in, her patio does looks like a Halloween Display, minus the jack o'lanterns.

If they want it clean, Maintenance will probably have to clean it themselves.

Returning at 1:00, the regulator’s fancy car was still parked out front and, though I didn’t see him, I did see that 9 garages had been yellow tagged – tags which indicated “Final Notice”.

Probably means get rid of the stuff or we’ll get rid of it for you, but time will tell.

Stopping by the Community Room for more signatures on Apache’s birthday card, the woman who’d asked, “If I give you $20, will you pick up chicken and potato salad” for Apache’s birthday nearly drove me insane.

She began bombarding me with questions, starting with “What day should WE arrange the party for”.

I don’t know ... why is she asking me, I thought but made a suggestion that since his birthday is Sunday, Mother’s Day, do it the Friday or Saturday before.

“Is that two weeks?”

Why is she making me think when my head hurts, thought I but replied “I don’t know. Today’s the 2nd, his birthday is the 13th, so the 11th or 12th”.

Then she began bugging me about who is going to make the cake and asking what about chicken and yada yada yada yada, throwing into the conversation that no one wants to do a potluck or contribute money towards purchase of chicken and potato salad, hinting that I should purchase it. Actually, literally trying to push arranging the event off on me -- schedule the date, find someone to make the cake, bring the food, until finally I just blurted out, “I am not his girlfriend! He is not my responsibility!”

That made her stop, but later I began to realize Apache’s birthday party is heading towards being a complete disaster. According to this woman, who has been close friends with Apache longer than I, no one wants to contribute (including The Seer who is said to have told the woman, “I’m too busy”), but if I go out and purchase a cake, chicken, potato salad, no one will have any problem partaking. Which is pretty much what happened when The Seer arranged that party for Shadow (She -- who also has been close friends with Apache longer than I wasn’t “Too busy” to put herself out for Shadow’s party).

The Seer was expecting this person to bring this, that person to bring that, but there was only the cake one woman baked, the chicken and potato salad I purchased, and a lot of people grubbing on it all without contributing one single thing.

It’s no problem for me to provide what needs to be provided to keep Apache’s birthday from being a letdown, but my favorite story from childhood comes to mind – The Little Red Hen.

“In the tale, the little red finds a grain of wheat and asks for help from the other farmyard animals to plant it, but they all refuse.

At each later stage (harvest, threshing, milling the wheat into flour, and baking the flour into bread), the hen asks for help from the other animals, but again she doesn't receive any help.

Finally, the hen has completed her task and asks who will help her eat the bread. This time, all the non-participants eagerly volunteer, but she disagrees with them, stating that no one helped her with her work. Thus, the hen eats it with her chicks, leaving none for anyone else.

The moral being that those who make no contribution to producing a product do not deserve to enjoy the product: ‘if any would not work, neither should he or she eat.’ ” 

I’m so disgusted with people’s attitude, after all Apache has done for this community, that no way will I provide a feast for them. If someone bakes a cake, I’ll bring ice cream and you can bet if anyone complains there’s no food, I’ll be reading them the riot act individually and collectively that “It’s because y’all were too cheap and self-centered to contribute, but I see you have no problem eating what’s here”.

I’m sorry I even had them sign his card. So sorry that I quickly went online, found an image I liked, and made a separate card just from me.

That is if there IS a cake.