Knock on the Door

Plan for today was a nice leisurely morning. So there I was walking around in panties, no bra, no makeup, not yet showered or bathed, having just cooked breakfast, settling down to eat around 9:30 when there was a knock on the door.

It was the Head Maintenance Guy (HMG), accompanied by the Inspector I’d seen inspecting units yesterday and another guy.

I opened the door a crack to hide my state of undress, asked what was going on. "Inspection" said HMG.

"OH NO! I thought we were done with that", said I.

"We did one side of the property yesterday, we’re finishing off with this side today".

I offered to hide in the bathroom while the Inspector inspected, but HMG said, "We’re inspecting the bathroom as well". So, I had to run into the bedroom, quickly slip on a bra, a tee and let everyone in to see me without makeup, no perfume, no earrings.

What a nightmare, but it's probably karma for my being so cavalier in my reply to what Mitchell had commented yesterday about a "surprise inspection". Me laughing, commenting "a surprise inspection would be hilarious".

Not so hilarious when it happens to me; but it’s over, done with and it was interesting chatting with one of the guys who, seeing my never-ending needlepoint project, learned I've been working on it for over 4 years, and that the end seems near, said his mom gave up, never finished one she’d worked on for a couple years.

While we chatted, HMG and the other man were inspecting away, the other man making notes on his clipboard.

Being as how the one I was chatting with seemed so friendly, so fun, and the other so deadpan, I said, "Your partner is sooooo serious".

Laughing he said, "That’s because I’m from Corporate, here just to shadow the Inspector and M___ (HMG). He (the other guy) is from the State, all about inspecting. He's coming in one way or another".

"Like ICE", said I.

That zinger really made him laugh, then say, "Well not that bad".

At that time, HMG and the State Inspector came back in from inspecting the patio, the Inspector was smiling for the first time (I wonder what he saw that made him smile). HMG and the friendly guy from Corporate thanked me, apologized for the intrusion, and they were off.

I kid you not … less than 10 minutes later, as I was at last finishing my now lukewarm breakfast, there was another knock on the door. It was Assistant Maintenance Guy, here to repair something on the oven hood the State Inspector had noted on his clipboard paperwork.

"When the Inspector says something needs to be fixed, we have to get on it right away", said the Assistant Maintenance Guy.

I didn’t see anything wrong with the hood, Assistant Maintenance Guy didn’t see anything wrong, so I’m thinking the State Inspector is just throwing his weight around.

At any rate, all in all not a terrible experience this morning. I just hate that not one, not two, not three, but four persons have seen me without makeup.

I’d really like to get permanent makeup, looked into it some time ago, but found that high blood pressure is an impediment to the process.

Once Assistant Maintenance Guy was gone, I finished breakfast and got on with my usual morning ritual except, instead of getting fully dressed after bathing, I lounged in bra and panties, read a few blogs, started on today’s post when, around 11:30, there was yet another knock on the door.

It was Head Maintenance Guy again, this time saying he had some guys with him to follow up on the State Inspector’s notation about the water heater.

I said, "Count to ten, then come in" — by which time I’d disappeared into the bedroom to give up the idea of leisurely lounging, put on regular clothes.

Returning to the living room, I spied Head Maintenance Guy on the patio with two guys, one of which was HOLY SMOKING HOT EYE CANDY!

Thank the Lord I had my face paint on.

After the three on the patio were finished, Head Maintenance Guy said they’d be back later, after picking up a part, to fix the problem, that I didn’t need to stay home if I had something to do.

"Well, I’m dressed now. Free all rest of the day".

Truth be told, even if I had something else to do, I’d not leave, miss another opportunity to get a look at the Hot Eye Candy water heating company guy.

In other news, The Usual Suspects did not return to the Community Room yesterday to finish their projects. There was only myself, Crafty Lady and Dream Lover, now seemingly free of his entanglement with Lu, and probably lonely, as he seems the kind of guy that has to have a woman to hang out with.

Dream Lover’s finished product. Not bad.

Crafty Lady's near to completion project.

The Other Wheelchair Lady’s unfinished bunny. It’s cute though.

I just realized today is 9/11 and I’m feeling a little sad. Sad that it looks like the guy that ended Charlie K may end up like Luigi M … caught.

I Smell a Rat

It’s inspection time here on the complex. The landscapers are tidying up the outside, the Maintenance guys are changing out the A/C filters, the Assistant Manager is inspecting units to make certain everything works in advance of the State and Federal inspectors.

The most recent Assistant Manager is a cute little young lady that seemed to be enjoying seeing inside our units. When I opened the door, she immediately said, "Oh how cute".

"Wait until you see my Next-Door Neighbor’s unit. Mine is a mish mash of things I like. Hers is like a museum", said I.

I was actually heading out when she and the Maintenance guy arrived — on my way to Pizza Tuesday in the Community Room. So, I told her to feel free to inspect, lock up when they leave.

Arriving at the Community Room, I found Kesha was hosting a Resolution Conflict session with a few seniors — reading from some handout, and the counter free of pizzas.

I positioned myself at a table next to them, whereupon the Baker leaned over, whispered "There are no pizzas …… from now on".

"Why?" asked I.

"We don’t know".

I smell a sabotaging rat.

It doesn’t seem coincidental that, after all these years, when we get a Kesha as Activity Director, all of a sudden the tradition of free pizzas on Tuesday comes to an end.

Not only that, but the Calendar indicates Kesha would today be hosting "Social: Chips and Salsa Social" 12:30 to 1:30, but that too wasn’t happening because Management didn’t give her the money for the chips and salsa.

I definitely smell a sabotaging rat. Kesha’s days are numbered.

Before I arrived, the ladies said they were asked to fill out a Needs Assessment Survey, which is to justify Kesha’s position.

Uh huh.

So, nothing that was scheduled to happen this morning came to fruition, no fault of Kesha’s, but the newer resident (Crafty Lady) that occasionally hosts crafts for us, had us making art out of cut up paper towel rolls.

First, Crafty Lady provided us with strips of paper cut from paper towel tubes, and circles cut from a cardboard box.

Then we folded a strip, nestled the folded strip inside the unfolded strip to produce a flower like design, hot glued the designs around the cardboard circle however we saw fit.

The Other Wheelchair Lady is trying to make a bunny.

I didn't stay long enough to see her finished bunny, or the finished product of others, but inasmuch as the session is to continue tomorrow, I'll get to see how the projects turn out, and will post the results.

I'm a crafter, so I was quick to position my little designs in the middle of the board, paint and be out, back to my needlepoint.

As we were crafting, Kesha (who had been working on something in the office) came back into the room, began taking pictures of our craft session.

"She’s going to turn those photos into Corporate, take credit for what we’re doing", said Crafty Lady.

"Doesn’t matter", said I. "Won’t help her" (because I see far, know her position is about to be eliminated and there’s nothing she can do to save it).

It’s great to be retired, not have to worry about downsizing, layoffs, and sabotage because you’re Black.

In fact, last Sunday, September 7, marked my 15th year of sliding the chute.

Other than discussing the obvious impending dissolution of Kesha’s position, conversation at the table was how those of us who are familiar with Not Dead Nancy, from the old days, were shocked at her appearance; all saying, like I, that they did not recognize her, and how sad it is.

Someone finally asked me about that photo of my sitting on Meat Man's lap — it was Crafty Lady. She said she’d been browsing the photos of last Friday’s event, posted to the residents’ FB page, saw the photo and wondered what’s going on with him and I.

"Not a thing", said I. That H_____ (Meat Man) is just someone I like to clown around with.

She said she’s run into him a few times, he told her he was single.

Those of us who have known Meat Man for years — the Baker and I, laughed.

I didn’t go into detail — that he actually has an off-site fiancé, just said Meat Man is like a dog chasing cars, goes after every new woman on the complex, and I'm surprised he hasn't already pitched himself to her.

"He’d be wasting his time", said she.

"He usually is wasting his time", said I, "But that doesn’t stop him from chasing".

That’s pretty much all the news, except there was a box set up in the room where we could drop topics for the upcoming Community Meeting.

Had I known, I’d have brought down a typed complaint about lateness of the Monthly Calendar. However, seeing sticky note paper available, I printed out my complaint — how frustrating it is to receive the Calendar after an event or on the day of and, while others said they didn’t sign their name to whatever issue they dropped in the box, I signed mine.

Bring It On.

Vaxxed

Checking every day last week with Walgreen’s, where vaccine and appointments were available, but just not in my area; while simultaneously checking Costco for vaccine availability, on Saturday I saw that Costco finally showed "vaccine available" and immediately began the process of snagging an appointment.

I was ready to get it done that day, Saturday, but today was the earliest appointment day available and, thus far, there are only three appointments available per day — 10:15 am, 10:30 am, 10:45 am.

That seems strange and, to me, reads as an indication of there might not be a lot of vaccine available, they are limiting how much they use in a day to make what they have last until more becomes available.

At any rate, I was lucky to have snagged the 10:45 am at not my regular Costco, but a different Costco within driving distance.

So, not only are appointments limited to 3 slots per day, not all the local Costco’s have vaccine available.

I guess we can thank JFK, Jr. for the chaos, but at least I got it done.

The price went up a bit — from $139.99 last year to $141.99, not reimbursable by my medical provider, but it is what it is.

Once the friendly pharmacist jabbed my arm, complimented me in "looking so good for my age", to which I replied, "Divine Grace, the Grace of God", I browsed the holiday decoration isle. Halloween was up one isle, Christmas down the other side, with Halloween already sold out on some decorations.

I don’t need any more decorations; actually, I don’t have room for anything other than the usual spiderweb stuff and a pumpkin for my skeleton to trick or treat with, but I still like to look at what’s out there.

This was cute ……

I did actually think about buying it for the great grandkids, but I don’t think I’ll make it down that way by Halloween. In fact, who knows when I’ll make it down that way again (Long Beach). Hopefully, it’s before they forget I even exist.

Driving back into the complex, I drove past what looked to be a uniformed caregiver pushing a woman in a wheelchair, with another woman following carrying groceries.

I flashed back to just yesterday, when seeing Not Dead Nancy’s next-door neighbor out and about, asked if Nancy had returned, she'd said "Yes. She's in a wheelchair now".

For newer readers, Not Dead Nancy is thus named because, at one time, we had two Nancys — a Black one and a White one. When the White one passed away and there were conversations where the name Nancy was mentioned, the talker clarified which by saying, "The Nancy that’s not dead".

Not Dead Nancy came to us from New York, and was a hoot and a holler with her relationship with the financially well off alcoholic resident, who passed away, and her pursuit of other males on the complex after he was gone. Like the time she walked up to my old buddy Apache, asked "Do you need a girlfriend?", LOL.

NDN was bold, brash and a lot of fun until, in 2021, she suddenly disappeared. When asking if she'd moved, I was told she'd been hospitalized.

Since then, asking about Nancy, it's been that she’s been in/out of hospitals, for what I never knew, but was technically still a resident here.

Yesterday, seeing Nancy's next-door neighbor when I went to pick up mail, I was told Nancy was back, but was now wheelchair bound. I thought to pay her a visit, but had not yet gotten around to it.

Driving past that group with a woman in a wheelchair got me to thinking, "Is that Nancy?".

I hurried up to park, fast walked to catch up with the group, arrived at Nancy’s door just after the group had entered, called out to her.

What I saw was heartbreaking. I didn’t recognize her. The voice was the same, but gone was the vibrant fit Nancy I knew. She’s aged considerably, but that's understandable because illness will do that to a body. I know when I have a gut episode, the constant discomfort begins to take a toll on my body, I begin to look and feel worn down, ratchet.

When telling Nancy that I've not seen her in four years, she said she kept getting hospitalized but had seen me in the Community Room a few weeks ago.

I didn't remember seeing Nancy in the room but later, after thinking about it, I flashed back to that Pizza Tuesday when the seniors were arguing, I’d seen what I took to be a new resident in a wheelchair at the door, told everyone to not fight in front of company, THAT WAS NANCY!

OMG! I didn’t even recognize her and they wheeled her right by me, which tells you how much she's changed.

I don’t think I’ll be visiting Nancy again. It hurts my heart to see her the way she now is. In fact, right now, I’m feeling a throbbing sensation on my left temple, like a lopsided headache.

Is that from the shock of seeing Nancy looking nothing like the Nancy I knew, or from this morning’s vaccine ?????.

So far, the arm only hurts when I move it.

Hippy Dippy

Today was the event I was unclear as to whether it's a Labor Day Luncheon or Bingo with Lunch at noon. So, I suited up and headed down early, to scope out the scene, see which it was and if it was something I wanted to get involved in.

Early being 11 a.m. wasn’t early enough because, standing outside the door peering in, I saw residents already seated.

I didn’t see any bingo cards, so I decided to step through the door, spend time in the free A/C and, as I entered, who did I see seated right next to the entrance but Meat Man — the resident who so annoyed former resident Home Girl. She'd moved out and to Sacramento in October ’24 to be closer to family.

Long time readers might recall when formerly named Handsome Man, here on the blog, was downgraded to Meat Man because, at Pizza Tuesday, he had flirted with Home Girl in a disrespectful manner ... when the then Activity Director asked what kind of pizza he wanted, he’d responded "Meat", then looked at Home Girl (who had enormous boobs and an equally enormous behind) in a leering manner and added "Because I like meat".

Thereafter, every time Home Girl ran into him, she went out of her way to be rude, show her disgust and, in camaraderie, I renamed him Meat Man, LOL.

So, anyway, Meat Man had never crossed the line with me, Home Girl is no longer living here for me to support her, so I sat down and, in between my moving around snapping photos for the Residents’ FB page, Meat Man and I chatted.

I did tell him that he’d been persona non grata for a while because of his sleezy approach to Home Girl and, rascal that he is, he laughed and laughed and laughed, saying "Well, I do like meat".

You can’t stay upset with a good-natured bad boy who knows he’s bad and is proud of it.

I ended up taking a photo with him.

Residents are gonna talk.

I didn’t see much Labor Day in the event. It was more like a birthday bash for the Baker ... the room decorated in colors and items she likes.

I was asked to sign cards for two others, so I guess those two lucked up to be included in such an elaborate birthday party as, normally, they would have just gotten cake and an off-tune song at bingo.

Lunch looked to be Spanish themed, but I didn’t stick around long enough to see exactly what was on the table. I just took a few photos, chatted with Meat Man, headed back to my never-ending needlepoint project, and other stuff.

I imagine Talker will take over where I left off, send me photos of the cakes and video of the singing to post.

During the week, having decided I wasn’t happy with that pouch I’d made for the medical device, I flashed back to the Hippy Dippy days when Indian styled medicine bags were the thing. Nixing the idea of replacing the rope with a chain, I picked up suede cord, wooden beads, and reworked the pouch into a medicine bag.

I can fit the entire device, rope and all into the bag and no problem being able to access the button through the bag.

Much more stylish, hippy dippy type jewelry and, with plans to make a neutral faux leather version that will go with every outfit, I won’t have to make more than just the two medicine bags.

MEME OF THE DAY

Human Pincushion

At the medical center this morning, to get the doctor-ordered blood work off my bucket list, I saw a sign for flu shots.

It was a walk-in clinic, so I didn’t have to go back to the desk, register for the shot, but I did have to wait an entire hour because the workers had just gone to lunch.

Wasn’t a horrible wait. I made myself comfortable in the air-conditioned building, watched kDramas on TikTok.

I usually get my Moderna booster around this time, but the vaccine is listed as "currently unavailable" and, the way things are going under this looney tunes administration, who knows when or even if the vaccine will become available.

Arriving back at the complex, I found this month’s Activity Calendar posted to the door, saw I’d missed a Health and Palliative Care Services breakfast presentation scheduled for this morning ... "Starbucks coffee, milk and donuts will be provided".

I don’t know what "palliative care is", but I definitely would have pivoted on the medical center, gone to the presentation just for the coffee.

I wonder how many others missed the presentation because management can’t issue the Calendar in a timely fashion.

I also see on the Calendar that a Community Meeting is scheduled for September 23 to "discuss questions, concerns, suggestions".

Those sessions are boring and pointless, but I’m so sick of missing events because management can’t or won’t get the Calendar out on time that I’m going to go, just so I can bring up how annoying it is to see events after the fact or on the day of, giving no time to arrange to attend.

Adding fuel to my current fire is they’ve got the unmitigated gall to once again push Rent Café with a blurb on the Calendar that Rent Café is the way to "Stay connected with everything going on".

BULL MANURE!

Rent Café was formerly touted as the way to get an electronic version of the Activity Calendar in order to "stay connected", but that’s not what's happening. I've only twice received an electronic version since signing up, and those too were late, after the fact.

If she repeats that lie about Rent Café in the Community Meeting, I’m going to challenge her on it, because I’m done with their bull crap.

Other than that, not a lot going on around here, except the Usual Suspects are planning a luncheon this Friday to celebrate Labor Day.

The event has twice been brought to my attention, but I’ve made no commitment to attend because I’m not sure if it’s bingo, with lunch at break time, or just a luncheon and I don’t want to get trapped back into bingo.

Curious, I think I’ll walk by the entry door, take a quick look and, if I see bingo set up, keep on stepping through the mail room, back to my unit.

In other news, this ....

Outage

I was on the laptop yesterday, around 1:30 in the afternoon, watching a reborn to revenge kDrama entitled "My stepsister killed me, so I stole her billionaire boyfriend".

Don’t judge by the silly name, those kDramas are addictively good.

I was just at an on the edge of my seat part where both the reborn heroine and the billionaire boyfriend were in serious jeopardy when the movie shut down because the internet went out.

BLACKOUT!!!

Fortunately, it wasn’t a complete power outage — power in the unit was still on, but the internet and television were mysteriously unavailable remainder of the day.

Waking up this morning, I saw service to both had been restored, but I’ve not yet had time to get back to the movie.

The blackout turned out to have been "area wide", with no explanation as to what had occurred.

The outage made for a quiet day, as I worked on making a mini drawstring bag for the Alert device.

Took four 30-minute tries before I successfully created a workable pouch to match my kente cloth buff headband.

Now knowing what I’m doing, it only took 20 minutes this morning to knock out a pouch that matches a pair of leggings.

When I remember where I stored the camo and denim fabric, I’ll make pouches to match corresponding outfits. I’ll probably also make a black pouch for when I need a neutral look to match what I’m wearing.

Now, I just have to find a gold chain long enough and strong enough to support the device, so I can get rid of that unglamorous rope.

All in all, even enclosed, the device seems a little too noticeable, since I'm not wearing a boho skirt which would make the colorful bag make sense. Consequently, there will be times — especially if I notice a good-looking man checking me out, when I’ll tuck the covered device, so all he sees is the gold chain I’ll eventually be adding to replace the cord.

Time got away from me on Pizza Tuesday, so I never made it down to the Community Room to babysit the seniors for Kesha, but I’m sure that by now she’s got the hang of things and has the seniors falling in line.

After two sessions of bingo were shut down due to that covid scare, bingo is back on tomorrow. Lu tells me it’s a combination of bingo and a birthday party for the Baker.

I don’t have the energy to deal with the seniors tomorrow, so I’ll pass on attending.

BTW, some weird stuff is going on with blogger .... Settings is set to "not allow search engines", buy somehow "Google search entities found" keeps popping up when I blog AND, even though I hit "Dismiss", Google is still crawling, indexing, and screwing with my readership — causing it to rise from a few hundred to thousands. I’m not comfortable with that. Are you also all of a sudden getting the "Google search entities foumd" message?