Guess Who and What is Back

Yep, that’s the same older panhandler from last week, the one that got that $20 I found.

I guess he had such a good payday at that location that he decided to return.

Later, after thinking about my not giving him anything, I decided it would not have hurt me to help him out. There’s something about the twinkle in the old guy’s eyes. So, I’ve decided to take him on as a project. If I see him again, and it’s no more often than once-a-week, I can afford to spot him the occasional $20.

That’s the Who is back, as for the What ……… remember when Manager tried to lure us into signing up for Rent Café, the third-party portal designed for us to pay rent online, have rent automatically deducted from our accounts at an additional $3.00 a month charge.

She first tried to lure us in by offering a gift card lottery for us to sign up, offering to dispense with the $3.00 a month fee ……… but just for the initial signing up month.

Not getting the wanted response, Manager’s next move was to dispense with the paper form we’d fill out for work orders and tied it into Rent Café …… making it necessary for us to join Rent Café in order to submit work orders online.

Still no takers, Manager’s next move was to tie the Monthly Activity Calendar into the Rent Café — no more paper calendar posted to our doors. We have to access online through Rent Café.

I’m sure Corporate is pushing Manager to get us signed up, and it’s not just that we don’t trust this corporation with direct access to our bank accounts, it’s also that not many here have computers or smart phones to access the portal even if they wanted to.

So, anyway, we’ve thus far been able to get our hands on the Activity Calendar through other means, the last being check the Community Room for a printout.

I did that yesterday, but found no printout.

That’s because I later yesterday received the Activity Calendar through email, from Manager, along with a notice indicating, in big bold letters "AS OF APRIL 1, 2025, THERE WILL BE NO RENT DROP OFF BOX, to make rental payments easier please create an account with Rent Café and pay your rent online".

WTH. She won't give up. Has now blocked us from paying rent unless we sign up for Rent Café.

Is that even legal?

Fortunately, I dropped my check into the drop box a few days ahead of April 1st, but I wondered how those who generally drop off their payments on the 1st were going to pay rent if in fact Manager did remove the drop box.

I went down to check …… the drop box is indeed blocked off.

Talking to the Baker, she said she’s told those who don’t have computers or smart phones to just walk their checks into the office, that management has to accept payment.

I’m not so sure management will allow that, but how else can those who have no access to online manage?

As for me ……… during the no-contact Pandemic days, I mailed my rent check into the office. I’ll be doing that again, making sure to mail it a week ahead of the 1st, giving time for payment to get through the mail process and in management's hands before the 1st.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Two things happened when I popped into the market this morning ……… well actually three things because I forgot to check with my egg contact, see if he had anything for me, which means I’ll have to stop by the market after Friday’s workout.

The second thing was that the cashier asked, "You staying home Saturday?"

"Why, what’s happening Saturday?"

"The protest, but I understand Black people are not participating".

I don't know which protest she's referring to, but she's right about Black people not participating.

Other than working my voodoo dolls, not patronizing Target or Walmart, I and other POC are not out on the streets fighting this one because we told you so. This one is for those who did not listen to clean up.

I didn't say that to cashier, I just said "I stay home every day except workout days anyway, but Cory Booker stood up, so I’m voting for him as our next President".

The third thing to happen at the market was that behind me in line was Name Dropper, one of the newer residents — the woman who was quick to drop the name John Travolta, said her granddaughter is an actress, had a role with Travolta when she was a child.

I meant to offer Name Dropper a ride back to the complex, but distracted by the cashier’s question about Saturday, I totally forgot Name Dropper was there.

Didn’t remember her until, once in the car, driving out of the store’s parking lot, I saw her walking with her cart.

Pulling alongside, I apologized for not offering her a ride sooner, asked if she wanted one.

She declined, but said she’d just bought a box of wine, we should exchange telephone numbers. "You are so funny. I really love you, you should come to my unit, have a glass of wine with me".

Huh?

I'm glad she declined the ride, because she kinda gave me the creeps.

Seems to be going down, the way of Sue and Smoker Patty

She no longer looks healthy. I assume because she's inside her unit, lonely, depressed that life has landed her in an unglamorous place like this, drinking like Sue and Patty.

Plus, she scared me with that "I love you" crap.

Knew The Job Was Dangerous When She Took It

I yesterday observed TinTin’s belonging being loaded into a U-Haul. Her window still has that junk covering it, so I’m not sure if she’s all the way moved out or just working on it.

I also saw TinTin chatting with Next Door Neighbor, so catching NDN coming up the stairs today, I picked her brain ……… asked if she knew why TinTin covered her window like she did.

NDN had no idea and quickly changed the subject to discussing the complex TinTin is moving to.

Like I, NDN looked into the place online, and like I she found it a great place to live. However, unlike I, after talking to TinTin, checking the complex out online, NDN immediately drove over to the complex for a tour.

Declaring the place as pretty much perfect, including the fact the Fitness Center will soon be adding Yoga, NDN says she’s ready to move as well.

Only thing stopping her from leasing a unit right now is the uncertainty surrounding social security.

She says that as soon as she gets some level of certainty that immigrant president Elon is going to leave our social security alone, she’s outa here.

Good luck with getting a level of certainty within the 1389 days left to go under the current regime.

Whereas I’d been unsuccessful in getting TinTin’s reason for moving, NDN was more successful, saying TinTin said she was bored here, needed a place more lively, active, especially since she’s battling cancer ……… for a second time.

That was a complete surprise, as you’d never know it from looking at her.

She certainly looked healthy on the many occasions I saw her outside smoking with the other smokers — not smart with her condition.

At any rate, I wish her good health as she moves on from here.

In other news, I popped into the Community Room this morning to pick up a copy of this month’s Activity Calendar.

Of course, there were no printouts available.

What I did find in the Community Room was Dream Lover.

Instead of hanging out in Lu’s unit, as he had been doing, he was seated at a table, chatting, having coffee with a few regulars.

It’s still too early to declare the love affair as over and done with — they could be on a break.

Whether a short break or a clean break altogether, I can’t feel sorry or embarrassed for Lu. Fully aware of Dream Lover’s background, she knew the job was dangerous when she took it.

Too Much Togetherness

Yesterday, when I reached the register at the market with the prison like setting ……… the market where I saw the dead body, the cashier asked how my day was going.

"Excellent, because I got eggs. They’re expensive, but I gotta do what I gotta do", said I.

An 18-count Eggland's Organics is up from $13.49 to $13.99.

I then said that I’d seen memes online where guys courting women are no longer bringing flowers, but instead bring eggs.

The woman who bags groceries at this market, said she’d seen memes where women, so desperate to meet the high price of eggs, have asked not to be judged as they take to pole dancing.

That made me laugh out loud, say "I’m going to look that up".

In other news, I've seen a shift in the day-to-day activities of Dream Lover and Lu. The two no longer seem to be carving a path in the walkway heading to each other’s unit.

In fact, the last time I saw Dream Lover heading that way, he did something I thought odd ……… He stopped, shoulders slumped, looked down, seemed deep in thought as though giving himself a mental pep talk to get through a task he really didn’t want to do then, after a second or two, gathered himself, stood erect and continued on.

Since then, I’ve seen Dream Lover standing in an area of the gate on his side of the complex, just watching the world drive by and, on Wednesday, I saw him walking back to the complex from I know not where.

He waved as I drove by. I waved back.

Inasmuch as Lu has been driving Dream Lover to wherever he wants to go, it’s unusual to see Dream Lover walking these days.

Yesterday, heading to the mail room and a stop by the office to get the code to the new gate, I walked past the Community Room, saw it was bingo day for the seniors.

A few of the seniors saw me entering the building, smiled, waived; I smiled back and, in doing so, spotted Lu at the table by Community Room entrance.

She was sitting with a group that did not include Dream Lover.

It’s entirely possible he had a doctor’s appointment or something to keep him from bingo. However, it just might be he's staying away due to there being trouble in paradise.

Is the honeymoon over or are they just taking a break?

This is very much looking like history repeating itself ……… the same scenario I saw play out with Shadow and the Seer, where too much togetherness became stifling for Shadow.

Needing time to breathe, I’d see Shadow hiding from the Seer in areas inside and outside the complex. I’d then see her searching, eventually locating, and he throwing up his hands in exasperation as she approached.

It was sad to see her seemingly so desperate, unable to detach, give him some space, some breathing room.

Shadow eventually broke it off altogether with the Seer, after which the Seer's health began to fail and she eventually died of what those of us in the know saw as a broken heart, just like Faith ……… a former love interest of Dream Lover, whose health failed and her dying of a broken heart after he tired of her, took up with someone else.

It remains to be seen if Lu and Dream Lover are just taking a break or the love affair has already run it’s course, but I’m thinking that with Lu cooking and driving him around, Dream Lover is not yet ready to give up what she provides.

Time apart will give him time to breathe, gather himself, fortify and ready him for the next round.

Roll Call

Another quiet few days gone at the speed of light.

Only 1,394 days to go.

My only sighting of a resident, since Silver Fox caught up with me on Saturday, has been TinTin, the resident who moved into Patty the Smoker’s downstairs across the quad unit after Patty was evicted in 2023.

Passing each other on the walkway yesterday, TinTin announced she'll be moving next month.

Strangely evasive when I asked, "Why are you moving", she had no problem telling me where she was moving to, even gave me the name and telephone number of the property in Redlands.

Once back in my unit, I researched the property online, and it is quite nice ……… not like little boxes inside a big box the powers that be like to house us seniors, but a large open aired community like here, two stories like here, pool like here, washer dryer in the unit, an extra we don’t have, a fitness center we don’t have, Clubhouse with free Wi-Fi we don’t have, tons of activities and good reviews of management we don’t have.

I’d definitely be interested except, my being in the gray area where I’m considered over income, I’d not have the break in rent TinTin will get. I’d have to pay the full several thousand that I can’t afford to pay.

Too bad Red Light didn’t know about this community before she got stuck in the hoity toity community, with the luxurious units, where she’s bored, lonely, unhappy.

As I understand it, the Section 8 people have a lot of flexibility …… after living one year in a spot, they can easily relocate again. So maybe Red Light will find something more suitable when her year is up.

But for the fact, Red Light is raw since all that Facebook drama over being told she can no longer attend bingo here, would for sure misread my intent, I’d text her, let her know about that Redlands community.

At any rate, will be interesting to see what kind of blog fodder the new resident will bring to the table after TinTin leaves.

TinTin has hit the jackpot. So, I hope she doesn’t blow it by continuing that ghetto thing of tin foil, cardboard, fabric, paper, sticks, et. al., she does with her window.

As far as I know, everyone else in the quad is solid.

The Nice Old Guy, living upstairs across the quad doesn’t get out much but seems to be doing the best he can, on his walker, when I do see him out on the walkway.

His next-door neighbor — the guy that moved into the upstairs corner Bad Energy Unit, seems to have beaten the curse.

After having seen whatever apparition exists there cause the lives and physicality of four residents rather quickly deteriorate and eventually fall completely apart, he’s the only one to remain hale and hardy.

After not seeing him for months, I was beginning to wonder when, a few weeks ago, I finally did catch him heading out. He was beaming, said I'd not seen him because he's generally out early and had just returned from vacationing on a cruise ship trip to Acapulco.

So, whatever apparition is up there, either likes him or has moved on, because he's doing just fine.

After yesterday’s workout, I popped into the market, where I paid a fortune for salmon and a few veggies, no eggs needed.

Heading back to the car, I was approached by an older panhandler.

When he asked for money, I shook my head "no", but then remembered I had that found money in the car’s visor, so I said, "Oh wait!", had him follow me and donated to "the next panhandler that asks for money", as I said I would when I found the $20 bill on the floor of Ralph’s market last month.

The old panhandler hit up a few more customers, was successful with two, before I saw him hurriedly cross the lot, head for the bus stop.

He appeared to be working on a schedule, a pro, knew exactly how long he had to continue panhandling before the next bus arrived, because he timed it perfectly ……… not two minutes after he got to the stop the bus pulled up.

Up Close and Personal

Got a call from the Talker late Wednesday evening. "Did you move?" she asked.

"No, but I want to" said I.

Actually, I’m over that itch I had a few months ago to move.

After researching other living options, finding they were too expensive and many had the same management issues as here, some even worse, weren’t open space units like here but instead were built like little boxes stacked inside a big box, where I’d suffocate and be bored; and taking in consideration here is affordable, I have a great view from my patio and bedroom windows, how no one really bothers me, I let go of that itch.

I’m better off where I am.

So, anyway, I said to Talker "No, but I want to. Why do you ask?".

Turns out, rumor was I’d moved and, after being asked by several residents "Did Shirley move?", she decided to give me a call, find out for herself.

After confirming I’d not moved, Talker asked "Why would they think that?".

Nearest I can figure is, when the workers came to repair the patio that morning, they’d removed the patio furniture.

During the hours they worked on the patio, residents saw there was no furniture on my patio, observed two worker types going in/out of the unit for hours, put two and two together and came up with three ……… Shirley moved.

The Grapevine worked overtime that day, but with the patio furniture now back in place, that rumor has been put to bed.

Now that the concrete damage has been repaired, Adirondack chair back in place, it’s too bad I can’t enjoy the patio. Those dreaded lizards have taken a liking to the new concrete.

I can’t even leave the patio window open for air, as I fear the little bastids will squeeze through the screen, get inside.

There’s a baby lizard that keeps parking itself on the outside steps and, when I returned from a trip to Sprouts this morning, I saw two adults on the patio.

It’s a nice warm day and I really need the patio window open, so I went online to research "How to keep lizards away from the porch".

Google said, "If you have cayenne powder, hot peppers, or hot sauce, you have the key ingredients for a lizard deterrent. Fill a bowl or measuring cup with 2 cups of warm water. Stir the mixture well, then pour it into an empty spray bottle".

I have Chinese chili pepper powder in the cupboard — don’t know how hot it is because I was afraid to try it on my sensitive gut after going through the expense of special ordering it.

I’ve mixed the powder with water, sprayed the porch, so we’ll see how it goes with keeping the lizards away, so I can open the window.

Hubba Hubba Awooga Silver Fox resurfaced earlier.

If you will recall, he’s the resident that moved in August of 2024, that the women were all gaga about. The ladies described him as mixed with First Nation Indian Blood and some other blood type, wore a ponytail, which blood mixture and ponytail made him "too handsome for words".

He quickly was labeled "really mean/antisocial" because, as a result of thirsty women around here bothering him, he’d pronounced, "I’m sick and tired of women always chasing me".

I’ve seen him around a time or two or three and each time I sensed a devilish glint in his eye and a little flirting when he looked at me.

I've been careful to keep him at a distance by presenting myself as a polite, neighborly ice maiden.

Today was the first time he's caught me off guard. I didn't see him coming, reacted without thinking to chill, instead greeted him with a warm friendly "Hey" and a smile.

I was returning to the complex from Sprouts, getting out of the car, heard a voice, looked over. He was standing the usual polite distance away, on the walkway, but when I greeted him with a smile and a warm friendly tone in my voice, it was like a magnet drew him over to where I was standing at the car door.

When he got to where I was standing, I said something like, "How are things going for you?"

Don’t recall what he said, but he asked me how I felt about all this stuff going around about social security.

"It’s going to decimate this place", said I.

He said he was trying not to worry, and what followed was a pleasant and interesting conversation about what’s going on.

I gotta tell you. It was an oddity to find someone around here whose world extended outside these gates.

He was standing so up close and personal, as he talked, that I couldn’t help but check him out. Though I wouldn’t classify him as Hubba Hubba Awooga Silver Fox, I found him easy on the eyes — tall, good body, nice eyes, nice smile.

He reads as a "player", but players are not boring and, as I prefer being alone, I can't be played, wouldn't mind getting to know him.

As our conversation ended, he prepared to continue on to his car and I to my unit, he all of a sudden said, "Let me give you a hug".

The fact that I allowed his rather lengthy warm hug and told him, “You smell nice” (he did) speaks to my flirting back and signaling to him a willingness to have further talks; but he'll have to catch me when he can.

Patio window is now open to let fresh air in, and I’m not seeing any lizards, so I guess the pepper powder spray is working.

Sunday is National Chip and Dip Day

What?!, you didn’t know that, never heard of it.

Truth be told, I never heard of it either but, when I went down to the Community Room yesterday, to check out the seniors, I saw Activity Director had put out potato chips, salsa, guacamole, for an early celebration of Chip and Dip Day.

She didn’t have many takers, only Upstairs Lady — the resident who has problems with her legs, walks by propelling her body from side to side, and the new lovebirds — Dream Lover and Lu.

The love affair seems to be going strong, as I see the two carving a path on the walkway, going back/forth to each other’s unit, Lu looking adoringly at Dream Lover when I saw then in the Community Room, constantly touching his arm, shoulder, back.

A partner constantly touching me would drive me bonkers. I'd lose my shiz, grab and toss his hand away (I did do that once, when Michael, the drummer I dated back in the day, kept moving his fingers along my shoulder), but to each their own.

As long as Lu has her car to drive Dream Lover where he wants to go — he doesn’t drive, continues to supply him with homecooked meals — feed his stomach and ego with the adoring looks and touching, this one might take.

So, anyway, no intel of interest to be gleaned out of those three, I just said hi and goodbye.

I did find printouts of the monthly Activity Calendar, stacked up on a side table. So, I guess that’s the new method of getting the calendar to us …… check for printouts in the Community Room.

While in the room, I also noticed the Baker wasted my time, printer ink and 25 sheets of paper, when she had me revise this month’s Bingo flyer.

I’d already given her flyers to distribute and post. There was a date change, so she asked that I reprint.

No problem I.

She also asked me to add a blurb, saying it was because, "I've got to do something" about the noise ……… people talking, making it difficult for others to hear numbers being called, etc.

Again, no problem.

So, at the bottom of the flyer I added the words she'd given me, "Reminder: Please keep voices quiet when we are calling bingo, or if someone is calling bingo back to us."

I just knew some of the bingo players were going to be offended, weren’t going to like that blurb and, in the back of my mind, I kinda thought the Baker thought that if I thought she was doing something about the noise …… that gave me a headache last time I attended, I’d return to bingo.

I’m over bingo, won’t be returning under any circumstances.

At any rate, I saw the Baker had not posted the revised flyer with the blurb. Instead, she’d penciled in the date change onto the original flyer, posted that one.

I guess she too knew some of the players would be offended and, people pleaser that she is, chickened out.

She’s not like me. If I were going out of my way to arrange bingo, so the residents would have something to do …… using my time, my energy, my money to provide prizes, even baking cupcakes and providing other treats for break time, and you couldn’t respect or appreciate me enough to not steam roll all over me with your talking after I’ve constantly asked you not to …… the Baker even once had a rubber squawking chicken that she’d squeeze to quiet the room down, and last I saw brought a bell to ring to quiet the room down; if they nonetheless persisted, failed to comply with bingo etiquette, as they do, I’d pick up my bingo equipment and pull an Eric Cartman "Screw you guys, I'm going home".

I definitely will not go back to bingo.

I got a call from Manager yesterday, that guys were coming in to fix a problem with my patio this morning, would be arriving at 8:30 AM.

When Head Maintenance Guy did his pre-inspection before the Regulatory Agency was due to arrive for its random inspections, he spotted an area on the patio that appeared to be peeling.

He indicated, at that time, it wasn’t a big deal, that I was not likely to one day step out on the patio, find myself crashing down to the first floor.

When the Regulatory guy toured my unit, I saw the Inspector and Head Maintenance Guy looking at and having a conversation about the area.

I guess it was then decided it was a big deal after all, needed to be repaired.

This morning was a workout day, and with the guys set to arrive at 8:30, to patch up the hole, I was sure I’d be able to keep my 11 AM schedule.

Didn’t work out that way.

What I thought was a patch job, turned out to be a complete patio redo, estimated to take all morning.

I had to text Trainer that I was giving him the morning off.

BTW, last Wednesday marked my 6th year training at the Pain Cave. My first session was March 12, 2019.

I've told Trainer that he’s the longest lasting relationship I’ve ever had with a man.

Though Trainer still tries to "push me … build", unfortunately there’s a lot my 81-year-old body won’t now let me do. So "cross fit" has slowly morphed into "maintain fit".

The work on the patio began early — 8 AM. The guys completed and left at 12:30, with instructions for me to wait until tomorrow to put patio furniture back in place.

I originally had a wood floor patio but, when the current management group took the complex over in 2012, they replaced the patio floors with concrete, and did so without entering the unit …… they went up and down a ladder.

So, though I don't understand why the guys didn't use the same manner to do the work, so I didn't have to stay home, watching the process while working on that never ending needlepoint project was interesting.

The guys put down something that looked like chicken wire over the existing patio, poured concrete, sanded the concrete down, finished by painting the concrete.

Painting the concrete was new to me, it looked fine as it was, but whatever.

The guys were respectful, affable and managed to do all the work without getting a speck of mess anywhere inside.