I See Dead People

Well not people, just person; and not up close and personal, but off from a distance.

The plan yesterday was to, after working out, head across the street to the market for groceries.

After loading my workout gear into the car, I thought to check my fanny pack for cash and oh oh, I didn’t have sufficient on me.

Thinking the ATM at the market across the street had probably been emptied over the weekend, fresh cash not yet arrived (no cash in the ATM has happened before on a Monday), I drove to the branch of the same market that has a Teller setup, sure to have cash.

This branch of the market is located in the heart of where the homeless congregate. Thus, the shopping center that houses the market, a restaurant, fast food place, et al, is video monitored, with a voice that comes over the air announcing the area is being monitored, no loitering.

Also, inasmuch as the market is off to the side, away from the other shops and stores, the first business on that side of the lot, there is quite a lot of high iron fencing where the market and the market’s parking lot is located, to control access, keep the unhoused out.

What with that monitoring voice coming over the air, fencing and security guards, I always think of a prison when I shop there.

Believe it or not, this market always has the freshest produce.

I can only assume that, regardless of the people I see living on the streets in that area, it has something to do with Redlining …… that area being rated at a higher income than where I live because fruits and vegetables are not always that fresh at the corner market, often appear to be on their last leg. That never happens at this other market — the prison.

So, anyway, as I was driving to the entrance of the prison, I looked over and saw what I instantly knew was a dead body.

First thing I spotted was a figure on the ground, covered with what looked like a blanket. Then I noticed the cop car parked alongside where the body was located.

Once I parked inside the prison, I could see the tape surrounding the scene.

I observed nothing that gave the impression a crime had been committed, so maybe the person just gave up the ghost by natural or medical means.

That’s what happened to one of my brothers. He had a heart attack while stepping off a bus, passed away right there on the sidewalk.

After getting cash inside the market, I spent a long time working through my list because I was out of absolutely everything — except eggs.

By the time I finished shopping, headed back to the car thinking the coroner would have arrived, taken the body away by now.

Nope.

Still there on the cold sidewalk.

Just how long does it take for the coroner to get to the scene? thought I.

Remember that classic "train leaves the station" math problem? Well, the answer to how long it takes for the coroner is much like that math question and was found in the news I found online this morning.

Let’s say I was at the market from noon to 12:30. The video indicates the news and coroner arrived 17 hours ago. I downloaded the video at 7 a.m. this morning. Seventeen hours from 7 a.m. is 2 p.m.

So, correct me if I’m wrong, with my poor math skills, in estimating the answer being the coroner arrived around an hour and a half after I left ……… the deceased body lay there two more hours ……… likely way more because the unknown element is what time did the cop arrive, cordon off the area before I arrived.

So, that's how my week started ……… seeing dead people.

Just When I Thought I Was Out

Another weekend avoiding people and the news.

I did okay with the people — only one sighting while picking up mail.

It was one of the Usual Suspects who said, "We miss you at bingo".

I changed the subject.

Knowing it was Bingo Friday, that she should have been in the Community Room playing, I asked if it was breaktime and if she’d won anything.

Yes, it was breaktime; No, she’d not won anything but had come close.

I escaped back to my unit, only to later get a text message from Talker ……… "We miss you at bingo".

Not going to work ladies. You’ll never draw me back in.

I wasn’t quite as successful in avoiding the news as I’d have liked. Headlines about the Zelensky thing at the White House would pop up every time I booted up the laptop and, even though I didn't click on the headline, read the details I didn't want to know, there was no escaping the topic even on Tik Tok.

At least Tik Tok gave me some relief from the seriousness of what happened, and our humiliation and embarrassment that it happened here.

I had a short visit from my baby girl Twin 1 over the weekend.

She’d spent the day in Los Angeles, with the plan to do a turnaround …… drive the 5 hours to Los Angeles from where she now lives, spend that day taking care of business, drive the 5 hours back.

As she prepared to drive the 5 hours back, reality set in. Realizing she was too tired and groggy to be on the road for that length of time, what with my place being about an hour and a half from where she was leaving from, she wisely did a layover at my place, got some sleep and, the next morning, drove the remaining three hours back to Nevada.

She made me laugh when, looking around, she uttered "It's so clean here. Who cleans for you?"

She has someone clean for her twice a week, her sister Twin 2 had someone come in clean for her, Granddaughter also has a cleaner, so I guess Twin 1 assumed someone cleaned for me as well.

I don't know where they got indulging in that kind of luxury from, but for sure it wasn't from me …… she who, at 81 years of age, still cleans for herself.

The Inspection

Yesterday was National Pokémon Day. Had I bothered to get out and play, I might have caught new Pokémon for my deck and/or earned extra points for evolving those I already have.

Thing is, I didn't get out to play. Instead, I was stuck inside waiting for an inspection.

Truth be told, I don’t think I could have motivated myself to head out, walk around outside, even if the inspection hadn’t keep me inside, because outside is just too peopley for me right now.

At any rate, by way of background ………… We here at the complex have biannual and annual inspections by Regulatory Agencies. It's something to do with tax credits provided to Corporate being dependent on the units meeting certain standards.

Since moving here in 2012, I always get notices posted to my door indicating my unit "might" be one of those "randomly" selected for inspection but, thus far, I’ve never been inspected.

My unit was once inspected by a woman from Corporate, checking up on their investment, but I've never been inspected by any of the big deal Regulatory Agencies.

Doesn't matter to me except that, every time I get a notice, I have to get up early, prepare and hang around all day just in case.

Thus it was, when I returned from the Pain Cave on Monday, saw the "Notice to Enter Dwelling, February 27, between the hours of 8 AM and 4 PM to conduct inspection with Regulatory Agency", I got up early yesterday, performed my morning rituals, tweaked the unit for neatness and waited for what I assumed would be nothing.

Lo and Behold, there was a knock on the door around 1 o’clock.

It was Head Maintenance Guy, Manager, and a guy they introduced as the Inspector.

I’ve heard from others, whose units have been inspected, that the Inspector checks absolutely everything ……… opens closet doors, looks in the tub, turns faucets on, flushes toilets, open kitchen cabinets, tests the stove, even opens the refrigerator.

My inspection took less than five minutes.

All the Inspector did was to walk out onto the patio, look at an area of the patio floor Head Maintenance Guy pointed out, that is buckling; come back inside, look up at the A/C filter cover, test the smoke detector.

The Inspector did go into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, looked, closed the refrigerator door and exited the unit saying the Maintenance Guys would be replacing a part.

Sounded like B.S. to me, just for show, and I doubt the Maintenance Guys will be replacing shiz.

I saw the same thing happen when the woman from Corporate did her inspection. She said the guys would be re laminating the kitchen counter. That work was never done, there was no follow up.

When Head Maintenance Guy and the Inspector walked out onto the patio, Manager stood like a statue, just inside the door, hugging her clipboard.

After telling me I was the last one, that they’d been at it since 8 o’clock, she stared straight ahead — watching the TV thought I.

All of sudden, she made a quick movement, rushed towards the bookcase in front of her, bent down exclaiming "That is soooo cute. I’ve never seen anything like that".

She reached in and handled the item she was talking about.

I later stood where she had been standing when she made that quick movement, and this is what she saw from that vintage point.

When she bent down and handled the item she said was soooo cute, this is what she was looking at.

Joe Exotica

Of all the candles on display, what most fascinated her was Tiger Joe.

I pointed out Luigi and said, "This one is my latest purchase".

Still fondling Tiger Joe, she didn’t seem interested, so I said, "You do know who that is don’t you?"

She shook her head to indicate no.

"Luigi Mangione, the CEO shooter", said I.

With a blank look on her face, she said "I don’t know who that is".

OMG!!!

After thinking about it, I’m fairly certain Manager is likely not the only one on the property to not know anything about a CEO being shot, who Luigi is.

Today is Economic Blackout Day. So, after this morning’s workout, I did not head to the market but, from observing all the cars in the market parking lot, other shops and stores in the area, it's business as usual around here.

Money Just Falling Out of the Sky

Waking up this morning ……… checking my fingers and toes, I found they were all still there and nothing like gangrene looked to be setting in. So, as long as I continue with antiseptics, don’t wear any polish until my nails recuperate from the trauma done to them by the old ladies at the nail salon, I think I’m okay.

After this morning’s workout, I went on a hunt for eggs.

I had a feeling my regular market wasn’t going to have Eggland’s Best in stock, so I didn’t even bother. I drove to a different market, where I’ve been having good luck finding them.

That market had plenty of eggs available but, surprisingly, none were Eggland’s Best, so I pivoted back to my regular market and scored a 18-count carton.

When Trainer was a young man just starting off in the world, he actually worked for that market, knows a lot of people there, and since I often shop directly after working out, still wearing my Pain Cave shirt, those people know I’m a client and are extra friendly with me ……… ask about my workouts, complain about their jobs.

One of those is the guy who stocks the eggs.

After responding to his query about this morning’s workout, I thought to capitalize on my knowing him, get a leg up on Eggland’s Organic eggs, so I asked if he could tell me which day would be best to come in to make sure I get my hands on Egglands.

The way he explained it is that he puts in a request, they come when they come, but "you have to get here early" because they go as quickly as they come in.

That wasn’t much help, so now I’m thinking that, if those eggs get any harder to find, I’ll press my knowing him as a friend of Trainer's ……… ask him to call Trainer, tell Trainer to let his client (me) know when the eggs are in.

At any rate, I go through 3 eggs a day (two whites, one whole egg most if not every morning for breakfast), so I’m good for at least the next six days.

Weird thing about that 18-count carton is that, just last week, I’d paid $9.99 for a carton of 12 and today paid the same …… $9.99 for 18.

Did the cashier make a mistake, ring me up incorrectly?

I don’t know, but I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and question it.

Speaking of gifts …… though I didn’t find eggs at that first market, made no other purchase there, I walked away $20 richer than when I entered because, walking down an isle, I saw something that looked like folded green paper on the floor.

Curious, I reached down, picked it up, unfolded and …… It was a $20 bill.

There was no one in the isle for me to ask if they’d dropped it, so it’s free money. However, I don’t feel right about keeping it. So, I put it in the visor of the car and will pull it out, donate to the next panhandler that asks for money.

When pivoting back to my regular market, I stopped along the way for gas and, as I stepped out of the car, spotted a dime at my foot.

Money just falling out of the sky, thought I.

Long time readers might recall that, just before my sister passed, she’d told family members she’d leave quarters to let us know she was around.

After she passed, I’d find quarters in front of See’s Candy Store, at my feet when I stepped out of the car — wherever I was, inside the Pain Cave under equipment I'd just worked on, falling out of the dryer of the complex when I opened the door to put my clothes in, just quarters everywhere.

When the Great Granddaughter was born, looking very much like my sister ……… in the same hospital where sister passed away, the quarters stopped.

I've not seen a single quarter in the two years since the baby was born.

At any rate, no one told me to look for dimes. So, since I didn’t know who this soul/spirit was, I didn’t pick it up ……… it might be my ex husband or an old boyfriend. I left it for the next person to come along, take the chance.

What Could Go Wrong?

It was so annoying this morning when, watching a program where the cops had the serial killer in the interrogation room, gotten him to confess to unaliving three women and he was about to tell the investigators what he’d done with the bodies that the power, without any prior notice, no warning, went out.

Unless and until I catch a repeat of whatever program that was, I’ll never know where the bodies were hidden.

The previous day had been such a warm day that I’d had to run the A/C and, just before the power went out, I was planning to run the A/C again because the unit was hot from my having used the oven to cook breakfast and the heat of the sun coming in through the patio window.

With now no TV to watch and working on that never ending needlepoint project out of the question in an uncomfortably hot unit, no A/C, I began thinking of options to get away until power was restored.

I could head to the mall — walk/train for an upcoming 5K, pop into Macy’s to replenish my Estee Lauder Cinnabar perfume and stop by See’s Candy to replace the candy I’d lost during those last outages, one a weeklong outage.

Another option was to walk around the complex or drive to the University, walk/train there for that upcoming 5K.

My last option was, inasmuch as I’d removed the polish from my nails earlier that morning, saw that my nails could do with professional conditioning, I could drive to that nail salon that takes walk-ins, get a manicure/pedicure.

Not wanting anyone to see my unconditioned, no polish nails, I decided against the Mall, passed on training, headed to the nail salon.

This would be the nail salon that did such a terrible polish job back in April.

That salon had done a satisfactory job on shaping and conditioning but, heading back to the complex I’d noticed the polish already coming off the tip of the thumb nail, the child-like polish job around the bed of every single nail as well with polish painted over onto my skin ……… nails and toes.

I really would have liked to have called Nora at the other salon in the area. However, Nora does gel and her prices, though worth her good work, are too costly, so I decided to give the bad paint job salon a second try. Only this time, I’d request no-polish, just a $38 trim, shape, cuticle trimming, condition, sea salt exfoliation.

What could go wrong?

There were no other clients when I walked into what looked like Senior Citizen’s Day. The receptionist and the five nail technicians all looked to be in their 60’s and over.

What could go wrong?

Well for one, the two old ladies that worked simultaneously on the mani/pedi, both nicked me with their instruments …… more than once. I’d wince, say "Ouch, be careful" and am now wisely treating the areas with antiseptics.

Also, when all was said and done, $38 ended up $60 — not unusual, though I never can figure out how these places always quote one price and, once the work is done, it’s never the price quoted; plus, I always tip $10 to manicurist $10 to pedicurist because work is work, even when it's a bad job or you've hurt me with your instruments; so $80 total.

And, lastly ……

I actually am surprised this salon is still in business. Senior nail technicians are heavy handed …… give good pedicure, and the pedicure, except for geting nicked a time or two was fine, it’s just that senior techicians are not good at manicures.

Next time, I’ll call Nora, pay whatever the cost if she can give me a regular mani/pedi, no gel.

At least power had been restored by the time I returned to the complex.

Up Close and Personal

This week started off with public displays of affection by Dream Lover and Lu that were so over the top as to be comical.

It began with my spotting them on the walkway, her arm around the back of his waist, her hand moving to his butt as they walked and talked.

They paused a few times, faced each other, her looking up into his eyes, he looking down into hers. They moved on a few more steps, her hands all over him, stopped, faced each other again, she looked up into his eyes, he looked down into hers, and then they kissed.

WTF? If they want to get all up close and personal, get a room. Oh wait …… they do have a room, two of them — his unit and her unit.

I don’t know what they’re trying to prove, who they are trying to prove it to with these public displays of affection but, to me, it’s beginning to look deliberate, like a weird game.

Lu is one of the women who kept knocking on the door of Hubba Hubba Awooga Silver Fox — offering cakes, cookies, meals, asking questions about where he was from, what he does, and he’d insulted her by telling her to go away, stop bothering him, that he’s sick and tired of women always chasing him.

So maybe these PDAs are, in Lu’s mind, showing Silver Fox a thing or two.

I doubt he cares.

The PDAs might also be designed to poke at our Karen character; and the fact they keep parading around in eye shot of Karen’s unit gives credence to the show might be specifically for her.

It did seem odd that, when they stopped and kissed, that it was directly in front of Karen’s patio window. Would have been hard for her to miss.

So the answer to who they’re trying to prove it to, may be Karen.

If so, it’s mean and it's cruel to rub it in Karen’s face, after he dumped her, told everyone who would listen that "she's crazy" and, when she refused to be dumped, sent him love letters, stalked him, he got Manager involved, who told Karen that harassing another resident can get her evicted. So why be cruel, why rub this one in her face? — carry on, but not in front of her unit.

I can see Dream Lover being deliberately cruel, as he’s done it before …… paraded a new one (Boebert) in front of an old one (Faith), but I can’t see Lu playing that game, unless he’s blinded her, with his sweet talk and so bedazzled her with that thing he's able to give her courtesy of those little blue pills, into playing the game with him.

Not only did they walk around showing off earlier today, when I later went down to pick up mail, there the two were sitting on the bench right smack dab in the middle of the grassy knoll for all eyes to see — again in direct line to where Karen could look out and see.

I waved and, instead of continuing on to the mailroom, I walked over to say hey.

I wanted to laugh out loud when, as I approached, Lu put a protective hand on and began massaging Dream Lover's leg.

Thinking to myself, girl please, you do not have to worry about me, I fought to keep the amusement I was feeling off my face, as I ignored her obvious he's mine gesture, asked how bingo was going.

Lu asked if I’d left bingo because it was too noisy.

Last time I’d attended it was overly noisy, gave me a headache, but no, said I, I’m just running on empty lately, don’t have the energy for bingo.

Lu accepted that and said there’s a lot of that no energy going around and filled me in on who’s been hospitalized, who’s moving — Grace, the Other Wheelchair Lady, just got out of the hospital, Genie — one of the Usual Suspects is moving, and MaryAnn is losing her mind so her daughter is moving her out to be cared for.

I said how surprising it is that Genie is moving, that MaryAnn is a supporter of the Mad King, so I don’t care.

Done with the conversation, and with watching Lu rub all over Dream Lover’s leg — reminding me the photo of you know who kissing the feet, sucking the toe of the other you know who, that’s circulating online today, I dismissed myself by saying I had to go to the mailbox, pick up a tax document I’d had to special request in order to file, and both expressed shock that I file taxes as neither has for years.

Lu said that it’s her understanding people our age don’t have to file, and her social security is not taxed.

Saying I pay taxes on my social security and my pension, Lu suggested I look into the matter, as she’s quite sure I’ve been filing when I don’t have to.

Not only do I file but, instead of a refund, I pay …… usually get a few pennies back from the State, but end up paying the Federal Government a Grover Cleveland and five to eight Benjamin Franklins. So, after returning to the unit, the plan was to ask Twin 1 to check with her lawyer for me, but then I thought to just Google it.

Q. At what age does one not have to file taxes?

A: "The Internal Revenue Service requires all taxpayers, regardless of age, to file a tax return and pay the appropriate income tax in any year their gross income exceeds certain levels."

Maybe Lu and Dream Lover don’t pay taxes because they’re below the required level, thought I, so I went further down the rabbit hole.

Q: At what income level do I not have to file taxes?

A: "If you have income below the standard deduction threshold for 2024, which is $14,600 for single filers and $29,200 for those married filing jointly, you may not be required to file a return. However, you may want to file anyway".

Q: Why file taxes if don’t have to?

A: "Even with little or no earnings, filing a tax return can still be beneficial. You may qualify for refundable tax credits to potentially receive a tax refund".

So, though Lu and Dream Lover are likely not tax cheats ……… they must be below the threshold, don’t have to file and are clean on that, but they are absolutely making a mistake if these PDAs are designed to poke at our Karen character.

They might not like what happens if her crazy is awakened.

BTW: If you’ve not seen the photo of you know who kissing the feet, sucking the toe of the other you know who, that’s circulating online today, let me know and I’ll revise this post to add here at the bottom.