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.

Keeping Calm and Shamrocking On

If I’m wearing green lipstick and my four-leaf clover tee, you can be sure it’s St. Patrick’s Day.

Other than that, I’m in survival mode, keeping calm and shamrocking on as I wait to see how this regime is going to screw up my remaining retirement years.

Looks like I’ve survived this month — my Social Security hit the bank in a timely fashion, the check I wrote for federal taxes owed was cashed, the teeny tiny refund check from the state arrived, and I have eggs in the fridge.

I don't require a lot, don't strive for anything other than peace and harmony in all areas of my livingness, so right now, everything is copacetic on this end.

Taking things one month at a time, unless something wonderful and miraculous happens, as TikTokers put it "to the two or the three, not just the one to be effective" (read between the lines) to change the direction things are going, there are another 46 months to go where I’ll be holding my breath each and every month.

This month’s Activity Calendar did not make its way to me, so no idea what the seniors are up to, except that I saw another long-time resident move out yesterday.

That’s three since the first of the month.

Two moved because they were no longer able to care for themselves, but the woman who moved out yesterday, was fit and able, which has me wondering if her moving has something to do with something going on I don't yet know about or maybe, whereas I'm okay this month, this month turned out differently for her.

As for this month’s Activity Calendar, if you will recall, management stopped posting the calendar to our doors in January. Now, if we want to know what activities are scheduled for us, we have to sign up for Rent Café.

No one I know has signed up for that so, unless one just pops into the Community Room to see if anything is going on, we remain in the dark.

That first month without the calendar, the Activity Director (AD) sent one to the Baker, who transmitted copies to us.

I figured the AD would get in trouble with Manager for that and though I don’t know for sure she did get in trouble, I’m guessing she did as she hasn’t done so since; and it looks like Manager emphasized the point that keeping us informed was not AD’s job, when she (Manager) herself sent the next month’s calendar to those of us who communicate with her via email.

No calendar from either this month, so who knows what if anything is going on.

I may have to squash my phobia of outside being too peopley, head down to the Community Room tomorrow to find out for myself.

Big Brass Balls

You can't fix stupid, is what ran through my mind when I saw an old fool shopping at the corner market yesterday, wearing a campaign shirt that to me indicated he'd drunk too much of the MAGA cool aid ……… "T@#$p For President, Finally Someone with Balls".

I don't know about "balls" ……… Stormy Daniels certainly didn't seem to think so; but if this old guy still supports and thinks the damage his pick is causing as something to be admired ……… ballsy, it just goes to show that stupid can't be fixed.

Had I stuck around long enough, it wouldn’t have surprised me to learn he’d driven to the market in a Tesla.

So, anyway, I picked up the eggs Trainer’s friend set aside for me — 18 count Organic Eggland’s Best @ $10.99, just one dollar more than when I last purchased these same eggs (Stater Bros), as opposed to the $13.49 I paid at Ralphs, two miles away.

I smell shenanigans.

In other words, it's looking like Claudia was onto something in commenting "Could it be that the producers are taking advantage of the publicity and jacking up the prices in certain areas?".

In other news, Casey Anthony is on TikTok.

Yes ……… that Casey Anthony, the woman who, some years ago, was dubbed "America's most hated mom".

She’s reintroducing herself to the public via TikTok as a "legal advocate for myself and my daughter".

Yes ……… that daughter, the one she was accused of unaliving back in 2008.

So now she's an advocate for that daughter. Talk about someone with balls ……… big brass ones.

About Last Week

Last week went whizzing by. Hopefully the next four years whiz by just as fast as last week did.

I had all kinds of plans for Saturday. First was to participate in this year’s Shamrock 5K at the University, after which I was going to check out an event being held, by country music station K-Frog’s Street Team, at the Stater Bros Market in Ontario.

Waking up that morning, I decided to do neither. Instead, in between catching up on recorded TV programs, working on that never ending needlepoint project, watching Tesla stock tank, I kept falling asleep, ended up mostly sleeping the day away.

Sunday was more of the same, except I didn't even bother to get out of my jammies.

Speaking of the SwaztiKars, I do wonder about that friendly lady I met at the craft store that gave me a tour of her Cybertruck. Of Elon she’d said, "He’s very political, but I don’t care about his politics. I just like his products. I have five Teslas".

No way she could have anticipated she’d be stuck with all those expensive cars now not safe to drive.

Twin 1 popped in for another layover at my place Saturday night.

Once again driving from Nevada to California on business, she crashed at my place, got some sleep and, drove the remaining three hours back to Nevada Sunday morning.

She’s got one more trip before business is concluded. So, I’ll be seeing her again next week or the week after.

Long time readers might recall having voted for Twin 1, when she was among the nominees for 2021 CNN Hero of the Year.

She won.

Couple weeks ago, she was nominated for Outstanding Social Media Personality at the 56th NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors.

I’m not exactly sure how the winner was determined, whether it was by some group or by the public voting. She was up against some stiff competition, so color me and her both shocked when ……… She won!

I'll spare you her acceptance speech.

Today started off with oatmeal for breakfast, as I was all out of eggs.

Not wanting to do oatmeal again tomorrow, I went hunting for eggs after this morning’s workout.

The Stater Bros. on the corner had no Organic Eggland’s Best, but it’s looking like my connection with Trainer’s friend — the guy who stocks the eggs, is going to work out.

When I said I’d check back after Wednesday’s workout to see if my preferred eggs had come in, he said that when they come in he’d set some aside for me. Even asked if I preferred brown or white. I prefer brown, but if it's Eggland’s Best, I’ll take white.

Not wanting to do the oatmeal thing until Eggland’s came in, I drove to Ralph’s market and scored a 18-count carton @ $13.49.

That’s $3.50 over the last 18-count carton I purchased.

Totally worth it to avoid another oatmeal breakfast. I can eat oatmeal for lunch, I’ve even eaten oatmeal for dinner, it’s just that I prefer eggs for breakfast.

I’ll still check back with my egg hookup on Wednesday. If he’s got ‘em, I’ll take ‘em. Crack them out of their shells and freeze for backup.

Randy Rides Again

Once you get beyond Randy promoting his Ground News, this is by far and away his best work yet.