Endings

Yesterday’s crafts session was, once again, cancelled. Last time, it was heart palpitations. This time it was a swollen knee, with Crafty Lady saying she has doctor appointments scheduled for the remaining Wednesdays of this month.

She said she’ll let us know if she decides to switch to another day, but I sense she’s losing interest in hosting the class and, truth be told, by the time she decides what she wants to do and when, I probably will have lost interest, found something else to do with my time.

Hearing a knock knock on the door just after noon today, I took a look through the kitchen window, found Head Maintenance Guy standing there.

Opening the door, I blurted out "Don’t tell me there’s a surprise inspection".

He didn’t smile.

With a serious look on his face, he handed me two pieces of paper – one an envelope, which he said had already been attached to my door.

Because he looked so serious, I opened the envelope and found an "In Loving Memory Of" card, gasped and teared up as Head Maintenance Guy said, the Baker’s 88-year-old husband had passed and, instead of Bingo Friday, there will be a service in the Community Room tomorrow at noon.

Since Head Maintenance Guy said the envelope had already been attached to my door, before he came up with his Notice, I checked the camera and saw the Baker’s daughter had brought it upstairs the day before, the 7th, at 10 o’clock.

Inasmuch as I’ve been housebound to escape the heat, if Head Maintenance Guy hadn’t had his Notice to deliver and had he not knocked on my door to let me know of the card having been attached, there’s a good chance I’d not have opened the door today or tomorrow, would have missed the service.

Actually, I would have preferred to have missed the service because I really don’t want to go. I empath and it’s going to be an emotional event that I’m already feeling, am working hard to maintain.

Considering what happened earlier this year, I don’t think I can handle it. However, being close to the Baker, her granddaughter, my not attending would be clocked. So, I’m going to have to at least make an appearance, show my respect without associating it with what happened earlier this year, try not to let the room full of grief get inside me … end up falling apart.

I don’t see the Baker recovering from this loss. Maybe she'll leave the community, move in with family, maybe stay in the community but be forever changed … because I now know from experience that a loss like that does change one.

Inasmuch as the Baker is the Cheer Captain around here – the one spearheading bingo and events, with the rest of us as supporting characters … me doing the flyers, taking pics, others cooking, setting up, providing prizes, whatever she needs doing, the bell is probably going to ring on Bingo Friday and future events.

It’s going to be very sad and very boring around here for a while. I may have to start popping into Kesha Tuesdays for tea.

What Head Maintenance Guy had come to my door to post was a Notice indicating "Annual Certification Letter, First Notice". The paperwork I’m required to submit, proving that I’m still poor enough to continue living here.

My last recertification was just this past January … we’re only in October, so it’s way soon for another round.

Some of you might recall I blogged about my getting through that last recertification by the hair of my chinny chin chin, because they added up what I had coming in monthly through sources of income, THEN they added to that what was in my savings account AND my checking account, essentially adding the same money twice, which made me look well off. Plus, because the automatic bill payments for rent, utilities, etc., had not yet been processed, my bank accounts had been flush with cash. Once the Assistant Manager totaled everything up, I came across as a rich b!tch and qualified by the hair of my chinny chin chin … less than a hundred dollars under the cap.

I’ll have to make sure not to recertify this time until payments have processed, brought the accounts down to reflect reality and for sure not until closer to January, even though the notice says "I strongly urge you to not put this off".

Me thinks that, now that office staff no longer accepts checks and money orders for rent, everything now goes through Rent Café, they probably don’t have enough to keep them busy, so are creating work to do.

At any rate, we’re supposedly having a Residents/Management meeting on the 20th. I’ll ask should I ignore this early notice and recertify in January per usual or not.

Keep it Simple

Other than the three days of doable outdoor walking weather early last week, it’s been a steady climb and excessive heat warnings.

Summer just won’t let go, so I’ve been pretty much housebound, A/C running 24/7.

News did reach me about an incident in broad daylight about some random guy walking behind one of the old ladies, pushing her down, running off with her purse.

It’s unknown to me if he followed her in from outside the complex, or whether he was already inside waiting for an opportunity to victimize, but I was interested in seeing how management was going to warn residents this could happen here or if they were going to address it at all.

They kinda sorta did address it in wording on this month’s Activity Calendar, issued yesterday … "Safety Reminder: Please be aware of your surroundings and help us keep our community safe. Please keep all pedestrian gates closed at all times. Do not open the gates or provide access to anyone you do not know. If you see suspicious activity or someone attempting to enter without authorization, please contact the appropriate authorities".

I’m assuming "appropriate authorities" to mean don’t bother the office or maintenance guys, call the cops.

So, anyway, more reasons – besides the oppressive heat, to limit walking to the indoor walking pad rather than the great outdoors.

Speaking of which, manager of the indoor walking gym stocked the coffee bar with chocolate muffins yesterday, but made them healthy by adding chopped walnuts.

The resident organizers had me design/print, and they’ve already distributed and posted, flyers for this month’s Bingo Days, plus a Halloween Party on Friday, October 30.

THEN, I find included in this month’s Activity Calendar, a flyer indicating management is hosting a Halloween Costume Party, Friday, October 30.

I’m assuming the two groups will combine their efforts

As you all know by now, I love cosplay and, at the end of Halloween last year, when it seemed I kept running into people who wanted to unload their problems onto my listening ears, I came up with a great idea for this year’s costume that I kept to myself at the time.

That idea was to wear blue leggings, a blue top, walk around with a sign indicating “Psychiatric Help 5¢ … The Doctor is In” ala Peanuts character Lucy Van Pelt.

A lot has happened since last year. I am no longer pumped -- not even Skelly is bringing me the joy it once did. Besides, based on past cosplay around here, clever costumes are lost on this audience. So, if I cosplay at all, I'll keep it simple with my regular skeleton leggings or the red/white Minnie Mouse leggings and Disneyland ears.

She Ready

The front door is not the Headless Horseman used last year/year before. Instead, when a doormat popped into my feed that made me laugh out loud, I switched from that, which terrorized my previous neighbor …………

To this …………

"Not all Witches live in Salem" is not as terrifying as the Headless Horseman but nevertheless might give my new White-Haired Neighbor some pause ………… cause her to think twice about who she’s living next door to, LOL.

Crafty Lady gifted me with Halloween window stickers she found when clearing out her storage facility in Murietta. So, I used them in the bedroom window.

I hope more neighbors get with the program, because I love walking around seeing patios and doors decorated for Halloween and Christmas.

PIVOT!

Today's crafts session was cancelled due to Crafty Lady having heart palpitations.

She's been having heart problems for a while and, back in April had an operation … something about putting a watchman in her chest.

Her heart problems have not gone away but, so long as she takes it easy, its somewhat manageable. Only she’s not been taking it easy lately.

I saw, a few days ago on her facebook page, that she was working on cleaning crafting supplies from storage she has in Murietta and, just yesterday, also as seen on facebook, she was working on putting together a dresser, rearranged a room for more space, hung an extra curtain panel, so no surprise that today she’s having heart palpitations and her body hurts.

She’s got to be more mindful of her condition … what she can and should not be doing because she can’t die before I do as she’s one of the three points of contact set up to contact granddaughter and Twin 2 when I die.

I wasn’t intending her to be a point of contact, but you might recall when some of the organizers had finished their craft projects, were off planning what to do for the seniors come Thanksgiving, Crafty Lady found out they were doing something with her not in it, got upset, said "I guess I’m not invited to that!".

No matter what she's doing, others are not allowed to leave her out of what they are doing.

There was also the time when Talker and another resident were having a conversation on the opposite side of the Community Room, while Crafty Lady was busy doing something else. However, because she (Crafty Lady) wasn’t included in their conversation, she accused them of talking about her.

All to say she invited herself to be a point of contact for my family.

How that came about was I awoke July 31 from a dream where I was attending one of our events, stopped by a round table … We don't have round tables in the community room. Some tables are square, others are rectangular, so I don't know what that meant inside the dream, but there I was stopping at a round table where was seated Meat Man and a woman I did not recognize.

After chatting with them for a bit, I bid them goodbye, saying "I'll see you at this event next year". Then I heard myself correct myself saying, "Oh, wait. I won’t be here this time next year".

A clear indication to me that I’ll be dead before July 2027.

I took the dream in stride, began making preparations, starting with updating my family contacts sheet with the office and cancelling my eye appointment for new glasses, because it wasn't worth the expenditure. I do need new glasses, but it's not worth it if I only have a year or less to go.

I later that day was in the Community Room filling out the form for the office, telling Talker and the Baker of the dream, that I was giving them a copy of the form/adding them as neighbors allowed to enter my unit, giving a key to the Baker, asking that if I suddenly go missing, not seen for a time, please check to see if I’m still breathing, contact family if not and Crafty Lady blurted out, "Add me to that".

I couldn’t very well say no and really, since she long ago got over that thing she had for me, which made me uncomfortable, I find her to be okay and the one with the most family, friends, resources to be helpful to granddaughter and Twin 2.

So, now that she’s factored into the equation, she can’t go before I do.

I also, at that time, sent Twin 2 and granddaughter a copy of the form with instructions to trust Talker, the Baker, Crafty Lady, but avoid our MAGA neighbor at all costs, LOL.

Now that Meat Man himself has surprised me by moving out of the complex, I’m not sure if that throws a monkey wrench into what the dream told me. It said I would not be here that time next year, not that he would not be here that time next year.

Now that he won’t be here that time next year, I’ll just have to wait and see if the dream still holds true for myself.

So, anyway, with crafts cancelled today, no tutu for Skelly, I pivoted to thinking about that grass skirt I made and wore at the Resident’s End of Summer Event.

Skelly and I aren’t the same size, but I figured I could make it work; began looking through my crafts stash for shells I knew I could probably turn into a Hawaiian lei.

Lo and behold, I found blue tulle fabric I didn't know I had or why I had it.

I worked a little magic with it and Skelly is just about ready for tomorrow's debut on the patio.

The Problem With That Is

The month of Halloween is two days away. That’s close enough for me, so I yesterday began hauling Halloween out of the storage area.

Because Crafty Lady wants to glean her supplies of pink and violet tulle fabric, her plan for tomorrow’s crafts is tutus.

Though I’ve made and worn countless tutus, when I was doing 5Ks, I don’t know that these old ladies would be interested in making a tutu or that their fingers can handle threading tulle through tiny holes in fabric ribbon, the push pull twisting tightening. I know my own fingers struggled at times, needed a rest, when I was making that grass skirt, but I’m down for a tutu as Skelly’s Halloween costume this year.

Having pulled Skelly from storage, my intent was to take his waist measurement, so I’d know how much fabric ribbon to cut and form into a loop.

The problem with that is, Skelly doesn’t have a waist. I'd forgotten …… he's all bones.

If Crafty Lady follows through with tutus tomorrow, I’ll think of something – probably not in a loop but more a wrap around and, if she doesn’t do tutus tomorrow, I’ll come up with something else for Skelly this year.

Believe it or not, we had Thunderstorm warnings yesterday. Nothing came to fruition, but whatever was going on with the weather made for manageable outdoor walking – cool with a breeze.

I had been thinking I’d be the only one anxious enough for the month of Halloween to begin, but saw there’s a neighbor even more anxious than I.

I also noticed management, after having made my White-Haired Neighbor remove her tea lights from the railing, under the rule that nothing is to be attached, has not been enforcing that rule across the board.

Lights attached to rail

I guess this neighbor below thought it pretty/decorative to have woven this monstrosity onto the bars of the rail.

WTF …… it's attached

Elsewhere is a fascinating old style windmill this neighbor managed to source.

A funny thing happened when I popped into the corner market on Monday for eggs.

Refrigerated items like eggs, butter, etc. are towards a rear area of the market next to an opening for workers to enter/exit pushing cartloads of dairy supplies and a spot over against the wall for products being sold at a discount.

Just outside the opening, across from the eggs, is a rack of sweets, like hand pies.

As I pushed my cart past the hand pies towards the eggs, a regular looking guy was in the area of the opening, talking to himself, like he was trying to decide on checking out the discounted items just inside the opening, then seemed to have gotten distracted by the pies …… picking up one, making what seemed to be spontaneous out loud utterances about them. I recall hearing "Ummm …… Apple", but couldn’t make out whatever else utterances he was making.

I didn’t think he was crazy. He seemed glazed over, so I thought he was high.

So, anyway, he wasn’t in my way. I grabbed eggs, checked the date on the carton, turned around to head out of the area when he, evidently having passed on the pies and instead had entered the reduced products section was coming out. He didn’t run into me because I held back, let him pass and, when he passed, his glazed eyes took me in and, with that same faraway here but not here look he had on his face when he made spontaneous utterances about the pies, he uttered out loud, "Ummm, nice tits".

Thing is, I'd recently purchased a brand-new bra …… was trying out a support, rather than the minimizer I usually buy. Having just received the support the day before, this was my first time wearing it to decide if I liked support over minimizing.

"Nice tits" pretty much sealed the deal. I've ordered two more in different colors, LOL.

What’s in the Closet?

Crafts this morning was a drag. The Usual Suspects were all either really sick, not feeling well or injured from falls in their units -- one with a broken clavicle.

Despite the nearly empty session, a bit of tea was served. The most surprising of which was learning Meat Man, formerly Handsome Man, moved out.

He had hinted at doing so, when we last spoke at an event, saying he was done with the rent increases, but I scoffed that he’d not find anything better, financially speaking.

Lo and Behold, he whisked himself away. Scuddle butt is his mom passed away, he moved into her house in the hills overlooking the University; but I won’t know that for sure unless I happen to run into him, or the resident that goes to same church as he, verify details for myself.

I also learned why this time, during the pre-inspection, management opened closet doors to inspect what was inside.

They somehow caught wind of and were looking for items residents hide … like portable mini washing machines residents are not allowed to have.

I’d never heard of mini washing machines until Scary Mary over at Dark Thoughts, said she had one and management told her she’d have to get rid of it. Had I known there was such a thing, for sure I’d have been caught with one hidden in the closet, LOL.

Who knows … now that I know of this time-saving device, I might get one and hide in the car during inspections.

I don’t know if management found any washing machines, but I do know that, when they opened the closet door of the downstairs neighbor around the corner of my building, two little dogs popped out.

That neighbor was hiding two dogs she’d not registered with the office.

I was also surprised to learn Di is in trouble again.

Some of us residents, when they have usable items, will place those items on the table in the Community Room where we usually place canned food, boxed food, appliances, clear containers et al for the taking.

Word is that pre-inspection of Di’s unit found many of those free items in her unit … too many.

Evidently, she doesn’t even use or need what she’s been taking, but takes nonetheless because it’s there for the taking.

After having gotten in trouble over hoarding in the past, made to clear up or clear out, Di is back to hoarding to a degree that management is once again on her case about clearing out her unit and have also banned her from the Community Room, planning to once again lock up our refrigerator, because Di has been, on camera, caught grocery shopping in the Community fridge – taking bottled water Kesha has stored in the fridge for her Tuesday appearances and other items.

So, I guess I won’t be seeing Di again, unless and until it’s when we happen to run into each other on a walkway.

The discussion of Medical Plans came up and, when asked if I had one, I answered "Yes and No" because, though I have been a member of the highly touted "integrated managed care consortium that combines health insurance coverage and medical services into a single coordinated system", since I was in my 20’s, and it was great until doctors were limited on how much time they could spend on patients and Care Teams came into being, mucking it all up to where I can’t get service in a timely manner, it's "Yes and No" because I now opt instead to walk down the street to a neighborhood clinic.

I am so frustrated with the integrated medical care consortium that every time I see their ad run on social media, and it runs a lot, I curse at it, call them "lying liars", but don’t change because I figure I’m old, can’t last much longer, so why bother when medical care is broken all over.

Crafty Lady said that when Kesha brought a group in that promised one-stop shopping at a lesser fee on prescriptions they would bill to insurance providers, she signed up.

All of a sudden, she’s getting monthly notifications of $189 being billed to her insurance for prescriptions she’s never ordered and is getting the runaround on getting it cleared up.

Seems the group that Kesha brought in was a total scam. No telling how many seniors they are currently taking advantage of that might not even understand they’re being scammed.

Crafty Lady has informed Kesha and her insurance of the fraud, as she also continuously tries to contact that one-stop group she signed up with.

Good luck finding anyone who cares. My thinking is the only way to stop it is for her insurer to kick back, refuse to pay the bill and, if they do, it will free Crafty Lady from the scam, but what about the many other seniors, at this and at other senior facilities, that fell into the trap.

My final word on medical care was, "Well even though I hate and complain about the integrated managed care consortium being of no help to me, at least they’re not stealing from me".

So, though Crafty Lady didn’t have a plan this morning and there was only she and our 89-year-old to nuke out a project, while Dream Lover and I watched, our 89-year-old pieced scraps together into a card, while Crafty Lady made a snowflake out of paper bags.

Yesterday was Kesha Tuesday. I’m told she never showed up, so Crafty Lady and our 89-year-old spent the time decorating a few tiles.