Spring BBQ Potluck

All things considered, it’s been an exhausting week.

The school shooting is still in the news, and news vans are still on location, as is a police guard even though school is not in session.

I’m expecting more helicopters overhead today, because there’s a school tour at 4:00.

Plus, that 4-Vehicle Crash you might have heard about in the news Tuesday evening -- Would you believe that crash was just on the other side of the stoplight at the end of our complex?

Also, I noticed top to bottom burn marks on the big palm tree in the vacant field across from us. I’d assumed it had something to do with construction work going on in the field, but learned this morning that the upstairs corner across the quad neighbor had observed the palm fully engulfed in fire one evening, called the fire department and, by the time the fire department arrived, the heavy wind had blown embers onto the property and ignited the roof of the carport where I park my car.

She and her next door neighbor went out with a fire extinguisher, trying to keep it at bay and, when the fire trucks arrived, one of them flagged down a truck and the firemen stood on top of their truck and got the fire out before cars were damaged.

I’m within ear shot of the crash, didn’t hear a thing. Nor did I hear the palm tree fire commotion, which was just steps away from my patio window, not to mention the two neighbors involved are directly across from me.

Though I've been blissfully unware of the chaos swirling around me until I read about it, hear about it, see a posting on Facebook, get curious enough to check out helicopters overhead, it seems that chaos appears to continue to swirl closer in. I'm trusting the universe it won’t get close enough to actually knock on my door, touch my life on a personal level.

My personal life's challenges are small by comparison and only involve a whole lot of waiting.

Waiting to hear back from the optometrist that my new glasses are ready.

Waiting for the confirmation emails that the hardware ordered online has been shipped to store and is ready for pickup, so I can finish my medal board.

As simple as both required items are -- a 3/32 drill bit and picture hanging kit, none were available for just walking into a location, pick up and go. Everywhere I checked was "online ship to store or home only".

I wonder why?

Is it a loss prevention measure?

Four days as of today, and I’m still waiting for those confirmations.

The week has been so exhausting that I knew as far back as Tuesday that I wasn’t going to feel like getting up this morning and preparing a condiment tray for today’s BBQ.

After obsessing, for a day or two more about my having to do something as simple as slice a few tomatoes, onions, etc., I called the deli and ordered a condiment tray, aptly called “Everything on the Side”.

The tray was deemed "a most wonderful thing" at the BBQ which BBQ, by the way, was a huge hit – not because of the Activity Director, but in spite of her.

Dropping the tray off in the Community Room just before the event was to begin at 11:00, I’d walked into more chaos.

People were dropping off their contribution, seating themselves, the woman who’d signed up to man the grill was all set to go, but nothing was happening because the Activity Director walked in with no buns, no hot dogs, no hamburgers. In fact, she didn’t know a barbeque was scheduled.

How is that possible?

It was she who posted the sign-up sheet indicating buns, burgers, dogs would be provided for us, that we were just to sign up for side dishes, and the event was also posted on the Activity Calendar she herself prepared.

I really like the Activity Director as a person, but she can’t seem to get much right.

The woman has got to go.

Us residents were ready for a party, so there was talk of myself and a couple others heading to the market and picking up dogs and burgers for grilling when the Activity Director -- after first making the dog ate my homework excuse (her dog had been sick, throwing up, which doesn’t cut it because the calendar and sign-up sheet were distributed weeks ago), finally woke up, smelled the coffee as to another of her mistakes, and she herself set off to “pickup supplies”.

So, though we got a late start, the event was a huge success. Residents showed up who I’ve not seen attend an event in a long time. I counted over 50. There was music and some of the old girls got up to show they still had some moves in 'em.