Bad Advice

Thursday’s Residents/Management meeting was quite pleasant, probably because none of the harpies, complainers and crazies were in attendance, except lazy Head Maintenance Guy (HMG) was there. However, even he was all smiley and pleasant. He even spent his own money and brought donuts for the group.

Discussed was the upcoming Holiday Party. There’s to be a Taco Truck -- all you can eat tacos and quesadillas, drawings and games.

Community Manager added, “Please play the games”.

Not sure why the plea, except some of our residents tend to be looky-loos, rather than engage, at the risk of appearing foolish.

I like to have fun, don’t mind appearing foolish, so whatever the games are, I’ll play and leave the eating to others.

There’s also to be an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest. I don’t own any sweaters, let alone an ugly Christmas one, so I’m out.

Also discussed was the New Year’s Eve Party.

That’s not a management-sponsored event. It’s the brain-child of my buddy Apache, back from successful knee surgery. He’s been pushing for a midnight party to ring in the New Year for like forever, and for me to attend. I’ve told him I’m usually fast asleep long before midnight, and that no I wouldn’t attend.

At the time Apache brought up the idea, I didn’t think it a good idea for seniors to be out on the premises in the dark, and now … after the early morning daylight incident with that young pervert cornering me in the mailbox area and exposing himself, I REALLY don’t feel it a good idea for seniors to be out on the premises after dark.

They’ve not yet caught or identified that young pervert, I’m still jumpy and paranoid over the encounter and feel certain he’ll hop the fence, come back and escalate his perversion. Only it won’t be with me, because I now always have a canister of pepper gel to the ready, in my hand, when I exit the unit – not spray, but gel, which supposedly has no blow-back and is farther reaching.

At any rate, Apache got his wish and the New Year’s Eve party is on.

The Community Room will be open all that day, until 2:00 a.m., for residents to ring in the New Year with black eyed peas, corn bread and apple cider.

Knowing Apache, I expect they’ll be some eggnog.

Also discussed was cars following residents through the driveway gate, once the resident has activated their key card entry and the gate opens.

It was suggested that residents should activate their key card, drive through the gate, then block the other car’s entry by waiting just on the other side of the gate until it closes.

Bad advice!

People are insane now days. You see road rage incidents all the time on the news.

One never knows who’s in the car behind you taking advantage of the few seconds after you enter before the gate once again closes. Could be another resident who will take offense, find you later, do damage to you or your car. Could be a visitor who will do the same.

I don’t think it the job of our seniors to put themselves at risk like that.

One last thing that came up at the meeting was the need to do something about young men, with devious intent, jumping the walls from the multi-family complex next door and onto our property. HMG said he experienced a similar problem at a property where he used to work. That problem was solved with oil.

That’s right, he said oil.

The top of the walls were coated with some sort of black gunky oil. 

Evidently, intruders don’t like icky sticky black oil all over their clothes, because jumping the walls ceased entirely.

I have to give HMG props for coming up with that one, but let’s see how long it takes for him to follow-through.

In the interim, I’ll stay on guard during the day, inside at night.