All Quiet on the Senior Front

Other than two back-to-back senior moments, nothing interesting going on in my world last few days.

First senior moment was on Tuesday, when I went to the market to pick up my contribution for the birthday party, only to arrive at the checkout counter to realize I’d left home without my fanny pack.

That would be the fanny pack that holds the essentials -- money, driver’s license, proof of insurance, bank cards, portable charger, pepper spray, usually also the cellphone but, fortunately, this time I’d left home with the cellphone in my hand.

It only took me a second to drive back to the complex, pick up the fanny pack, return and pay for items being held by the cashier, but it was a little embarrassing.

Second time was on Wednesday, when at Walmart picking up that tire pressure gauge, I ran into two of my daughter’s very best friends.

Just before we parted, wanting to show daughter I’d run into the girls, I said just the stupidest thing ever … “Let me take a facie”.

Of course, I meant “selfie”.

Where facie came from I’ve no idea, and I cringe every time I think about the faux pau.

Fortunately, I got through Thursday without any further embarrassing senior moments, but probably because I was lazy and chose to stay indoors and veg out most of the day.

I did make it out in the afternoon to attend the Residents/Management meeting. 

Assistant Complex Manager being the only person currently on staff, other than the two Maintenance guys, she proctored the session – all 10 minutes of it -- explaining that, being the only one on staff, she had no time for our usual hourly session.

So, what we got was the reader’s digest version of what us residents needed to know – quick, fast, dirty, take no questions, and mostly what we already knew.

That the re-inspection is coming up. Only, she put it thusly, “Instead of clapping to us that we did so well, they want to find out why we did so good”.

Also, that 30% of residents failed to comply with the request that, “If you have a garage, appear at the Leasing Office on Monday 4/23 between 2pm-4pm”.

I’m so sure that 30% wants to bury their heads in the sand and not address their cluttered garages, but if their garage is one the re-inspectors choose to look at, and there’s a problem which impacts the outcome of the re-inspection, it will not bode well for that resident.

Believe it or not, what with all the sometimes drama arising from so many different states and stages of conscious awareness living so closely together, there are still people clamoring to get a unit in this complex. Consequently, I wouldn't be surprised if garage problems resulted in eviction, as there is a considerable waiting list. Twice I’ve met new people who looked as though they’d won the lottery, all smiles and saying, “I tried so hard for so long to get in here”.

Some of these folks are returns -- residents who left for greener pastures, only to find the grass wasn’t greener, just different grass, with a lot more weeds than what we have here.

One such former resident, now trying to get a unit in the complex, long-time readers might remember as the resident who scammed me out of $40.

Calling one night to say she was in desperate straits and could she borrow $40, I gave her the money no questions asked. Saying she’d get it back to me such-and-such a date, she instead quickly snuck away, relocating to Saint Louis, which led me to wonder just how many other residents she scammed on her way out.

It’s being said she can’t return because she has something “bad on her record”.

Probably scammed the office as well.

At any rate, her only hope now is that one of the residents, scheduled for an operation, is trying to help her by taking her on as a caregiver.

Meanwhile, back to the topic of garages.

Casino Lady, seated at my table, said she doesn’t have a garage, but has three carports.

What?!

Why three?

“Because I have three cars”.

It’s just she and her sister, and sister doesn’t drive, so I don’t get it, but okay. I collect rocks, she collects cars. To each her own, but unlike her carports costing her $15 per port, my rocks aren’t costing me a single penny.

Lastly, it appears Apache’s campaign against the pit bull is bearing fruit. After the 10th complaint, and the County getting involved, we were told Corporate Office is taking “legal action” against the owner.

The last two complaints were that the pit had snapped at a resident and, when the feeble old guy that owns the pit took a tumble recently while walking the pit (When you see it, it’s more like the pit walking him), the pit prevented residents from approaching to help. Fortunately, feeble old guy’s tumble wasn’t serious and, after a time, he managed to get upright, but it was just another example of why the pit is a problem.

Since I knew there would be a lot of residents attending the meeting, I took Apache’s birthday card with me to catch residents that don’t often get down to the Community Room.

Upon learning that Apache is a Trump supporter -- from the face of the Orange Idiot-in-Chief on front of the card, one such resident refused to sign. She actually said, “I hate that Mother F_ _ _ _ r!”. Not Apache … she was speaking of the Orange Idiot.

I have a feeling there might be others unable to put their intense hatred aside and sign as well.

Oh well, it is what it is.