Road Trip

News from this afternoon’s Residents/Management meeting is ...  we passed the re-inspection with flying colors.

If you will recall, we had that inspection in March where our score was so high that the government suspected shenanigans and sent in a different regulator to re-inspect the complex on May 1.

No shenanigans having been found, the regulator verified the high score and life goes on as usual. The only benefit to passing, as far as I am privy to, is that the government won’t check on us for another three years, instead of every year.

When Community Manager walked into the room looking glum, I commented on her not looking happy and was expecting bad news. She said she just didn’t feel well, but that there was some bad news coming and, to counteract that, she was going to raffle off a free carpet cleaning.

The bad news is, because folks are using their garages for storage, rather than cars, Corporate wanted to raise the price of a garage from $15 per month to the going rate for garages in this area ... $200.

Residents in attendance were outraged.

Community Manager says she pled the case that residents are on fixed-incomes and got it reduced to $75 a month.

Residents are still outraged, but have the option to pay up or give up the garage.

Glad I opted for a carport, which remains a flat $15 a month, plus I won the free carpet cleaning.

I, who have a history of never winning anything, have been winning --  at bingo, that bag of goodies at the Mother’s Day raffle, and now this.

I am on a roll.

I am also packing my bags, DVR is already set to record the Royal Wedding, and tomorrow I head out for the Great Donut Run.

If I survive this adventure, I may register for December’s Santa Claus Run, in San Diego, where participants dress in Santa suits.

It all depends on 1) Whether I can find a hotel in San Diego, near the race site, that has facility for me to cook my own food and 2) Whether there are no hills on the course, because I am aged out of walking up hills and mountains.

You’ll have to wait until I return to find out how this adventure goes, because I won’t be taking a laptop.

I thought I’d pretty well hidden my electronics, including the laptop, mixed in and under clothes and in my boots, when I spent Thanksgiving week in that hotel in Long Beach, only to realize later, the selfie stick didn’t make it back home with me.

I’m sure it wasn’t any of the lady maids who cleaned my room but one day, as I was leaving, I saw a youngish guy making the rounds. I got a bad vibe from him, but didn’t think much about it until, lo and behold, I returned home and discover no selfie stick.

I guess he figured the laptop would be too obvious.

At any rate, no laptop this time and, when I leave the room, I’ll be taking other electronics – selfie stick, chargers, with me.

A long-time friend is having a Royal Wedding Party, entitled “Tiaras and PJs” in the Hollywood Hills. If Harry and Megan hadn’t planned their nuptials for the day I have to pick up race packages, I’d probably have spent the night at friend’s place, getting up early to watch the wedding.

I hope Harry shaves that awful beard off his face – not that I have anything against beards. When done right, a beard can be quite sexy and though Megan probably doesn't have a problem with it, I think Harry looks better clean shaven.

I also hope the world is paying attention and taking note of the fact it’s not Megan’s so-called “Straight Outta Compton” relatives -- her mother’s side behaving badly, creating drama. That is her father’s side of the family.

Just sayin’.