Halloween Candy Giveaway

Halloween here at the senior complex was trying to lure children in from passing cars.

Our intentions were pure, however.

We had fresh baked cupcakes and candy to giveaway.

We have no small children in this complex --- well we do have Head Maintenance Guy’s (HMG) two boys and now his little girl, but they don’t count because they don’t interact with us.

Not that any of us would mind but, judging from the way HMG doesn’t bring himself, the kids, his wife down for events, even when invited to do so, I get the impression they all keep away because Corporate directs staff not get too cozy with residents.

At least HMG smiles and says good morning to us now. When Nurse Ratched was managing the place, she ordered staff to keep their heads down -- not speak to us at all and not reply if we addressed them. The excuse she used was our greeting them, their greeting us back interfered with their workflow. In reality, she was just a control freak and also jealous – wanting all attention placed on herself.

But, as I was saying … even though we have no small children per se, moms and dads do sometimes bring their costumed children to show their grandmas before setting out to trick or treat, so we do get those few when us seniors set up a Trick or Treat here situation. Plus, cars driving by, with children, see us and pull in.

We did well enough last year that we were eager to get out there again.

This year, after an hour and a half in the cold wind, we received only one little visitor, and that one was the grandchild of a resident, so I headed back to my unit.

Apache, who stayed after I left, texted that four more showed up.

On another topic, along about 3:45 yesterday, next-door neighbor knocked on the door to say, “They’re getting their car back. They’re out there now”.

So Nosey was right, a car actually had been stolen.

Looking out the patio window, I could see a tow truck delivering the Toyota Camry to its parking spot, and a police officer helping the resident, I’ll refer to as The Old Guy with the Cane, go over the car. To check condition and contents I suppose.

With him was a woman who met Nosey’s description of having a breathing tank. I’m accustomed to seeing the Old Guy, but never saw the woman in all the years I’ve lived here, never knew Old Guy had a wife upstairs.

At any rate, I’m happy they got their car back and in what looks to be good condition. I hope they caught the thieves so they’ll be disinclined to come back and bother any of us again.

Pizza Tuesday

Getting worried about Nosey — the neighbor in the downstairs corner across-the-quad unit that nothing gets by, I thought I’d check in with the folks this Pizza Tuesday morning to gather intel.

What has me worried about Nosey is, passing her unit returning from running errands yesterday, she saw me through the open patio window, called out my name and hurried out to the patio to say she was warning all of us in the quad to be on alert because, “The woman in that unit (pointing to my next-door neighbor’s unit) had her car stolen”.

“Do you mean L____”, said a stunned I.

My next-door neighbor being the woman who’d had such a difficult time adjusting to our simple level of living here, what with her background of being large and in charge as a State Commissioner, ordering staff about, always on the go, hanging out at fancy places, attending fancy events, hobnobbing with the rich and powerful.

It took her a little over two years to accept this not-fancy senior complex is her new normal, but evidently not really, because in an effort to recapture the past, she got herself elected to the position of President of the Residents’ Volunteer Activity Committee, then got herself quickly impeached because she was considered rude, imperialistic, treated other members of the committee as her employees/servants.

Nosey confirmed yes, it was L____ and, while Nosey was talking, I glanced over to where next-door neighbor parks and saw her car in its regular spot.

“Isn’t that her car right there?” asked I.

Nosey looked over and said, “No. That’s another car here that’s similar to hers”.

Skeptical at this point, I asked, “Who told you her car was stolen?”

“She did. She said she had a bar on it and everything, and only has liability”.

That’s pretty specific, so I walked away confused. Maybe there was another car that looked just like hers. Maybe they stole her car and returned it. I didn’t know.

However, later catching next-door neighbor taking out the trash, I asked, “Did Maxine get stolen?” Maxine being the name she’s given her late model Nissan.

She looked concerned for a second, looked over to where she parks, then said, “No. It’s there”.

Neighbor knew nothing about any car being stolen and said she’d had no such conversation with Nosey.

Either Nosey is pre-cognizant or losing it.

In the Community Room this morning, I learned there’s stuff going on, which has to do with Apache’s ongoing feud with management, but nothing about a stolen car.

Off to the market afterwards, I stopped by Nosey’s patio, got her attention and said I’d spoken to L____, her car had not been stolen.

“NO, not L_____ ..... HER! The woman who walks around with a breathing tank” (and she pointed upstairs but around the corner).

I’m not sure who that is, but why then didn’t she say so when she'd pointed upwards yesterday and I'd asked if she meant L_____ and she’d said yes? And why did she give me that song and dance about a similar looking car in L____'s parking space?

At any rate, since Nosey is the only one who says a car was stolen, I'll be playing it safe, just in case, and locking the bar on my steering wheel, instead of just slipping it on, for appearance sake, without locking.

Also, in the Community Room, I saw on TV that Whitey Bulger passed away.

True confession time ....

I uttered out loud that I’d developed a mad crush on Whitey after seeing Johnny Depp portray him in Black Sabbath, and that I’d researched Whitey and found he was drop dead handsome when he was younger. Oddly enough, another resident said she’d had the same experience of falling for Whitey after seeing Black Sabbath. We had a good laugh over “We always fall for the bad guys”, as she put it.

“Because they’re sexy and exciting”, added I.

Halloween Wigged Out 5K

After almost a 2-hour drive, I arrived in Costa Mesa on Friday, to pick up the race package (tee shirt and bib).

I couldn’t believe it when I parked on the lot, stepped out of the car and, all of a sudden, the black jacket I’d gotten for granddaughter’s Negan costume flashed through my mind and I realized I’d forgotten to bring it.

For a second, I lost my mind and was tempted to drive 2 hours back, in heavy traffic, to get it.

I nixed putting myself through that, but it bothered me all night that her costume wouldn’t be authentic without the jacket.

Arriving at the hotel, I pulled back the drapes to get a look at the Queen Mary.

A Halloween Pikachu tried to obscure my view

I never get tired of looking at the Queen Mary off in the distance, whenever I'm in Long Beach, but look is all I'll do. I did once get up close enough to board, but opted not to because she’s haunted and I didn’t want to risk an incorporeal being attaching itself to me.

From the looks of huge spider webs on the hotel doors, one might think the place is infested with giant arachnids.

Not so. It was decorations for a Halloween Party in the conference room seeping out.

I love Halloween.

After a good night’s sleep, it was race day. The weather was nice and cool, but a lot was obscured from view because of the fog.

I needn’t have worried about the lack of Negan’s jacket, because Lucille, Negan’s bat, was easily recognized and garnered a lot of good-natured laughs and high-fives along the path from non-participant beach goers who were obviously fans of The Walking Dead, and from a group of young volunteers, also obvious TWD fans.

Especially since granddaughter painted a beard on her face.

One fan and her Mario dad asked for a photo op.

This wasn’t as big a race as I’d imagined ─ I’d say only about 300, but there were some interesting sights.

Warming Up to Michael J's Thriller

I WISH! But this was for the 10K people

Granddaughter and I did well in crossing the finish line in 1:03:35, considering I had to wear old shoes that had long ago lost their resilience -- because of that problem with the new ones, and thus I could feel the pavement, which caused me to struggle because every step hurt the bottom of my feet and sent shockwaves through my spine.

It occurred to me later the old shoes could have benefitted from a Dr. Scholl’s insert.

Inasmuch as I also can’t wear the new red/white/blue shoes for Sunday’s Wonder Woman 5K, I’ll have to wear the old red/white/blue, but I’ll be sure to test them out and add Dr. Scholl’s cushioning if need be.

One lives, one learns.

Medal No ??? for me. Lost count at 36

Granddaughter's 2nd Medal

Pulling back the drapes this morning for one last look at the Queen before I headed back to the Inland Empire, I found she’s wasn't blocked by Pikachu, instead it was fog obscuring my view.

Halloween Breakfast Potluck

The box of Starbucks was, as usual, a huge hit with the seniors, as was The Baker’s fabulous biscuits and gravy.

Of course, I had to pass on biscuits, gravy and all the other delicious looking dishes the seniors brought, not only because I don’t eat just anybody’s food (sole exception being The Baker’s, if I could) but because my sensitive stomach can’t handle white flour, baking powder, and many other toxic to me ingredients. So, I ate before I got there and satisfied myself with coffee, fruit and conversation.

How cute are these plates

Also a big hit was my costume, even though Apache was the only one, other than Community Manager and Activity Director, who knew who the character was. The others appear to have lived their lives under a rock and intend to stay there. But they did find the outfit "cute".

This guy, on the way to discuss insurance with a resident, made a beeline into the Community Room, upon seeing my costume, said he loved it and asked if he could take a photo to send to his daughter who he said is all over Pikachu.

How sweet is that!

Even though I expected few seniors would bust out of their fuddy duddiness and wear a costume, I yesterday decided to pull, from storage, a minion outfit ─ last worn in 2016 for a costumed 5K.

But then, I got to thinking about Debra’s suggestion of Pikachu (seconded by Mage), changed my mind about minion, put on my creative thinking cap and thought of ways to put Pikachu together at the almost last minute.

I quickly captured a Pokéball image from the internet, printed onto transfer paper, and ironed it onto an old top that wasn’t exactly yellow, more like lime green, but close enough.

Then, I looked at a few YouTube tutorials on making ears/tail, using felt, and headed to the craft store. 

A block or two away from reaching Michael’s Crafts, I spied a Party City sign.

Something told me to pull in, check to see if they had anything I could use.

Did they ever ─ a kit including headband AND tail.

Saved me a ton of time and having to set up the sewing machine.

I even found a top for the upcoming Wonder Woman 5K.

The race organizers are providing us with tops for that event, but I thought I might like this one better.

We’ll see.

Only four, out of the 25 in attendance, were in costumes.

Next to me is “Zero”, a character I’m not familiar with. Then we have a Bee and a Gypsy.

It didn’t use to be this way. When I first moved in, back in 2011, there was way more community spirit, way more Halloween spirit.

The years of Nurse Ratched as Community Manager changed everything and, even though she’s long gone and things are copasetic around here now, there are those who are still angry, resentful towards Corporate, won’t participate, and management seems to be filling vacancies with people who, instead of being Active Seniors, are so infirmed that they can’t get out.

That’s why Activity Director’s activity duties have been drastically cut back, with her focus now on Outreach for the infirmed -- which is Corporate’s greedy way of bringing more funds in for them, rather than spending on us.

Oh well, the lack of costumes made it easy for me to win a prize.

The new Community Manager was the judge, which I liked much better than attendees judging, especially since they don't know characters.  The prize for “Most Creative” went to the gypsy in the wheel chair. I got “Best Dressed”.

What did I win?

 

Themed Soap Dispenser

Because Activity Director’s activity hours have been cut, that’s it for activities around here for remainder of the month.

No matter to me because I’ll be gone -- I've got a 5K this weekend and another next weekend.

After that experience with the knees and hips not feeling race ready, I was thinking of heading to Korea Town for some acupuncture. But then, something told me it was the new walking shoes.

Sure enough, I checked and saw the back heel is higher than I’m accustomed to ─ threw my stride and balance off, caused my feet to shift just enough to put pressure on my knees and hips. 

Too bad because they were expensive, plus I bought two pair, and now they’re useless to me.

The good news is somebody at Salvation Army is going to get a bargain.

Community Day

Not community day here at the complex, but PokémonGo’s October Community Day.

Plan for today had originally been to waste my life away doing nothing but sit on the couch, working on that never-ending needlepoint project, while watching the Twilight Saga ─ the love story between human Bella, vampire Edward and the third wheel werewolf Jacob (my favorite), being televised for like the 999th time, with me watching for like the 999th time.

However, getting desperately low on Pokéballs, I instead suited up in walking gear and headed for the nearby university to load up on balls, gifts for game friends, and keep an eye out for today’s specially featured species, new to this area ─ Beldum, a Steel/Psychic type.

Caught one as soon as I parked the car on the lot.

The campus was swarming with Beldums, enabling me to catch enough to evolve already.

Another advantage to giving up my couch sitting/Twilight watching time was that the two eggs I had incubating hatched four times as fast during today's Community Day hours, and I conquered my fear of looking like a fool in the game, and mustered up the courage to enter a PokémonGo Gym and battle. In fact, I battled twice.

Lost both battles, because I really didn’t know what the heck I was doing once inside the Gym but, thanks to the woman who came to the complex on Craft Day to show us how to make mini-chalkboards and caught me playing the game during a lag, when I was waiting for paint to dry, engaging me in game talk and answering my questions about how to enter a Gym and how to battle, at least I’m no longer afraid to go further in the game.

Today’s walk helped to loosen up my joints for next weekend’s 5K. However, by the way my knees and hips began to feel after a short time, it became painfully clear I need more training ─ having been inactive since participating in May’s Great Donut Run because it’s just been too darn hot outside.

Now that the weather is walkable again, there's not enough time remaining for more training. So, it looks like I’m going to have to vampire the race, i.e., walk slow, feed off the energy of the sights and sounds along the path, suck up the endorphins coming from other participants in order to make it to the finish line.

On tap for tomorrow is a trip to Starbucks to order a Traveler for Tuesday’s Halloween Breakfast.

It’s a potluck and since I’m the world’s worst cook, Starbucks coffee ─ which the seniors always see as a treat, is my contribution.

The fact that Halloween is being celebrated a week early here, has to do with Activity Director’s schedule. Costumes are being encouraged.

Inasmuch as our Halloween is a week early, and because so many seniors do not wear costumes when encouraged to do so, I’ll have to think about pulling something out of my costume bin.

I’m thinking probably not.

No Vacancy

Waking up yesterday morning, opening the blinds to let in the sun, I spied a patio chair on the upstairs unit across the quad ─ the unit which just recently became vacant when, according to Nosey (resident in corner unit downstairs across the quad) the resident had Stage 4 cancer and was moved out and in with one of his sons.

It appears someone moved in on Tuesday, when I was away at the DMV.

That was fast.

Later yesterday, heading out to run errands, including a stop at Target to pickup granddaughter’s Negan costume jacket, I spied Nosey out on her patio. Assuming she’d have the 411, I asked “Did someone move into the upstairs unit?”

“Yes. His name is _____, he’s a Black man and doesn’t walk so good.”

LOL.

Doesn’t sound like we’ve added any eye candy to the quad, but also doesn’t sound like someone who’s going to change our mostly pleasant dynamics. I say "mostly" because there's still that weird young lady in the unit beneath mine who keeps a low profile and warned me off by saying, "I don't like people!" when she moved in and I tried to welcome her.

While at Target, I picked up a few incidentals I didn’t know I needed until I saw them, and also spotted a coffee mug I knew my married daughter would love.

I bought one for her, one for her partner and two gift bags.

At checkout, I took my attention off the cashier, just for a moment, to load the PokémonGo app to see if the store’s Starbucks was a Pokéstop.

It was.

When I turned my attention back to the cashier, instead of giving me a Target bag, he had opened one of my gift bags, crammed both mugs in (without safety wrapping), had opened the other gift bag and was in the process of inserting other purchases in that one.

“OMG! what are you doing?” said I.

He mumbled something I couldn’t understand.

"Those are gift bags ... use a Target bag", said I incredulously.

He made no effort to properly repackage the mugs and, not trusting him to know what proper handling looked like, I took them out of the gift bag and just settled them in the cart as is, with the plan to use the tissue paper I’d also purchased to wrap and protect once I was out of the line.

Which I did, but what a dufus.

And no, he wasn’t a kid, a child who didn’t have a clue. He looked to be one of those laid-back millennials who, even if he wasn't accustomed to using his brain, should at least have been experienced enough to know you wrap breakables in paper before bagging, and you do not bag purchases in just purchased gift bags.

On tap for today?

With nothing on my plate I must do, I might join the seniors for Bingo.

Second Time’s the Charm

The good news is my DMV license is renewed. They won’t be bothering me for another five years.

Even better news is I did not have to take a behind the wheel test.

I’ll be 79 next renewal period, so it’ll probably be both at that time.

Walking into the DMV was an experience. I arrived 9:55 for my 10:00 appointment and, by 10:11, I had a raging headache.

DMV was very well organized and everything moved quickly, it was just so much. So many people, so many different anxious energies.

Even though I had an appointment, there’s this new thing where you have to fill out a computerized application as to what you’re there for.

Some people have never used a computer, don’t know how to type on a computer, fear computers (There’s a woman her in the complex who checks all those boxes. Even though her daughters have encouraged her to try).

DMV Staff helped those not acquainted with computers, but the fear, tension, uncertainty generated, added to the so muchness that was stressing me out.

After the computer, it was wait in the lobby for your number to be called.

Once called, it was a good thing I had the notice to renew with me because the clerk could not find in the computer that a renewal notice had been sent.

After that was cleared up, it was pay a $34 fee, sign some paperwork, give a thumbprint, take an eye exam.

I thought needlepoint would cause me problems on the eye test. It didn’t. Passed with flying colors, even though I can't read labels at home without a magnifying glass.

Then it was picture time.

Hate the photo I’m going to have to live with for the next five years.

Previously, my photos were taken with eyeglasses on. Knowing that, I didn’t put on eye makeup this morning.

Big mistake because this time it was “Take your glasses off”.

Oh Wait! said I. I didn't put on eye makeup this morning.

You look fine said she. It'll be beautiful.

It wasn't because, in addition to no eye makeup, I forgot to stick my tongue against the roof of my mouth, which gives the illusion of a tight under the chin line. Having forgotten to do so, the photo came out with a pronounced under the chin waddle AND my face looks fat.

Bleh!

Then came the written exam. It felt tough, even though I'd been taking online tests, studying for months.

Bad news is study did not help -- I did not pass. Eighteen question, allowed to miss three, I missed four.

I was given the option to immediately retest, but opted to take a break, get grocery shopping out of the way, then sit in the car, clear my head and review the questions I thought I might have missed in the handbook.

Couldn’t figure out what I’d missed, except “Bridges and overpasses tend to freeze before the rest of the road does”.

I’d totally guessed “after” on that one because, who knows, who cares, and guessed wrong.

Another I missed was a trick question on evading a police officer. 

Could not figure out what the other two were, but think I misread illegal as legal and/or vice versa.

At any rate, I initially planned to return tomorrow for retest. But then I thought the test would be an entirely new one, and I was confident I knew all the correct answers to today’s test. So, after grocery shopping, clearing my head in the car, I went back two hours later for the retest.

It still was an entirely new test, but felt easy peasy as compared to the first.

I passed.

Now too exhausted to do anything worthwhile today, I’m just going to veg out on the couch and handle errands tomorrow.

Granddaughter has decided to do next week’s Halloween 5K with me, going as Walking Dead Character Negan. I want to run by Party City and pick up a foam replica of Negan’s Bat Lucille and a faux leather jacket. She already has the gloves and red scarf.

For those of you unfamiliar with Walking Dead ... This is Negan and how females are adopting his look for cosplay.

Candles and Flashlight Batteries

The Santa Ana Winds rolled in like a giant freight train last night.

Along with the Santa Anas came an emergency message from the power company that they’re exploring options for a potential public safety power shutoff in this area.

What the heck?!

To prevent the spread of wildfires, I suppose, but how inconvenient.

I’d better stock up on candles and flashlight batteries.

As far as shutting off power for public safety, this is an area where to do so would have the opposite effect. It would be like that movie Purge, where the bad guys see darkness as an opportunity for mayhem.

Speaking of which, there was that issue of damage done to mailboxes when, under cover of darkness, someone broke into the boxes middle of August.

Management did a temporary fix to keep the metal from harming anyone, then pushed it all into position, kept in place by use of  duct tape.

And in that condition the mailboxes remained for weeks and weeks and weeks until Apache, the unofficial mayor of the complex, began bugging management to fix it so residents effected by the damaged boxes, could begin receiving delivery again.

Management blew Apache off so, in mid-September,  he called his contacts at the County who came out, assessed the damage, gave management an October 6th deadline to get repairs done.

They missed the deadline, so Apache promptly turned management in.

A representative from the County came back on October 9th to verify repairs had not been made.

In addition, Apache contacted Corporate, even tough Corporate had long ago have their lawyers send Apache a cease and desist notice to stop bugging them.

That notice meant nothing to Apache. Once he has a cause, he’ll take it all the way to the Supreme Court ─ joke that the Supreme now is.

At any rate, the fact that Apache contacted Corporate, got him and the new Community Manager into a heated discussion. Which, Apache also doesn’t care, but which spurred the new Community Manager to assign the two maintenance guys to the task.

The guys began repairs last Thursday -- two days after the County returned to prove they meant business, at which time Apache texted me urging I come down as it was quite the comical scene to see the guys struggle to, as his text titled, “How can you get a square object in a square space”, photo included.

Though I did not go down, I heard the guys struggled for most of the day on Thursday into the night around 8:00.

Yesterday, when I went down for mail and to check out last week's work, the installation looked done, but not quite, because the area around the boxes hasn’t yet been concreted in, just held together with duct tape still. Looks like management did just enough to get the County off their back.

They’d better get onto finishing quick, before Apache calls in his contacts again. Plus, if repairs are not completed before the power company cuts power, conditions will be perfect for the mail thief when he comes back for another go.

And I’ve no doubt he’ll come back, especially since it appears management did nothing to capture the thief or relocate the mail center to a more secure location inside the building.

On the other hand, inasmuch as this damage caused Head Maintenance Guy so much extra work, lazy boy that he is, maybe he will be more likely to do something when next he hears someone breaking into the boxes, which I’m sure he had to have heard as he lives right over that area.

On tap for today is my last chance to practice with online DMV tests, because my written renewal test is tomorrow.

I’m not feeling confident.

I know what to do on the road, but my brain scrambles on written exams, written scenarios, especially when the DMV throws in trick questions.

The notice to renew indicated one could renew online but, when I tried to go that route, it said I was not eligible. Inasmuch as my driving record is clean as a whistle, I’m assuming my ineligibility is age discrimination.

I’m hoping DMV doesn’t further age discriminate against me by requesting a behind the wheel test.

Fire on the Mountain

Napping this afternoon, I became aware of sirens.

I think I’ve become desensitized with so many rescue vehicles coming in and out of the complex to care for seniors in distress, so I didn’t rouse myself to see what was going on, not even when I became aware of more sirens and helicopters.

THEN, my phone began to alert me to a message.

Still couldn’t rouse myself.

THEN, my phone began to alert me to more messages, so I forced myself groggily awake to check the phone and saw it was my buddy Apache asking if I was ready to evacuate. Included in one of the messages was a photo of what was going on across the street, a few miles away.

He was joking about “evacuate” — the fire wasn’t that big or that close, but it did wake me up.

I headed outside.

I ran into The Baker. She was anxious because one of her daughters lives in that area and had texted it was coming her way.

Fortunately, fire services did a good job. The fire (intentionally set by two teens) was contained quick fast in a hurry.

Lots of seniors were out of their units, on fire watch, including The Seer and Shadow.

Shadow is getting creepier and creepier by the minute, the way he always sits next to The Seer, listening to her conversations with others, but never speaking.

I’ve seen stories on the ID Discovery Channel about guys like this.

It’s a definite red flag.

A few days ago, Apache texted me that an armored truck had sideswiped a car out front, photo included.

No money fell off the truck, so I didn’t hurry out, but I did later go to the Community Room to check on the aftermat.

There was The Seer, Shadow sitting close by, silent, looking glum, like always, while The Seer chatted with others.

When she stepped away for a second, I decided to poke the bear and make him speak.

“You’re quiet”, said I. “Are you okay?”.

“I’m always quiet. I’m okay, at peace, filled with the holy ghost”.

Ooooookay. Sorry I poked you, thought I, as I got up and removed myself.

A few weeks prior to that, at The Baker's Birthday party, The Seer announced to the group, "He's a real man".

Not only was what she was alluding to TMI (too much information), it was out of context. Had nothing to do with any conversations going on.

Embarrassed for her, wanting to throw up in my mouth at the imagery she'd put in my head, and simultaneously wanting to take her down, it was on the tip of my tongue to say, "Real men have teeth".

Fortunately, I was able to bite my tongue and control my mouth, because it would have been a cruel thing to say. The absolute truth as it relates to Shadow, but cruel.

And so you don't think I'm completely shallow, things happen, so false teeth are acceptable, but only one or two or three in a guy's mouth is like eweeeeee.

At any rate, today’s fire was a signal to put my go-bag back together. I’d had to upend it when I used that overnight bag for the last two away trips. With the Santa Ana Winds expected in a few weeks, teens purposely setting fires, the homeless accidently starting fires while trying to cook or stay warm, I’d better get prepared.

It’s Here

New Hoover Carpet Cleaner

But why is the box so short, thought I.

Turns out it was short because assembly is required.

After first freaking out, I checked the instructions and found assembly was only connecting the upper handle and water solution tank. Took less than 5 minutes.

It’s going to take me like forever to break down the box, packing material, and get it all down to the dumpster.

Tuesday’s recertification session went well. I was in and out, paperwork completed in less than 10 minutes, and most of the less than ten minutes was chitchatting ─ Assistant Community Manager venting about being over-worked and under-appreciated by Corporate. Someone at Corporate even told her “No one is indispensable” when she complained about lack of staff, so many days with just herself on duty. I imagine that statement was meant to scare her, as in … if you can't handle it, we'll get someone who can.

The session was so quick because, according to her, I came prepared with the necessary printouts of income and assets. She indicated others come in and say, “I think I have this and that ... it’s all guesswork”.

Since when?

This was news to me because, always before, one had to show proof, which proof management databased and kept copies of. Now anyone can say anything, and the paperwork I’d provided wasn’t needed this time around. The recertification process now is the resident fills out a form, much like a tax filing, and signs to its validity.

Something must have happened to bring about this change. Either Corporate is now too cheap to hire people to review/verify our submittals or Corporate no longer trusts its employees with copies and database access to our personal information.

One new thing they included in the process that I like is … remember when a long-time resident was found dead in his unit from suspicious circumstances? He had bruises on his chest and his caregiver disappeared.

We never did hear how that investigation ended but, when the resident’s brother came to remove his deceased brother’s property, management turned him away saying the unit had already been leased to someone else, someone who had nothing and needed what was in the unit.

I’m not against giving to the needy, but I didn’t think it right to withhold and give away what was not there’s and planned to inquire, at my recertification, what would happen to the contents of my unit should I pass away while living here.

Evidently, a lot of residents had a problem with what happened with the contents of that unit, because the recertification packet contained a form to indicate who we’d given keys to our unit, and who management was allowed to let into our units to do as they saw fit. I listed Twin No. 2 as the person who had keys and Twin 1 and Granddaughter to be allowed in.

So, recertification is off my bucket list.

Assistant Manager never mentioned her husband, his illness, ICE having picked him up, and I certainly didn’t bring it up, but you could see the stress she’s under on her face, the deeply lined bags under her eyes. She did, however, say she may need to take time off, giving the excuse she needed the time to rest, to sleep but Apache had already texted me that she’d be taking time off to return to British Honduras, with her husband, to do whatever it is they need to do.

It’s something about her husband is only allowed so much time in the country, has to return to British Honduras but then, after a time, can come back. I do remember when she took time off previously to do just that ─ go out of the country with him for a few months, then return and jump back into her job. What I’m guessing happened is, because he got sick again, he overstayed this time. Thus, ICE grabbed him up.

At any rate, she’s a nice woman, not too smart for remarrying that guy and taking on his issues, but nice. So, I hope things work out for her.