Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Nice While it Lasted

Ran into Jan yesterday. She seemed down, a bit whipped.

Returning from the Pain Cave that morning, I saw her, and a group of other residents, selecting veggies from that mobile food bank, run by the Talker’s brother.

There is not a doubt in my mind that, once management becomes aware of what the Talker’s brother is doing — bringing that van in, giving away free veggies, they’ll come up with a reason to put an end to it — either saying someone has complained or it’s a liability issue.

I didn’t need anything from the van but, just to be sociable, I walked over, selected a few tomatoes and a spaghetti squash.

Jan just wasn’t her normal chipper self.

I didn’t inquire, but I began to wonder if management sic’d the lawyers on her with one of their cease and desist letters.

When I told her that someone must have liked the latest big rock she’d put out — the one that said God Isn’t Finished With Me Yet, because it had disappeared, she said, “I’m glad it’s gone because someone liked it, rather than tossed it in the trash”.

THAT was very telling — she knew management was throwing painted rocks away, looked hurt (Manager probably told her of this disposal method, just to twist the knife as he stuck it in, show her who's boss around here because she'd challenged him).

Jan further went on to say she wouldn’t be painting or planting anymore rocks because of the complaints.

Yep, management wore her down … or threatened her.

Oh well, it was nice in the short while it lasted.

I’m feeling very sorry for the residents who don’t have the option to get out and about. There’s nothing for them to do here, except stay in their units and fade away or, as one yelp commenter wrote, “You don’t get to ‘live’ here. We just exist”.

Speaking of fading away, it’s becoming a struggle not to just hold up in my unit and fade away my own darn self.

Not because I can’t get out and about, but more and more that I don’t want to.

Having become accustomed to the pandemic thing of ordering online, having goods delivered to me, I’ve gotten so comfortable with that accommodation that, low on Trader Joe’s Stevia — the only stevia that satisfies the tastebuds, I came thisclose to ordering online for delivery, but then I motivated myself to get out and drive the 18 miles to Trader Joe’s.

Not to mention that I'm supposed to be training for an upcoming in-person 5K, but can't motivate myself to go walking in the indoor mall, to test my endurance, see if I'm still up to a 5K after so long an absence from.

At any rate, in-store shopping at Trader Joe's is the second return to normalcy for me, post-pandemic, the first being the nail salon.

Upon returning to the complex, I checked mail and found I’d been issued an “Official Jury Summons”.

I’d rather have root canal than do that so-called civic duty.

Fortunately, I don’t have to.

I applied for and was granted a “Permanent Jury Excuse” in 2017. Consequently, they are not supposed to even be bothering me, so the joke is on them.

All I have to do is return the summons with a copy of my permanent excuse, and I’m thankfully off the hook.

Nice try, criminal justice system, but no cigar.

10 comments:

  1. Well, I find it commendable that you drove 18 miles to Trader Joes- that shows motivation for sure.

    Too bad about the rocks. Maybe Jan will feel ready in a while to do just a few and scatter them elsewhere, in public places. The odd one or two so they can be a nice surprise for someone. Obviously not appreciated by your strange management folk.

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  2. Well, I find it commendable that you drove 18 miles to Trader Joes- that shows motivation for sure.

    Too bad about the rocks. Maybe Jan will feel ready in a while to do just a few and scatter them elsewhere, in public places. The odd one or two so they can be a nice surprise for someone. Obviously not appreciated by your strange management folk.

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    1. It's just a 20 minute drive, one I've made multiple times pre-pandemic. Post-pandemic, I'm leaning towards being a complete hermit. Jan needs something to do, to keep from going stir crazy, so she'll probably still paint 'em, just not leave around here.

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    2. I think that will work!
      Hope it's not too hot for you. Here in the PNW we are back to lovely normal temps ( mid 70s'). We do not do well when it is hot.

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  3. Oh, so sorry about Jan's Rock venture being sidelined, but we knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time. Glad you're forcing yourself not to vegetate and fade away... I too struggle with this since Pandemic, the not wanting to get out, which is so out of character for me that it's a bit troubling. I know I could easily tip into doing nothing, going nowhere, not looking forward to anything, fading away. I Love Trader Joe's, they don't have any really close by tho', so I don't get to go often except when at The Man's VA Clinic which is near one. Mostly I go to Sprouts instead... Whole Foods is all East Side, they think West Side doesn't want Whole and nutritious Foods??? WTF?! I've complained to their Corporate about ignoring parts of the City, honestly, it's very Socioeconomic in that they only want stores in affluent areas where the most pretentious shop. But, I still like the Stores they have in those Areas... liking a place I don't really wanna like, you know? *LOL* Jury Duty keeps wanting The Man too and he should be permanently waived due to his Brain Damage and Age/other Disabilities. I had a Friend who they kept saying she had to have her Dead Husband perform his Civic Duty... that would have been hilarious, had it not been for the fact she was still quite the Grieving Widow as it was so that made it all the more painful to her to have to Deal with that too and have them quit threatening her. How many Death Certificates do they need anyway before they update their Rolls? *LOL* I quit sending them the same documentation for The Man, last time I threatened to just dump him off and make them responsible for him and say if a Silver Alert had to go out coz they Lost him and he got confused and didn't know why he was even there... good Luck with that and I Hope it all worked out until the Lawsuit settled that I'd be inviting all the Media to cover. *winks*

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    1. The fact that they're insisting that dead people report for jury duty, and are hounding you about The Man, isn't lessening my disgust with the whole system. Though I followed instructions, mailed back what I was to have mailed back, I'm expecting them to screw up. In which case, I'll be ignoring any further summons. Come and get me, lock me up for failing to report.

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  4. I admit that I've never been to Trader Joe's, pre-pandemic or since, even though I've got them nearby. Maybe I'm trying to avoid the addiction everyone mentions, but good that it got you out!
    Sorry to Jan about her rocks. I hope she paints more and creates her own rock garden or such.

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    1. I'm lucky to have options around here, because I can never find everything in one location. For instance, Sprouts is the only store that sells butter lettuce, and Fody garlic/onion free items. Trader Joe's the only one with sweet-tasting Stevia. We don't have Whole Foods. Guess we're not a fancy enough area for them. LOL.

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  5. I didn't even know you could get a permanent excuse for jury summons. I'll have to look into that.

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    1. It was news to me as well. I've always hated being summoned and, when I was having gut issues that would have made it hard to sit all day in a courtroom getting voir dire'd. I saw on the summons where the only excuse was a medical note. I asked the doctor for one and she said that if I wanted a permanent excuse I could qualify because I was over the required age of 70 and had a physical issue. My gut issues are better now that I’ve learned from the Specialist what I can and cannot eat, but I’ve no plans to withdraw my permanent excuse

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