Arts and Crafts

I thought Santa was early when I was awakened by such a clatter this morning, coming from the roof.

Looking out the window, I saw guys with ladders and remembered there’d been a notice posted to the door, a few days ago, that the annual gutter cleaning and roof inspections were to begin.

I hope they clear the birds’ nest that’s up there somewhere, because having to sweep bird poop off the patio every day is not one of my favorite choirs. But at least, this year, there were no downed fledglings for me to worry about.

There’s been a flurry of activity around here — what with landscapers, maintenance performing a pre-inspection in our units, our patios and in garages. Now there’s gutter and roof work, as management prepares for Friday’s inspection of the property and random units by one of the Regulatory Agency.

Management does take extraordinary care of the property, insofar as how they want the outsides to look. We have all kinds of rules and regulations as to what can be placed in view — like, "only three plants on the patio and must not weigh more than 5 gallons each, approved patio furniture, umbrellas up to 7 feet in diameter, neutral colors, tan, propane or electric barbeque grills with a 1-gallon propane can, and patios are not to be used as storage". All these rules/regulations but, inside the units … not so much care or attention.

Takes days, weeks, months, sometimes years to get management to take care of requests for service.

I’m surprised that, after the patio inspection, the new upstairs neighbor didn’t get a lease violation notice for the junk on her patio, including a bike, mop and some sort of boxed contraption.

Hopefully, her patio will distract attention from the painted rocks — just in case the regulatory folks, like the Tyrant, have a problem with them.

There are numerous patios around here that are beautifully decorated with plants — way more than the only allowed three, a patio that’s got stuff covered with a big red tarp, and other patios that are filled with items I can’t identify. So it’s silly that the Tyrant, or anyone else, would get their panties in a bunch over a few painted rocks.

Elsewhere around here, I think a homeless person found himself/herself a safe place to sleep the other night because, heading for the Pain Cave yesterday, I saw what looked like makeshift bedding in front of where the Talker parks her car.

Even looks like the person found a few rocks to either play with or have handy as a protective weapon.

Thank goodness the person didn’t use the rocks to damage any cars.

I just got back from Arts and Crafts in the Community Room — Activity Director’s first Arts and Crafts session since the shutdown back in March 2020.

Risky though it is, to be in a room full of seniors, I figured if I could survive two trips to the medical center, being surrounded by people of all ages — some with varying illnesses, I can survive attending events in the Community Room once again.

Participants were required to wear a mask. I always do anyway, so no problem I.

Today’s craft was a Stencil Board.

We ombre’d fall colors onto our boards, let dry, chose a stencil, then dabbed though the stencil design with white craft paint.

Activity Director had set up for 12, but only 5 of us showed up, so we got to make two.

The majority of stencils were love and thanksgiving themed. I wanted nothing to do with love and, since the grandsons ticked me off, I’m skipping Thanksgiving, going directly from Halloween to Christmas, so I looked for themes that were tepid, neutral.

I was warmly greeted, when I walked in the room, by Activity Director, Jan (the painted rock lady, scheduled for hospitalization next week), the Baker and Genie (my biggest fan around here). Genie was so excited to see me that, saying she’d not seen me in so long, she began rushing towards me, arms outstretched, to give me a hug.

I felt so bad when I shouted, “OH NOOOOOO! DON’T HUG ME. I DON’T HUG PEOPLE ANYMORE” and gave her an elbow bump instead.

I also didn’t sit with the ladies. I chose the next table over and had it all to myself until, well into the session, the Seer walked through the door.

I heard the little voice in my head say, “Oh God!”

Everyone in the room greeted the Seer, except me. I spoke not a word.

I can be a beoch when the occasion requires it.

The Seer made her way around the room, looked at what everyone was doing, THEN made it over to me.

We did not greet each other. Instead, wanting to engage, after having ceased speaking to me years ago, shortly after she hooked up with her boyfriend, the Shadow — for reasons to this day I do not know, but suspect it had something to do with her boyfriend, she opened up a line of communication by asking me questions about the project process.

I was polite, I answered her questions.

By this time, Activity Director — who’d excused herself from the room to take a call, returned and asked the Seer if she wanted to do a board.

She did.

The Seer went to sit with the ladies but, for some ungodly reason, Activity Director said, “Why don’t you sit over here”.

"Over here" was at the other edge of my table.

I heard the little voice in my head say, "OH SH_T!".

It was cool though. I didn’t feel her usual negative energy in the atmosphere.

I can’t say we chatted. It was more like she’d ask me a question about the project, and I’d answer.

Then, she got nostalgic and brought up the needlepoint I’d made for her years ago — when we were friends. Telling me where she hangs it, how she always looks up at it.

It was almost like she was saying “I’m sorry”, but I wasn’t buying it. She’s too sometimey, and this homey don’t play that.

I did not respond, just listened to her nostalgic rambling. We will never be friends again.

At the end of the session, we took a group photo and it was kind of poetic that, because the Seer arrived late, had not finished her project, she was not in the photo.

Heading back to my unit, I passed the Shadow on his walker (still recovering from back surgery).

I stepped aside, so he could move freely down the walkway and, when he got to where I was standing, he caught a glimpse of my boards, asked, “Did you make that?”

I said, “Yes”, and continued on to my unit.

He’s probably going to tell the Seer that I stopped him, went out of my way to show him my projects which, of course, will cause the Seer to go dark again.

So there’s that.

By the way, the rescued cat came up in the session. Activity Director heard of the incident and asked if anyone had adopted the cat.

When I said, “Diane”, Activity Director said, “Great! She’s good with cats”.

I surely do hope so.