TikTok to the Rescue … Maybe

We got some rain on Monday. Not a downpour, just enough to dirty up the car I’d taken the time to wash while out and about on Saturday.

Returning from Monday’s workout, while in the bedroom changing out of workout clothes, I spotted a hoody wearing resident struggling down the walkway on one of those canes that have three feet/prongs on the end. She had mail in her hand, so I deduced she was headed back to wherever from the mail center.

Just as she reached the crossroad by the bench, where the walkways meet, she stopped, looked down, picked something up from the edge of the grass, sticking whatever it was into her pocket.

As she than began to look around, picking up things from surrounding areas, making it further up the walkway along the grass line, picking up, putting into her pocket, I began thinking OH NO! NOT ANOTHER ONE.

Then it hit me — it wasn’t another one, it was our Karen character and, sure enough, she ended up working her way into the Karen’s unit.

She’s still at it — gleaning tree droppings, only the cat was not with her this time AND she all of a sudden is using a cane.

What that’s about?

Wouldn’t it be weird if she turns out to be an insurance cheat. Collecting money for being "weak, sick, disabled".

I realize that not all physical ailments are visible, but she doesn’t appear all that weak or sick when she’s out in front of her unit chasing the cat or picking up tree droppings and, whatever ailment it is she says she has, there is no longer the caregiver — either through no longer needing one or none will put up with her.

This being the first time I’ve seen her go further than the front of her own unit, perhaps the cane is for show to bolster her claim of being "weak, sick" if observed by others elsewhere.

Something to think about, but who knows. It could be the wet rainy weather is truly having an impact on her physicality.

Remainder of the afternoon was steam cleaning the kitchen tile in yet another attempt to get the tiles looking spot free, brand spanking new.

Over the years, I’ve tried every product known to man. Even tried various hacks suggested by commenters and my dermatologist’s assistant — Clorox blue gel toilet bowl cleaner, combination of vinegar with Dawn, Bar Keeper's Friend, straight up vinegar left for an hour or so, all with some results, but still not the results I’m looking for.

Tik Tok to the rescue … maybe. A house cleaner suggested scrubbing with a degreaser to remove the buildup of Mop and Go. The steamer has a brass brush, so I began working on tiles yesterday.

So far so MEH, so the plan is to continue steam cleaning today, see how it goes.

While running the steamer, I suddenly flashed back to my cleaning mom’s kitchen floor the way she taught me to — which was how she was taught to do as a kid growing up in the country.

I was around 10/12 years old, when we lived in a one-story house that was extremely low to the ground.

I don’t recall what kind of kitchen flooring was in the house — probably linoleum but, when called upon to clean the floor, I’d grab the garden hose, drag it inside, run water from the hose onto the floor, around and under appliances, direct the dirt and grime out the kitchen door, then sweep any remaining water out the door.

It was effective and fun.

I also remember us kids waxing the living room floor by skating around with socks on our feet.

One country taught baking system had the girls at work in stitches when, having a cake baking discussion, I mentioned my method for checking doneness was to put my ear close to the pan — careful to move my hair out of the way, not burn the side of my face and just listen to the cake.

Hearing sizzling, it was back in the oven. No sizzling, the cake was done.

Their jaws dropped in disbelief. They said they’d never heard of the listening method, and laughed their butts off.

Didn’t bother me because my coworkers were all years younger than I. Millenniums and Generation Z’s all born into fancy doodads, fancy ways and kitchen appliances that were not available when I was growing up.

At any rate, if I could still eat cake, I’d bake one and use the listening method yet and still to test doneness.

In fact, that memory has me so craving cake that I think I’ll head to the market for pineapple to try my hand at making a gluten-free upside down cake using brown rice flour.

I don't think brown rice flour can do my gut much harm, but I'm about to find out.