Shopping Cart Cam, Episode 2

The friendly hugger wasn’t guarding the store last two time I popped in.

I was ready though, video rolling, using the cart as a barrier because I just knew the moment I let my guard down, he’d reappear, possibly leave his station, give me a friendly hug.

It's difficult to pull the cart by the side, so when I saw he was not manning the station on those days, that a store employee or no one was on guard, I turned off the video, pushed the cart as normal.

Realizing I’d not be able to shop tomorrow, after working out, because I have to rush back to bingo, I popped in today, but on guard just in case.

Seeing him, a somewhat annoyed look formed on my face. A look that probably scared him off as much as he scared me when he moved from behind his station. But I think he’d only moved to remove the cart I stumbled into. A cart left by an inconsiderate customer inside the door, in front of the entrance.

Who does that?

Who leaves their cart blocking the entrance?

So, anyway, I got the normal "Have a nice day" when I exited, so I think I’ll be feeling less annoyed at the sight of him next time, less feeling I have to be protective of myself now that things are back to normal.

Running into Shadow, I was asked why I didn’t show up for Tuesday’s Carnival.

Done with the not pepper spray incident, I just said I won’t be attending any management events, that "I’m not very happy with management right now".

Shadow replied, "No one is". (Meaning happy with management).

He also said, it was announced at Carnival that management would be hosting a Christmas party.

I guess management is well pleased with themselves that residents showed up for that piddly little Carnival they threw to calm the ill will over the rent increase, even though attendance didn't represent the number of residents we have in the complex.

It’s all about the free food.

If you feed them, some will come.

Mistreat them, disrespect and yell at them (as I'm told the new manager does), don’t repair their refrigerator, their dish washer, ovens, but toss them a bone of free food and they’ll come, feed your ego, make you feel good about yourselves that you’re doing something FOR them, even though you take away more than you give, and still they will come.

I'm already planning to not attend management's Christmas Party, telling Shadow that "I’ll only be participating in bingo and events hosted by residents".

That is .... if management doesn't host a Halloween Costume Party. I'm not too fed up with anyone to pass up an opportunity to cosplay.

How Soon We Forget

Needing time away from the Usual Suspects, I did not mask up to check out the piddly event management hosted for residents yesterday — Carnival. Instead, I worked on that needlepoint project, caught up on recorded TV programs.

Having seen no one to ask how it went — what was served, what games were played, how many attended, did anyone get sick, did anyone die, I’ve nothing to report.

Everything must have been copacetic because, looking at what Red Light posted to FB last night, she’s already planning a Halloween Party in the room.

My plan was to avoid the others for another two weeks — until the next bingo game, which would have given me sufficient time to detox from my frustration with them. Not to mention long enough for infected others, if indeed there were infected others, to mutate into zombies. However, looking at the calendar, the next bingo game is this Friday, September 1.

Too soon, but inasmuch as I take photos for the website, I’ll mask up and participate.

One of the TV programs I caught up on was Worst Cooks in America.

In last week’s episode, Chefs Anne and Jeff showed the contestants how to make sushi.

I’ve not made sushi since I began cutting down on carbs and sodium in an effort to lower the very bad numbers that popped up in my last blood test.

No idea how I’m doing with those numbers, because the doctor won’t authorize another blood test until nearer end of year; but I’m down 25 pounds, which can’t hurt.

After seeing that sushi episode, a burning desire for sushi took hold, and irregardless of knowing full well sushi would push me over the top on both carbs and sodium, I just had to have it so, after this morning’s workout, I made few rolls.

How soon we forget because, though the rolls eventually came out looking and tasting great, I’d evidently been away from sushi making too long because, when I set out to load ingredients in the first roll, something didn’t seem quite right.

This is a test.

Can you tell me where I went amiss ...... What’s wrong with this picture?

I realized pretty quick that I needed to pivot.

That's More Like It

All’s well that ends well.

Lone Voice in the Wilderness

Just once I’d like to get up in the morning and not see strawberry blonde Inmate No. P01135809 on the news. Not see his face, not hear his name mentioned.

Is that too much to hope for?

Asking for a friend.

Going to be a rough week around here what with the inmate and his insane clown posse popping up 24/7, in addition to continuing extreme heat warnings. It was 104 yesterday, expected to be 107 today.

The natives are already restless, angry at being kicked out of bingo — even though it was for their own safety, so I’m expecting some drama.

Hopefully not from me, but I can’t be certain because, after their not understanding the significance of the folding chair video, the cluelessness, stupidity, gullibility, naivety of the Usual Suspects is beginning to grate on my nerves.

The new rent increase goes into effect on Friday.

As previously mentioned in the blog, management tossed us a bone with a Summer Social out by the pool to lessen the blow of last year’s rent increase.

This year it’s a 2-hour Carnival — lunch and fun games tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Community Room — the room I suspect of causing Assistant Manager and her husband to become ill, and causing us residents to cough, choke, gag at Friday’s bingo.

Red Light tells me a woman I’d seen seated in the Lobby, filling out paperwork with her husband to get a unit here, when whatever it was in the air caused problems, also later began coughing/gagging.

That woman wasn’t even seated in the room. She was in the Lobby area. Still the pepper spray theory goes unchallenged by everyone but me.

It was on Saturday when I heard Red Light on the walkway underneath my patio window explaining to two residents what had occurred in the Community Room.

Evidently, word is spreading something happened, so the two ladies were asking Red Light for the 411.

I heard the word "pepper spray" and, against my better judgment, walked out onto the patio and said it wasn’t, and that Assistant Manager is ill, her husband hospitalized, and though she said it wasn’t Covid, no one knows what it is.

With an authoritative voice, Red Light corrected me, that Assistant Manager was not ill. "She’s on vacation. I saw her Monday and she said she’d be on vacation this week".

"I saw her Friday as she was coming back from the hospital", said I.

Red Light dismissed me with an "Oh well" like I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about and went back to her pepper spray conversation.

Nobody puts baby in the corner, so I could have gone downstairs, pressed my point, but why bother. I just went back to what I was doing and thought about why do I even bother with the Usual Suspects, that this is why I mostly observe and blog about then, rather than hang with any of them outside of bingo, why I keep quiet and have turned down group lunch invitations and group other invitations. I don’t want to say it’s because they are all so stupid, and I can’t stand stupid people. Let’s just say they are all so limited in their ability to see what to me seems obvious, all so gullible, naive, clueless which makes them somewhat boring as foick to interact with, other than bingo and the occasional Community Room event.

So, anyway, will be interesting to see how things go in the room tomorrow OR, if management wakes up and shuts down Tuesday’s event and everything else until the room is investigated.

Thing is, management is kind of between a rock and a hard place in that the residents themselves want to continue on as usual, are they themselves ignoring the signs something is wrong in the room and will lose their sh!t if yet another event gets shut down.

So, we shall see what we shall see.

Something in the Air

On my way to bingo, after this morning’s workout, I ran into Assistant Complex Manager.

She did not look well.

Walking slow and seemingly with considerable effort to get one foot ahead of the other, she looked to have the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" asked I.

"No. I’m sick. It’s something we don’t know what it is. My husband has it too and I just admitted him into the hospital. It’s not Covid, but doctors don’t know what it is".

She looked so woebegone that I wanted to give her a hug, but didn’t because she’s got some kind of cootie and I didn’t want to catch it. Instead, I said, "You really look like you need a hug, but since I can’t give you an actual hug, consider yourself hugged."

She appreciated the thought, proceeded to hug herself as I hugged myself, and that was that.

Previously hearing there’d been an upswing in Covid and a new variant, I’d taken a mask with me to bingo, placed it in my bag.

About five minutes before the game started, a woman at my table began to cough. Instantly the woman next to her, across from me, began gagging/coughing, whereupon I felt something hit my throat and I began to cough.

I jumped up, fled the room.

Now standing outside the glass doors of the Community Room, coughing subsided, I watched as each and every resident still in the Community Room began to cough and gag uncontrollably.

It was like a horror movie.

I’d left my mask in the bag on the back of my chair, so I took in a deep breath of clean air, held it, ran back inside, masked myself and I was fine, as I watched others continuing to gag/choke/cough.

There was something in the air.

Red Light went and got Head Maintenance Guy, who turned off the A/C, opened all the windows.

Whatever had been released into the air was still in the room — residents gagging/choking/coughing, so HMG went and got Complex Manager.

She said she could smell whatever it was.

I never smelled anything, just what felt like dust going down my throat.

HMG and Complex Manager tried to blame it on someone having sprayed something, possibly pepper spray. Neither of which fit the situation as no one had sprayed anything, and eyes were not burning. Whatever it was had to have come through the A/C.

Long story short, Complex Manager evicted us from the room "For safety reasons".

Homegirl had by then run back to her unit, brought masks down for everyone, so others wanted to stay, play bingo.

With Assistant Manager and her husband ill from some unknown something, and then the gagging, choking, coughing, I was happy to be evicted from the room, get away from EVERYONE.

Last I heard, some of the seniors congregated on the patio area, in the hot sun. Didn’t play bingo, but ate the lasagna that had been made for break time.

Also last I heard, The Baker became seriously ill from whatever it was and was told by her daughter to take a shower, because it was probably pepper spray which clings to skin and clothes.

Nope! I’ve been pepper sprayed and that wasn’t it.

I can still feel a burning in my throat — no gagging/choking/coughing, just a burning sensation, which I didn’t feel when I pepper sprayed myself.

So anyway, it’s not going to be pretty if management goes with this bogus pepper spray theory, instead of ordering some kind of hazmat inspection, and residents get sick like Assistant Manager and her husband, because whatever it is may be the reason she and hubby are ill.

They live in that building, as does HMG and his family. All of them breathe the same A/C air.

At any rate, with my throat burning, news of stuff in the air not just here but everywhere, I don’t think I want to be out and about around others at tomorrow’s senior convention, so the event I was worried about having to lie about is a no go for me.

BTW.

Am I the only one to have noticed the cute cop standing guard at yesterday’s historic event?

Now that there’s a mugshot floating around, I decided not to invest in yet another t-shirt. Instead, I upgraded the one I’ve been sporting — the one that so triggered that cashier at Target.

WORTH THE WAIT

Inmate No. P01135809
6 feet 3 inches, 215 pounds, Strawberry Blonde

If you believe 215, then you probably believe 9 inches. As for strawberry blond ... are they speaking of the toupee?

SHOWTIME!!!!!

Waiting for the mug shot.

Pink is Not My Color

I am definitely not a pink person but, for these folding chair earrings, I’m making an exception.

In other news ... according to what I've been reading, No. 45 will be both fingerprinted and mugshot this Thursday.

Fourth time may be the charm. I may yet get that mug shot t-shirt I've been craving.

Where’s Hilary?

Hurricane Hilary came to California, and all we got on the complex were puddles.

Though it rained almost all day yesterday/most of the night, sun is up today, outside has dried up already, there's just no sign of having been in the eye of a hurricane or one passing nearby.

Even our poorly paved driveway goes unbothered.

Looking at the news, it looks like the end of the world in some areas, but here it’s just another Monday after a summer storm.

Try as I did, I couldn’t find a puddle of water deep enough to justify calling off on this morning’s workout, to extend the weekend to three days.

Looks like all the worry and panic grocery shopping I witnessed at the market ..... water selling out as fast as store workers could bring pallets up from the back, was for naught.

Onward and upwards California.

Hurricane Watch

Thus far, there's just been intermittent rain, very little wind.

The complex is under the white dot, eye still a few hours away, and the power company is already anticipating an outage.

Hopefully not until much much later this evening, if at all, because tonight is Big Brother.

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave

The weather being so hot, dry, humid, I’ve been expecting an earthquake for quite some time. Never in my wildest imagination did I expect a hurricane.

Will be interesting to see how this area is impacted, when it lands on Monday.

At the market after this morning’s workout, I noticed a run on bottled water.

I don’t generally purchase bottled water, prefer instead to filter tap water, but thinking better safe than sorry, I picked up four 1.58 quarts bottles of Aquafina, just in case.

And while I’m on the subject of the market … It never occurred to me that the market’s security guard hugging me would be anything other than a one-time deal until, after this morning’s workout, Trainer brought it up, asked "What are you going to do if he hugs you again?"

"Whoa. That never occurred to me".

To hug me again would be crossing a line, so I knew I wouldn’t appreciate it. As to what to do about it … I didn’t at that moment know but, by the time I’d gotten to the market, I’d devised a plan.

Genius idea, a method I’ll be sure to employ, barricade myself from friendly hugs, when next I see him at his station.

My little Stalker is still here … or back again, I never know which.

About to head out to pick up mail yesterday afternoon, I thought I heard Stalker’s voice so, checking the outside through the bedroom window, I saw yes, it was she, running around and snuggling with the cutest little French Bulldog.

She’s got a dog.

Upgraded from stuff toys to a real live puppy.

At the rate that child is being spoiled, I expect I’ll see her with a pony next.

Though I would have liked to have held the puppy, I chose to stay indoors, pick up mail today instead when the coast was clear.

In other news, I’m about to get in big trouble with the neighbors I hang with — let’s call them "The Usual Suspects".

Terrible liar that I am, I’m weaving a tangled web, currently practicing how to deceive them, but can’t figure out a good enough story to keep me from getting in deep — having my name bandied about and being discussed in unflattering terms … mean, stuck up, selfish, adjectives ascribed to me like those ascribed to the Scowler because he too wants to fly solo.

Some weeks ago, returning from working out, I ran into Red Light who handed me a flyer she’d gotten from Activity Director.

The flyer was advertising a 2023 Golden Future Senior Expo nearby — Free Admission, Health Screenings, 50+ Vendor Booths, Free Tote Bag w/Goodies, Bingo w/Cash Prize, DIY Arts & Crafts, Haircuts & Nail Manicures.

I realized the event was my kinda thing, but I didn’t reveal that to Red Light because, by the anticipation in her eyes, I just knew that, if I showed interest, the next words out of her mouth would be "Let’s do a group outing, all drive together”, with me the chauffer as she, and many of the others, do not drive. So, I just kept my face straight, tried not to display a tell.

You all should know by now I’m a lone ranger. That my motto is "She Travels Fastest Who Travels Alone" — no strings, ropes, chains, hangers on to slow me down.

The idea of a group of neighbors, all piled up in the jeep heading to the event, is abhorrent to me, because I don’t want that kind of closeness with neighbors, even neighbors that I like and get along with — the kind of closeness where we go out to lunch together, shopping together and/or to travel to events together.

The Community Room is as far as I go in socializing.

I do plan on attending next week’s event. In fact, I’ve already downloaded my ticket which, since the event is free, just gives me entry without standing in a long line.

So, I wouldn't have to lie to her, I've been really hoping Red Light wouldn't again bring up whether or not I'd thought about and considered going. That hope was dashed when Red Light and Homegirl, in the presence of other Usual Suspects in the Community Room, a few days ago asked if I was going.

I hemmed and hawed — which was already a dead giveaway I was lying, said I hadn’t thought about it, changed the subject by asking if they were going.

They are.

"How are you getting there?".

Homegirl replied, "Access (which is an old people shuttle service) and (with that look of anticipation in her eyes) whoever we can get to drive".

Damn!

More hemming and hawing from me ending with, "I’ll have to see how I feel that morning".

Inasmuch as I will be attending …… alone, all by myself, I can only hope the venue is large enough that I don’t run into any of the Usual Suspects, they don’t run into me.

There are far too many of them to try to hide from, especially if I decide to play bingo, where many of them will also land, so the odds are I will eventually be spotted.

Thus, I’m practicing to deceive, come up with a good excuse … lie.

I don’t think saying attending was a "last-minute decision" is gonna fly, nor will "I just happened to be in the area and popped in", or that "I didn’t think it a good idea to drive together with Covid still around".

This situation reminds me of when, back in the day, I was going out with a guy whose name I can’t remember. He wasn’t important, wasn’t a boyfriend so far as I was concerned, just someone I’d go out with.

One evening, when I’d just arrived home from work, he called, asked me out. I'd had a hard day dealing with those witches I worked for, wasn’t feeling well, so declined the offer. Later that evening, after having decompressed a bit, I felt better so, when someone else called, asked me out. I said okay.

Wouldn’t you just know that, while dancing at the club the second guy had taken me to, I looked over and there was that first guy … just standing off to the side, glaring at me.

Assuming I’d lied to him so I could go out with someone else, he gave me his mean mugging face, stormed out and I never heard from him again.

No loss. I didn’t care about either one of them, but I’d have liked for him to know I hadn’t lied to him. It was just that I felt better after being home, resting a bit.

I’m not comfortable with lying, so when spotted at the upcoming senior event, I should just tell the truth …. "Sorry, but I didn’t want the responsibility of travelling with others. I enjoy being out and about on my own" or offer no explanation at all. Just say "Hello ... Hi Guys", and keep on keeping on.

I’m leaning towards no explanation at all.

Nothing is going to save me from backlash, being talked about, treated as somewhat of an pariah if future events come up but, just like that first guy that asked me out, the Usual Suspects are not important, what they think/say is of no consequence and if I’m never invited to do/go anywhere ever again with them, that just means I won’t have to decline an invitation I didn’t want in the first place.

I’m a Little Late but ……

Dealing with a difficult sewing project when the news came down, though it was good to know Jaw Jah came through, I was teetering on the edge and just couldn’t with 45 at the time.

As for what had frustrated me, pushed me to the edge ...... after Monday’s workout, I’d spent the remainder of the afternoon, well into late night, trying to stitch up a "simple/easy" sewing machine cover, to replace the current torn, tattered, held together with duct tape cover.

Simple and easy though the tutorial indicated the project was, it ended up being like something from Ikea.

Math was involved, and math being my Achilles Heel, the first eight hours of a 3-hour project did not go well.

Quite a bit of fabric was harmed in that first attempt, because measure twice cut once wasn’t working with the measurements I’d come up with.

I went to bed frustrated that night, but determined to start fresh the next morning …… Tuesday — the day of Activity Director’s End of Summer Luncheon.

I’d planned to attend ─ not for the food, which I was sure there would be nothing I could eat anyway, but for the tea, then decided my time would be better served running a few quick errands, and giving the sewing machine cover another go.

There was much trial, error, tweaking before I understood what I was doing and today completed a cover after this morning's workout.

Problem was, it came up short, didn’t fit my machine lengthwise.

Once again, problems with my calculations.

No way was I going to purchase more fabric, start all over. So, ingenuity came into play. I cut the cover in half, right down the center, added a strip of fabric to lengthen and …….

From this

To this

Not exactly what and how the tutorial instructed, and 3 hours turned into 3 days, a total of 22 hours, but I got her done. Even added a pocket to house the pedal.

I’m thinking it needs an opening for the machine handle, so I’ll work that in …… eventually.

Skelly wanted to sew along, so I bought him a machine.

The Other Way

Another quiet weekend gone at the speed of light.

My only sighting this weekend was of our Karen character walking that same little yellow dog. So, I’m assuming she has traded her cat in for a dog.

I’ll verify this assumption next time I run into Talker.

In response to yesterday’s post, Scary Mary commented that, when hugged by a new maintenance guy, on the job for only about a month, she too, like I, had just let it happen.

That got me to thinking … how would it feel if the shoe was on the other foot — if women ran around hugging men they don’t know well enough for that, and a fairly new male resident who is being talked about came to mind.

The one and only time I’ve seen this resident was a few months ago when we passed on the walkway. He seemed scowly faced, not friendly at all, but I said "Hello" anyway and he said "Hello" in return.

I noticed he was good looking, but thought no more about him.

It was week before last when I noticed a tarp strung from the patio window to the railings of the unit across from Shadow.

It looked strange, so I thought perhaps the unit was vacant due to someone passing away or moving out and it was being treated with some special cleaning agent.

When running into Shadow on my way to Thursday’s bingo, I asked "What’s with the tarp on the unit across from you. Are they cleaning the unit?"

"He took it down" and something about it being protection from the sun.

"So the unit is not vacant?"

"No. A MAN lives there" said he, and the way he said it with a leer, emphasis on "A MAN" gave me pause like, so what, we have a lot of men living here.

"Why do you say it like that?" asked I.

He just grinned in a knowing way, no response, so I kept on heading to the Community Room where I asked the ladies if that unit across from Shadow was vacant or not.

"That’s where HE lives", said one of the girls.

Again the emphasis, but this time on "HE".

"He who?" asked I.

In unison, the ladies began talking about a man they described as too handsome for words.

Mixed with First Nation Indian blood and some other blood type I don’t recall that the girls said was a nice mixture, resulting in his being a devastatingly handsome kinda guy.

I said I didn’t know who they were talking about.

"He wears a ponytail" someone said and that scowling man I’d seen a few months ago came to mind.

Evidently that guy is the HE the girls were talking about, and he lives in the unit directly across from Shadow, where I’d seen the patio tarped off.

"He’s handsome, but he’s mean", said one of the girls.

"Mean how?" asked I.

"Well, for one, he’s antisocial, doesn’t like people knocking on his door".

That’s not mean, thought I. I socialize to a degree, but don’t like people knocking on my door either … and why would people be bothering him, knocking on his door anyway.

"And he doesn’t like women. Says he’s sick and tired of women always chasing him".

Well, now. That’s quite a special kind of ego to EXPECT women will be chasing him, thought I.

I can commiserate with this guy’s need and right to be left alone, as I feel the same; but I don’t EXPECT men to chase or randomly hug me and, when they do, it’s confusing — a mixture of surprise it happens and being somewhat pleased that I’ve still got it. However, never would I walk around, like this new resident (let’s call him The Scowler) expecting it, but his attitude gives me a glimpse into how the other side feels about unwanted attention.

So, anyway, Scowler’s resume is: Antisocial … walks around scowling … expects the women around here to chase after him.

He’s not wrong. There are women around here who chase — Not Dead Nancy and our Karen character are two that come to mind and, from the way Shadow said "A MAN", I’m assuming some of the ladies have quizzed him about his new neighbor.

Scowler doesn’t have to worry about me. I do remember thinking him good looking that one time I saw him, but not the devastatingly handsome the girls seem to think and probably because I sensed his bad attitude, which attitude probably made him seem just good looking to me, not all that special.

I hate to burst Shadow’s bubble with his obviously thinking I was asking about his new neighbor, as others probably had. I wasn’t asking about the guy, I was asking about the unit.

I’d like to get a photo of Scowler, let you decide, but chances of my getting another glimpse or a photo are slim to none.

They Don’t Know Me Like That

Returning to my unit from bingo on Thursday, I became aware of the strong smell of cigarette smoke in the air.

So strong that, by the time I’d made it inside, a headache had developed.

The smell was coming from the unit of the recently evicted Smoker.

The door and windows had been opened by what I could make out as two people, evidently hired by management to get the unit ready for new occupants.

I only saw the one guy, but could hear glass breaking and see movement inside while the one guy I did see was tossing trashed furnishings out.

He wasn’t wearing protective breathing gear.

How anyone could work in that toxic air is beyond me, when just the minute or two I breathed it in affected me; and just image the Smoker and her cat breathing it in for years and years.

I’m guessing that just the regular paint job and new carpeting isn’t going to rid the smell of smoke from that unit.

A weird thing happened to me after yesterday’s workout.

I got hugged.

By a male who doesn’t know me well enough for that.

To my amazement, I didn’t knee him in the groin. Instead, I took the hug like a champ.

It was the second time in this past week that a male who doesn’t know me that well grabbed and put me in a bear hug.

WTF? Is it my perfume?

The first unsolicited touching was the day I ended up at Sprouts Farmer’s Market while out looking to change financial institutions.

Standing in the veggie section perusing kale, I all of sudden felt an entire body right up against my left side.

Turning my head to see what the heck, there was a resident from the complex that I’ve exchanged pleasantries with, but don’t know all that well.

As soon as I turned my head, recognized who it was, I suddenly found myself positioned facing him and embraced in a bear hug.

I was frozen, so I'm sure I didn't turn myself. I think he just grabbed, turned me around, put me in that bear hug.

I can’t explain why my reaction was not to knee him in the groin. Instead, I was chill, allowed the hug like we were old friends, the hug normal and, after he released me, got into a conversation about how he’d gotten so far from the complex. He’d driven.

I always see him walking. Didn’t know he had a car, but no matter as I don’t know a thing about him even though he’s lived here at the complex for just as many years as I.

As for the hug, it didn't feel or appear to be anything other than a friendly hug, not sexual and, inasmuch as there’s a reason for everything, I didn’t dwell on it.

How some ever, inasmuch as an unsolicited hug happened to me again, I’m beginning to wonder what the Universe is trying to tell me.

This time it was the Security Guard at the market.

This is not the Security Guard that was the reason I stopped shopping at the corner market, went out of my way to shop elsewhere because he kept leering at me the same disgusting way Homegirl recently said Meat Man leered at her. This current security guard presents as friendly in a non-flirtatious way and is often seen chit chatting with customers — both male and female.

The only time I took any notice of him was when he made the blog for leaving his post to chase tail.

Other than that, it’s been a polite "Good afternoon ma’am" when I come in and "Have a nice day" when I leave with friendly responses back from me.

Accustomed to seeing him, I did wonder what happened when I did not see him at his station last two weeks and no one in his place. I’d assumed the store had gotten rid of the security people but, walking in after Thursday's workout, there he was.

"Hey, you’re back. I thought they’d gotten rid of you guys", said I.

Before I knew what was happening, he came from behind his dais and put me in a bear hug.

Again, instead of kneeing him in the groin, I was chill, accepted the hug and, after he released me, had a conversation as to his whereabouts.

What is happening here?

Neither of these guys know me well enough for that.

It’s like a weird oreo cookie situation — first hug from a White guy, second guy from a Black guy, chocolate me in the middle.

The frosting on the oreo is that I've been feeling like our Karen’s Dream Lover has been acting differently towards me last three times we ran into each other. I convinced myself it was my imagination, that I was seeing something that wasn’t there, but now I’m not so sure if he too hasn’t been bitten by whatever weird bug is going around.

Maybe it’s my perfume.

Strange Bedfellows

Seeing Painted Rock Lady walking her dogs down the walkway yesterday, being accompanied by our Karen character is something one doesn’t see every day.

From where and when did Karen get a dog?

Did she borrow it ... volunteer to walk someone else's doggie, or did she purchase a dog to go along with the cat she already has?

Ever since Karen was paired with a Home-Based Therapist, she’s been working towards being nicer, friendlier, getting to know us residents.

I’m not trusting it.

When she waves a greeting to me, I return it, but avoid getting into any kind of a conversation and, thus far, except for when she was chasing Dream Lover, she’s only attended bingo just that one time.

I’m not sure if PRL is buying into this new Karen as I once saw PRL make a knowing face while describing Karen as, "A strange woman".

But whatever.

So, anyway, we had a little rain this morning. Didn’t last long but, now that it’s a bit overcast outside, this change in the weather gives the patio plants a much needed reprieve from the blistering heat.

Done with seeing no tomatoes, no peppers, radishes wilting away, watching even the wildflowers struggling to survive, I’ve pretty much decided to uproot the whole kit/kaboodle, call my attempt at gardening a failure.

This slight change in the weather might give the plants a little more time to show me something, change my mind about uprooting and tossing.

We’ll see.

Because the office is closed tomorrow for some unknown reason, Bingo was switched from tomorrow, Friday, to today.

Isn't it interesting that our caller, PRL, wasn't feeling well enough to attend today.

Is it a coincidence that she was walking with Karen yesterday and today not feeling well?

I think not, as there are people who, for one reason or another, function as energy drains and PRL did say Karen was "strange", then opted to hang with her anyway.

I did okay at bingo today. Won a red soup cup I’ve had my eyes on for some time, but I experienced what can only be described as culture shock when the handful I’ve accepted FB friend requests from, didn’t get the significance of the chair video I’d posted to FB — the same vid I posted on the blog yesterday.

One said, "So that’s what goes on at the gym".

"No", said I. "That was something special".

Another referred to me as "Wonder Woman" for being able to lift and swing the chair.

"You know the significance of it though, don’t you?" asked I.

She did not and looked confused when I tried to explain the Montgomery Boat Dock brawl and how the chair has become one of the symbols of not this time will we let you get away with it.

The Baker said she’d seen the video and, at the time wondered, "What is she doing?"

Again, I tried to explain the Boat Dock to which The Baker said, "Ohhh" like she understood but walked away looking just as confused as ever.

Of course, Homegirl required no explanation. She was all over the boat dock, the chair, Black Aquaman, just as much as I.

Also getting the assignment, needing no explanation, were millennial and gen z friends who have access to my FB — former coworkers, friends I’ve acquired through various 5K events and family.

The difference seems to be that those in my age group, my peers around here, are living on a different plain than I.

Some of us haven’t a clue as to what’s going on outside these gates and obviously could care less.

Speaking of what’s going on in the world outside these gates, I cannot believe the Project Runway judges did not call Brittany out for plagiarizing Prajji’s top tonight.

from Episode 6/the 90s Challenge

And For My Next Trick

Ending racism, one chair at a time.

Oops, I Did it Again

Seems I got a week ahead of myself in pronouncing Activity Director’s End of Summer Luncheon. That event is not until next Tuesday — still five or six weeks before the actual end of summer, but whatever.

Today, thus far, has been a disappointment insofar as Indictment/Arraignment No. 4. I’ve seen no news as to what if anything is going on with No. 45 showing up at the Fulton County courthouse.

I did however run across news that Thao, the former cop who held back bystanders while Chauvin murdered George Floyd was sentenced to an additional 4.75 years in prison on state charges for holding back those concerned citizens, including a first responder — an off-duty firefighter who walked up on the scene, identified herself, asked to be allowed to provide aid to Floyd.

The arrogance Thao displayed toward that first responder with his "If you are who you say you are, then you know not to get involved", disturbed me just as much as Chavin’s actions, so these additional years — to run concurrent with the three and a half years he’s already serving on federal charges for depriving Floyd of his civil rights, are well deserved.

Thao’s continuing arrogance is still on display with his statement at this latest sentence that he’s grown in his "Christian faith" while in prison (don't they all) and that "I did not commit these crimes. My conscience is clear. I will not be a Judas nor join a mob in self-preservation or betray my God".

Spare me!

Do your time, be grateful you didn’t get life and wake the f*ck up.

And speaking of arrogance, just how arrogant and privileged can a person be to think they can park their pontoon in a place designated on a dock for the Riverboat. THEN, not only refuse to untie and move your boat when the dock employee asks you to so the Riverboat can come in and while folks on the Riverboat are chanting the line "Move b*tch get outta the way" from Ludacris' song at you. THEN, when the dock employee goes to untie your pontoon himself, you assault him. THEN seven more of your arrogant privileged friends pile on this one dock employee and begin to beat, kick, assault him.

How arrogant and privileged in your thinking must you be to think that any of this is okay for you to do?

Tee shirts are already out commemorating those who stepped up and revoked that privilege card.

There’s also talk of making August 5 an unofficial holiday.

I imagine some of those who stepped up will need bail money and lawyers — for sure Chair Guy will need bail and a lawyer.

I stand ready to donate to legitimate gofunds and hopefully lawyers will step up pro bono.