Poor Planning

Poor planning caused an early morning run to the market today.

When I hit the corner by the gas station, I saw a woman sleeping on the sidewalk.

Sadly, the unhoused, both men and women sleeping on the sidewalk is not an oddity around here and, with next month’s rent due on the 1st, if this government shutdown causes seniors here — who depend on that monthly Social Security check which might now not come in time to pay rent, and it being unlikely management will extend a grace period until the shutdown is over, checks resume, it’s likely more men and women will be sleeping on the sidewalk.

What was different about this woman was that, bless her heart, she had what looked like a little home away from home setup — shelving, a dolly, cooler, what looked to be a big can of coffee, dish soap, scrub brush, plastic cups and other miscellaneous items.

This living on the streets is a bad situation, getting worse every day, and not just around here.

Also, a bad situation is the sudden rise in the cost of gas.

This afternoon's bingo was a no-drama session.

Her Haughtiness didn't chicken out. She showed up and was much subdued after being embarrassed last week by the Chicken of Silence.

BTW, I’ve decided to rename her Boebert, because her crime was talking when she should have been quietly playing bingo.

So, anyway, she was respectful of the game, kept quiet, even when Dream Lover walked in late, sat at her table.

After we were done playing was another matter.

She and Dream Lover stayed seated long after play was over, looked to be having some interesting conversations, exchanging numbers (as she ran around looking for a pen).

Dream Lovers ex-girlfriend, now just a friend, was in the room.

I felt bad for her because it wasn’t like when Dream Lover was disinterested in our Karen character who was pursuing him, and he and ex-girlfriend could joke around about her, because it was obvious this time it was different.

The two were seriously vibing and actually looked cute together, a match.

I’d mentioned back in August that Dream Lover was acting differently towards me. I’d convinced myself it was my imagination, that I was seeing something that wasn’t there, but now that he’s vibing with Boebert, I saw what I saw — that he was indeed looking for a hookup and seems to have found one.

The problem is, Boebert hasn't been here long enough to know his history. Dream Lover is not the nice, somewhat shy gentleman he comes across as.

The tea is, he did not move in alone. He moved in with a woman who later fled to a battered woman’s shelter, never returned.

After her, it was his now ex-girlfriend who has her own unit here, didn't have to flee, but inasmuch as the two of them didn’t last long as a couple, and though they’re "just friends" now, I cannot but wonder if the breakup had something to do with the same reason the other fled.

At any rate, Boebert has best be careful.

If she too doesn't last long, we'll know why but, all in all, it's stupid to date where you live.

Today was my lucky Bingo Day. I won two games and chose a practical dish drying mat as my prize, and a blinged out coffee cup (one of Homegirl’s creations) that I gifted to a new resident that was hoping for a win so she could grab it.

Boebert doesn’t like her photo taken. Will not allow us to take it. Don’t know why. So, she's never seen in the photos we post to our residents' site.

However, looking at the photos taken this afternoon of us prize winners, I see she turned around to give me a look and thus was captured photobombing in the background.

Too bad Dream Lover had not yet arrived when this photo was taken, so you could see the two of them together. Hopefully, I’ll get a couples photo before they break up and he moves on to whoever is next.

BTW, I was wearing that Alabama Slammer folding chair shirt when I made that early morning market run. I didn’t have to worry about that hugging security guard, because he hasn’t been around since I posted that cart cam episode where he walked over to remove the cart someone left in front of the entry door.

I don’t know if he got fired for being too friendly with customers or moved to another store, but he’s been replaced by a stoic female.

Stoic that is until this morning when she saw my shirt, began cracking up, laughing out loud, walked over to tell me it was "Great!!".

I don’t have to worry about her hugging me but, for sure, she’s gonna smile every time she sees me from now on.

This time tomorrow, barring any unforeseen tire problems, I’ll be in Long Beach.

See ya on the flip side.