Easter Sermon

Nope!

View from the window yesterday was all sunshine, birds tweeting, residents hanging out.

Though the bubble wrap on the window to keep the cold out was effective in reducing my Edison bill from $187.14 last month to $63.26 this month, it's nice to have the frigid cold weather over, bubble wrap retired, have my machan/blind spot back, so I can keep an eye on the comings, goings, sittings.

The elderly lady wearing the black and white sun visor is the woman my old buddy Apache was so jealous over that it caused him to be banned from the property.

She doesn't speak to me. Actually, avoids me, puts her head down to keep from looking me in the eyes when she can't avoid me because she can see in my eyes that I know who and what she is.

Not a victim, not as innocent as she has convinced others she is, but a little conniver.

She was just as jealous of Apache talking to his female friends on the complex, including me, as he was of her ...... would give us dirty looks to chase us away from Apache.

Her now avoidance and inability to look me in the eyes seems like guilt, but whatever ...... I don't care. However, if my mere presence makes her uncomfortable, well then good, that's revenge and justice for Apache.

As nice as the weather was yesterday, this morning has us dealing with another rainy weekend.

There will be no putting in extra cardio, soaking up sun, listening to music on the iPod as I walk the complex, because it’s raining today, to rain tomorrow AND Monday.

At least I was able to put in a few good walks this week, on one of which I did a quick pivot around a building when I spotted one of the residents of a downstairs unit trying too hard to appear to be nonchalantly leaning on and slightly over his patio railing in such a manner as I’d be walking mere inches away from where he’d positioned himself.

I’m sure his intent was nothing more than, having seen me walk by countless times, saw me walk by on my first loop this time, knowing I’d soon loop back around, take this opportunity to say "Good morning", get me to say "Good morning" back, thereby opening a door.

I didn’t even have a chance to get a good look at the guy, see if it was someone I’d previously seen around on the complex, when I heard my spirit said "Nope!".

No hesitation. Spirit speaks, I listen so, as I was about to pass his patio, I took a right down the walkway that separates his building from the building before his, took a left behind his building, another left to come up on the other side of his building, then a right to get back on my regular route — which meant I bypassed walking by his patio.

My route around the complex begins at the red star, loops around and through (black lines), with Lap No. 1 ending up at the red arrow, where I repeat around and through five more times for a total of 3 miles.

This is what the route became when I spotted him (the blue spot).

Obviously, I didn’t have to come back around on the other side of his building, rub it in his face when he’d be sure to see me back on the regular route and know I’d looped around to avoid him, but I wanted to make sure he knew I’d done so, wouldn’t waste his time trying the ploy next time I came around.

He didn’t.

If he were smart, instead of hanging out to get my attention, he should have put on his walking shoes and got out and about, as us walkers always acknowledge, wave, sometimes chat up other walkers.

After having lamented in my last post that the Susan of whom "Lazy Susan" was named remains an unknown entity, odd it was that a Lazy Susan showed up in last night’s Drag Race.

Ru losing his mind was Hilarious!

Less hilarious — in fact, not funny at all is that Sapphira Cristál almost went home.

Fortunately, she made it through by the skin of her lip sync but, looking at previews of next week’s episode, it’s not looking good for Sapphira.

Today’s weather putting the brakes on my extra cardio routine and the rain giving me the munchies, I think I’ll satisfy my cravings by, using the Gluten Free Canyon House Bagels, I have frozen in the freezer, to make a Bread Pudding recipe I've been itching to try.

Tons of sugar and calories in this recipe, but perhaps I’ll get to walk it off Tuesday, when rain is supposedly to end.

Will the Real Susan Please Stand Up

Kitchen has finally been put back together.

It’s not been organized per the standards of professional organizer Marie Kondo but, with the aid of a spice rack, plastic bins, canisters and turntables, organizing items by what I use most, what I use least and in quadrants with snack items all together in one area, baking supplies all together in another, so on and so forth, there’s no longer a frustrating hunt through stuff to find other stuff.

Wanting to know where the term "Lazy Susan" came from sent me down a historical rabbit hole this morning.

One story is Thomas Jefferson invented the Lazy Susan, named it after his daughter Susan because she didn’t care for being served last.

I can’t image how a revolving tray factors into Susan being served any sooner than anyone else, that is unless the meal is placed on the device in the middle of the table, where Susan can spin it to her advantage.

I guess the dynamics don’t matter because, "The problem with this story is that Thomas Jefferson doesn't seem to have had a daughter named Susan".

Records indicate Thomas had six children with his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson — Martha, Mary, Jane, John, Lucy Elizabeth and Lucy Elizabeth I.

Lucy Elizabeth twice, because the first Elizabeth passed away after 5 months. The name Elizabeth was then passed down to the next baby, but Elizabeth I only lived 4 months.

Then there was the enslaved Sally Hemings. Thomas fathered 6 children into slavery by Sally — Madison, Harriet, Eston, Beverly.

Evidently two of Sally’s children passed away early, and being slaves, weren’t given names.

All toll, Thomas sired 12 children, none of whom were named Susan.

Another story is that it was the inventor Thomas Edison who created the Lazy Susan and "the turntable he created for his phonograph evolved into the Lazy Susan".

Edison was married twice, fathered 6 children, none named Susan.

So, though I never learned who Susan actually was, if and why she was lazy, and which Thomas invented the revolving tray, I’m enjoying the convenience and ability to spin, rather than dig through items.

Red Light has been making the most of her last few weeks here ─ gathering tea, spilling tea before she moves to Eureka.

She phoned the other night to say not only are there 16 vacant units, but she’d spoken to 5 others who have given notice.

There’s definitely some kind of mass exodus in progress.

One of those looking to move is the resident I'd indicated was the latest to fall for whatever it is Dream Lover is laying down — our Boebert character.

In fact, according to Red Light, Boebert has already looked into acquiring a one-bedroom downstairs where Red Light is going, but those downstairs units have been leased out already.

Red Light also said the reason for Boebert wanting to move is cigarette smoke continuing to seep into her unit.

Boebert’s unit is on the back side of TinTin’s place ………… the unit from where Patty the Smoker had been evicted, actually taken out on a stretcher by medical personnel, so I assumed the smell of cigarettes was still in the vents, seeping into Boebert’s place, but noooooo.

Red Light said TinTin is now smoking in the unit.

That’s right. TinTin moved into the unit, immediately tried to move out because of the cigarette smell, was denied because Section 8 requires one stay in place for a year, now she’s adding to the smell by smoking her own darn self.

Residents in the building on that side of the quad can’t seem to catch a break.

What with residents moving to other housing facilities, moving in with family, going into hospice, passing away, there’s going to be a whole new cast of characters on the complex. And what we me not socializing all that much, and no Red Light making sure the tea kettle is always on, I’ll be tea less.

Tales of the Complex

Not only do we still have those two huge vinyl "Now Leasing" banners attached to the brick walls on both sides of the entrance, facing the street but, returning from Saturday’s 5K, I noticed an overabundance of signage leading up to the complex announcing the same.

And check out the fancy balloons.

Looks like an open house. Manager must be desperate, I thought to myself as I began to wonder just how many vacant units there could possibly be to result in so much signage and management coming in on a Saturday to host a possible open house.

The answer is an astronomical sixteen!

We didn’t even have that many vacancies back in the day when that mean Nurse Ratched was manager and there was a mass exodus of the longtime residents.

On the other hand, we probably did have that many vacancies, as whole quads were vacant, but Ratched didn’t have to advertise to fill the vacancies, because we had a waiting list — folks anxious to live in such a nice looking complex, unaware Nurse Ratched was making living here miserable.

A waiting list no longer exists, and I’m not sure if it’s the $500 increase that's caused the list's demise or the word being out about this Manager.

I've not had a problem with her, and none of the complaints I've heard about her even come close to how terrible Nurse Ratched was to us, but though the rent increase is not her fault ………… that’s Corporate’s greed, the yelling at residents is not helping her reputation (you saw, in the video about the car towing incident, how she got all up in the face of the resident who had those young men living in the resident’s unit).

These are old people who have paid their dues to where, no matter what they've said or done, do not deserve being yelled at, scolded like a child by some whippersnapper that's yet to learn what dues are.

Then there’s the locking of the refrigerator, making it difficult for us to entertain ourselves with activities since management provides little to none for us, the eavesdropping and calling out residents she overhears speaking ill of her.

I’m sensing Manager’s job is on the line ………… Corporate will lay the blame on her if she doesn’t get the vacancies filled, and folks continue to exit stage left.

Where Red Light is moving, there are washers/dryers in the units, weekly yoga, book club and "resident initiated activities" are encouraged

I bet Red Light will be all over initiating activities.

In addition there's a communal park and putting course, and the complex is conveniently located in a marketplace "positioned between two commercial shopping hubs".

Sounds like paradise, and with the going rate of a unit of being $2100 - $2350, it better be … paradise that is.

Of course Red Light isn’t paying anywhere near the going rate. A different county, they don’t have Section 8 per se. She’s going in under some kind of "special program", which still works out with her rent being paid for her.

I guess you could say that because our rent isn’t near that high …… yet, we’re getting what we’re paying for. Except, we’re paying and not getting what we’re paying for.

And that’s the tea.

Speaking of tea ......

Stiff and Sore

Though it hasn’t helped that I had to remove everything from the kitchen cupboards, drawers, under the sink — editing out as I went along, and then spending the last few days constantly in motion, testing out where to place items for functionality — more editing as I went along, it was this morning’s 5k ……… in the rain, that's broken Shirley.

It wasn’t raining when I first arrived at 8:45 a.m. It waited until I got in line to check in, pick up my bib and t-shirt.

That gave me just enough time to rush to the car, toss the t-shirt in, check the trunk, hoping to find an umbrella.

Obviously I did, but not the plain small brown umbrella I thought might be in the trunk. Instead, it was the large lacy Scarlett O'Hara umbrella I purchased eons ago, back in my cute era, when I was wearing dresses, high heels, and nylons.

It was a sparce crowd for this morning’s event.

I’m assuming the missing crowd had gotten word of rain, chose not to participate.

I too had heard the weather girl, earlier in the week, predict rain this morning, but only sprinkles.

It was way more than sprinkles, but I soldiered on — umbrella in one hand, walking stick for balance and help getting up the inclines I was expecting on the course in the other.

Not only was the majority of the course an upwards trajectory, i.e. slight inclines, but across a grassy uneven with potholes field (the work of groundhogs?) — where I nearly twisted an ankle, and around the athletic field, where the ground was hard, lumpy, bumpy, causing me to stumble around like a drunkard. Consequently, when I saw an area of the course had taken us near to where I’d parked the car, I made the decision to veer off, go to the car, ditch the umbrella, grab the other walking stick.

I lost the other walkers but, able to propel myself with two poles, I quickly caught up.

I finished back of the pack, drenched, view obstructed by raindrops on my glasses, but not last.

It’s a good thing I’d set my tracker and saw I'd logged in unofficial results of 56:57, because official race results were not forthcoming — "Internet issues" the announcer said.

Had there been official results, I still would have had no idea how I measured up to my peers because the categories were not narrowed down by age, as they were last time. This year we were lumped into "18 years and older".

Also, no finishing medals came at the end. Just that t-shirt, which I’ll use as a sleep shirt.

St. Patrick's Day having passed, I wasn't feeling cosplaying with green lipstick, wore my usual red (Sorry to disappoint you Paranormal John 💋).

No entertainment, no results, no medal and it rained. So, will I do this race again?

Probably, but not if it rains.

I’m off to soak my tired achy body in Epsom Salt.

Not much is going to get done on putting things away in the kitchen for a while, as I’m waiting for storage bins to arrive.

Misunderstood the Assignment

Tuesday's walking club did not go as expected — not just because no one but Activity Director showed up, but because I misunderstood the assignment and missed the walk.

Activity Calendar indicated 8:45 - 9:00, which no way did I interpret as a measly 15-minute walk. Instead, I'd assumed we were to gather between 8:45/9:00, set off walking at 9.

That’s what I did last time ....... arrived 9:00, caught AD rounding a corner, walked from that point not knowing she was actually finishing the walk and chose to walk with me since I was there.

So suited up and ready by 8:30 yesterday, not wanting to arrive too early, I waited until 5 minutes to 9.

Arriving at the pool area, seeing no one, I assumed AD was a no show, waited until 9:00 sharp just in case she showed and, when 9 arrived started heading back to my unit when AD rounded the corner, looking like she'd just been on a hike.

"Did you walk already?", asked I.

"Yes".

"By yourself?"

"Yes".

"But I thought you'd be taking off at 9:00".

She clarified the actual walk was from 8:45 to 9:00.

Seems a short while, but doesn’t mean I have to stop after 15 minutes.

So, anyway, since no one showed up, I suggested Walking Club is a bust, that she should take it off next month's calendar.

Bless her heart, she's not ready to give up. Plans to put the activity on next month’s calendar ... every other Tuesday, 8:45 a.m. 

I'll be there.

My not understanding the assignment happened to be fortuitous, because I had lots to do yesterday.

Instead of walking, I spent the day clearing out the kitchen cabinets .... all of them, even under the sink. No easy chore, but required for pest control guy, due to treat the unit this morning.

Red Light had been worried about TinTin’s furniture and began preemptively setting up traps around her own unit, because TinTin revealed the reason she’d relocated to our quad — her former neighbor was a hoarder which hoarding resulted in a roach problem, not only in TinTin’s unit but in her furnishings as well …. the furnishings TinTin brought with her to our quad.

Sure enough, I spotted a handful of the little bastids last week, immediately called for pest control to treat the unit before things got out of hand.

Of course, pest control guy only comes once a month on Wednesday at 11:00, so I had to give up this morning’s workout.

Instructions for the day was to have all the cupboards bare and, once pest control guy treated the place, leave the unit, not come back for three hours.

No problem. I had a plan ...... spend the 3 hours taking care of a non-fasting blood test the doctor had requested, drop into Sprouts for product I can’t find nearby, do some banking, hunt for the illusive purple Pikachu recently release into the wild.

It was a 45-minute wait for the blood test, so I finally had time to get some reading done.

I’ve The In-Between to finish, also The Old Gays Guide to the Good Life.

I chose the Old Gays Guide because it makes me laugh, whereas the In-Between brings me to tears, and sobbing in public is not cool.

I plan to get the car serviced next week, which will give me even more time for reading, and possibly hunting in a different area as I still didn't run across that special Pikachu in Redlands.

So, anyway, the good news is the unit has been treated.

Bad news is that I’m now tasked with putting all this clutter back in place.

Clearing the cupboards gave me an opportunity to toss unused and expired products. I’m now going to take my time putting things back ……… start with what I really need and use, which will give me an idea of what I no longer need taking up space.

Less is more.

Luck of the Irish

Guess I have just enough Irish in me for this to be my lucky day because, while logging in miles around the complex, I spotted an elusive roadrunner — a sign of magic and good luck.

Not a Leprechaun leading me to a pot of gold, but I’ll take it.

I’m not kidding about the Irish blood.

Family history handed down is that back in the day of slavery, we were on a plantation owned by an Irishman. One can imagine how he took advantage of the female ancestors, fathered children, mixed that ethnicity into the blood.

My mom was saddled with a completely Irish name, so I never doubted what I’d been told; nevertheless sent my saliva into one of those DNA places a few years ago and received an ethnicity estimate of not only "Ireland 2%" but a significant percentage of Wales and some Scotland.

I may be related to some of you readers across the Pond, and the mixture may explain why it was that, in junior high school, I was the only Black girl to sign up for folk dancing. Even got A+ on the Irish Jig. Guess it was in the blood.

Believe it or not, I still remember some of the steps to that long ago jig.

Also, while out walking, I spotted a sign on the lawn of the next building over.

The sign reads "Lost Phone. The last GPS signal was right here and it said that the person that found it might be riding a bike or a skateboard or may be driving slow. Reward".

We have two guys living here who ride bikes. Neither looks like the Honest Abe type.

The likelihood of a skateboard on the property is doubtful, as is the likelihood of a car "driving slow" up the walkway, so I’m guessing a motorized wheelchair.

No matter how one looks at it, he or she won’t be getting the phone back because, if the person who found it were honest, they would have immediately called numbers on the phone to try to locate the owner.

It's sucky to know we have people living here that, when packages are dropped off at the wrong door or placed in the wrong mailbox or valuable items, like a cellphone, are found, that they don't do the right thing and turn the items over.

Dance Break

This morning, while working out with weights, Alexa played the Backstreet Boys' "Everybody".

Weights were dropped, and this happened.

Let the weekend begin.

High Winds Warning

Plan for today was to walk the complex.

I’d done so both Saturday and Sunday. The freezing cold seeming to be behind us, I even removed the bubble wrap from the bedroom window.

So, after sticking my head out the door, to determine if I needed to dress in long sleeves or short sleeves for outside, and almost being knocked back by the force of wind coming through the door, I decided to stay safely indoors today, no walking.

Checking the weather channel, finding a High Wind Warning for the area — 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 70 mph, I decided also no driving.

Speaking of driving … as I was driving into the complex yesterday, returning from the morning’s workout, who did I see driving out but that technician that tried to gaslight me.

What are the chances he was servicing another unit for the same reason? …… the outages caused problems with that resident’s equipment as well.

If so, after yesterday’s snafu when he tried to blame the problem on the laptop and my supposedly not knowing how to connect to the internet, he knew not to go that route again. Would instantly know to swap out the network.

Still no signs of Camper Guy in the area, and Trainer has no idea why.

Maybe CG is travelling and will return, maybe not, but Trainer doesn’t care. He’s all excited — like a kid in a candy store, about the new upgrade to the camera — the upgrade that enables him to view that side of the building on his phone, alerts him when anyone is in the area and will set off an alarm if glass is shattered.

Boys and their toys, LOL.

As Trainer had me on and off the treadmill, working on sit downs/sit ups in-between, I complained about the market having hired yet another leud and lascivious acting guy as Security and how, to add to the creepiness, this one looks exactly like my deceased ex-husband, could be his twin.

To which Trainer said, "Maybe it’s him".

Not unusual for Trainer to think that way inasmuch as he’s an old soul.

In fact, a few months ago, he’d asked if I’d seen any quarters lately ……… because I was always finding quarters in and around the Cave (along with other places I’d go) and shared with Trainer how my deceased sister said quarters would be a sign she was around.

I’d responded "No, because she’s back already".

Quarters became fewer and fewer and ended altogether around the time granddaughter was expecting the great granddaughter. I’d not thought about it at the time. However, when great granddaughter was born, it became obvious why quarters had ended.

Sister is back already and whether others accept the phenomena of reincarnation or not, no one can tell me different.

The baby looks exactly like my sister … same nose, same facial structure, same smile ……………… and born in the same hospital where sister passed away.

So, because Trainer is an old soul — thinks outside the lines, knows deep meaningful things without knowing how he knows them, it wasn’t at all unusual for him to surmise Security Guard might be my ex returned to body form, except guard is too old to be he.

The ex passed away in ’97, and though it’s difficult for me to guage people’s age, guard looks to be on the tail end of middle-age, too old to be ex because, if returned, he could be no older than 27.

Déjà Vu

Missing yesterday’s workout, meant I also missed yesterday’s grocery run.

Now running low on some items, out on others, I couldn’t wait until after Wednesday’s workout, made a special trip to the market this morning. Only, instead of the corner market, I drove to the location three miles away … the one where I observed two shoplifters on the same day. I drove there not just because their produce is fresher, but because I’m once again having an issue with a security guard — the corner market’s newest security guard.

Where do they find these creepy security guys?

Arriving at the other market this morning, parking in the lot, I spied a sketchy looking guy near to where I was pulling in.

If he was planning on victimizing someone, it appeared that since I stayed locked in the car, eyes on him, he sensed I was not the one and walked towards the car two spots away from mine where sat a lone white lady.

Walking up to her door, he looked to be saying something to her, whereupon she opened her car door, reached over to her purse, put it on her lap, pulled out something I assume was money, gave it to him.

I was on guard to grab one of my "tools" from the car to help her if things went bad, like he tried to grab her purse or pull her out and commit carjacking.

Instead, he took what she’d given him and quickly walked away.

Once she exited her car and began walking towards the market — walking using a cane I might add ... the perfect victim, I approach and scolded her with, "What you did was dangerous".

She looked sheepish and said, "I know".

"Next time someone approaches you like that, stay in your car, doors locked, nod no to whatever is being said to you. Honk your car horn to draw attention if things go bad".

Then I walked away, did my shopping.

So much for minding my own business, but I felt compelled to educate her.

After loading the car with groceries, preparing to drive off the lot, what did I spy over in a corner of the market lot but a possible slacker.

Windows all covered with shades so no one can see in .... is this why yesterday's technician was three hours late ... he was taking a nap like the tech inside this van appears to be?

Is this déjà vu … the same slacker as yesterday?

Stranger things have happened.

Speaking of stranger things. I yesterday saw Trainer’s mall cop had moved his mobile home back to alongside the auto parts store.

Today, he’s neither parked over by the Cave or the auto parts store. He's nowhere in sight.

What gives?

I’ll have to ask Trainer at tomorrow’s session.

I’ll fill you in on this latest security guard issue after I’ve cleared my head, am less angry at experiencing market déjà vu ... another security guard who leers at me, makes me feel so uncomfortable that I dread walking in, am forced to shop elsewhere.

3-Day Weekend

This morning wasn’t the usual Monday routine ….. not because Trainer took a day off — he never takes a day off, not even holidays, but because I had to stay home, once again wait for the cable company’s technician.

It wasn’t the TV this time, and it wasn’t something idiotic on my part … like when I’d not realized the cable box was turned off. This time it was the internet network.

On Saturday, we’d experienced two back-to-back complete power outages in the area. The outages didn’t last long as coverage was restored within 15 minutes each time, but I surmise the outages screwed up my network because, everything seemed fine that evening, but when I tried to log-into the laptop on Sunday, the message was "cannot connect" to the network.

No amount of rebooting the network from my end, or the cable provider sending a reprovision signal from their end, cured what ailed the network so, when given an 11:00 - 12:00 time for a technician, interfering with my 11 am workout time, it wasn’t even a difficult decision. Much as I like and need my workouts, I like and need the internet even more.

I might as well have worked out and then returned to wait for the technician, because he didn’t show up until close to 2:00 pm.

From there it was showing me how to do all the things logic had already prompted me do to get the network restarted and, just as when I previously ran through all those avenues, they didn’t work ……… the laptop continued to display "no connection" to the network.

Technician then pronounced the problem was not the network. That because my phone still connected to the network, the problem had to be the laptop, and he couldn’t help me because the laptop was not in his wheelhouse.

I disagreed.

I’m no expert but, being a logical thinker, I’d considered that possibility and had checked the other two laptops.

Yes, I have three laptops.

Why?

Because I’m lazy, don’t want to move laptops from room to room. So, instead, I have one on the coffee table for when I’m lounging on the couch, one in the bedroom for browsing the internet and Tik Toking when in bed, and one on the work table in the main area, attached to the printer.

So, anyway, when technician tried to blow me off/end the visit because the network was "working fine", I pointed out his conclusion wasn’t logical because it wasn’t just this laptop I was unable to connect to, but the other two as well.

"It has to be a network problem. Maybe I should disconnect altogether from the network, set it up again, but I don't know how to do that", said I.

He looked nonplussed. Didn't shrug his shoulders like oh well, but might as well have.

So assuming he just didn't want to be bothered I said perhaps the solution is to switch from his company’s internet to an internet provider that’s offered me $30 off.

Guess he didn’t want me to call the company and discontinue service because the network was in my estimation broken, with him being the technician on the call. So, without further ado, he gave me a different network. Went down to his truck, came back with a new router and all.

Surprise surprise, internet connection restored.

He looked shitfaced when it turned out it was as I’d surmised ……… the power outages had fried the network.

He also looked exhausted, because it had taken him over an hour to set up the new network.

So, anyway, I’m back up and running.

I’ve since learned, from the resident I refer to as Big Friendly Guy, that the outages fried his roomba.

While waiting for the technician, the Baker called to say the Community Room has reopened, but she and the other organizers would no longer be hosting bingo (insert happy dance here).

Reasons being she herself is ill and Red Light is moving.

The Baker said she’d been experiencing pain and tests show she has cirrhosis of the liver ………… non-alcoholic cirrohosis, because she doesn’t drink, has never touched alcohol.

I suggested it might be the result of certain medications. "That’s what my daughter thinks" said she.

As for Red Light, she wasn’t joking about getting out of here. She’s found a place (don't yet know where) and will be out by April.

It’s looking like Not Dead Nancy may also be gone, but no one know the meaning of "gone" with her ....... if she’s gone for good, like crossed over the rainbow bridge, or living with a relative or placed in a facility or temporarily gone/hospitalized and will return.

Her next-door neighbor tells me Nancy had an issue with one of her legs that caused her to be hospitalized, and that her daughters are now removing items from Nancy’s unit. Neighbor says she’s not sure if Nancy knows the daughters, who never visited or cared for Nancy when she needed help, are taking things out of the unit.

That has happened before. Shortly after I moved in, we had a resident who’d been hospitalized, returned to find her family had jumped the gun — cleared out her unit, thinking she’d not make it back from the hospital.

Unless Nancy returns, we may never find out what’s actually happened to her. She'll be another unsolved mystery, like what's happened to Greedy Grabby's husband who has not been seen for almost two years.

How Much is That Doggie in the Window

Heading out of the complex this morning, spotting that dog in the window took me back to when I was around 10 years old, singing along with Doris Day … How much is that doggie in the window (arf, arf), The one with the waggly tail, How much is that doggie in the window (arf, arf), I do hope that doggie's for sale.

Also spotted, when heading out, were signs of management’s desperation.

The first being management has added balloons to the sign bring attention to the fact they now have units available.

AND there are now two huge vinyl banners attached to the brick walls on both sides of the entrance, facing the street, to bring further attention to that fact.

People used to line up to get a unit here. Feel like they'd won the lottery when they got in. Now management is begging, pandering on the streets.

I’m hoping some unhoused person(s) tear the banners down, use them to upgrade their shelters or turn into raincoats.

Seems to me that if management is desperate to fill vacant units, they would be better served by not being so greedy, lower the rent as an incentive to not only bring renters in, but to stem the exodus, keep current residents from moving out.

Arriving at the Pain Cave, I saw Camper Guy has moved across the street, away from the stop sign, away from blocking the view of those of us exiting/entering the driveway.

Trainer said he did not ask Camper Guy (CG) to move, he "did it on his own".

It may be that drivers yelled at CG for blocking them from safely entering/exiting but, at any rate, Trainer didn’t ask it of his "Security Guy", whom he also refers to as his "Mall Cop" because he offered CG the opportunity and "leaving it up to him to decide", if he wants to park on the lot at night with the caveat he move back to the streets by 6:00 in the morning.

At any rate, CG — who I’m told is an older guy, living alone except for a little dog, seems to have made himself at home. Even bringing out and parking his sweet looking HOG.

Trainer is showing no interest in steel shutters. Instead, he’s contracted with a company that provides something like a Ring Doorbell System for businesses.

A device is being place somewhere along the roofline by that window, which will contact Trainer’s phone when anyone stands near the window so he can yell them away.

He also upgraded his security system/camera to detect the sound of glass shattering, and additional detection for pets, as the upgrade supposedly will detect bad guys as humans crawling around on the floor trying to fool the camera.

Seems to me steel shutters are more the direct route ........ and no disrespect to male readers, but us ladies know how men don't like to be led, ask for or take directions, preferring instead to figure things out on their own, even if it means they end up taking the long way around.

I just hope it all works out and ends the break-ins.

Talk is Cheap

Yesterday was a day of much needed dryness and sunshine. According to the monthly activity calendar, yesterday was also listed as "Walking Club … Get your blood flowing with a morning walk around the property!"

What a great idea, thought I, except the meetup time was 9:00 a.m.

Retirement has spoiled me. There are very few things in life that will get me up and out before 11:00 a.m., but I so needed to get back into the habit of logging in walking miles, train for the next 5K, that I made the sacrifice — got suited up and began walking towards the office area promptly at 9 a.m., looking for this walking club.

Seeing no one but Activity Director, I asked, "Where’s the walking club?"

"I’m wondering the same thing", said she.

"Who organized this, who set it up?" I asked.

"I did", said she.

The story is a resident suggested it as an activity, others got behind the idea, so she (Activity Director) schedule it for Tuesdays, before 10:00 Pizza Day time.

"So who was it that made the suggestion?" I further queried.

Turns out, Walking Club was the bright idea of the neighbor I refer to as Red Light.

"So where is she (Red Light). Why are she and the others not here?" asked I.

It was a rhetorical question, because I could clearly imagine Red Light suggesting the activity and others yessing, let’s do it, knowing full well they were all talking out their arses at the time.

Talk is cheap.

After telling Activity Director that I’d pushed myself to get out early for this, Activity Director said, "I’ll walk with you", and that’s what we did for half an hour.

Seeing as how no one but Activity Director and I showed up, my guess is Walking Club is dead before even getting off the ground, but I'll check back in to see if things go differently.

Back in January, I’d posted two areas nearby where people have been parked, living in campers. One was this guy ……

I’ve since noticed that camper guy tries unsuccessfully to not be so obvious by moving the camper around, but always somewhere in this area … a couple times right alongside of the Pain Cave.

That's actually not a good place for him to park, as it obstructs the view of those of us driving out of the lot.

An accident waiting to happen, but hopefully not an accident that will involve yours truly.

So, anyway, I this morning mentioned to Trainer the roll-down steel shutters suggested by Debra, saying I’d looked online and saw they appeared cheaper than constantly having to replace that expensive window, the bars and holes in the walls.

He said cheaper sounds good but, for the time being, he’s hired security of sort. "Security" being the camper guy who vacillates between parking alongside the Cave and the Auto Zone store.

Trainer said he spoke to the guy in the camper, said he’s tired of the Cave being broken into, and made a deal with the guy — camper guy won’t have to keep moving, can stay in that location, his presence acting as a deterrent to the bad guys. In return, Trainer will see that no other business owner in the area harasses camper guy about parking there, tells him he has to move.

Cool, but what’s not to say the presence of camper guy has no effect on the bad guys at all — that is unless camper guy is built like Jason Momoa, has MMI training, and weapons up the wazoo in the camper.

If Trainer is not on board for relocating, I hope he at least looks into the steel shutters because I’ve little doubt the bad guys will be back irregardless of camper guy.