Up Close and Personal

This week started off with public displays of affection by Dream Lover and Lu that were so over the top as to be comical.

It began with my spotting them on the walkway, her arm around the back of his waist, her hand moving to his butt as they walked and talked.

They paused a few times, faced each other, her looking up into his eyes, he looking down into hers. They moved on a few more steps, her hands all over him, stopped, faced each other again, she looked up into his eyes, he looked down into hers, and then they kissed.

WTF? If they want to get all up close and personal, get a room. Oh wait …… they do have a room, two of them — his unit and her unit.

I don’t know what they’re trying to prove, who they are trying to prove it to with these public displays of affection but, to me, it’s beginning to look deliberate, like a weird game.

Lu is one of the women who kept knocking on the door of Hubba Hubba Awooga Silver Fox — offering cakes, cookies, meals, asking questions about where he was from, what he does, and he’d insulted her by telling her to go away, stop bothering him, that he’s sick and tired of women always chasing him.

So maybe these PDAs are, in Lu’s mind, showing Silver Fox a thing or two.

I doubt he cares.

The PDAs might also be designed to poke at our Karen character; and the fact they keep parading around in eye shot of Karen’s unit gives credence to the show might be specifically for her.

It did seem odd that, when they stopped and kissed, that it was directly in front of Karen’s patio window. Would have been hard for her to miss.

So the answer to who they’re trying to prove it to, may be Karen.

If so, it’s mean and it's cruel to rub it in Karen’s face, after he dumped her, told everyone who would listen that "she's crazy" and, when she refused to be dumped, sent him love letters, stalked him, he got Manager involved, who told Karen that harassing another resident can get her evicted. So why be cruel, why rub this one in her face? — carry on, but not in front of her unit.

I can see Dream Lover being deliberately cruel, as he’s done it before …… paraded a new one (Boebert) in front of an old one (Faith), but I can’t see Lu playing that game, unless he’s blinded her, with his sweet talk and so bedazzled her with that thing he's able to give her courtesy of those little blue pills, into playing the game with him.

Not only did they walk around showing off earlier today, when I later went down to pick up mail, there the two were sitting on the bench right smack dab in the middle of the grassy knoll for all eyes to see — again in direct line to where Karen could look out and see.

I waved and, instead of continuing on to the mailroom, I walked over to say hey.

I wanted to laugh out loud when, as I approached, Lu put a protective hand on and began massaging Dream Lover's leg.

Thinking to myself, girl please, you do not have to worry about me, I fought to keep the amusement I was feeling off my face, as I ignored her obvious he's mine gesture, asked how bingo was going.

Lu asked if I’d left bingo because it was too noisy.

Last time I’d attended it was overly noisy, gave me a headache, but no, said I, I’m just running on empty lately, don’t have the energy for bingo.

Lu accepted that and said there’s a lot of that no energy going around and filled me in on who’s been hospitalized, who’s moving — Grace, the Other Wheelchair Lady, just got out of the hospital, Genie — one of the Usual Suspects is moving, and MaryAnn is losing her mind so her daughter is moving her out to be cared for.

I said how surprising it is that Genie is moving, that MaryAnn is a supporter of the Mad King, so I don’t care.

Done with the conversation, and with watching Lu rub all over Dream Lover’s leg — reminding me the photo of you know who kissing the feet, sucking the toe of the other you know who, that’s circulating online today, I dismissed myself by saying I had to go to the mailbox, pick up a tax document I’d had to special request in order to file, and both expressed shock that I file taxes as neither has for years.

Lu said that it’s her understanding people our age don’t have to file, and her social security is not taxed.

Saying I pay taxes on my social security and my pension, Lu suggested I look into the matter, as she’s quite sure I’ve been filing when I don’t have to.

Not only do I file but, instead of a refund, I pay …… usually get a few pennies back from the State, but end up paying the Federal Government a Grover Cleveland and five to eight Benjamin Franklins. So, after returning to the unit, the plan was to ask Twin 1 to check with her lawyer for me, but then I thought to just Google it.

Q. At what age does one not have to file taxes?

A: "The Internal Revenue Service requires all taxpayers, regardless of age, to file a tax return and pay the appropriate income tax in any year their gross income exceeds certain levels."

Maybe Lu and Dream Lover don’t pay taxes because they’re below the required level, thought I, so I went further down the rabbit hole.

Q: At what income level do I not have to file taxes?

A: "If you have income below the standard deduction threshold for 2024, which is $14,600 for single filers and $29,200 for those married filing jointly, you may not be required to file a return. However, you may want to file anyway".

Q: Why file taxes if don’t have to?

A: "Even with little or no earnings, filing a tax return can still be beneficial. You may qualify for refundable tax credits to potentially receive a tax refund".

So, though Lu and Dream Lover are likely not tax cheats ……… they must be below the threshold and don’t have to file, they are absolutely making a mistake if these PDAs are designed to awaken the bear, poke at our Karen character.

They might not like what happens if her crazy is awakened.

BTW: If you’ve not seen the photo of you know who kissing the feet, sucking the toe of the other you know who, that’s circulating online today, let me know and I’ll revise this post to add here at the bottom.