Fire and Water

Management's End of Summer Fiesta, for us residents, was scheduled yesterday from 11:30 to 2 pm.

Comfortable inside, it took some effort to motivate myself into heading down to the Community Room, but I managed to talk myself into taking one for team …… snap a few photos for the residents’ facebook page, get fodder for the blog.

Arriving at 11:37, I was back in my unit at 11:48. Stayed just long enough to snap 15 photos, grab a quick gossip with Talker.

I'd expected residents to come out in droves, and was surprised by how few were in the room. Mostly, it was the Usual Suspects.

Maybe others came down later, but I doubt it. I know none of my three neighbors gave a hoot, neither did the four residents across the quad.

As for why so few, it's hard to say. There's been a general pall over everyone since Donnie Two Dolls took over. Some have retreated into themselves — don't come out, don't communicate with others, are living in their own private hell wondering what benefits will be taken away, if they haven't been taken already. Plus, we have a lot of new people — many of whom were previously homeless, placed here by the County; and I guess they are not the mingling, get to know your neighbor kind of folks.

No matter, the absences just meant there was more for those who showed up.

The menu indicated "2 items per person".

However, I later saw residents on the walkway, returning to their units after the event ended, carrying paper plates seemingly loaded with food made available because so few attended.

Dream Lover must have proved to management that he was cleared by the doctor, because he was seated and already eating when I arrived.

As was Lu and Upstairs Lady.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw all three were seated together.

I pulled the Talker over to the side, said that I’d heard Lu and Dream Lover were no longer a couple.

"That’s true", said she.

"Then pray tell, why are they sitting together?"

"Oh, they’re still friends. I told her she should have left it at that from the beginning".

"Why did they break up?"

"Oh, I don’t know".

Interesting that Lu is forthcoming to both the Baker and Talker about everything else, including Dream Lover's inability to "do anything" (if you know what I mean), shared that they are no longer a couple, but won’t disclose WHY they are no longer a couple.

Hmmmmm????

And, if the two now consider themselves just friends, why is she still touching him, can’t seem to keep her hands off him, because in one of the above photos (reposted below), you can see Lu is standing, talking to Upstairs Lady, but she's holding on to his hand, like she's afraid he'll flee if she lets go of his leash.

The man is trying to eat, for God's sake!

Closeup

There was something about Dream Lover's body language, while Lu was restraining him, that made me take a closer look at his face.

That is a man who is giving irritated to the umpteenth degree, like he wants to snatch his hand away, but is stomaching the touch because he doesn't want to make her mad, is holding it all in to maintain whatever "just friends" truce they've agreed on.

I saw that same angry look on his face the day before, when he was returning from Lu's area. I also remember seeing, early on in their relationship, a time when he was heading towards Lu's unit, stopped, looked down, shoulders slumped, took a moment as though he was pumping himself up to do something he didn't want to do; and then, once the moment was over, he picked himself up and soldiered on.

I'd even blogged about seeing that moment, as it seemed so strange.

Now seeing this look in his eyes, I'm remembering how it was that his first girlfriend fled to a battered women's shelter, never to return, and I'm now guessing his whole thing is about play acting, working hard to keep his anger issues in check in order to maintain friendships here on the complex, and his image of being a nice guy.

It's difficult to be fake, to play/pretend nice, and this photo is clearly showing how it's wearing on him?

Perhaps that's why neither of the two are saying WHY they broke up.

Did he slip …… do something to Lu, like he did to the one that fled, and they've agreed to keep it to themselves, let bygones be bygones, let's just be friends from now on?

It’s kinda making sense, inasmuch as Lu is Cancer, a water sign and Dream Lover is Aries, a fire sign — water and fire does not mix.

Cancer women are emotional, like to touch, are possessive and can be controlling (No offense if you’re Cancer. I’m just stating astrological facts). Aries men are adventurous, love the chase, crave freedom, struggle with patience and sensitivity — water and fire does not mix, and I imagine it's especially difficult to work through the ying/yang of such a combination when the Aries is not just a normal Aries, but one with anger issues.

Their saga continues …… at least until he blows his top with her or he finds someone else, starts the pattern all over again.

So, anyway, I supported the event by donating 10 minutes of my time, headed back to my unit, posted the photos to facebook, after which I worked out on the treadmill.

Yesterday offering at the Coffee Bar was almond flour chocolate chip cookies.