Like Talking to Myself

That was what one of the 18 residents that attended today's Residents/Management Meeting had to say about how the meeting went … "Like talking to myself".

She wasn’t wrong and by the end of the 90-minute session I knew I’d never attend another, that it was a complete waste of time.

The session was actually doomed from the start with the Monthly Calendar indicating 11:30 as the start time, but a flyer indicating 11:00.

Playing on the safe side, I arrived just before 11 am, with a plan to watch videos on TikTok until 11:30 if it turned out I was early.

The meeting began 11 am sharp with Assistant Manager, Head Maintenance Guy and Assistant Maintenance Guy hosting. Manager took the coward’s way out, called in sick.

I doubt it escaped anyone that Manager called in sick because she didn’t want to face any of us, and I found the move especially hilarious as I’d experienced something similar in my work life.

It was when my career was winding down, I relocated to this area in 2003, took a job as Contracts Secretary at a transportation agency and was met with a KKK coven that tried for many years after to run me out of the agency, because the head of the agency/head of the coven, the Chief Executive Officer didn’t like the fact that a Black woman was employed as a secretary in his agency.

In fact, after I passed the test and interview with flying colors, was hired by my boss, one of the KKK girls in HR tried to talk her out of hiring me. Said, "Why do you want to hire that _______ (insert the N word)".

Linda was sold on me as the best candidiate, so I jumped into what I quickly learned was a nest of Klan folks.

The Chief Executive Officer couldn’t fire me because, with my skills and professional background, compared to the little KKK girls having been waitresses, wives of acquaintances and such, so he created a position that placed someone above my boss, the Contracts Manager, hired Venus as Senior Contracts Manager, and gave Venus the task of firing me.

Whatever bad things he told Venus about me, she didn't see it, couldn’t find a reason to fire me without sacrificing her own career and risking a lawsuit, couldn’t move me to walk away by telling me they didn't like me, wanted me gone; and eventually ended up not only failing to carry out the Chief Executive Officer's unlawful order, but liking and depending on me herself.

Venus ended up miserable, hated her job because of the heat she was getting from the head of the KKK coven/Chief Executive Officer and ended up quitting three months into the job, getting her old job back at a transportation agency in Los Angeles.

Before she made the decision to leave the agency, she was working on a project that involved meeting with other department heads, wanted nothing to do with the project, tried to push it on me.

I didn't want it either, managed to skirt around by only doing what she told me to do and following up with emails repeating what she asked for … "You want this and this and this". In that way I could limit my involvement in the project to only what she specifically asked for, no more no less, and circumvented her blaming me when the project failed, which I knew it would.

That further inflamed Venus to where she stopped trying to push the details off on me, but did have me schedule an important appointment with a department head for her.

Something told me she was going to push the meeting off on me, as a backdoor way of positioning me to end up doing her job. Consequently, I called in sick that morning.

Sure enough, when I miraculously recovered from my illness the next day, I heard from my boss that Venus called in sick that morning, told my boss to have me handle it.

With me not there, the responsibility fell to my boss, LOL.

Like I said, Venus lasted three months at the agency — quit and got her old job back, and because I stood still in the midst of the storm, let Spirit do its work, there was a series of events no one could explain that ended with The Chief Executive Officer retiring ahead of an indictment for financial fraud, the Director that acted as his 2nd in Command in the coven fled to a different agency, the other Klansmen and Klan girls cooled their jets and went underground with their racism.

My work done, the reason the Universe planted me in that storm done, I retired.

So, Manager calling in sick to get out of performing a task she dreaded is nothing new to me.

Even though the meeting was the same old same old, talking in circles, nothing really answered, nothing changed, Assistant Manager did a much better job of hosting than Manager did when she hosted. Assistant Manager didn’t speak as though she was talking to a group of children.

One of the highlights was the Baker bringing up the issue of the refrigerator being locked … why can’t Management keep a refrigerator for themselves in their own space, return the refrigerator in the Community Room to the Community, that she has to drag wagons carrying food for our events and ice to keep food cold.

When the answer was no that the refrigerator remains locked, the Baker stood up, shouted something to the effect, "YOU EXPECT A 76-YEAR-OLD WOMAN TO" yada yada yada "WELL, I QUIT! I’M DONE! NO MORE BINGO!" and stormed out.

I think she meant it.

Lu’s situation was not mentioned per se, but "Housekeeping" was discussed … "Make sure to keep your place up, no hoarding".

I’d dropped two topics for discussion into the Community Meeting box last week — one was lateness of the Monthly Activity Calendar, which I’d signed, the other I’d scribbled with my left hand so as to submit anonymously was asking that "when an event is mentioned on the calendar, issue the money to Kesha so it can happen".

The money issue was explained away as a budget issue, that Manager prefers to save money from the budget for later in the year … to fund a Summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas event.

I couldn’t suggest the obvious, without outing myself, that if such is the case, then don’t put an event on the calendar that isn’t going to happen because Manager is hoarding money, won’t give Kesha what she needs to follow through.

BTW, Kesha was in attendance, listened in on the meeting.

As for the Monthly Activity Calendar/Newletter, "Newsletter is distributed every month via email".

BLATANT LIE!

I’d been previously told that via email would happen, but it has only happened twice, and days late even then.

I didn’t let this one slide, so I pushed it. "My issue is with the timing of the Newsletter. I get it on the 4th of the month and see I missed something fun scheduled for the 1st; or get it at 11 am on the 1st only to see I missed an earlier event that morning".

It was excuse after excuse … the Newsletter comes in pieces, that Manager asks around as to who has what, and it takes time to put the pieces together.

No way to run a business.

The Other Wheelchair Lady brought up that there’s a woman living here with an ankle bracelet. That the woman is living with her mother, and that she and Lu saw the woman swimming in the pool.

The Other Wheelchair Lady was essentially correctly told not to judge others, that the ankle bracelet doesn’t mean the woman has unalived anyone, and that she and others need to "Focus on what’s going on in your own unit. Don’t worry about what’s going on in other units, focus on your own".

I loved that, but it didn’t seem to sink in with others … and how dare Lu, who wasn’t present, is keeping a low profile since her hoarding was exposed, get riled up about a woman walking around with an ankle bracelet when she seems to have problems of her own.

So, that’s pretty much it, with Assistant Manager announcing management is going to start regular Community Meetings starting now, whereupon I wrote (I’d been taking notes) "I am out cause nothing accomplished".

With only 18 of what looked like the Usual Suspects showing up this time — down from the room full that showed up last time, why bother.

My guess is so few showed up because the last session was a lot of double talk, talking in circles, nothing accomplished. With this session being more of the same, I highly doubt that unless they lure folks in with food, no one will show up for future sessions.

Manager will be happy with that.

Just as the session was ending, Crafty Lady announced she’ll be hosting craft sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays.

That’s a huge commitment on her part, a commitment I don’t think will last long. I’ll just stick to the original plan to check in on Mondays.