The More Things Change

The more some things remain the same.

It’s been a while since I’ve venture out, so long that the jeep had to be towed by a pimped-out tow truck and battery replaced from having not been driven for weeks and weeks and weeks.

Emotional wreck that I was, having gotten through that inconvenience, finding myself able to handle contact with the tow truck driver and the dealership’s sales manager, I saw on this month’s activity calendar "Tuesday, March 17, Social: St. Patrick’s Day Paint and Sip, join neighbors in the Community Room for painting, festive snacks and refreshing beverages, 12:00- 1:30 pm".

Is there really going to be a paint and sip or is this another one of Kecia’s scams?thought I.

Do I dare try to get through a social?

You won’t know if you don’t try so baby steps .... not wearing green lipstick or the annual four-leaf clover top, I headed for the Community Room this morning.

Though I didn’t see Kesha or anything that looked like paint, canvasses, festive snacks or refreshing beverages, the handful of usual suspects I encountered said Kesha was on the premises. None had a clue about painting but said refreshing beverages was going to be juice.

To me, a refreshing beverage is coffee, but that's just me.

So, anyway, I stuck around/waited for about 20 minutes before deciding some things never change, that it was another scam and headed out to Starbucks, for a refreshing beverage.

At least I got to see the cute tree management set up in the lobby.

Knock Knock Knock

As if I don’t have enough on my plate, I walked into the bedroom yesterday afternoon to switch outfits after having run errands and …………… so much on my plate that I’ve been incorrectly referring to Twin 2 as the daughter who is estranged from her adult children.

Twin 2 has no children — she devoted her energies to helping me step in for her twin’s kids when their mom (Twin 1) was in her prodigal experience ……………… not financially and/or emotional there for the kids.

It's Twin 1 whose heart is breaking at not being able to turn back time, make amends for bad parenting choices.

She’s given the moniker Twin 1 because she came out of the womb first, five minutes ahead of her sister, Twin 2.

I’ve made what corrections I could find to recent posts misidentifying which twin is which, but no surprise I misidentified the twins as I’ve been walking around like a zombie last few days with the family’s dramarama clogging my brain (thanks for that word Karen), but as I was saying ……………… I walked into the bedroom yesterday afternoon to switch outfits after having run errands when, through the bedroom window I spied the Talker’s disabled brother sitting on the bench outside, along with two fit looking guys.

Oh! Oh!, thought I. That looks like my Little Knock Knock’s uncles and if they’re here on the premises, then she is as well.

Sure enough, there was a knock knock knock on the door shortly after.

Little Knock Knock said she’d not been around because of school, but that she’ll be visiting me again soon with another bear to babysit.

No way José, I said to myself. Another bear would be her manipulating me into creating another book — like the one I made back in 2023 when she dumped a bear on me.

I told her I can’t handle babysitting duties right now that, if she left another bear, I’d have to charge her for babysitting, and I hurried her away with a bag of See’s chocolate eggs.

My last visit to See’s, just before Easter, the clerk had tossed a handful of those eggs in my bag. Knowing eventually Little Knock Knock would resurface, I’d saved them in the freezer for her.

Little Knock Knock’s grandma has an upstairs unit; consequently, is one of the few residents who can climb stairs, get to my unit, so she was standing there with Little Knock Knock when I begged off babysitting another bear.

Hopefully, grandma understood the message and will hold Little Knock Knock back from burdening me with another.

Earlier that morning, I ran out of a needlepoint floss color and had to make a run to the craft store.

Checking out, the cashier asked, "Would you be interested in signing up for a credit card?"

"No thanks".

"You can save x number of dollars on today’s purchase".

"No thanks".

Then she tried to interest me in a Rewards program and some other something.

"No thanks, No thanks, No thanks".

I know she was only doing what her supervisor asked her to do ………… push these things onto customers, but how many times can one say "No thanks" before going off?

Fortunately, I maintained, was polite and firm with my no's, even though she was making a pest of herself and made me forget to use my coupons.

Since I was in the area of the Tire Place, I popped in to get the tire pressure checked, where the kid on the air station also tried to play me the fool.

I’m sure he’d too had been told to do so by his supervisors …………… If a woman comes in, take advantage of her, turn the free air service into her paying for other services, because he told me I needed to replace the back wiper blade ($20) and have the lug nuts replaced ($80).

Bullcrap, thought I.

I’d just last week taken the car into the dealership for its annual multi-point inspection, and the invoice made no mention of needing a back wiper blade and lug nuts replaced.

So, either the kid at the tire place is fibbing or the dealership is fibbing, or both are lying.

I purchased the Jeep in 2018, have logged in only 15,500 miles. So with so little driving, and definitely not overusing the wiper blades because I don’t drive in the rain, I seriously doubt the blades or lug nuts need changing out; consequently, the tire place is jerking my chain.

On the other hand, because the Jeep came with the last Lifetime Warranty Jeep offered on parts and labor, it is within the realms of possibility the dealership doesn’t want to bother with services for which they will not be able to charge me, so made no mention of either.

Can’t trust anybody anywhere these days, so I googled and learned "Depending on the type of vehicle it is and the age, the lug nuts may need to be replaced anywhere between five and 15 years; As a good rule of thumb, a vehicle's wiper blades will last six to 9 months".

I might pop into the dealership, get the blades changed, but I’m not worried about the lug nuts and wish folks would realize I may be of the elder generation, but that doesn’t mean I’m gullible, and they can run any old game on me.

It Ain’t Pretty

This is what the bedroom window looks like from the outside.

It ain’t pretty, but the bubble wrap is doing its job, seems to be effective in keeping the cold air out of the bedroom at night.

I did not have to run the heater last night, and woke up without sniffles and feeling chilled to the bone.

Because the outside view isn’t all that pretty, I did look into a window installation kit, as suggested by DrumMajor (Thanks friend) and liked that it was touted as "crystal clear", but was turned off by the mixed reviews ……… some purchasers liked it, others complained it did not live up to "crystal clear", tape didn’t hold, and the panels are not reusable when taken down.

Under the theory of "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it", now that I see bubble wrap is doing the job, I’m gonna stick with it.

Pun intended, LOL.

Besides, the shrink wrap touted a 30/35% reduction in heating bill. Bubble wrap is estimating a 50% reduction.

As for the aesthetics, I’m good with losing my view and the window looking unappealing through the Winter months.

I had errands to run after this morning’s workout.

The weather was perfect for a drive, so out of the area I went — looking for new pokémon characters at each stop.

Bass Pro Shop was crawling with pokémons, but nothing I needed in my deck.

They did however have a sign at the entrance that one does not see every day.

I asked the young lady at the desk if people actually come in with weapons on them. She replied in the affirmative, adding that it scares her when the weapons are placed in her hands.

I’ll bet, but that lets me know there are perfectly normal looking people walking around armed to the teeth with more than just pepper spray.

So, no pokémons at Bass Pro, but they did have a fun looking poke stop, where I snagged game tools.

The next stop was my reward for having worked so hard cleaning up the place over the weekend.

After a stop at Sprouts, for items I can’t purchase locally, finding no interesting pokémon, it was off to the hardware store to replenish cleaning supplies.

In the parking lot, I captured one I did not already have in my deck — a Frogadier.

I think this is where I also captured a problem because, just moments after jumping on the freeway, heading home, bells and whistles went off on the car's instrument panel, indicating the left rear passenger side tire was down to 28 psi.

Panic … Fright … and it had been such a nice day up until then.

The good news ……… I was in the right area — the tire place was just down the street from where I’d just been at the hardware store.

Getting off at the next exit, holding my breath I’d make it before the tire gave out, I jumped back on the freeway, headed to where I’d been, passed the hardware store, made it a mile further to the tire place.

They found a rather large nail, said it’d be like a 2-hour wait, because it was a busy day, did I want to wait and be serviced.

I said no, I did not, but had no choice.

More good news ………… the tire was fixable, and no charge.

Good news because I’d spent most of my cash and, had the nail been embedded in an area where the tire was not patchable (that has happened to me in the past), I'd have been SOL because I'd left my credit card at home.

It's a blessing to have a car, not rely on public transportation; but it's also a headache as so much can go wrong, at any time.

I'm still not over the terror of the blowout I had a few months ago, and now this.

So, that was the agony and ecstasy of my day. More like ecstasy then agony.

Chocolate was intended for days like this. Fortunately, I’d just stocked up.

I did not watch yesterday’s game, but had timed it just right to tune in and catch halftime.

It was okay. At least Usher’s performance didn’t lull me to sleep like Rihanna's did last year.

My only criticism …… half time was just too short. It felt to me like Usher had been cheated on allotted time, compared to other halftime shows I’ve seen.

You See … What Had Happened Was

You can’t believe how happy I am for this week to come to an end. Way too much has been going on.

Actually, thinking back, too much has been going on for some time … period. I’ve consistently had something to blog about, haven’t had an "I’ve got nothing" post since November of 2022.

I really need things to slow down, be less interesting for a while.

Icing on the cake for the end of this week is that today is a no-bingo Friday. I can take a little break, lock myself away from the world until Monday, and if Red Light doesn’t hold a seance underneath my window, have nothing interesting to post for a while.

Looking at the jeep’s instrument panel, on my way to this morning’s workout, checking the psi show, I’m fairly convinced I’m being paranoid about losing pressure in the passenger side rear tire.

I’m a little traumatized by Tuesday's blowout, not expecting the paranoia to go away anytime soon, so I’ll continue to check in on that psi show.

Arriving for my 12:15 appointment at the tire place yesterday, being told the process would take about 45 minutes, I thought to spend the time getting a mani/pedi at the salon I spied two buildings down.

Sticking my head inside the salon door, I saw a young lady working on a customer. "May I help you?", said she.

"Do you take walk-ins?"

"Yes. Have a seat at the chair on the end".

I settle down in the chair, take my toe rings off, so they won’t get washed away in the warm soapy foot spa water — as they have in the past, and put them away for safe keeping.

After a minute or two or three went by, I could hear a noise coming from the back room. It sounded like I’d arrived while the manicurist was eating her lunch, so I patiently waited another few minutes.

You see, what happened was … When the curtain to the back room finally opened, out came this old grandfatherly looking guy — and yes, I said old, because in his case it fit, while the shoe did not fit when tossed towards me.

When I saw him go to fill the manicure bowl, realized he was the manicurist, my eyes got wide, my spirit whispered "No", so I got up, began walking towards the exit door.

Behind me, I could hear grandpa manicurist say something. I didn’t make out what he said, but replied "No" just the same and fled the salon, no explanation.

I’m not proud of how I reacted — panicking, running out, and I’m sorry if I hurt grandpa’s feelings, but my reaction seemed the necessary thing to do at the time as I could not fanthom the idea of grandpa rubbing my feet, my arms, legs, touching me …… period.

In retrospect, grandpa was probably the owner, down a few manicurists, a skilled manicurist himself, and probably not as old as he looked, younger than I even, but still …………

At any rate, even if I see tons of manicurists working in the salon, next time in the area, I can’t show my face there again.

Trainer tells me he had the same thing happen to him, back when he was working as a physical therapist — only HE was the one to walk out.

When he entered the treatment room, the client took one look at him, said "NO!", so he immediately turned around, walked out, went to the front desk, explained what had just happened, and a physical therapists to the client’s liking was arranged for.

Trainer said he didn’t take it personal so, hopefully, grandpa isn’t too hurt by my running from him.

Delayed Reaction

My insurer’s roadside assistance app would not accept my password on Tuesday when I needed it. It didn’t open later that day when, arriving back at the complex, I double checked my list of passwords, saw I did not make a mistake, tried the app again.

Checking the app yesterday, it opened, no problem.

Go figure.

There is no such thing as a coincidence, so I guess that day worked out the way it was intended to.

Perhaps the Universe was testing my patience. If so, I passed with flying colors as I was nonplussed by the whole tire thing, start to finish. Took everything in stride.

Didn’t even realize a blowout on the freeway was dangerous until, at yesterday’s workout, Trainer said one of his trainees had a tire blow on the freeway. Trainee’s car rolled over three/four times, ended up in the dirt off the side of the freeway. Trainee was injured, but alive.

NOW I’m even more afraid, when I get behind the wheel, than I was before. In fact, heading to the tire shop this morning to pick up the new tire, I was so stressed — imaging the car didn’t feel right, one side was higher than the other, an object was in other tires waiting to cause a blowout that, by the time I reached the tire place, I’d worried myself into a migraine.

The imaginings continued on the way home, as I am now convinced I’m losing air, have a slow leak, in the passenger rear tire.

Time will tell.

In other news, watching Red Light yet again holding court yesterday afternoon over by the bench along the walkway, I once again became curious as to what line of work she was in before arriving here and had the bright idea to google her name expecting nothing.

Surprise Surprise, data on her popped up straightaway, photo included.

Her background is that of being a member of an affordable housing advisory board. Her specific title "Activities Coordinator".

Adds up, doesn’t it?

You can take the woman out of the job, but you can’t take the job out of the woman. She can’t let go.

Air and a Spare

Red Light has been bugging me for over a week to attend a speaker presentation she arranged for the Community Room — something about caregiver service and free offerings for seniors.

I never said I would attend, even though she’s persisted by next giving me a flyer promoting the session and then, while working out in the Pain Cave yesterday, a text message reminder about today’s event, 10AM.

It’s not that I’m all that worried about the atmosphere in the Community Room … I saw Head Maintenance Guy heading out with his family yesterday and he didn’t look ill to me.

While Assistant Manager and her husband are walking slow, heavy, skin yellowish, looking jaundiced, HMG looks hale and hearty. So I’m less worried about the Community Room and just don’t want to be part of Red Light’s latest venture.

Waking up this morning, my plan was to dip, make myself scarce. Heading out at 10AM is early for me, but I managed to complete my morning ritual and was out by 9:45.

Less than a block from the complex I heard a big BANG then a THUD, thought an object had hit the rear left side of the car and was being dragged.

Pulling over into the market parking lot, I checked, saw nothing wrong, drove around in the parking lot for a bit, heard nothing, so assuming the sound was something in the trunk tipping over, I continued on.

On the freeway, about five miles from the complex, I heard THUD CLANK THUD CLANK THUD CLANK and figured I’d better head for the Jeep Dealership, five or six miles further, because it might be something under the car having come loose.

I never made it.

The thudding and clanking got very loud, steering wheel felt funny, cars honked to let me know there was a problem, so I pulled off at the exit, parked by the side of the road and ………

Driver Side Rear Tire

Locking myself in the car, I tried calling my insurer’s roadside assistance.

That didn’t work. Their mobile system app wouldn’t accept my password.

After several tries, I attempted to change my password.

That didn’t work either.

I googled telephone numbers to contact a human voice for my insurer's roadside assistance.

That led to "cannot complete your call" and a random "let me tell you how to save money on your medical". So, after 30 minutes or so of frustration, I called the dealership, asked for a referral for roadside assistance in the area, made contact with a service, ETA 20 minutes.

While I was waiting, a Black guy hauling a flatbed drove by, stopped in traffic, backed up and said, "There’s a tire place just around that corner. If you pull up there, they can change that tire for you".

"Oh thanks, but I’m waiting for roadside assistance".

"Cancel ‘em. It will save you money. Just drive around that corner. Tire place is just on the left-hand side".

I really didn't think I could drive any further without damaging the rim, so I said "If roadside doesn't show soon, I’ll think about that. Thanks for the information".

"No problem. When I passed you, saw it was an old Black lady, I thought to back up, let you know".

WTF!!!!! SOAB!!!!!

Did he have to add "old"?

I don't see myself as old. I see myself as "a senior", but not old or elderly.

At any rate, roadside assistance showed up.

Then I was off to the tire shop to purchase a new spare — not the tire shop in that area, but the one I usually frequent for air checks.

Telling the kid on the air station that I needed an air check and to purchase a new spare, he asked what happened.

"It just blew up", said I.

He said the Jeep is a 2017, "tires are good for 5/6 years, so you probably need new tires or all will eventually blow".

I don’t drive enough to cause that kind of wear — only 164,000 16,412 thus far, so I didn’t buy it.

Tire guy inside the office said all my tires looked "brand new", so something had to have lodged in the tire, eventually caused the tire to blow.

I didn’t want to wait 2-1/2 to 3 hours for them to put on a new tire, return the spare back to the trunk (they were swamped and backed up), so I’ve a service appointment scheduled for my next free day, Thursday.

All in all, there are two ways I can look at this day.

Inasmuch as the BANG THUD began so close to the complex, perhaps it was a sign to stay put, go to Red Light’s thing.

On the other hand, the BANG THUD might have been something that was brewing and would eventually catch up with me anyway. At least it happened in an area where I was relatively safe, on a day I had the wherewithall to deal with it.

So, who knows the what/why of it, but all toll it was a good day and worth the expense.

Roadside Assistance: $105

New Tire: $183.77

Escaping Red Light’s function: Priceless.

Returning to the complex, I saw Head Maintenance Guy. He's back to work and wearing a mask.

I haven't seen the other office personnel, but I'm assuming they're all back, all wearing masks now.

Postscript

A new auto center popped up in the area near the craft store and Sprouts Farmer’s Market I frequent. That center includes a Jeep Dealership. So, on Thursday, instead of driving way far away to where I usually take the car for annual maintenance, I'd scheduled service at the new closer dealership.

Not sure if I’ll use them again.

The intake felt awkward. It wasn’t that the Service Advisor was rude. He just seemed put upon, like he was somehow being inconvenienced. Didn’t communicate well, didn’t even ask if I had an appointment. Instead, kind of rushed me away by saying something about his doing this, that the other ... that I couldn’t make out, then said "I'm actually on my way to lunch".

Consequently, in the waiting room, I wasn’t certain of what was happening. Was my car being serviced or had it been driven off to the side until he returned from lunch?

Didn’t have long to ponder because I was notified, some 45 minutes later, work was done, car ready to go.

So quick, compared to the two/three hours I’m accustomed to waiting. Didn’t even get very far in finishing my book.

I appreciated the speed. However, all in all, I’m not sure I’ll use them again, unless it's an emergency.

It wasn’t just the awkward intake, but I’m not sure I can trust that, in spite of the paperwork that indicates they did, that they completed the multi-point inspection and everything else that is to be included in maintenance because, when taking trash to the dumpster this morning, I thought to check to see if the tires had been rotated.

They were not.

How do I know?

Last year I’d painted, with fingernail polish, a red dot on the left rear tire.

Checking that dot after last years’ service, I saw that tire was now on the left front of the car, which made me comfortable in trusting that dealership.

After service this year, the tire with the dot remains on the left front tire, which makes me question if this new dealership did anything other than a quick oil change.

Can’t trust anyone these days.

So much was happening at Friday’s bingo that I forgot to mention the day was Red Light’s birthday.

We surprised her with a card, cake, cupcakes at break time.

Buttons — our 87 year old that uses those cute buttons to fill her card, tells me she's going in for outpatient surgery next month for skin cancer removal ... the 6th in 10 years.

What makes her so susceptible she says is "1) My age 2) I’m fair skinned 3) I have blue eyes and 4) I don’t drink coffee".

I didn’t doubt what she said about coffee, but you know by now that I research everything.

This is what I found ... coffee prevents skin cancers because of an "enzyme called ATR, which plays a key role in the survival of cells damaged by ultraviolet (UV) rays. Inhibiting ATR can eliminate UV-damaged cells that are precancerous. Because decaf coffee doesn't contain caffeine, it doesn't have this effect".

Learn something every day.

I asked Buttons if the spot is always in the same place. She said "No. It appear wherever".

Since she was so willing to talk about it, and I was learning, I further asked the location of the current spot.

"On my leg".

"How was it found? Like did you feel a pain and figure it out?"

"No. The doctor found it".

The image that popped into my head was that of her doctor examining her naked 87-year-old body for spots. So, curious as I was as to how the doctor found it, I didn’t think I could handle the answer and questioned no further.

Tale of Two Drivers

On the 12th Day of Christmas the Universe gave to me ……… a jeep that would not start after the morning workout, necessitating a tow to the local dealership — not my dealership of choice due to years of bad reviews.

Any port in a storm so, because the dealership was sure to be a lot less busy —because of so many dissatisfied customers than my far away dealership of choice, and easiest to get to, I went out-of-pocket and got a $130 tow in 30 minutes.

The tow would have cost $0 had I gone with the service my auto insurer wanted to send, but their ETA of 3 hours was a turnoff.

The disappointment on the face of the service advisor at the dealership was palpable when, looking me up in the computer, he saw I had a Lifetime Warranty — "The best warranty there is", said he.

I’d asked for a diagnostic six months ago, at the preferred dealership, when I’d taken the jeep in for its recommended multi-point inspection because it had been exhibiting little quirks.

"We’ll have to keep the car for seven days", said the service advisor.

"Bull Crap" thought I, knowing full well it takes about two hours for a diagnostic test.

I think it’s a situation of the Lifetime Warranty biting me in the butt.

Mr. Service Advisor, realizing it wasn’t going to bring in any money, didn’t want to take a technician away from a money job. He was just going to park the car for a week, get around to having the test run when business was slow — which it rarely if ever is at that dealership. They have a good rep, so everyone takes their jeeps there for service.

Not wanting to be stranded far from home, I let it slide, settled for the multi-point inspection and now here I am with the jeep being towed to the local dealership.

At least this service advisor offered someone to drive me home.

I didn’t have to worry because, being close to home base, Trainer had offered and Twin 2 was standing by, but I took the offer and was driven home by a Fair Haired All-American type.

What’s interesting is that Tow Truck Guy, with whom I rode to the dealership with, looked like the kind of guy a woman would be afraid to be in a car alone with.

All tatted up, he had a gruff gangbanger look about him — much like Trainer. The kind of look that turns those with no depth of vision off; but for me — just like when I first lay eyes on Trainer, I felt Tow Guy’s warm energy, friendly nature, liked him immediately.

We had a fun conversation on the ride to the dealership.

On the other hand, I felt the cold dead energy of All American Ride Home Guy the moment I sat in the van with him and, by the time Ride Home Guy dropped me off back at the complex, I was experiencing a raging headache.

Ride Home Guy made me think of Jeffrey Dahmer, both in appearance and as he talked about how much he hated working for the dealership, how much he hated his immediate supervisor and the big boss — i.e., owner’s son; he also had nothing nice to say about the bigger boss — i.e, the owner, saying the dealership ripped customers off.

He regaled me with a tale about the owner currently suing a customer for posting something to TikTok warning people about the dealership ripping him and others off.

I later checked TikTok, did not find the video in question.

Ride Home Guy lives with his grandma — hates it. Has a baby by a girl in Pasadena and often gets up at 3:00 AM, drives to Pasadena to help the girlfriend’s parents out with some kind of Farmer’s Market thing.

No surprise, he hates having to do that, but they pay him — I forget how much he said, which isn’t enough per him.

He once "beat up" his supervisor at a previous job. Actually got into a fight on the parking lot where an argument turned into the supervisor throwing something at and damaging Ride Home Guy’s car, whereupon Ride Home Guy beat the boss "bloody".

"Did you get arrested?" asked I.

"Told we could bring charges against each other, nothing happened" said he.

Of course not ….. Fair haired All American Good Looks Privilege. No one will see him as suspicious or a threat until after the fact. After he un-alives his grandma, his girlfriend’s parents and all the bosses at the dealership, while people like Trainer, Tow Guy and People of Color in general get hassled for breathing, thought I.

In fact, on the ride to the dealership, Tow Guy told me of a recent incident where, walking out of a business with his baby in his arms, he’d been surrounded in the parking lot by cops brandishing guns.

Is was the same ol’ trite "You fit the description" excuse ……… "of a guy who just robbed the bank".

"With a baby in his arms?" asked Tow Guy.

On the 13th Day of Christmas ……

No car in the carport, which might have been a good thing because I heard the voice of Talker's little granddaughter coming from near my walkway. No car in the carport, indicating I wasn't home, probably saved me from her knocking on my door.

So, anyway, the jeep was ready for pickup around 4:00 yesterday. I picked her up after this morning’s workout — Twin 2 drove me to the dealership.

Inasmuch as Ride Home Guy, said the dealership "rips customers off", I was suspicious and looked into the $497.35 for "Test, Removed and replaced battery, cleared 43 Codes, Retest and Test Drive".

Having only had the car for three years, it didn’t seem possible for a battery to die so soon, but nooooo.

They just don’t make ‘em like the used to — "A Jeep Renegade battery will usually last between 3 to 5 years" and it is not covered in the lifetime warranty.

Furthermore, "the average cost for a Jeep Renegade battery replacement is between $262 and $275. Labor costs are estimated between $53 and $67 while parts are priced at $209".

So, all in all I think the charges to be about right.

On the 14th Day of Christmas ……

Back in the Saddle Again.

Senior Drivers

Realizing today is the start of the 4th of July weekend, it occurred to me I probably shouldn’t drive out of the area as people will be driving fast, furious, inebriated today through Monday.

My plan was to play it safe — stay within the two-block range encompassing the Pain Cave and the Market and, in fact, it crossed my mind I should probably walk to this morning’s workout.

Too bad I didn’t.

In the car heading for the Pain Cave, I looked in my rearview mirror and began slowly backing out of my parking space, careful to crank my head over my shoulder and look to the right, left, right again because cars come around the corner of the building and also through the gate pretty quick.

I’m not 100% certain if I looked at the backup camera but, no worries if I didn’t because the backup camera beeps when there’s an object close behind me.

Only this morning it didn’t … beep that is.

All of a sudden, I felt a bump and heard a thud, like I’d hit something. Pulling forward, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw I’d hit an SUV.

"Where did THAT come from?" though I; and "Why didn't the backup camera give me an alert?"

Exiting the car, I saw the two occupants of the SUV step out and it was the Talker — my friend/neighbor who parks right next to me. Only she hadn’t pulled into her parking space. Instead, she’d stopped crosswise behind me.

"What are you doing there?" asked I.

"I stopped to drop off my nephew and felt a thump", said she.

Fortunately, there was no damage to her SUV and a barely noticeable indentation on my bumper.

I thought perhaps that waffle looking decorative piece had been broken, but Trainer tells me the break is too straight, too perfect to have been caused by the accident, that it "Must have been like that all along".

I’m not so sure, but it’s nothing a little duct tape can’t fix.

At any rate, it’s a good thing I was pulling out so slow that there was barely a tap.

Next time I have the thought I should probably walk, I’ll be walking.

In fact, the Pain Cave is open until noon on Monday, 4th of July. That means, since my workout is scheduled for 11:30, it’s not a day off for me. I’ll be leaving the car in the carport and walking that day.

Black History Parade

Driving to the Farmer’s Market, to soak up the sun, listen to music, was preempted today by an appointment at the Tire Place to check that tire I’d gotten an alert on back in December.

Though the kid at the Air Check Station said "It’s probably just the cold weather", I’d been keeping an eye on the pressure, saw that tire lost air just a tad sooner than it should AND with the possibility of a drive out of town in the not-too-distant future for a three-day meditation retreat, figured I’d better get the tire properly looked after.

Arriving at the location, I saw barriers preventing my turning into the plaza housing the Tire Place and other businesses.

Then I saw people marching down the street.

Though the manner of dress didn’t seem appropriate for what I'd assumed were demonstrators protesting Russia invading Ukraine, I was sorry I’d not heard of it so I could have made arrangements to join them.

Then I saw a blinking street sign indicating "Black History Parade".

The clothing made sense.

Inasmuch as I was barred from reaching my destination, what I should have done was to turn right — the only direction allowed to proceed in, pull over and park in that shopping center, watched the parade.

That’s not what happened.

Instead, I wasted 30 minutes of my life driving around, stuck in traffic with people who, just like me, were trying to find ways around the parade, get to our destination. One I gave up, found my way back to where I'd left off, with plans to park, watch the parade, I found the parade had ended and I could now turn left into the plaza.

Guys at the tire place found a "Tiny nail" in the tire. No charge for repair and, when I asked why, "We don’t charge for minor fixes as a way to drum up business".

Works for me, though just the fact I can pull in and get a free air check is incentive enough for me to buy my tires from them.

While waiting for the repair, thinking there probably would be entertainment at the parade’s end, I checked Google information as to where the parade began, where it would end.

Lo and behold, I was there, at the parade's end.

It was just a few feet away, across the parking lot in front of Home Depot.

Who knew?

"Rich Boy Sandwich" sounds interesting, but $20 sandwiches??? I don't think so.

Others didn't mind. The line was long and unending.

Our Brown brothers and sisters participated in the parade and provided entertainment.

Little Miss Black Awareness Queen.

I was raised in the church but, opting to walk the road of a contemplative, one who meditates, I haven't been inside a church in more years that I can remember. I do recall, however, that Praise Dancing was just beginning in the churches, as my church days were ending.

For those of you who are not familiar with the words "Praise Dancing", it's a form of worship. Praise Dancers use their bodies to express the word and spirit of God.

The roaring sound you'll hear in the Praise Dancing videos is the wind, which was blowing something fierce in that area.

All in all, it looks like, thanks to that slow leak, I was in the right place today.

Patio Wars

The Tyrant’s little patio competition has turned into an all-out war, with what looks to me like residents actively trying to outdo one another.

More and more decorated patios are popping up, some with quite elaborate displays.

I don’t know how the Tyrant is going to decide on just three and in what ranking.

With so much stiff competition, I may not win after all, especially since mine is the same same residents are accustomed to seeing on my patio for the last nine years.

I won't care if I don't win, because I'm not in it for the competition, except my petty plan to ignore the Tyrant's call to say I'm a winner would be foiled.

Looking out the window last night, I saw downstairs patio corner unit across the quad (resident who'd set up the red-light district Christmas window) has added a lot more stuff.

Her patio now looks like Santa and a Snowman are rocking it out at a 70’s disco club.

Only thing missing is a stripper pole in the center of the display, with an Elf working the pole.

Big Linda, the Navy Vet who tries to control everyone, everything, and the neighborhood, has added to the lone deer I saw on her patio last week.

The little lady, on the back side of my building, a few days ago put up what looked to me like a praying angel.

Coming around that corner yesterday, heading for the mail center, I see the angel has deflated.

A fallen angel perhaps.

My former friend, The Seer, has snowflakes on her patio.

Thing is ... I gave her those snowflakes.

They used to be a part of the display I put up before I moved here.

Setting up a display the first year I lived here, deciding to go gift boxes, no longer needing the snowflakes, I passed them on to her.

Ha! The lights lasted longer than our friendship and serve as a reminder to her of how poorly she treated me, and others, after hooking up with her Shadow.

The two of them are now splitsville as well, and the old friends she dissed are not interested in a reconciliation.

I sometimes see her standing out on her patio, alone, looking out, stewing in her own soup.

I don’t know who lives in this unit, but I thought the idea of Christmas Stockings was super cute.

I made it around to the resident that won Halloween, with her skeleton, creepy doll, etc.

Not bad.

Curious to see if she’d decorated her boyfriend’s patio for Christmas, as she'd done for Halloween (which won him 3rd Place), I took the long way around when driving back into the gate after yesterday’s trip to reset the monitor.

Couldn’t take a photo, because she was actually out on his patio, in the process of decorating.

I’ll have to walk over that way later today or tomorrow, to snap a photo of the boyfriend’s patio, and the Baker’s patio, which I spied decorations on as I drove by.

Resetting the tire monitor was a ridiculously easy fix. Unfortunately, I can’t take credit because it wasn’t fixed by me.

Not able to find the button under the steering wheel, instead of heading for the mall, I drove the opposite direction to a dealership. 

Took all of 5 seconds for an agent to show me where the button was, and then he quickly pointed out other features I’ve not bothered to learn how to use in the three years I’ve owned the jeep.

It was too much information coming at me. My mind doesn’t absorb those kinds of fancy automotive bells and whistles, especially when the how to is coming at me fast. So, I left the dealership happy to have the monitor fixed, but with a headache.

Having lost interest in driving to the mall to replenish makeup items, check out Christmas displays, pop into See's Candies, I decided to have the needed items delivered, and instead headed for the big craft store in the area of that mall. After which, there was a quick stop to pick up lunch.

The usual Older Ladies of See's, normally seen behind the counter, had been replaced with two young guys.

Didn't hurt having candy for the sugar cravings and candy for the eyes.

Voting for Twin 1 is a done deal.

HUGE THANKS to everyone who voted.

Results are to be announced on CNN, Sunday, December 12, 8PM.

You readers will probably know the results before I will, because I’ll be taping the CNN Special for fast forwarding though at a later time, as I'll be watching the Food Network’s Christmas Baking competition.