I Love a Parade

Today started off well.

After a day of rest yesterday, I woke up this morning back to feeling fit and ready to seize the day.

Tuning into Good Morning America, I see the Queen’s Jubilee is getting good coverage and it’s nice to see Harry and Megan have been invited to the party.

Now that’s something I bet you readers across the pond never expected to see — Prince Harry and Megan in, Prince Andrew conspicuously absent.

A lot happening with Pride and the Queen’s Jubilee simultaneously going on.

No parades or festivities of any kind for any reason occurring anywhere near me, and I do love a parade, so I’ve plans to spend a few days in Long Beach, attend the Pride festivities and parade.

That’s a long way to go for a parade you might think, and I agree except the Mayor has asked Twin 1 — due to her, a hometown girl, being awarded CNN’s Hero of the Year, to be the Grand Marshall.

Because so few are wearing masks these days, with that event coming up — where I’m expecting to be surrounded by thousands, I figured I’d better get that last booster, so that’s on my schedule for tomorrow, which will give me time to recuperate if there’s a bad reaction.

Since I’m physically back up to snuff, I expect Trainer will have me on incline this morning.

I hope it doesn’t wear me out like it did on Monday because I want to be able to make it to this afternoon’s bingo session — not for purposes of reconnaissance, not for info gathering, but because I’m actually beginning to enjoy the camaraderie.

Neighbor from Hell

Running into the Talker yesterday, I saw how tired and worried looking she's become, as the result of an ongoing problem with her new neighbor.

For purposes of the blog, let’s call this neighbor "Karen". That’s not her real name, but a Karen is what she appears to be — using her frailty and the color of her skin as a weapon.

After the long-time resident of that unit beneath the Talker’s unit passed away, Karen moved in and from Day 1 has done nothing but complain.

She’s complained to and about the Talker — that the Talker and her severely disabled brother make too much noise going up the stairs, down the stairs. She’s complained about the sound of music, the noise she says she can hear when Talker is riding the indoor bike, everything and anything.

Telling the Talker that she is sick, needs peace and quiet, the Talker says she’s been walking on eggshells trying to accommodate and not disturb the Karen.

My take on "I’m sick, need peace and quiet" is that’s a personal problem, has nothing to do with the Talker, and that perhaps Karen should book a private wing somewhere rather than in this community with others.

At any rate, Karen has involved Management in her complaints about the Talker.

Assistant Manager contacted Talker. Talker said, because of the constant complaints, she’s no longer happy or comfortable in her own space, that maybe she should move.

Assistant Manager told her "Oh no. Don’t do that" and concluded that, inasmuch as there were no complaints from the prior resident in that unit, the problem must be the Karen, and that was that.

Running into the Talker yesterday, I asked how it was going, if Management had handled the issue, quelled the Karen.

The answer was "no", that the situation is making her ill and has gotten to the point where she’s thinking of booking time in a hotel so she can get some rest.

She also said there had been an incident at the gate where her disabled brother — who can walk, can say "Hi", but otherwise is like a child, was coming back in. Karen was at the gate, confronted the brother who, being an adult with a child's mentality became afraid.

Fortunately, another resident came along, stepped in, read Karen the riot act, "That’s my neighbor’s brother and how dare you" yada yada yada.

Good on that resident say I.

The incident was reported to Management and whatever the outcome of that was evidently angered Karen, because she used her frailness — "I'm sick, need peace and quiet" and her skin color to get the police involved.

The night before, 10:30 p.m., the police showed up at the Talker’s door in response to Karen calling them about the Talker supposedly making too much noise upstairs — "Stomping on the floor".

I can’t believe the cops showed up on that kind of call.

I also couldn’t believe it when the Talker said the cop chastised her for stomping, advised her "Your neighbor can sue you for what you’re doing".

WTF kind of cop bull crap is that?

I asked the Talker if she set the cop straight about bending over backwards to accommodate Karen — no music, TV down low, no indoor biking, staying away from home as much as possible, walking on eggshells, that the woman was a Karen and she said "No. I just said okay".

That was weak. Can’t respect not standing up for herself, but it’s her way to allow herself to be the victim, a martyr, "You're too nice" is what I told her, and it’s beginning to show in the way the life is draining from her body, how she's now the one becoming sick.

Upon Manager No. 9’s learning the cops were called, she asked the Talker if she would consider moving to a downstairs unit.

She said "no" because she would not feel safe downstairs as she keeps her patio window open at night to get fresh air, to which I pointed out how unsafe that is and outlined all the ways a determined criminal can get up to the balcony, enter that open window.

With the Talker saying "no" to moving downstairs, what with Karen complaining about upstairs, the police being involved, No. 9 said, "I’ll have to talk to Corporate about this".

Oh Snap! So now Corporate is involved.

The rule as I know it is that if two neighbors cannot get along, both are asked to leave or suffer eviction. Consequently, if I were the Talker, I’d accept the offer to move to a downstairs unit and then leave Management to deal with the consequences when Karen began complaining about the next resident — which she surely would. Maybe not, depending on their skin color, but that’s something we can’t know for sure until we see it played out.

There’s to be a meeting between No. 9, Karen, the Talker and someone from Corporate. We should know by end of the week how this will end.

They relaxed the rule for Handsome Man — let him keep his unit (though I’ve not seen him or been able to confirm it to be true that he’s still living here), so maybe they’ll relax the rule and let the two feuding neighbors remain … if one of them is willing to relocate elsewhere on the property.

In other news, Twin 1 has a nice mention in February’s Cosmopolitan.

I was a Cosmo girl during the years of Helen Gurley Brown, but haven’t purchased or even seen the mag for sale since then.

So, unable to find the story online, I went looking for a Cosmo. No luck finding one at three different supermarkets, a couple drug stores, liquor stores, even Barnes and Nobel. I ended up ordering a copy from an online emporium at the inflated price of $18 for a $4.99 mag.

At any rate, it's a good spread, upbeat and just the facts.

2021 Hero of the Year

She Won!

A Huge Thanks to All Who Voted. Every vote counted.

I’m happy for her, because it’s what she wanted, said she needed to further the cause she supports, but it kinda adds to my level of anxiety with her being out there on Skid Row.

Watching the broadcast, I went Mmmmmm when Zaddy walked out on the stage. He was presenter for one of the other competing heroes.

Did I hear you ask who is Zaddy?

I thought everyone knew Zaddy is this handsome hunk …..

Ever since he showed off his bod in this issue of Men’s Health Magazine, social media aptly dubbed him Zaddy/hot Daddy.

Not only did Twin 1 win the competition, but she got to put an arm around Zaddy.

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.

The Saga Continues and Update

Tire Pressure Monitor indicated the rear problem tire was so low that, heading to the Pain Cave for Monday’s workout, I thought I was going to have to stop at the gas station, pump air, in order to make it to the tire place after.

THEN, back in the car after working out, I surmised there was just enough air to drive to the tire place, without stopping at the gas station, so I headed in that direction.

Along the way, I observed the monitor change tires from low psi to high to normal, back to high psi. That’s when it dawned on me …. Problem is not the tires, but the car’s monitor. So, I called the tire place, cancelled the appointment and, since I was in the area, I pivoted to Sprouts.

Once back at the complex, I check the car's manual and learned the monitor was to have fixed itself 20 minutes after the kid at the tire place had inserted air.

It didn't, so thinking the fix is something minor and quick, my next thought was to pop into the dealership sometime today, ask them to handle it.

After seeing Country Cottage's comment last night, it occurred to me to research the car's monitor on the internet. I think I found a solution, but it's going to take locating a particular button, then driving 20 minutes, which gives me an excuse to head for the mall today — replenish makeup items, check out Christmas displays, pop into See's Candies.

While at Sprouts, I picked up a lil somethin somethin for Saturday — National Gingerbread Decorating Day (Note: One publication says Saturday the 11th , another Sunday the 12th).

The house is pre-built. All I have to do is decorate, which is right up my alley, because the build part has always been my Achilles Heel.

The young cashier said the Nike Store in Pasadena was giving this self-same kit "away for free, but you have to buy something, which makes it not exactly free".

Nice, if you're a Nike wearing fan, there in-store to make a purchase.

Because my injection site was a little puffy yesterday, Trainer took it easy on me with just working out with resistance bands.

However, he said he’s moving me up to the barbells on Wednesday — the long poles that have circular weights on both ends.

That should be interesting AND challenging.

Trainer said his reason for doing so is not just because he thinks I’m ready, but because he has a younger client that puts on a dramatic show when working out on the barbell. He said she only lifts halfway and grunts/groans/grimaces while doing so.

He wants to videotape me lifting, so he can shame her — say, “If Shirley can do this so can you”.

I said, “What if I find it so hard that I grunt/groan/grimace too?”

Without skipping a beat, Trainer said “You’d better shut that sh!t down until after I get done taking the video”. LOL.

I’ll see if I can get a copy of his video, so you can see how I do.

Update to the post on Veteran’s Day that one of our vets was missing — a nice old guy that I’d usually see out and about walking his German Shepherd.

Running into the Baker yesterday, I mentioned I'd not seen him in a long time and learned he’d been evicted.

Not because he’d done anything wrong or couldn’t pay rent, but because the invalid woman he lived with — whom we all thought was his wife, was not his wife.

The two were not married and, when she passed away (which I didn’t know she’d passed) with her name being the only named qualifier on the lease, he was asked to move.

So sad, such a nice guy, sorry to hear that happened to him AND, as for why he was not able to remain by getting a lease qualified in his own name, I do not know.

Moral of this story is … He shoulda put a ring on it.

Absolute very last chance. Voting ends 7PM this evening.

Monday Funday

It’s Monday again, but that’s okay this time around, because I need it to be Monday.

On Saturday, while driving to the booster shot location, I got an alert on the car that ALL tires were low, especially the rear driver side one.

Surprising, since I recently had the car serviced.

I suspect the mechanics did not rotate and check tires as requested.

Does no one do their job any longer?

Does no one these days care about work ethics?

I’m going to put fingernail polish on one of the tires so I can double-check they’ve been rotated next time, and have the tire pressure checked elsewhere to double check that as well.

So, anyway, the tire place was a hop skip jump from the vaccine location, so I pulled into the Air Check Section — hoping that’s all I needed … just air, and there wasn’t a slow leak problem in the rear driver side tire.

The kid pumping air said, "It’s probably just the cold weather".

"I’ll find out soon enough", said I. Thanked him for the service of bringing ALL tires up to 36 psi and said "Hopefully, I won’t be back soon".

No such luck because, after getting the booster, driving home, the car began telling me that left rear tire was already losing air.

Arriving back at the complex, I got online to set up an appointment to have the tire checked on Sunday, only to learn the place was closed Sunday. Which meant, I had to worry all the rest of the weekend that I’d have enough air in that tire to make it to this morning’s workout and the appointment I’d made at the tire place this afternoon.

For the first time, Monday couldn’t get here fast enough.

Going downstairs, checking the tire on Sunday, it was still at 35, so I was comfortable I’d make it to the tire place today. However, the car indicated the front driver side was also losing air.

How is this possible? Do I have two slow leaks?

I’ll find out as soon as I get to the tire place today.

Though I had stopped at the tire place on the way to the booster shot, I made it to the location right on the button 11:00 AM. Did not get my booster until 11:30, because it was a complete sh!t show, with a crush of people showing up for boosters. Some with appointments, some not.

And there was paperwork to be filled out because, even though paperwork had been submitted online, they’d been too busy to pull it up for those of us who had appointments.

Annoyed, I managed to remain cool calm collected in the midst of all the chaos, because I spent the time chatting with a Golden Retriever named Jonathan.

Jonathan was one of those who did not have an appointment, just showed up and was allowed to sign in. Jonathan also opted to pay out-of-pocket, which I overheard as $170.

WOW!

I had no idea these shots were costing that much.

Jonathan opted to pay because, as he put it — even though he has Medicare, he didn’t want to use it. That every time we use that card, instead of cash, we’re giving out information. That the government and other agencies track that information — learn what we like, where we go, what we do.

I said I didn’t mind that because all the government would see is me at home, working on my laptop, watching TV or crafting. LOL.

Jonathan said, wherever possible, he pays cash and keeps all his important information on his cell phone, including a digital vaccine record — which he showed me and instructed on how to get mine, so I don't have to rely on the paper version.

I made a joke that, if all his important information is on the phone, he’d better not lose that phone; but I’m pretty sure data on a phone can be tracked just as easily as a card.

Am I wrong?

I gathered Jonathan is financially comfortable, well off, because he said he’d opted to pay $400 cash for another procedure (I can’t remember which), instead of using his card.

When I expressed $400 was a lot of money, when he could have gotten the service free with his card, he brushed 400 off as "nothing", which is why I deduced he’s well off.

I know what you’re thinking ... that Jonathan was trying to impress or come onto me, but I didn’t get that at all. He was just this nerdy little Golden Retriever who seemed to sense I was open, he could talk to me, and I’d not think him weird or be judgmental of what he had to say.

What did strike me as strange is that he’s being super careful, to avoid being tracked, by not leaving footprints — doesn’t want what he does, where he goes out there in the open for prying governmental eyes. But then, he revealed to me, a complete stranger that could have been a spy, where he goes, what he does. 

His job is “fixing computers”, work that has him travelling all over the country. He doesn’t trust air travel, so he drives everywhere — his next stop being Hilton Head. He recently had a diabetes count of something like 170, which frightened him into changing his eating habits. He no longer eats bread, starchy foods, is mostly vegan and measured that day at 80.

He has an implant in his right arm, that allowed him to take out some little device, hold it to his arm, and check his level.

At any rate, it was an interesting chat while waiting for the booster.

Unlike Moderna 1 and 2, which shots made me weak, I've had no adverse reaction to the booster, other than itching and puffiness at the injection site. So, no problem working out this morning, then driving back to the tire company.

Last chance. Voting ends tomorrow.

Speaking of CNN and not leaving footprints ... how stupid was Chris Cuomo to leave a trail of emails that indicate he used his connections to gather information against his brother's accusers.

He's a news personality, or was until yesterday's firing, and thus, of ALL people, should have been aware of the past scandals discovered because email was used to transmit this that the other.

Every time his handsome face pops up on the news, with word of his firing, I shake my head.

Unbelievably Stupid!

Epiphany

While shopping at Home Depot today, I saw a lighted Christmas gift box that I thought would be a good addition to the other lighted gift boxes I’ll be setting out on the patio for Christmas.

It was going for $49 and, when I got to the register, the cashier said, “You can get this for free if you sign up for a Home Depot credit card”.

Whaaaaaaa?!

Can’t say I wasn’t tempted. Sounded like a generous incentive but, not wanting to take the time to do the paperwork, I paid cash for the item, along with my other purchases, and called it a day.

At Home Depot to purchase specific items, I had no business browsing the Christmas isle, but who can resist taking a hard left inside the doors to peruse all the cuteness.

Cute, but I'm not bringing into my unit things I don't need, things that don't serve a purpose.

At any rate, one of the items I walked out of Home Depot with was a 40 Watt light bulb, which is what online research indicated is what was needed to replace the burnt out bulb in the Frigidaire … the Frigidaire that I submitted a work order request for way back in early September, with five subsequent follow-ups since then to no avail.

You might think it ridiculous that I’m out buying a light bulb with plans to do the fix myself, and you’d be entirely correct but, after a conversation with another resident as to the Tyrant not responding to her requests, I had an epiphany.

That resident, from another quad, posed the question “What’s wrong with that guy?” to which I said, “Those are the exact same words I’ve expressed to others, because he’s not responding to my requests for repairs either … I’m beginning to think he’s just loco in la cabeza” — impressing her with my high school Spanish, causing her to LOL.

Thinking about that conversation later, I had an epiphany. That epiphany being that the Tyrant is getting a perverse pleasure out of being in control, being obstinate, knowing full well Corporate doesn’t care about our complaints, there’s nothing we can do but wait for his discretion.

I suppose if I paid homage to his overblown sense of self, cajoled him, kissed his arse, he’d get the guys up here to do their job, but that’s not my style — especially when it’s with someone who’s job it is to get it done without my sucking up.

Now that I understand what he’s playing at, it occurs to me that the way to handle him is to take his power away by bypassing him, not needing him.

I thought about hiring one of those handymen listed in flyers posted at the market but, upon googling how to put a replacement bulb in a Frigidaire, and WHERE in the refrigerator the light compartment was located, I realized it was so easy that, once I unplugged the refrigerator — so as to not electrocute myself, I could do it myself. So that’s why I was at Home Depot today.

Unfortunately, the 40-Watt is too large so, after tomorrow’s workout, I’ll be heading back to Home Depot — burnt out bulb in hand, return the 40-Watt, get help with matching the correct wattage and be done with fixing the Frigidaire.

Getting my hands on the correct size inside lateral blinds, and looking at how to install, is proving to be more daunting. So, I'm going at the Tyrant one more time.

The plan is to send him an email tomorrow saying that “since no one came up to take care of the refrigerator light, I got online, did research, figured out how to fix it myself. However, looking online at replacing the bedroom blinds is more daunting. If you give me the correct measurements to buy, I’ll be happy to see if I can find someone to install for me.”

That communication will either shame him into doing his job, or piss him off beyond belief and he’ll get even MORE obstinate.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

BTW: My color queen daughter (Twin 1) is a finalist for CNN Hero of the Year. If you could spare 30 seconds daily from now until December 7th by visiting CNN.com/heroes and casting 10 votes for her, it'd be a small way to help make a big impact for the local unhoused communities she serves.

Thank you in advance for voting.