Columbus Day ???

Would you believe that, the day of the Celebration of Life, it was 100◦ and that later that night it rained. It’s been raining every day since.

That’s not a complaint. We desperately needed the rain. It’s just that the switcheroo in weather was so extreme … from excessive heat to dark gloomy wet cold.

While at the Celebration, I learned we came thisclose to losing another member of the Usual Suspects.

While on a cruise that included 85 church members, she became deathly ill, unable to walk or breathe. Ended up hospitalized for 40 days, where it was determined she’d contracted a respiratory infection. They think it had something to do with the recycled water on the ship.

Saying, "I almost died" she added that while hospitalized, she’d been asked to step up on something, twisted her foot, broke her ankle.

That was some vacation, and out of the 85 on the cruise, only she and one other were impacted by whatever bacteria caused the infection.

She fortunately survived, is back now wearing a cast from the broken ankle; saying she feels okay, but I can hear a difference in the way she speaks … her voice has a raspy sound to it.

It wasn't long ago when, one other of our Usual Suspects left the complex to take a vacation, fell, broke her hip, ended up in rehab.

It's kinda spooky.

I forgot to ask if the other lady, that contracted the infection, had survived.

On the dysfunctional family front, the Great Granddaughter that, until last year I never knew I had, has written a book, available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback, about growing up adopted.

"Everyone knows what it feels like to start somewhere you never expected to stay, to look at your circumstances and wonder, can something beautiful really come from this … when everything around you seems determined to keep you small. We call it struggle. But sometimes, struggle is where strength takes root".

"In From the Concrete, Alanah Jones explores the journey of becoming through seasons of uncertainty, growth, setbacks, and transformation. Like a seed forcing its way through concrete, this book speaks to the courage it takes to grow when the environment around you was never designed to make growth easy".

Happy Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day

Today’s Holiday wasn’t listed on this month’s Activity Calendar, so looks like the holiday fell by the wayside and management missed another opportunity to take the day off.

In fact, but for the fact the Catalyst posted a meme of actor Peter Falk in his role as the bumbling LAPD detective Columbo, with the caption "Happy Columbo Day", I’d have missed the day as well and another opportunity to set the record straight as to exactly who it was that discovered who.

Except for news of yet another war, today started off well for a Monday.

Driving out of the complex the long way around, to check on decorated patios, I felt a tad better about the apathy of other residents seeing at least one more patio display had gone up.

Upon returning from this morning’s workout, I walked over to take that above photo, which looks to have a Day of the Dead vibe, and came across one of our bingo usual suspects setting up a display that looks to be part Halloween part Thanksgiving.

Seeing me taking photos, she motioned for me to wait; whereupon she ran inside; returned a few seconds later wearing a witch's hat.

I’m thinking the hat is a dead giveaway as to what she’s planning on showing up as at the residents' Halloween Costume Party, Friday the 27th, which party is replacing that Friday's bingo game.

With not much else going on, it's looking like the Costume Party is going to be standing room only.

I'll have to decide if I want to skip that morning's workout, so I can arrive early, take photos as costumed residents walk through the door OR if I want to make a dramatic entrance by arriving late, take whatever photos I can then take.

I'm leaning towards the dramatic entrance.

As for the patio decorations ... with the two pumpkins on patios across the grassy knoll, my display and the above two, that’s 5 out of 178 units getting with the program.

It’s a start.

Happy Columbus or Indigenous People’s Day

My trust and belief is in the Native American version of who discovered what but either way, it’s still a Monday.

No tea to report coming out of Friday’s bingo because I got my days mixed up. Bingo isn’t until this coming Friday.

I’ve been doing that a lot lately … getting my days mixed up. Which confusion can easily be avoided by checking my daily planner but, thinking I know what I’m doing, I forget to check it.

Oh well, there being no bingo this past Friday was a gift because, after that morning’s workout, I was so stiff and sore that I probably would not have made it down to the Community Room.

Trainer not only continued with incline training that day but had me doing pull ups for a full body workout in between sets.

It’s not as easy as it looks and, when I say full body, I mean FULL BODY. The movement is designed to reach and tone everything everywhere — ergo, stiff and sore.

Trainer has also warned me to not expect the treadmill to be in the same location when I show up this morning.

I’ve lost track of how many times the treadmill has been relocated, but whatever.

Over the weekend, I spotted Karen out gleaning the grassy knoll for tree droppings.

I didn’t see her cat, which means she’s complying with management having pointed out complaints and possibility of a lease violation for allowing her cat out without a leash.

I did notice she’s dyed her hair black.

Big mistake.

The dark color makes her look like the witch she is.

After more years of being dormant than I can remember, it appears my metabolism has mysteriously returned to life.

It was a few weeks ago, seeing my leggings sagging a little in the butt area, I decided to get on the scale. Lo and behold, I was down pounds and inches when I took my measurements. This morning’s scale check indicates weight is continuing to fall off.

However, looking at the down to skin and bones condition of my legs, I’m wondering if I’m losing too much weight.

But seriously, I was planning to wear skeleton leggings to the upcoming 5K. However, this purchase was misleading — they are not leggings, they are stockings and arrived with a run in them, so I’ll be returning these and participating costume less unless I can get skeleton leggings elsewhere, quick fast in a hurry.