Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N

After driving to Redlands this morning for a dental appointment, after which I stopped by Sprouts in that area to restock on products my sensitive stomach can tolerate; then heading to the medical center in that area for a doctor-requested blood pressure check, after which I stopped by the Flu Clinic and got this year’s flu shot out of the way, I began hearing Peggy Lee singing in my head … her song about us women being able to do it all.

Only thing left to do is a Covid booster, if it looks like that's still a thing and recommended.

In the lobby of the dental office, I grabbed a pic of the GQ-ready outfit an older gentleman was wearing.

Unfortunately, when he turned around, his front side didn’t stand up to his backside; but kudos for the shirt, Jordan pants and Rebook kicks.

The blood pressure reading did not go well. I failed at 146. She did two retakes. Both registered the same 146. Then, she had me stand up for a long long long long time before she took it again. So long that it began to feel like the room as moving, so I leaned on the machine with my left hand, steadied myself on whatever was on my right; but it got me down to 141, which she said was passable …… I snapped a pic of her child’s cute artwork before I left.

I got sick of my long-time primary’s care team overstepping … blocking access, making decisions for my primary who knows what ails me so well that, before her beoch team stepped in, I'd send her a message and she would order the prescription, no sweat.

Last few times I had to contact the doctor’s office – once for a question about whether or not I needed a tetanus shot after I stabbed a finger with a much-used box cutter, and twice when one of those conditions that come out of nowhere to torture us women who constantly wear tight clothing, like the leggings I prefer, flared up; her care team blocked the doctor. Didn’t answer my question about a tetanus shot, told me to make an appointment for an examination; also told me to make an appointment when I was in pain because of the flare up from hell – even acted like I was lying, said "It didn’t show up when you had your blood test two weeks ago", when it wasn’t anything that would show up in a blood test, and which made me question her qualifications/prompted me to file an official complaint.

Not able to wait three months for an appointment, I went to a walk-in clinic down the street, got what I needed, no problem.

THAT complaint worked its way up to my primary. She ordered a prescription that was good for two refills. All I had to do was call the pharmacy next two flare ups.

Since that prescription has run its course, it’s back to the care team telling me to make an appointment, and this last time was it for me because, after that parking fiasco at the main medical center recently, where I had to park at a shopping center and walk, I promised myself I was never going through that again.

So, in addition to getting what I needed at the clinic down the street, I changed doctors to a primary in the Redlands area. I just wish I’d sent a message to my long-time primary to explain the only reason I’m leaving her is because of her care team’s overstepping. I thought, when I processed the change, there would be a place where I could say so but, when I clicked the reason as "other" than what was listed, it went through, no chance to rat the care team out.

So, anyway, before I have reason to schedule with the new primary, or she calls me in, I probably need to get a better BP reading on file.

If the new primary has a care team that sucks as much as my long-time primary’s did, at least there’s parking at her location and, hopefully, a wait time that doesn’t extend into months.

BTW … on the freeway, I spotted a somewhat souped up NatC Car.

Nice try, but it doesn't make it look any better than what it is.

Make it Make Sense

Woke up this morning to this ……

A cool 75◦ with much needed rain.

But, and it’s a big BUT, tomorrow’s forecast is whiplashed back to 90◦, with temps rising to a hot 99◦ by Wednesday.

Make it make sense.

Also, under the topic of make it make sense, I’ve been waiting for two sheets of scrapbook paper I ordered as background, for the Creative Memories album's layout of the 5 or so grass skirt pics taken at the End of Summer event.

On August 25, I'd managed to snag the last two sheets of Reminisce - Hawaiian Palm on Wood.

Waiting patiently for and not finding the package the last few times I checked mail, I yesterday tracked and learned it was shipped August 29, "delivered to a parcel locker at 11:34 am on August 31".

Now, the key word here is "A parcel locker" because whatever mail slot the key to the locker was left in, it wasn’t mine cause I never got it.

Someone was so unscrupulous as to take advantage of the mail carrier’s mistake of placing the locker key in the wrong mail slot – and not the first time, and instead of walking over to me/the named recipient, chose to keep what they found inside … also not the first time.

It’s an epidemic around here, and what gets me is that the scrapbook supplies I’ve lost in the past, and currently, aren’t even items the hijacker can use or sell. So why keep it? Why add even more bad karma to your obviously already miserable existence. Just say you received in error, opened not realizing it wasn't his/hers.

That happened to me when I opened a package, saw a shower curtain I'd never ordered, checked the name on the package, saw it wasn't directed to me, walked it over to the resident with an oops that I get so many packages that I'd assumed it was one of mine without looking at the label.

My brain can’t compute the small mindedness of keeping something that isn't yours.

Unfortunately for me, those were the last two sheets the supplier had in stock; but all may not be loss. I’m not in a hurry to finish the layout, signed up to be notified if/when back in stock, will wait it out.

I’m just glad it was a small order this time, not as big a loss as previous orders.

Lastly, I saw the below on facebook this morning and was🤣.

But is it true …… did he really change the color of his hair? or is this A.I.

The Week that Was

We had a bit of a weather cooldown on Tuesday. It was still hot, but bearable, so I was able to log in a mile around the complex.

Saw that a unit, which had recently been vacated — the resident located elsewhere on the complex, has an obvious new resident. Obvious because the previous resident wasn’t this kind of decorative.

Elsewhere on the complex was this creatively decorated patio.

I'm guessing this is where those people relocated to.

While sitting on the patio, I’ve often grabbed the phone to take a pic of my favorite sight — my two elderly boys on the walkway but, slow walking as they are, I've not been able to get to the phone quick enough to capture a photo … that is until on my walk that day.

The boys, who look like they could be twins, do not live together. At the end of the walkway, one hangs a right, the other a left. So, I don’t know how they came to be such seemingly close friends …… always together.

I may have to one day come up with an excuse to approach, while the two are sitting outside the gate, engaged in their favorite activity of watching traffic go by, start a conversation, find out what their story is.

I bet drivers passing by, seeing not only the two boys but often other residents, sitting on walkers, with nothing better to do than watch traffic go by see it as sad.

I, on the other hand, think us residents to be content, at peace. Don't need a lot of what those driving by have and do to make us happy, feeling blessed just to be able to sit and watch the world roll by.

Wednesday was another day of bearable weather.

I’d planned to watch the eclipse that day, eclipse glasses at the ready.

Then learned, California would experience no visible eclipse activity as the path was restricted to far northern regions — Alaska, Canada. So, I decided instead to join the Usual Suspects in the Community Room for crafts but took the long way around …… twice around the complex to log in another mile.

Told myself this was doable …… that I could, at the very least get up and out, manage one mile a day, so long as the weather cooperated.

That motivation lasted about as long as you readers probably expected, as today is Saturday and I’ve not been out walking since Wednesday.

Oh well.

I didn’t participate in Wednesday’s craft session, just watched, took photos for the residents’ facebook page, as they made picture frames using stencils, plexiglass, cardboard.

As for what I’ve been doing locked in my unit, other than watching Korean and Chinese Dramas on TikTok and Facebook, lusting after the handsome young Asian men I see on the screen, I’ve been finishing up yet another scrapbook …… one I started in '23, which chronicles my own personal activities, got sidelined due to the birth of great grandkids, making books chronicling their activities.

Once my '23 book is finished, the plan is to do one more, that will cover my activities between then and now, which I sense will be the last chronicling my own personal activities.

The hardest part of scrapbooking is coming up with a title page. I've come up with a system where I sometimes make the title page look like magazine covers, like this one ……

Since this next book will be the last of my personal activities, I'm thinking of doing something with one of the few photos I have of my toddler years, titling it HOW IT STARTED.

In addition to scrapbooking, I've also been throwing together tropical wear for the Resident’s End of Summer Event.

Not finding, in storage, the grass skirt I’d previously made, I grabbed raffia when I was at the craft store purchasing that Venus Flytrap and, in between scrapbooking and lusting after young Asian men in K/Cdramas, building a skirt.

Also, while at the craft store, I looked for blocks and letters to arrange in 8647, but didn't find anything usable.

The fact is, I tried, LOL.

So, anyway, as I was saying …… in addition to scrapbooking supplies, there's currently grass-colored raffia everywhere.

Still not sure I’ll actually have the guts to wear the skirt … won’t know until the day of; but if I don’t wear it, it will turn into Skelly the Skeleton’s outfit for this year’s Halloween patio display.

Stuck in Neutral

Several things are going on, related to the painting job being done on the complex; one of which necessitates I get out of dodge for an extended period of time, because I’ll have no place to park the jeep for however many days.

Back in ’23, there was the great paving project that uprooted my parking spot for an entire week. To avoid the chaos/trauma others were experiencing in finding places to park, I booked the jeep into a car park that would only allow parking by the month @ $360.50.

Though fairly nearby, the trek back/forth wasn’t fun because the area was sketchy, inside the facility didn’t feel safe for a woman alone to be wandering around in, but I managed.

Though convenient, I really don’t want to car park again. I thought instead I’d visit Twin 2 in Murietta. However, Twin 2 tells me she not only had not gotten the guest room set up (no mattress), she hasn’t even unpacked from the move.

So that visit not working out, not wanting to book the car park, not wanting to face that harrowing drive back to the Long Beach area, book a hotel to visit the great grands for a week, I decided on a Residence Inn a few cities over, that I know to be attached to a shopping center, which will make it easier to care for my weak stomach as there’s a kitchen, cooking appliances, a refrigerator — it’s like home away from home, but with a gym and safe areas to walk.

I just returned from that road trip to Hollywood, will soon have to hit the road yet again, but I’m stuck in neutral — my now vintage Diane Von Furstenberg suitcase, that I purchased back in the 70’s when it was affordable, still out of storage ready to repack, but I can’t book the hotel until the signs go up detailing what days are involved in no parking.

I know it’s soon because notices were posted to our doors just yesterday, indicating painters were ahead of schedule, would start today on my building. In fact, the building is being power washed as we speak. However, insofar as parking, no such notices have been forthcoming.

From what I’ve seen in other areas, no parking signs just mysteriously appear; but logic tells me that if they’re starting on my building today, the parking area will be next and soon. However, without proper notification, I’m stuck in neutral … constantly having to check morning and night to see if the no parking signs have been posted, so I can make hotel reservations.

Of course this stay is going to cost more than $360, so any thoughts of helping Di out with her situation are off the table, as I’ll need to apply those $$$ to my stayaway.

I haven’t seen any of the Usual Suspects since I returned from Hollywood, probably won’t see anyone until next week, so news on Di and whether Kesha has been able to assist is not yet known by me.

Speaking of Hollywood … this was the photo I took of two dolls' star the day before Pride.

This is the photo, I saw posted to the internet, the very next day .... after the Pride Parade.

LA Pride, Part 2

How it started.

Our Driver Sheri from Auto Museum

Great Granddaughter, Granddaughter, Moi

Reps from Thrive Cosmetics

How it ended.

Our Other Driver

Driving slow, plus the heat of the sun, caused the celebrity car to overheat/breakdown about a half mile from the parade's end.

Inasmuch as it was the Legacy's car, our driver was incredibly embarrassed; but we said, no problem and were prepared to walk the rest of the way, until the Golf Cart came to the rescue for Granddaughter and I, while others stepped up to walk with the signage that had been on the car.

Other than that little snag, the parade, the various news interviews, people from cosmetic brands that had partnered with Twin 1's organization, various board members coming up to say wonderful things about Twin 1 was a lot, and all this was before we even got to the moment with Channel 7, by which time I was a bit of a mess … said I couldn’t speak, that Twin 1’s passing a month ago was still too raw.

For the record, Twin 1 actually passed away in January but, with all the hoopla causing it to be fresh in my mind, it was beginning to feel like it was yesterday.

So, anyway, the parade itself was the largest/longest-running parade I’ve ever seen, overwhelming actually.

So overwhelming that, even though I was given a VIP Pass to Pride Village, I passed, instead chose to be Golf Carted back to the area of the hotel, while the others soldiered on to the Pride Village event.

Being in the actual parade did not allow for an opportunity to capture much of the miles and miles and miles of what there was to see; but I did manage to capture Jesus.

And this lively group.

Upon arriving in Hollywood, I made a point of seeking out the asshole's star.

Surprisingly, this ancient, radiation-feeding megafauna also has his own star; but I bet nobody even thought of damaging, tearing up or spitting on his star.

Waste of Time

I’m not talking about yet another fake assassination attempt; though I am getting a kick out of the memes the latest desperate attempt to distract from the Epstein files, the Economy and Iran have generated.

The waste of time I’m referring to is Painted Rock Lady asking me to make flyers … One for a CERT class she wants to teach and one for Game Day Fun where we would have different games in the clubhouse. The last flyer being what kind of games residents would like to play.

I have no idea what CERT is, don’t have a problem designing flyers for her, in fact we’re having a client meeting in the Community Room tomorrow, so I can get an idea of what she (the client) has in mind, I just think she won’t find many residents interested in either.

Even attendance at bingo appears to be declining as the Usual Suspects pass away or move and none of the new residents join in.

But I’ll do the flyers, let her spin her wheels.

I may have a new neighbor on the 2nd Floor Landing soon.

After no prep work being done on the vacant unit since Next Door Neighbor moved away, I heard the sound of drills, hammering, saw a painter enter the unit on Friday, what’s left of that doormat disappeared, and today there’s a barrage of activity … someone bringing in new blinds, new carpet being installed, hammering, banging, stapling.

I doubt I’ll see a potential new resident come to view the unit. They don’t do that here.

They did when I moved in under a different management group.

I was asked what did I have in mind, to which I replied "Lots and lots of sunlight".

The Leasing Agent pulled out her clipboard with a list of units available, led me to this one first and, as soon as she opened the door, I broke out in a big smile, didn’t need to see any other unit. This one felt perfect, and remains so.

Now, folks just seem to move in. Sometimes in the dead of night, sometimes just quietly materialize.

I don’t know if this is because folks are moving in from out-of-state, designate upstairs or downstairs, and just take what’s available, as Next-Door Neighbor did or if the County needs to quickly place someone in a unit sight unseen.

As prepping the unit is now on a fast track, I’ll soon have a new neighbor to come up with a blog name for.

I hope the person likes Halloween, doesn't spook easy at my decorations.

Don’t Sh!t Where You Eat

The Activity Calendar indicated today, Kesha Tuesday, was to be "Easter Celebration, fun arts and crafts session".

There was no fun arts and crafts, but the tea was banging.

To start with, I wore the Lock Him Up tee to see if it would trigger our MAGA neighbor.

Walking into the room, I was met with the smell of fresh pizza and Kesha running up to me, clipboard in hand, before I’d even got to a seat, asking me to sign her attendance sheet.

I was tempted to pass on signing, pretend to be writing and not do it, but it was just the Usual Suspects in the room, not enough residents to get away with that.

Had others known Kesha would actually show up, no arts/crafts but there would be fresh pizza, others would have come.

MAGA did not attend. However, at one point, I checked mail, saw I had lots of mail and packages — because I’d not checked the box for a while, went to the car for a bag to be able to get the haul back upstairs.

Heading back to the Community Room, I heard someone call my name.

It was MAGA.

Coming up on the rear to greet me, she had to have seen the back of the tee, which depicts her Lord and Savior's August ’23 Booking Photo.

No reaction.

I made a point to stop, turn around, so she could see the Lock Him Up front.

I mentioned there was pizza in the Community Room, but she said she was on her way to take another resident to pick up medication and continued on with still no reaction to the tee.

DAMN! She’s good at holding it in.

Arriving back at the Community Room, I told Talker I’d just run into her stalker, and that MAGA had no reaction to the tee.

Talker said she too had recently tested MAGA ……… walked up to her and said something about Two Dolls not being Jesus or the Pope, and got no reaction from MAGA.

Interesting.

I don’t think MAGA has reformed. Just knows that, thanks to all that’s going on, she no longer has legs to stand on in supporting him, has wisely decided to sit down, keep her mouth shut, opinions to herself.

Checking with the ladies as to how Crafty Lady is doing with her heart issues, it’s still not good. Looks like she’s going to have an operation … something about putting a watchman in her chest to help with blood clots heading for her brain.

Lu did not attend the event, but Dream Lover did.

In chatting with him about nothing in particular, he suddenly blurted out "I'm no longer with the other".

I knew he meant he and Lu are no longer a couple.

"For now", said I.

"Forever", said he and went on to say the relationship was like a light switch … turned on and off, off and on, on and off, off and on, and that he couldn’t take it any longer.

"Which of you turned it off this time", I asked.

"She did", said he; and went on to describe a situation where she broke it off because of money, that she is a "gold digger", that he had a heart to give her, but not the money.

The straw that broke the camel's back was her wanting to celebrate his birthday by taking him to dinner; whereupon he'd said, "For someone who is always complaining about needing money" he didn't think it was a good idea, after which she telephoned and broke up with him.

At this point in his story, he kind of slumped over and seemed on the verge of tears.

He was obviously hurt/hurting.

I told him how sorry I was; that I didn’t realize Lu had meant that much to him.

He admitted that she meant a lot, that he’d given her a ring and was thinking of marriage.

GEE WILLIKERS!

DREAM LOVER WAS ACTUALLY IN LOVE !

I didn't know old people did that kinda stuff …… hearts, flowers, courting, love.

I asked how he’d handle it if she tried to lure him back.

He’s all heartbroke. Says he can’t take any more, is working hard to stay busy, move forward, and stay away from relationships period, "especially around here".

Anything can happen when you screw around where you work or live, said I. It creates problems if there’s a breakup. You still have to see the other person, deal with it when you see them with someone else. It’s why we are told, "Don’t eat where you sh!t".

That brought him out of the doldrums. Dream Lover laughed and laughed and laughed, told me of having heard that phrase before but put in different words.

"She has demons you know".

WHAT?!

"Her daughter told me she has demons".

Good Lord! I was shocked to learn Lu was a hoarder, now I’m even more shocked to learn she has demons.

"What does that mean …… how does it manifest itself?", asked I.

"I don’t know", said he. That he had never seen her when that was happening.

I guess he's lucky she broke up with him, rather than have an episode and sacrifice him to some demon.

Church Lady used to live in the unit next to Lu. Church Lady complained of bad spirits/demons being there, and got away …… relocated to the opposite side of the complex.

I wonder if what Church Lady felt was coming from Lu.

So anyway, after having been a shoulder for Dream Lover, lifting him out of his doldrums, I told him to take care of himself, said goodbye to everyone and returned to my unit with a full teacup.

I Wonder

Seeing the above meme on facebook this morning, I wondered …… Do the ones that got us into this mess really have the decency to be embarrassed …… admit that, for no good reason, they supported a man that has a history of business failures and debauchery.

I don’t think so.

My old buddy Apache comes to mind. He’s stubborn, which I sense many supporters are …… stubborn, will make excuses for the man, refuse to have been wrong.

Then there’s our MAGA neighbor.

I don’t know what she’s thinking these days about him. I haven’t heard of any political conversations going on, so I may have to bait her, see how she reacts when his name comes up.

Easter was on Sunday, April 5. The Activity Calendar for April indicates "Easter Celebration, April 21 …… fun arts and crafts session".

That’s a lot late to celebrate Easter, and I highly doubt there will be anything other than a bag of potato chips, if that; but it gives me an opportunity to find out if Kesha is still around, plus an opportunity to bait MAGA by wearing my "Lock him up" tee shirt. See if her jaws tighten, LOL.

Speaking of MAGA, when last I spoke of her, Talker was full up with MAGA trying to get too close, be Talker’s bestie, asking too many personal questions, "interrogations" Talker describes it. Talker was going to find a "nice way" to tell MAGA she’s doing too much, making her feel uncomfortable and, if that didn’t work, "I’ll have to take it to the next level".

Yesterday, as I was going back/forth to the Laundry Room, I ran into Talker, who tells me "nice" didn’t work. That she told her becoming besties is not something that can be forced, it’s something that happens organically.

MAGA is not only not hearing it, but is also now targeting the Baker, asking pointed questions, interrogating; which prompted Talker to tell the Baker to be careful of responding to MAGA’s interrogations.

"Nice" not working, "Trying to Avoid" not working, Talker’s next move might be losing her sh!t, screaming "leave me alone!!".

Stay tuned.

Today was the first day in a while where I didn’t feel like emotional and physical crap. Maybe it was because instead of reheating last night’s leftover baked potatoes in the microwave for breakfast with an egg, I made stovetop potatoes from scratch and didn't feel sick after eating. (See Mike’s very illuminating post on reheating certain foods).

I even had enough energy to suit up in walking gear, head out for a stroll around the complex.

Coming back to life is slow going. I could only handle 1 mile, and it took me 32 minutes to do so, 14 minutes longer than my previous personal best, but it’s a start.

False Alarm

Hearing fireworks a while ago, at 7:57 pm to be exact, I got all excited.

It’s not 4th of July or any other holiday that’s celebrated with fireworks. So, there could only be one other explanation for the hoopla.

I quick fast googled ……

And got "No, Donald Trump is not dead."

I didn’t even have to use his proper name. The internet identified him from one of his many pseudonyms, LOL.

At any rate, the fireworks were a False Alarm.

How dare they get my hopes up like that, possibly cause a fire for no reason.

Save it for when it counts.

There was something on Facebook the other night asking, "If it happens while you’re asleep, do you want to be awakened?"

Funny how it was that everyone understood what the "IT" was. It's like we're all waiting, hoping, some praying for "IT".

Of course, everyone replied yes, they wanted to be awakened, so they could uncork the bubbly, dance in the street; and two responses really tickled me.

One said that, if he was in the middle of having surgery, he wanted to be awakened.

The other wanted to be awakened from a coma.

What’s Up With This?

On Friday, Management posted a document to my door indicating "Your Monthly Rent shall be increased an amount of $0.00".

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but what’s up with that?

Inasmuch as I saw the same document posted to Next Door Neighbor’s door, I’m assuming it’s across the board — everyone’s rent is raised $0.00, even those on the County.

Reading further down, I’m thinking someone in the office has made a monumental goof, because the entire document indicates $0.00, including parking and current rent with a total monthly due of $0.00.

So now I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop when management returns to the office tomorrow, realize that, according to this document, rent due on February 1 is $0.00.

To top it off, they’re once again pushing Rent Café, and this time they mean it.

"As of March 1 rent payments will no longer be accepted in person at this office. Tenants are required to authorize payment methods moving forward through either Rent Café, WIPS and Flex Pay."

I don’t know what WIPS and Flex Pay are, but I’m sure they’re methods of payment that are going to confuse the masses.

A meeting is scheduled for Kesha Tuesday, February 3 "to provide additional information or assistance with this change".

That’s one way for Kesha to get folks down on a Tuesday, LOL.

I myself will definitely go down for the potato chips and tea.