One Happy Buddha

Do you recognize this Buddha?

It’s the one that graced the corner of partner’s roll top desk at the Pain Cave ─ minus the ying yang cups that is. The cups are a long time possession of mine.

As to how I came into possession of that happy Buddha, Trainer and partner parted ways last Friday. 

It was amicable.

After a year of wrangling over price, partner decided to move his family back to the Philippines ─ where his other business interests are, and sold his share of the business to Trainer.

Partner abandoned the desk, which Trainer is keeping, and the Buddha, which I offered to buy but Trainer said “No. You can have it”.

Trainer also let me have the lucky numbers from the desk, and these guys ─ which Trainer no longer wanted to see on the walls.

They’re Thai wooden hand-carved musicians, which might be what Dawn calls “found treasure” because of the jewels.

My luck has been pretty good, so I won’t need to hang the numbers. I’ll just store them, and the musicians, in the outdoor storage area until I’m led as to what to do with them.

Heading out to run errands this morning, I left Head Maintenance Guy (HMG) inside my unit alone, tending to the smoke detector. And, yes, the detector decided today was the day to work my nerves and start acting up again.

At any rate, HMG being otherwise occupied upstairs, it gave me an opportunity to talk to Assistant Maintenance Guy (AMG) ─ standing downstairs in the quad, about his experience in having tested positive Covid 19.

Seeing him up close, he looked like bloody hell ─ tired, skin grayish in color, shoulders slumped.

“How are you?” asked I.

He said he was excessively tired, couldn’t walk far without stopping, can now barely make it up the stairs in the complex without holding onto railing.

He has a cough he says he can’t get rid of and, while going through it, he not only could not breathe, he could not eat. Lost 20 pound in two weeks.

And even though he couldn’t eat, he had been plagued with excessive diarrhea during the time he was under medical care ─ where he says, “They gave me everything they could think of”.

”Glad you’re still alive”, said I and asked if he’d been vaccinated before the prognosis.

He had not, but plans to get vaccinated when his wait period ends in something like 30 days.

Evidentially, after testing positive, being hospitalized, recovering, there are x number of days before one can get vaccinated.

As to how he caught Covid, AMG made no mention of HMG having contracted it first, possibly passing it around. He thinks he contracted it at Sam’s Club.

Asking if I’ve been vaccinated, I replied, “No. I’m waiting to see the long-term side effects”.

AMG did not judge me, as Big Friendly Guy and Handsome Man did when they said they’d both been vaccinated, asked if I had and were visibly appalled when I’d said “No. I’m waiting to see the long-term side effects”.

All of a sudden, Handsome Guy took the position of talking down to me, like I was a child ... “It’s like any other shot. You’ve had shots before haven’t you?”

"Sure, but all I'm hearing are short-term effects. I want to know what the long-term effects might be."

Big Friendly Guy actually got mad, a little loud and challenged me with “And just what are the short-term effects?”

“I’ve heard, you get a sore arm and a little tired”, said I.

”Exactly!” said Big Friendly Guy and turned his head away from me, signifying that’s all there is to say.

On no he didn’t, said I to myself, getting hot under the collar that as old as I am, older than either of them, and probably wiser, that they’d attack me over something that was none of their business in the first place ─ my body, my choice. So, I reiterated ─ punctuating my words in a short staccato manner, through clenched teeth, “Those are the short-term effects. I’m waiting to see the long-term effects. I’ll keep wearing a mask, social distance, I’ll be fine."

They got the message, backed off, and I went on my way. LOL.

Big Friendly Guy appears to have gotten over the confrontation because, seeing him in the Laundry Room this past Sunday, he was off his judgmental soap box and back on terra firma.

So, I don’t know about playing it smart, as AMG calls it. It’s a choice I’m making to be cautious ... waiting ... watching, willing to accept the consequences of my action or inaction, saying to AMG, “I’m 77 years old. If waiting is a mistake and I end up dying, I’ve lived long enough.”

Looking at the news this morning, it appears my being cautions ... waiting ... watching has already paid off.

I actually remember scoffing when J&J came out with a vaccine. Isn’t that the group that caused cancer in women with its talc powder ... allegedly, thought I at the time. Who’s gonna trust their vaccine?

Evidently, a lot of folks trusted ‘em. And now we’re hearing about blood clots, with one death.

Would that person still be alive if they'd taken their chances and waited? 

I dunno, but something to think about.

Returning to the complex after those errands, I saw the old smoke detector has been replaced with a newer version. There was also an email from Complex Manager that, if the problem persists, they’ll call in an electrician.

Problem detector replaced, an electrician if problem persists ... I can only attribute this to my having threatened to do what I learned a few weeks back from The Talker ─ I threatened to call the Fire Department, have them come look at what I felt was a defective detector. LOL.

Three Hundred and Six Days Later

The wind and sand storm, that tore through the complex on October 27, caused the planned “inspection and testing to ensure all smoke detectors are working properly and identifying whether your heating/air conditioning unit require a new air filter” by management to be rescheduled to this morning, between 9:00 and 11:00.

Not trusting myself to be civil with the guys, should they play stupid and ask me questions for which they already knew the answer, like ... why the smoke detector was hanging from the ceiling and how long it had been that way, I thought today would be a good day to get out, get away, head to the mall, log in some miles.

I was out the door and on the road at 9:00, with windows opened to air out the place, so the guys didn’t leave any cooties behind, and the smoke detector looking like this.
 

By the time I reached the mall, I decided to first stop by the bank in that center, grab some cash for the next few weeks, go next door to Starbucks, get a gift card for that nice mail carrier, then walk.

Color me surprised when I saw the bank boarded up, lock, stock, barrel, ATM machine.

That branch is now an abandoned building ─ due to Covid I’m assuming.

I’d have taken a photo for you, but some guy was sitting in the lot, eating his McDonald’s next-door breakfast, watching me circle the lot, looking at the building in amazement. He might have thought it was weird enough to call the cops if I’d started taking photos.

So, anyway, I had to do some backtracking to another branch. Fortunately, that branch ─ which had previously been closed, was now open for business and, luckily, there was a Starbucks two doors down.

By now, I was no longer thinking about logging in miles, but running other errands ─ like Sprouts, for those frozen organic fries I love so much and the Craft Store, for paint to bring my patio chair (damaged by sun, wind, rain) back to life.

Arriving at the craft store first, seeing the lot crowded, I went out of my way to drive all the way back to the furthest parking spot from the store, found a spot where there were no cars parked to the right of me, and no cars in the first two spots to my left.

I got out of the car, began walking across those empty spots, and here is where I almost died.

 

 Or at least almost became gravely injured by this car.
 

Because the female driver, busy running her mouth to her seatmate, actually looking AT her seatmate, came out of nowhere and began turning into the spot, coming straight at me.

I saw her as she began making the turn, but continuing to walk across the empty space, because I assumed she’d see me and let me clear.

She didn’t.

When I saw her not stopping, I froze, waiting for the hit, but her seatmate said something, whereupon she turned eyes forward and slammed on the brakes.

I didn’t say anything. Didn’t shake my head. Didn’t give her a dirty look. It was like an out-of-body, calm as a cucumber, detached moment as I continued on to the craft store, but I hope almost harming someone scared HER enough to be eyes forward in future.

I’m chalking up the incident as distracted driving, because I was in the parking lot of Michael’s Craft Store. However, if I’d been in the parking lot of No. 45 loving/Black Lives Don’t Matter Hobby Lobby, I’d have thought it was an intentional trying to run me down. LOL.

I took those photos after the fact, by the way, when I finished shopping and saw she’d parked a space over.
 

 While inside the craft store, I had a little impulse buy.
 

Outside

 

Inside

I need another coffee cup like I need a hole in the head, but the message of being "tired" so exemplified 2020 that I had to add it to my collection.

Arriving back at the complex around 12:15, I was met with the smoke detector looking like this.
 

It only took the guys 306 days AND, if it starts that infernal beeping again, I’ll pull it back out ... this time not on accident, but on purpose, because it worked better while hanging.

Smarter, Not Harder

Being a first-time voter, finding it so easy to fill in the ballot, drop it off at a “official” official box ─ not that GOP trick box, I was looking at the news this morning, seeing all these folks in line waiting to vote, I can’t but wonder WHY?

Under the theory of doing things "smarter, not harder", why put yourself through a long line when there was an easier option?

I also saw on the news that ─ if No. 45 doesn’t come up with a way to avoid doing so, there’s to be another debate. I of course won’t be watching, but thought I’d share with you the clever way a friend of a friend on facebook came up with to stomach No. 45 at the last debate.
 

Nothing new on the drama between Bicycle Boy and Apache. I’ve not seen either one since, but The Baker ─ whom I ran into as I was returning from the Pain Cave, said Bicycle Boy is maintaining a low profile. Not speaking to anyone ... as if anyone cares.

Monday was roof gutter cleaning day around here. There were men climbing long ladders to gain access to the roof, knocking down all kinds of debris onto the patio.

I was totally expecting to have a mess to clean up but, once done with an area, the guys actually climbed onto the patio and used a leaf blower to clean up the mess.

That was thoughtful. Obviously, a separate service from our maintenance people, who couldn’t care less, as witnessed by the smoke detector still dangling from the ceiling since well-before the pandemic prevented maintenance entering units.

Believe it or not, the situation may get rectified this Friday, because notices were posted to our doors that Friday is “inspection and testing to ensure all smoke detectors are working properly and identifying whether your heating/air conditioning unit require a new air filter”.

It’s going to take great willpower not to go postal on the guys if they ask me something stupid like, “When did this happen” or “What happened here” because I’ve told them and told them and told them there’s something wrong with the detector ─ beeping every few days, with there being hours and hours and hours of beeping torture before maintenance shows up to change the battery they’d changed just the week before.

And not only have I repeatedly complained about the detector being faulty but, at the Residents/Management meeting we had in February, I brought up the issue the detector had gone off at 3:30 a.m. one morning AND not wanting to be tortured all morning and half the day until Head Maintenance Guy showed up with his lazy arse to put in yet another battery, I figured it out and put in a battery my own self. However, in the process, that the detector had dislodged from the ceiling.

So, they knew. Said “We’ll look into it”. Never did. So don’t ask me What, When, How.

At any rate, the detector has been working just fine since it dislodged from the ceiling, Which tells me, rather than Maintenance, an Electrician is required. It also tells me, once Maintenance reposition the thing, whatever is wrong with the wiring will cause the beeping to start up again.

If it does, I’ll just accidently cause it to dangle again and hope management will get in really hot water if and when the fire department follows up with its annual inspection.

I’m actually not too thrilled about the guys coming into my place after visiting other units, but the notice indicates the guys will be wearing protective equipment, that “includes a face covering, shoe coverings and gloves” And that they’ll be “changing protective equipment after each apartment inspection”.

We’ll see. But my plan is to mask myself, step outside onto the patio until they're gone, and then to Lysol spray the heck out of the unit once they leave, before I unmask to the inside air.

So, anyway, after the gutter cleaners finished their work in my area yesterday, I headed off to the Pain Cave and spotted a white dove on the railing across the quad.

Dislodged from its resting place by the commotion on the roof, thought I.

I wanted to stop and film the rare sight, but was running late.

Lo and behold, the dove waited for me to return.

 

 I’ve been watching for the dove to reappear since, but I guess his/her performance was for one day only.

The weather is cooling, so the plan for tomorrow is to get up early, head to a different mall ─ still miles away, complete the DC Batman 5K.

Today Was THAT Day

Today was a perfectly pleasant day of running errands ─ got Jeep’s tire pressure checked, stopped by bank’s ATM, stopped by Home Depot for cricket glue strips to lay by the patio window to keep crickets from coming in ─ when I open the patio window for air in the late evenings, and was headed to Sprouts, bopping and singing along to music on country/western station KFROG. THEN I saw this.

My mood changed and I found myself trying to telepathically transmit the thought ─ “So, how’s it going?” to the driver of that car.

If I were she, what with the pandemic, murder of Black people ─ though not a new thing but a thing getting a lot of attention because it’s become so openly egregious, and the subsequent rioting, I’d have been too embarrassed to sport that bumper sticker, would have scratched it off.

When the light changed, and I saw the car looked to also be turning into the lane leading to Sprouts, I told myself that, if she parked near me, I’d point to the sticker and ask her in person, “How’s that working out for you”.

Unfortunately, or lucky for me to save me from my now off-centered self, she turned away from Sprouts and towards Burger King.

I don’t even remember what I’d gone to Sprouts for, but I lucked up on gluten free hot dog buns and organic masa ─ which is the same as gluten free, nothing in it but yellow corn and a trace of lime, which purchases put me back on center, out of thinking about the ugliness going on and that MAGA crap.

Back at the complex, I ran into Next Door Neighbor coming up the stairs same time as I. She indicated she’d gotten onto Yelp, read the review and said, “It’s a good thing they didn’t hear from me!” 

She then went inside her unit, I opened my door, walked in and, before I could put the groceries down, my eyes went to the smoke detector still hanging from the ceiling since January 9 ─ in spite of management saying, “We’ll look into it” at the February 24th Community Meeting, well before the lockdown.

Funny how it is that I’ve become so accustomed to the hanging smoke detector that I stopped noticing it ... that is until today. Something inside rose up and said “Today is that day”.

Suddenly remembering what I’d said about companies paying attention to Yelp reviews, I didn’t even wait to put groceries away. I booted up the laptop and posted a review.

“I’ve been living here 8 years and, although overall it’s a nice place to live, there have been annoying issue that go unresolved. One, like the previous reviewer, is the call box not working … for years. Another, for me, is a defective smoke detector in my unit, reported so many times, with no permanent resolution, that I just gave up reporting, purchased batteries and learned how to replace batteries myself to stop the hours and hours and hours of incessant beeping, every few seconds, every few weeks. When whatever is wrong with the detector caused it to fall out of the ceiling on January 9, I didn’t figure anyone would pay attention if I reported it so I've been living with it. However, at the Community Meeting on February 24, I took a chance at being heard and reported, in that meeting, in front of resident witnesses, that it had fallen out of the ceiling. It was the same ole same ole “We’ll look into it”, and I’m still waiting. It’s been like this since January 9.

I attached that photo to the review and, the only rating options being a low Meh ─I’ve experienced better or a middle A-OK or top Yah! I’m a fan, gave the complex what I thought was fair … the middle rating.

Though I’ve had good results with Yelp reviews producing resolutions in the past ─ once at a car dealership where us customers waited for hours and hours and hours, after our cars were serviced and ready to pick up, before we were told our cars were ready and had been. They even lost one woman’s car. Told her she’d picked it up already. LOL.

I was contacted after that negative review and not charged for several future maintenance services.

Will be interesting to see if management pays attention and finally does something about my smoke detector.

I’m not holding my breath.

So anyway, with buns to freeze for the next hot dog day ─ 4th of July and, with chicken now in the slow cooker for filling, tomorrow will be masa day and tamales to the freezer so I won’t have to cook again for days.

California is Closed!

The Governor has essentially closed California, ORDERED non-essential businesses to close, citizens to stay indoors.

In spite of this drastic measure, things are relatively calm in the area.

No line at the corner market, you can walk right in but good luck finding eggs, chicken. ground turkey. There’s plenty of beef but, ever since mom told ten-year-old me that my dog Skippy had been sent to the butcher, turned into hamburger meat, I can’t bring myself to eat beef. And, of course, the Pain Cave received notice to close its doors ─ only until April 1 thus far. Other than that, it’s self-isolating business as usual around here.

Fortunately, I shopped just at the right time ─ a day or so before lines began to form, and have chicken and eggs for a week or two, so no worries ... until then.

However, after the Governor’s announcement, my spidey sense began going nuts ... telling me this is the calm before the storm, to expect Marshall Law down the road, that I needed to prepare by gassing up the car, stop by the bank for cash.

That’s how I ended up in Fontana this morning, where the level of panic was at a much higher level.

People were driving erratically ─ looking stress, worried, not looking both ways before turning corners or exiting an area, cutting in front of oncoming cars (sometimes my car). Hurriedly parking their cars and then quickly jumping out in a rush to get to where they were going.

It was insane, frightening.

Unlike most days, when there are long lines at the Costco gas pumps, I was able to pull right in because the line was at Costco itself ─ wrapping all the way around the front, side, rear of the building.

End of Line Behind Costco

Aghast, I began thinking it would take until late tonight for those folks to get in. And why thought I ... what does Costco have that stores you can walk right into don’t have.

Evidently there’s no walking right into the market in that area, because there was a line outside the Ralphs Market next to the bank.

Entering the bank, I saw they’d marked safe distancing.

I was happy to see that. Also, happy I was that there were only three other customers in line ahead of me.

What bothered me though was, standing at the teller window, there was a human at teller windows to my right and left, too close for comfort thought I, so I suggested the teller pass on to his manager that the open windows be spaced to every other window.

Insofar as banking, my timing was perfect because, by the time I completed my transaction, there was a line out the door.

Since I was in the area of Sprouts, I drove by and there was no line. You could walk right in, no hassle.

So again I ask ... why was everyone a few blocks away in line at Costco and Ralphs?

Before I headed out this morning, Complex Manager called to see how things were going for me ... was I okay, did I need anything (a welfare check).

Of course, the first thing to run through my mind was the smoke detector he failed to follow up on. It’s still dangling from the ceiling and now is likely to dangle at least 18 more months. LOL.

It appears to be less noisy when it’s dangling, so I’m gonna let that sleeping dog lie. But how nice for him to be doing welfare checks on us residents.

Things are Picking Up Round Here

I really like the new Community Manager. He’s fun to talk to, diplomatic in dealing with the seniors, and is bringing some fun activities to the complex.

Among the fun activities he’s instituted was a Domino Tournament last month, a Pool Tournament, there’s Karaoke once a month now, he brought back Movie Night and now he’s starting a Travel Club — "quarterly trips to Casinos, Museums, beaches, etc."

Looking at this month’s Activity Calendar, I see he’s also scheduled a Murder Mystery Dinner.

He explains it as us seniors will be receiving an invitation to the dinner, and given a character to come as. During the dinner, lights will be turned off, someone will be murdered, and we are to figure out who the murderer is.

Sounds like fun. I’m in.

So all in all, Community Manager is a good natured guy, puts up with a lot of crap — mostly from Apache, and is acting more like the Activity Director than the actual Activity Director, but I do wish he’d do HIS OWN f _ _ _ ing job, as I’m still waiting for an annual unit inspection — long overdue and for him to follow up on what he indicated he’d do in that last Residents’/Management meeting … look into a new smoke detector for this unit.

He sorta reminds me of an ex-boyfriend, now deceased. That boyfriend was great EXCEPT, he'd do a lot to make me happy but it was never what I'd asked for. It would always be what HE thought I should have instead, then he'd be hurt — not understanding why I wasn’t happy or appreciative.

Community Manager is doing everything EXCEPT what I’ve asked him to do and, from my always seeing the two Maintenance Guys sitting in their office bullsh _ _ _ing, nothing to do, I’m guessing not doing what others have requested as well.

Oh well. I’m going to stop complaining about it. As long as the detector is not beeping, I’m happy. A replacement, or putting the current one back in place, will work itself out.

After trying to motivate myself, for ages, to once again get out walking on weekends, I finally got there this past Saturday. I turned off the television, put the needlepoint project down, and headed out to the university, managing to log in 4 miles.

It was a good thing I did, because I spotted a sign indicating a Hero 5K coming to the university.

Sweet!

Once back at the complex, I registered and learned dressing as your favorite hero is encouraged.

Double sweet! I’ll do Batman again.

That 5K isn’t until April, so I browsed around for whatever else is going on at the university and found there’s a Shamrock 5K this coming Saturday.

I don’t know about that one. Hosted by a fraternity, no mention of entertainment along the course, I have a feeling it might be a snooze fest — a bunch of young silly fraternity girls (and boys) dancing prancing running the course in seconds, leaving my old arse behind.

However, inasmuch as the plan is to walk the university next Saturday anyway, I figure if competing with the group doesn't look appealing, I’ll just eat the registration fee, forgo another medal, go to another area of the campus, and walk my own walk.

The plan this last weekend was to go Beast mode — walk the university two days in a row. So, all suited up, raring to go on Sunday, I opened the door and wailed NOOOOOOOOOO!

It was raining.

Oh well.

Hopefully this next weekend will go as planned.

Residents’/Management Meeting

Plan for this past weekend was to take advantage of the perfect weather we’d had all week, head to the college, collect Pokéballs, log in some walking miles.

Plot Switch … a change in the weather, to cold and drizzly, put me into a coma. I slept the weekend away.

Waking up this morning, tuning into Court TV as I prepared for the day, I found the verdict was in on the Harvey Weinstein trial ─ guilty of two out of five counts.

Chickens have come home to roost, dude.

So there’s that, but I had no time to dawdle over news of the fallout this morning, because I had to get down to the Community Room by 10:00 for the Residents’/Management meet, prepared to duck out and head for the Pain Cave if not over by 11:20.

It wasn’t. So, I did not get to stay for everything discussed, but did bring up the smoke detector.

We’d had a service power outage, 1:00 am thru 3:00 a.m., Saturday.

Ordinarily, I’d have slept blissfully unaware of the outage, finding out about it only when I awoke that morning to find the microwave needed rebooting.

That ordinarily would have been the scenario, except the outage caused the smoke detector to begin beeping, and it beeped the entire two hours.

After looking at several YouTube howto videos since deciding I need to put in a new detector my own darn self, I’m not at all comfortable with touching the wires, afraid I’d electrocute myself. Instead, I brought it up in the meeting, said it was defective, requested a new one.

”We’ll look into that” repeated Community Manager for like the umpteenth time.

Assistant Community Manager chimed in. “Sometimes carbon monoxide builds up. It would help if you had your windows open”.

Help who … the burglars and rapists, thought I. But what I said was, “You want me, a single woman, to sleep with my windows open?”

“You live upstairs”, said she.

What's one floor up going to do? What's one floor up going to stop? All I can say is ....

Evacuation Day?

That’s what came out of yesterday’s Community Meeting, which turned out not to be a management/residents meeting, but a complete snooze fest when Community Manager (CM) started off saying it was a “Resident Safety Meeting”, there was an agenda, with emergency preparedness presentations by representatives from various agencies, and we’d be sticking to topic.

Keeping seniors focused and on topic is like herding cats, but I have to give it to CM that he mostly managed to do so.

From the few cats that managed to get loose, before CM could herd then back in, I learned I’m not the only one experiencing smoke detector hell ─ which leads me to believe the detectors here are defective. Probably because, when in 2014, the current management company bought the property and did what they say was a $4.5 million “complete renovation”, the renovation consisted of using cheap labor to replace old things that worked perfectly fine with cheap new things (so corporate bigwigs could cheap their way into squirrelling away money for their bonuses). Cheap new things that quickly ceased working and which, to this day, is the bulk of what the maintenance guys do ─ run around trying to keep those cheap things functioning.

The cats that interrupted the fire department presenter to say their smoke detectors would go off at odd times were quickly dismissed with “You were probably cooking”.

I wasn’t cooking at 3:15 in the morning, nor was I cooking the other times the beeping began driving me crazy. In fact, the one time I forgot to turn the burner off under a pot, and was so engrossed in needlepoint that I didn’t realize the room had filled with smoke, the detector never issued an alert. LOL.

No matter, I’ve solved my smoke detector problem.

I’m hoping the fire department gets in and sees this while doing their detector check, so I can tell the fire department the detectors are defective and management knows it, before management gets in to do its pre-inspection, realizes I’ve solved my own problem and MacGyvers it back up to hide the problem.

There would have be no point mentioning it at yesterday’s meet. CM would have herded me back in with “We will look into it”, which is what he told me the last three times I told him there appears to be a problem with my detector.

Another thing that came out in yesterday’s meet, which I heard just as I was walking out the door ─ because the meet had run over into 11:20 and I needed to head for the pain cave, was that a flight from the epicenter of the coronavirus was scheduled to land at the Ontario Airport.

WHA WHA WHAT?!

Fortunately, the news this morning is the flight was diverted to the Air Reserve Base.

Good for us, not so good for them, and still too close for comfort, prompting me to cancel Friday’s appointment at the medical center to discuss what if anything can be done about reoccurring gut issues, even though I’ve limited myself to safe foods.

With the appearance of so many signs we're living in the final days (the evil men are flourishing, the fires) and now mysterious plaques, like the new flu and coronavirus, I thought better of putting myself in a hospital setting.

I also won’t be getting my nails done any time soon, because I don’t know which of the nail technicians have travelled to China or have relatives who’ve travelled.

Better safe than sorry.

Before I had to leave the session, we were handed maps of the property indicating which exits we are to take in case of a fire emergency, and told to memorize our exits because we’ll be having an Evacuation Day.

WHA WHA WHAT?!

An alarm will sound, we are to go to our designated spot and wait to be signed in.

Seriously?

Not only does this strike me as unnecessary but, considering the condition some of our residents are in, not possible to pull off.

But so long as the alarm doesn’t sound before I’m dressed for the day, make up and all, I’ll play along.

I’ll be taking my lawn chair and a cup of coffee to my designated location, to watch in comfort what is sure to be a spectacle.

Rough Morning

Today started off rough with a dream trainer and I were having a disagreement that resulted in my walking out.

I hope it’s not a precog dream, but it felt pretty detailed not to be.

A few weeks ago, two women came into the pain cave looking to get fit.

Trainer had posted, just before Christmas that he’d not be accepting anymore cross fit clients, as he’d be focusing on his muay thai boxing clients this year.

A lot of his decision has to do with the cross fit clients complaining too much about how hard it is, not wanting to follow instructions without complaint, not showing up. He says the complaining, lack of dedication brings him down.

Okay, I understand ... his time is valuable, his choice as to where to use that time. I was just relieved he’d be keeping those of us already involved in cross fit on his roster.

What I had a bit of a problem with was the way he spoke to the two woman, who were quite literally begging him to take them on. Instead of saying no, he said maybe and lectured them that, if I do take you on, I expect this, that, the other, I don’t want to hear this, that, the other.

Had he laid down the law to me, as he was laying it down to these two women, coming from a place of ego, I would have said “Never mind, F you” and suggested he get over himself as I headed for the exit.

That pretty much was the substance of the dream, only it was me being lectured to.

I was in session, there were others in the room, trainer told me to make a move I was unfamiliar with and I began looking to him to give me a demonstration. He became short tempered that I didn’t know what to do and, showing off a bit in front of others, began lecturing me.

I wordlessly picked up my stuff and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” asked trainer.

“Thank you for the work you’ve put into me, but I won’t deal with this ego of yours” said I as I walked out the door.

Trainer followed, there was an apology ─ which I ignored as I got in the car and drove away. There was then a text message apology, a request for me to come back, but I said, though I accept the apology, it would feel weird, that I’d no longer feel comfortable with him.

The dream then shifted to thinking how to continue training on my own when I was suddenly awakened by a BEEP!

It was the smoke detector yet again.

Looking at the clock, it was 3:15 a.m.

Happy to be out of that dream, but not planning to repeat what happened last month, when it was smoke detector hell, with the mechanism beeping every 19 seconds for something like 6 hours, because management said, though I’d described the beeping as “driving me crazy”, it wasn’t considered a maintenance emergency, that the guys would get around to it.

Long-time readers will recall that brouhaha when the detector went off after hours, no one would come fix it until the next morning so, unable to sleep through it, I went to a hotel.

It’s like every month there’s drama with this smoke detector, so obviously there’s a problem with the mechanism but, after all I'd tolerated only to be told this last time wasn’t considered an emergency, I decided I’d never call in a fix-it request again. I’d find a way to fix it my own darn self.

Tada! …. Fixed it!

All units are getting their annual inspection next week/week after. Can’t wait to see management’s face.

If asked why I didn’t call it in, my reply will be “I was not willing to be inconvenienced from 3:15 in the morning until you guys decided to get around to my non-emergency”.

BAM!

After that very detailed dream, I was a little reticent about this morning’s training session. Everything was normal, went well, but the dream has me a little on guard ... waiting for the shoe to drop.

A Rainy Day and Smoke Detector Hell

Not a lot going on for us seniors this month.

The monthly calendar is bare and the activity calendar is nonexistent.

I was at least expecting continuation of the annual Christmas Party ─ not a potluck, but a party management has, for the 7 years I’ve lived here, gifted us seniors for Christmas. But it’s not on the calendar, so that’s that.

Activity Director didn’t even bother to put out a calendar, which leads me to believe she’s the latest to jump ship.

I’ll have to catch up with the seniors to verify Activity Director is still working here or not.

So us seniors are on our own for activities this month. And I expect the Residents Volunteer Activity Committee will step up and host Cookie Decorating and a Holiday Potluck.

I just hope Cookie Decorating is on my non-training day or, at least, scheduled for a time I can attend.

Speaking of a non-training day ... today, Wednesday, is my day off. A day I was hoping to run errands, but noooooo.

It’s raining cats, dogs, the smoke detector is acting up yet again, and I’m struggling with the munchies. Want to eat everything in sight.

Fortunately, in keeping with my clean-eating regime, all I have in sight are broccoli, carrots, mushrooms ─ which I’ll roast in the Air Fryer and try to convince myself are popcorn, candy, cookies. ROFLMAO!

On another topic, I’ve not been keeping up with the Impeachment Hearings, because I can’t handle getting invested in the process, and the end being he’s not impeached.

I’m trying to maintain an it will be what the Universe/Infinite Spirit wishes it to be.

I did, however, see an article where 45 complained of Justin Trudeau as being two-faced.

I commented ..... "Well, if he is two-faced, at least both faces are handsome".

I resisted the urge to point out 45 has just the one and its vacuous and ugly.

I can’t wait for all this political crap to be over. It’s been daily torture, one thing after another, since the last election.

Eight the Hard Way

Nothing terribly interesting or exciting going on.

My life has become a pleasant peaceful rut of needlepoint, television, working out.

I’ve lost 8 pounds since working with Trainer.

That’s eight the hard way ─ slow steady through lifting weights, working with pull up bars, suspension trainers, resistance bands, battle ropes, medicine balls, kettle balls, etc., but a solid 8 pounds after no weight loss for over a year of trying, plus an additional 4.5 inches overall (2 on the top, 1.5 in the middle, 1 on the hips).

Who knows, I may one day weight what I lied and said I weighed on my driver’s license.

LOL.

Funny it is how I don’t mind putting my age on blast, but weight is a thing not to be known.

Things are not so pleasant and peaceful for management. We not only lost the new Community Manager (he quit), but we also lost Assistant Maintenance Guy (he quit a few days after).

Head Maintenance Guy (HMG) appears to have checked out. Walking around looking like a zombie, he didn’t even respond to my request for service on the smoke detector.

It’s a good thing the beeping stopped, or I’d have been stuck with it all that day into the next.

At any rate, I caught HMG coming out of next-door neighbor’s unit the next day, and got him in to switch out the battery .... yet again.

Instead of using the batteries management provides, I had him use a battery I myself purchased in the hopes it will last longer than what I assume are their cheap dollar store brands.

Fingers crossed.

My buddy Apache, embolden by getting one of the bosses at Corporate fired, and not being satisfied that the new Community Manager quit, has upped his game by getting elder abuse charges filed against Corporate.

I myself being unaware of elder abuse taking place, asked Apache “What’s the nature of the abuse?”

“The way they treat us. Not taking care of the things we’ve repeatedly asked them to take care of”, says he.

Huh? thought I.

They treat me just fine, and I’m unaware of any of the other seniors complaining of being abused, but somehow it is that when Apache speaks, all kinds of agencies listen, come onto the property, begin following up.

The charges set off a chain of activity. Starting with actual activities once again appearing on the monthly calendar, and movement on the outdoor lights Apache said residents had been complaining about for months .... That some were out, leaving areas of the property in darkness, which allowed crimes to occur ─ cars to be vandalized, garages to be looted, a homeless couple to come in late night/early morning to swim in the pool.

I didn’t see anyone, but I’m told agency representatives did come in to investigate and agreed the lighting was inadequate.

How that equates to elder abuse charges against Corporate, I don’t know but, sure enough, sitting on the couch day before yesterday, I saw some guy on a ladder installing new lights with no one at the end of the ladder to ensure his safety.

The rectangle lights across from my patio were adequate for this area of the complex.

The new lights are so strong that they hurt my eyes if I’m not careful to look away, and the light does seep through the blinds somewhat lighting the unit up at night.

Outside now being like daylight at night and light seeping through the blinds doesn’t interfere with my sleeping and more than likely will deter crime, which I assume will make Apache happy that no one can comfortably lurk about.

As for what the other elder abuse charges were, I do not yet know, except one charge has to do with the new parking rules about visitors needing visitor passes, under threat of being immediately towed by a tow company engaged to check for violators.

Though still not abuse, I’m going to back Apache on this one, because who knows when a visitor will decide to drop by. The office is always closed for one reason or another, so how do we get passes on the fly. Plus, this visitor pass thing is making it difficult for seniors who have care people stopping by to deliver medication, food, etc.

Yet and still, I don’t see how this equates to elder abuse but, as I said, when Apache speaks people listen. If he wants to spend his golden years complaining about management, so be it on him.