Targeted

Last few days, with no prompting from myself, no search for anything with my name to cause this, I’ve been seeing t-shirts pop up in my Facebook feed … with my name.

FB is targeting me and, from the gist of what’s being said about me on the tees, seems to know me quite well.

I don’t need another t-shirt but have to admit that "It’s a Shirley Thing, You Wouldn’t Understand" is growing on me.

Crafty Lady called to say she was doing crafts today … could I come down take pics.

I could and I did. The ladies made gift bags and purses from paper bags.

The tea focused on Talker No. 2 …… the new old guy who was some kind of medical researcher, came to us from an apartment building down the street where he was exposed to black mold, says "eat organic".

If you can believe it, Talker herself says she tries to avoid him because "He’s a talker", lol.

Thing about his talking is that he talks and talks and talks, stops other residents asking, "Do you have a minute" to talk, but doesn’t say anything … mostly repeats "eat organic/how old do I look".

It’s sad because he’s probably lonely, but Talker No. 2 has no depth, no one is finding him interesting enough to sit and chat with.

I myself make sure he’s not outside sitting on the bench before I step out, and Talker says she does the same.

I got surprised, a few days ago, when I turned the corner towards the Laundry Room, and there he was sitting on the bench outside the Laundry Room door.

Fortunately, he wasn’t interested in talking to me as he was talking to the Lady with the White Dog … or trying to, because she looked like she’d rather be anywhere other than where she was, her body language reading posed to escape from the conversation, continue walking her dog.

As I moved to open the Laundry Room door, I could hear him saying the same things he said to me about eating organic/how old do you think I am.

Woman with the White Dog gave me a pleading look, I said something about him and I being the same age, with me a few days older, and saw his energy change. He tensed up, looked exasperated.

Obviously, he did not appreciate the interruption, though Woman with the White Dog did.

She took it as an opportunity to finally back away, make herself scarce; whereupon Talker No. 2 snapped, "I was going to tell her to eat organic. I'm trying to tell as many people as possible", got up and left.

As soon as he was out of sight, Woman with the White Dog came back to chat with me, lol.

She didn’t talk about him, we talked about her latest visit to where former Next Door Neighbor is now living, her surprise that "I can’t believe you’re 82", and the complex's painting project, that the painters seemed ahead of schedule, getting close to painting her building, necessitating her removing everything from her patio.

They got to her today. So close to me, well ahead of the July 29 schedule, that I today removed patio furniture from mine as well.

Other tea in today’s crafts session was Talker’s blind date.

It was a while ago that she mentioned going on a blind date but, hearing nothing back, I’d assumed it had not gone well, she didn’t want to talk about it, so I didn’t ask.

Turns out, it worked "very well", that she’d kept quiet because she wasn’t sure how the age difference would be perceived …… He’s 40, she’s in her late 60’s or early 70’s.

I scoffed at the age difference as something to be ashamed of because in my 50’s, I dated 20 somethings …… not relationships because they could never make it that far, just went on dates with a few.

They were not honest about their age, wouldn’t tell me how old for fear I’d not take them seriously; which put me in a quandary that I solved by, when we’d go to places where they had to show ID, I’d ask the ID Checker "Is he legal?" and received assurances I wasn’t breaking any laws.

Once I asked, "Is he legal" and got "barely".

The only other problem with dating younger guys being that, after a while, they get on one’s nerves, which is why they never got even to first base …… their immaturity plays out in one way or another.

Talker says she’s experiencing that getting on the nerves a bit now, but the fun she’s having is outweighing it …… for now.

I didn’t bring it up, but I’m seeing a correlation with Talker being in a relationship with a 40-year-old and her recent injuries.

All of a sudden, she’s having back pain, hip pain, an ankle injury from "dancing" and some days is seen using a cane, sometimes two canes.

Talker’s situation is reminding me of an old joke about something killing a person, but the person going out with a smile on their face.

Trippin

The power company is tripping.

Power did indeed go out again last night, with an estimate of off from 9:30 to 7:00 this morning.

Seven a.m. came and went with no power but, as of 8:30 this morning, not 7:00, we’re good, power on.

This drip drip drip, power off/power on, is beginning to annoy.

I guess I shouldn’t complain, be grateful instead because, according to the power company, many in other areas haven’t had their power restored since that initial outage.

At any rate, with not the restored Tik Tok available on my phone last night, I gave Red Note another try and take back everything I said about not liking it.

A lot of the content creators I followed on Tik Tok are now on Red Note, so it’s beginning to feel like business as usual. Plus, the algorism is beginning to grasp what I like to see.

An additional plus are the language teachers that are not only welcoming us to the platform but, in an effort to get followers, are giving language lessons.

So far, I’ve only learned how to say hello in Mandarin (Ni hao), but it’s a start.

I can't believe I'm saying this, thinking this, feeling this but, after spending my entire life in California, I'm about ready to get the hell out of here.

The power outages, the constant threat of fire on Little Mountain, a recent maintenance issue that is traumatizing me, continuing family dramas, and other issues, are pushing me to relocate, get away from everything and everyone.

I've actually been searching, but inasmuch as I'm in that financial gray area ... too far over income to lease a unit in another income restricted complex, but not enough income to afford the high rents in other senior complexes I've researched in surrounding California cities, I'm ready to consider another state.

Withdrawals

Last night was rough without Tik Tok lulling me to sleep.

I was one of the unlucky few whose app was shut down a day earlier than the scheduled tonight.

I tried the Red Note app, that Tik Tokers are migrating to, but didn’t like it.

There are not the Crazy Karen videos I so enjoyed, the dance tutorials, the movie shorts, the Korean boy band performances — like BTS and Stray Kids, no jump scare videos, a few but not many odes to Luigi Mangione, and missing are a myriad of all the other fun things I’d so enjoyed on Tik Tok.

Red Note is too civilized, a "let’s be polite" community …… boring.

I couldn’t find any movies elsewhere that I wanted to watch so, getting to sleep last night was rough, and I expect will be so tonight and tomorrow and tomorrow, so on and so forth, as I go through withdrawals, figure out what to do with myself between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and midnight.

I may have to go back to the ancient times, when I read a book and meditated myself to sleep.

To top it off we’ve been given yet another Public Safety Power Shutoff Alert …… "High winds and dangerous fire conditions are forecast from Monday morning through Tuesday evening. We may have to shut off your power to decrease risk of dangerous wildfires".

I’ve been playing it safe, not keeping more in the refrigerator than I can store in the electric bag, so no worries there; but without access to Tik Tok on my phone, the nights are going to be even more restless than last time power was off, when I at least had Tic Tok.

Would be glorious if the power was to go out nationwide, so that the inauguration could not be televised; and speaking of the inauguration …… What’s with the event being moved inside???

My spidey sense is telling me the move is to save Das Fuhrer from further crowd size embarrassment.

2025 Now Loading

Here it comes.

May you all be Happy Healthy Prosperous and Safe from all the bull crap coming our way.

Be Careful What You Wish For, Part 2

I yearned for more time, and the cable box was mysteriously turned off, resulting in no TV for an entire day.

A few days ago, I was telling Trainer how I sometimes wish the Community Manager would tell us we can no longer have bingo, so I can get out of the responsibility of having to show up to do the photos and manage the residents’ webpage.

I went so far as to tell Trainer, I know residents will be upset should that happen, I’d be completely disingenuous on the surface — pretend to be upset as well but rejoicing inside.

Red Light called last night to say Manager has deemed the Community Room "unsafe due to earthquake damage".

The 3.4 quake we had in 2021 left a long crack in the ceiling, which I think was just painted over. So, having not seen what damage this 4.4 caused, I can only assume the crack has widened or parts of the ceiling have come down.

At any rate, the room has been declared unsafe, today's bingo cancelled for now and for who knows how long in the future.

I am not a good liar, so it was difficult to keep the joy out of my voice when commiserating with Red Light.

She’s hoping management doesn’t drag their heels on getting repairs made, wants the room up and running again soon.

I’m hoping the opposite — drag those heels long enough for residents to forget about me, not be surprised if I don’t return.

I’m not so vain as to think my wishful thinking brought about the cable box snafu and an earthquake, but you have to admit it is odd.

Just in case my thoughts are in some kind of 4th dimensional pocket where thoughts become reality, I’d better focus on being the big winner on the $1.64 million Powerball or $285 million Mega or $18 million SuperLotto or all three.

I’m not greedy, I’ll share.

And now this ……

Monday Already?

Time is flying by at warp speed.

It was busy busy busy over the weekend, as I finished the great grandbaby's 3rd Creative Memories scrapbook.

Can't say that meant I was all caught up because, with so many pics of the world’s most photographed baby, I had to start a 4th.

Then, with so many photos of the baby shower/Sprinkle and prenatal photos of the soon to be born baby sister, I decided to start a separate Bump to Baby scrapbook and began toying around with materials for the beginning title page.

Bump to Baby: We're Cooking up Something Special

I really truly need a 2nd bedroom to be used for crafts but, inasmuch as I'm already over income would not be able to effectuate such a transfer.

When residents need more space, transfer from a 1-bedroom to a 2-bedroom, they apply as a new tenant, then go on a waiting list to vie with others around here who want more space.

The fact that I am over income would disqualify me from applying as a new tenant.

In fact, the only reason I'm still able to remain living here is because I'm grandfathered in by reason of becoming over income a few years AFTER qualifying and moving in.

Assistant Manager once told me that I could win the lottery and still remain living here because of grandfathered status. That being said, it bugs me that I still have to go through the annual recertificate process where the office gets into my financials on the basis of deciding if I still qualify, then make statements such as "I don't have what you have".

I technically don't still qualify but, since I'm grandfathered in, why go through the process?

It's illogical.

So anyway, rents being so outrageous elsewhere, annoying as management can sometimes be, I feel fortunate to be in this, currently for me, affordable living situation.

Over the weekend, I also put the almost finishing touches on my Holiday shopping.

Starbucks

Two gift cards, both for Trainer … one for Thanksgiving, another for Christmas.

I passed on the usual gift card for the mail carrier because every day it’s a new face lately. I’m constantly on pins and needles as to whether the key to the lock box, where packages are stored, will get to my mailbox or be misdelivered. So, unless and until we get some consistently good service around here, I’m done with giving gift cards in appreciation, like I used to do for our former carrier.

The great grandbaby — aka Young Skywalker as I like to call him, not yet two years old, already has everything, including a spaceship.

His mom and dad, already pressed for space for the new baby — expected to be delivered soon, will now have to find space for the airplane I’ll be gifting to Young Skywalker.

Fearing the airplane would sell out if I waited closer to the holiday, I purchased it in late September.

The only holiday gift thing left to do is to purchase wrapping paper for the baby’s gift, and then I am done.

I won’t be heading to Long Beach this Thanksgiving because the family unit is now irretrievable broken, no family for me to celebrate Thanksgiving now or any time in the future with.

The grandsons have morphed into manipulative self-centered liars that think the world owes them a living. They no longer get along with their mom, tried to use me until I put the brakes on. The twins no longer have a relationship with each other or with the boys or with granddaughter.

It's just an unfixable mess.

The only folks likely to show up at granddaughter's place, should she host Thanksgiving, would be the youngest of her manipulative lying brothers, my deceased sister's husband ...... Nice man but bores me to tears and always wants to give me a sisterly hug when we meet, which I'd rather not. Also, White Grandpa and White Grandma.

White Grandpa vibes very well, is fine to be around; White Grandma flat lines, is empty, does not generate a pleasant aura at all, so I'd rather not with her.

All in all, a family Thanksgiving get-together is not for me.

I will however head to Long Beach, around Christmas to deliver the great grandbaby’s gift, see his new sister.

Since I now have the Thanksgiving holiday open to do so, I’ve been debating whether or not I want to register for the local Turkey Trot.

Even purchased a cute pair of non-thanksgiving themed leggings to wear.

Wednesday Addams … how could I resist.

At any rate, I’m leaning towards not doing the 5K. Use the day to set up patio Christmas decorations instead.

Backtracking a bit, I’m doubting the results of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Race Timing System used at the Mission Inn 5K.

No doubt I did do well, but I did say to Trainer that "I was shocked" at how well the system said I did.

Since then, I've learned a much younger client of his saw me cross the finish line AFTER her, and further stated her results did not get posted. Consequently, I’m doubting the validity of the results, that I did as well as the system calculated.

Oh well, insofar as it now officially stands, I remain a 79-year-old 5K beast — at least until next year when I participate in that race again, see if the systems says I'm less beastly.

I wasn’t planning on treating myself to anything special for Christmas, but having learned the Old Gays have published a book, even though I've not yet had time to finish The In-Between, and have My Life at Grey Gardens on the bedside table to get to, I preordered their book as a gift to myself.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Old Gays, they are a group of gay social media personalities and LGBT rights activists that I first discovered on TikTok doing cosplay including ……… what else, the Wednesday dance.

They’ve become enormously popular, and I later saw them as guests on an episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race.

Like I said, busy busy busy this weekend and maybe, if the weekends were longer, Mondays wouldn't come so soon, I could squeeze in some reading time.

One Last Thing

Actually a few last things before I put my favorite holiday (Halloween) completely behind me.

Odd how The Addams Family, inasmuch as they’ve been around for ages, was so immensely popular as costumed characters this time around.

I’m fairly certain Netflix’s Wednesday had something to do with it.

My Little Stalker’s GG sent me a vid of her Wednesday costume and dance, for which she won a 1st Place Medal in a costume contest.

In return, I put on my costume, took a video of the dance I learned from TikTok shortly after the movie came out last year.

So, that's it for Halloween this year, but it's not too early to plan for next year's costume and decorations while everything's on sale.

Except that's how I ended up with three, count 'em, three Thing hands.

I'd planned early, purchased Thing on sale but, as Halloween approached, could not find where I'd stored Thing.

Of course, after purchasing another, the first one turned up; but then I ran across the motion activated Thing, had to have it.

So now, I've a collection.

Oh well, I suppose three hands are better than one.

Recap

Someone on the complex really loves Valentine’s Day.

The skepticism I displayed in a prior post that Activity Director’s Valentine Party would actually be a party was valid, as the party turned out to be a class on how to control your blood pressure …… take your medication faithfully, engage your health care team, monitor regularly at home, yada yada yada.

During the class, I made eye contact with Dream Lover’s ex-girlfriend. She rolled her eyes to show me how bored she was.

Red Light looked like she was in pain.

Two others rested their chin in their hands and looked like their minds were a million miles away.

AD did hand out little gift bags to those in attendance, so I guess it was worth sitting through not a party.

apple sauce, chocolate chip cookies,
candy bar, green tea

Nice haul. She finally came up with something the seniors can appreciate, but a class on managing blood pressure is a long way from a "party", and dare I say a blatant lie to trick residents into attending.

I had a thought last week, while watching the Drag Race episode that featured a group called The Old Gays, who’ve I’ve been following on TikTok ever since they did a parody of the Wednesday Addams Dance.

I don’t know where the Old Gays are based, but it looks to be senior housing with a fun staff, which made me think ……… That’s the kind of Activity Director we need here.

So, anyway, once back in my unit, I began fast forwarding through Sunday’s Super Bowl to see the commercials and get to Rihanna’s halftime performance.

Except for Ben Affleck’s Dunkin Donut and one or two others, the commercials were a disappointment.

I’m a fan of Rihanna’s, was so looking forward to her halftime show, had been hearing good things about it, so what a surprise when I found it even more boring than AD’s party class.

Has the world gone mad with all this talk about how great and exhilarating Rihanna’s performance was?

It put me to sleep. Seriously. I kept nodding off.

Like I said, I’m a fan, but that was the worst most boringest half time performance I’ve ever seen.

Still A Mystery

During the week, one of the tv stations did an update on the guy that left a human jawbone at the PD.

Bottom line … it’s still a mystery, a closed case mystery for now.

Yesterday was Bingo Friday. The Black Witch graced us with her presence.

If you will recall, the "Black Witch" is the long-time resident who joined us in October, bullied Red Light, then tried to bully me.

I can’t abide a bully, so we got into it with me threatening to make a voodoo doll and putting a curse on her.

She either decided not to risk the voodoo curse, or maybe it was because I stood up to her and she’s not accustomed to that, but either way she made a point of staying out of my way yesterday. Instead of sitting with her best friend in the complex, who was seated at the table next to mine, she chose to sit at the opposite end of the room.

Honky dory fine by me because I was prepared to take up where we’d left off had she’d started any of her nonsense.

My little Knock Knock also was in attendance. Walked in with Grandma Talker and though looking dead at me managed to control herself.

Evidently, Talker has given granddaughter instructions to give me some breathing space, look but don't touch.

Little Knock Knock now needs to have that same talk with grandma because, making the rounds, Talker stopped at my table, chatted me up and snuck in a hug before heading off.

Occasionally, as games were being played and in between, I saw little Knock Knock turn around in her chair to look at me, see what I was doing.

What I was doing was pretending not to see her looking, avoiding eye contact so as to not encourage her to run over.

At one point during the break, while grandma was otherwise occupied and grandma’s best friend in the complex, seated with them, wasn't paying attention, I heard little Knock Knock say, "I’ve got to show Shirley" and she ran over to show me the goodies she’d scored at the desert table.

I made the appropriate oohs, awes, and she skipped away happy.

Food served at the break were cookies, cupcakes, strawberries dipped in chocolate.

I’ve been off strawberries ever since seeing that TikTok video, but it looked so delish that I took a chance, and my gut was doing okay with it ….. until someone said the strawberries had been purchased at Walmart and Red Light had dipped them in Ghirardelli chocolate herself whereupon my gut began to rebel.

I knew it was more a mental reaction than a gut episode because the thought of eating food purchased at Walmart creeps me out — for no reason other than it just does, and I’d vowed never to eat anything coming out of Red Light’s unit after that time I saw how dark and depressing her kitchen was. Once I processed what I’d just been told, realized my gut was reacting not to the strawberries but the information, I told myself it was psychosomatic, not real, and my gut immediately settled down.

Once again, I won not a single game, just like last time and the time before, but it occurred to me the reason why is that our bingo has become so popular that the room is now packed. If you don’t arrive early, chances are you’ll be scrambling for a seat, which is great the event is going so well.

Flip side is that with so many in attendance, odds of winning goes down. I’m frequently one number away on multiple cards when someone else yells BINGO!

Activity Director’s Tuesday bingo games are not going as well. Red Light and Baker are still trying to help AD out by encourage residents to attend.

The ladies tell me AD is supposedly hosting a Valentine’s Day Party next Tuesday.

I’m not trusting it to be a party, but not wanting to miss a good one if so, I said I’d casually walk by, peek in the door and, if it looked to be the dud I expect, I’ll just keep moving.

The Day After

Christmas Day came and quietly went, feeling more like a normal day rather than a holiday, especially since today is Monday and business as usual.

Trainer is not taking today off, so it's a workout this morning.

The Elf has gone back to the North Pole — not to be seen until next December, but before he left, I was able to hunt him down one last time.

The Security Guard was in conversation with a customer. So, though he saw me, I hurried past his post before he could interrupt his conversation, tell me where the Elf was hidden.

The plan for Christmas Day was to get caught up on sleep.

Sleep last two weeks has been tossing, turning, waking up anywhere between 1 and 3 a.m., meditating, browsing TikTok until I felt sleepy again, then arising at my regular time feeling unrested, bags under my eyes.

Sleep did not come Christmas Day.

Instead, to keep my mind off things I did not want to think about — like family relationships and my anger/frustrations with the new dental office, I stayed busy. Worked on that needlepoint, made more tamales — as I'm down to the last two of those made three weeks ago and, while the rest of you were probably watching Holiday movies, I was watching/listening to the Snapped Marathon.

The day before (Christmas Eve), I binge watched Homicide for the Holidays — featuring family annihilators.

The upset with the dental office began on Thursday, when I went in for a cleaning and learned the dentist I was becoming comfortable with was no longer with the office, and my first interaction with his replacement was his pulling the same padding the bill crap that caused me to leave the last office.

One would think he'd at least get to know me before trying to screw me, but nooooo.

Not only was he coming up with work that, at my age, I feel doesn't need to be done, but he missed the one thing that does need attention — a tooth that is vertically broken, in need of a crown. It was the hygienist who detected it, not Mr. DDS.

It's just so frustrating that, ever since Dr. McDreamy's practice was taken over by crooks with quotas to meet, that I can't find a dentist that is not a crook trying to bring in as much money as he can.

I don't imagine it will do me any good to look for yet another dentist, as I now feel this new breed are all crooks. I'll just have to learn how to manage this particular crook — let him do the crown, dig in my heels and not allow him to talk or scare me into anything else.

At any rate, this frustration with the dental office, having occurred just before the Holiday began, sent me on a downward spiral of filling my head with mayhem and murder, rather than heartwarming Holiday movies/baking competitions and added to my restless sleep.

One of those mornings when I’d tossed/turned myself awake at an ungodly hour, I entertained myself on TikTok and ran across an interesting story about a kid named Jeremy who had a beef with Santa.

Jeremy’s letter to santa started off "Deer Santa. i am riting this on the day after x-mas and i am very sad. i only received 1 of the 2 presents i asked for. Sense you ate my cookys i will asoom that my missing gift wuz a miss take. i will give you 1 week too fix this."

Santa (actually his parents) replied, "Dear Jeremy, I’m sorry you are disappointed with your presents. You asked for two very expensive presents and Santa can only do so much. You need learn to be grateful for what you have, not upset about what you don’t. If you continue to complain I will have no choice but to add you to the naughty list next year."

That reply seems to have enraged Jeremy, who then wrote, "Deer Fahy (fatty), your threats don’t scare me i played your game and you did not deliver. This is nOt Oke. i will give you 1 week and then you will pay. P.S. i don’t know why you care that it is expensive when you have Elf Slaves to make thingS for you. i think you are naughty for having slaves."

Santa replied, "Dear Jeremy, You are being a very bad little boy. Because you cannot be happy with what you have, I have talked to your parents and told them to take away your Wii U. Now you have nothing. Once you learn to be grateful, perhaps you can have it back. I am very disappointed in you, Jeremy. You will need to be an extra good boy this year if you want to make it back on the nice list."

It was at this point Jeremy went completely off the rails, replying, "Deer Santa, i do not like that stunt you pulled with my parents. You are on my naughty list now. Be afraid. You look slow and easy to kill. Enjoy your cookys next year because they will be pOisOn."

I don’t know if Jeremy is a real little boy or if this is a joke but, if Jeremy is real, then the Tooth Fairy had better not cross him.

Time is Relative

I had the bright idea last night, when there was nothing worth watching on television and the lighting was not bright enough (inspite of the LED magnifier) to work on the never-ending needlepoint project, to put together the gingerbread house I purchased in December ………… December of Last Year but never could fit into my schedule until now.

Didn’t take long to become frustrated with the royal icing included in the kit.

It wasn’t dry, just wasn’t of a smooth enough consistency to spread and wasn’t holding the walls together.

I was ready to quit when the first structure collapsed.

Remembering a hack I saw on TikTok of using sugar glue instead, I set about boiling sugar.

Takes a long time to melt sugar down into glue and I came too close to burning my fingers when dipping gingerbread pieces into the hot glue, not to mention it got sloppy at times with the glue leaving strings. I even dropped an entire gingerbread wall into the glue at one point.

Before I even got the walls of the first structure together, I lost my patience, abandoned the project, tossed the kit into the trash, disposed of the glue down the garbage disposal, telling myself ain’t nobody got time for this!

How interesting is it that I’ve the patience to stab aida cloth thousands of times to create needlepoint works of art, but not the patience to spend an hour or so building a gingerbread house.

Time really is relative.

I’ve been working on the never-ending needlepoint project practically every day since January of 2021, logging in upwards of 1,116 hours thus far and though not even halfway through have no problem with spending more hours, days, weeks, months, years to completion while I was pretty much over the gingerbread build in the first 15 minutes.

Inspired by Food Network’s Gingerbread Showdown, I still want to do a gingerbread house this season, so I’ll pick up something after this morning’s workout, maybe make my own royal icing and try again.

As for progress on the needlepoint project, though nowhere near completion I’m at least seeing a face appear.

Though my first gingerbread build of the season was an epic fail, I’ve been having great luck in finding My Hometown Elf in the market.

In previous years, our Hometown Elf was Cindy. This year it’s Zippy and he’s pictured holding a candy cane across his body.

I actually spotted what looked like it could be Zippy pretty quick. He was on a ledge nestled in with other holiday items but, inasmuch as there was no candy cane, I couldn’t be sure.

To make certain it wasn’t a decoy, I searched the store, saw nothing elsewhere and correctly announced to the cashier I’d found Zippy nestled and tucked away in a Christmas stocking.

I declined the little Candy Cane reward. I just enjoyed announcing I’d found it.

Next time at the market, I found Zippy with a fishing line hovering over the seafood station.

That was a cute and clever spot, obviously visible thought I.

Running into a 5K friend coming in to hunt as I was leaving, I didn't spoil her fun by telling her where the elf was located.

She later posted to facebook that she couldn't find it.

HOW could she have missed it?

Awoke with a Clatter

I was sleeping peacefully last night when all of a sudden I became wide awake real quick upon hearing what sounded like something hitting a window in the front room.

Sitting up in bed, not hearing anything further, I thought it might have been the Santa Ana winds, plaguing us for a week now, blowing something up against a window but then, thinking the wise thing would be to investigate, I grabbed a weapon from the nightstand, took a look around.

Nothing amiss.

No broken window.

Saw no one lurking outside.

Getting back in bed, realizing it was 3:10 a.m., I thought Great! I’m awake now, won’t be able to fall back asleep. It’s going to be a crappy day.

Grabbing the laptop, I jumped online, read a few blogs, browsed the web until, along about 5 a.m., I felt sleepy again, shut the laptop, lay back down on the pillow.

My next memory of last night was a dream ……

Purchasing items from a pharmacy, the bill coming to a little over $45 and change, I saw myself reaching into the fanny pack, removing and giving to the cashier a $50 bill.

Looking back on that dream, it was the perfect opportunity to try the TikTok Lucid Dream challenge, where one is to attempt to interact with others in the dream — ask a question, preferably "What date is this?" or "What time is it?", but I didn’t remember to do that because it's incredibly difficult to remember to do so when dreaming. Plus, I was thrown off by the drama that ensued.

After paying the $45 and change, having a nice chit chat with the cashier as she bagged my items, I suddenly realized she’d not given me my change.

Asking her for the change, she said "I’ve heard that one before".

Huh, thought I.

"I’ve heard that one before" she repeated.

Not realizing I was being insulted, called a liar, I checked the fanny pack, saw there were no bills added after I removed the $50.

Looking back up at her, I don’t recall what I said, but she said something about it would only have been a few dollars, so I was thinking she was right. Why worry about a few dollars and was prepared to write it off, walk away.

But then, I saw a smirk on her face that caused me to realize that when she said, "I’ve heard that one before", she actually thought I was trying to scam her and she felt she’d beaten me at my scammer’s game.

It was then I stood firm, told her "Count the drawer".

I’d knew that if the receipts were totaled up and compared with what was in her drawer, she’d find she had more money than she should because she’d forgotten to give me my change.

She disappeared for a few minutes, returned with her manager who was grumbling about having to count the drawer ..... her Black manager. She herself, the clerk, was White.

I said something about wanting my name cleared, that I shop here often and don’t want to have to feel I was being looked at suspiciously over something I did not do.

"Count the drawer" said I to Black Manager.

There were two ladies in line over to my left observing. Both backed me up on that theory — that it was not the amount of money but the principle.

Black Manager didn’t care for their input and, at one point, he leaned over the counter and began cursing one of the ladies to high high heaven.

She cursed right back at him whereupon, I took out my cellphone, and said to Black Manger, "This is so going live!" and I began recording while wiggling my arse and singing over and over to him a refrain that went … "You gone lose your job, you gone lose your job today. You gone lose your job, you gone lose your job today, hey hey".

As I was dancing/singing, there was a commotion over to my left as the woman cursing back at Black Manager was either being held back or removed by someone I didn’t see.

Then, the alarm on the cellphone went off and woke me up.

It was 7:00 a.m. and the dream went unfinished/unresolved.

It was an exhausting night.

I'm feeling so tired now that I can barely lift my feet off the ground, and this is a Pain Cave workout morning.

Oddly enough, the plan for today is, after working out, to head to the pharmacy across the street, pick up a few items to take with me as I head out to the beach area tomorrow.

Wouldn’t it be spooky if the bill comes to $45 and change.