Sunday Sermon

AND

Happy Star Wars Day

So much was happening this week, that I almost forgot.

It wasn’t until commenter Roberta gave me the geek signal (May the 4th be with you) that I snapped to attention.

Luckily, I had time this morning to dress for the occasion.

May the Falcon be with you.

Star Wars Day

Star War Day

Nothing special going on to commemorate the day, at least not around here.

There was something special going on yesterday, but us residents didn't find out about it until after the fact.

Activity Director had arranged for a Mother’s Day Social — lunch and gift bags, 11:30 – 12:45. ONLY us residents didn’t find out about it until the Activity Calendar was posted to our doors 3:30.

Consequently, if anyone showed up it would have been dumb luck that brought them to the Community Room OR they went down for the weekly Pizza Day (donated pizzas from Pizza Hut) and lucked up on the Mother's Day thing.

Oh well but, second time in a row, I can imagine Activity Director is at the point of pulling out her hair that she prepares the calendar in advance, but No. 9 can’t get it distributed on time.

They tack on $50 as punishment for submitting rent checks late. There should be some kind of penalty for posting the calendar late.

Other than that, there's nothing else on the calendar, except Activity Director's short bingo session, which I see is not weekly, but once a month.

I suppose the hours long weekly bingo session being run by the residents is still going on, but Activity Director isn't promoting it on her calendar.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, which used to be huge around here .... tons of tamales, but looks to be just another nothing day.

On another note, there was an interesting message left on my phone yesterday.

It was the office manager from the dental practice I left in my rear view wanting to talk to me about the note I attached to that supplemental payment asking to be removed from their patient list.

What's to talk about?

You can't tell me the dentists are not lying to patients, encouraging expensive unnecessary dental work, because I've not only read about it but experienced it for myself. So nope, don't hold your breath waiting for a return call from me.

Read the Yelp and Google reviews. If that doesn't clear things up, then there's nothing more I can say that wasn't included in the note to make it any clearer.

The new CAPTCHA algorism that’s sending non-spam comment to spam in Blogger has hit Instagram. My Instagram account has been suspended until I appeal and prove I’m over 13 years of age.

Oh well, one less social media platform distraction, more time for needlepoint.

Happy Star Wars Day

Did not realize, when I scheduled the vaccine shot for today, it would coincide with Star Wars Day, but it gives me a frame of reference if ever called upon to remember when I received Dose 1.

Heading out for the appointment, I ran into Assistant Maintenance Guy ─ who had Covid, was ill for a time, recovered.

"Are you still feeling okay?" asked I.

"I’m feeling great".

"I’m on my way for Shot No. 1".

"I had to wait 28 days after I recovered before I could take the shot. My 28-day wait period was up yesterday. I was offered the shot, but said no because my family is planning a birthday party for me and I don’t want to feel out-of-it."

"From what I’ve heard, you don’t feel bad until the second dose, but I guess I’m about to find out for myself."

"Yes, cause everyone is different. Nobody really knows", said he.

So off I go, driving 15 miles away for Pfizer ─ out of my medical provider’s plan ─ because the provider is doing Johnson & Johnson and the drugstore across from the Pain Cave is doing Moderna.

Arriving 10 minutes early, called in for the shot 10 minutes late. Looking away from the needle, because I didn't want to see it, out of the corner of my eye I could see the pharmacists moving to jab my arm and,  just before he jabs, he stops and double checks which dose I’m getting by asking, “Dose 1?”.

"Yes, Dose 1 .... and Pfizer, right?"

Pharmacist gets a surprised look on his face and says, “No! Moderna. We don’t do Pfizer.”

That’s not what their website said. In fact, the site not only indicated Pfizer but was worded “Only Pfizer”.

SOAB!

I should have walked away because, I didn’t have to drive all that way for Moderna. I could have walked to the drug store on the corner, which would have been convenient for when the second dose comes up.

Instead, since I was there, I decided to get it over with. So long as it wasn’t Johnson & Johnson, I was good; except, now I have to drive back in June for that second dose.

Since I was in the area, I popped into Sprouts to replenish items only found at Sprouts. While there, the phone rings.

I don’t answer calls unless I know who’s calling. I figure if it’s important, a message will be left.

Actually, I couldn’t answer even if I wanted to because the cellphone answer button died some time ago.

At any rate, a message was left ...... It was the pharmacist asking me to call him back.

Panic!

What did they do wrong?, thought I.

Calling the pharmacist back was an exercise in futility. There was always a busy signal.

So, I did my shopping while continuing to try to get through.

While in the checkout line, still trying to get past the busy signals, I noticed a young lady park herself in line behind me, missing the floor mark, standing all up in my arse. I look back at her several times, thinking she'd get the message of standing too close.

She obviously didn't read non-verbal messages because, every time there was movement in the line, I moved up ... keeping my distance from the couple ahead of me, while the young lady remained glued to my arse.

Finally, as there was further movement in the line, and she moved up with me, I couldn't take it any longer.

Turning around I said, "I'm sorry, but you are standing way too close. You're supposed to be back six feet."

"Oh, I'm sorry", she says and steps back.

I can't believe, after all this time, and with the floor clearly marked, I still have to tell people to get off me.

Anyway, still getting a busy signal for the pharmacist, no way was I going to drive all the way home, only to eventually get ahold of the pharmacist and be told something was wrong, come back. So, I drove back.

Fortunately, it was nothing more than needing to check my card for Part D information, but what a fright.

So, I’m halfway done with that bit of business. The shot hurt less than when blood is drawn, the only thing I’ve noticed was, two hours later, I began feeling really really hot ─ and not in a sexy way, but I think I’m okay to keep tomorrow’s workout schedule.

Happy Star Wars Day

And May the Fourth Be With You.

I'm the only nerd in the complex, so I doubt there will be any similar greetings making the rounds here today.

Yesterday, the third, was the day I finally got around to catching up on scrapbooking, and I was on a roll.

Creativity was flowing so that it took me no time to construct photos on the title page, minus the lettering. I then got last year’s Dinner/Dance and Halloween Costume Contest photos down on a couple pages, but hit a roadblock when I got to the many photos taken when I went to Long Beach for Thanksgiving. Problem was, I no longer liked the beach themed background paper purchased last year and had planned to use.

After considerable time looking at scrapbook paper online, I found a design that called my name, put in an order, but now I’m on hold until the 12th, which is when the paper arrives.

Hopefully I’m still in the mood for catching up on those photos by that time. Scrapbooking is that kind of craft. One has to be in the right frame of mind, go with the flow when layout ideas are clicking.

In the interim, it’s back to the needlepoint project, only I decided the new pattern is not challenging enough.

I’d been wondering for a while now if there might be a counted cross stitch pattern available based on the movie Black Panther, which movie I’ve not yet seen but plan to as soon as the DVD becomes available on May 8.

I Googled “Black Panther Cross Stitch Kit” and, lo and behold, this came up.

Now, this is what I call challenging.

Fortunately, it's a download, so I didn’t have to wait for a pattern to arrive. I’ve already printed it out, all 15 pages.

Whew! This looks to be a two-year project, maybe more. So, I'm off to the craft store today to pick up floss and get started ... that is as soon as the sun rises and the rest of the world catches up with me because, for some odd reason, I'm up at 3:15 in the morning, raring to get started on my day.

I’m feeling more positive that my buddy Apache will have a birthday party. It’s not going to be the huge event it should be, but for sure there will be cake and ice cream.

You will never guess who the woman who’d tried to palm the event off on me got to bake the cake ... Shadow.

He bakes?

I double checked with The Seer who assured me ... yes, he does. Among all the other things he "SAYS" he's done in the past, is to have a background in baking.

Inasmuch as Shadow is now involved, The Seer has suddenly become not "too busy" and has assured the woman that if Shadow reneighs, she’ll make sure a cake arrives – even if she has to purchase it herself.

I’m bringing ice cream.

Wish I knew what Apache’s favorite flavor is.

Maybe I’ll google the Orange Idiot in Chief’s favorite. Inasmuch as Apache likes everything about the guy, I’m sure Apache will like whatever flavor he likes as well. There is no such flavor as Liar Liar Pants on Fire, to depict all the lies the Orange Idiot keeps spouting. And from his wanting to put up a wall and his support of the Sheet People, I'm guessing the Orange Idiot prefers Vanilla, probably Cherry Vanilla to include his views on women. But I just had a thought -- Orange Ice Cream with Vanilla Swirl. Yes! That's the one.