Where’s The Meat?

Popped into the corner market after yesterday’s workout and, though the market I blogged about previously had no meat, the corner market is well stocked to the brim.

Tons of Fried Chicken

How does that happen that one market has none, but another — different chain, is overflowing with product.

At any rate, I got my uncured bacon and, just in case, purchased two pounds of ground turkey. So, I’m good.

Waking up this morning with a rare burst of energy, I suited up and headed out around 9:30 to log in a few miles at the college campus.

There is this fun thing on TikTok where a content creator says, "Tell me you are (this, that, the other) without telling me", and others post a video depicting the thing that tells without words.

So, let’s assume you’ve asked me to tell you how cold I was without telling you it was freezing outside, and I was cold.

I had one in each hand to keep my fingers from freezing up and did very well considering I’ve had such a long hiatus from walking — logged in 5,000 steps.

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

Heading out to walk the college campus this morning, I ran into the Baker as she was walking her dog Fancy.

"Have you heard the latest?", said she.

"No, what?"

"J___ (Community Manager aka The Tyrant) turned in his resignation".

"Good … but what finally made him leave?"

"All this time we've been on lockdown, the office closed and no activities, he's been taking classes online. Got a degree in something to do with taxes and is leaving for a better job".

So now I know why he never responded to email requests for work orders. He was too busy using the company time to go to school, but serves Corporate right that he used them like that.

"Well I for one am glad to see him go, but hope we don’t get someone worse", said I.

As for where the information came from, the Baker said she’d gotten a call from Apache.

How does this guy know these things ... Finds out what’s going on around here before we do? LOL.

At any rate, once I returned to the complex, I double-checked Corporate’s website to see if the job of Community Manager was again an open job opportunity.

It was.

Qualifications are listed as "Must have at least two (2) years of experience in on-site property management, with Tax Credit knowledge".

Additionally "Computer skills in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Knowledge of YARDI Voyager, Management of on-site staff and resources, successful track record of meeting property goals, Low Income Housing Tax Credit experience, must have a valid CA driver's license and reliable transportation" and, most important of all …… "High School Diploma or GED required".

While sitting peacefully on my perch on the couch this past Friday, thinking to myself as I looked out the patio window, watched a tree blowing in the wind, I saw the Tyrant doing something he usually does not do — come out of his office to be seen out in the wild.

He was heading down the walkway.

Something told me to get my phone ready to capture a photo of this rare sighting when he returns.

Sure enough, I got it, captured the moment — a rare and probably the last sighting.

I don't wish this guy ill, but I don't wish him well either. My wish for him is that the Universe do what it do with him, as it does with all of us according to Karma and the lessons we need to learn.

I seriously doubt we'll fare better with the next one, but that's only because Corporate won't allow management to do right by us. It's all about spending as little as possible to keep things going.

Plans to walk the campus went awry once I got out on the road.

When I reached the intersection to turn right towards the campus, I decided I was not in the mood and turned left to check the market by where Trainer lives for the frozen Alexia Roasted and Ready Potatoes my gut is so fond of, and which I’ve only been able to locate at this store.

They had none, had none for some time and had no idea if and when they’ll be able to restock.

I settled for a package of fresh Petite Gold potatoes to roast my own.

Since I was at the market, I decided to pick up the eggs my gut likes — Eggland’s Best Organic.

Guess what …. They didn’t have those either. I settled for Simple Truth Organic — a good enough brand.

Then I headed over to the meat section for a package of uncured bacon and got the shock of my life.

The Supply Chain thing has hit this market's meat, deli and Hot and Ready sections hard.

Of course, I’ve not been to my regular market since I made a run on the 14th, so I don’t know if they too are now in bad shape.

Things are getting iffy for us borderline Celiacs, so I’d better pop into the regular market after tomorrow’s workout to see how it’s looking, and if I can score a package of uncured bacon.

I Ain’t One to Gossip but …

Back in the day there was a TV show called In Living Color.

Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey, among others, got their start on that show, and a favorite character of mine was Miss Bonita.

Miss Bonita would hang out her window, or sit on her stoop, greet passersby, then share the tea on that person, prefacing her statement to us — the audience with "Now, I ain't the one to gossip so you didn't hear this from me".

Yesterday was that kind of day.

Needing not one single thing from the market, after hearing about supply chain shortages, I popped in any way to load up on just-in-case essentials.

There appeared to be plenty of what I normally purchase. The only empty shelves I observed were in isles my gut won’t let me eat from — the ramen noodle and frozen breakfast sections.

At any rate, walking out with enough supplies that I won’t have to grocery shop for a month, I saw three people approaching the market dressed in cop uniforms, more specifically Probation — according to the markings on their uniforms.

The market’s security guard was walking behind me and greeted the three with "Hey guys". They returned the greeting and went inside the market.

Probation did not appear to be there shopping for groceries.

Out on the lot, the market’s security guard approached another security guard on the lot. Both were grinning at each other, then one began to laugh out loud when the other one said, "Probation, huh. They coming to the job to get us now."

I thought that hilarious, but then thought, wait, stop, what … are some of these security guards on probation?

That would be weird if criminals were hired as security guards, but not beyond the realm of possibilities.

So, anyway, returning to the complex, unloading groceries from the car, who do I hear calling my name but my buddy Apache.

He was here, bold as brass, on the property in management’s face, walking along with D — the assault victim.

He tells me management can’t say or do anything to him if he’s here with a resident so, unless management can come up with something, I’m likely to see Apache around just as much as when he was living here.

So, anyway, Apache rushed over to tell me Probation was on the property, in the back, five cars of ‘em.

Apache didn’t know why they were here, who they were here for, but inasmuch as I’d just seen three of them at the market, there appeared to be some kind of joint operation going on.

Apache and I took a selfie, and we all three began walking towards the back of the property to see who Probation was here for.

Though I’d heard the whole story, not just what D is putting out for sympathy, I asked if she was okay.

"No …. No I’m not", she said then, indicating she needed a hug from me, she came at me with arms outstretched.

I took a step back and yelled "NOOOOOOOOO! Don’t touch me! Omicron!"

D froze, then began a tirade that went "Kill me now Lord. Just shoot me. I don’t want to live any longer. I can’t go anywhere, can’t hug anyone ……" yada yada yada.

The I need sympathy act is working on some as residents are cooking for her, delivering meals, but I didn’t take her pity soliloquy, need for a hug seriously, and she quickly switched to telling me about how the kitten has turned to a "brat" — knocking things over on purpose.

Though we saw the unmarked Probation cars vertically parked in a row, an occupant in each car seemingly staking out the area, we did not see if an officer had already exited, gone into any of the units, so I headed back to what I was doing, while Apache and D continued their walk.

Back attending to groceries, I ran into Casino Lady’s sister who approached me with, "I ain’t one to gossip but …..".

What ensued was a back and forth comparison on what she’d heard, what I knew, ending with "But you didn’t hear it from me". LOL.

At any rate, the topic of Handsome Man’s son doesn’t appear to be dying down. It’s going to be discussed on the grapevine for a long long time.

As for Probation, just as Casino Lady’s sister and I were discussing how it appears the bad people live on the back side of the property, the Probation cars began driving out of the gate — five of ‘em in a line. I could see there were now two officers in the front seat, but we could not see if anyone was being taken away ... but FIVE CARS? Must have been some bad hombre or five bad hombres — a car for each one.

All in all, it’s been quite the week.