New Neighbors?

Went to bed at 10:00 last night, right after the Project Runway Finale. Woke up refreshed and raring to go just shy of three hours later at 12:45.

Could that be a factor ... that after such a long hiatus, the caffeine revved me up to where I needed less sleep?

At any rate, I hope Starbucks Corporate Offices appreciates my dedication in heading out into the rain yesterday afternoon.

Before deciding to do so, I was standing at the patio window, looking at the drops, trying to decide if I was desperate enough to suit up and head out, and observed an elderly couple viewing the vacant upstairs unit across the quad.

It was just before this time last year when our former maintenance wiz and his wife were booted from that unit by the former Community Manager (Nurse Ratched) for spite. The unit remained vacant for five months, until it was given to Cute Maintenance Supervisor and his young family.

Because his young children created so much chaos for their downstairs neighbor, he and his family were relocated to a unit above the Game Room end of July, and the unit across the quad became vacant yet again.

New residents have taken units in the complex but, until yesterday, I never saw anyone being shown that particular one.

I choose to think it’s the Law of Attraction at work. This quad is peaceful, filled with nice considerate friendly residents, we look out for each other, and the Universe is holding out for like-minded individuals to join us. The couple I saw today looked like they’d be, so hopefully they’ll take the unit.

They’d be fools not to, because not all quads are equal. There are problems in other quads – residents who continue to smoke inside ... subjecting their neighbors to second-hand damage, and endangering the welfare of their neighbors on oxygen. There are also difficult personalities in other quads -- complainers like Little Ruthie… rude, abrasive, confrontational for no reason; and control freaks like Big Linda, retired military, who tries to drill sergeant everyone … yelling at folks as to what they can and cannot do and, in the process, has made so many enemies in the complex that she found it necessary to post a warning on her car … “Do not spit on this car. You are being watched.”

Seriously.

There are residents so angry at her that they do that.

Also a problem in other quads are ghost tenants (unauthorized persons living with residents), which ghost tenants usually results in an unusual amount of traffic in/out of those units late at night. And then there's the situation described to me by the rather handsome gentleman I briefly mentioned having an interesting not unpleasant encounter with in the October 20 post. He'd only been here two months and was relocating to a quad nearer to mine because an older woman in his current quad objected to having a Black male. When she fist saw him, she'd loudly proclaimed "The Blacks are moving in!" and, when he ignored further taunts, because he lived in the unit beneath her, she’d stomp, purposely drop things, make noise designed to disturb his peace.

All of us in this quad must be living right, and the Universe is rewarding us with immunity from drama being experienced by others.

On tap for today are two events. Granddaughter invited me to attend the 9:30 Holiday Breakfast in her adult building next door.

I’m not interested in eating anything, but there are games and prizes. So, since it’s not raining, and I'm feeling wired from yesterday's coffee, I’ll probably check it out.

This afternoon is our Holiday Luncheon (3:00 – 5:00). That’s late for lunch, but hopefully Activity Director will begin on time and provide all she promised us this time.

Hope springs eternal.

Losing It

Not only is it cold, it is now windy and wet from the all-night rain.

I know rain is good, that we need it but, coupled with the frigid cold, I’m dying inside and losing my Christmas Spirit. Whereas in the past, I’ve never wanted this time of year to end, three days ago I began thinking about packing decorations up and now can’t wait until the traditional New Year’s Day, or day after, to do so.

This cold snap has made clear to me one thing – if I can’t handle this cold weather, should I one day be financially able to leave the country, there’s no hope of my ever being able to handle living in Canada.

However, getting my passport renewed is still No. 1 goal for 2017.

Baby steps.

Ironic Isn’t It?

Never made it to Starbucks on Tuesday or to Wal-Mart. In fact, I got comfortable and never made it out of the unit.

I was planning to head out today, but it looks so gloomy and rain is predicted, so I’ve opted to plan for tomorrow.

The stress fractured foot not feeling too terribly awful, the body in need of a bit of exercise, the plan for tomorrow is to take Mage’s advice and head for J.C. Penney’s for those thermals, where I expect to kill two birds with one stone because Penney’s is located in Victoria Gardens where there’s plenty of walking area and a Starbucks.

Before the foot injury, I’d registered for the virtual Run Like a Diva 5K, to be completed on or before December 31. With not much time left to squeeze it in, I figured tomorrow is a good day to give it a go and Victoria Gardens a good place to try for 3.12 miles.

Inasmuch as a virtual is not an officially timed race, it can be completed in increments. So if the foot doesn’t allow for the entire 3.12, I’ll go as far as I can and get the remaining miles in before the 31^st.

Inasmuch as I have to remember to take a shopping bag with me, thought I’d wear the little backpack race organizers sent in the mail.

That’s where the irony comes in because, whereas in the past shops and stores posted notices “No bags allowed”, now we’re encouraged to bring a bag with us.

I suppose the “no bags allowed” policy was a theft prevention measure, but how does that jibe with the new “bags encouraged” policy? Is the thinking no longer items can be slipped into bags and customers walk out without paying? Or is the money being made on 10 cent bags offsetting whatever losses are incurred?

Either way, having to remember to take bags with me brings back the times it wasn't allowed, like the time I walked into a market with a rather large tote carrying hair products. Contents not being part of the store’s inventory, I figured it safe not to leave the bag at a check stand, but noooo. I was immediately called out and embarrassed by the security guard rather loudly yelling that I couldn’t bring that in.

“It’s just hair products”, said I.

“I don’t care what it is”, he replied and I was made to leave on the floor in a location behind an unmanned counter where anyone could have picked it up, walked out, and the store would not have not accepted responsibility.

Then there was the time I’d gone shopping on my lunch hour at a well-known boutique where I purchased all my work suits, blouses, blazers, and held an account.

When I walked in, I observed the store had employed a security guard. He’d been leaning nonchalantly against the wall, but snapped to attention when he saw me.

He couldn’t possibly have seen the rather large tote I was carrying as a purse. All he saw was a Black woman and was immediately on guard.

He didn’t even ask me to check the tote. He just dead eyed me and kept his eyes on me, with a frown, the entire time I shopped. I remember a white linen skirt I wasn’t sure would fit. I wanted to try it on, but was too intimidated by the security guard mad dogging me (starring as though crazy, threatening glance), expecting to catch me stealing, to risk what would happen if I took it into the changing room to try on.

That was the last time I shopped at the Wilshire Boulevard location.

I was a different me back in those days. I had “victim” written all over and allowed things to happen that, a few years later -- as I grew into my own, resulted in my asking to speak to the manager and writing letters of complaint to public relations departments, because I didn’t want what I’d experienced to happen to the next Black woman that came along.

Complaints were heard each and every time, responded to, employees hopefully learned lessons and once, after lodging a complaint re a disturbing incident with a cab driver, the police called to tell me the driver had been sent back to cab school.

Amazed was I that the cab company had referred the matter to the police AND that there was such a thing as cab school, where drivers are taught how to interact with the public.

I radiate confidence now, and these days -- with the ability to write facebook posts, with video, incidents are few and far between – not gone completely, just rare. However, remembering having been mad dogged and called out in the past, I was at first a little nervous about taking bags into shops and stores. Having now become comfortable with it, I just have to just remember to do so or pay the 10 cents per bag, which is not a lot of money but results in too many bags hanging around.

Socially Awkward

Except for attending a meditation session this past Sunday, the bone chilling cold weather has me hibernating since the last post.

Bundled up in a long sleeve athletic top, leggings, socks, boots, jean jacket, gloves and with a huge infinity knit scarf draped around my neck, I arrived at the session, walked into a warm room, but didn’t remove anything because I still felt the cold down to the bone.

I notice I’m having a hard time with commitments lately. I’ll agree to go somewhere, do something and then later wish for a way out. That’s never been the case with meditation sessions, because the opportunity to join with like minded others on a spiritual level in silence are few and far between, so I jump at the chance, drive long distances or travel by airplane to attend.

This session being the first scheduled in the area, I jumped at the chance, but then had second thoughts because I’d attended a session a few years back with this particular spiritual teacher, never got off the ground, and thought perhaps his level of awareness was just not for me. Looking for a way out of the commitment, Nephew’s birthday party came up that same weekend, which took me out of town.

After receiving a message the session had been scheduled for the next weekend so I could attend, I figured the Universe had spoken and I was meant to be there.

So arriving covered head to toe, but still cold, the teacher greeted me in a manner I found unnecessary and confusing. He said something to the effect that, in communicating with me about the session via email, he wasn’t quite sure who I was.

Of course not, though I. He’d only seen me that one time three/four years ago.

Then he went on to say, he didn’t recognize me because, “You didn’t have all that stuff on last time. You’re going to get too hot in a moment”.

So now he's just making up words just to be talking, because that didn't even make sense since he'd only seen me once so long ago and knew me only as a name on his mailing list.

Completely puzzled as to why such silly awkward comments and so much concern with my body coverings, I merely responded “I’ll take it off once I warm up. Right now, I’m chilled to the bone.”

It was almost noon before the chill left my bones and I became warm enough to remove the gloves and infinity scarf.

At any rate, despite the strange beginning, the session went well to where I soared most of the time (9:45 to 12 noon) but, at one point in the class, I had a strange coughing incident – like something was in my throat and I needed to get it out.

Embarrassing when everyone has their eyes closed, rising to a level which is calm, peaceful, quiet, but the noise cleared up quickly after a few sips of water.

Attendance at the session was disappointing, only the teacher, three others and I.

I’m fortunate in that I discovered meditation in my late 20's early 30's, when there were great spiritual teachers giving classes. I had the privilege of private sessions with many of those teachers, weekly group sessions consisting of dozens of students, and sessions with as many as 500+ of us students, sitting in quiet meditation – listening, learning, clearing ourselves, all of which I credit with the ability to have survived all I’ve survived and be as awake and aware and on-center as I now am.

So though disappointed at how small the class was, it was a nice tune-up and came just in time to get through the electoral votes and the certainty of the orange guy being the beginning of the end of everything.

Before the afternoon session began (1:45 – 4:00 p.m.), we all went to lunch.

My former BFF and her husband were two of the students in attendance, and former BFF mentioned during lunch that she remembered I didn’t like cheese and thus would not have eaten at the Olive Garden because the smell of cheese is so strong in that restaurant.

Teacher found my dislike of cheese strange and asked, with a smile on his face, while eating a cheese dish, if I was going to leave the restaurant or “You eat first and then leave?”

Another strange comment don’t you think?

Is he trying to be cute/funny and failing miserably or is  he a doofus --  just naturally socially awkward or is spiritual jealousy manifesting as he can sense I’m not a beginner as the others are and feels somewhat threatened by me, thought I but refrained from reacting with, “No, the smell is not overwhelming”.

I did, however, at one point, surreptitiously put my elbow on the table and finger to the nose like I was thinking when, in actuality, I was blocking the smell.

Later, during a break in the afternoon session (1:45 – 4:00) when everyone else partook of a sweet treat BFF had provided the class, and I did not (because I’m off sweets yet again), teacher asked “Would you like a slice”.

“No thanks”, said I.

“It doesn’t have cheese in it”, he laughingly taunted.

Definitely trying to be funny/cute and failing miserably.

Though the teacher provided some moments I found unnecessary and awkward, it was a good session -- I soared, but not any further than I can and do sitting alone in meditation, so I see no need to attend any future sessions with this teacher. Spiritually he’s doing good work, I suppose, in raising up others. Humanly he’s demonstrated, at least to me, that he's just a guy, a silly one at that.

All of which may explain why, his being in the practice for as long as he has, that he's only pulling in three/four at a time, rather than the dozens and hundreds out there seeking peace of mind and understanding in an atmosphere of chaos, confusion, man's inhumanity to his fellow man/woman, others with his years of experience did, and the one still living could, should she decide to come out of retirement and teach yet again.

In thinking back, perhaps the choking coughing incident had something to do with a vibe I was picking up from him -- especially since choking/coughing repeated itself in the afternoon session, and that the Universe wanted me there not so much for me but for him.

At any rate, he's in my awareness now, so I'll think good thoughts for him, but won't be attending any further sessions he makes me aware of. Attending also put me in contact with former BFF, and gave me a sense of satisfaction that she, having followed me into meditation as the peaceful way to deal with people, places, things, appearances, circumstances, was still on the path, doing well, and appears to now be instrumental in raising up into spiritual awareness her husband and a coworker.

On tap for today is heading out to Starbucks, in the cold, for my first cup since the 14^th/15^th, and I'm thinking of stopping by Walmart to check into thermal wear to get me though these cold nights, freezing mornings.

Third Time’s the Charm

Yesterday was a bit of a nightmare.

Because of the Yahoo hacking incident, the morning consisted of changing passwords, removing security questions, closing email accounts, updating online accounts to new email addresses, so on and so forth.

It was mentally exhausting, and I still don’t feel secure.

A third notice was posted to the door indicating maintenance would be coming in to change the A/C filter and switch out smoke detector batteries.

Of course I wasn’t holding my breath. Having tucked away what items needed to be hidden, I headed out early afternoon to run errands.

Nothing looked changed by the time I returned but, along about 2:30, I heard Cute Maintenance Supervisor’s cart coming down the quad, then heard knocking on the door to the unit beneath me.

He reached my door at 3:00 sharp and wasn’t alone. He had an older guy with him who actually did the work of changing the batteries, switching out the old filter, while Maintenance Supervisor checked those items off his clipboard and had me initial they’d been done.

Once again I say, our old maintenance wiz did it all by himself and Corporate let Nurse Ratched abuse and eventually fire him.

I’m sure Cute Maintenance Supervisor and whoever his assistant was are trustworthy, but once bitten twice shy –the woman from Corporate has instilled a distrust in me, so I tried to keep sight of both of them. At one point, Maintenance Supervisor stepped out onto the patio to access the door where the water heater is housed. Responding to a question he asked about “Where did you buy the timer for your Christmas decorations?” I took my attention off the second guy then suddenly realized I didn’t see him any longer. My heart went to my throat for a hot second as I went looking and found him on a ladder in the bedroom, changing the smoke detector battery.

So now that the Annual Inspection is out of the way. I can now come and go without hiding items.

Next door neighbor theorized that all the notices and no shows were not because Maintenance Supervisor isn’t motivated but because management is trying to throw rule breaking tenants off their game to enable management to show up unexpectedly and make note of those not maintaining a clean unit, those who continue to smoke on the premises, and those allowing non-residents to live in the unit.

I seriously doubt that.

Maintenance guy is utterly charming, just not all that enthusiastic about performing his duties in a timely manner.

It’s raining cats and dogs this morning, so I’m guessing no one will be heading down to the Community Room – at least I won’t be doing so, for the Holiday Traditions Around the World event; which I’ve learned is in lieu of a Cookie Swap and involves cookies being made on premise by Activity Director and the Baker’s granddaughter.

That leaves me alone with the Gingerbread Molasses Cookie Dough I’d purchased from Trader Joe’s. So, unless the storm ceases and the sun comes up, I’m taking it as a sign to indulge myself with warm cookies and cold milk.

Happy Holidays to me!

Santa's House

Now that we have a Community Manager that’s good at what she does, is friendly and works well with others, Corporate needs to do something about the cute young Maintenance Supervisor.

He’s just so slow, unmotivated, unreliable, lackadaisical.

When I moved into the complex, we had a 65+ year old maintenance man who was amazing -- competent, knowledgeable, strong, fast, highly dependable.

Our former Community Manager – Nurse Ratched, didn’t like that. She preferred people who were less competent because she could lord over them. So she did her best to try to run maintenance wiz outta here.

He knew what she was doing, loved the residents, loved his job and hung in there, even after she hired a second maintenance guy and raised him over maintenance wiz as Supervisor.

Wiz still hung in there, but Nurse Ratched eventually won out, found a way to fire wiz, then refused to allow he and his wife to keep a unit on the premises out of spite.

The Maintenance Supervisor she replaced him with was so unbelievably stupid that even she couldn’t justify keeping him. He was out rather quickly and cute guy came in, with his young family.

Cute Maintenance Supervisor seems to know what he’s doing insofar as basic general maintenance, but requests for service sometimes have to be submitted more than once before he finally gets around to fulfilling them, and he’s no Supervisor. Older more seasoned guys are frequently called in to assist, show him the ropes.

We’ve sometimes had Cute Maintenance Supervisor and two others doing what our former 65+ year old maintenance wiz handled all on his own.

I stuck around all last Friday morning, because I’d received notice Cute Maintenance Supervisor was coming in to change the A/C filter and switch out smoke detector batteries.

He didn’t show up in the morning so, I missed the 3:00 Movie event waiting around in the afternoon, and he never showed.

As I was headed out the door, on my way to Victoria Gardens yesterday, I found a notice he’d be coming in that day to handle what was to have been handled on the Friday he didn't show up -- change the A/C filter and switch out smoke detector batteries.

I am now leery about letting anyone inspect the unit without my following them room to room, keeping an eye on them because I’d failed to do so when his boss from Corporate did an inspection, ended up in my closet, while I remained occupied on the computer in the other room, and I later noticed my rhinestone American flag belt was missing from its prominent highly visible place. Nothing I could do about it because I didn’t notice the theft immediately that day, and no one would have believed a woman of her status would have jeopardized her position with thievery.

I feel sorry for her. She thinks she's gotten away with something and has no idea there is a thing called Karmic justice ... spiritual consequences.

At any rate, though leery, no way was I going to waste another day waiting around but, just to be on the safe side, I did take a quick look around and hid anything I was worried about – the laptop, ipod, organizer containing personal information, cash, then I left.

Santa’s House at Victoria Gardens was amazing.

Not only was it even more beautiful than I remember from past years, it was entertaining.

Charming characters would appear every few minutes in doors, windows and perform something cute.

At one point, Santa’s House had a snow storm.

I would have liked to have seen what went on inside Santa’s House, but that required a small child and $35 for a photo package.

In one of the photo albums, there is a photo of me as an adult sitting on Santa’s lap. I'd show it to you, but that album is with a family member, and I can’t find a copy on any of my flash drives. I would have taken a seat on Santa's lap yesterday had it been a mall setup and not cost $35.

After spending considerable time enjoying the show on Santa’s House and people watching, I made it back to the complex, unsure if Cute Maintenance Supervisor had been in to take care of the filter and smoke detector. However, based on the dust I see inside the filter, he absolutely did not.

I’d be really pissed had I given up another day, waited around and again a no show.

At this point, it's of no difference to me. It's something management has to take care of before the fire department does it's annual unit inspection so, it'll be their arse not mine if not taken care of.

Cute Maintenance Guy will get around to it because he has to if he wants to avoid getting the building a citation, I just don't know when around to it will be. Consequently, on the off chance he enters without giving yet another notice, I'm going to have to hide the laptop, ipod and organizer every time I leave.

I really miss our maintenance wiz.