Junk in the Trunk

After returning from picking up items at the Amazon Locker on Wednesday, I received a call asking if I wanted biscuits and gravy, cooked by The Baker, from the in-progress Community Breakfast.

“I would LOVE biscuits and gravy, but I don’t dare” said I (because my gut wouldn’t like it).

Asking how the breakfast went, it was “Few showed up, but it was peaceful”.

Translation: None of the negative energy people were in attendance.

Good to know, but I remain being Emmet, with me not in it.

My time is being devoted to completing that needlepoint project.

Progress May 2017 - March 2018

Getting towards the tail end, I’ve already decided on the next project.

In between catching up on television programs and needlepoint, I've been researching trunk organizers.

One of the items picked up from the Amazon Locker on Wednesday was one such organizer because, the new car, with all of its bells and whistles, has left me with no built-in cargo bin, such as was in the Saturn, so I'm dealing with a lot of loose junk in the trunk – pair of athletic shoes just in case I’m ever stranded and need to do a lot of walking, a just-in-case umbrella, car cleaning products, the many bags I now have to lug around since the 2016 Bag Law (Stater Bros, Ralphs, Trader Joe, Sprouts, Walmart), not to mention a place to put my groceries so they don't roll around.

With the organizer picked up on Wednesday, it’s better, but not good enough. Plus, I still need something to hold groceries in place.

I’ll keep it, but I’m still researching options.

Elsewhere around here, the two-day inspection is over and done with. I only saw one inspector -- a big beefy well-fed looking guy, just what you’d expect a government inspector to look like. He was in no shape to go up and down stairs, checking all 178 units. Nor was Community Manager, herself seriously overweight with resultant health issues, in good enough shape to escort him to all 178 units. In fact, I observed them both sitting on the bench across from my bedroom window, taking a breather.

Instead, units were inspected at random. I couldn’t tell if “random” consisted of one or two units in each building, or random units on the complex. I know The Seer’s and next-door neighbor’s units were inspected. I was passed on and I don’t think either of the two downstairs units in my building were inspected, nor did I see any of the units in the quad across from mine being inspected.

Will be interesting to learn at the next Residents/Management meeting (the 15th) if the complex passed.

With only one out-of-shape inspector, I’m assuming it did.

Waste of Time, Energy, Money, Part 2

I’m already over my disappointment that yesterday’s St Patrick’s Day Potluck consisted of hot dogs, and though I maintain the position it was a waste of my time and energy, it turned out not to be a waste of money. I received word last night that the ice cream got eaten, ALL two gallons.

Yet and still, though they did try to accommodate people with issues like mine with turkey dogs and a deli veggie tray (which I didn’t see until I was on the way out), I’m done contributing to potlucks.

And would you believe today is another pig out day for the seniors – this month’s Community Breakfast.

If they want photos for posting to the Facebook page, someone will have to take them themselves and send to me for posting, because I’m opting to keep to myself until everyone works out their differences with each other.

What’s going on is juvenile, silly and I don’t understand the how of it or the why of it, especially since those not getting along are all church people. They never miss a Sunday, go to bible studies during the week, walk around talking the talk with “Praise Jesus” … “I’m blessed”, etc., but then don’t walk the walk. And that’s what’s really sad about it -- they don’t seem to realize they’re not walking the walk.

It reminds me of what I observed as a child, that my mom was a so-called deeply religious person, an usher in the church even and, as soon as we’d get home from church, I’d hear her on the telephone being critical of what this one wore, what that one did, what was said, what was heard – just a lot of malicious gossiping.

It’s where I learned the meaning of the word “hypocrite” and it left a bad taste in my mouth insofar as conventional religion.

Not helping that bad taste is that some of the worst behavior I’ve had to tolerate in dealing with people in life has been that of so-called religious people.

One of the ladies here recently invited me to church (oh, and by the way, they all go to the same church). My reply was, “I don’t do church. I’m a contemplative. I not a Buddhist, but I meditate”.

I’m not knocking church. Though I’m an awake individual, church having nothing for me at this stage, and notwithstanding so many come out of church talking the talk but not walking the walk, church has its purpose.

At any rate, folks have been commenting about not seeing much of me lately, asking me, when they do see me, “What’s going on … What have you been doing?”

“This and that” has been my response.

The folks will now be seeing even less of me (except, if The Baker hosts her annual Egg Coloring event, I’ll definitely go to that). Now when seen and asked, “What’s going on … What have you been doing?” my response will be, “Staying away from all the negativity”.

A chant we used to say in high school just came to mind, “My name is Emmet and I ain’t in it”.

On tap for today is driving a few cities over to pick up orders at an Amazon Locker.

The super bowl of inspections is tomorrow and Friday. I’ll have to get up early, make sure I’ve my makeup on and dressed in case my unit is on the list, as it begins at 8:00 a.m.

The next Residents/Management meeting is on the 15^th, where I suppose we’ll hear the results, maybe even get a follow-up on Apache's deceased neighbor and Assistant Maintenance Guy.

Waste of Time, Energy, Money

That waste of time, energy, money was today’s St Patrick’s Day Potluck, hosted by the Activity Director.

The day started off bad when, reading Yahoo’s recap of Sunday’s episode of the Walking Dead, Robert Kirkland -- the show’s creator, indicated he was working on how to eventually kill Rick.

WHAT?!

THEY’RE GOING TO KILL RICK?!

I can’t take that and figure I’d better opt out now.

THEN, I went down to the Community Room at 1:00, expecting to see corned beef, cabbage, baked potatoes, and found it was BBQed hot dogs, chips, mac and cheese, potato salad, sodas.

They did supply turkey dogs for people like me with sensitive stomachs, but my gut is extra special sensitive and will only endure uncured meat, so I went without.

Except for one 95-year old who complained to me, upon seeing hot dogs for St. Patrick’s Day, that she was sick and tired of how cheap current management is, got up and walked out, the seniors who attended didn’t seem to mind and enjoyed themselves, which isn’t saying much because the occasion isn’t as important to them as is an opportunity to pig out. And pig out they did as there was plenty of everything, plus there was also Pizza Tuesday earlier that morning.

I did go down earlier for that and almost lost my cookies when I observed a new resident I’d met and welcomed to the community just this Sunday, pick out one of those hard-cold frozen pizzas then, instead of nuking in the microwave, to soften and refresh, pull out a slice and eat it as was.

Once the potluck began, Activity Director and Community Manager did the plating of hot dogs and sides for residents, residents then had their choice of toppings, including sauerkraut and, once seniors had been served, the two made plates for themselves, announced “There’s a lot extra so help yourself to seconds” and went to their offices to eat.

I didn’t know if they were to come back later, announce ice cream sodas for desert or not, figured no one would be there if and when they did return so, feeling uncomfortable, I took a few photos and eased on out because there was so much bad energy in the atmosphere that I felt like I didn’t belong.

The bad energy began with the 95-year-old who unloaded her displeasure on me, then there was the shock and awe going around the room upon hearing from Church Lady that Assistant Maintenance Guy was no longer an employee, everyone saying what a wonderful man he was, so respectful, such a hard worker and Church Lady saying “There’s more to this. Something’s going on. I smell a rat. A big one”.

I interjected that, in all fairness, he was failing at the end, walking off the job, not responding to on-call emergencies and, in the last analysis, everything happens for a reason, but no one wanted to hear that.

Then there was learning of the suspicious death of Apache’s neighbor – a double amputee (both legs) who was found in his unit with bruises on his chest quite some time after having passed away.

It was said Assistant Maintenance Guy and one of the temporary workers had entered his unit at least a week ago, saw him sleeping peacefully, didn’t realize he was dead, did what inspection they were there to do and left.

Once his death was discovered, and I’m not clear on how it was discovered, Apache was interviewed by the police and reported having heard others in the unit after the resident was reported to have died, that the guy had a new caretaker, and the caretaker had not been reporting for duty. Consequently, with the bruising, the absent caretaker, voices Apache heard, the police are looking at it as a suspicious death.

Since I was told the guy had been dead for at least a week, maybe two, my first thought was the smell, but Apache said, when maintenance went in, they evidently didn’t notice a smell and that he himself didn’t notice it until the police arrived and opened the door.

The Guy has no family, no friends, he died alone under suspicious circumstances, I found the whole thing depressing.

Then there’s the new guy in the complex. He’s not terribly attractive, but very friendly and has met all the guys and a lot of the gals.

I was the first to meet him when I was getting out of the car Sunday, returning from the Locktician. He and his helper were unloading furniture, heading towards the quad to the right of mine, stopped, stared at me. Their staring felt awkward so, to break it, I said, “Working hard?”

“Yes. Moving in. Me (pointing to himself)”.

“Well welcome”, said I.

He was in attendance at the potluck and had come earlier to Pizza Tuesday, but was run out by the other bully – let’s call her Loosie Goosie.

Loosie Goosie has run people out of the Community Room many times with her loud argumentative mouth and negative energy, but that wasn’t what ran the new guy out. It was the fact that she likes men. She was Creepy Guy’s girlfriend and, when he went to a facility, she approached Apache and asked, “Do you need a girlfriend?”

Apache declined, but there have been those who did not decline, thus the nickname Loosie Goosie.

At any rate, Loosie Goosie saw new guy walk in and was all over him like white on rice to the point where he asked The Woman Who Wears Braids, “Can you help me?”

She suggested he leave and go back to his unit.

He did.

However, he returned for the potluck and, when I left, he and Loosie Goosie were seated at an outside table, just the two of them, and he didn’t look like he was in distress. So maybe she sensed she was coming on too strong and is trying a kinder softer approach.

There was also the drama in the Community Room of so many not getting along – not that there’s open warfare, but there’s a lot of this one talking about that one, that one talking about this one, some not coming to the event because so and so was in attendance, The Seer in the middle of it all – at odds with Church Lady, at odds with the two bullies, at odds with President of the Resident’s Volunteer Activity Committee, the Nail Salon Lady taking sides with President of the RVAC. Made for a lot of tension in the atmosphere and being a sensitive, I saw the eye rolls, the back stabbing, heard the whispering, felt the negative energy and was anxious to escape to the sanctuary of my little unit.

It’ll be a long time before any of them see me again and, if I do go down to take photos for the Facebook page if and when there’s another potluck, I won’t bother with contributing anything.

Pride Goes Before a Fall

St Patrick’s Day isn’t until the 17^th. However, the potluck celebration is tomorrow, over a week early.

Probably something to do with Activity Director’s schedule.

At any rate, it crossed my mind yesterday that a Starbuck’s Traveler wouldn’t be the best choice for my contribution. Much as the seniors do love and see Starbucks coffee as a special treat, it’s more appropriate for breakfast and brunch. So, coffee out, it then became a toss-up between deviled eggs dyed green or lime ice cream and soda for a knockoff shamrock shake.

Having not been sleeping well last few days -- waking at 1:30 for no reason insofar as I can tell, getting out of bed, playing candy crush, alphabetty saga, reading blogs, meditating until I feel sleepy again, go back to bed, get up a few hours later, I've been waking up tired and don’t have the energy for deviled eggs, so off I went to the market for 7-Up, lime ice cream and, for variety, mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Back at the complex, after unloading groceries, I walked through the Community Room, heading to the mailbox, and learned Assistant Maintenance Guy had resigned.

How stupid is that, thought I.

He was well liked, respected, and his work ethics were acknowledged and appreciated by us residents until, in his war with Head Maintenance Guy, he put the brakes on those work ethics.

It was said he’d resigned because Corporate was trying to fire him, but still … how stupid is that.

Putting aside he’s been giving Corporate just cause to fire him, if he’d let it play out, he could at least have been able to claim unemployment. As it is, he has a new home and a new truck to maintain, no income insofar as we know and how many opportunities are out there for a 54-year old fix it guy?

It’s all ego and pride.

Ego that he’s older, more experienced, yet has to take orders from a lazy kid.

Pride that he couldn’t knuckle down, accept what is and do what he had to do to keep his job.

It’s so stupid, so sad and, once reality sets in, I wouldn’t be at all surprise if he didn’t end up asking for his job back.

Hidden Meanings

It’s raining this morning, so plan to head to the University Campus, load up on Pokéballs are scraped. It’ll be keeping warm and dry today with needlepoint and catching up on recorded television programs.

Woke up yesterday to find the March Activity Calendar posted to the door.

Not much going on this month, other than the same ol same ol – Pizza Tuesday, Crochet Class, Bingo, Movie Night.

Monthly birthday celebrations looks to be a thing once again. It seems The Baker’s making cupcakes for mine shamed the Activity Director into restarting that event, because there was a cake for the February birthdays and, on the calendar, it shows March Birthday Celebration on the 20th, with pie instead of cake.

St. Patrick’s Day is being celebrated with a potluck on the 6th.

I’ll check it out and, if there’s baked potatoes and cabbage, as has been in the past, I’ll be able to eat. Not sure if my gut will accept corned beef, so I won't risk it.

Not yet sure if I’ll take the easy way out and bring a Starbucks Traveler as my contribution to the event, or whether I’ll bring Lay’s Potato chips – smile bags of course, so residents can take funny photos with the smile bags.

I’m leaning towards Starbucks, because so many are fuddy duddies that can’t break free and do silly fun things.

Also attached to my door was an envelope, addressed to me, with this “I Was Thinking …” card inside

The inside sentiment was, “You Deserve Thanking”.

What did I do to be thanked for? thought I. However, looking at things I was being thanked for in comments, such as “Thanks for your help and support” … “You make us all visible! Looking good”, I understood it was for taking photos and providing prints to residents, for attending and supporting Resident Volunteer Committee activities, and for setting up and maintaining the Committee’s facebook page.

Two comments gave me pause -- that of one of the two Community bullies and that of Assistant Maintenance Guy.

I had to give the bully credit for not declining to sign, as I’ve had no qualms about openly declining to sign when I was presented with a card for her birthday, and not because I dislike her -- I don’t have feelings towards her one way or the other. It’s just that I’m done with extending myself, being nice with people who aren’t nice with me. The Bully is a non-entity to me, doesn’t exist in my awareness, and she made that easy when she shopped speaking to me over two years ago.

What brought about her not speaking to me, walking in another direction to avoid me when she sees me out and about, was that I challenged her behavior in a meeting when she was being awful to someone.

I’d seen her being awful to others many times before, minded my own business, but Infinite Spirit wasn’t having it this time and used me to shut her down. I had no intention to get involved, didn’t even see it coming, just all of a sudden heard an authoritative voice come out of my mouth saying, “You’re being rude. Knock it off”.

She was stunned at being challenged in a room full of others, I was stunned the words had come from me, but she did indeed knock it off. However, in retaliation, the bully hasn’t spoken to me since – not even when we one day happened to be standing side-by-side at the mailboxes.

She used to get a distasteful look on her face and turn up her noise when she’d see me. I’d laugh. I’m guessing not the reaction she expected because, whereas she has so many afraid of her, she now looks like she’s afraid of me.

At any rate, I don’t think her signing my card means she’s over it and is coming back around. Especially since her comment was about as ungenerous as could be … “Take care”.

LOL.

HMG’s comment of “Thanks for everything” gave me pause because, in light of recent events -- his getting in trouble for walking off the job and not responding to my emergency on-call request, I’m wondering if “Thanks for everything” has a hidden meaning behind it. Is he really saying, “Thanks a lot for helping to get me in trouble”.

?????

All Hands on Deck

Complex management is preparing for the super bowl of inspections.

Everyone is here today, including Assistant Maintenance Guy (AMG), who I actually did not see, but heard his voice. Corporate Boss Lady is here, keeping an eye on AMG, plus management brought in temporary maintenance workers, a few days ago, to follow-up/take care of items marked for servicing by Head Maintenance Guy.

There’s guys on roofs cleaning out gutters.

How brave is this guy.

First time I’ve seen gutters attended to in the six years I’ve lived here.

The grounds are well-maintained, but they have the landscapers tweaking things, hauling in new rocks and tidying up the rock landscaping areas.

What’s all the hubbub about?

Money, of course.

If they pass this upcoming government super bowl of inspections, the government won’t bother them again with inspections for three years and Corporate gets an increase in funding.

Should they not pass, the government will be back next year to inspect and the next. I don’t know for sure, but imagine, after failing a few times, funding for operating a limited-income property could be in jeopardy.

Corporate will never allow that so, with all this preparation, I’m sure they’ll pass, except I wonder how the inspectors will rate this.

Status H Building, December 2017

Remember when the U-Haul truck tore up the H Building in October of last year?

It took management until December to, what I thought was, begin repairing the area.

Only I was mistaken. 

We are now in March of 2018, and the area looks just as it did in December.

What I assumed was repair work beginning was actually a temporary fix to protect the area from further damage when the Santa Anas rolled through.

I don’t know how this is going to pass the muster because what the government inspectors look at, to ensure we’re being provided with decent, safe, sanitary, in good repair living conditions are:

·       The site

·       All building exteriors

·       All building systems

·       All common areas

·       All units

I’m also wondering if this will be noticed.

When Head Maintenance Guy came in to stop the smoke detector from beeping, he did a pre-inspection and found the door panel loose because a screw is missing. (I think that’s the noise I heard one day when I was vacuuming – the screw being swallowed up by the vacuum). 

Insofar as I am concerned, a missing screw seems not a big deal, but it all depends on just how anal the inspectors will be when checking this unit.

At any rate, HMG thought it important enough to make a note to repair.

HMG also said something about a screw missing in the screen door runner.

He put that on his list as well.

THEN, two days ago, one of the temporary workers came up to repair my “leaking faucet”.

“My faucet isn’t leaking”, said I.

“It’s here on the checklist”, said he.

It was on the checklist, but he found nothing wrong with the faucet.

Nowhere on his list was the missing screw in the door panel or the sliding door runner and, since the temporary guy wasn’t told to replace screws, just repair a leaking faucet which wasn’t leaking, we just chatted a bit about what I was watching on television and he left. 

Bottom line, the door panel is still loose, the screw still missing, HMG is an idiot and the complex might get dinged if the inspectors notice it and decide to be anal.

Speaking of getting dinged.

Heading out to keep this afternoon's appointment at the nail salon, I also saw the tree trimmers were hard at work, and much too close to my horse.

I made sure to take photos just in case I later notice a ding or a scratch.