What Had Happened Was

Friday the 13th was a good day for me, because I got a hug from this fine-looking young brother and didn’t mind the hug not one bit.

What had happened was …… while playing bingo, I observed him running back and forth to the truck, loading his arms with packages, running all over the complex delivering, nonstop for well over an hour.

Observing how hard he was working, when we had a break, I took some of our goodies out to him — cookies, fresh hot popcorn, a soda and bottled water.

He was so thankful that he threw his arms around me and gave me a big old hug.

So, though I didn’t have a bingo win, I got the best prize.

I bet all the ladies are going to start running goodies out to good-looking delivery guys from now on.

Yesterday’s bingo was my first opportunity, in the last two weeks, to interact with any of the residents.

I’ve not been intentionally avoiding anyone. It’s just the way the last two weeks worked out, with the exception of Next-Door Neighbor — who btw, wasn’t the least bit unnerved by Mr. Warty Pumpkin (thanks Linda for that description). She said she took one look at it, thought to herself "There she goes again" and that was that.

I’ll have to try harder next year with a creepy clown faced pumpkin.

We had a full house in the Community Room, with lots of new people and a visitor or two.

Dream Lover was absent, as was Her Hautiness/Boebert, his latest paramour.

The group that showed was loud, raucous, out-of-control.

Painted Rock Lady hasn’t been feeling well enough to take on the role of Caller, so the job was split between Red Light and the Baker.

Red Light was visibly thrown off by the rowdiness, but never squeezed the hen of silence to quiet the room.

She’s great at talking behind people’s back, but is otherwise a coward, doesn't want to ruffle feathers.

When the Baker took her turn as Caller, she kept imploring the room to please quiet down so she could call numbers and hear winners call back their numbers.

The room ran ragged over her as, no less than a half a dozen times did the Baker pause the play, stand up and beg the room to quiet down …"Use your inside voices", only to be ignored.

Finally, I got up and took control of the hen, saying "You two don’t want to be perceived as mean. I don’t have a problem with it" and I began squeezing the hen directly in people’s faces until they shut the hell up.

Thinking back on it, I’ll not be taking charge of the hen again because, if Red Light and the Baker won’t stand up for themselves, take charge, take control, squeeze the hen at least, then f%^k them.

I just can't respect the way the two let people walk all over them — like the time the Black Witch was acting up. Red Light ran from her, the Baker tried to make herself invisible; and when the BW came for me and I told her "I don't respond to bullies. You picked the wrong one today", Red Light and the Baker kept shushing me, urging me to let the BW go unchallenged. In other words, be a woozy like them.

Much as I like the Baker, I gotta say I lost a lot of respect for her that day.

So, anyway, getting caught up on what intel I’ve missed, I learned management is continuing to take things away from us. This time it’s the Laundry Rooms.

The machines in the Laundry Room across the grassy knoll — the room I retreated to when the one in my building had a lizard in it, are inoperable; and because the equipment is down, management has locked up that Laundry Room.

Two machines in my building’s Laundry Room have been reported to management as out-of-order.

Management told those residents reporting, that it is the residents' responsibility to contact the service provider.

In addition, management said that, because they are having too many problems with the company they hired to service the Laundry Room equipment, they are looking at not only getting rid of that company, but getting rid of the laundry rooms altogether ………… because "it’s getting to be too expensive".

That news stunned me, but I won’t be all that surprised if management carries through with that plan to shut down Laundry Rooms completely, send us out into the wild to find coin-operated laundromats.

I also learned why it is that Activity Director’s calendar just indicates "HALLOWEEN" on Tuesday the 31st and there are no Halloween events ……… period.

There are five Tuesdays in this month of October. Activity Director is contracted to work no more than four Tuesdays per month, so she won’t be here on the 5th Tuesday …… the 31st.

According to what Activity Director told Red Light, she tried to switch one of her Tuesdays with the 31st, so she could be here, set something up for us, but the company she is hired through would not allow it.

I dunno, but it’s possible.

As far as any other management sponsored events ……… "The budget won’t allow for it. There is no money in the budget for events until Christmas" is what we're being told.

Strange, since management raised the rent in July. Not to mention, my recertification comes up next week — "Recertification" being management’s opportunity to get all up in my ass, dig into my personal financial business, to make certain I’m still poor enough to continue to lease a unit here.

I’ve already received the paperwork, which includes notice that, when I reup, my rent will increase an additional $110 …… and it's not just me. It's all of us not supported by the County.

Even Red Light, who is supported by the County, is worried. Saying that when management increases the County's share, the County then increases the residents' share, and that some on the County role here are already having difficulty making their share.

So where are all these increases going?

The money is not going into repairs, certainly not into events because management says there’s not enough money in the budget for events; we can’t use the refrigerator in the Community Room, and now there’s a possibility we’ll be doing without Laundry Rooms.

So I ask again …… where is the money collected from all these increases going?

There’s no one we can complain to — Corporate doesn’t care and I'm guessing management’s line is, "If you don’t like it, then move".

So, what we’re getting for these increases is the privilege to not live on the streets, have a roof over our heads, but no events, no refrigerator in the Community Room and possibly no Laundry Rooms in the future. Just a roof over our heads.

Oh well, it is what it is.

Speaking of the Community Room refrigerator — I’d previously blogged that, when the Inspectors were on the premise, management took down all those signs indicating we are not to use the refrigerator.

I kept forgetting to see if the locks were also removed.

Remembering to check yesterday, I walked into the kitchen and it looks like management removed the bottom key entry part.

Then

Now

Lazy as they are, having to lock and unlock probably got to be too much effort for them.

Friday the 13th

Second Friday the 13th we’ve had this year — first being in January also the second time it has landed on a bingo Friday.

Should be an interesting afternoon.

The Great Pumpkin

While out and about today, I picked up a warty looking pumpkin to decorate.

Intrigued by the look of it, I learned it to be a Knucklehead Pumpkin, part of "a specialty line known as Superfreak which was developed by Siegers Seed Co. in Holland, Michigan, intentionally bred for their warty skin".

The plan was, using a decorating kit, to turn it into a mummy.

I didn’t realize the kit required carving the guts from the pumpkin.

I don’t carve, so I painted instead and, with the warts making it difficult to do so, the pumpkin came out looking more like a sick pissed off hospital patient, rather than a mummy, but I like the way it came out.

I think it’s going to scare the crap out of Next-Door Neighbor when she next opens her door.

I'll be listening for her scream, followed by a knock on the door.

Happy Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day

Today’s Holiday wasn’t listed on this month’s Activity Calendar, so looks like the holiday fell by the wayside and management missed another opportunity to take the day off.

In fact, but for the fact the Catalyst posted a meme of actor Peter Falk in his role as the bumbling LAPD detective Columbo, with the caption "Happy Columbo Day", I’d have missed the day as well and another opportunity to set the record straight as to exactly who it was that discovered who.

Except for news of yet another war, today started off well for a Monday.

Driving out of the complex the long way around, to check on decorated patios, I felt a tad better about the apathy of other residents seeing at least one more patio display had gone up.

Upon returning from this morning’s workout, I walked over to take that above photo, which looks to have a Day of the Dead vibe, and came across one of our bingo usual suspects setting up a display that looks to be part Halloween part Thanksgiving.

Seeing me taking photos, she motioned for me to wait; whereupon she ran inside; returned a few seconds later wearing a witch's hat.

I’m thinking the hat is a dead giveaway as to what she’s planning on showing up as at the residents' Halloween Costume Party, Friday the 27th, which party is replacing that Friday's bingo game.

With not much else going on, it's looking like the Costume Party is going to be standing room only.

I'll have to decide if I want to skip that morning's workout, so I can arrive early, take photos as costumed residents walk through the door OR if I want to make a dramatic entrance by arriving late, take whatever photos I can then take.

I'm leaning towards the dramatic entrance.

As for the patio decorations ... with the two pumpkins on patios across the grassy knoll, my display and the above two, that’s 5 out of 178 units getting with the program.

It’s a start.

So Far So Nothing

It’s been unusually quiet here on the complex.

The calm before a storm?

There is also not a lot of Halloween spirit on the place.

Except for a pumpkin on the patio of a resident across the grassy knoll, and an even smaller pumpkin on the patio of her next door neighbors — the couple that moved into the unit previously occupied by the Black Witch, my now decorated patio is the only other homage to the holiday thus far.

Skelly is in his Johnny Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow evolution — even has the requisite eye patch.

I really wanted to pose Skelly giving the bad finger; but alas, the fingers don’t have individual joints that can be posed.

The Smoker’s unit is ready for new tenants. I haven’t seen anyone come look at it yet, but seeing my dark side patio display may give them second thoughts about leasing a unit in this quad. LOL.

I imagine residents participating in patio decorating would be a different story if management hosted a decorating contest, which they did two years ago — the only time it was done in the 12 years I’ve lived here. The idea of winning a prize had residents decorating in droves but, with no incentive this year, there’s no motivation.

Halloween Day proper actually falls on a Tuesday. Perfect day for a costume party, pumpkin decorating, etc., because Tuesday is Activity Director’s day here.

But nooooo. Not even a mention other than the day blocked off with HALLOWEEN in big letters on the calendar.

What does that even mean?

Does it mean Activity Director is taking the day off?

A movie matinee has been added to the calendar — Friday, October 20, 1:00 - 3:00.

That’s suspiciously new, but there is no mention of what movie is being offered.

Who does that? … Arranges for a movie matinee but then give no information on the movie so folks can decide if it’s something they want to see.

Oh well, something is better than nothing to some of the residents, so they’ll show up. I myself refuse to play the game — prefer nothing, so I’ll pass.

Today was the first day I’ve been feeling like myself since returning from Long Beach. I was so stressed driving up and driving back, due to a now fear of driving long distances because of that tire blowout I experienced last month, that I’d been completely devoid of energy and off center since returning.

It didn’t help my energy level that I ended up with a gut episode that lasted for days because, even though I tried to be careful insofar as what I ate at the Sprinkle's brunch, I wasn’t careful enough and suffered the consequences.

I came back so not myself and so off center that I went through the whole entire of Wednesday thinking it was Friday and didn’t figure it out until 8 pm that night when Survivor came on.

Since when did Survivor move from Wednesday to Friday, thought I, when the show came on.

After pondering it for a bit is when it hit me — the day was not Friday.

I’d even walked out of the Pain Cave that day saying "See you Monday".

Trainer didn’t correct me, so I guess he didn’t hear my mistake.

Oh well. I’m back to myself today — worked out in the Pain Cave, stopped by the market after — where I found the young lady security guard gone, the hugging security guard (let’s call him Mr. Huggy) returned, shampooed the carpets and worked a little on clutter management.

It was a productive day.

BTW, I didn’t ask Mr. Huggy where he’d been or offer a friendly greeting, just kept it cool with "Hey dude". Whereupon he responded, "Hello ma’am". And that was that.

On tap for tomorrow is nothing. Since housework is done, I can just sit tomorrow and watch the world go by.

Weekend Sprinkle

It sprinkled a bit during the drive to Long Beach on Saturday, rained a little overnight, but the sun was present on Sunday. Just in time for the outdoor "Sprinkle" (mini baby shower) at the Art Museum, with a view of the ocean, welcoming the soon-to-be great granddaughter.

Granddaughter scaled down to twelve — myself and White Grandma included. This being flu and cold season, three had to call off at the last minute, wisely stayed home, rather than infect those of us in attendance.

White Grandma made it, but arrived late after calling to say she was having trouble finding parking.

We were all seated by then and, when she called, I realized she’d be sitting in the only empty seat, which was next to me.

"I don’t want to sit next to White Grandma" pronounced I, and asked two of the ladies to move one seat over, so I could sit further away.

One of the two said, "I don’t want to sit next to her either", but she moved. The other said, "How could you do this to us", but she also moved.

White Grandma has a reputation — complains, criticizes, takes over and makes it about her.

So, anyway, when she arrived I didn’t go out of my way to greet her. She didn’t go out of her way to greet me but was well behaved and, towards the end of the Sprinkle, she was the bigger person — walked over to me, said "Nice to see you again". I said "You too", and that was that.

Brunch was off the menu, so I was able to find items I could eat, but had to pass on desert.

The quilt I made was well received and BTW, I don’t think I ever posted the finished quilt for you to see.

Label I Made for Back Corner

White Grandma is smiling at the quilt, but I dunno if I can trust that smile as showing how she really feels.

She herself started to crochet a quilt but, unable to complete it in time, gifted granddaughter items off the registry.

While in Long Beach, I got to spend time with the Great Grandson.

At 18 months, he's his own little person already and sees me so seldom that he doesn't really know me, but warmed up a little after I sang and danced along with him to his little shows, played with him in his toy room, showed approval when he showed off his skills.

Thinking about facing the Monday morning people going back to work traffic spurred me to check out of the hotel early, drive home Sunday evening rather than Monday morning.

Waking up this morning, learning the medical center would be striking later this week, I hurried over for a flu shot.

I did a dangerous thing by wearing my Inmate#P01135809 tee shirt.

Dangerous because, had the nurse giving me the shot been a supporter, that could have gone badly for me.

Since I was in the area, I did an even more dangerous thing to do while wearing that shirt — I popped into the craft store with the reputation of being GQP/racist/misogynistic/homophobic/anti-semitic/fill-in-the-discriminatory-blank for needlepoint floss, but got out without incident

On the way back to the complex, I saw a horrible accident caused by some yahoo running the red light well after the light had turned green for cross traffic.

I wanted to pull over, give my name as a witness; but the accident was on Route 66, where the intersections are chaotic, no place to pull over and the accident instantly caused even more chaos. Besides, there were a ton of other witnesses.

I'll have to check the dash cam to see if it captured the incident, just in case I see a notice in the newspaper asking witnesses to come forward.

All the way home I wondered how that yahoo now felt about being so important, in such a hurry that he blew through the red only to now not get to where he was so anxious to get, his car is wrecked, the other person's car is wrecked and possibly severely injured, as I very quickly heard sirens rushing to the scene.