Drop, Cover, Hold On

That was the instructions on the emergency alert I received this morning shortly after 10 AM — "Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself."

Only I didn’t feel or hear a thing, but the earthquake site indicated 6.7 three miles from San Diego.

Two of my facebook friends, who live nearby, posted they’d felt it.

The Talker felt it as well, posting ……… "So I’m sitting at the casino on a winning streak. The machine starts shaking then the floor is shaking. Wow! What a win! An Earthquake".

Yeah, I thought just what you're thinking, that it was 10 AM in the morning.

I’m drinking coffee. The Talker is at the casino gambling already.

Talker practically lives at the casino. Spends more time there than in her own unit.

It’s a good thing she’s lucky and usually wins otherwise, with what looks like a gambling addiction, she’d have trouble paying the bills.

Other than an earthquake, not a lot to report as I’ve stayed pretty much inside my unit, not run into any residents since last Tuesday ……… with one creepy exception.

There’s a weird little man on the premises, whom I assume is a fairly new resident with issues.

It was a few months ago that he first came to my attention.

I was outside chatting with a group of residents when, from across the quad, we heard him shouting something and waving his arms at us.

We paid him no mind until he crossed the grassy knoll, approached us babbling something we couldn’t make out.

He was standing too close to me, so I left and returned to my unit.

I didn’t see him again until last Wednesday when I was heading to the Pain Cave.

I was walking towards the dumpster to deposit trash when I saw him appear from around the corner walkway. Something told me to drop the trash, get out of the semi-enclosed dumpster area, make it to the car post haste.

I did so and was at the door of the car when I heard him from inside the dumpster area say, "Where did you go?"

He went in there looking for me.

When he came out of the dumpster area, continued down the walkway, he looked over, saw me at the car door, began babbling something, but did not approach as I locked myself in the car.

Then, on Friday, returning from the Pain Cave and market, arms loaded with workout gear and groceries, I was halfway across the parking lot when I saw him coming towards me. He’d walked through the open side of where the cars drive through, eyes locked on me, coming fast, directly towards me.

If my arms had been free, I could have kept him at bay with one of my tools. Not having that option, him now almost in my face, I yelled "GET AWAY FROM ME!" and swung one of my bags at him.

He immediately walked away.

I should have dropped everything and followed to see where he lives, or at least taken a photo of him, so I can report him to management.

He’s probably not dangerous, just another resident with issues that management, in its desperation to fill one of many vacant units, allowed in; but I’m on guard now to get a photo of him next time, get him identified, find out what his issue is, have management talk to his social worker, caregiver or whoever he lives with, have them explain that he is to stay away from that Black lady he's been trying to communicate with.

Sunday Funnies

Pizza Tuesday with a Side of Intel

This month’s Activity Calendar indicated "Social: Easter Celebration, 11:30 – 12:30" today.

A little early for Easter, thought I, inasmuch as Easter isn’t until Sunday the 20th ……… 420 Day.

How about that for a mashup.

The year started off with Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (WTF), and now the Day of Resurrection falls on the same day that smokers pay homage to the plant (420), with Earth Day following two days later.

As if this year couldn't get any weirder.

So anyway, I popped into the Community Room to not so much check on the Easter Celebration, more like to get intel as to what others are going to do about no longer having a drop off box to pay rent.

General consensus was "This is nonsense …… I’m not signing up for that thing (Rent Café) …… I don’t even have online …… She (Manager) just doesn’t want to do any work …… I’m walking my check into the office and, if they refuse to take it, I’ll take it back and rent not getting paid is on them".

I myself am still vacillating between opening a special bank account and mailing my rent check, but I’m leaning more towards mail because I’m a stubborn Capricorn …… the goat that doesn’t respond favorably to being forced to do something.

So, with me mailing, others walking into the office with their checks, we’ll see how next month goes …… what Manager comes up with to counter our resistance.

Dream Lover and Lu were both in the Community Room at the same time, but both were in motion; so I couldn’t tell if they were seated at the same table, but I assume they were.

No longer seeing the out in the open togetherness they once displayed, it’s hard to tell what their relationship status is. I didn’t sense any tension between the two, so status is a mystery at this point, but Dream Lover is back to giving me goo goo eyes, indicating he's ready to jump ship as soon as someone else comes along.

No tension between the two of them, but I did become aware of tension elsewhere in the room.

On the days I train at the Pain Cave, I’ve often seen a resident hanging out in her car on the lot.

I don’t know why she drives there, parks in front of the liquor store, sits (not drinking), sometimes chats with other people hanging around, but she does.

Let’s name her Car Dweller.

Two weeks ago, I saw Car Dweller having her car detailed by a homeless guy. Saying she pays him $40 to occasionally detail.

Okay, but why in front of the liquor store when the car wash is a block away.

She said the homeless guy drives her to the car wash, drives her back to the lot, does his detailing there.

I try not to judge others, but no way would I put myself in jeopardy by sitting in a car with a homeless individual, let alone have him drive me anywhere.

I'm cheap, run the jeep through the $2 coin wash, and thought $40 was a lot to pay for detailing but, when I pointed her getting her car detailed on the lot out to Trainer, he said the going rate is around $240.

So, $40 is a deal, and it’s helping the homeless guy out, so whatever.

What happened this morning was Car Dweller slid up to me and began venting …… "She’s grabbing pizzas, feeding the homeless".

"Who?", asked I.

"Her" she nodded towards Greedy Grabby.

Remember her, Greedy Grabby? …… the resident who acted as though rules did not apply to her, ran a crew of residents, all women from her home country, who catered to her, followed her lead.

They all got banned from the local senior center for stealing coffee/tea and Greedy herself made a complete fool of herself, caused a scene when she didn't get her way in a craft session.

She's still here, her followers have, through the years, gone elsewhere; her husband disappeared years ago — I think he passed away, but I've never cared enough to check on that. She now lives with a young man I assume is one of her sons or a relative, but could be a boyfriend for all I know, as I've never cared to ask about that either.

I don't know when her selfish self-centered arse became mother earth, feeding the homeless, but Car Dweller was in a rage that she, Car Dweller, was at the counter to get one of the few pizzas remaining, when Greedy Grabby, who’d already taken a pizza out to a homeless guy, came back to grab more to give away; saying, "She (meaning Greedy Grabby) had the nerve to ask me if I wanted one, like duh, I’m a resident, these are for residents".

I dunno. Car Dweller will pay a homeless guy $40 to detail her car, but gets upset, begrudges Greedy Grabby giving our free/donated pizzas to the homeless.

It was just yesterday when, headed for the other market, the prison looking one after working out, I saw a homeless guy gingerly stepping on hot concrete and hot asphalt, making his way down the street with no shoes on his feet.

It looked really painful.

I thought about giving him the flip flops I keep in the car, to wear for pedicures, but remembered I keep a pair of walking shoes in the trunk for when I’m out and about and the mood hits to do some walking. So, I pulled over, gave the guy the walking shoes.

The long and the short of it is, I can always buy another pair of shoes, and Car Dweller can afford to buy a pizza.

In other news, the Baker says she’s planning a Memorial Day BBQ. She and her family are providing the meat and potato salad, wants me to design a flyer and a signup sheet for who’s coming and what they will bring.

We have a lot of new people, so I’ll probably go to this event to find out who’s who.

Everyone is rushing things. Today was the Easter Celebration when Easter is a whole 12 days away, and now the Baker is planning 48 day ahead for Memorial Day.

I suppose the shops, stores, Activity Director will be planning for Halloween in July.

Sunday Funnies

Guess Who and What is Back

Yep, that’s the same older panhandler from last week, the one that got that $20 I found.

I guess he had such a good payday at that location that he decided to return.

Later, after thinking about my not giving him anything, I decided it would not have hurt me to help him out. There’s something about the twinkle in the old guy’s eyes. So, I’ve decided to take him on as a project. If I see him again, and it’s no more often than once-a-week, I can afford to spot him the occasional $20.

That’s the Who is back, as for the What ……… remember when Manager tried to lure us into signing up for Rent Café, the third-party portal designed for us to pay rent online, have rent automatically deducted from our accounts at an additional $3.00 a month charge.

She first tried to lure us in by offering a gift card lottery for us to sign up, offering to dispense with the $3.00 a month fee ……… but just for the initial signing up month.

Not getting the wanted response, Manager’s next move was to dispense with the paper form we’d fill out for work orders and tied it into Rent Café …… making it necessary for us to join Rent Café in order to submit work orders online.

Still no takers, Manager’s next move was to tie the Monthly Activity Calendar into the Rent Café — no more paper calendar posted to our doors. We have to access online through Rent Café.

I’m sure Corporate is pushing Manager to get us signed up, and it’s not just that we don’t trust this corporation with direct access to our bank accounts, it’s also that not many here have computers or smart phones to access the portal even if they wanted to.

So, anyway, we’ve thus far been able to get our hands on the Activity Calendar through other means, the last being check the Community Room for a printout.

I did that yesterday, but found no printout.

That’s because I later yesterday received the Activity Calendar through email, from Manager, along with a notice indicating, in big bold letters "AS OF APRIL 1, 2025, THERE WILL BE NO RENT DROP OFF BOX, to make rental payments easier please create an account with Rent Café and pay your rent online".

WTH. She won't give up. Has now blocked us from paying rent unless we sign up for Rent Café.

Is that even legal?

Fortunately, I dropped my check into the drop box a few days ahead of April 1st, but I wondered how those who generally drop off their payments on the 1st were going to pay rent if in fact Manager did remove the drop box.

I went down to check …… the drop box is indeed blocked off.

Talking to the Baker, she said she’s told those who don’t have computers or smart phones to just walk their checks into the office, that management has to accept payment.

I’m not so sure management will allow that, but how else can those who have no access to online manage?

As for me ……… during the no-contact Pandemic days, I mailed my rent check into the office. I’ll be doing that again, making sure to mail it a week ahead of the 1st, giving time for payment to get through the mail process and in management's hands before the 1st.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Two things happened when I popped into the market this morning ……… well actually three things because I forgot to check with my egg contact, see if he had anything for me, which means I’ll have to stop by the market after Friday’s workout.

The second thing was that the cashier asked, "You staying home Saturday?"

"Why, what’s happening Saturday?"

"The protest, but I understand Black people are not participating".

I don't know which protest she's referring to, but she's right about Black people not participating.

Other than working my voodoo dolls, not patronizing Target or Walmart, I and other POC are not out on the streets fighting this one because we told you so. This one is for those who did not listen to clean up.

I didn't say that to cashier, I just said "I stay home every day except workout days anyway, but Cory Booker stood up, so I’m voting for him as our next President".

The third thing to happen at the market was that behind me in line was Name Dropper, one of the newer residents — the woman who was quick to drop the name John Travolta, said her granddaughter is an actress, had a role with Travolta when she was a child.

I meant to offer Name Dropper a ride back to the complex, but distracted by the cashier’s question about Saturday, I totally forgot Name Dropper was there.

Didn’t remember her until, once in the car, driving out of the store’s parking lot, I saw her walking with her cart.

Pulling alongside, I apologized for not offering her a ride sooner, asked if she wanted one.

She declined, but said she’d just bought a box of wine, we should exchange telephone numbers. "You are so funny. I really love you, you should come to my unit, have a glass of wine with me".

Huh?

I'm glad she declined the ride, because she kinda gave me the creeps.

Seems to be going down, the way of Sue and Smoker Patty

She no longer looks healthy. I assume because she's inside her unit, lonely, depressed that life has landed her in an unglamorous place like this, drinking like Sue and Patty.

Plus, she scared me with that "I love you" crap.

Knew The Job Was Dangerous When She Took It

I yesterday observed TinTin’s belonging being loaded into a U-Haul. Her window still has that junk covering it, so I’m not sure if she’s all the way moved out or just working on it.

I also saw TinTin chatting with Next Door Neighbor, so catching NDN coming up the stairs today, I picked her brain ……… asked if she knew why TinTin covered her window like she did.

NDN had no idea and quickly changed the subject to discussing the complex TinTin is moving to.

Like I, NDN looked into the place online, and like I she found it a great place to live. However, unlike I, after talking to TinTin, checking the complex out online, NDN immediately drove over to the complex for a tour.

Declaring the place as pretty much perfect, including the fact the Fitness Center will soon be adding Yoga, NDN says she’s ready to move as well.

Only thing stopping her from leasing a unit right now is the uncertainty surrounding social security.

She says that as soon as she gets some level of certainty that immigrant president Elon is going to leave our social security alone, she’s outa here.

Good luck with getting a level of certainty within the 1389 days left to go under the current regime.

Whereas I’d been unsuccessful in getting TinTin’s reason for moving, NDN was more successful, saying TinTin said she was bored here, needed a place more lively, active, especially since she’s battling cancer ……… for a second time.

That was a complete surprise, as you’d never know it from looking at her.

She certainly looked healthy on the many occasions I saw her outside smoking with the other smokers — not smart with her condition.

At any rate, I wish her good health as she moves on from here.

In other news, I popped into the Community Room this morning to pick up a copy of this month’s Activity Calendar.

Of course, there were no printouts available.

What I did find in the Community Room was Dream Lover.

Instead of hanging out in Lu’s unit, as he had been doing, he was seated at a table, chatting, having coffee with a few regulars.

It’s still too early to declare the love affair as over and done with — they could be on a break.

Whether a short break or a clean break altogether, I can’t feel sorry or embarrassed for Lu. Fully aware of Dream Lover’s background, she knew the job was dangerous when she took it.