Found Treasures

At Monday’s big reveal of the Pain Cave’s renovation, I saw that partner’s office had been demolished to expand the workout area. He and Trainer are now sharing an office in the back.

While working out that day, the corner of partner’s desk caught my attention. I don’t generally pay attention to such things, so I’m beginning to think reading Dawn the Bohemian’s blog, is causing me to develop an eye for what she calls “found treasures”.

Curious, I stepped into the area at the end of my session for a closer look, asked and got permission to take a photo.

The desk appears to be like the roll top oak desks I’ve seen in very old movies.

”If your partner ever wants to get rid of this, you should buy it” said I to Trainer. “I think it might be valuable ... something an art dealer/interior designer would be interested in”.

What do you think Dawn? Am I developing an eye for found treasures ... did I nail it?

And btw, I noticed partner has got his bases covered, what with the buddha on the desk and the No. 9 (good fortune) No. 1 (new beginnings, freshness) No. 2 (cooperation/balance, as in the yin and yang).

Interesting how partner is into drawing good chi to himself, but not sharing this with Trainer; and it may be Trainer is just not interested, thinks it’s all hog wash. In which case, what Trainer thinks doesn’t matter because, sandwiched between my good chi and partner’s, Trainer is reaping the benefits.

Elsewhere ─ even though a strange car is still in Assistant Manager’s parking stall, and even though I haven’t physically seen her or Complex Manager, I have it on good authority both are back in the office.

No explanation as to where they’ve been for two weeks, but the timing suspiciously coincides with the CDC recommended quarantine period of 7-14 days after a person is exposed to someone who is symptomatic or has tested positive for COVID-19, so I’m going with that.

Assistant Maintenance Guy (AMG) is still out. Covid must be kicking his arse, because it didn’t take this long for Head Maintenance Guy to recover from his diagnosis.

Ironic, isn’t it, that staff locked the office as protection from our infecting them, and they end up infecting each other and/or having to quarantine under threat of having infected each other.

Walking into the Pain Cave this morning, not expecting to see a mirror to deflect the badly located treadmill ... and I didn't, there was no mirror, I’d taken the precaution of slipping into my pocket the Stone I received from Debra at She Who Seeks for participating in her fun tin foil hat contest.

It evidently helped, as I walked away from this morning’s workout unscathed ─ no backache caused, no doubt, either by a discordant spirit who saw an opening last time to hit me in the back or stress from worrying that I was facing a wall.

I had a mean spirit ghost push me to my knees once.

Living in Long Beach at the time, I was walking along the beach path, passing the gated entry to the boat landing. All of a sudden, I felt a shove, lost my balance, fell to my knees. As there was no one anywhere near me, I knew it was a mean spirited spirit. As to WHY me, I figured he was racist, didn't like a Black girl living her life, walking by his landing, while he was stuck in the netherworld. LOL.

Didn’t stop me from taking that same path several times after, but I was careful to silently, mentally, address the gate guardian, saying I was on to him, that shoving me was mean because I wasn’t bothering him, and never had another incident.

True story ... and I’ve got others.

The Big Reveal

Last night, looking at video of the completed renovation of the Pain Cave, I spotted something that gave me pause.

The warm up station, i.e., treadmill, was crammed in a corner, facing a blank wall.

With a huge picture window where one can look out upon the world, and all the now open space adjacent to, why crammed in a corner, facing a wall, back to the open space, thought I.

I’m not a mafia don that it’s not smart to leave your back open, yet and still it’s smart not to leave your back open.

Trainer knows nothing about the art of placement, but his partner is Thai and, from the tassels, wall hangings, water fountain and Buddha altar he has in his areas, you’d think partner would advise Trainer.

Maybe it’s sabotage, a jealousy thing because Trainer is making a name for himself, doing better business than partner but, whatever the reason, not only did the placement appear esthetically not pleasing, it made me uncomfortable just looking at it online, so I texted Trainer that I didn’t care for it.

Later, I thought about how nervy that was, and worried he might take offense.

I’m not trying to tell Trainer what to do, it’s just that I don’t like to tempt fate. I'm not one to test the boundaries of proper feng shui. It’s like knowing the rules of the road, breaking those rules, hoping you don’t get hurt or hurt someone else.

I don’t know all the specific rules of feng shui, but I think I was born into knowing what I do know, because I’ve always had a feel for placement before I discovered there was a word for it ─ feng shui.

Just to make sure I was justified in not liking the idea of the treadmill facing the wall, back to all the open space, I went online this morning and found the following.

“Save space. Cram it all in, doesn’t really matter right? Um… wrong. Research has shown that sitting with your back to a door releases the stress hormone cortisol, whereas sitting with a view of a door releases the feel-good yummy hormone oxytocin ... Facing an insurmountable obstacle (like an unmovable wall) generally has the effect of squashing a person’s spirit rather than inspiring them to do great things”.

Trainer, not offended, replied to my text saying he’d put a tablet (little tv) on the treadmill, so I’d have something to look at while warming up. That’s not the point, so I texted back it’s a bad luck position.

And just for the record, it’s not just a few minutes of facing the wall while warming up. The procedure is a 5-minute treadmill warm up, split second water break, routine reps, 1 minute back on the treadmill, split water break. A second round of routine reps, another minute back on the treadmill, split second water break. Then we go through that process twice more with two different cross fit routines, finishing with a water break and cool down on treadmill.

So off I go this morning, not wanting to see a little tv on the treadmill but seeing one on the treadmill nonetheless.

Trainer tells me he’s placed the treadmill in the corner because I’m the only one using it and, when I’m done, he folds it back up against the wall to be out of the way.

”I’m the only one using the treadmill?” asked I “How does everyone else warm up”.

”They do jumping jacks and squats”, said he.

”I can do jumping jacks”, said I and proceeded to swing both arms over my head while simultaneously not lifting self off the floor, but instead moving one leg to the side, then the other leg.

”That’s a jack”, said Trainer. “Not a jumping jack”, LOL.

So, I understand his logic ─ I’m old, have to warm up the gentle way, but placement is still wrong ─ bad juju, negative chi.

Bad juju can be offset with tassels, like partner uses, but Trainer is not a tassel kind of guy. So, I suggested a mirror on the wall, because any bad chi would hit the mirror and bounce back out of the room. Also, I could focus on the mirror, instead of a blank wall, and see what’s behind me.

I didn't even look at the tablet while working out. Just looked at the wall.

Will I get a mirror? I dunno, but definitely something needs to be done because today I walked away with lower back pain.

Feels like I've been punched.

Coincidence?

I think not.

And while I’m at it, if you’re interested (even if you’re not) here’s a rule to follow re placement of your bed. At all costs, avoid positioning your bed in line with the door. It’s called the “dead man position” or “coffin position” because the feet or head face the door and resemble how the dead are carried through open doors from the house.

“Chi (energy) enters rooms through the doors and windows. Sleeping directly in line with the door places you right in the pathway of all the forces that enter the bedroom. You should feel safe and secure when you’re sleeping, not worried and vulnerable.”

So, is anyone going to have to move their bed? LOL.

Happy Easter

With no egg coloring or Easter potluck photos to regale you with — for the second year in a row since the pandemic called a halt to those kinds of activities here at the complex, thought I’d regale you with a cute pic the granddaughter sent.

She and her husband have become like urban farmers, what with a vegetable garden, cat, dog, baby chickens and baby ducks.

Mama?

All this in an uber expensive home in a hoity toity neighborhood.

The neighbors must love them, I say in jest, because not only are they a mixed race couple, but have turned the back yard into a petting zoo.

This photo of the baby chicks had me LOL, because it caused a flashback to an annoying memory from childhood.

Whenever any of us kids would approach mom with, “Guess what?” She’d reply with “Chicken butt, run around the house and eat it up”.

Have you ever heard of that smart aleck response?

I’ve never heard this coming from anyone else, which is a good thing because it got old and annoying and was an instant conversation ender, which may have been mom’s plan ─ whatever it was, she didn’t want to hear it.

Tomorrow is the big reveal at the Pain Cave. Renovation was completed on Friday and Monday marks my return to a regular schedule.

The kid from the movie Get Out ─ which is so good that I’ve viewed over a dozen times, hosted Saturday Night Live last night and slayed when he included this in his monologue.

Didn't know he was British, can't tell from the way he speaks in the movie, but hearing his accent last night, it's mesmerizing to hear it come from a person who looks like that and it's lovely.

More Than He Could Chew

Trainer has been keeping us regaled with the renovations via videos posted to his Instagram.

Yesterday’s video showed not only a wall knocked down, but walls plural, doors, windows. It was looking like Trainer had taken on more he could chew, gutted the whole place.

I began thinking I’d get a call postponing that day's workout.

Sure enough, along about 10 a.m., I got a text asking to reschedule to today at 12 noon.

“Sure” said I. “Looking at the video posted, I’d half expected your call. LOL.”

I woke up this morning, expecting the remainder of the week to be called off. It’s early, so I’ll proceed as a usual workout day, but won’t be surprised to be texted that the remainder of the week is cancelled.

Trainer does not own the building. So I sure hope he, and the guy who’s partnered with him, have the owner’s permission to do as much as is being done.

With no plans scheduled for my yesterday off, I ended up putting in time on the new needlepoint, while watching old reruns of the original Law and Order and working out with the smart hula hoop.

I was tempted to watch the George Floyd Trial on Court TV, but knew I couldn’t handle it. 

Watching Chavin sitting there looking non-repentant would be too disturbing. Especially, since his defense attorney is presenting as calm, charming, likeable ─ not the usual scumbag distasteful defense attorney type.

I had been reading some of the online daily summaries, and even THAT is so disturbing that I’m going to have to block out the whole proceeding ... wait for the end, hope it's not just another injustice I have to swallow.

What I found so distressing that I can’t even read summaries of the trial any longer was when an off-duty firefighter walked up on the scene, identified herself, asked to be allowed to provide aid to Floyd but was told by Thao, “If you are who you say you are, then you know not to get involved”.

WHAT?!

A first responder should know better than to try to respond to a person in distress?

What planet is Thao from.

What really hurts was when that first responder was on the stand, and the judge found her responses to Chavin’s defense attorney to be “argumentive”. The judge “scolded” her not to argue with the court or counsel.

Scolded a witness still distressed over what she observed and being rendered helpless to do her duty.

I find what this judge said to her to be not only upsetting but very telling. “So that’s how it’s going to go” I said to myself, as the hope in me that justice would be served faded away.

I just can’t handle watching, hearing or reading about this trial. Wake me when it’s over.

As for today’s workout ... a text arrived, as I was composing this post, indicating the contractor has “made a mess in the treadmill area, we might have to reschedule”.

I really must add to my resume that I’m not only an empath but a mind reader. LOL. ”Let’s just call this week altogether”, replied I.

Trainer saw the need to apologize profusely, but “nothing to apologize for, stuff happens” said I.

On tap for today, now that I've another free day, is more needlepoint, tv, smart hula hooping.

I don't know if it's my imagination but, since I began working out with this hoop, my body feels younger.

Seriously.

No April foolin.

Last two mornings I woke up, there wasn't the sound of cracking in my knees as I got out of bed.

I haven't lost any weight, but I "feel" lighter, move easier.

Perhaps the movement is releasing much needed collagen from the hips to the knees and other joints.

Time will tell.

In Search Of

This week started off on the good foot when I captured a Wild Pikachu (Raichu) that had appeared in the area some three weeks ago ─ first time I’ve seen a Raichu ANYWHERE.

I’d initially spotted it in the market parking lot ─ where it evaded capture, then over at the Adventist Church ─ where it fled before I could drive over and try once more to capture.

After that, I’d pretty much given up on seeing a Raichu in this area again; but lo and behold, there he was yesterday ─ hanging around the fountain of the apartment complex down the street.

I managed to get there before he fled, captured and added to the Pokédex.

He’ll make a good fighter in battles, because his tail acts like a scorpion’s stinger.

Shortly after capturing Raichu, I arrived at The Pain Cave only to find the place in complete and utter disarray.

Trainer explained he was actually closed this entire week, as the studio undergoes a renovation ─ which includes knocking out a wall to expand the personal training area, but was going to work with myself and one other client yet and still.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I didn’t ask why I got to continue training, while others were left to wait the week out. However, if I had to guess, I’d say it's because I don’t need as much space or equipment as do younger clients. The readily available treadmill, a few pulleys, weights will get me through the week just fine until the other equipment, and spaces, become available for use.

It’s going to be interesting to see the studio’s transformation as it goes along. However, I thought twice about that last night when through my mind passed a question ─ “What if there’s asbestos in the wall being torn down?”

I brushed it off, rationalizing that sessions are only half an hour, I’m in a mask and, as far as I understand, asbestos is in ceilings, not in walls.

And if you think a half-hour isn't long enough to work a body, you'd be wrong. I'm generally feeling it at only 10 minutes in. LOL.

There’s still that eerie feeling on the complex, because the strange car is still in Assistant Complex Manager’s spot, with no sign of her, her husband or Complex Manager.

It may be time to put up “Missing ... Have You Seen” posters.

On the other hand, everyone may be at Corporate planning revenge on my buddy Apache, because Apache tells me it’s official ─ Complex Manager has been served that restraining order. There is of yet no set court date.

I’ve never been served with or taken out a restraining order on anyone (no need, as I had plenty of protection ... four street-smart brothers, and a sister who was wilder and tougher than the bros.

Even though I was the oldest, I was shy, naïve, that "good girl" under mom's thumb, while the others ran amok and watched my back for me.

So, anyway, I don’t know for sure how a restraining order works, but I’m fairly certain there’d be a date to appear on the paperwork ─ except we’re in a pandemic, there’s a backlog and courts have more important things to mitigate than a landlord/tenant squabble.

Perhaps Apache should take it to Judge Judy.

Seriously.

I'll look into that and mention it to him.

It’s looking like a nice day for a drive, so I may head out today for Sprouts, which is the only place I can find organic chicken that is grass fed, not the grain fed that would set off a gut episode.

Why does my gut not like grain fed chicken you ask? 

Well, that’s because not only are you what you eat, you are also what you eat eats. If I eat chicken fed grains, I’m ingesting grains my gut is allergic to.

I’ll probably run into more Raichu while out and about, because the game is weird like that. It may take a year, or years (in the case of this Raichu) to catch a creature but, once caught, more of the same mysteriously begin to appear.

Hips Don’t Lie

Yesterday was my day to declutter under the sink (cleaning products) storage.

I’d already ordered, and received, non-stick contact paper to match the cupboards, because matchy matchy is how I roll.

Close Enough

After removing all the cleaning products, stacking them on the counter, it became evident the clutter was due to having two, sometimes three of the same product.

Best I can figure ... disorganization made it difficult to see what I had, and I’d end up purchasing another.

The total haul does look to be a bit excessive, don’t you think, or would you say the typical household has a plethora of cleaning products under the sink?

At any rate, I do enjoy looking at this paper when I go under the sink now. The paper went down easy and, because it’s non-stick, can easily be removed to clean.

Under the bathroom sink wasn’t chaotic but, inasmuch as I had another roll of paper ─ and the energy, figured might as well, so I did that area as well.

And while we’re on the subject of cleaning products, save your money on this.

I’m a sucker when I see a new cleaning product advertised, especially when touted to be powerful, so I gave it a shot.

Disappointing. Takes too many pumps to clean a single item, and doesn’t get sudsy.

I didn’t even have to be tempted by an ad on TV to try this next new anti bacterial fabric spray. My fetish for new cleaning products just led me to it in the store isle, but it’s turning out to be worth the money.

I don’t have a washer/dryer in the unit to toss my workout clothes into when I return from the Pain Cave, so I spritz wash the clothes with this disinfectant wash.

I also used it to spritz clean the heavy quilt on the bed, and to freshen up clothes hanging in the closet.

As for that other new item, tempted by TicTok to purchase ─ the Smart Hula Hoop, I was beginning to think hips do lie and I was never going to get a rotation going.

When I’d previously tried with a conventional hula hoop, I’d attributed my failure to the middle-age spread around my midriff. But inasmuch as the smart hoop fits like a belt, and I still couldn't get a rotation, I deduced the problem was movement of the hips, so I tested out different tactics.

Pushing forwards and back didn’t work.

Rotating my midriff in a circle fashion didn’t work either.

Trying to sway real fast definitely didn’t work.

Then one morning, I clipped on the belt and, while focused on something on television, NOT thinking, my hips automatically kicked into gear and voilà.

Easy like Sunday morning.

Now I just have to build up my stamina because, though it appears effortless, it wears me out quick fast and in a hurry.

If and when the pandemic ever ends, I’ll be taking this to family gathering as a fun activity for all.

Mike ... did you get yours yet?