From My Mouth to God’s Ears

I’d just this morning, commented on Mike’s post, about eggs being the new gold, that I’d not been able to purchase organic eggs since first of the year.

Lo and behold, I pop into the market after today’s workout for eggs and Eggland’s Best Organic are back on the shelf.

The price of $9.99 is reasonable, and worth it to settle my stomach, as it suddenly occurred to me, after an entire month of Cage Free eggs, as Organic was not available, this might be why my gut has been giving me issues for an entire month.

Cage Free Eggs come from chickens not kept in cages, probably fed things my gut is allergic to, while Organic Eggs comes from chickens kept not in cages and fed organic feed.

And trust me …… my stomach knows when I’ve eaten something with an ingredient or substance that it’s allergic to, as a gut episode soon follows.

So, anyway, since today seemed to be from my mouth to God’s ears …… desires are being granted, let me say I’m still looking for that multi-million-dollar bingo win.

Detouring through the mailroom on my way back to my unit, I ran into the Baker.

She looked worried.

Asking if the bingo thing had calmed down, she said "No". That Red Light is still upset because the Baker won’t tell her who it was that made the complaint that got her kicked out of bingo.

Baker said, "I can’t tell her. I don’t want to cause trouble for someone else, so now her son is calling".

"OH! HE’S DANGEROUS", said I.

"Yes, I know", said she.

I didn’t ask how she found out the son is dangerous, but I found out when Red Light and Talker had that falling out that I mentioned in my February 1 post — the falling out that prompted Red Light’s first meltdown on Facebook.

The son had gotten involved, told Talker "I’ll throw you in the pool, put my foot on your neck, hold you down until you drown".

That seemed extreme, a little too Dexter Morgan, so Talker and I branded the son as dangerous to be thinking that way, talking that way.

I subsequently researched him online, to see if he was wanted for anything, but could find no info about him …… nothing at all.

So now, the son is on a mission to find out, for his mom, who it was that made the complaint.

Baker said the son is calling and harassing others his mom suspects of being the one …… residents not initially named in her Facebook meltdown.

I don’t answer my phone for numbers I don’t recognize. So, I checked my call list to see if any of the numbers I ignored looked like they could have come from the son.

Didn’t find anything other than out of state so, evidently, I’m not on Dexter’s and Ma Barker’s list.

Inasmuch as the son is considered dangerous, I asked Baker what she was going to do.

"One of my son-in-laws is a Deputy Sheriff. He’s going to look into what’s the best course to follow".

I'd like to see the look on Red Light's and her son's face when the cops show up.

I repeat …… all this over bingo.

A Day Without Immigrants

I was wondering why it was that, when I popped into the market after this morning’s workout, I didn’t recognize not a single worker. No baggers were on site and none of the cashiers I’m accustomed to seeing were working.

Except for the manager, the store was staffed by strangers.

It wasn’t until this afternoon, after Judge Judy and before I could change channels to avoid the news, that I saw the announcement of A Day Without Immigrants.

Ooooooh, everyone took off in solidarity, thought I.

With all this DEI stuff taking the joy out of it, I myself am not celebrating Black History Month. I’ve also closed my Target and Walmart accounts.

And let me take this moment to apologize to my Canadian friends for what the Orange Menace is doing insofar as using tariffs to harass your country.

I’m a little upset that Canada, not to mention Mexico and China are capitulating, entering into discussions with the Orange Menace to iron out a deal.

My astrological sign is Capricorn the Goat — stubborn, resistant. I’d rather do without than give in to a bully, and I can’t be the only one who’d be willing to do so. So, if you all want to say "stuff it" to the bully, refuse to deal with him, with us, we will find a way to live without what goods you provide if it hurts the Orange Menace.

So, while Rome is burning, Red Light — oblivious to the fact there are bigger issues than her hurt feelings, continues her campaign of …… I don’t know what her campaign is. What’s her end goal for posting what she posted?

Does she want us to feel so sorry for her that we give in and invite her back?

Ain’t gonna happen.

Is it she just wants to cause as much damage as she thinks she can to others?

There’s an old proverb, "He who digs a pit for others falls in himself".

The only damage being done is to herself.

Her posts have become a joke, a laughing matter due to the childish way she expresses herself.

She hasn’t posted anything new; however, she has been making telephone calls.

I’m guessing she knows that though I harbor no ill will towards her, I’m not the kind of person to play this nonsensical game, so there have been no calls to my phone looking for sympathy or venting her anger.

Baker said she stopped answering her phone when Red Light called, gave up trying to talk sense into her, so Red Light called and called and called and called until Baker had to block her.

Talker said she’d really like to talk to Red Light, tell her to think about what she’s doing, get her to calm down, but doesn’t feel now is the right time when Red Light is being so volatile. So, Talker also doesn’t answer when Red Light calls, but isn’t being bombarded like the Baker was.

I’ve no idea what Manager is going to do, but I bet Red Light’s behavior is going to set a precedent; that when we next have one of her meetings, she’ll tell us that once a resident moves out, it's "not okay" or safe for us to allow them back on the property to visit or engage in any of our activities.

Inasmuch as I don’t plan to hang out with the usual suspects at bingo, or any of the events listed on this month’s Activity Calendar, I doubt I’ll have anything more to report on the subject, unless someone catches me outside and fills me in.

Speaking of this month’s Activity Calendar ………… You might recall that, because we lost access to the calendar when it became only accessible through Rent Café, the Activity Director snuck a copy to Baker, who passed around to us.

Color me surprised when I found this month’s calendar in my email.

It came directly from Manager.

Has she seen the light and given up on Rent Café or did she just want to be in control of the calendar?

That’s why Manager and Red Light could never get along ……… both wanted control.

I’ve also learned that’s what irked the usual suspects about Red Light. Only one actively complained about and campaigned against her, but it’s being said more than one felt annoyed, because she was coming to bingo not as a visitor, but as though she was still running things.

And that’s the tea.

Manure Has Hit the Fan

Logging into Facebook this morning, to update the month on the resident’s page from January to February and, whoa Nelly, there was Red Light with one of her cryptic memes which I recognized as the beginning of a meltdown.

If this indeed is heading for a meltdown, it would be her 2nd very public meltdown, thought I. The first was in March of 2023.

This is what Red Light does. It’s her passive aggressive way of trying to manipulate people into feeling sorry for her. Like, "Hey look at what’s happening. I’m a victim here".

Only this time, as Red Light transitioned into the meltdown I'd expected was coming, she went from cryptic memes to full on naming names.

I don't know who this Blair person is — no one living here insofar as I know; but, by naming "Beatrice", Red Light is pointing directly at the Baker, "Grace" the Other Wheelchair Lady and "Mari" the complex Manager.

I'm not sure who "Another Person" is but, surprisingly, she doesn't name Talker and thankfully kept my MF name out her MF mouth (see what I did there).

Seems like the Baker, stuck between that rock and hard place as to whether to stand by her friend Red Light or acquiesce to the resident that didn't want Red Light around, made the difficult decision that what the resident wanted took precedence.

Under the circumstances of Red Light no longer being a resident, I don't see that the Baker had any other choice, before the complaining resident took the complaint to Manager, but Red Light is obviously seeing it differently.

That last sentence was a nice try at throwing shade and doubt on the Baker, trying to cause the Baker to consider someone doesn't like her either.

If Manager learns of Red Light's postings, her name included (and she will learn because someone will snitch to her), there's going to be heck to pay. Manager will probably get Red Light's FB account shut down, may even shut down the Resident's page, as Red Light posted all that not only to her personal Facebook page but also to the Resident's page, just to make sure it was seen by multiple persons.

I have it that, though Red Light's new place in Yucaipa is nice, luxurious, near a great shopping center, restaurants, etc., with only 35 units and so much to do in the area, no one wants to do bingo or set up any kind of activity, get involved with neighbors. Seems, she gained a lot when she moved out March of last year, but she also lost a lot — the sense of community she seems to need.

If she was reaching the point of loneliness and boredom to where she wanted to move back here, she's blown that possibility and, since she's burning bridges, she now has no friends just to stop by and visit.

So, anyway, if anyone is looking for me today, you'll find me eating popcorn, watching Facebook to see what Red Light will post next.

Timing is Everything

The more I thought about why Red Light would ask if my reason for dropping out of bingo was because of her, the more it occurred to me she just might have been fishing for information …… expected me to say no, it wasn’t her, it was someone else, so she could start drama.

Little did I know the drama had already begun. I just got caught up in it due to poor timing.

Heading out of the complex to run errands this morning, I parked in front of the office, ran in to drop off next month’s rent check, ran into the Baker.

Perfect timing.

After greeting her, I went straight into, "I got the strangest text from Rox (Red Light) asking if I was leaving bingo because of her. Why would she think that?"

The Baker began laughing, said "That was a strange thing to do, but let me tell you what happened earlier".

Baker said she’d been approached by another resident who said, "I can’t stand Rox. I just can’t get along with that woman and, since she’s no longer a resident, I don’t think she should be allowed to attend bingo".

Baker said that put her in a terrible position because, though the complaining resident has a valid point about Red Light not living here and technically should not be allowed to participate in resident activities, Red Light is her friend.

What the Baker decided to do was to call Red Light, tell her what had been said and leave it up to her to decide if she wanted to nevertheless continue to attend bingo.

She did.

Red Light attended the same day she found out someone did not want her there …… the same day I decided to announce I quit.

She put two and two together, thought I might be the complaining resident, sent that text.

I actually admire Red Light’s not folding like a cheap suit. The Baker wouldn’t tell her who the complainer is, so she’s on the hunt.

Now that I understood what's going on, and Baker being between a rock and a hard place as to whether to allow her friend Rox to continue to participate, I offered the following.

"You do a lot for these people, and they don’t seem to appreciate how much you do, how hard you work to give them fun activities. They take advantage of you. Rox has always helped you with all you do. So, if the person complaining is not doing anything to help you, and Rox is, then F_ck ‘em".

The Baker laughed again, and said "That’s the thing. The resident complaining is also helping me".

So, anyway, I don’t know what the Baker is going to do and, since I won’t be attending bingo in the future, I won’t know if Red Light shows up at bingo tomorrow, and the next and the next until things blow up and she can't.

One thing I do know is who the complaining resident is because, when the Baker said the complainer also helps her, that brought it down to two possibilities …… the Talker and the Other Wheelchair Lady.

The Other Wheelchair Lady — the resident who took offense to Di saying the F word, is known to be sometimey, but it’s a medication issue. Outside of flipping out, now and then because of meds, I know her to be friends with Red Light. There's always the possibility that's changed, but I doubt it.

My money is on Talker as the one who says she can’t get along with Red Light, and wants her to stop coming here.

I say this because, a few weeks ago, Di was upset because Talker was saying bad things about her, "trying to turn my friends against me", Di said.

When Di was telling me what Talker was saying/doing, I said "That doesn’t sound like her, doesn’t seem like something she’d do".

Now I’m thinking that, though I’ve never seen that part of Talker, she may actually be guilty of inflicting emotional damage on Di, maneuvering to get Red Light banned.

After all, this is the Feng Shui Year of the Snake. People we thought we knew are shedding their skins, showing a side of themselves we never knew was there — Snoop Dogg, Cary Underwood, Rascal Flatts to name a few. So, it’s not a stretch to surmise Talker is shedding her skin, showing a hurtful bully side.

At any rate, that’s the tea.

I have a sense that, at the rate things are going, bingo may end up shutting down altogether because, if Talker is successful at getting Red Light out, she herself will probably walk away, leaving the Baker on her own, with no one to help and Baker will have no choice but to shut down the whole thing.

That’s One

When I texted the Baker about bouncing out of bingo, Red Light happened to be in the Baker’s unit.

Red Light had earlier attended bingo and evidentially was hanging around Baker’s unit when my text came in.

I’d like to know what was discussed between the two of them, which prompted Red Light to text me yesterday asking if my reason for doing so was her …… that I didn’t want to come because she was attending.

Girl, please.

Super annoying that she'd think I care whether she, who relocated to a fancy luxury apartment some time ago, keeps coming back — continues to make her way over here to attend bingo, hang out.

In fact, it just recently crossed my mind, and puzzled me when I thought about how many residents I've seen move out and then, sometimes years later, put in an application. Some were successfull, moved back, others were denied.

Why return to the scene of the crime?

What's the appeal?

Are other senior living facilities that bad?

Just last week, I saw my Buddy Apache, bold as brass visiting a guy friend on the property, in violation of the restraining order management took out on him; and he was doing so during daylight hours when staff was still around to spot him.

I wanted to go down and say hey, but I was inappropriately dressed at the time.

It was just the week before when I spied Bicycle Boy lurking in the area.

People just keep coming back so, to me, Red Light is just one of many.

At any rate, That’s one, thought I to myself when Red Light texted for an explanation.

Actually, that's two because Baker also initially sought an explanation …… did someone say something to upset me.

Thinking Red Light’s question, about she being the reason, was too ridiculous to warrant a response, I brushed it off, didn’t respond.

Then today, I got to thinking …… Red Light is good at getting everyone’s personal business circulating on the grapevine. If I give her an explanation, she’ll be sure to spread it around, save the need for others to seek me out for an explanation.

So, I replied, "I like doing the flyers and web page. It's just that I don't enjoy sitting playing bingo as much as you others do and just don't want to do that part any longer".

Hopefully, that’s the end of it, but I doubt it.

In other news, I saw one of those Nazi Trucks when I was out and about yesterday.

It appeared to be undamaged, but I bet the driver is worried because folks are taking their frustrations at the maker out on the owners — Tesla’s and Nazi Trucks are being keyed, damaged with graffiti spray paint.

It’s not right, but I understand.

Where’s George?

It’s a freezing cold and rainy day here in the Inland Empire, but no complaints because the power is on.

Fortunately, when I was out and about yesterday, I stopped by the market. Didn’t get much, basically shopping for two days at a time these days, as I’m still not ready to trust the power to stay on.

Any rate, I’m not so desperate for anything that I have to head out in the rain today, but tomorrow is a workout day and who knows what we’re in store for.

So, snug as a bug in a rug today, I’m avoiding depressing news, catching up on recorded TV programs and working on that never ending needlepoint project.

Please tell me I’m not the only one to remember how, back in the day, we’d track dollar bills by serial number, as the bills circulated across the country through a site called Where’s George.

If this doesn't sound familiar to you .... In the late 90s early 2000s, when the internet was fairly new, Where's George was a game that involved dollars stamped with the message "currency tracking project/track me at WheresGeorge".

If and when one of those stamped bills came into our possession, we’d go to Where’s George, check to see if the serial number on the bill was listed and, if listed, we’d input where in the country we’d found it, then send it back into circulation to travel elsewhere, be found by someone else.

It was just a fun thing to see how far the bill would travel.

Although the game started with tracking the trail of dollar bills with the specific message "currency tracking project/track me at WheresGeorge", it caught on and people began writing other messages on the bills — none of which I can recall, except it became something like the message in a bottle craze.

Thinking back, I'm not at all certain it was legal to write on/deface money, but it was done.

Looks like it's still being done because, when I went to pull cash out of my fanny pack to pay for groceries yesterday, I found a bill with a message.

We love you Mac

It's a $20, rather than a $1 bill, but I nevertheless looked for the old Where's George site, found it's still up.

Not only is the site still up, it appears to be active with stats showing where and under what circumstances the bills listed came into the finder’s possession, like "I got it the Brookdale Dollar General, Got in a McDonald’s as change, A gift for a holiday in a card, Arcade Bar in Lincoln Nebraska, Received in change at a gas station in Vermont", so on and so forth.

So, anyway, the $20 I’d gotten as change somewhere in my goings was, of course, not listed as only $1 bills are, but Where’s George looks like a fun thing to bring back in these troubling times.

Maybe I should log in my $1 bills, write on them messages — such as "Have faith" …… "This too shall pass" and other such messages of hope, send into circulation with instructions to "track me at WheresGeorge", see where they land.

As for whoever this Mac guy is, my guess is he's not worthy because, if someone had written such a message to me, I'd have treasured the bill, framed it even.