Never a Dull Moment

It's lights out on that green cross across the street.

The business is closed, shut down, boarded up, as is the dispensary I pass on my way to Starbucks.

Both were raided yesterday -- the one across the street just moments after I took that photo of folks lined up outside.

Having returned to my unit for termite watch, I missed the whole thing; but a lot of the residents watched it go down from the Community Room.

The raid even made the newspaper … “Police and sheriff’s investigators served a warrant Thursday morning as part of an ongoing investigation involving an illegal marijuana dispensary ... several people were detained and transported to jail ... arrested on a variety of offenses, including operating a marijuana dispensary, which are illegal in the city.”

I thought it was a legal operation. Nurse Ratched told us at the Residents/Management meeting that, at prompting by residents, she’d checked, the police said it was legal and the business was in compliance.

Another one of her lies?

She probably never talked to the police.

I'm confused as to the legality/illegality, as it seems to me the business owners would not have gone to the expense of fixing up the property, even to adding that neon green sign, if they'd thought it was illegal.

The news article went on to say, “We received a lot of complaints … This has been a long-time investigation.”

No way was it a long-time investigation -- the business just opened up.

As for “a lot of complaints”, that would be our residents. LOL.

“Authorities seized about $7,000 in cash and marijuana, and there was also a marijuana farm inside the dispensary.”

Holy smokes! They were growing the stuff inside. How long did they think they’d get away with the stupidity?

“Several residents of a nearby apartment building cheered as officers and deputies took into custody several of the people inside the dispensary.”

Again ... that would be our residents. ROFLMAO!

“Most of those arrested and taken to county jail were college students.”

That would be the kids from the university down the street. Parents paying for their education aren’t going to be happy.

Also of note, and file this one under God Works in Mysterious Ways, just this morning I asked a relative to check out a senior complex I'm interested in 75 miles away. If it looks good to her and I'm not over the income limit and relocation keeps looking like the direction life is leading me, I'll drive down and view for myself. Now I'm not all that sure relocation is what life is telling me to do. It may be telling me to stay put and make a difference where I am because, reentering the complex after taking today's photo of the business across the street, I was asked by a well-dressed woman if I could let her in the gate.

Sure.

As we walked, she asked, "So how long have you lived here?"

"Four years, but looks like I'll be leaving."

"Why?"

"Well, I like my unit, but I've got a termite situation."

"How long?"

"Since mid-March."

Being a friendly open kind of person, I filled her in, even showed her photos and videos on my phone and spoke to her of Nurse Ratched and Corporate and all the lies and threats to seniors.

Now, keep in mind, I had no idea who this woman was. She could have been related to Nurse Ratched and my arse could now be grass.

My arse may indeed now be grass because, after spilling all the tea, she identified herself as representing an agency dealing with housing for seniors and a mediation board. 

She said, "You look like the kind of person that would have documentation."

"Emails and videos".

She smiled and asked me to report the issue to the Housing and Mediation Board. "Tell them exactly what you've told me."

I did.

I put together a timeline, photos and sent via email.

Here Comes the Neighborhood

Heading out for Tuesday’s workout at the Pain Cave, I noticed the vacant lot on the corner had been fenced in.

There was construction going on.

I mentioned to Trainer that the lot had been sold only a few months ago, and work has already begun, whereas the lot directly across the street from the complex had been sold well over a year ago and nothing. In fact, the weeds on the lot have been allowed to grow so high that I wouldn’t be surprised if there was not a dead body in there.

Trainer is a young man with an old soul and a great sense of humor. He gets me, no judgments, so his reply was not shock, nor the "don’t say/think/feel things like that" I sometimes get from neighbors and family. Instead, it was “You’d smell it”.

LOL.

“It’s too far across the street for that”, said I. “Besides, we’ve had residents die in their units and no one has mentioned a smell, and sometimes the person has been dead for days”.

I went on to say the fact death sometimes goes unnoticed around here in the complex causes me to sometimes worry about how long it will be, should something happen, before anyone notices and calls for a welfare check.

“Monday, Tuesday, Thursday” said he. “If you don't show up and haven’t called to cancel or reschedule on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday, I’ll know somethings wrong”.

ROFLMAO!

At least Trainer’s got my back.

So, anyway, there was a knock on the door as I was getting dressed for this morning’s workout.

It was Apache saying, “Guess what’s going in at the corner”.

Before I could guess, he blurted out “Starbucks!”

That’s huge news.

When the marijuana dispensary opened up a few doors down, the residents went crazy out of their minds ...“There goes the neighborhood”. 

None of the awful things residents thought the business would bring into the neighborhood happened, but no one was unhappy when the business was raided and shut down.

With Starbucks going in at the corner, I expect it’s going to be more like "Here comes the neighborhood".

Perhaps it will urge the corner market to up it’s game with fresh produce.

The market was open Memorial Day ... the day I was desperate for veggies. In fact, the place was packed, doing a brisk business ─ mostly at the deli.

I wish I could have done something as simple as deli potato salad and fried chicken. Instead, I browsed the veggies, passed on mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli ─ pretty much the entire row until I came across nice looking carrots, zucchini, a couple sweet potatoes, ambrosia apples. I ended up going with those items and frozen cauliflower rice, frozen broccoli, to get me through until tomorrow, when I’ll be out of the area and can load up on veggies at the same market chain, but in a location where the customers are more highly valued.

Two Birds One Stone

Yesterday’s after the potluck “nap” lasted five hours. I passed out on the couch and didn’t wake up until 7:00 p.m.

I couldn’t have attended that resident/management meeting if I’d wanted to.

It was off to the dealer this morning for regular service on the car. Consequently, I didn’t get any feedback on whether anyone attended the meeting and, if so, what was discussed? It’s doubtful I’ll get any feedback tomorrow either, as it’s my day to chauffeur granddaughter around. I’m hoping to have nowhere to go, nothing to do on Friday, so I can have a moment to check into the Community Room, before it shuts down for the weekend.

I did learn, at yesterday’s potluck, that the new business across the street, towards the opposite end of the complex, isn’t a bar … it’s a marijuana dispensary … a pot shop!

Sounds unsavory, and it’s sure to send the seniors who enjoy complaining into hyperspace but, the way the owners have fixed up the property, it looks to be more high-end to me than other pot shops I’ve seen around town, and the fact the owners have added a high fence and the property is located out-in-the-open, on a main street, I don’t expect the shop to be noisy or attract problems.

Where I have the car serviced is right behind the Ontario Convention Center. I figured it to be a good place to qualify in the virtual Peter Cottontail 5K. So, instead of sitting on my butt in the dealer’s waiting room, I walked around the convention center a few times, logging in 3.26 miles @ 1:20:46.

By the time the 5K was completed and I returned to the dealer, the car was done, sitting over to the side waiting for me.

It was a pretty area to walk.

Interesting sights.

I ran into the Los Angeles Police Department setting up a Memorial Wall.

I was going to take a photo of my ex’s name to send to his/my girls, but a helpful officer -- one of two setting up the wall, informed that, because the ex died in retirement, he wouldn’t be listed. The wall is only officers whose End of Watch came during active duty.

All in all a good day. The dealer didn’t pad the bill, the 5K is done, and I hope to not be tempted to sign up for another for a long while.

The Haunted House

Headed to the pain cave this morning, I saw new painted rocks along my pathway — Halloween themed painted rocks.

Jan was supposed to be in hospital, having knee surgery. However, catching up with her upon my return from the cave, she tells me she was admitted, they found her kidney count too high, postponed the surgery, sent her home.

Since she’d doing Halloween themed, I asked if she could do one to look like candy corn.

She’s going to try.

That should be cute.

I suggested she make more than one because, "If I see a candy corn rock, I’m taking it". LOL.

Running late, I drove, rather than walked to the pain cave and, on the way out of the driveway, I spied what looked like a Haunted House going up across the street.

I can make out black tarp over the windows to make it dark inside, a door covered in Halloween print, and something over to the left that looks like Halloween graffiti — definitely a haunted house going up.

I don’t like to be frightened, so I won’t go in but, once it opens, I will check out the goings/comings.

Should be fun.

That is … IF IT OPENS, because Big Linda is probably having a cow, right this minute, calling the police and every kind of agency there is, to protest.

Why?

Because that’s what Big Linda does.

Big Linda is retired military, tries to drill sergeant everyone in and around the complex … regulating what can and cannot be done.

She’s actually been quiet and subdued since the shutdown but, her unit being directly across the street from that building, she took issue when it was a pot dispensary — even though it caused us no problems, and called the police numerous times seeking to have it shut down.

It finally was shut down and has been unoccupied since 2017.

In fact, it wasn’t just shut down, but raided after an investigation deemed the business to be "illegal in the city" and "housing a pot farm inside".

At any rate, for Big Linda to see the building reopen — even for a limited time as a haunted house, is going to stir her up again.

When I returned to the complex, there was a notice on the door about yet another inspection. This one by an agency that’s involved in making sure the property is “In compliance with the federal tax credit program and all applicable regulatory restrictions”. The regulators will be looking at units on October 21-22, then again 25-29.

Inasmuch as previous inspections were one day, only a few random units looked at, with this one being over days and days, I'm thinking ... could corporate and management be in trouble? Are they being investigated? Does this mean ALL units will be inspected, including mine?

Management has asked that, pre the regulators coming in, we “Please confirm that all fixtures are working properly”.

Are they serious?

All fixtures sure as hell are not working properly, so here’s my dilemma … At my recertification appointment, I was going to put in a 4th request to have the broken bedroom blinds replaced and for management to fix the light being out in the refrigerator.

Now, I’m thinking I should be petty … not make a 4th request, but take a chance that these regulators will check my unit, see the blinds, see the light out in the refrigerator, give management a black mark towards being in compliance.

I’m leaning towards going down the petty route.

Would serve them right.

Nostalgic Already

I’m nowhere near gone, yet waking up early, looking at the view from the bedroom window, I felt a tinge of nostalgia. This unit really is in a great location. I’ll be hard pressed to find something that pleases me as much.

However, as a spiritual student, I must accept life is not about what we want but what life wants for us, and the signs read being led in a new direction.

Instead of first piddling around, followed by breakfast, bath, makeup, getting dressed for the day, I headed straight to bath, makeup, getting dressed so I could make it to the market and back before the termites began today’s attempt to swarm in.

Parked and getting out of the car in the market lot, I looked up at the surrounding mountains and was once again filled with nostalgia. Waxing philosophical, I began to think about all the residents who’ve indicated to me how unhappy they are living here, want desperately to move, but can’t afford it. Here I am fortunate enough to be able to afford it, not unhappy, not wanting to move, but being forced out by termites.

Speaking of being a spiritual student … signs … everything happens for a reason, it occurred to me yesterday that termites showing up when I was planning to be out-of-town on a three-day meditation retreat meant I was to cancel and stay put. So I did … cancel that is. I gauge when I've done the right thing/the wrong thing about how I feel after, and it felt like the right choice had been made.

Accepting that everything happens for a reason, we don’t always get to know the reason. We just do what we are given to do and walk by faith that there IS a reason … a plan.

Lo and behold, in the market this morning, I ran into the woman who’d stopped being my ten-year BFF about a year ago. Reason being I’d voiced how uncomfortable I’d been at witnessing her verbal abuse of another human being.

She disagreed with her actions being disturbing, saying to him something along the lines of his making/causing her to treat him thusly and, “I don’t like having to do this to you.”

To me, she tried to justify her mistreatment saying, “You don’t know what he’s put me through.”

Having been an abused spouse, I recognized both those statements to be 1) Standard excuses used by abusers and 2) Indicative of not accepting responsibility for one’s own actions.

My not validating her being justified marked the end of the friendship … she stopped speaking to me. Oddly enough, the end came as no surprise because, for two years previous, it had come to me in dreams and meditations that, though we both are spiritual students, she was going in a different direction. In fact, just before the friendship ended, I’d told her, “I feel you drifting away” – meaning drifting away from the spiritual path altogether.

At any rate, I wasn’t sad to see the friendship end, as she’d morphed into a bit of a drain spiritually speaking. While my focus is on listening, letting go, being led, her focus became about doing, controlling, achieving, acquiring.

There's nothing wrong with that path, it's just different from the path I walk, but hanging around a person on that road is like dragging a block of concrete.

So being cordial, greeting her in the market this morning, I learned she is still on a path to enlightenment, which I’m happy to know because one day she’ll wake up and realize verbal abuse and controlling behavior as not okay. What tells me of her continuing involvement in spiritual pursuits is she's registered for that same meditation retreat I just cancelled out of.

I felt like I’d dodged a bullet, because I get a lot more out of meditation sessions when surrounded by people walking at or near my same pace on the path -- those who are already awake, and high consciousness people who are ahead of us all and lift us further into enlightment, than I do when surrounded by people in the process of waking up.

So the fact the class was probably not going to go as high in consciousness as I need, this stage of life, is probably why cancellation came about, but I will order the session tapes.

Returning to the complex, I observed a line outside the dispensary across the street.

Residents have already investigated getting the place shut down, but were told by the police that it’s legal … it’s fenced … the business has met all the licensing requirements.

Everyone is lined up OUTSIDE the fence, but I don’t have a problem with the business. They’re not causing any more problems than we already have.

While I was snapping the above photo, the Seer walked up and we got into a conversation that ended with her repeating what another resident had said happened to them. That they’d tried to work with Nurse Ratched on a problem in their unit, had approached her respectfully, but the end result was the resident walking away declaring to others, “That woman lied. She’s a liar.”

ROFLMAO! That’s what I said in yesterday's post.