Don’t Sh!t Where You Eat

The Activity Calendar indicated today, Kesha Tuesday, was to be "Easter Celebration, fun arts and crafts session".

There was no fun arts and crafts, but the tea was banging.

To start with, I wore the Lock Him Up tee to see if it would trigger our MAGA neighbor.

Walking into the room, I was met with the smell of fresh pizza and Kesha running up to me, clipboard in hand, before I’d even got to a seat, asking me to sign her attendance sheet.

I was tempted to pass on signing, pretend to be writing and not do it, but it was just the Usual Suspects in the room, not enough residents to get away with that.

Had others known Kesha would actually show up, no arts/crafts but there would be fresh pizza, others would have come.

MAGA did not attend. However, at one point, I checked mail, saw I had lots of mail and packages — because I’d not checked the box for a while, went to the car for a bag to be able to get the haul back upstairs.

Heading back to the Community Room, I heard someone call my name.

It was MAGA.

Coming up on the rear to greet me, she had to have seen the back of the tee, which depicts her Lord and Savior's August ’23 Booking Photo.

No reaction.

I made a point to stop, turn around, so she could see the Lock Him Up front.

I mentioned there was pizza in the Community Room, but she said she was on her way to take another resident to pick up medication and continued on with still no reaction to the tee.

DAMN! She’s good at holding it in.

Arriving back at the Community Room, I told Talker I’d just run into her stalker, and that MAGA had no reaction to the tee.

Talker said she too had recently tested MAGA ……… walked up to her and said something about Two Dolls not being Jesus or the Pope, and got no reaction from MAGA.

Interesting.

I don’t think MAGA has reformed. Just knows that, thanks to all that’s going on, she no longer has legs to stand on in supporting him, has wisely decided to sit down, keep her mouth shut, opinions to herself.

Checking with the ladies as to how Crafty Lady is doing with her heart issues, it’s still not good. Looks like she’s going to have an operation … something about putting a watchman in her chest to help with blood clots heading for her brain.

Lu did not attend the event, but Dream Lover did.

In chatting with him about nothing in particular, he suddenly blurted out "I'm no longer with the other".

I knew he meant he and Lu are no longer a couple.

"For now", said I.

"Forever", said he and went on to say the relationship was like a light switch … turned on and off, off and on, on and off, off and on, and that he couldn’t take it any longer.

"Which of you turned it off this time", I asked.

"She did", said he; and went on to describe a situation where she broke it off because of money, that she is a "gold digger", that he had a heart to give her, but not the money.

The straw that broke the camel's back was her wanting to celebrate his birthday by taking him to dinner; whereupon he'd said, "For someone who is always complaining about needing money" he didn't think it was a good idea, after which she telephoned and broke up with him.

At this point in his story, he kind of slumped over and seemed on the verge of tears.

He was obviously hurt/hurting.

I told him how sorry I was; that I didn’t realize Lu had meant that much to him.

He admitted that she meant a lot, that he’d given her a ring and was thinking of marriage.

GEE WILLIKERS!

DREAM LOVER WAS ACTUALLY IN LOVE !

I didn't know old people did that kinda stuff …… hearts, flowers, courting, love.

I asked how he’d handle it if she tried to lure him back.

He’s all heartbroke. Says he can’t take any more, is working hard to stay busy, move forward, and stay away from relationships period, "especially around here".

Anything can happen when you screw around where you work or live, said I. It creates problems if there’s a breakup. You still have to see the other person, deal with it when you see them with someone else. It’s why we are told, "Don’t eat where you sh!t".

That brought him out of the doldrums. Dream Lover laughed and laughed and laughed, told me of having heard that phrase before but put in different words.

"She has demons you know".

WHAT?!

"Her daughter told me she has demons".

Good Lord! I was shocked to learn Lu was a hoarder, now I’m even more shocked to learn she has demons.

"What does that mean …… how does it manifest itself?", asked I.

"I don’t know", said he. That he had never seen her when that was happening.

I guess he's lucky she broke up with him, rather than have an episode and sacrifice him to some demon.

Church Lady used to live in the unit next to Lu. Church Lady complained of bad spirits/demons being there, and got away …… relocated to the opposite side of the complex.

I wonder if what Church Lady felt was coming from Lu.

So anyway, after having been a shoulder for Dream Lover, lifting him out of his doldrums, I told him to take care of himself, said goodbye to everyone and returned to my unit with a full teacup.

Easter Luncheon

After saying I had no plans to attend yesterday’s luncheon, I went; but only because the Baker called that morning, said "I don’t know if you’re coming down for the luncheon, but someone wants to say hello".

I assumed (correctly) it was her great granddaughter, whom I’ve watched grow into an accomplished young lady over the years, coming to give me a hug because of that thing I can’t allow myself to think or talk about.

This is she back in 2013 at our Cookie Decorating event.

This is she in 2019, scrambling eggs for the Community Breakfast.

This is she now, getting ready to graduate high school, already college bound …… accepted into a prestigious Baptist University, focus on the aeronautics program (plans to be a commercial pilot because she was told she’s too small to pilot for the military).

She’s packed quite a few accomplishments into her back pocket. Just to name a few …… in 2024 she got her pilot’s license, driver’s license in 2025 (she was certified to fly planes before she learned to drive a car), played violin in the high school band, was on the cheer squad, has travelled to England; and, backtracking to cars, she drives a BMW, which I assume is a graduation present.

When I graduated high school, I got a bus schedule. Not a pass, just the schedule.

I hadn’t planned to stay any longer than it took to receive the hug, but the Baker announced an Easter Egg Hunt.

Several residents brought their grandchildren to the luncheon, plus we had the Baker’s great granddaughter, teen great grandson and a teen friend of the two.

Believe it or not, young and old got excited at the idea of hunting for candy filled plastic eggs.

I myself began looking under my chair, then decided just to watch/take photos for the residents' FB page.

There were no eggs under tables/chairs; Instead, plastic eggs had been hidden in the Community Room blinds ……

Hidden along the corridor to the Game Room behind planters, inside the pamphlet holder, on the top edge of picture frames.

That's MAGA

Inside the Game/Library/Computer Room.

On the outside patio in corners, in planters.

One adult found an egg on the patio inside the BBQ grill.

It was a fun thing to watch, after which I headed back to my unit.

The Baker looked exhausted, told me "I have to slow down" as the responsibility of hosting bingo and events is wearing her down. Then, in the next breath, said she’s planning a Memorial Day BBQ.

She had a team to help her but, with team members moving/passing away, it's basically she, Talker, their family members doing the work.

Crafty Lady was a member of the team, but the Baker tells me "She’s very ill". Something about having her heart shocked to get it on rhythm, a medical device that I recall the Baker said was now not IN her chest, but ON her chest to monitor heart rhythm, and it’s not going well.

Nurse Linda in Kansas: You can probably tell me more about what that device might be. I want to say defibrillator, but I’m not sure I’m remembering what I was told correctly.

Painted Rock Lady, not in the best of shape her own self, has helped the Baker with things and MAGA, still on her campaign to redeem herself, has stepped in to help, as have others, including Dream Lover, because they know the Baker loves doing this.

So, even if it eventually kills her, the Baker will drag her worn body around to provide the seniors with bingo and events.

Speaking of Dream Lover, I haven’t seen him in weeks. I’ve seen Lu plenty, but no Dream Lover.

Is he hospitalized …… away on vacation …… found another sweetheart …… or has he once again tired of Lu's constant touching/rubbing and is taking a little break?

My inquiring mind wants to know, so I may have to pop into Kesha Tuesday to get the tea.

Vacancy

SIGNAL BOOST for Blogging Buddy Mary Kirkland of Dark Thoughts: Mary’s daughter Lizzie is currently hospitalized with double pneumonia, sepsis, has been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, will be on oxygen for the foreseeable future and could really use some help with medical expenses.

If you would be so kind, Lizzie’s best friend Savanna has organized a GoFundMe for Lizzie HERE.

This is awful for Mary. My heart goes out to her and Lizzie.

Next Door Neighbor finally moved.

She’s gone, but that ugly assed tacky doormat remains.

Now askew from having been trampled on during the move.

I'm tempted, but don’t dare be so presumptuous as to toss the doormat in the trash myself. I’ll wait for management to discard. However, now that it's askew, I see there is an actual doormat under that red cover. So, if it looks like management is not going to toss it I will, under cover of darkness, make sure the red cover gets to the dumpster.

Why I say NDN "finally moved" is because, with a team of three/four male relatives (plus, when our downstairs neighbor’s son Compton …… the kid that wants to be my Boy Toy saw the move happening, he jumped in to help), it took 3 days, all day — morning, noon, night. Sometimes as late as 11:30 pm to complete the move.

I wasn’t annoyed by the noise during the day or late into the night; doubt any others in the quad made a stink about it. Instead, I was impressed with the dedication and amazed at their stamina — up/down the stairs to the U-Haul, load, drive 15 miles to the new place, unload, drive back to this complex, repeat.

I told NDN it was exhausting for me just to see how much work was going into the move.

Before leaving, she chastised me …… "You've never come to visit".

Yep. She went there.

Meaning, I never knocked on her door, hung out with her for coffee, conversation, play cards.

I wanted to say, "I've got better things to do than bore myself listening to your mundane conversations about things I have no interest in", but what I actually said was, "I'm not the visiting kind", to which she nodded affirmative, like she already knew that.

So, anyway, the days it took (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), with the number of people NDN had helping, brought back when I moved out of the apartment in Long Beach to this complex. As I recall, it only took a few hours with a team of two.

The difference is Next Door Neighbor has soooooooooo muuuuuch stuff — expensive, heavy, museum quality furniture, artwork, artifacts, memorabilia from when she travelled with her then military officer husband to countries where she had servants. Material objects that she says, though she can’t take it with her when she goes, she’s going to enjoy it while she’s here, let others worry about it when she’s gone.

I get it, and though I don’t have expensive museum quality stuff, I do have things that are hard for me to let go of — things that have no value, can’t be sold or donated after I’m gone; but things, like NDN, I enjoy surrounding myself with while I’m here.

I think I’ve done fairly well in decluttering the place, to not let the things I hold onto reach the level NDN has but, now looking around, I suddenly feel there’s still too much unnecessary stuff.

Time for me to do another decluttering/deep dive death cleaning.

On Saturday, when I walked into the bedroom to pull paperwork from a drawer, through that window I spied Talker sitting on the bench with a nice-looking guy.

Talker recently dyed the gray out of her hair to prepare for a blind date.

Seriously …… a friend is setting her up with a blind date.

What!? thought I when she told me.

A blind date????

At our age????

"Brave", I told her.

So, anyway, seeing her sitting there with that guy, I texted, "I’m looking out the window at you. Is that your blind date?"

I watched as she picked up her phone, looked at the text, bent over laughing, looked over, saw me waving from the window; whereupon, she called me on the phone, said, "No, it’s one of my granddaughter’s uncles. He’s a fireman".

I think I previously mentioned that Little Knock Knock has some eye candy looking uncles.

"He’s handsome", said I to which, listening to the telephone conversation, he responded, laughingly, "Thank you Miss Shirley".

I am so sure it’s not the first time that fireman has been complemented on his looks; and won't be the last time.

Talker is going to get good mileage on the retelling, to everyone she knows, possibly including the blind date when she gets to know him, that I was watching her through the window, getting all up in her business.

In other news, the seniors are throwing themselves an Easter Luncheon this Wednesday, April Fool's Day but no fooling.

There's likely to be a crowd.

I'm not yet ready for hanging with the folks. Taking a pass.

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.

Easter Sermon

Happy Easter

Just back from a road trip this morning. It was a last-minute decision after Friday’s workout to head out of town.

Can you guess where I went and what I did?

Fresh Tea

Hush money to doorman?

A secret love child?

That was some good fresh tea, as I sat glued to the tube watching yesterday’s proceedings — popcorn and coffee in hand for the show.

You can bet that social media and genealogists are on the hunt for the who what when and where of that hot tea.

Didn’t see 45’s comeback — heard pundits speak of it and learned it wasn’t televised on the channels I looked for because he, as expected, did go off the rails with the same old tired act of lies and threats.

So trite, that I can’t believe his base can’t see the ridiculousness of it all, but at least he and they continue to be the gifts that keeps on giving — funny memes and spoofs. Like this one I ran into on TikTok last night.

Today, it was back to a normal weekday — a workout followed by an event ... cookie decorating in the Community Room.

I chose a cookie from a bunny bottom decorating kit, lay it in a bed of shredded coconut dyed green, to give it the effect of sticking out of a field of green grass.

Upstairs Lady — the resident who has problems with her legs and should have gotten that downstairs unit, had me rolling.

She was really stuffing her face — eating cookies and cupcakes plain before she decorated them, ate cookies/cupcakes as she decorated them, so on and so on and never stopped stuffing her face.

We had plenty, so no one cared. It was the reason WHY that tickled everyone.

Her daughter has been trying to get her to lose weight, has her on a diet actually, so she couldn’t take anything with her back to the unit to enjoy at leisure. So, she was using the event as an opportunity to scarf down as much as she could away from the well-meaning eyes of her daughter.

I’ve seen similar at bingo.

Residents say their children take them grocery shopping, won’t let them buy sweets for health reasons so, when they win, they select candy from the prize table, hide it from their children, just like when their children were young and hid forbitten sweets from their well-meaning parents.

Easter Sunday

That is all.

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.

Signs of Life

After a week of dreary weather ─ cold, wet, the rain stopped, the sun came out for a bit yesterday and, from my needlepointing perch on the couch, I could see signs of life ─ residents once again walking up/down the pathway.

Compared to other cities, other parts of the county, things still appear to be fairly normal around here, except everyone is now wearing masks/gloves ─ possibly because it’s been so mandated by the County’s Acting Health Officer.

I’ve been inside so long ─ and like having to do so, that it takes a monumental effort to put on mask, gloves, take out the trash, pick up mail but, taking advantage of Saturday’s break in the rain, I forced myself to suit up in my glamour mask and headed out to take care of those chores.

On the way down the stairs, I looked over the railing to check on a shiny new penny I'd first spotted three weeks ago.

I kid you not, a penny has been there for at least three weeks. This even after the downstairs neighbor, left side, underneath next-door neighbor’s unit, had a visit from her two vociferous grandkids ─ a little boy and girl, whose playtime outside that neighbor’s door is running up/down the entryway screaming and yelling.

Have they not heard of “find a penny pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck”?

A penny was a lot of money when I was a kid. I could walk to the candy store, ask for a penny’s worth, and walk out with a small bag. Is a penny not worth the effort to the newest generation?

Since the kids didn’t pick it up and inasmuch as the adults going in/out of either downstairs unit also hadn't picked it up, I'd been watching to see just how long it would be before someone or some thing carried it away. Thinking surely the last two days of all-day all night storms would have washed it away, I looked over the railing ....

Still there. Still shiny.

Is it glued to the ground?

I won’t pick it up because, though that entryway leads to a friendly neighbor (the one with the visiting grandkids), across from her is the illusive unfriendly strange neighbor (mentally challenged?) ─ the one who’d forcefully said “I don’t like people!” when I attempted to welcome her to the quad  and later incessantly complained to the office that I was disturbing her peace, waking her up at 3:00 in the morning, when I could not possibly have done so because I was asleep.

Unfriendly Illusive hasn’t been a problem since, but it struck me odd when she had her parking spot moved from the front, near me, bright side of the building to far away from her unit ─ the back, dark side of the complex.

At the time, my head said it was because the darkness always runs from the light. Fine by me. She can’t handle the bright cheerful energy I generate, but whatever ─ so long as she doesn’t cross my path.

But then, she crossed my path.

I was on the patio, putting Christmas back in storage a day or so after the new year. She came up the pathway, from the rear, looked up, saw me, said “Happy New Year” and I went “Oh!” ─ so shocked and amazed was I that she’d spoke to me, with a smile even. I was able to regain my composure enough to say “You too” before she headed into the walkway leading to her unit.

I wasn't trusting that friendly gesture though, because the signs were still there. Plus, it kinda chapped my buns that, after rejecting my friendly gesture with “I don’t like people”, I observed her sitting outside, in friendly conversation with Big Friendly Guy.

Seeing that made me think by “people” she meant “me, a female”. In fact, I had next door neighbor rolling when I recounted the observation and said, “Oh, I get it. She doesn’t like me because I’m old and pretty, while she’s young and ugly”.

I also find it strange that, when Unfriendly Illusive thought it was me keeping her up at night, there were numerous complaints to the office. However, when she learned it was the laundry room, the complaints stopped ─ even though late night/early morning usage of the laundry room continued and, lately, has started up again.

So, I'm not trusting that one friendly gesture and I’m not trusting there's luck in a bright shiny penny at the entry to her walkway, especially one in which the force is so strong that it hasn’t moved in three weeks of being pounded by wind, rain, walked on and over by children and adults. 

The Day After

Already over yesterday’s horrible date with the dentist, Dr. Mc Dreamy, I was able to get caught up on my exercise homework first thing this morning, then get out, run errands ─ car wash, gas, groceries.

The price of gas was a shock.

Still, instead of saving gas by heading to the market on the corner, I drove way out-of-the-area to the market, same chain, in a nicer area because our market is redlining us yet again.

They had this big todo, a short while ago, with sprucing up the outside, the inside, had a bunch of bigwigs hanging around, then announced a Grand Reopening.

It was pretty sweet for a while ─ the nicest of fresh fruit and vegies, etc., but last week I noticed they’d backslid into eggs with a sell by in two days, fruit/vegies that looked unappealing, saving money for the corporation by dumping that which is least desirable, soon to be unsaleable, on folks that have no choice but to accept because they have no transportation out of the area.

So off I went to the market where the new senior complex is going up, next door to the fire department.

Checking on the lot behind the market, I see work has begun.

The location is ideal, with the shopping center to the left, the walking trail behind, Fire Department to the right ─ a daily dose of this going back/forth in the area …..

Eye Candy

Construction is due to be completed by Fall of 2020. So, though I love my unit, like my neighbors, the price is right, have no plans to move, a lot can happen between now and then, so we’ll see.

Tomorrow is Q’s brunch in the beach area.

After he talked me into rethinking my rsvp thanks but no, I thought it over and decided it really would have been too much trouble to head out of town this weekend. THEN, senior moment, I quickly forgot to let him know I was a definite no.

Fortunately, thoughts of the event rolled back around and I was able to let him know I’d not be making it down that way with enough lead time, I think, not to shop groceries to prepare a special meal for me.

“Aww ok. Next time!” was his reply, so I think we’re good.

Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, is my no exercise day. I'll be laying low, watching television, working on crafts.

Brrrrr!

Walking into the Community Room yesterday Brrrr! is what I felt .... a freezing cold atmosphere in the room.

The event was the Easter Potluck and I arrived late, popped in briefly, coming directly from a session with the personal trainer, to take pics for the residents' facebook page.

No one was talking.

No one seemed to be having a good time and the room was nearly empty, with only a handful of residents in attendance.

I quickly assessed the situation and attributed the pall over the event to the presence of The Seer and Shadow.

They were sitting at a corner table, away from other residents, The Seer looking dark and ominous.

The personality traits she’s demonstrated since hooking up with Shadow (bitter, overly sensitive ─ imagining slights where none were intended, critical and resentful of others) make her no longer pleasant to talk to or be around, so I assume the pall over the room was everyone being on eggshells.

Fortunately, she rarely attends events these days. Preferring to spend all her time in a corner of the Game Room, on the computer while Shadow is at the pool table or in their respective units.

I’d said a cherry hey to the room as I entered.

Didn’t hear anyone reply.

So, as I walked around taking a few pics, I tried to engage first the Activity Director, then Church Lady.

Neither would look up and engage.

Activity Director seemed depressed. I’m not sure if it was the brrrr atmosphere bringing her down or the fact so few attended.

Probably both.

On my way out, heading for my unit, I noticed The Seer was sitting alone. Shadow had gone out for a smoke. So, I made a point to stop by her table, say hey.

Now she engaged!

She wouldn’t stop talking but, like I said, I don’t enjoy our conversations any longer so, as soon as I was able, I excused myself saying I had to go recover from my workout.

So that was yesterday.

This morning was that second-opinion appointment with the dentist ─ Dr. Mc Dreamy.

Arriving as 10:26 for my 10:30 appointment, there was no wait time. I was immediately called in.

Mc Dreamy attributed the off/on discomfort, to the left side of my jaw, not to the loose crown, but to a bite issue.

He used that drill thingie, called the bite corrected, no charge.

As for the crown replacement, no way around it, the work has to be done, a $1255 procedure.

%#!$!

But it is what it is.

I asked if dentistry had evolved to a kinder gentler method of numbing other than the needle.

There are options he said, none of which they use because they’ve not been proven effective.

%#!$!

They will, however, apply a numbing gel before using the needle.

The whole consultation took less than 10 minutes, but Mc Dreamy began talking about his wife’s visit out-of-state to attend to her terminally ill mom. For a half an hour, he spoke on the family drama ─ the poor woman with only weeks to live, and her children (sons, daughters) fighting for control of the estate.

His wife has the Power of Attorney, but on the financial side, not the medical.

It was done that way because whoever set it up did not want the individual with financial control to also have medical control, for obvious reasons, so no one is in charge of medical.

The youngest of the children (a son) wants his money now to fund a move to Florida, so he’s undermining what medical care the others have agreed to put in place to make mom comfortable for the time she has remaining. He wants mom off pain meds because he wants her lucid so he can control her and get her to agree to what it is he wants.

He doesn’t get that she won’t be lucid because of the pain she’ll have without the meds.

Plus, youngest son doesn’t believe mom’s dying of cancer. He thinks the telephone lines have made her ill.

He sounds delusional and dangerous.

It was a fascinating story Mc Dreamy was telling me, but most of the time I was looking at his face thinking how handsome he still is, watching his mouth move as he spoke, and daydreaming about his handsome self.

At any rate, back on Friday. If he hurts me, my opinion will probably change. I’ll begin thinking of him as a whole lot less handsome.