Stuck in Neutral

Several things are going on, related to the painting job being done on the complex; one of which necessitates I get out of dodge for an extended period of time, because I’ll have no place to park the jeep for however many days.

Back in ’23, there was the great paving project that uprooted my parking spot for an entire week. To avoid the chaos/trauma others were experiencing in finding places to park, I booked the jeep into a car park that would only allow parking by the month @ $360.50.

Though fairly nearby, the trek back/forth wasn’t fun because the area was sketchy, inside the facility didn’t feel safe for a woman alone to be wandering around in, but I managed.

Though convenient, I really don’t want to car park again. I thought instead I’d visit Twin 2 in Murietta. However, Twin 2 tells me she not only had not gotten the guest room set up (no mattress), she hasn’t even unpacked from the move.

So that visit not working out, not wanting to book the car park, not wanting to face that harrowing drive back to the Long Beach area, book a hotel to visit the great grands for a week, I decided on a Residence Inn a few cities over, that I know to be attached to a shopping center, which will make it easier to care for my weak stomach as there’s a kitchen, cooking appliances, a refrigerator — it’s like home away from home, but with a gym and safe areas to walk.

I just returned from that road trip to Hollywood, will soon have to hit the road yet again, but I’m stuck in neutral — my now vintage Diane Von Furstenberg suitcase, that I purchased back in the 70’s when it was affordable, still out of storage ready to repack, but I can’t book the hotel until the signs go up detailing what days are involved in no parking.

I know it’s soon because notices were posted to our doors just yesterday, indicating painters were ahead of schedule, would start today on my building. In fact, the building is being power washed as we speak. However, insofar as parking, no such notices have been forthcoming.

From what I’ve seen in other areas, no parking signs just mysteriously appear; but logic tells me that if they’re starting on my building today, the parking area will be next and soon. However, without proper notification, I’m stuck in neutral … constantly having to check morning and night to see if the no parking signs have been posted, so I can make hotel reservations.

Of course this stay is going to cost more than $360, so any thoughts of helping Di out with her situation are off the table, as I’ll need to apply those $$$ to my stayaway.

I haven’t seen any of the Usual Suspects since I returned from Hollywood, probably won’t see anyone until next week, so news on Di and whether Kesha has been able to assist is not yet known by me.

Speaking of Hollywood … this was the photo I took of two dolls' star the day before Pride.

This is the photo, I saw posted to the internet, the very next day .... after the Pride Parade.

LA Pride, Part 2

How it started.

Our Driver Sheri from Auto Museum

Great Granddaughter, Granddaughter, Moi

Reps from Thrive Cosmetics

How it ended.

Our Other Driver

Driving slow, plus the heat of the sun, caused the celebrity car to overheat/breakdown about a half mile from the parade's end.

Inasmuch as it was the Legacy's car, our driver was incredibly embarrassed; but we said, no problem and were prepared to walk the rest of the way, until the Golf Cart came to the rescue for Granddaughter and I, while others stepped up to walk with the signage that had been on the car.

Other than that little snag, the parade, the various news interviews, people from cosmetic brands that had partnered with Twin 1's organization, various board members coming up to say wonderful things about Twin 1 was a lot, and all this was before we even got to the moment with Channel 7, by which time I was a bit of a mess … said I couldn’t speak, that Twin 1’s passing a month ago was still too raw.

For the record, Twin 1 actually passed away in January but, with all the hoopla causing it to be fresh in my mind, it was beginning to feel like it was yesterday.

So, anyway, the parade itself was the largest/longest-running parade I’ve ever seen, overwhelming actually.

So overwhelming that, even though I was given a VIP Pass to Pride Village, I passed, instead chose to be Golf Carted back to the area of the hotel, while the others soldiered on to the Pride Village event.

Being in the actual parade did not allow for an opportunity to capture much of the miles and miles and miles of what there was to see; but I did manage to capture Jesus.

And this lively group.

Upon arriving in Hollywood, I made a point of seeking out the asshole's star.

Surprisingly, this ancient, radiation-feeding megafauna also has his own star; but I bet nobody even thought of damaging, tearing up or spitting on his star.

Waste of Time

I’m not talking about yet another fake assassination attempt; though I am getting a kick out of the memes the latest desperate attempt to distract from the Epstein files, the Economy and Iran have generated.

The waste of time I’m referring to is Painted Rock Lady asking me to make flyers … One for a CERT class she wants to teach and one for Game Day Fun where we would have different games in the clubhouse. The last flyer being what kind of games residents would like to play.

I have no idea what CERT is, don’t have a problem designing flyers for her, in fact we’re having a client meeting in the Community Room tomorrow, so I can get an idea of what she (the client) has in mind, I just think she won’t find many residents interested in either.

Even attendance at bingo appears to be declining as the Usual Suspects pass away or move and none of the new residents join in.

But I’ll do the flyers, let her spin her wheels.

I may have a new neighbor on the 2nd Floor Landing soon.

After no prep work being done on the vacant unit since Next Door Neighbor moved away, I heard the sound of drills, hammering, saw a painter enter the unit on Friday, what’s left of that doormat disappeared, and today there’s a barrage of activity … someone bringing in new blinds, new carpet being installed, hammering, banging, stapling.

I doubt I’ll see a potential new resident come to view the unit. They don’t do that here.

They did when I moved in under a different management group.

I was asked what did I have in mind, to which I replied "Lots and lots of sunlight".

The Leasing Agent pulled out her clipboard with a list of units available, led me to this one first and, as soon as she opened the door, I broke out in a big smile, didn’t need to see any other unit. This one felt perfect, and remains so.

Now, folks just seem to move in. Sometimes in the dead of night, sometimes just quietly materialize.

I don’t know if this is because folks are moving in from out-of-state, designate upstairs or downstairs, and just take what’s available, as Next-Door Neighbor did or if the County needs to quickly place someone in a unit sight unseen.

As prepping the unit is now on a fast track, I’ll soon have a new neighbor to come up with a blog name for.

I hope the person likes Halloween, doesn't spook easy at my decorations.

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.

I Wonder

Seeing the above meme on facebook this morning, I wondered …… Do the ones that got us into this mess really have the decency to be embarrassed …… admit that, for no good reason, they supported a man that has a history of business failures and debauchery.

I don’t think so.

My old buddy Apache comes to mind. He’s stubborn, which I sense many supporters are …… stubborn, will make excuses for the man, refuse to have been wrong.

Then there’s our MAGA neighbor.

I don’t know what she’s thinking these days about him. I haven’t heard of any political conversations going on, so I may have to bait her, see how she reacts when his name comes up.

Easter was on Sunday, April 5. The Activity Calendar for April indicates "Easter Celebration, April 21 …… fun arts and crafts session".

That’s a lot late to celebrate Easter, and I highly doubt there will be anything other than a bag of potato chips, if that; but it gives me an opportunity to find out if Kesha is still around, plus an opportunity to bait MAGA by wearing my "Lock him up" tee shirt. See if her jaws tighten, LOL.

Speaking of MAGA, when last I spoke of her, Talker was full up with MAGA trying to get too close, be Talker’s bestie, asking too many personal questions, "interrogations" Talker describes it. Talker was going to find a "nice way" to tell MAGA she’s doing too much, making her feel uncomfortable and, if that didn’t work, "I’ll have to take it to the next level".

Yesterday, as I was going back/forth to the Laundry Room, I ran into Talker, who tells me "nice" didn’t work. That she told her becoming besties is not something that can be forced, it’s something that happens organically.

MAGA is not only not hearing it, but is also now targeting the Baker, asking pointed questions, interrogating; which prompted Talker to tell the Baker to be careful of responding to MAGA’s interrogations.

"Nice" not working, "Trying to Avoid" not working, Talker’s next move might be losing her sh!t, screaming "leave me alone!!".

Stay tuned.

Today was the first day in a while where I didn’t feel like emotional and physical crap. Maybe it was because instead of reheating last night’s leftover baked potatoes in the microwave for breakfast with an egg, I made stovetop potatoes from scratch and didn't feel sick after eating. (See Mike’s very illuminating post on reheating certain foods).

I even had enough energy to suit up in walking gear, head out for a stroll around the complex.

Coming back to life is slow going. I could only handle 1 mile, and it took me 32 minutes to do so, 14 minutes longer than my previous personal best, but it’s a start.

False Alarm

Hearing fireworks a while ago, at 7:57 pm to be exact, I got all excited.

It’s not 4th of July or any other holiday that’s celebrated with fireworks. So, there could only be one other explanation for the hoopla.

I quick fast googled ……

And got "No, Donald Trump is not dead."

I didn’t even have to use his proper name. The internet identified him from one of his many pseudonyms, LOL.

At any rate, the fireworks were a False Alarm.

How dare they get my hopes up like that, possibly cause a fire for no reason.

Save it for when it counts.

There was something on Facebook the other night asking, "If it happens while you’re asleep, do you want to be awakened?"

Funny how it was that everyone understood what the "IT" was. It's like we're all waiting, hoping, some praying for "IT".

Of course, everyone replied yes, they wanted to be awakened, so they could uncork the bubbly, dance in the street; and two responses really tickled me.

One said that, if he was in the middle of having surgery, he wanted to be awakened.

The other wanted to be awakened from a coma.

What’s Up With This?

On Friday, Management posted a document to my door indicating "Your Monthly Rent shall be increased an amount of $0.00".

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but what’s up with that?

Inasmuch as I saw the same document posted to Next Door Neighbor’s door, I’m assuming it’s across the board — everyone’s rent is raised $0.00, even those on the County.

Reading further down, I’m thinking someone in the office has made a monumental goof, because the entire document indicates $0.00, including parking and current rent with a total monthly due of $0.00.

So now I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop when management returns to the office tomorrow, realize that, according to this document, rent due on February 1 is $0.00.

To top it off, they’re once again pushing Rent Café, and this time they mean it.

"As of March 1 rent payments will no longer be accepted in person at this office. Tenants are required to authorize payment methods moving forward through either Rent Café, WIPS and Flex Pay."

I don’t know what WIPS and Flex Pay are, but I’m sure they’re methods of payment that are going to confuse the masses.

A meeting is scheduled for Kesha Tuesday, February 3 "to provide additional information or assistance with this change".

That’s one way for Kesha to get folks down on a Tuesday, LOL.

I myself will definitely go down for the potato chips and tea.

End of Cuffing Season

Life has been pretty sweet last few days — no Ernie, no Crafty Lady.

Cuffing Season generally ends between February and March, so not seeing either of the two around may indicate the season is winding down early.

In fact, I've had no irritants other than the Clown in the Oval Office, but I’m more and more convinced the end is near for him.

In fact, he may be gone already and what we're seeing is A.I.

Posts on facebook last night were all about the Danes wanting to buy California.

I myself am flattered that out of all the states to choose from, they chose us Californians.

No surprise, others expressed wanting in on the deal. Comments were along the lines of …………

"Can Oregon jump in on this? Maybe like a free gift with purchase?"

"Missouri is worth 7 cents ………… please buy us, it's a bargain and we'll be taking offers".

"*Raises hand in Austin, TX*".

"The pastries sealed the deal".

"Great Danes: Will you take Oklahoma?"

"Alabama will be cheaper. Where do I sign".

"Do the residents already living in California get Denmark citizenship? I will literally move to Cali immediately!"

On and on and on, with one commenter pointing out — "Craziest part is they technically can. Because California doesn’t technically belong to the US. It was an island that smashed into the U.S.A. and it just kinda became one of the states".

That being the case, give me the signal and I’ll start learning the language.

In other news, the Activity Calendar indicated "Winter Crafts" for yesterday’s Kesha Tuesday.

Busy doing nothing, I didn’t even bother to go downstairs to check. Instead, I called the Baker, asked if she was in the Community Room.

She was and evidently couldn’t talk freely, just kinda grunted yes that she was in the room, grunted no when I asked if there were crafts.

After moving away from where she was seated, so she could talk freely, she said Kesha had stayed long enough to give them bags of potato chips and then disappeared, that it was not worth my time to get dressed, come down.

I wonder if, when we become Danish territory, we can get a better Manager and Activity Director to go along with "universal health care, fact-based politics, and a lifetime supply of Danish pastries".

Late Saturday night, I got a sweet message from ex-Trainer.

He went to the trouble of putting that compilation together.

I think he misses me.

He could talk to me on a level he couldn’t with any of his other clients, nor even a level his wife could understand.

I miss him too and, if he ever moved to a different location, where he once again had space dedicated to personal training, I’d go back because, though I have exercise equipment up the wazoo in my unit, what I don’t have is motivation to get off the couch and workout.

And The Winner Is …

Home Alone

Some of you will recall the now 19-year-old Great Granddaughter that I never knew I had until last year …… adopted away from my prodigal granddaughter at 2 months old, none of us even knowing of her birth, she last year found us through Twin 1’s social media.

Since finding us, she’s become an integral part of our dysfunctional family and texted on Thursday that she was spending a few days with the sister of her adopted mother here in the Inland Empire/San Bernardino.

Googling her location, finding she was a mere 3-1/2 miles away, I picked her up on Friday morning and we "hung out", if you can call it that as it was too cold to go anywhere, do anything.

Both of us run cold, so whereas I bundle up, suffer a little so as not to run up the heating bill, I didn’t want her to suffer. Consequently, the heater ran all day/all night.

I don’t even want to see the bill, not to mention I’ll get a harassing notice from the utility company indicating I’m using more therms than others in the area.

After dropping her back off to her adopted Auntie this morning, back to being Home Alone I reflected on the visit, realized I’m a boring person.

Friday being a bingo day, it would have been fun for her to play bingo with the seniors, but bingo had been cancelled due to so many of the Usual Suspects being ill.

The organizers wisely didn’t want to take the risk of exposing others to whatever was going around, cancelled bingo until the 23rd.

Had this been summer, we could have hung out at the pool — she swimming, me lounging in the jacuzzi OR we could have gone shopping at the mall OR basking in the sun, listening to music at the farmer’s market, she gorging on all the street food, me wishing I could.

As it was, both of us being quiet/reflective, there wasn’t a lot of conversation; mostly she on TikTok, me watching Food Network, then both of us, later that night, rating Queens on RuPaul's Drag Race — which her super religious adopted mom would have thoroughly disapproved of.

Probably why, to put it in her words, "I’m so happy to have met you guys". We’re dysfunctional, but we’re open, accepting, we look, we listen, and we do not judge.

As for what she’s been doing since graduating, with a goal of entering the nursing field, she currently working on getting certified in Ultrasound Technology, but took time out of her studies to participate in the Los Angeles protest against ICE.

When things turned violent …… the person she attended the protest with was hit by ICE with a rubber missile, she wisely opted out of the protest, went back home.

Inasmuch as ICE are a bunch of sickos that will aim for the eyes to maim, or end you for no good reason like Renee Good, going home seemed like a good move.

Sightings

Since first of the new year, I’ve been feeling cold, like a human popsicle, chilled to the bone even when wearing layers of clothing, running the heater off/on, but at least it finally stopped raining …… for the time being.

For a few hours yesterday, we actually caught a glimpse of the sun, which motivated me to leave the den, venture out to stock up on supplies, pick up prints at the drug store and treat myself to coffee from Starbucks.

Whoever is cleaning the windows at Starbucks, needs to switch to a streak-free product.

Inasmuch as every time I visit this particular Starbucks, I see that same Nat C Car, and no one inside Starbucks seems to fit, I’m pretty sure the driver is someone associated with the dental office next door.

There’s parking in the back for the dental office, but the driver is no fool. He or she always parks in front of Starbucks, where the vehicle is safe from vandalism, has eyes on it.

Before running errands, I decided to check into the Community Room, see what the seniors were up to and missed Ernie by a hair's breadth.

He was walking out the back door just as I was walking in through the front door, so I paused to duck behind a pillar should he happen to turn around. He didn’t so, once he was out of sight, I walked into the Community Room found a small cake party to wish long-time resident, the Other Wheelchair Lady, happy trails …… she’s moving to Norwalk to be closer to family.

That leaves us two down in our group of Usual Suspects … Hell on Wheels will never recover enough to return to the complex and now the Other Wheelchair Lady is moving.

I did see Manager out and about on the complex yesterday, so she’s back after a nearly six-month absence.

Inasmuch as things worked so well when she was gone, I’m surprised Corporate didn’t just eliminate the position. She’s obviously not needed, but oh well. We’ll see what’s in store for us now that she’s back.

I stuck around in the Community Room just long enough to take a few photos for the residents’ FB page, was preparing to head out to run those errands when I saw Ernie out on the walkway. I waited until I could slip away unnoticed by him, headed to the car and escaped.

A few weeks ago, before the weather turned cold, I happened to be walking by our Bird of Paradise area and caught a hummingbird in action.

Fascinating. I can’t believe he let me get that close. They usually fly off before I can capture a photo.

Just Sayin

Cute, But Is It Functional?

Having come up with an idea for covering Twin 1’s bathroom accessory, but not having the accessory to test width/length, I looked up the product description — 7.25 diameter x 23.5 height.

Using my yoga mat, which was the exact correct height, I built a prototype, leaving extra diameter inches to accommodate the overhanging thingies, then tested the prototype to make sure, once a paper towel and toilet paper were added, there was sufficient room.

Looked right, so I went for it.

It’s cute, but is it functional?

It would drive me crazy to have to lift the entire cover off to access the paper; plus, it looks small. I’m not sure that the extra two inches I allowed for the overhanging hardware is enough.

Twin 1 lives in Nevada, will be down this way around Christmas as she’s been requested to service a shelter in this area, might not be down this way again for months.

I’d hate for her to take the cover all the way back to Nevada, find it doesn't fit; so, I thought of a backup design — a skirt like cover with an opening where she can just reach through the flap, grab the paper product, let the flap fall back into place.

Having used up the African print, I headed out this morning to the Knit for Jesus store for more fabric, with a stop into the office to ask management for a new access card to the parking lot because mine stopped working.

Assistant Manager said the problem was not with my card, that the gate thingie wasn’t working, I’d have to enter the lot through the opposite gate.

Fine by me and, as I headed out to the car, Crafty Lady appeared.

It’s Monday, so she was set up in the Community Room for Crafts Day, saw me enter the building, came out to give me that little witch she said she’d picked up for me.

Don’t know what I’ll do with it, but I like it.

Knit for Jesus was, unfortunately, doing a booming business, I guess because they're all that is for crafters.

If you've not done your Christmas shopping for decorations, better get on it. Shelves are emptying already.

Sorry to give them a compliment, but their shopping bags are hella cute.

After picking up fabric, I began walking around looking for letters, so I could pull a Miss Merry’s protest (when she shops at Knit for Jesus, she spells "FTRUMP" and "8647" with the letters).

Employees were working in the letters isle, so no go. However, I did find numbers a few isles over, and had the isle all to myself.