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.

Tomatoes, Kale, Eggs, Strawberries and a Proposal

The market …… not at the corner, but a branch of the same market located further down the road, in the heart of where the homeless congregate, surrounded by quite a lot of high iron fencing — like a prison, to control access, keep the unhoused out, is fast becoming my favorite.

Why?

Not just because, due to redlining, the produce is fresher/lasts longer, but because it’s where blog worthy things have happened to me — like that young man who stopped me to say, "My friend said you’re pretty" and where today I was referred to as "Chocolate ice cream" and received a proposal of marriage.

An old guy coming into the market, as I was exiting, looked at me and said "Chocolate ice cream …… I love chocolate ice cream …… marry me" and didn’t care who heard him say it.

I began laughing, which seemed to encourage him because he turned, took a few steps to follow behind me (don’t worry; I wasn’t going to let him follow me to the car), still talking, giving me his qualifications, starting with …… "I’m 62".

Appreciating his boldness in getting straight to the chase I said, "I’m older than you" which seemed to slow his roll.

He left it at "God is good", which I took to mean I was looking good for being older than his 62, then he walked back towards the market entrance, repeating "God is Good" twice more.

Other than that, nothing’s shaking …… especially here at the complex.

Before heading out to the market, I went to detour to the mail room and then to check on the folks in the Community Room on this Kesha Tuesday, but ran into the Baker who indicated everything was closed off due to start of the exterior upgrade of the complex …… painters working on the main building and the mail room.

Baker also tells me the rooms being roped off today doesn’t matter, because Kesha hasn’t been around on a Tuesday for quite some time.

Hmmmmm????

The current paint on the exterior looks fine to me, not in need of a paint upgrade, but what do I know other than Management seems to spend a boatload of money on the outside, penny pinches on upgrading or making repairs to the inside, and spend practically nothing on events.

Their priorities are F’d up.

But for the Baker hosting Easter Luncheon, there would have been nothing for the seniors, because Management did absolutely nothing for Easter. Not even the usual bag of potato chips.

So, anyway, in conversation with the Baker, I asked about Dream Lover and, sure enough, he and Lu are fighting again …… have broken up.

She said she can’t keep up with which one is mad at the other and for what reason as it happens so often, LOL, only that they are currently not a couple; but instead of chasing someone else’s tail this time around, Dream Lover got a job …… two actually.

He works at the hospital in Loma Linda, escorting people around and volunteers at one of the senior centers in Fontana.

She said she’s booked Dream Lover to man the grill at the Memorial Day BBQ by which time, if he hasn’t hooked up with someone else, he and Lu will probably be on again.

Management doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to prep the vacant unit across from me. I’ve not seen anyone come in to clean, paint, new carpet.

However, that tacky doormat is gone; but only because I couldn’t take it any longer, grabbed the red cover on my way to the trash bin last Friday, left the doormat that was beneath the red cover in place, tossed the cover in with the trash.

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.

Good News Canada

If you don’t know who these young men are, I’m going to worry about you, LOL.

My favorite in the group .......

If you don’t know which one HE is, I’ll be completely plum flustered.