WON THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Life is hoppin’ around here. I got to see and feel Maria rejection first hand. As far as I knew, we were good. I went to the upstairs lounge this afternoon to work on the puzzle. Maria and Gail were playing dominos. Things were pretty quiet. I greeted them both and then got out of their way.

There was a new clock by the puzzle table. I asked Maria if she bought it. No, it came from the apartment of the lady who just passed away. Then Gail asked if she got the TV. Yes, and several others things. She began through the list: shelving, a stool, kitchen items, the clock, a chair and A couple of others things if I remember right. Gail asked where she was going to put all these things. The TV is 48” so is sitting on a long credenza in the living room. She said she moved the other TV into her bedroom with her little one. She has two eyes so maybe she plans to watch a different station with each eye while going to sleep. Good luck.

She assured everyone that she had the perfect place for everything. I wanted to know what she did with her 36” TV case, but didn’t ask. Gail pushed a bit and told her she was clearing out things so there wouldn’t be so much for her daughter to have to take care of, Maria was shocked by that. It’s not your problem. Who cares what happens after you die. Her philosophy was very clear.

I heard part of her comments about helping clean the apartment over the weekend and how generous they were to offer her anything she wanted. It wasn’t quite like that. Another helper had a completely different story.

Then Olivia arrived and walked over to Maria. The domino games ended, Gail came over to the puzzle table and Olivia and Maria we talking very secretively. The irony is that they were mortal enemies three months ago. I would love to know what changed. Maria does not forgive. Maria must thing she is the only one who will take her to the casino.

I have suspected for sometime that we had another tenant who was wearing on everyone’s nerves. This lady took over my spot getting the free bread on Wednesday mornings. She cannot stop telling the leader of the team what to do and how to do it. She needed help hanging some pictures in her apartment today so the head bread lady went to help. The control was exhausting. That relationship is about to fall apart. The problem I face is at our monthly “Meal Out” event. Once a month we go to a restaurant. She always comes, but no one wants to sit near her and I have been asked by several to talk to her. I have been avoiding the inevitable. She complains about many things, calls the waiter and gets up from the table to go and tell the waited she is waiting for water. People feel embarrassed. They don’t want her to come. I am caught between a rock and a hard place. You see I don’t want her to come either. I may cancel the open call to eat out and invite a small group — that ought to get a lot of people mad. Better not!

Whoa is me, for I am undone — or I will be before this week is out. I need to talk to the bread lady and also attend the large group-counseling meeting for Chas and Olivia. I think I’ll go back to bed and be sick the day of the big meetings. I used to physically be able to make my self sick in grade school.

BLIND AS A BAT

I could talk about the weather again, but I’d just say we are having some.

Gail got a similar camera for Christmas to the one I bought so I went up to her place and we compared notes and took a few pictures. Gail is a little leery of computers so I was showing her how the two would work together (I’m so technologically savvy). She is going to need an extended cord to hook her camera to her computer. That made her nervous. She asked me about a symbol in her instruction book and where it was on her camera I didn’t have that one. Where was the flowerpot? She couldn’t see it.

In the meantime Maria had arrived and was trying to figure out what we were talking about. Maria had been a photographer for the Navy in her early years. I have seen some of her work and it is very good. When I also failed to find the flowerpot symbol she said she would find it. I know I have said this before, but just to remind you Maria is nearly blind. The whole time she was looking over and over the camera Gail was eyeing me with a smirk. I knew what she was thinking. Maria can’t even see. Well, in time she laid the camera down and left. She was barely out the door when Gail burst into laughter. Needless to say, Maria never found the symbol either.

So I looked at the camera again and tried to get it into better light. I can see that several buttons have impressions on them, Black indentations on black buttons. Miss a button when making a selection and you will hit two buttons. The tiny symbols and artsy keys are impossible for those of us with failing eyesight to see. Everything is getting smaller while our eyes are getting weaker.

I get a kick out of people demanding ever larger and larger TV’s while they are getting smaller and smaller. Go figure.

Later I went to do my laundry and as usual someone has begun another puzzle. They were laying out another dark dreary lifeless picture of nearly identically colored animals or muted flowers surrounded by a sea of green. I have never wanted a puzzle to challenge me — I want a puzzle to be bright, with lots contrasting colors that will be fun to do. Moat people want the challenge. And there was another challenging one being laid out. There was only one that fit my criteria so I started to lay it out and nearly had the border completed when Maria arrived to let me know one had already been begun. I’m not taking it down. There is room for two puzzles. If some want to do the green puzzle, they may or they can do this Christmas one I have begun. That ended it and I am happy and will actually go and work on my puzzle now. I can also be selfish.

So you can see, life goes on. The blind try to lead the blind. The controlling try to control (that’s me). And we continue to laugh at the absurd. There’s lots to laugh about.

GOURMET DINNER

Ten of us got together yesterday afternoon and went to try out the free gourmet dinners sponsored by a local church and a local gourmet chef. It is provided for those in need and the elderly. What a great meal. The best I have had since moving to this area. The tables have table cloths, the dishes are glass with non-plastic cutlery, the waiters and waitresses are exceptionally kind and friendly and there is no bill at the end – or at the beginning either. There were choices of two salads; two soups; six entrée’s and two desserts. It was incredible. There was so much food I brought almost half home. I was looking forward to having it today, but things change.

I had a scratchy throat yesterday with a very hoarse single noise cough. It got worse last night. I woke in plenty of time to leave for bread wars (every Wednesday). I was way too sick. I called both women to report I would not be able to make it. That means no bread at all. I have the van. This was the first miss in nearly two years. I never called in sick, pretended to stay home because of the weekly test, or needed a note from my mother. But I could not to it today. Back to bed I went. It felt good.

That was a sleep of three hours. When I got up (the bathroom thing did it), I got a call from a lady who ordered a print at the art show. She was willing to come later, but I have waited two months for her to show and wanted her to come. She didn’t know exactly where I was so I met her at the front door. We made the exchange, I took the money and was headed back in when Kiki saw me and asked if she could do anything. Very kind, but I could manage. Then she expressed disappointment that we went out to eat without giving her a special invitation. WHAT? She was present when the entire group made the decision. I teased her a little and came in. Gail knocked on my door a few seconds later to ask if I needed anything and see how I was. She wanted to know if I got food poisoning from the night before. No, why? Well, Maria is telling everyone that you got food poisoning. Why am I surprised! I didn’t give her an engraved invitation to dinner either. But she was told. Gail invited her. But the invitation didn’t come from the right person. I guess this is the punishment I will have to take for trying to put together, and encourage others to put together activities. All I know was the food was terrific. We decided to go every other week. I will post notices, but I’ll be pea soup if these two spoiled women are going to push me into a corner to make them special.

I know. I could give in. I could be a nice guy. I could make them special. I could make sure they are invited specifically. I could go and apologize; I could fall on bended knee and beg their forgiveness. I could deliver future notices via mail. I could do a lot of things, but I think I’ll go back to bed.

MAJOR LOSS

If it’s OK to say all hell is breaking loose, then it is. Our maintenance man and his wife, the manager, have turned in their resignation and will leave on July 6th to return to Florida. He is the most skilled maintenance man this place has ever had. She was never given any authority to do anything. No one likes to be micro managed.

Most of us know the real meaning of this pending change. There will be no leadership here at all. The corporate office is a government entity. We are not residents or clients. We are their biggest problem. I learned today that with every complaint that comes to them they hate us just a little more. They are so angry that they say no to everything as a matter of principle. My philosophy has just become it is better to get forgiveness than permission. I know I can sound contrite if necessary.

Managements deafening silence has now grown to a roar. They are angry that some residents already know of the pending departure. They wanted to be able to tell us and control the reaction. Too late! The reaction is anger and growing angrier. It is already believed they were fired. Ridiculous. That would never have happened. They quit because of how they were treated by upper management. Especially how his wife was being treated. She was depressed, hurt, and getting ill often. The husband had to rescue his poor wife. I for one am glad to see a man stand up for his family.

Their resignation was always just a matter of time. She was never appreciated. The final camel back breaking straw came after a meeting he had with the director. He and his wife were out on their nightly walk about two hours after work when he was called to the office immediately. They interrupted the walk and went together. She was tired, had a difficult day and did not smile once while her husband was being corrected. The following day she was called in and chastised for not smiling. The day after that, he turned in his two-week notice. He did not tell his wife until after he did it. That act affirmed his love for her. She loved it. Because she knew he did it for her.

Today they began telling people they were close to of their resignation. They will be deeply missed. We will not know how much they will be missed until a month or two after they are gone. Their departure will be felt. Sheer panic has not set in yet, but will most likely be in full force by Monday or Tuesday, Word will be everywhere by then. The fireworks will begin and most likely continue throughout the month of July.

As for me, I still love this place. With all the crap about to be thrown around I continue to believe most people here are kind. But they are also people who are hurting emotionally and physically. Some are clearly facing end of life issues. Some are lonely. Some are frightened. Some will be lost without someone on the grounds to turn too. One woman locks herself out of her room once or twice a week. The corporation charges $85 to get them back in. She has never been charged and will not be able to afford what will most likely come her way. We know she should not be here, but she is.

I know I cannot make this the Happiest Place on Earth. Disney has that motto sewed up. But I want to do my best to make this a happier place on earth. That’s doable. We lasted a year without on ground help. We planned our own activities, organized our own group meals and created our own outings. We can rise again. Some will see it as rising out of the ashes. If so, lets shake the dust off and get moving.