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.

L.A. Pride

Heading out on Saturday to represent Twin 1 at Sunday's Pride Parade.

Granddaughter and I will be driven in a car, while a contingent from Twin 1’s organization Beauty2theStreetz, and possibly some of the unhoused that Twin 1 clothed/fed/obtained housing for/supported in a myriad of other ways, will be walking alongside the parade route with us.

The Parade starts at 11:00, will be broadcast live on ABC 7, streamed on Hulu, with Twin 1’s moment arriving at approximately 11:30.

We’ve been instructed to wear purple, with fun and/or related rainbow themed accessories. So, if you're watching the broadcast, you just might catch a glimpse of our dressed in purple selves.

But then again, maybe not, because my TV Guide indicates the broadcast ends at 11:30, just as Twin 1's moment arrives, while ABC's promo indicates the live ends at 1:00.

I don't have access to Hulu, so your guess is as good as mine as to how long that broadcast is slated to run.

At any rate, enjoy what there is of LA Pride you're able to view in your areas.

Edward Scissorhands and Other Tales

Heading to the Community Room to take photos of today’s Craft Class for the residents’ facebook page, I caught Mr. Scissorhands in the process of giving buzz cuts to the remaining greenery.

Oh Oh! He caught me taking pics

Didn’t stop me from taking more pics.

The Usual Suspects made bracelets from tongue depressors today.

Crafty Lady soaked the depressors in water, manually molded into shape and the ladies embellished with fabric and stick-on decorations.

One of these bracelets, posed atop a display in Vanity Magazine, is a tongue depressor bracelet. Can you tell which one?

Today’s tea involved one of our Usual Suspects — Di, who tells us her utilities have been cutoff because she forgot to pay, couldn’t remember last time she actually paid a utility bill, didn’t recall getting any notices warning of being $1400 in arrears and of impending cutoffs until utilities were turned off.

That got her attention.

Di is one of the residents that doesn’t make much money, pays about $150 in rent and has a hard time coming up with that. So, she’s really in a pickle, which she’s hoping Kesha can help her resolve … show her how to work out something with the utility company or put her in contact with an agency whose mission is to help seniors in situations like this.

$1400 is a lot of misremembering. I’m thinking about over a year’s worth of forgetfulness because, looking at my budget sheet, I last year paid a total of $892.89 in utilities ($491.37 to Edison Electricity and $401.52 to SoCal Gas).

So, I can’t imagine how long it took for Di to get to $1400 in arrears.

Di is easily confused and forgetful due to a brain injury suffered in an automobile accident. Before that she was a brilliant chemist and still occasionally will have moments of brilliance where she will say something that speaks of quantum physics while misremembering simple things.

I dunno. My spirit is telling me to pay the bill for her, but I myself am not rich and don’t want to step into something that might cause her to depend on me in the future.

Part of Kesha’s job is to help the seniors out by connecting them with resources for medical and rent and utilities. So, I think I’ll wait to see if Di can resolve this issue through other means before involving myself.

Fancy Plants and Funny Money

I’d heard that, due to complaints from residents about and management’s dissatisfaction with the Landscaping Company, that as soon as the contract was up, the company would be replaced.

I think that has happened, and management has contracted with Edward Scissorhands because, when I headed out to the market yesterday, I saw plants and hedges had been somewhat artistically clipped and sculpted into a design.

It’s giving minimalistic, but kinda cute.

At the market, I really liked that they are now offering … "Do you want change (coins from the purchase) back or to donate" to schools.

I opt to donate because coins are so inconvenient …. I never know what to do with them except separate and store because they’re too heavy to carry around.

Though pennies have mostly been discontinued, the occasional I still get go into an old 5-gallon glass water jug that I’ve managed to hold onto for 25/30 years, quarters go into various mason jars, dimes and nickels go into cowboy boot planters.

A few days ago, when I was removing coins from my fanny pack ... coins that I somehow accumulated from places that did not offer the option to donate, I found an Indian Head Buffalo Nickel.

I can’t decipher a date or any markings that would indicate the coin is valuable, but it’s rare/valuable to me and was added to a pocket in the back of my Franklin Covey planner, where I keep funny money.

I don’t even know what half of these are, but I do know some are foreign, two are Susan B. Anthony dollars and the dollar bill looks like loot from the bank that got dye pack bombed in the getaway, was later washed and somehow passed on to me at Home Depot.

I once had a Kennedy Half Dollar, but it was stolen by contract workers management had sent in for repairs, when I lived in a loft building in Long Beach.

I know it was one of the two workers that stole the coin because one of the guys had spotted it, asked if I wanted to sell it. I'd said no, that I was saving it and heard his coworker say, "You should have just taken it".

He did just take it because, after the workers left, the Kennedy coin had mysteriously disappeared.

I hope the bad karma he created for himself was worth it.

Accident Waiting to Happen

That’s what I said when management had the landscapers dig up all the grass, replace with rocks … that rocks would end up on the walkway and seniors would be hurt.

So far, the count is two who have had their walker tip on rocks, causing them to fall and injure themselves — one being Painted Rock Lady.

Those injured have reported the incidents to management, but not a lot can be done, at this stage, unless and until it turns into more than simple scrapes and bruises.

I remember a few years ago, when Nurse Ratched was managing the place, a resident’s foot came in contact with a spot on the walkway that was connected unevenly, she fell, broke her elbow.

She was in a cast and sling for a long while (old bones don’t heal quickly).

All I know from the outcome was that the walkway was immediately repaired and rumors began to fly that she had been drunk at the time.

I don't know if management started the rumor to save themselves or if another resident put it out there; but news of that rumor got back to the resident, who was highly indignant … complained to anyone who would listen that "I wasn't drunk", even complained to me.

I can't say whether she was drunk or not but, the fact remains, the walkway did have a raised portion, an accident waiting to happen for any one of us.

Force of habit, when I’m out and about, I always look down when walking … not so much worried about rocks, more like irresponsible dog owners allowing their dogs to No. 2 on the walkway and/or any other kind of icky stuff I’d rather not have stuck to the bottom of my shoes.

So anyway, the rocks continue to be an issue.

My area is on a slope, which means rocks roll down onto the walkway at record breaking speed, leaving bald spots where rocks are gone, exposing the plastic sheeting covering the ground.

I spotted Head Maintenance guy scooping rocks back to cover the bald spots just last week.

It probably doesn’t help that the occasional adventurous soul will attempt a shortcut across the rocks and go SPLAT! … like when 3-Year-old Great Grandbaby was here for a visit a few weeks ago.

SPLAT!

And just this morning, a delivery person managed the ascent, but went SPLAT! on the descent.

Excuse my sick sense of humor, but this one had me ROFLMAO, as I rewatch ten times.

And don't judge me for using the delivery service you see in the video. I don't agree with their business practices and the way they treat workers but, in this and outlining areas, where everything is either behind locked cabinets and/or not available at all, it's a service I of necessity must utilize.

Other than that, not a lot going on as I sit on my behind getting fat and lazy because the indoor walking pad is making a squeaking noise and it’s too hot to walk outside; but I suppose any excuse will do when one really doesn’t want to get off the couch.