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 |  A Baby-Boomer STILL alive and living in senior housing...
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The random thoughts of a Baby-Boomer STILL adjusting to life in senior housing (after five years)... Almost exactly nine months after World War II ended, one historian writes, “the cry of the baby was heard across the land.” More babies were born in 1946 than ever before: 3.4 million, 20 percent more than in 1945. This was the beginning of the so-called “baby boom.” In 1947, another 3.8 million babies were born; 3.9 million were born in 1952; and more than 4 million were born every year from 1954 until 1964, when the boom finally tapered off. By then, there were 76.4 million “baby boomers” in the United States. They made up almost 40 percent of the nation’s population. - www.history.com |
| Ugh! Friday at The Home! And it’s raining – my favorite type of day. The weather people said we could even have a thunderstorm mixed in. I’m hoping the rainfall will wash away the remnants of the past few weeks’ snowfall. It’ll be nice to see broken bushes and dead grass again… I’ve always liked rain. Mom/Dad told me I was born during a thunderstorm, so that may feed into my fondness for it. There’s something about the sound of it that soothes me; the rivulets on the window panes paint a morphed version of the real world – not exactly a bad feeling some days here on this cruise ship that at times seems destined for choppy waters. I sleep better during rain; I read more when the droplets fall. I wish it would dampen my appetite, but that’s not the case. Eating healthy is something I strive to do. However, one habit that’s difficult to break is dessert after dinner. Growing up we ALWAYS had dessert – whether it was pie or pudding or cake or cookies or Jell-O, Mom always had dessert. I think she was taught that in Home Economics. Do schools still teach Home Ec? In any case, I eat a little dessert each night. I’m hooked on apple desserts for the past few months – a seven-inch pie lasts me eight days; apple crisp lasts nine days – so it’s not like I’m overeating my sweets. Yesterday in the mail I got the bill from the hospital for my blood work. I didn’t get the results yet for crying out loud… I won’t pay it until I have the results in hand. Wanna make sure they actually did something with the blood they drew. Farmers’ market and grocery store tomorrow – I can’t wait! Life is good. |
| Ugh! I started a regimen of sit-ups to counteract my ever-growing abdominal area. That particular exercise has always been troublesome for me – I can’t keep my feet on the ground and since there’s no one here to hold them down for me, I hook them underneath my entertainment center and grunt and heave my way to physical fitness. I just hope there are no hidden cameras here at The Home… Yikes I’m sore. It’s so easy to fall into a sense of relaxation when one no longer has duties outside one’s abode. Except for my weekly trip to the farmers’ market and grocery store, I seldom leave the premises; hence my body is out of shape. Now that spring is around the corner, I should make plans to become more active – talking walks now and then. This neighborhood is all hills, however – that looms as a deterrent at the outset – something I must strive to overcome. There was an article in the local paper about a grocery chain in this area that is freezing prices for the rest of the year - on 40 items. That’s hardly newsworthy in my opinion. Maybe 400 or 4,000 items, but not 40… The chain is already overpriced, so I’m not sure what’s behind this “news” other than that they’re trying to attract customers by not raising the price on 4.5 oz. cans of miniature peas THRU DECEMBER 2011! “Hold the door open for me!” It was a slow day yesterday. Life is good. |
| Ugh! It was the best of days; it was the worst of days… Yesterday, I decided to treat myself to a movie in a theatre. I subscribe to Netflix and get movies both in the mail and streaming to my TV, plus I have a large collection of movies here at The Home. But I wanted to see “The King’s Speech” before the Academy Awards this coming Sunday. So I shelled out my $7.50 and went to the local multiplex. Before I left I made a new concoction of curry chicken for the crockpot. Assembled the whole thing and plugged it in anticipating dinner when I returned. I usually make coconut curry chicken on the stove top; this was a new recipe I found online. Spicy foods are a favorite of mine, and since I live alone, I don’t have to worry about the palates of others (and when I make it on the stove, my apartment smells like curry for a day or two afterwards). Off to the movie… It was very good. I think Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush will take home Oscars on Sunday for their performances: Firth fantastic as the king and Rush impeccable as Logue. Helena Bonham Carter provides a good turn as Elizabeth. The movie was excellent and surprisingly, the theatre had about 50 people in it – a lot for a Tuesday matinee around here. There are a few laugh-out-loud moments in the film. If you haven’t seen it, rush out to do so, or wait for it to come out on DVD and snatch it up right away. You won’t be disappointed. Ran into pothole crews on every road coming back to The Home…frustrating. Came inside looking forward to the smell of curry, but didn’t smell anything. Odd, I thought. Doh. I forgot to turn the crockpot on. Sigh. At least dinner is already made for tonight. If I don’t forget to turn on the darned crockpot… Life is good. |
| Ugh! Went for blood work this morning – a brisk walk the few blocks to the hospital and back again… I’m winded because it’s all uphill – both ways it seems. Over the weekend, I got bored and pulled out some information on my mother’s family. I’m half Scots (father) and half Pennsylvania Dutch (mother). Mom’s family came here from Germany in 1738 and settled about 5 miles from where I’m now living at The Home. The first five generations of that original family are documented in a hardcover book. At a family reunion I attended about 15 years ago, I purchased a supplement to that edition that contains names of the next eight generations – close to 16,000 of us! And we’re not Catholic! When Johann Reinhart and his family left Germany, it took them eight weeks to get from their homes to the boat in the Netherlands. The passage across the ocean took seven weeks. I don’t think I would have made it – I hate standing in line at the checkout in the grocery store for more than five minutes. In the supplement I’m listed as 10th generation on page 48 and 11th generation on page 90. It seems a marriage in 1810 between second cousins caused that situation. Those frisky immigrants… Some of my ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War; one was hired by Benjamin Franklin to move munitions from Philadelphia by oxen-led carts; some fought in the French-Indian War – there is a paragraph describing the women and children of the village taking refuge in an inn when Indians attacked. (I’m glad that problem doesn’t exist today.)(But hanging out at the inn might not be so bad if there’s enough spirits to go around.) And there is a book out there somewhere – it’s a diary of a relative written from 1861 – 1865 recounting his days in the Civil War; I have to do some research on that front to get a copy. Sadly there are no millionaires, royalty, movie stars, sports heroes (one relative is commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp, though) – just a lot of farmers, mill workers, carpenters, and VERY fertile people! The supplement is a great source for names when I write; reading through it one can see a pattern of when certain names came into vogue and others disappeared – to this day German given names are popular; I guess old habits are difficult to break. In the old days, today would have been George Washington’s birthday. Happy Birthday, George! Life is good. |
| Ugh! After a taste of spring/summer (temperature went up to 69F) on Friday, winter returned Saturday with 60 mph winds and wind chills in the 20s. It’s still February up here at The Home. And right now we have light snow falling… I mentioned last week about plans to remove the trees in front of The Home to make way for a concrete patio. Some commented about local ordinances concerning tree removal in their neighborhoods. I’m not sure if any are in place here; I’ll check into it. It seems silly to me to do something like that – most of the residents here do not venture outdoors except to go to their cars, so building a patio “for the enjoyment of all” seems a tad ludicrous. And the place they want to do this faces south – that means during the summer, the sun beats down on that section all day. Concrete would just enhance the intensity of the rays resulting in heat stroke – not a good thing (unless The Home management plans on hiring a nurse to be stationed outside, too). I guess I could start a protest of sorts – maybe make a placard and while I’m sitting outside having a smoke, hold up my sign. Or chain myself to one of the trees. Naah – they’d just arrest me, sell my belongings at a yard sale, and re-rent my apartment to someone else. I’ll enjoy the trees while they’re still here. And maybe get up the nerve to hug them… Life is good. |
| Ugh! Well, we had a tenants/management meeting yesterday at The Home. The guest speaker was from a day-care program for seniors; she explained how it worked, who was eligible, blah, blah. Other topics discussed were parking, getting new benches outside, tree removal – specifically the trees outside my windows – boo – to be replaced with a shaded patio at ground level. Nothing earth-shattering – merely the ins and outs of living here at The Home… I’m not happy about the tree removal, but there’s little I can do about it. At least I’ll still have a view of the mountain off in the distance. I wonder where the squirrels and birds will go to live…maybe they can hitch a ride to the day-care program? Doom-and-Gloom Earl was rude during the meeting. He showed up with his dog in tow. In the middle of it his cell phone rang and he proceeded to carry on a loud conversation while the woman from the program was trying to talk above him. Someone should take his cell phone away from him... or at least teach him proper etiquette. Complaining Connie complained. Heidi Hitler sat at the same table I did; she grunted her way through the session with nary a smile. She wears orthopedic shoes… Happy the meeting ended, I raced up the stairs to my apartment. It smelled apple-y and cinnamon-y from the pie I made before the meeting. Yum. Life is good. |
| Ugh! The other day I spoke to Complaining Connie outside here at The Home. We got to discussing cleaning and I mentioned I’m a fan of Pine-Sol (I referenced my unfortunate oil spill) – I use it on floors, countertops, stove, refrigerator, and furniture. Apparently she spread the word because three different residents have come up to me asking why I use it on furniture. Angie specifically asked, “Doesn’t it wreck the upholstery?” I explained I use the Pine-Sol on my wood furniture: dresser, bureau, bed, entertainment center, desk, etc. – not the upholstery. So, now I suppose I’ll be known as Pine-Sol Guy in The Home Gossip Ring – PSG for short. Would that that should be my biggest problem… I saw Bernie, across the hall from me, hung a picture of bleeding Jesus on her door yesterday. Wonder what triggered that? Life is good. |
| Ugh! Had a dream last night about the time I was involved in a chain-reaction automobile accident in mid-town Manhattan long ago. We had just seen a performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Broadway and were making our way out of the city. Traffic backed up going into the Lincoln Tunnel and we were stuck. Suddenly there was a loud boom-crash and our car lurched forward into the car in front of us. Neither of us was injured so we got out to see what had happened. A dry-cleaners truck had rammed us from behind. Behind that truck were two other cars. Out of the last car in the line, a huge Cadillac, a Hispanic young woman emerged and screamed something in Spanish. It took 45 minutes for the NYPD to arrive. In that time, we learned that the driver of the Cadillac had a prosthetic leg, which had become undone and therefore he couldn’t step on the brake pedal; he drove right into the car in front of him, thus the chain-reaction collision. Also during the wait, a station wagon drove past us. In the back seat was Tiny Tim. I waved to him. He waved back. An early brush with fame… It was a banner day. Life is good. |
| Ugh! Yesterday I got ready to make a batch of coconut-curry chicken. I reached into my lower cupboard to retrieve the gallon jug of olive oil I keep there and grasped the cap with one hand like I always do. Imagine my dismay when the cap came off in mid-heft sending the container into a free-fall. It plopped onto its side on the kitchen floor and before I could pick it up it glugged out spurts of olive oil. Ugh. Step one: sop up the liquid with paper towels Step two: get another roll of paper towels Step three: sop up more of the viscous liquid Step four: toss oil-laden towels into the trash can Step five: attempt to wash oil off hands with soap Step six: attempt to wash oil off hands with dishwashing detergent Step seven: wash oil off dishwashing detergent bottle Step eight: get out Pine-Sol and bucket to wash kitchen floor Step nine: wipe down outside of trash can Step ten: wipe down outside of less-than-a-gallon olive oil jug After that everything went swimmingly… The dish turned out yummy. Made jasmine rice to go with it… Life is good. |
| Ugh! Okay, so I went out Saturday looking for a birthday gift and stopped at a candy store to check out their selections. I ran across a display of nonpareils. I asked for a sample. The salesgirl gave me one. It was very good so I asked her if she had any pareils. She looked flummoxed and said she’d have to check with the manager; she went into the back. I left before she came back out… Oh, the things I do to pass the time. Life is good. |
| Ugh! I’ve been seeing one of my neighbors at the mailboxes the past few days. She’s mannish and grunt-speaks with an Eastern European accent. Her build is what I can only describe as Concentration-Camp-Guard-ish. I smile and say, “Hello” and all I get in response is a bass voice muttering something like “Mmmgk.” She’s kind of scary. I’d like to ask her name, but am fearful “Hitler” may be part of it. There are no swastikas on her garb and she doesn’t wear army boots, however, she doesn’t strike me as one whose name could be Heidi, if you get my drift. Heidi Hitler? Did Adolf have a long lost daughter who is now living here peacefully at The Home? She’s a real ray of sunshine – not! Made apple sausage, sauerkraut, and garlic mashed potatoes yesterday – I was in a German mood… Ach du Lieber! Life is good. |
| Ugh! After a brief taste of spring over the weekend (temps in the low 30s – high enough that I didn’t wear a coat when I went outside for a smoke), winter has returned with a vengeance. I guess Mother Nature is just reminding us not to get too comfy – the calendar still reads February. I thought I might have spotted a robin yesterday here at The Home. It turned out to be a sparrow wearing a red woolen sweater vest. I envied it… Someone hung up little cupid Valentine-ish decorations on the front door here at The Home. I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day – I think it’s a day for greeting card manufacturers, rose peddlers, and chocolatiers to raise prices in the middle of winter. I used to hate the idea of writing out cards for all my classmates in elementary school; it was a futile attempt at frivolity in an otherwise bleak month. If the day was so special, how comes we didn’t get the day off from school to celebrate? Back then we had two holidays in February: Feb 12 was Lincoln’s birthday (day off from school); Feb 22 was Washington’s birthday (another day off). Then our great Congress combined the two into one day (President’s Day Monday) to make a three-day weekend. We got snookered… Every weekend here at The Home is a three-day weekend, though. Party on, folks! Life is good. |
| Ugh! Well, the first session with The Home’s new activities director, Vera, was pretty much a bust yesterday. I was one of three people who showed up: Angie, Irene, and moi. Not very promising. Complaining Connie didn’t go because “I can’t sit for long periods of time.” Doom-and-Gloom Earl was nowhere to be found. Vera thought it would be a good idea to all introduce ourselves to one another as an “ice breaker.” That was sort of a waste of time since we all knew each other. What might’ve been a better idea was to have Vera tell us about herself, but that didn’t happen and I didn’t want to make waves during the first session. When that mindlessness was complete, she asked us our ideas of fun things to do. After a lengthy silence, Angie suggested a bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show in March. Irene and I liked that idea; Vera nixed it for monetary reasons. We all nodded and realized the odds of us Home-rs drumming up enough interest to fill a bus was nil… More silence. Vera coughed and blew her nose quite a bit; I hope she didn’t spread any germs…nasty – especially in the windowless community room. I got uneasy with just the four of us sitting there with nothing to say. Maybe I was expecting too much of Vera? Shouldn’t she have led the discussion since she’s the “professional” one in the room? I wasn’t looking for song and dance, but c’mon. It appeared as though she had something else on her mind or maybe this was her first time doing something like this. I didn’t ask her credentials and none were offered in the announcement of her arrival; I hope this isn’t a sort of hobby thing for her – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but if she’s going to lead a group in activities she should have some in mind before appearing in front of the group, right? It was awkward. After half an hour I said I had to check on something in my oven. It wasn’t actually a lie – there is overcooked spillage in there that I have to scrub out. I left. I didn’t get to talk to Angie or Irene afterwards; I can’t wait to find out what happened (if anything) after my exit. Apathy is a real killer and it was proved by the turnout yesterday. I’m sure the management folks here at The Home thought Vera would be a good idea, and maybe things will turn around – after all, it was only her first visit. I’m hopeful that next month, if she decides to return, she’ll have an activity in mind. Something. Anything. But not just sitting around in the community room not feeling communicable. Oh, well…maybe I’ll attend the flower show on my own. Probably not – the ticket cost is $25. All things considered… Life is good. |
| Ugh! My chest feels tight this morning…hope I’m not coming down with something. I got my flu shot a few months back – hope it took. Last night I had a strange dream: my two former cats (Miss Bessie Smith and Gershwin) appeared at my apartment door. I heard a rustle outside and swung the door open. There they were with a kitten. Gershwin told me “it’s time for another cat. Here’s Scratch.” The dream was disturbing on several points: 1) Gershwin spoke with a heavy German accent; 2) Scratch is a terrible name for a kitten; and 3) how did they get in through the security doors here at The Home? Plus I’m not ready to bring someone new into my life. Maybe in a year or two, but not right now... I woke up without having resolved anything, but the dream was very vivid. It’s the first time in a long while that either Bess or Gersh has visited my dreams – and it’s the first time they appeared together. Usually it’s one or the other – not tag-teaming me in my slumber. It’s not fair – I don’t perform my best in lala-land. Can’t wait to see what transpires tonight. Until then… Life is good. |
| Ugh! Winter lingers…but it did get above freezing finally for a little bit – not enough to melt all the ice in the parking lot, but it’s a start. Spent the weekend here at The Home watching movies by myself: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3 – all very good and brought back a lot of memories from long ago; It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World – almost three hours of madcap zaniness; Auntie Mame – just plain fun; Life is Beautiful – one of my favorite films; and several episodes of Keeping Up Appearances – a funny British sitcom from the early 90s. Got to the halfway point of War and Remembrance – it seems to be taking me as long to re-read this book as WWII lasted, but I am enjoying it immensely despite being angry at Aaron Jastrow because I know how it ends. Made an appointment for my annual automobile inspection – I hope the weather cooperates and there will be clear roads on the appointed day. This past year I put 2,250 miles on my car… All things considered… Life is good. |
| Ugh! Chopped up my grapefruits and oranges for the week, so that’s out of the way. I do love me some grapefruit every day. I guess to some, it’s an acquired taste, like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9JwgBG2RJY The folks here at The Home have been mildly grumpy of late. I blame it on the weather. Most do not venture out, and those that do mostly grouse about the cold, snow, ice, and temperatures. It’s kind of difficult to find something to smile about these grey, frigid days. I try to keep a rosy outlook, but it’s a losing battle with my non-merry neighbors. Even the few birds and squirrels that inhabit the flowering pear trees outside my apartment window seem to have disappeared. Mayhaps they’ve headed south? Well, the weekend is upon us once again. Yay. I’m hungry for Chinese – maybe I’ll spring for home delivery from the local wok-ery. Or maybe not. Life is good. |
| Ugh! Survived the ice storm relatively intact here at The Home. I was fearful of power outages and us residents having to all sleep together in the Community Room for warmth, but nothing of the sort occurred. Now it’s on to spring! (I’m trying to be optimistic – the groundhog predicted an early spring) Had a senior moment yesterday…after clearing off the thick coating of ice from my car, I tried to move it out of my parking slot. The tires spun on the ice that had accumulated from the storm, so I got out and dug and chopped the ice away from the back tires. I worked on it for 30 minutes, tried again, and the tires still spun. I decided to wait a bit to see if the temperatures would rise and just melt the stuff. Came inside to warm up and realized – ahah! – I have front wheel drive! So I went back out and dug and chopped the ice from behind the front tires…did that for 30 minutes and voila my car moved. Stupid moment of the day…I’m not technically inclined – obviously. Saw Complaining Connie later in the day and asked her about her walking to her car the other day. She laughed and said she doesn’t need her wheelchair all the time; she’s just gotten used to it and enjoys rolling herself around. Now that I know that, I’ll think twice about clearing her car of snow in the next wintry go-around. Mean spirited? Yessiree! It’s soon time for the gardening catalogues to appear in my mail. I can’t seem to get off their mailing lists – it’s been over ten years since I’ve ordered anything from them, but year after year they pop into my mailbox. They’re fun to page through on these grey afternoons with the winds howling outside. Ahh, a garden… Life is good. |
| Ugh! I wish my neighbors would turn their heat down a notch. It’s very strange to have my windows open during a winter storm, but there you have it. Thank goodness we don’t have to pay for heat… Yesterday we were supposed to have the fire alarm system checked in The Home but the inclement weather postponed that. I hope the technicians will examine my next-door neighbor’s smoke alarm so it doesn’t go off every time she “makes eggs.” I’m glad she doesn’t do that on a daily basis…good for her cholesterol and good for my sanity! I had to vacuum my place for the third day in a row. Seems every time I go out for a cigarette I track in salt pellets that are scattered on the sidewalks. The maintenance people keep a little bucket of the stuff and a scoop right inside the front door for early risers to use before the sidewalk clearers arrive. But someone uses it every day; I swear the ground crunches when one walks on it. I think I know who is doing it, but can’t prove it – Calamity Cleary in 202. She talks about her niece who was in an automobile accident about 40 years ago on an ice-covered road, and therefore urges everyone to be careful whenever she sees one of us leave The Home. (This same niece fell and broke her ankle a few years back at a Memorial Day parade. And she wrenched her back one time going down the steps at the courthouse…hence the name Calamity Cleary.) The other day connieann’s blog mentioned fresh tomatoes. Ever since I read that entry, I’ve been craving them. I can’t wait for summer to get here…the orbs in stores during the winter are not near the same thing – they’re tomatoes in name only. Until then, I have the image in my mind that Have a sunshiny day!  painted.Life is good. |
| Ugh! So I went outside very early yesterday for my first cigarette – it was before 5 a.m. I sat on the bench in the dark, like I always do, and I heard the automatic door to The Home open. I looked over and saw Complaining Connie come out. Nothing unusual EXCEPT she WALKED! No wheelchair. No walker. No cane. No Rascal. Just strolled out to the parking lot without a care in the world. Initially I thought I must be dreaming, but, no, there she was. I stared and watched her walk to her car, which I had cleared off for her because it’s a hassle for her to do it from her wheelchair. She got into her car, backed out of her slot, and drove off. I couldn’t believe it! Does she have a twin living with her in her apartment? And, if so, I wonder if she complains as much as CC does. How does Rascal tell them apart? Is one evil and one nice? Maybe the twin is very nice and I just haven’t had the chance to meet “her” yet. Maybe she was sleepwalking (that would be something for the medical books, if that’s the case!)? Maybe I was sleepwalking? I’m torn – I’m pretty sure she didn’t see me sitting there. Should I say something to her? Like, “Liar, liar, pants on fire! You can walk!” Or should I just let it slide? Or maybe someone slipped me a funny cigarette! Yikes, I never lock my door on my outdoor trips; someone could have entered my place and planted one in the pack I always leave right on my desktop just inside the door. It wouldn’t take much time – especially if someone was keeping track of my movements. It could happen! But probably not. In the meantime, Life is good. |
| Ugh! Greetings from Arctic Land where wherever one looks all one sees is white. We have so much of the stuff it hasn’t turned dirty as of yet. Driving is kind of a hassle – little streets are reduced to one lane, which makes for tricky traversing on two-way thoroughfares; the main roads are clear, though, so that’s good news. Made a trip to grocery store and farmers’ market early Sunday morning – left before anyone else here at The Home was up and about in the hopes my shoveled-out parking slot would be there when I returned…it was. Yay! Now I’m set for the week. It’d be nice if the temperatures went above freezing for a day or two to melt some of the snow surrounding my car – I only shoveled out one side (to allow me access) to discourage others from taking my spot. It’s evil but I’m too old to spend hours shoveling only to have someone else reap the benefits of my labors. I’ve noticed a lot more meals being delivered here to The Home over the past week. I have a feeling the winter blues have set in and residents are going into hibernation mode and it’s just easier for them to order food ready-made and delivered to their doors. I can’t afford to do that so there’s always something cooking in my kitchen. One bright spot right here on my windowsill: my geranium is blooming – shocking red! Life is good. |
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no pun intended!
or just need to keep the old frame greased and moving more. Otherwise, the rust sets in and gravity is like a magnet on the iron joints constantly pulling down.