October 6, 2011
Dear Everyone:
I
love taking out the garbage… because I can now do it without using a
cane. I can just walk out to
the dumpster, which is not that far away, and use both hands to hold the
garbage bag if I need to.
Just like a grown up.
I
can even carry an umbrella if I need to.
Water, falling from the sky.
What a concept.
It
always seems to take people by surprise around here.
Top news story:
Rain!!! Wet streets!!!
Auto accidents!!!
Film at 11:00!!! (Video of
some poor schmuck struggling with an umbrella; or “live” footage of a
“reporter” shivering on a BART platform with an electric sign in the
background flashing the latest temperature.)
Seriously, people:
Wet weather is not “news”.
In
the meantime…
“Jeannie” has been very lucky in her neighbors.
On one side, a school teacher and her husband who runs his own
business. Very friendly,
very helpful people. On the
other side, also friendly and helpful, an elderly lady who manages the
property and the apartment rentals across the way.
Until last month when the elderly lady (we’ll call her “Amelia”)
had a fall in her home.
“Jeannie” to the rescue.
Took “Amelia” to the local hospital where they “checked her out”, then,
literally, “checked” her out, as in “released” her back to “Jeannie”.
A few hours later, “Amelia” fell again.
“Jeannie” managed to contact “Amelia’s” daughter in
Fresno, who
came and eventually took mother home to an “assisted living” facility.
In
the meantime, the company that owns the apartments, and originally built
the townhomes owned by “Jeannie” and her neighbors, assigned a new
“manager”. So “Jeannie” now
has a new neighbor where “Amelia” used to live.
Not nearly as friendly or helpful as “Amelia” used to be.
And
since “Jeannie” is the current president of her
Homeowners Association,
everyone comes to her to complain about the new manager.
And most of them don’t have to live next door.
Last week, “Jeannie” took her car in to the dealer because it was making
“scary noises”. (This is
what happens when you “save” money by ignoring routine maintenance.)
Upshot: “Jeannie”
would be without a car for the weekend, plus (possibly) part of this
week.
Her
solution: Borrow my car and
drive to Fresno to visit “Amelia” (and brother “Marshall”.)
My
solution: Let’s
both drive to Fresno…
Road Trip!!!
Yes, we piled into my car and drove to Fresno together last Saturday.
I packed an overnight bag.
“Jeannie” did just fine with a zippered “recyclable” grocery bag.
And she brought a “Get Well” plant that someone had left for
“Amelia”.
“Marshall” always told us that Fresno was “four hours” from anywhere.
Four hours to drive to
Los Angeles.
Four hours to drive to
Monterey.
Four hours to the
Bay Area.
I
don’t know what we did wrong, but we were there in three-and-a-half
hours, including a stop for lunch.
Maybe we took the wrong exit.
“Marshall”, bless his heart, gave up tickets to a football game (Fresno
State Bulldogs versus “Ole
Miss” (University of Mississippi)
Rebels) and took us out to (an expensive) dinner.
He also introduced us to Fresno’s version of
Walnut Creek’s
“Golden Triangle”, a very upscale shopping center, complete with a
Coach (leather goods) store.
On
Sunday, we went back to the shopping center and got sandwiches, etc.,
for lunch. Then we found the
assisted living facility and even found “Amelia” and her daughter.
“Amelia” was looking much better and seemed in very good spirits.
We had a very nice lunch together and “Jeannie” told “horror
stories” about the new manager.
Afterward, we stopped “one more time” at the shopping center, where I
bought a new pair of pants, marked down
and on sale.
Followed by an easy drive home.
And “Jeannie” can report to the other neighbors on “Amelia’s”
progress.
Also, “Jeannie’s” car was fixed and ready by Tuesday.
I
love being retired. It means
I can drop everything and drive to Fresno (or anywhere else I feel like)
without worrying about all the “chores” that fill up the weekend being
left undone. I can do the
laundry (including washing the new pants) on Monday instead of Sunday.
Grocery shopping can wait until Tuesday, unless it’s raining,
then it can wait until whenever.
Retirement. Try it, you’ll
like it.
Love, as always,
Pete
PS.
I regret to report the
Bulldogs lost the game.
| Previous | Next |