March 21, 2014
Dear Everyone:
Listen. Do you hear it?
That echoing silence coming from the
Republican Party?
When Russia invaded the
Crimean Peninsula, crying “It was always ours
anyway,” the Republicans couldn’t wait to gleefully claim that the whole
thing was the result of
President Obama’s “Lack of Leadership”.
No doubt, back in
1853, when Russia tried to pull it off the
first time, that was Obama’s fault, also.
Too bad he hadn’t been born yet.
But now, nothing. Not a
peep. Not a yip.
Not a snarl. The
silence is deafening.
The poor Republicans are (quietly) banging their heads against the rocks
because they just can NOT figure out an excuse (any
excuse!) to blame the disappearance of that
Malaysian Airliner on the
Affordable Care Act, which they like to call “Obamacare”.
Nor can they complain that the “liberal media” is paying too much
attention to an international tragedy and the search for answers of some
kind, any kind.
(“Let us show you a bunch of frantic and frustrated relatives, just in
case you missed it the first 137 times.”
“International satellite images report (possibly days-old)
floating debris; or maybe a pod of
whales.
Let’s trot out some experts-for-all-occasions to talk about
satellites-or-debris-or-whales.”)
Meanwhile, back at the
Homeowners Association…
I think I’ve mentioned that I agreed to join the Board of our
Association. Then “Maggie”,
the President, suddenly sold her place and moved to an “Over 55”
establishment in
Brentwood.
I found out about this when she announced that she was bringing me the
“Petty Cash Account”, which consisted of a tattered envelope with
$125.10 in small bills and change.
Lots of change.
The other night we had our first Board meeting since then.
I arrived promptly at 5:30, the time on the previously published
Agenda, with a boatload of files that the aforementioned Immediate Past
President had also bestowed upon me.
I found out that “everyone knows” that the meeting actually
begins an hour before the “appointed time”, proving once again that
Management-By-Telepathy does not work.
But “Pyewacket”, the Secretary, was an hour late, so it didn’t really
matter. Only two Homeowners
actually showed up and one of them was a person I’ll call “Riley”.
“Riley” bought one or two units way back when and was actually
the Association President when I bought my place.
I started attending the monthly meetings even before I moved in because
I had realized the advantages of being informed at my previous
residence. “Riley” had
discovered a multitude of problems, from
dry rot to a mix-up in
who-owns-which-carport and was busily solving them, come hell or high
water.
Frankly, he ruffled more than a few feathers in doing so.
Which may be why, a couple of years ago, “Riley” stepped down and
“Maggie” took over. Until
now. I was mentally steeling
myself to take over as “Acting President” when “Riley” showed up.
Our first order of business was to table Board assignments until the
next meeting, at which time we fully expect “Riley” to once again assume
the Mantle of Leadership.
“Pyewacket” and I will concentrate on trying to keep him from going too
far and too fast. And
smoothing feathers as needed.
This could get interesting.
(Ancient Chinese Curse: “May
you live in an Interesting Time.”)
Love, as always,
Pete
| Previous | Next |