First little happy dance moment: I scored my first win for my daughter in a sweepstakes! 🎉 Coca-Cola–Dansai was giving away FIFA prizes, and while she didn’t snag the grand prize (an all-expense-paid trip to New York for the Women’s Soccer Finals), she did win a team scarf and a small item. Since J&M sometimes go to Dash games here in Houston, I know they’d have loved that trip, but hey—it’s still a win, and in her name for the first time. She was thrilled, and that made me happy too.
On my end, I won a Christmas food-and-craft book from Goodreads. Looking forward to flipping through that one!
Now, Table Talk updates:
The Chef packed up and left. Long story short, the management company misplaced his certified rent check and tried to charge him $250. He showed them proof, and instead of apologizing they dropped it to $30, claiming it was still late. 🙄 Shirley, if you’re reading this, I know you’ll get a chuckle (or an eye roll) at that “management style.” I’ll miss him—he was a good one.
But I’ve got a new neighbor on the other side now! I’ll just call him NN (for “new neighbor”). He still works but has joined us at the table once, and he fit right in. Quiet, polite, easygoing—I think he’ll be a great neighbor.
The Mechanic, poor guy, has been through it. After months of not feeling well and endless doctor visits, he was finally diagnosed with stomach cancer. They tried treatment, but it’s Stage 4. He’s still up and moving around, but it breaks my heart. Such a nice man.
As for the Marine Lady… whew. She continues to test everyone’s patience except the Prom Queen and King. She recently found three kittens on her doorstep, and because she doesn’t drive, she’s been leaning heavily (i.e. demanding) on others to solve the problem. I’ll admit it—I ducked out when she asked me to drive her across town. I told her to call shelters, but they were all full. One by one, people tried to help, but she made it difficult. Wouldn’t give the kittens to one couple because they already had pets, made demands of the volunteer who tried her best, and on and on. Eventually, Prom Queen found someone who could take at least one. I’m not sure if all the kittens are placed yet, but at least some found homes. We probably sound like a pack of heartless witches, but honestly—Marine Lady hasn’t exactly charmed the crowd. Still, the kittens deserve care, and it reminded me of when I found Buddy 14 years ago. The shelter told me to “come back in three weeks.” Yeah, right. He was mine for 14 years.
I’ve also decided to rename another neighbor. I used to call her the Talker, which she is, but now I’ll call her Detroit—since she just moved back from there, and she’s become such a wonderful friend. She, Prom Queen, and I spend hours chatting outside. She’s always cooking (so good!) and feeding us. I think I’m gaining weight, but people tell me I look thinner—probably muscle loss, who knows? Either way, I love her cooking.
Meanwhile, Prom King is wrapped up in not one, but two “romances” with women he met through accidental phone calls. He swears he checked them out through some service, but I worry he’s being scammed. I’ve seen it happen before, and it’s hard to join in his happiness. To make matters more complicated, his dog Tiger (the same one who once bit me) has been growling and charging at people again. But then this week, he got a haircut from a neighbor, and suddenly Tiger seemed calm and subdued. Go figure. Prom King’s been busy sprucing up his apartment for a visit from one of his “ladies.” I guess we’ll see how that plays out. Part of me hopes she’s real and kind, but… an 83-year-old man and a 38-year-old “rich, beautiful” woman? Hmm.
As for me and Bonnie Rae, we’re doing fine. Trying to live within our means and eat well. Except for the one time I left a plate of red beans and rice with a piece of chicken on the side table. A neighbor called me for a ride, and halfway there I thought, “Nah, she won’t touch it.” Well… she did. Poor girl got so sick—threw up and had diarrhea for days. She’s better now, thank goodness, and back to her happy self. And she’s nearly doubled in size!
More later ...
