Tag Archives: townhall

Dysfunctional People

This place, Imperial Plaza, is the same as the way our government functions ie: city, state and federal. They all function the same way, as a dysfunctional entity. However, as a functioning democracy it keep trying and trying until there is more good events than bad events that come into focus and is put in action.

But, like the present federal administration, the administration here at Imperial Plaza speak to us people as if we are children and we do not understand anything. The things the administration think we may understand is talked in circles, trying to confuse and cram so much together that we may forget what the promises were all about in the first place.

As an example: we were told a new camera system will be installed and watched so that policy violators will be caught and dealt with. Around the same time the twenty four seven help desk is now normal work hours. We are told there is a money problem and a manpower problem. Therefore, where is the money coming from for the new cameras. Furthermore, who would watch the cameras or respond to the violation after normal work hours?

I am one that can deduce from the hypocritical speeches and there is more than me that can do the same thing. If only the whiners that cry about all the legitimate things that are wrong would get into action and attend townhall meetings, committee meetings and make official complaints. This does not mean to start at the top and work downward but use the chain-of-command. So far, all I see around here is people sitting around complaining and not attending anything and speaking out nor becoming part of the few committees to get things enacted.

This is a wonderful place and have a lot going on. All that is needed is guidance and people participation to make it better. We need people that can come together and garner enough strength to keep people that speak falsely, trying to seduce us into every word is true, at bay. This can’t be done by only talking to each other and never to the ones that can do some good. Almost a thousand people here and only about a couple dozen, or so, of us have the fortitude to grab the torch and go forward.

Changing subjects, about twenty of us went to Virginia’s Safari Park. Taking pictures of, petting, feeding and simply watching all the animals. Great trip and great lunch. Jamestown is for next week and that should be great also. I haven’t been there in years and I can hardly wait for Wednesday to get here.

My wife and I went on a mystery bus tour with Sunshine Tour Bus. We didn’t know where we were going until we got there nor did we know, after we got there, what we would tour. We went to Atlanta, Georgia and stayed at the Marriott Resort/Spa for four days at Stone Mountain, Georgia. We toured all of Atlanta, Stone Mountain and Martin Luther King’s church and tomb. It was really great.

As I have said in other blogs, as seniors fun, travel and freedom to do whatever you want to do was paid for in years of toil and saving. My wife and I will enjoy ourselves as much as possible until age slow us down until we can not do it anymore. But, while we can, we will. HAVE FUN SENIORS!!

Rehash

Yes, I will rehash some old gripes and for good reason. Only a portion of the problems have been corrected and I don’t think most of the other problems will ever be. Reason being that the problems are with the residents. If they would only do the things that they should as if they had pride in this place and themselves. This is not the project housing area and it is not a rundown section of the city. For the amount of money they pay each month to be here it seems as though they would want to keep this place as clean and beautiful as possible. But, they don’t.

I guess you are saying ‘what’s wrong now’ and I am here to blow off a little more steam, vent is another way of putting it. Dog droppings everywhere, trash scattered all over the grounds and, of those that are still driving, they and/or their guests are speeding like there is no speed limit here. Now that I have vented on that subject again, I will move on.

Ron is back. Welcome back Ron (Activities Dept.) and we all are glad to have you back, all healed from your accident and here’s wishing you and deer never meet again (LOL). Can’t wait to have you back on our next ROMEO trip and your dessert is on me.

Activities had a good trip to Maryland Live Casino and I did okay. Came back with what I took with me plus a little more. Not bad considering the last time I lost my shirt. Oh well, that’s the way of the casinos. I’ve often told people to only take as much money as you are willing to lose and leave the ATM alone.

After this holiday weekend, my wife and I are going on a Mystery Bus Tour (Tuesday) for four days and return (Friday night) to rest up for another upcoming getaway. I have no idea where we are going but I expect it to be full of fun. I am recharging my camera battery to have plenty of pictures and stories to tell. The trip should give me more ideas for stories to write with the hope of them being chosen by a publisher. I have my fingers crossed. As far as trips go, we have our next cruise (twelve days) and round trip train transportation paid for therefore we are ready to go in December. There’s a couple more short trips (not counting the casinos) coming up but I won’t mention them now. As it’s said, it’s subject to change.

It’s fun being retired and have the time and health to go wherever the wind takes you. When I was talking to Ron, he mentioned how he now realize how being retired would be. He could not work and had two months with nothing to do. That’s when we talked about how terrible it was (not counting boring) to just sit around with nothing to do and not being able to get out. Most people around here do just that and I just don’t understand it. I realize their age, however, there is so much to do here and ways to get out, even if you need a little help. But the majority of the people here just sit around and gripe about there’s nothing to do. When there is an event, trip or townhall meeting, they don’t show up and participate. They are seen later and when asked why they didn’t show up, all they say is they didn’t feel like it. There is, actually, too much to do. I can’t participate in everything but I try for what I have time for. Being retired is fun and full of adventure, simply because there is plenty of time to do it.

Well, that’s it from here. Wish all a very happy and fun filled Labor Day Weekend. I am also praying for those that are in Texas and will have to get their lives together again. I wish them all the best and my donation is in. Every little bit helps. Here’s asking everyone that read my postings to chip in also because the next time could be you.

Casinos

Had another good week last week (this week was just for relaxation and recharging my energy) with a four day trip to Maryland. If you looked at my Facebook page you saw the picture of my wife holding our latest great-grandchild when we made a stop on our way back to Virginia. We were in Maryland to do our usual thing, gamble at the casinos. We headquartered at Maryland Live’s hotel which put us between Horseshoe and MGM. We get perks from all the casinos but decided to use Maryland Live’s because it was between the other two.

Look at it this way; four day stay at their hotel, their perks and our acquired points gave us all our meals and each gave us slot machine money. All I needed was the gas money and a little more to keep it interesting. In fact, we came back with money in our pocket. Can’t beat that for a four day stay at three casinos. Plus we got to visit the baby on the way back (got through Washington the day before the inauguration).

Thinking about that, this is what we ran into. Usually, on week days, the hotel does not have many people staying. I noticed the parking lot almost full and more cars were coming. All the other hotels had the same thing. Then I started calling myself a dummy because, after talking to a couple that was checking-in, I was told that they were getting the hell out of DC before the crowds hit. Then I noticed that most of the cars had DC plates.

After visiting the baby it dawned on me that it was the same area that The Last Graduating Tuskegee Airman (an article I wrote) lived. In fact, I am still trying to get the article printed for the general public. It have been approved by the MPP (Mighty Pen Project) and they have a copy but the Richmond-Times dispatch turned it down. The newspaper say it does not have a Virginia connection although the man live in Ashburn, Virginia. It does not make any sense to me, but who am I to say? Also, the man is Black and his wife is White, they had to live in Washington because of segregation, that is the same as the Loving story that hit the movies last year.

The highlight for this week came on Monday. Four of us from the Mighty Pen Project had a townhall type panel discussion, at The University of Richmond, for a freshman class that is writing about war. They included my two writings on protests in the 1950’s. The question and answering went well and, in fact, we could have gone on much longer than we had time for. This is our second time doing this. The first time was at the Library of Virginia and that went very well also. I hope to do it again.

This year I work on my birthday and my wife is out of town. As I get older, holidays, birthdays, etc. does not mean as much as it did when I was younger. I prefer peace and quiet plus time to read or write. I stay busy, although my wife say otherwise, and I believe staying busy help the body stay active, younger and spry. Inactivity bring on more aches and pains, more than usual, and it can be avoided without medication for that particular ailment. I see too much inactivity around here (Imperial Plaza) although there are so many programs and events for the residents. Most do not attend any of them. Alas, what can I say or do about it? Not a thing.

Until next time…Stay warm, keep on keeping on. I’m out!

Musings

I am having problems syncing my blog with my other sites, such as Facebook. If I don’t fix the problem soon I will go back to my old computer until I get it in order. Then, not only will the people that only come to my blog page see what I have written, the people that follow my other sites will see the blog also.

Imperial Plaza Activities is really getting a lot more on it’s calendar and I am finding it hard to participate in most of it and I find I am spending more money than I intended. The activities doesn’t cost much but it adds up quickly and then you find you are getting close to being broke, if not broke. However, it does not cost as much as when you go it alone or with another outside agency.

I was thinking, the other day (that can be a dangerous situation) and estimated the number of mobile people that live within the four units and I then began to realize that only a very small percentage of the residents participate in anything that happens here. This includes the Townhall Meetings in which only about half of the auditorium (on a good day) is occupied.

It is finally fall, the air is cooler and the leaves are beginning to change. I will have to get more bicycle riding done and do other exercises. My wardrobe is getting smaller and smaller and I mean size, not volume. On my job, I wear dress pants and I don’t like the squeezed feeling I have for eight hours. Since I can’t just leave my pants open, like I do at home, I will have to buy larger pants. I’m getting that old age spread. Back to the gym and cycling.

Have you noticed the new shows on the fall lineup on television? I like to watch pro-football and they have some good shows at the same time the games are on and that include Thursday night. Now I have to watch a lot of shows, on my tablet or laptop, a few days later. I don’t like to do it because of the constant buffering but I guess I will have to put up with it if I want to see the show.

I guess I am now officially part of the government’s Health System because I received a letter saying they will give my specialty care to a civilian facility because they are overbooked. I phoned them and said I had one they can assign me to and to tell my doctor to call me (I even faxed them my records from the place in order to give them a head start). That was a week ago and I haven’t heard from anyone about anything. Oh well, I guess it’s like when you file a claim, hurry up and wait. How long does it take to make a quick phone call and to say yes or no to my suggestion.

See you next time………………;)