24 July 2011

How Tom went to the hospital. Maybe.


Hans Zimmer - Show Me Your Firetruck .mp3
Found at bee mp3 search engine

Mabel Ruth and I were standing in the hallway.  We do that a lot, we are trying to start a Senior Residence scandal, being visible enough so that people start talking about us and rumors fly through the air conditioning.  We actually need a couple stools and a little table so we can sit comfortably and drink our coffee as we pretend to paw at each other.  This whole business will become pretty problematic when we become romantically involved.  There is only so much that you can pretend to do in a hallway before some old bitch calls the police. 



Anyway Mabel and I were groping in the hallway when a group of folks with speed in their step and intensity in their eyes came down and asked if we'd seen Tom.  Tom Bomb (remember him?) not Tom K. recently famous.  He was supposed to meet them for church and he didn't show up. 

One short, muscled woman with her feet apart in a fighting stance, lugging a huge Bible: "He always shows up when he's supposed to."  I think she was calling the shots because she told somebody to call the VA Hospital and see if he was visiting folks there.  Also everybody else shut up when she started talking. We told them to call Maintenance, and we gave them the phone number, and somebody would come up with a passkey and open the door to figure out if Tom was dead on the floor.  Or in his bed.

Ed Maintenance (that might be his last name) came up and opened the door:

"is he dead?"
"He's asleep.  On the floor."
"He has a coat and tie on and no pants."
"It must have been the heat.  That can kill people you know."
"He's waking up."
"He helps a lot of people, you know."
"He's confused, he doesn't know where he is."
"I still think it's the heat, it can kill people you know."

Mabel and I recommended the paramedics.  We were unheard.  
Tim Wonderful came down the hall and asked a lot of questions and then said he had to go back to his room to get his blood pressure stuff.  He is a former something-having-to-do-with-emergencies kind of guy.  He took Tom's blood pressure and said it was ok.  "I think we will just take him to the hospital," said the fighting woman.

Somebody else was trying to talk some sense into a receptionist at the VA and pretty soon Tom came feebly out the door, with pants on, in a check suit, briefcase and umbrella and said he was ready to go to church.  They all disappeared.  Mabel and I stared at each other then laughed.

When the church smell disappeared from the hallway, I said urgently to Mabel,"If you ever find me dead in bed or on the floor, just call the paramedics right away and tell them to take me to Kettering Med."  "But then what would we do about the fun in the hallway?," she said. 

Ta!

22 July 2011

Where have you seen this picture before

Friday got interrupted by a flash from Oslo about a bombing and chaos in the building where the Prime Minister has his offices.  It's early days yet but at this hour the police are trying to count the dead and numerous injured.  Including some campers, some of them children?, on an island about eighty miles away. The picture is graphic.  Don't click on it if you don't like graphic.
                                               
The toll will go up, of course. Apparently the perpetrator is a home-grown terrorist who was dressed in a police uniform, who detonated the bomb in the City center and then drove to the island to wreak his havoc there.  The pictures reminded me graphically of the Oklahoma City bombing some fifteen or so years ago.  Poor Norwegians.  Everybody is taking their turn, USA, Spain, Russia, Great Britain. I am shocked again just now, 11:00 pm.  Another flash.  Norway Police are now saying that eighty people have been killed in the youth camp on the island.  I am totally shocked.

The gossip here tonight is about Tom and Loretta.  Tom lives on our floor and Loretta went into his apartment two nights ago and stayed for some time.  I have no idea why she was there.  Possibly to discuss the Book of Moses or have high tea.  Loretta is black (diversity is terrific until it hits the second floor here) and Tom is not.  Last week they were all talking about Tom and how he just isn't the man he was and his faculties are weakening, and he's opinionated. Decided they didn't like him much. 


All the old lady wags had their say ("No fool like an old fool..." ) Tonight they believe Loretta went in to rob him and they are going to tell him how to handle things so Loretta can be asked to leave as a tenant.  Laughing all the way, I told them they were all jealous, Tom was getting sex and they weren't.  Then I walked away before they could start in on me.  I will be the villain tomorrow and then I will have something to gossip about with Mabel.  We both keep fighting fit laughing at everybody else.  Ta!

12 July 2011

Blew it right down the street - 2

More on the storm last night:  Actually there was more than one area of severe damage, another being Woodman Drive and Dorothy Lane.  Tonight (the following night) there are 19,000 customers without power and line crews from Tennessee and Indiana have arrived to help the locals.  I know because I saw strange trucks at Steak and Shake where a friend and I went for supper tonight and I walked over to look at one.  Indianapolis.  I fancied that over a peach milkshake and a guacamole cheeseburger.  Which was not on the diet.  Our favorite Frisch's was closed because of no power.

                                                          
I would like to say that the storm blew the few bitchy people here out of the 11th story windows but, unfortunately, they are walking around today. Picking up their mail.  Having cat fights.  It must be the heat.  Right now I am sitting in front of a fan AND air conditioner saying "Oh God!  That feels so good!"  Ta!
                                                

Blew it right down the street....

We had a hell of a storm here last night about 9 or so.  The first time in years that I put my book down during a storm and walked over to the window and just watched it.  An hour and fifteen minutes of storm with lots of lightning and twenty continuous minutes of hail which made a lot of noise bouncing off my air conditioner.  There are some pictures here, none of which were taken by me, they were viewer submissions to one of the local TV stations.








I live about half a mile from the point of the most damage (Woodman and Woodbine for those who live in Dayton) and there were a lot of traffic lights out this morning.  Some roofs came off newer apartments.  Thank God for my solid 1960's building.  I think a couple windows blew out on the upper floors and I know some screens came off.  No dents in the top of my car from the hail, if there were I would have left them there as souvenirs. More hot and humid today.  Maybe more storms tonight.  I have a couple good books ready if the promised entertainment doesn't materialize.  Ta!