Archive for the ‘A Musing’ Category
If Psychics Are so Smart …
. . . how come they aren’t raking in billions of dollars by picking winning lottery numbers, betting on Super Bowl winners, and cashing in on winning race horses so they wouldn’t have to charge you for foretelling your fortune.
Something I noticed …
. . . a long time ago is that everything looks a lot easier when somebody else does it.
Now That California Voters …
… have confirmed they like things just the way they are, the rest of us can breathe easier because they won’t be leaving the Golden State and infecting the rest of the country. Right?
A Smart Thing to do …
”’ I was told as a lad is to learn as much as you can from the people around you.
What I’ve learned is that there really are some really stupid people.
We Live in a Sheltered Bubble
We don’t have to battle the vagaries of life and living facing the rest of the universe. Mention rising taxes, inflationary grocery prices and burgeoning traffic and you get answers like “I don’t drive anymore” and “My daughter pays all the bills.” That’s life in a senior-living community, more affectionately known as “an old-farts’ facility.”
Jack Reber’s nightly 919 report that embraces San Diego Union, Tribune and Union-Tribune alumni as well as survivors of a few other Copley publications keeps me apprised of some former colleagues’ behaps and I get the Wall Street Journal to read the editorial page and letters to the editor. Most of my news coverage comes out of my computer and I aim the TV remote at CNN, Fox, MSNBC and — sometimes — a local TV news station to stay up to date.
The AZ Republic is a poor excuse for a daily newspaper. It claims 2020 weekday circulation of 116,.000 and 337,900 on Sundays. With a metro Phoenix population topping 4.9 million, that figures out to approximately one out of every 40 people read the daily and one out of 15 get the Sunday edition. The Sunday circulation figure is 40,000 fewer than 2018 and the daily total is 14,000 lower. I couldn’t find any figure for digital circulation.
Fortunately, the need for getting news is not top-priority here at Sunrise of Gilbert. The inmates are more focused on what nibbles we’re getting for happy hour. And why there’s a rwo-drink limit.
Catching Up is Hard to Do
This will be an introduction to my world since we were blocked from this blog in the summer of 2018.
I’m ensconced in a roomy one bedroom apartment in Sunrise of Gilbert, an independent- and assisted-living complex about a mile and a quarter south of downtown Gilbert, one of the two dozen cities that comprise Maricopa County, Arizona, probably better known as metro Phoenix with more than 4.5 million people.
It came to light in a recent conversation that Phoenix is one of the few, if not the only, major U.S. cities that does not have a Little Italy.
The move to this 144-unit building that houses up to 172 people was made 4 1/2 years ago as part of the Californians’ exodus to Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Arizona, turning this long-time staunchly red state into a California-like blue one. Much has changed since the move so there’ll be more on that in the next few installments as I get back up to speed on blogging.
Life here is eventful because they’ve moved me into a volunteer spot as a community ambassador. There are three of us, one on each floor. Among other things, such as supporting staff at community-wide events and spreading the news of developments as they occur, we meet, greet and give an orientation session to newbies. And looking around the dining room now, there are more post-pandemic newbies than pre-pandemic residents here now. That gives you some idea of the turnover, from deaths and movements from this side of the building — independent-living — to the other side — assisted-living — where constant care is required and provided.
There are more than 300 Sunrise locations around the U.S. and Canada (they recently sold a few hundred properties in Britain) but only a handful offer both independent/assisted living services. The massive bulk are assisted-living only.
What stands out at Sunrise, according to the consensus, is the friendly neighborly feeling of each community. Our activities director Mary Weaver works her butt off coming up with events that divert and entertain — theater outings, drives to Jerome, regular shopping trips, jaunts to favorite restaurants, television and slide presentations, swimming-pool nights, BBQs, bingos, card-playing sessions, Western Days, andonandonandon…
I still get out for a bike ride every day, anywhere from three to 8 miles, depending on how I feel, the weather and time of day. Some days I skip it all together. Today, I stopped by the Post Office to mail a couple of packages, picked up a prescription at CVS and stopped at Albertson’s to pick up some chicken wings.
When I got home, computer guru Steve Gubka was waiting in the lounge with news: “I got into your blog,” he said.
We spent the next 90 minutes getting my blog open and me familiar with its new look and operation. And that’s how you got this.
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Life Before Air-Conditioning . . .
. . . did not exist in Aridzona. Summer roared in this week as green fees plummeted at local golf courses. But the star-sparkling nights out on the balcony are marvelous.
There May no Longer come a Time in a Man’s Life . . .
. . . because that magazine also could be headed for oblivion (just like Life).
We’re Baaaaaaaaack!!!
After several months of unsuccessful contacts and talks with WordPress, we’ve finally made it back to administering our site.
We’re going to devote a lot of time to this site now that we know it’s up ‘n’ runnin’ so keep on comin’ back…
