turkey sandwich
This is an interesting place, Harbour Village in Historic St Andrews. It's not an old folks home, but many residents are retired, although the garage half empties every morning as people who are not retired leave for work - - it's beautiful in many ways, great views in all directions, nice apartments, an underground garage with direct access to elevators, a lovely garden park, well maintained, competent management, incredible privacy for people like me who tend to be more loners than sociable, but social activities for residents who thrive in company with others, fairly handicapped-accessible, safe enough with gates and limited access, convenient to restaurants, an attractive neighborhood; reasonable expenses in this day and age.
What strikes me as "interesting" is when the fire alarm goes off, which happened yesterday morning just as we were leaving to drive to the medical lab, and as happens several Times a year, sometimes for drill, sometime for real. There's an emergency notification system. Emergency levers to pull convenient on every level. Every bedroom has a speaker built into the wall. That the system and speakers work is checked periodically. Day or night, and we've had both, when alerted, the system goes off. There's a loud intermittent blaring sound, lights start flashing, a voice proclaims through the speakers, like, "Attention. Attention. An emergency has been declared. Proceed to the nearest stairwell and walk down and out to your designated point. Do not use the elevators. Attention. Attention. ... "
It happened yesterday just as we were getting into the elevator to ride down to the garage. First happened for us the week we moved here in December 2014, middle of the night, wee hours of the morning. Firetrucks came with lights flashing and sirens screaming. So far as I could tell, nobody walked down the stairs to gather in the park; but many residents came out of their apartments and gathered at the rails to see what was going on. Us included, because we live on Level 7 where Linda cannot walk down seven flights of 19 steps each, and I no longer can walk back up. If the emergency is real, firemen go to a certain floor as everyone watches them from the sidewalk rails on the Beck Avenue side of the complex. Sometimes they walk every level checking where the alarm was set off. Nobody flees down the stairs. I don't know what would happen if a dire emergency happened here, handicapped people and people in wheelchairs can't evacuate up and down stairs - -
as I say, it's an interesting place, where we feel safe; although not all possible situations are covered. Which is pretty much the way of life anyway, isn't it.
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Sunday dinner: a turkey sandwich. Monday dinner, a turkey sandwich. In a couple hours, heading out to meet Robert for breakfast - - at Golden Corral, where my plan is to have eggs over medium, a fried chicken drumstick, and a serving of mushrooms. Gravy on the mushrooms. Mug of hot & black. A glass of ice water. They used to have blueberry pie on the dessert counter but not any more. The blueberry pie always reminded me of my mother, who made cherry pies for me, and blueberry pies, when I was a little boy. Maybe a taste of vanilla soft-serve fro-yo or whatever it is. Tuesday dinner will be a turkey sandwich.
Friends and loved ones. Because of whom, turkey sandwiches, breakfast and supper out now and then, an Advent calendar that yields a little chocolate heart every day; the rose poinsettia that we wanted but no longer can drive to Pensacola to buy it. Bubba likes red.
December. Christmas trees. Once a year service of Lessons & Carols at church this Wednesday evening.
Gratitude, appreciation, thanks, and blessings.
Advent. Life is Short, and We Haven't Much Time, but it's Advent: Christmas is coming. Hallelujah, Amen. Hallelujah.
Nomesane? Can somebody say "AMEN!"?
RSF&PTL
T88&c
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Still and always thinking of Khaled.