Last night at Dinner was a first. Our first Muslim blessing. Just at our table. 'Cause we're special. But one of the regulars, who's a refugee from Iran, spoke a prayer over us all asking Allah to bless us. "Everybody except me," he said.
Afterwards we had a nice time of hanging out, chatting (can you remember what the 10 plagues were? No cheating), listening while SW played his guitar.
SW is a lovely man. He's taken to giving us all a big hug when he leaves. He's one who's missing quite a few teeth, and last night he was wearing lipstick and gold jewellery. An odd sort of glam.
We're not sure where he falls on the gender question. He might not be sure either. But we love him to bits. He sat at the head of the table, noodling away at "Eidelweiss", mumbling out the tune, and most of us picked it up and sang along what we could remember. The VonTrapps we ain't but it was a moment. SW wants to start a band. Sounds like fun.
I sat with W and her man again at Dinner. She wasn't feeling well.
She usually isn't feeling well. What with the cough, and the apnea, and the leg braces, and everything else.
They've had a rough week. She was nursing a sore head yesterday. They'd been to the big city to "undergo some tests" - both of them, he and she - and on the way home had stopped at a truck stop. She went into the washroom (restroom, for those of us south of the 49th). The floor was a bit wet, her footing's not good and she slipped and fell and whacked her head on the toilet. You can see the large scab through her short hair. She said she had a big bruise on her thigh, for which I took her word.
They're also dealing with some landlord trouble. They share an RGI apartment with an exceptionally large cat.
W's mattress got old, and she was given one by a local charity (who really should have known better and ought to apologize). A few days later she noticed she was getting bit and they discovered that her mattress was infested with bed bugs. They told the landlord, who called an exterminator.
When he arrived he was surprised to find that the landlord had moved the rest of their furniture out of their place (bad idea) and all that was left was the mattress in question.
He sprayed the place and came back a few days later for a follow up. Clean. Good.
Problem is, the landlord has decided to sue W for the cost of the exterminator.
Not only does she not have the money to pay the bill, or the money to hire a lawyer, it wasn't her fault. So she's pretty pissed off. Had quite a bit to say about the ultimate destination of the landlord and how soon he might find himself going there if she had her way. Fortunately, they've found another apartment and they'll be moving.
They're going to ask for representation from the Legal Help Centre. Which is the right thing to do.
In the meantime, there's the van. Vans.
They have two vans. The old one has windows that don't roll down, so they were happy to be able to get the new one. They love the new one. It works better than the old one, and the windows open.
However.
The old one is a '95. The new one is a '94.
Which means the old one is the newer one and the new one is the older one.
(With me so far?
Good.
Take notes if necessary.)
W and her man both use motor scooters. He has heart trouble and she has mobility issues. I see her sometimes scooting along the sidewalk delivering newspapers.
Problem is, the scooters are hard to get in the van, so they applied for and received approval from a local agency to have a ramp installed in the van.
Excellent.
But...
The approval was for the old van, which is the newer one. The new one, which is the older one, is too old to qualify. The agency won't install the ramp in the new (old) one, only in the old (new) one.
Further complicating things is the fact that the new (old) one and the old (new) one are only one model year apart. Which means that as of July first this year, the old (new) one will also be too old, just like the new (old) one.
So they've got to choose between having the ramp installed in the old (new) one - with windows that won't roll down - and not having it installed at all.
Feel free to go lie down in a dark room, now.
Can you imagine waking up to that every day? That's your life. These are the rules you're trying to play by. These are the tools you've got. Oh, and you've got to play without sleep and with wobbly ankles.
Of course, all their troubles - bedbugs, depression, worry - would go away if they'd just get a job and ask Jesus into their hearts.
Problem solved!
Next!
r
Afterwards we had a nice time of hanging out, chatting (can you remember what the 10 plagues were? No cheating), listening while SW played his guitar.
SW is a lovely man. He's taken to giving us all a big hug when he leaves. He's one who's missing quite a few teeth, and last night he was wearing lipstick and gold jewellery. An odd sort of glam.
We're not sure where he falls on the gender question. He might not be sure either. But we love him to bits. He sat at the head of the table, noodling away at "Eidelweiss", mumbling out the tune, and most of us picked it up and sang along what we could remember. The VonTrapps we ain't but it was a moment. SW wants to start a band. Sounds like fun.
I sat with W and her man again at Dinner. She wasn't feeling well.
She usually isn't feeling well. What with the cough, and the apnea, and the leg braces, and everything else.
They've had a rough week. She was nursing a sore head yesterday. They'd been to the big city to "undergo some tests" - both of them, he and she - and on the way home had stopped at a truck stop. She went into the washroom (restroom, for those of us south of the 49th). The floor was a bit wet, her footing's not good and she slipped and fell and whacked her head on the toilet. You can see the large scab through her short hair. She said she had a big bruise on her thigh, for which I took her word.
They're also dealing with some landlord trouble. They share an RGI apartment with an exceptionally large cat.
W's mattress got old, and she was given one by a local charity (who really should have known better and ought to apologize). A few days later she noticed she was getting bit and they discovered that her mattress was infested with bed bugs. They told the landlord, who called an exterminator.
When he arrived he was surprised to find that the landlord had moved the rest of their furniture out of their place (bad idea) and all that was left was the mattress in question.
He sprayed the place and came back a few days later for a follow up. Clean. Good.
Problem is, the landlord has decided to sue W for the cost of the exterminator.
Not only does she not have the money to pay the bill, or the money to hire a lawyer, it wasn't her fault. So she's pretty pissed off. Had quite a bit to say about the ultimate destination of the landlord and how soon he might find himself going there if she had her way. Fortunately, they've found another apartment and they'll be moving.
They're going to ask for representation from the Legal Help Centre. Which is the right thing to do.
In the meantime, there's the van. Vans.
They have two vans. The old one has windows that don't roll down, so they were happy to be able to get the new one. They love the new one. It works better than the old one, and the windows open.
However.
The old one is a '95. The new one is a '94.
Which means the old one is the newer one and the new one is the older one.
(With me so far?
Good.
Take notes if necessary.)
W and her man both use motor scooters. He has heart trouble and she has mobility issues. I see her sometimes scooting along the sidewalk delivering newspapers.
Problem is, the scooters are hard to get in the van, so they applied for and received approval from a local agency to have a ramp installed in the van.
Excellent.
But...
The approval was for the old van, which is the newer one. The new one, which is the older one, is too old to qualify. The agency won't install the ramp in the new (old) one, only in the old (new) one.
Further complicating things is the fact that the new (old) one and the old (new) one are only one model year apart. Which means that as of July first this year, the old (new) one will also be too old, just like the new (old) one.
So they've got to choose between having the ramp installed in the old (new) one - with windows that won't roll down - and not having it installed at all.
Feel free to go lie down in a dark room, now.
Can you imagine waking up to that every day? That's your life. These are the rules you're trying to play by. These are the tools you've got. Oh, and you've got to play without sleep and with wobbly ankles.
Of course, all their troubles - bedbugs, depression, worry - would go away if they'd just get a job and ask Jesus into their hearts.
Problem solved!
Next!
r
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