Susan Nola’s Adventures

I’m still out in “Tampa”, there is still St. Pete a little bit further west than the Village of Tall Trees….been here since just after Thanksgiving.  The 2 month bout with 2 different bugs is behind me.  I’ve been given the ok to stay here till the Spring, but I’ve come up with ANOTHER (yes another) IDEA for income which would allow me to live in my own rented space, a footprint of a house, instead of a small bedroom with someone else’s furnishings and no real place for much of my “stuff”.   The Mustang is still (knock on wood) taking me from point A to point B…thank the Good Lord for that.  I haven’t been on a golf cart in weeks, and I’m not thanking ANYONE for that bummer.   Hardly have time for dancing, but have given my 2 weeks notice on the 3rd “part-time” job and I’m taking on 2 new, less hours, more pay, appointments.  And, there’s ANOTHER IDEA on the horizon…hope to report good news sooner rather than later!

It’s been a long, long time.   I paid dearly financially and otherwise…but, maybe it’s time.  If 8th graders can trade successfully FOLLOWING THE TRADING RULES, surely Susan Nola can go there again…

Cautiously.

Came down with the first one just after Thanksgiving, after an emotional roller-coaster ride.   Most times I’ve been sick, it’s been as a result of something emotionally overwhelming.

The set-up:  I am willing to help just about anyone, whether they’ve been a good friend or not.   The day before the ride on the coaster, I received a call from an old HP friend in need of help with a computer of his lady friend.  She was given her daughter’s old computer and they couldn’t get the connection to the internet after many attempts.   Funny thing is, after an hour or so of this and that, I FINALLY PUT ON MY OLD HP SUPPORT HAT and thought, what’s the first thing to check?  Resetting the silly ISP box was the answer.   However, during the attempt to help (disguised as wasting time because I didn’t think to reset the box first), I received a phone call from a friend who knows all of us. She proceeded to BLAST me for helping this lady friend…because the lady friend has been known to curse me and my name all in the fear that I’m “after her man”.  I have no interest, designs, or anything close to wanting her man, but haven’t been able to convince the worried lady.   My friend said to me “you help all these people, people who say mean things about you behind your back, do you think ANYONE is going to help YOU when you need it??”  I assured her that I knew that, when I needed help, my friends would be there.

I’ve probably written about this already, but it was the next day that the battery of the golf cart decided to lose it’s charge as I was on my way back to the moldy mobile in the Pre-Historic section of The Villages…I stopped by the closest friend…only to find that she (surprise, surprise - a 91 year old) couldn’t remember any time that I’d “ever” helped her out - nothing to warrant allowing me to let the cart charge in her garage overnight.

I felt betrayed, etc., etc., etc…and looking back now, AS IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE CASE, I see an opportunity for me to LAUGH about the situation, instead of getting so emotionally blasted that I became ill, and the stayed sick for nearly a month, more than a month.  A 91 year old, lonely woman, who lives by herself but with a caregiver who stops in every day, couldn’t remember that I’ve befriended her on multiple occasions.  Did I understand or accept?  Nope.  I took it personally.

So, I can sit here now and look back and contemplate going to see her, even though I guess that she’s probably never given it a second thought…

Laugh.  Find the humor.  Find the forgiveness.  Find the bright shiny place.

When will I ever learn??

My last post was about getting to go dancing.   After which I spent the next week at home sick…actually, 9 days.   A different bug this time, but kept me away from work and made me get a lot of rest.  Which I’m not doing right now as I’m typing.  I just finished up work for tomorrow, after spending the afternoon and early evening with my mom.  Dug up a 4×4 post with a nice bird feeder contraption and dug a deeper hole in her back yard to “re-plant” said bird feeder contraption.   Mom’s a happy camper and I’ll be sore tomorrow, but so glad to get it done as it’s something she’s wanted for years.

On the ride back home, with the full moon (?) shining in the sky, I was contemplative…not realizing until I heard it on the radio (PBS station) that it was a year ago today when the awful shootings occurred and so many innocents were shot.   Little Christina among them.

May the dead rest in peace and may the living find some solace on this anniversary.

Without a coughing fit, and back in the saddle, I had a wonderful time at Katie Belle’s!   So many friends I’ve missed greeted me with Merry Christmas and Happy New Year greetings…it was humbling.  I love my life here in The Villages, have I mentioned that yet?  If not…you can be sure I live my life here in The Villages. 

$55.25/hr definitely a thing of the past…employment with health benefits, matching 401K plans, daily commuting in 7 lane traffic, performance reviews and looking professional (occasionally, thank goodness I didn’t have to do that in the last 7 years as a Response Center Engineer)…all things of my past.

Thank the Good Lord.

These days I don’t really have a place to call home, but I have so many friends and reasons to be happy, a spring in my step (when I’m not coughing or home sick) and no concerns…I know it’s all going to be ok.  Somehow.

And, I get to dance.