Huntington Beach Part 2

I just knew that the manager or somebody would reply the way they did to my letter. I requested the AC be turned on inside our library at the Five Points Senior Center. Clean cool air was why I joined the First Time Widows Senior Apartments. I had been taking a nap when my door knocked -- I mean somebody knocked on my door. Since I was half naked, I half opened it and there was manager Helen.
   'Sorry Mr Garrett but the..."
   "I expected as much."
   "The owners told me that the residents, in the past,  forgot to turn the AC off. So she will not put it on."
   I thanked Helen but she did not ruin my day. Like many landlords, they cut and slice the deck to put more money into their coffers. She does not care if some people die because of this heat wave and a cool AC can give them the lift they sorely need. It is all about money.

I entered the Huntington Park Library and sneezed, for the first time in quite awhile. Earlier I had sprayed cleaning fluid on my front  window. Spots covered every part of the window. Of course these are the same spots that end up inside your lungs.
   I could have had a better night if the owners of the (714) 848-3883 or Five Flags Points had notified me that the library was not included in the package deal. In fact, Helen never gave me a copy of the lease or the mail box key -- I had to ask for it later.
   Of course Xmas is a couple months away and the Surf City Scrooges are already at it. Verizon was another one to awaken me this morning. Sharply at seven, a voice machine called and warned me my phone service would be interrupted if I did not pay the $29. Now who in God's name are these people who treat seniors like kids. .
   When I left San Diego, Asthma climbed to number 5 as the leading  cause of death. Alzheimer's climbed to number 3. Of course foul air sits everywhere, particularly off freeways and busy streets like Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach.  
   And why is the In 'N Out the busiest eatery in town. Why there store is cool...real cool. and the meat is fresh brought in daily. They sprinkle heaps of salt and pepper on the meat before they inflate in with cheese and onions. It looks big and scrumptious but I have weight their meat with Big Mac's. Theirs is only a half an ounce larger.
   People short of air go to any lengths to energize themselves. Starbucks, Coffee Bean, and even Trader Joe loves hot humid days when they can fill everyone with sugary and high octane drinks -- and so goes the fattening of America
Back in the day when I grew up in the forties, we had no fast foods. Mom took her ration card and bought our meats and staples at the butcher and market. I can't remember one fat person in grammar school....Hell, we were just too busy enjoying life. We biked, roller skated or just walked. We played games and did not listen to a smart phone 24 hours a day. We even learned to speak with one-another.
   But everything is not bleak -- as Charles Dickens would say. I did meet another lady at the Rodger's Senior Center -- but I don't know if it was a set up by Irene. Yes her name was Sue. I had just sat down with Billy when I noticed a rather attractive grey-hair sitting by herself at a table in back of us.
   "Miss, we would love to have you join us." Slowly this love women stood up and came towards us. Now I have never seen one so relaxed and in tune for life. To save time and not to interrupt our conversation, I will summarize it.  
    "I'm from Los Alamitos. I used to work for an insurance company and love horses. I am here for the our singing group. I live in Santa Ana with a dog and cat..." At that moment two others joined and hogged the conversation. Hog, one who does all the talking, spoke about Susie's dog.
    "Why when your Labrador shows up, all the other dogs go crazy. You have done a great job bringing up Ed. My dog needs to splash his scent everywhere to be noticed, but not yours."
    Well I was trying to digest my beef with rice and the scent of dogs ruined my appetite but I did get a second from our new chef who has done a great job. We all love his food. I returned to my apartment and put on the AC when there was a knocking at my door....That is when Helen told me the library was not longer in use due to hot weather.
   Back in my day, the library was treated with the same respect as the church. No longer, it means extra coins out of the owners pockets--as if they needed more. And wouldn't it be nice if we had a place to cool off and enjoy reading a book for a change.