A quote straight from my building’s Board of Director’s monthly newsletter:
Unfortunately, one of the birch trees in our front garden has died. A candlelight memorial service will be held. We are in the process of getting bids to remove the dead tree and replace it.
The emphasis is all mine. There are no words.
Last night was the annual meeting of members of my apartment building. Once a year, the building maintenance staff set up chairs throughout the entire lobby, and the vast majority of the building residents gather to watch and participate in the theatrics that ensue. The population of my building is predominantly elderly, crotchety [...]
Sunday evening I got home just before 7 pm. As I stepped off the elevator, I noticed a large box sitting in front of my front door. I thought it was odd, as I wasn’t expecting anything, and this is not the ordinary manner in which we receive packages around here. I [...]
I got a call on my cell phone this afternoon while at work. It was my all-purpose ring (as opposed to the specific ones assigned to family and friends), and I took a look at the number displayed on the caller id before answering. It was not familiar, but I took a chance [...]
About half an hour ago, the fire alarm went off in my building. This is not the first time in my years here that the alarm has roused me from sleep, but it’s jarring every time it happens. The procedure is that you are to go into one of the fire escape stair [...]
Tonight, after work, I stopped into Trader Joe’s. It had been about a week since I had been and I was starting to itch for a TJ’s fix…plus I was out of cereal. I walked in, talking to my mom on the cell phone, but hung up with her as I grabbed a [...]
I got home from work tonight a little before six. I got onto the elevator and pushed my floor. It stopped on the 6th floor, and a man got on. I’d seen him around the building on prior occasions. He looked at the button panel, and seeing that the 20th floor [...]
My expected crowd for my Walmart movie showing did not materialize, but instead of feeling sad, I’m grateful. I got to spend the time before the movie getting to know Marius and Marta. They are a couple who live in my building who moved to Philadelphia 6 years ago from Argentina. They [...]
I walked into my building tonight just as the Monday night Bingo game was letting out of the community room. Clusters of little old ladies were scattered around the lobby, a slow drifting human obstacle course, complete with walkers and canes stuck out at odd angles, preventing me from getting to my final destination [...]
About twenty minutes ago, I was slammed out of sleep. Arm twisted, drool-pooling, rapid eye movement, sound sleep.
By a fire alarm. A very loud, highly insistant fire alarm complete with computerized voice calling out instructions.
Remembering the building fire of two years ago (which I wasn’t actually here for, but heard lots about from [...]
