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Antics on the campus
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So we got Granny moved into her new place this week, the one-bedroom “independent living facility.”

The complex itself is rather old, looks like the first apartment complex built in town, but the owners are always managing to freshen it up a bit.

There are mature trees around, lots of little critters running back and to.

They have a putting green and a swimming pool and a gazebo.

It’s really not bad considering that most of the folks that live there are over the age of 70.

Kinda like old college dorms.

All the units have some decoration outside their front doors. Every little apartment has at least one plastic lawn chair to sit and stare across at the neighbor in.

Granny doesn’t have her outside chair yet. But in usual fashion, she’ll have the biggest chair on the block, a big handsome rocker.

After all, the queen must have her throne.

We stopped in to check on her the first night she was there.

She bade us “come in” and we found her sitting in the dark.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” Hubs asked.

“’Cause it makes her feel at home,’ thought I.

“I don’t have my lamp,” she muttered.

I looked up at the ceiling and said, “What’s wrong with having an overhead light on?”

She snarled and looked up at me from her recliner.

“I don’t like overheads. I just want my lamp.”

I put my hands up and backed away. Whoa, Nellie ... calm down ... I know that cane has a blade in it.

Hubs said, “Well, at least you aren’t cryin’ for a change. How was your first day?”

She snarled at him, “It sucked. I wanna go home.”

We started laughing and I said, “Grandma, come on. Give it a chance. It can’t have been too bad because you’re not complaining hard enough.”

She relented and said, “Oh, it was all right. I went to dinner and met my neighbor and a few other ladies. One of them knew some folks from up north that I knew (ding ding, I won my bet with Hubs) and then I went next door and visited with my neighbor for a bit. So it hasn’t been too bad.”

I said, “Well, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“I have to be at the bus by 9:30 so I can get down to the hair college and get my hair done, then we’re going over to the grocery store...”.

A full day planned.

On our next visit, we brought her the required lamp.

Again, she was sitting in her recliner in the dark, with the blinds closed.

“It’s beautiful out there! Look at the tree,” I said. “Why would you want to sit in here just staring at the television?”

“I’m tired. And I haven’t turned the television on.”

I know. That was my point.

She explained that she had made it to the bus, gone and gotten her hair done. “It was a lot cheaper than I’ve been paying, so that was good!” and then they trooped over to the grocery store.

I asked if she’d made it back in time for lunch.

“Oh yes, we got back just in time for lunch. I ate too much. I sat with some of the girls (who are in their 70s and 80s) and I tried out the bowling thing.”

I had to sit before I fell.

“You tried the Wii bowling?” I asked incredulously.

She got a little red in the face and said, “Well, I used to be a pretty good bowler. I just wanted to see how it worked.”

She tried it and enjoyed it.

Now comes the tricky part.

How to get really good at Wii bowling without her cane.

I know that the seniors have Wii bowling tournaments.

I told her, “You’d better be over there every day, girl. They’re gonna need someone to put into the tournaments.”

She said she felt a little funny because everyone else is so old.

“That’s right,” I said, leaning in close to whisper, “you have the advantage.”

The light went on.

She hadn’t thought of that.

One little activity after another and soon she’ll feel right at home.

I looked at the list of daily activities on the calendar.

I don’t think I could even keep up with it.

“Dang, you got enough stuff going on here to wear you out flat by the end of the day. You ought to be getting some pretty good sleep.”

“I’m not going to get involved with all of that,” she responded snidely, folding her arms across her chest, “I’ll be back home in another week.”

I laughed and said, “Yeah, I’ll bet. They’ll have to drag you out of here in another week you’ll be having so much fun.”

I noticed the “Zumba” class was circled in red ink.

Uh oh.

First Zumba. Next thing will be Pole Dancing.

Those sassy seniors.

I wonder what kind of pillow parties they’re having after the lights go out?