Potty, Potty...

I've been under a lot of stress lately (no surprise).  Work is crazy stressful.  I visited an ENT who found nothing wrong with my right ear (my hearing is completely fine), so I guess the tinnitus is just a fact of life.  My son has chosen a college (which should be a post of its own).  My dad continues to have health issues.  All of which adds up to stress, so I certainly don't need anything else to make my crazy life any more crazy.  And yet...

 As I headed down to see my dad on Sunday morning, I listened (via zoom) to a local church service.  (Seems like this Lent what I have actually given up is physically going to church, which is definitely something I HADN'T planned, but...)  The sermon was about potholes.  (How apropos was it that I was on the highway at the time?)  However, it wasn't just about actual physical potholes in the road (although that was part of), but about the potholes/challenges we face in life.  How can we avoid them?  What do we do when we drive into them?  And the reminder that no matter what potholes we face on the road, we do not face them alone.  Pretty good advice and certainly a message that I needed to hear.  Perhaps it was a sign?

 I visited with my dad, who is back in the hospital (talk about potholes!).  I made sure he was set up so that he could attend church virtually (no matter what you think about Zoom meetings; they can definitely be a blessing).  I took the elevator down to the main floor.  As I stepped out, the hospital's chapel was right in front of me and I could the dramatic swell of Andrew Lloyd Webber's music.  Was it coming from the chapel?  No, it was the PA's radio as I recognized Yvonne Elliman's voice singing "I never thought I'd come to this. What's it all about?"  Now, that could perfectly sum up my life.  A sign from God or the universe?  

 Or maybe a joke?  Because when I arrived at the house I saw this:



What's it all about indeed?  Why had Jersey Shore Restrooms put this purple "thing" on my property, far back from the road and right in front of the tree that had been planted in my brother's memory?

 The first words out of my mouth when I saw my father's caregiver was "What is going on?" She had NO idea.

 Apparently on Friday afternoon, BEFORE my father had been taken to the hospital, this had shown up.  Because there is a lot of construction going on in the neighborhood, the loud noise of this lovely commode being placed, had been overlooked.  The house is on a cul-de-sac.  The street before you turn onto it is having major repairs done.  (Translation:  it's a F'ing mess...talk about potholes!)  But the house is far away from that construction; so it couldn't be for that.  There is a plot of land that is kitty corner from the house that is being rebuilt. (The house that was previously there was torn down and a new house is being put up.)

But this property already had a porta potty in place.  (Also from Jersey Shore Restrooms)  The house directly across from the house was also having some work done on it, but it seems be finishing up as the dumpster has been removed and there was never a porta potty there.  Further up the block, there is another house under construction, but they rent their commode from another company.  (They don't have purple one; theirs is blue.)

 Now, initially my father, when he saw it as he was being taken to the hospital, thought that they had placed it there temporarily and that perhaps they were swapping it out for the one that is on the property that is under construction.  That's what the caregiver had thought to.  But no swap was made and IF it's intended as an additional john for the construction workers there, they've put it a distance away.  (There are other spots on the property and/or in the area that would make much more sense.)

 Needless to say, I was pretty upset with what I am calling the purple monster.  I called the number that was on it.  Surprise, I got an answering machine (it is after all a Sunday).  I left a message. I then TEXTED a message to the number (which is what the answering machine suggested.)  I went to their website and filled out their contact form.  Lastly, I posed to social media.  I mean, who leaves a porta potty on a random property?  There is no construction.  And there were cars parked there (which should have indicated that there were people living there; this is not just a summer home).  

 This is NOT the stress I need.  Thankfully, I have the assistance of a neighbor, who realized that this was NOT right and called the company on Friday afternoon.  No one picked up the phone (even though it was before 5 pm).  She left a message, she texted...she did everything I did, only a day and a half beforehand.  She told me she would call again tomorrow.  I will too.

 So while Jersey Shore Restrooms has thrown this pothole in front of me (literally in front of my house), I am reminded that I am NOT alone.  And I am grateful that my father has neighbors who keep an eye on things.  Good neighbors are more valuable than gold...so thank you Mrs. E!

 I'm hoping that this will be resolved tomorrow, during "business hours".  If not, does anybody want to buy a porta potty?  Make me an offer!

 



  

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