By W.T. WIMPY HIROTO
Have been looking back over my left shoulder so often these days, I have a crick in my right neck. Which may explain why I’ve been focusing on bugaboos of yore: black cats, breaking a mirror, walking under a ladder. Like “twenty-three skidoo” and “eighty-six,” no one seems to give them much never no mind anymore. Or maybe Google has taught Millennium and Me Too generations to disregard bad omens.
I realize there are more pressing matters to discuss, like Ebola and ISIL, but you know me, forget conventionality and normalcy. Every now and again it’s wise to slow the world down and focus on the simple and inane. CR2S is good at that.
So there I was, doing one of my daily exercise routines. [I do four over the course of a day.] Upon completion of the early morning set, I rise from a prone position on the bed (no snide or crude comments, please) and commence to stub my toe on the NW corner of the bed frame! A shouted series of #!@%^&*s while hopping mad follow, the pain taking a full two minutes to subside. Fortunately, not enough time to chop off the errant foot to ease suffering.
While seated on the sofa, I take my BP. Why you ask? Because the contraption is sitting right in front of me on the coffee table, that’s why (and don’t ask why). The reading comes up 178/84/92. Oh well, at least I’m prepaid at Fukui.
The last major stub occurred moving a heavy chair while visiting son Eric in the hospital, what, six years ago? Eventually lost a big toe nail because of that one. Before that a coffee table was the furniture run into during a power blackout. All three involved different digits, two bigs and one little. At least the suffering was spread around.
All of which ranks as yet another wowzus moment CR2S is trying to stretch into an offbeat column. But luck, good and bad, has always intrigued. Like the few we all know who always seem to win. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Las Vegas slot machine foray, Santa Anita horse races, raffle prize drawing or taking home a table decoration. A chosen few always seem to win.
On the other hand, there are the perennial losers. The guy with an ace high full house losing to four deuces; a gutter ball when a spare is needed; the poor slob who always seemed to pull guard duty – on weekends; even stymied when playing solitaire. In days gone by, we used to call it being “salty.” These days I call it simply being Kobe or Tiger.
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Whether stubbing one’s toe is worthy of note matters not, at least it’s a perfect segue to the rather embarrassing situation Keiro Senior HealthCare finds itself in today. What? Why? When? The pared-down journalism questions waft in the uncertain air as the remaining duo of who and where are the only known factors in the current dilemma.
But if you’ll excuse, CR2S is not in an investigative mood. Which means we know nothing other than what was announced last week: Ensign Group’s application to purchase Keiro has been denied by the California Attorney General’s Office; a requirement before the final approval is given.
During early negotiations, CR2S received an email from a doctor (Japanese named) who was against the proposed sale. He urged a letter of protest be sent to the AG’s office. Whether this became a grassroots campaign that gained traction or merely a solo objection, I know not for sure, but his knowledge of procedure was noteworthy. Attorney General Kamala Harris’ denial was announced last week by Ensign Group. I choose to be an observer for now, a conveyor of only known facts. I’m a KRH resident directly affected, to be sure, but choose not to spew rumor or baseless scuttlebutt. [For the time being.]
But never comfortable being one of the masses, why start now? After years of, what do they call it, due diligence, there is plenty of facial egg treatment for both parties. On the other hand (and we all do have two), CR2S is known to be partial with a proven Jappo leaning, sometimes called “favoritism.” So naturally we point the finger of guilt in this shocking turn of events directly at Ensign: It was the applicant that was slapped, not Keiro.
SOP calls for the state to approve any transaction involving a for-profit taking control of a non-profit. Thus the onus of denial lies with Ensign. While that fact might absolve Keiro of any culpability, it shares an egg-splattered face not easily erased, nor is the unsettling turmoil eased by innocence. It has increased, actually. Staff, volunteers and residents remain in a quandary. You can’t blame them. Employee morale is at its lowest ebb, volunteers wondering what their status is and will be, some residents certain the sky is falling.
Wimpy-san believes calm should be the order of the month. Said without benefit of tranquilizers. Remember the long ago tale about the three little pigs? What happened after the Big Bad Wolf threatened to blow their house down? They survived, didn’t they? Or did they wind up as pork chops? Really, I don’t remember!
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W.T. Wimpy Hiroto can be reached at williamhiroto@att.net Opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.