Never Organized Enough

I've been reading about people using their stay-at-home time to reorganize and deep clean their homes.  Even though I try to keep things fairly well organized and do a deep clean in months divisible by three, I decided to see what I could do.  The area most in need of this was Barbieville.

Everything on this tall shelf is doll related.  I did have some non-doll items here and two of the vehicles in my desk area, but decided to remedy that situation.  Now, the only dolls outside of this area are the BOUS*, two Monster High gals, and Edna Mode.

At the border between Barbieville and Desk Area, we find the printer shelf.  The lowest shelf used to be a parking lot for the Jeep and Golf Cart.  It now holds coloring books, crayons, and my bin of Lego blocks.  The upper and third shelves used to hold assorted paper for the printer, phone books, and toy VWs.  Second shelf now holds my board games.  Upper shelf holds phone books and printer paper.  Top surface is, of course, the printer.  Keeping it company are the Pocahontas twins, Edna Mode, and Freddy Krueger.  Rusty has invaded Barbieville.

My VW toys took over this knick knack shelf.  Only the almighty Sam Booze survived the invasion.  (Wine from Two Paddocks, Sam Neill's winery.)

Odd combination of loose cards.  One of these games doesn't even live here!

Now I gotta figure out where to put all the homeless knick knacks that have invaded my pop culture shelf!  They done knocked Negan down and threw two other guys on the floor!  The carnage! 

*Barbies Of Unusual Size include Rusty (My Size Barbie) and 18 inch Pocahontas twins 

COVID-19 Fallout

Nova finds her stepchildren in the summer kitchen.

Nova: I just got off the phone with Witch's Cove.  Instead of refunding our payment for The Overlook, we decided to postpone the reception.  We'll have it as soon as this lockdown ends.

Lottie: Why's your grandma being such a meanie?  

Nova: Well, I'm going to have to kick Mariko's butt for telling you about that, but Obachan believes Japanese ladies should only marry Japanese men.   It's a very old-fashioned...  

Lottie: It's racist!   My teacher said only white people can be racist! 

Alex: I'll explain the difference later, when Nova's not trying to draft us into helping with the reception plans.  (In a Butt-head voice) Settle down, Beavis.

Lottie giggles.  

While they are working, Mariko emerges from her post-work shower.  

Mariko:  Well, today was a doozy.  Someone refused to tip Tris because she's a lesbian and Whitney heard that her friend Esperanza has the virus. 

Alex (laughing): Tris is a lesbian?  Someone better tell Four! 

Mariko: She gets that sometimes because of her hair.  

Lottie: Who's Esperanza?  Do we know her? 

Mariko: Whitney's mom's boyfriend is Esperanza's uncle.  We've never met her.    

*****

WDLC multimedia, operating out of downtown Barbieville, has sponsored a series of banners posted around town.  "In The Shadow Of Corona" features seniors who won't be having a graduation ceremony this year.

Kenneth Carson

Whitney Darling

Edward Dean Jr "Frodo"

Tobias Eaton "Four"

Peeta Mellark

Nakoma Nedakh

Tanner Pike

Finnick Pike

Beatrice Prior "Tris" 

Easter in Lockdown

In the lull between Easter dinner and dessert (because who has room for dessert right away?) the residents of Windu Acres, Barbieville, chat.  They all pretend not to notice the dogs feasting on the little ones' mess.  

Rose-Grace: I'm torn between being mad at you for breaking your self-imposed exile and being glad you're here. 

Pike:  I showered before coming and washed my hands when I arrived.  Ryan and I have been wiping down the interior of The Tank at least once a day.  Ryan said his sister's gonna bring him dinner, but he's staying in.  He's really worried about his folks. 

Rose-Grace: You can take him some of our leftovers as well.  God knows we have an army here, but I made enough for two armies!  

Mace: You be glad he's here, Rosie, and I'll be mad at him.  I'm old.

Taylor: That's why you and the babies are way over here.  We're being super careful.

Stacie: Yeah, we're even gonna wipe down everything Dad may have touched before letting y'all leave the table.  I mean, the only rooms he's been in are the entry hall, the kichen, and the downstairs bathroom.

Mace (laughs): Oh, yeah, little girl?  You think you can stop me from getting up?  

Stacie: You aren't that dumb, Grandpa.

Rose-Grace: Our other usual guests will be calling us for an on-line conference call.

Finnick: Wait.  You heard from Mom? 

Rose-Grace: Oops, that part was supposed to be a surprise.  Her idea, I swear! 

*****

The Conference Call! 

Candy: Hey, guys.  Sorry to worry you so much, but there was a cluster- I mean, some trouble with me getting back into the country.   I'm quarantined, obviously, but I'm not sick or hurt or anything. 

Stacie: You look different. 

Fred: You look way prettier now, Mommy.

Candy: My green stripe is gone and I've been working out a lot.  I always meant to start, and this whole mess is as good an excuse as any.  By the time I come home, Fred won't be the only one of my babies I can lift!

Tanner: You gotta catch me first. 

Finnick: She'll be able to, dummy.  She's looking like one of them lady MMA fighters!

Morgan:  You look great, Candy.  I always thought you needed a little meat on your bones. 

Candy: You're sheltering in place at your folks' house?  And you haven't killed each other yet? 

Lee (laughs):  She gets outta line, we send her to her couch.  

Morgan: Mom's helping me with teaching on-line.  I was already making so many rookie mistakes before this virus hit!  Thank God she's a sub now and doesn't have a course load of her own! 

Talk then becomes the usual large-family chaos.  

HAPPY EASTER 

to all my Barbieville followers! 

Spider, Shoppers, and Silver Stream

Albus is out in Witch's Cove looking for damage from last night's storm.  

Albus (to the spider):  Mother Nature did a number on you, didn't she?  I hope I beat the birds to all your shiny bits.  (laughs) It's so quiet with no one on the grounds but me, I'm talking to a robot spider, but it's all right as long as you don't reply.  

Albus:  Hmm.  Well, this is new.  

Albus:  Now look here:  If you slide off this roof and give me a coronary, I will rip off your remaining legs and beat you to death with them.  The last thing I need is for her to catch me working off the clock and barefoot!  (Thinks for a moment.)  Well, I guess I'll have to tell her I was out here...  

*****

At the grocery, Batgirl meets Pike when he arrives.

Batgirl: I got your email about the new hires.  Ryan Guinness?  

Pike:  Ryan's a changed man.  Tanner even spoke in his favor, and you know that's something.

Batgirl:  I notice most of them are Midna's people.  Good of you to help them out.

Pike: Good of them to help me out.  (laughs)  Seriously, though...  Frodo and Whitney declined because they live with little ones.  Esmeralda's got her hands full at home, since Marcus is practically living at the hospital, and Midna is helping the Changs with deliveries.  Of the four left, only Jeremiah has never run a register. 

Batgirl:  We really don't have time for the real training.  I'll give the rest an overview in case we need them there.  Mostly we're gonna need them for stocking and loading the pick-up orders in trunks.  

Pike: Use the waitresses and Ryan before enlisting Pern.  She's very out of practice.  Oh, and I've parked The Tank around back.  It'll be my residence for the duration and since Ryan's folks are elderly, I've offered him a bunk.  

******

Mace trudges into Rose-Grace's bedroom and makeshift office.

Mace: Rosie, I need help with something.

Rose-Grace:  Since you got that call the other day and have been moping, I rather expected this.  What is it?  One of your friends from the apartment?

Mace: No.  It's Silvie.  Silver Stream.

Rose-Grace: She's infertile?

Mace:  No, Rosie, she's dead.  Something with her intestines...  (crying) I'm not sure, the breeder was using all these medical terms, but how am I gonna tell your babies?  

Rose-Grace: The same way always you told me.  But this time I'll be holding your hand instead of Mom.  We'll get through this, Daddy, I promise. 

Love and Hate

As usual, Pike heads directly into the bathroom after work.  Rose-Grace waits until she hears the water stop running, then joins him.

Rose-Grace: A bubble bath?  Are you destressing as well as sanitizing? 

Pike: You better believe it.  Some yahoo jumped Ben today.  Batgirl actually had to mace the guy.

Rose-Grace: Is Ben okay?  I hope the attacker was arrested. 

Pike: Yeah, Ben's okay. Lynch made it a point to mention her Asian husband and kids while cuffing him. 

Rose-Grace:  I have to put on mayoral clothes, perform a wedding before the license expires, and make a Public Service Announcement from a professional setting.  I'll add this incident to the list.

Pike: Everything going okay here?  With your dad and the kids? 

Rose-Grace: Dad got a phone call earlier and I guess it was bad news, from the way he's been acting, but he hasn't said anything. Finnick's the only one inside.  Tanner took the rest out to play on the ATVs.  

Finnick is actually on his phone with Nakoma, taking advantage of the rare privacy.

Nakoma (on phone): I'm so glad John is here.  I think I'd strangle these kids if he wasn't. 

Finnick: The rowdiest two came with John!  Anakin is so quiet, he's a little scary.

Nakoma: Yeah, he's still not used to being allowed to be a kid.  I still don't see how you deal with your houseful.  

Finnick: You get used to it.  But I'll tell you one thing... when we get married, we're only gonna have a couple rugrats.  

Nakoma (laughing): When?  I don't remember ever hearing or accepting a proposal from you.  

Finnick: Oh, yeah, I kinda forgot that part.  

Jeremiah and Nova meet Rose-Grace at her office. 

Rose-Grace: Your witnesses are on the way.  Very smart of you, to ask the co-workers with the fewest housemates.  And I'm really sorry none of your family could be here. 

Jeremiah: Zenobia's gonna do a whatchamacallit - video call? - so they at least get to see.  

Nova: I still can't believe that girl's a Malfoy. 

Rose-Grace: You didn't hear this from me, but the Malfoy problem seems to be linked with the Y chromosome.   

Social Distancing is rough, even when you aren't having a wedding in a small office!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Rose-Grace:  Barbieville has a policy, created during the Civil Rights Movement, against what we now call hate crimes. It appears that at least some of our population has forgotten this, and that they want to hide behind the First Amendment, but Freedom of Speech ends when property or personal damage occurs.  (She pauses for effect) There has been an alarming rise in attacks on our Asian citizens.  Several establishments and homes have been vandalized and racist graffiti left.  A young man of Japanese descent, one of the people exposed to possible COVID-19 contamination in order to keep your pantries stocked, was assaulted just this morning. Rewards are being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of these offenders.  Remember, these are our neighbors, our friends, and possibly our family.  If anyone has questions or comments, contact information is available via our website.