CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Sitting by the pool at the end of January was somewhat of a treat.  I did not venture into the water, although my toes did experience the arctic like temperatures.  The rest of my body recoiled back to the nearest chair, and I took out my book and read for thirty minutes.  However, as the sun sunk behind the trees the shade proved to be less inviting and I headed back to the sanctuary of my home.  Perhaps next weekend, I thought!  After all, I have been dubbed 'Guardian of the Pool' by our housing association board.

As a newly co-opted member of our housing association board, I was required to attend the monthly meeting.  This was the meeting before the annual, 'This is what's going on', get together.  However, I was not quite sure as to the date.  My emails had been inundated with 'I cannot make....', and alternative dates.  I knew that the original date for the 23rd had been cancelled as I did not turn up and no one called to see where I was!  This newly elected member was beginning to wonder why she had said 'Yes'.  One of our computers had breathed its last, on Monday morning, and we were attempting to set up the database on another, but it was not connecting.  All in all, I was rather less than calm.  However, we do have an 'Edwee'.  My son in law offered his services, and after a day of trying to find out passwords and speaking to some 'gurus', within a matter of minutes, the new system was working.  It was very late when we left the office, and the offer of dinner in way of thanks was declined.  As we left the office, Edward announced that he thought he should have done something differently, but the words got caught up in the wind that was rather strong, and we were left to wonder.


I had thought that the meeting had been changed to Thursday, but a reminder email with several attachments brought me to the realisation that it was on Tuesday.  The words that had been caught up in yesterday's breeze were now rendering true, and the system that had been up and running on Monday evening was now deader than a dodo!  My workload was rather huge as I was having to be the 'eyes' for the ''back office'.  "I can't go to the meeting!" I announced to Dana during the afternoon.  "But you must!" he said, with a grin forming across his lips.  "You are a VIP now.  You have responsibilities!"  Edward had promised to come and fix the problem when he left work, and we must have crossed each other's paths as we drove along the highway.  

Arriving at the meeting, I was less than enthusiastic, and in dire need of an attitude adjustment.  However, I realised, very early on, that most of my feeling of ambivalence, and inadequacy, were because of my ignorance.  Not wishing to sound 'mushy', I am so well cared for (for the most part) that I do not have to worry my (female) head with things like insurance, maintenance, and the likes.  It is actually what I always wanted.  Being the 'old fashioned' girl that I am, despite wanting to know how to 'change a plug' (now there is a phrase that is not used here) and having the wherewithal to take care of myself, should I need to, I have not needed to.  I realised how relaxed, perhaps lazy, I had become in general maintenance.  I am fully 'equipped' in the area of politics and laws, but in the areas of plumbing, electrics and 'fixins', I just haven't bothered, because there has been no need.  Where was the independent woman who needed to know how to splice a wire, or connect a pipe.  Where was the pioneer who would have a directory of DIY people should she need a suggestion!  She had disappeared into a land of oblivion and naivety.  Much as I enjoy not having to take the lead when things need doing, or go wrong, I did not want to end up like my mother's friend who gave up driving upon her husband's demise as she did not know how to fill up the car with petrol!  I knew I would be able to regain that independence, should the need arise (which I hope it wont for sometime) but the duller the senses, the harder it is to get them to work!

Suffice it to say, arriving at the meeting, and listening to the representative from the Insurance company, and not knowing about what he was talking, (language barriers were a big part,) I sat with my glasses in one hand, arm of said spectacles resting on my bottom lip, head to one side, lips pursed, and a furrowed brow, in an attempt to give the impression that I was taking in every word.  Most of it sounded like gobbledygook and 'shop talk' to me.  I was absolutely delighted when one of my colleagues announced, "This is like reading the small print.  We want to know.....", and basically asked, "In layman's terms, what is our coverage!"  I felt as if I had been somewhat acquitted, and then felt somewhat sorry for the representative, as he had to go 'off piste' and answer questions posed one at a time.  My glasses were now on the end of my nose, head upright, lips straight and eyebrows raised, as I checked one page of figures that had been provided in a pack that was a ream deep!  The last ten minutes of the 'speech' was very informative and extremely interesting.  I even had questions!  


The meeting, which usually only takes an hour, was almost into its third when we adjourned.  I realised that I was not here as a 'silent' partner, but as a representative for our community.  I would have to live up to the expectations of abilities that my colleagues obviously believed me to have!  Every time there was a question of 'who can deal with this?' all eyes were on me, but I sat looking straight ahead.  However, much as time restricts my ability to take on 'practical' tasks, I have a telephone and a voice, and can make calls. I had not found my calling, but my colleagues had!  Ignorance is no excuse, as the saying goes, but when I asked "What does being on the board entail; I do not have a lot of spare time?" and was told, "Oh, you don't have to do much.  Just turn up at meetings", common sense should have told me that you don't represent someone by not doing anything!  

Arriving back at the office, Edward had set up the new, new system and it was working properly.  They ran a few tests, and then he and Samantha took their boys home and Dana and I closed up shop for the evening.  I told him what I had learned.  

Gail was at Joe's on Wednesday, rather concerned about her son who lives in China.  We discussed the implications as we saw them, and I had to leave the debate as I had an appointment!  No, I was not going to call a member of the council and complain about an infraction that affected our community, but I was going to have my nails decorated!  

When I arrived back at the office, Grant and Samantha were absent. They had gone to run 'an errand' according to Dana.  A short while thereafter, I received a text, "Shower fixed".  This reminded me, again, that I was not the person I used to be.  I relied upon my husband to call the plumber, and this had taken quite some time.  Grant had found the problem, and bought the new part, but did not have the correct tool for the job.  When Dana asked me a week ago, "Do you enjoy your 'new' life with me", I replied, "Sometimes".  He had questioned my answer, and I told him that I would like it more if my shower was working!  This prompted him to call in someone.  I responded to Grant, asking if they had checked to see if there was water dripping into my dining room, and he had answered that all was good, and everything was good.  As I had left my kitchen in a terrible mess when I left the house earlier that morning, due to my running out of time, (some parts of me never change!) I asked if that meant he had washed up and put everything away.  His response was that the washing up had been done, and the washing folded and put away!  

I was extremely grateful for the fixed shower!  I returned home early, and set about cleaning the mess I had left.  When Grant and Dana returned home, Grant commented on the cleanliness of my kitchen.  "Would you believe, some nasty person came in and made another mess!  I had to clean it all up again!" I said.  He found it rather amusing.  They were early and started to play pool, as is tradition.  I went upstairs and continued with sorting out my clean laundry.  "Where have you been?" asked my husband when I descended, and put the dinner in the oven.  "Would you believe, some nasty person took all that clean washing that Grant folded, and put it back in the dryer!"  Dana was perplexed.  Grant was laughing!  

The wind that had taken Edward's words on Monday was much stronger on Thursday, and the rain came through with a vengeance.  We walked, as the 'cold front' hit us from all angles.  Temperatures dropped forty degrees (Fahrenheit) and we put on the ponchos to walk around the block.  

"Don't forget we have the AGM tomorrow morning", I said to Dana on Friday evening.  It was highly unlikely that he would forget as there was a notice on the way in to our complex, and on the way out.  "Listen to you, Chairman of the Board.  The AGM!  You can tell that you are no longer just one of the crowd!"  I was a little confused.  I had always called it the 'AGM'.  Annual General Meeting.  It was what we would always call a 'once a year' meeting.  "Really?  It is not since you were 'elected'?"  he asked.  I corrected him on both counts.  Firstly, yes, it is an annual general meeting, as opposed to an EGM, which was an 'emergency' general meeting.  Secondly, I was 'co-opted', not 'elected'.  I shall have to wait to be 'elected', at the next annual general meeting.  "What do you call it?" I asked.  "General meeting", he said.  Obviously, his memory of me reminding him every year that I had not been one of the elected, or co-opted, had lapsed.  Perhaps he was just not listening! 

The meeting started late, as it always does!  The real Chairman welcomed everyone, and we all introduced ourselves.  When it came to my husband's turn, he said he had been here for sixteen years.  "Eighteen", I chipped in.  "Really, that long?" he said, looking surprised.  "Well, my wife should know.  She is on the board", he quipped.  I gave him a knowing look that this was now getting 'old' and I really was not enjoying the limelight, surprisingly enough!  The meeting continued, and I scribbled a few notes, just to show willing, and then finally was asked to comment on something. It was about a proposed action to be taken by the Austin city council, which (in the opinion of the majority, by all accounts) would not benefit our city, and although there had been much opposition, the council were trying very hard to get it put into place.  The words 'table', 'under', and 'kickback', had been thrown around over the last few months, and there had been a law suit filed to (apparently) prevent the council from acting (apparently) unlawfully.   I told everyone the latest development and what we could do.  All of a sudden, all eyes were on me, and everyone was interested.  "What do we do?", "What's the website?", "How do we get involved?"  Dana sat smiling.  I had actually done something worthy of being on the board!

The meeting drew to a close, and questions were again thrown at me.  "You were great!" said my husband as we left.  "What do you mean 'were'!", I asked.  

Samantha and I were late heading out for our weekly jaunt.  We arrived home in the early evening, and I was exhausted.  

As if last week did not exist, Sunday has once again come around.  I spent a couple of hours by the pool, although the water was still not up to a decent swimming temperature.  Samantha and Grant had cleaned the carpets at the office, and when they had finished, she came back to collect her pups.  She joined me at the pool for a while, and then we chatted to Steph for a brief time, before we all headed off in different directions!

Apart from a couple of phone calls, and a form to complete, I have very little 'board' work to do before the next meeting.  This will give me time to learn a little more about plumbing and electrics.  I hope that our trustee maintenance man, Raul, will help me on this front! That way, I will have first hand knowledge of how the complex is run, too!  I wont ever become Chairman, as I have neither the time, nor the inclination, and I do not plan to 'serve them all my days', but for the time being, I shall do my best!  Our current Chairman certainly does an excellent job, and manages to keep the meetings (mostly) to a minimum!  As I look across my room at a pile of papers that are now part of my new 'duties', I shall hope the dramas of last week will not spill over into ....... another story!