October 26, 2021 Edition: Sunnyside Arms Over Easy Blog
- The Sunnyside Arms Gazette
- Oct 26, 2021
- 6 min read
The Sunnyside Arms Gazette's Over Easy column is taken over today by our takes-no-guff, hands-on-hip posing, checklist-toting, advice-giving, score-keeping and reluctant recipe testing, staff specialist of knowing about all things managerial, the one and only Agnes!
Well then, here we are.
Has it really been a whole year since we've posted on this blog? It has! It just goes to show you how hard it can be to keep up with your pet projects during a pandemic. Even when you like them! We've experienced lots of changes this year, but what remains crystal clear is that life churns on and so do we. Speaking of churns, Miss Daphne has been using one to make some pretty interesting butter blends for the residents lately. She apparently found it at nearby estate sale. Go figure. Anyway, my point is, she has promised to make a really special butter blend for Halloween. Should be something to see and taste! Now let's get our biggest bombshell of the moment dropped. Spoiler Alert: It's mine!
Adios, Agnes! I Am Leaving This Place
No mincing words. I'm leaving Sunnyside Arms. I’ve been managing this place for four years now, and while I love all 42 residents and most of the staff, I have decided it's time for me to move on. I'm not getting any younger myself, and before I end up living here as a resident (not that there is anything wrong with that), I have some dreams of my own to pursue. This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I have a grown niece over in Daytona who owns a surf shop. She's offered to let me run the place. And to teach me to surf. I've always wanted to be a surfer girl. Like Gidget and Annette Funicello. (Before your time? Too bad. Look it up!) So it looks like I'll be trading in my seniors for surfers and our pond with alligators for an ocean full of big waves. And sharks. But as you all know, I've wrestled some big pond alligators in my time here are Sunnyside Arms, so I'm not really worried about the sharks.
I'd like to thank John Vanderbilt from the Florida Retirement Communities Board for helping me find my replacement (more on that soon!) and the likes of Betsy Ross, Miss Daphne Reed, Tiffani, Joe, Harold, and that rapscallion, Retired Lance Corporal Dentley, for throwing me the best Bon Voyage Beach Party anyone could ask for. I am still fishing sand out of my sneakers! For those of you who weren't able to make the party, it was supposed to be a surprise, but you-know-who here heard a commotion out back by the pond and just had to go investigate. Imagine my surprise at finding a row of surfboards lined up along the shore and Betsy and Harold stringing up some LED-powered lights on a makeshift Tiki Bar! Before they had a chance to explain, I called out to them saying, "To quote one of my girlhood inpirations, Frances "Gidget" Lawrence, 'Wait just a dingy minute!'" But, honestly, I quickly puzzled it out and was totally tickled by their creativity. We all ended up laughing about it.
“To quote one of my girlhood inspirations, Frances "Gidget" Lawrence, 'Wait just a dingy minute!'" - Agnes
To everyone at Sunnyside Arms and our extended family and readership, thank you for an adventure-filled four years. I wish you the best! If you're ever in Daytona, look for me at the beach. I'll be the one catching a wave in a hot pink and gray wetsuit with her short purple hair blowing in the wind. My last day is November 1, 2021. Goodbye! P.S. For those that were still wondering (Betsy!), my last name is Angelli.
Welcome! New Sunnyside Arms Manager, Holly From The Home Office
After a rigorous selection process overseen by me (Agnes) and John Vanderbilt, comprised of two phone interviews, one written assessment, three Zoom calls, one holiday decoration simulation and one on-site visit, I can happily announce to you all that Holly from the Home Office has accepted the position of manager of Sunnyside Arms, effective November 1, 2021. I can't think of anyone better to pass the torch to.
Because I know you Nosy Nellies out there like to know who you're dealing with, I conducted a little Q&A with Holly for you. (I am still amazed that I was able to keep my last name a secret for four years.) Hope this helps with the transition, I know that I'll be a hard act to follow.
Agnes's Q&A With Holly
Agnes: Welcome to Sunnyside Arms, Holly! What are you looking forward to now that you're here?
Holly: Thanks, Agnes. I am so excited to get to know this sweet community. With a name like Sunnyside Arms, I imagine it is just as full of warmth and smiles as it's name implies.
Agnes: Tell me, Holly, are you a Florida native?
Holly: No! While I am falling in love with Florida, I am actually from Ohio.
Agnes: How did you get into this line of work?
Holly: My gramma Opal had Alzheimer's in her later years and one nurse at the home she lived at took especially good care of her. Because of the peace of mind my gramma and our family had thanks to her, I want all senior citizens, whole or ill, to also have that kind of care. I want to be one of the people that help make it happen.
Agnes: That's a tall order, Holly. But a good one. Let's move on to some lighter questions.
Holly: Sure! What would you like to know?
Agnes: Do you have any hobbies?
Holly: I crochet. I tried knitting, but it's not for me. My sister is a master knitter though.
Agnes: Well, good for your sister. How about pets? Do you have any?
Holly: I have Petunia. She is my chinchilla and she's family, not a pet.
Agnes: Folks around here love their books. What's your current favorite read?
Holly: Oh, it's a classic! How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Agnes: OK. Noted. One final question for you, Holly. We'll get a little deep again. What do you hope to accomplish in your role as manager here at Sunnyside Arms?
Holly: My biggest dream is to ensure everyone at Sunnyside Arms is happy, safe, and well cared for.
Agnes: Well isn't that sweet! Good luck, Holly!
Vaccination Update: We Hit 100% This Month
Just a quick shout out to Nurse Susan for heading up Sunnyside Arms' Resident and Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Program for us. She did a wonderful job making of sure that all questions were answered, all fears and concerns addressed, all shots given as gently as possible and that we met our deadline of 100% vaccination by 11/1/21 ahead of schedule. We hit the 100% mark on 10/18/21 when new resident, Gina Guffles-Knowles, got innoculated. Thank you to all of our residents and staff for your patience and cooperation in making this program and our home as safe as possible. We still recommend wearing masks indoors when in a group setting and not eating. All guests to Sunnyside Arms must have their temperatures checked at reception upon entry and wear a mask in all common areas on site.
Additional kudos to Nurse Susan for making the experience of getting vaccinated a little more fun by offering a variety of fun bandages for everyone to choose from after getting their shots. Paw Patrol, Avengers and Minions were just some of the bandages available to those getting vaccinated at Sunnyside Arms this year.
Sneaking Up On Us Is Halloween 2021...Will It Be Fun?
Well, if you like candy, costumes and the smooth DJ'ing of our esteemed musical resident, Mr. Hawker, I'd say, YES!, Halloween 2021 will be fun. At least for those of us here at Sunnyside Arms. The festivites will start promptly at 5 p.m. with dinner in the dining hall. I have it on good authority that Miss Daphne is cooking up a spirited feast, with goodies like ghoulash, bat wing buttered ghost toast, tossed graveyard greens with balsamic plasma dressing and a wicked witches brew. (If you have NO IDEA what any of that is, neither do I. Miss Daphne said they are all secret family recipes. Go figure!)
After dinner, dance and enjoy the treats and decor in the rec room from 6-10 p.m. Betsy Ross promises that the treats will be more plentiful than the tricks as she and Genevieve have been hard at work on turning the rec room into a haunted house of sorts. They've been pretty secretive, but I approved the purchase of A LOT of snack-sized Payday and KitKat bars, just the other day, so I expect those will be on display or up for grabs at some point.
Many of you have been asking: Yes! There will be a contest for Best Costume at 9 p.m. with a prize of a $50 Amazon.com gift card. Judges will be me, John Vanderbilt and Holly. *Masks (not the Halloween kind) will be required at the party. Hope to see you there!
About our Guest Reporter: Agnes is the soon-to-be former manager of the Sunnyside Arms Retirement Community located in Sunnyside, FL. Her commanding, activity-based approach to her job has earned her the nickname, “The Agne-Beast,” for she is both scary and yet, (surprisingly) effective. With her trusty clipboard and pen in-hand, Agnes delegates tasks and tosses out insults like the boss she is. Deeply secretive about her life outside of work, she has just only revealed her last name to the Sunnyside Arms community.
Comments