You Just Can't Plan a Thing Like That!

Do-gooders everywhere love to visit the elderly.  I've noticed that "they" get a whole lot more out of it than the poor hapless elderly who are subjected to these self-styled ambassadors of mediocre talents.  We have 39 residents (including myself and my husband) here in MicroWorld and several staff members.  Most of our entertainers garner a 6 to 12 person audience.  However, we have our own karaoke system here at MicroWorld and when we are having a dull day I pull it out of the closet and we supply our own entertainment.  Yesterday was the BIG New England snowstorm.  Nobody came near MicroWorld.  The office manager stayed home as well as the hairdresser.  Our administrators were on vacation in Aruba.(Hmmmm), and of course NO ONE ELSE even thought about us.  We were enclosed in a building with only TV's for diversion; and every TV on every channel was covering "The Storm".  By noon, people were bored with it all.  Someone requested karaoke and soon everyone jumped on the band wagon.  I was outnumbered.....Mr. Husband ran for a snowshovel and dug out his truck.  A couple of fish tails, and he was out of the parking lot and on his way to his favorite watering hole.  I set up the PA system, hooked up the karaoke machine, distributed the books, and we all sang our favorite songs. An hour and a half later, I announced that we were finished, collected the microphones and began to wind up the cords.  Everyone left to return to their rooms.......that's when it all became very surreal, but very, very fun.  There I was all alone.  The residents had returned to their rooms.  The cook had returned to the kitchen.  The other staff members had left for the day, and my husband had also left.  The moment was just too tempting.  I could practice a couple of songs, I thought.  I selected a song, began singing.....and here is where it gets weird.  The cook came out of the kitchen and a couple of residents....."I'm just trying out a couple of songs", I explained.  As I sang, more people came out of their rooms and soon there was quite a few people.  Irma started dancing (?) and Paul got up to dance with her!  I have never seen ANY of these people dance!  They are all in their 80's and 90's and most use walkers and canes.  Next, Mark (Mr. Husband) appeared.  His favorite bar was closed because of the snow storm. He sang "The Weight" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door".  They loved it!!! I was singing contempory country songs.  They loved it!!!