life in the old lane

 

Visit from the beer fairy this morning.  In Hawai’i you are living large if you are drinking “green bottle beer”.

And also a delivery from Amazon Fresh. The selection is not stellar. But, I am not dying to go grocery shopping. After I get my refrigerator problem sorted – I’ll order some cheese, bread, veggies, and chicken from Whole Foods.

Tried to be nice to me today. To not beat up on me for gaining 7 or 8 pounds during lockdown. To not get outraged that the republic broke on my watch and I am powerless to do anything about that. To not wonder “what if we had a President”?

Tomorrow is a new month and I am sure all those demons will reemerge.  And, I will fight them yet again.

Gratitude

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How can I not be grateful for friends who leave beer outside my door? Friends: a joy in good times and a lifesaver in bad times.

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America’s cities, including mine, will burn this summer.  I should be safe enough here at The Asylum. But, I am not sure it will be safe after Election Day. Oh, and there is Covid coming back in the fall to worry about. This is not how I planned to spend my dotage.

Mālama pono

See, there is the light. Right outside the deadline. But, even if I could go out. Where would I go? The Sunday Columbia Pike farm market. I can walk that far. Where else? Walk up to Long Branch Nature Center.  I am not ready to hop on a bus for no good reason.

A National Park Service friend of mine wrote this afternoon:

We watched the space X launch as a family. It was a remarkable moment capping the end of a truly awful week in a terrible year.

And it reminds me that America is a complicated place, and even our past space triumphs took place in the midst of social and cultural challenges.

If you’ve not heard “Whitey On The Moon” you owe it to yourself to listen, and today is a good day to do so.

Eric is Superintendent of Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.  He started out in the Park Service some 20 years ago as an Interpreter. And in one sentence he certainly interpreted May 30, 2020. Thank you, Eric.

Gratitude

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Sunshine, fluffy white clouds, brussel sprouts, delivery people, ARPANET, just for starters.

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Mālama pono

Friday adventure. Wander around the first floor and look at the new flower arrangement. Fred, who did this one, always includes a frog.

Day 60 of lockdown didn’t start too auspiciously. Decided to fire up the A/C for the housekeeper and anyone who might show up to look at the fridge. After the A/C had been on for 2 hours it was 2 degrees warmer than when the A/C started.  Turns out, I wasn’t special. One of the chillers broke. It got fixed. And, the Old Bat Cave was chilled.

The refrigerator adventure continues. Frankly, I don’t think any of our maintenance guys are refrigerator trained. They look at refrigerators. 4 guys have looked at mine. One took a picture of the serial number. On Monday, it will be taken away and I will get a loaner. I paid extra for a stainless steel fridge. If they end up replacing it – I want stainless.

Terminally bored this afternoon. Forced myself outside with the 600mm lens.

Just OK.

One of 3 resident dogs.

And the dog is looking better than I am! No word as to when we will be allowed out. Something like we have to be 28 days without anyone with Covid.

And 2 residents died. Management hopes that we will forget. We won’t. So, my trip to the dentist July 7 is looking like it will not happen. I am willing to take the quarantine hit to keep the appointment.

A particularly morbid thought – when society comes completely apart – not due to Covid – but due to the so called leadership of our country. I will have a damn fine view of it.  Unless I make it back to Kona in time.

Gratitude

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Grateful to have made it through 60 days with most of my marbles.

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On a happier note. Another from the Friday flower arrangers.
Mālama pono

This would be the dinner I fixed for myself last night with a little help from Whole Foods Delivery and our Room Service meals. Room Service provided the sweet potato. I added chicken, onions, broccoli, raspberries, and Parma cheese. And seasoning.

But, I have a problem. My fridge has always been a little iffy. When I moved in, it was new. But certainly not right off the assembly line. And, it has always had a dent. But, what the hell. It kept beer chilled. And, sometimes it made ice cubes. But, keeping things cold was always an issue.

This would be my freezer temperature. Hanging in at 32° Some 32° above where it should be.

The fridge part is only 10 ° in the “danger zone”.

Aren’t you surprised that I have 2 refrigerator thermometers? Well, I have had a lot of issues with refrigerators in my day.

So, I filled out a work order on my fridge this morning. Got nothing but time right? And, I don’t want to lose an entire fridge full of food. (Wonder if my renter’s insurance will cover that?) It is time for another Whole Foods order.

After lunch maintenance shows up. “Well, your refrigerator isn’t set at the recommended temperature.” They turned moved the dial to warmer and said, It will be OK. Two hours later they returned. It wasn’t “OK”. They put the dial back to colder. Said they’ll be back. Guess I will have to stay in my clothes until they return – after dinner.

Gratitude

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Glad that the fridge is only an annoyance and not a huge problem. I may not like the room service menu, but the GeeDunk still sells sandwiches if worse comes to worse.

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Note to Carlton: May 28, 1972. The last time you were arrested! Hope you are keeping it between the navigational beacons where ever you are.

Mālama pono

Shooting birds with my macro lens this morning. I think they are juvenile mockingbirds. They were not very skilled at the suet feeder. But they recognize a free meal when they see one.

Just another day behind bars.

Every day I remind myself that I am a high-risk person who lives in a community of even higher-risk people. And even when they let us out, it doesn’t mean I should go out.  Every day I find myself wondering, “Now, where can I go for a little trip this summer?”  The short answer is Nowhere. Maybe I can go to the dentist on July 7th. What a fine adventure that will be. I guess it will be safer if I walk. A lot can happen in a month.

Big event today will be watching SpaceX Demo-2 lift off in 30 minutes. But the weather doesn’t look too promising. Elon Musk is not my favorite rich guy – but – it is still good. Also good, seeing more air traffic coming into National Airport this afternoon. (It isn’t happening. But now I can look forward to it again. Maybe on May 30?)

Gratitude

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This is not a proper gratitude thing – but Grateful that Twitter took a swipe at the Tweeter-n-Chief for less than truthful behavior.

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No new Covid19 box scores yet today. No news is no news.

Mālama pono

Listening to Watership Down, only fair that I would come upon a rabbit while doing my early morning laps around the Asylum.

Not much to that picture is there? Well that is sort of how I am feeling about now.  All I have to do is nothing. That is my job. Do nothing. Go nowhere. Sorry to complain. But, I am really bad at this.

Gratitude

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Time for some serious gratitude.
Don’t have Covid. And all of my friends are negative. As of when they were tested.
Don’t have shingles. A friend has shingles.
Have enough to eat. More than enough if you ask my clothes.
Nice early summer weather today.
I got the European wasp out of my window again today. Is there a hive somewhere near my window?

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Jerry was over 90. His wife died several years ago. He was one of the founders of the 401 Club. Much like the famous 420 meetings. Except these were a group who gathered outside our saloon for cocktails everyday as soon as it opened. The regulars got older.  Much older. Jerry was there up until early March when the bar closed. 401 members came with their caregivers. Our bartenders watered their drinks, substituted grape juice, served non-alcoholic beer.

Mālama pono

We gathered outside for coffee this morning. One of our group is missing. She has shingles. Since it can be kicked off by stress – not really surprising. Carlton got shingles when he was being audited by the IRS. As I recall he got a letter that said send us 150K immediately if not sooner. That might have been in about 2007.

While I was trying to back up far enough to get all my socially distanced friends into the picture, one of them took a picture of me and “the ugliest skirt on the planet”. That is one homely mother of a skirt. Baby shit colored paper bag. But, I intend to wear it as my quarantine skirt. It is very comfy. And has an expandable waist. I also have an expandable waist.

From my window I watch all manner of little dramas. A car pulled up. The driver got out. Waved. And removed stuff from the trunk. Driver returned to car and left.

Sooner or later. The goods are collected.  This is not an approved behavior.

My friend with shingles had to violate the rules to go an collect her drugs. But, she turned her self into the minders. She figured that she would be quarantined in her room anyhow. And, getting started on the antiviral drugs ASAP is critical.

Gratitude

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Grateful for an hour on the patio with friends. Best part of the “holiday” weekend for sure.

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Mālama pono

Looking for the light – but not that kind. Two ambulances. Hopefully it was just one of our normal old people emergencies.

My 11th-floor neighbors are still dealing with COVID as best they can.

And so am I.

I have been in major sloth mode most of the day today. all of the day. Big event was “going” to one of Carlton’s favorite AA meetings.  Note to Carlton: Your old pigeon, Bill, was the leader. He did good. One guy had 30 days and another 52 years. His topic was the gifts of AA. And you my friend, are the best gift I ever received. From AA or anyone. And, I know that if it were not for AA, I would have missed you.

Gratitude

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Grateful that the slog of a week is over.

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For the first time in my life I am driven to moderation and prudence. This is very worrisome.

Mālama pono

This morning was one of those magical mornings that sometimes happen in the spring. When the Potomac River is chilly and the air is warm.  Interesting fog happens. It also happens in the fall when the river is warm and the air is nippy.

It was a nice sunny day and I didn’t suffer from overwhelming bleakness like yesterday.  Tried really hard to “live in the present”. And to not mourn the loss of what was or fret about what might happen. Because – I sure as hell didn’t see this one coming.

Well, it must be summer. The big ass gas grill showed up on “my” patio.  It is mine because I am the keeper of its flower boxes. And BC (Before COVID) my friends and I would eat dinner on that patio 2 or 3 times a week.

Gratitude

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Grateful for a nice warm, sunny and wind-free day.

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I accomplished NOTHING today.

Mālama pono

The light was hard to find this morning.  Gray. Damp. Gloomy. Matched my mood.  Day 53 wasn’t one of my stellar days in lockdown. Having a really hard time accepting that I am old. I live in an apartment that is licensed as “assisted living”. As a result, I will not be allowed off the grounds for a very long time. And the two places that I would feel OK about escaping to Kona and Bermuda, well they don’t want me.

So, wander around the Asylum.

This person has apparently given up all hope of ever hosting a party that requires lots of wine glasses!

And this is kind of pitiful. The person must have come downstairs to get the number for IT Help (right) but then left it in the elevator.

But, later in the day. The Booze Delivery from the state liquor store has arrived! Just in time for the long weekend.

Gratitude

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Grateful that I escaped from the frightful black mood that overwhelmed me most of the day. And happy that the sun came out late in the afternoon.

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Mālama pono

Didn’t have to look far for the light today. Last night about dinner time – I got an email from the hospital announcing a “new test result”. This means is that as of last Friday I did not have Covid-19. Which is good to know.

Management put out happy yard signs for our staff. When I was a worker bee I would not have been impressed. But, I was always cynical. Show me the money! I think a better grade of people work here. I sure hope so!

I was amazed to discover that this is Memorial Day Weekend. The Official Start of Summer. Yeah, Right. Summer of 2020. Anyone else remember their hexadecimal codes? 20 in hex was a space as I recall. And that just about sums up 2020. Space-Space. Blank-Blank.

Gratitude

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Grateful for negative test results and positive vibes. Gotta work on the positive part.

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Cataloged some photos, got a friend up and running on Zoom, did my laps around the building. And napped.

Mālama pono

I wore out a pair of AllBirds last winter. So, on the off chance that I ever get to leave the property – I ordered a new pair.  They are not the sturdiest shoes ever – but for me, they are really really comfy. And, you can toss them in the washing machine. Consider this is an act of optimism where there seems to be no reason for hope.

Even when they talk about what you might be able to do this summer, there is always the “except for the elderly.” And damn it, I am the elderly. How did that happen? You may have noticed that I am having a really hard time with acceptance. Especially accepting that the world will be very different when I do get out again.

Gratitude

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Grateful that I can cook real food out of real ingredients.

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There is a big swimming pool for the apartment complex across the street. In the usual summer it is stuffed with kids. Must be the lifeguarding job from hell. But, today – it was the private reserve for “my” pair of Canada geese.

Mālama pono