Seeing Jim's posting about Gumbah took me back like twenty years. Gumbah was writing a story about, well the House of Chin with an emphasis on softball and seen from a JR-like character, although his plan was that each character would narrate his own chapter. A tough way to write a story. I took up on it and started my own version only the JR-esque character did all the narrations. We emailed each other chapters and it worked out quite well. The hardest thing about writing is getting someone to read it and we had a pretty good time of it.
I went back to look at it just now, and I don't think it's that bad, but of course I wouldn't, would I? It'd kind of long seventy-seven pages, but I guess this is best time I'll ever have getting someone to read it, No obligation, but if anybody wants to look at it let me know and I'll send it to you.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
4th of July party
Dear Friends,
As you know, the coronavirus has wreaked havoc upon sports seasons, schools, events and life in general. After much consideration, I decided it would be best to cancel the 4th of July party this year. We're all (ahem) of a susceptible age, and the afflictions some of us have don't make the situation better. I don't want a hotspot in Grange Circle.
This would have been the 42nd annual, I believe. I'll miss all of you and the tradition we've kept for all these years. But as they say in baseball, "Wait'll next year!" I hope this finds everyone in good health. The Esquire opened the south patio last Fri., but they're taking reservations for 4 persons per table, 2 hour limit. Well, that's just a tad too structured for me, so I'll wait until things calm down, or a vaccine, whichever comes first.
Oh...and be sure not to forget to smash the state.
-JM
PS: JR doesn't have dementia. He was off his many meds...he'd forget to take some at night, so he'd take them in the morning. Then he'd be all messed up. The doctor diagnosed this and assigned a health worker who puts the proper pills in cases for him, with the days and time labeled.
As you know, the coronavirus has wreaked havoc upon sports seasons, schools, events and life in general. After much consideration, I decided it would be best to cancel the 4th of July party this year. We're all (ahem) of a susceptible age, and the afflictions some of us have don't make the situation better. I don't want a hotspot in Grange Circle.
This would have been the 42nd annual, I believe. I'll miss all of you and the tradition we've kept for all these years. But as they say in baseball, "Wait'll next year!" I hope this finds everyone in good health. The Esquire opened the south patio last Fri., but they're taking reservations for 4 persons per table, 2 hour limit. Well, that's just a tad too structured for me, so I'll wait until things calm down, or a vaccine, whichever comes first.
Oh...and be sure not to forget to smash the state.
-JM
PS: JR doesn't have dementia. He was off his many meds...he'd forget to take some at night, so he'd take them in the morning. Then he'd be all messed up. The doctor diagnosed this and assigned a health worker who puts the proper pills in cases for him, with the days and time labeled.
Sunday, May 31, 2020
the weekend
Friday night after watching a movie, I was ready to go to bed, but I thought I'd tune into CNN to see what was going on in the world and there were riots in Minneapolis and Georgia so I stepped out onto the balcony to see what was going on here and holy shit.
The cops were being driven back south on State Street from Kinzie by the demonstrators. They weren't doing much damage at this point but they were all in the cops' faces. Very ugly.
Then some more came from the south crossing the State Street bridge. The cops eventually shoved them back on both fronts. I watched for about an hour and then I went to bed.
Saturday morning there was a little debris, but things were peaceful. I went out to get a sandwich and tuned into CNN where they were launching that stoopid rocket, and settled into my lazy boy for a nap, drifting off just after it had broken the surly bonds of Earth.
When I woke up they were talking about what was going on in Chicago, and I stepped out onto my balcony and holy shit again. What a mob. There was a group of them on Kinzie, in that plaza in front of the IBM building, and coming down Wacker and turning north on State Street. It was a huge confrontation on several shifting fronts. The rioters were uglier, more in the cops' face and throwing what mostly looked like water bottles.
Eventually they were driven back and I went back in and watched a movie. An hour and a half later I stepped back out and there were a couple cars on fire just south of State and Lake. The confrontation was even uglier. Eventually they were driven back and they raised the bridges to keep them away from their target which was Trump Tower and after that there wasn't much going on that I could see from the balcony, but I watched it on CNN, WGN and the local Fox affiliate until ten at which time it appeared to be mostly opportunistic looting. The bridges are still up Sunday afternoon and likely they won't go back down again until Monday morning.
From what I could see the protesters are about 80 percent between 20 and 30 and roughly half white and half black. I tried to look for antifa guys, people dressed in black (actually most all of them are dressed in black, being between 20 and 30 years old) and kind of organized but I didn't see many like that. Some of them seemed to be like peacemakers, sometimes forming a line between the more rabid demonstrators and the cops, and some of them were, well, rabid.
I didn't like these guys, but I felt uneasy about that, it seemed a little right wing. Didn't we demonstrate, or at any rate support the demonstrators, back in the days of the unpopular war and didn't that end it? I used to think that, but anymore I am not so sure . It helped elect Nixon and that guaranteed at leas four more years of the war.
Then my sister send me an email of her cat tearing up her rug and made a little joke about how the cat was doing it in sympathy with the demonstrators, and that struck me. Of course her cat was not doing anything to stop police brutality, but how did these demonstrators think that setting cop cars on fire and looting was doing anything to stop it?
Friday, May 29, 2020
A Glimmer of Hope
The latest in baseball news is that the player's union has set forth a proposal that the lowest paid players take the lowest cut in pay this season and the highest paid take the larger cut. If the owners agree, there is talk of Spring training resuming around June 10th with no fans, no spitting, no sunflower seeds and no showering in the locker rooms, and other restrictions. (If they included no grabbing your underwear from the front, I wouldn't be unhappy about that).
The players, of course, like to hear the cheers from the crowd. Would the announcers and photography crew be enough? Perhaps someone should start looking into developing interactive TV. The fans in their living rooms could choose cheer or boo and it would sound at the stadium.
I know that some (like Nancy) aren't fans of spring training, but hey, baseball is baseball!! I frankly love spring training. I get to see up and coming players. I was a great fan of Bote during his first spring training game.
Please, please you owner jerks, agree to this!
The players, of course, like to hear the cheers from the crowd. Would the announcers and photography crew be enough? Perhaps someone should start looking into developing interactive TV. The fans in their living rooms could choose cheer or boo and it would sound at the stadium.
I know that some (like Nancy) aren't fans of spring training, but hey, baseball is baseball!! I frankly love spring training. I get to see up and coming players. I was a great fan of Bote during his first spring training game.
Please, please you owner jerks, agree to this!
Monday, May 25, 2020
Memorial Day
On this day of the year, at this time of day, every day for the last some thirty years except the last one, we would all have risen, and have been wandering around the way of the recently risen, alighting at last at the round table of last night's merriment. The white coffee pot with the thingamajig on top which I never mastered completely would be making its first round around the round table.
It would be too early for the newspaper but somebody, usually me would have already made the walk to the end of the driveway to look up and down Salem Avenue just in case some miracle had occurred, which it never did. The conversation was always a little halted at first, how did you sleep, fine, how did you sleep, but eventually like a needle on a phonograph it found its groove. Muffins and blueberries would be issued by Nena and be eaten, then quiche and sometimes black-eyed peas. The newspaper would have arrived by then and be passed in pieces among the congregation, the Cubs/Cards box score from the day before, comics, the local news and the news of the nation, and what the hell, some arts and entertainment.
And maybe sometime after the quiche I would take a pee and coming back notice my stuff scattered around the sofa bed, and just you know, put it all together, do my best to make the bed back into a sofa, come back and join the conversation, but soon afterwards there would be a drift towards the car.
Dropping my bag into the trunk, that soft thud, it was just sad. Memorial Day was the beginning of summer, and the whole summer lay ahead. Well not quite the whole summer. It's like when the waitress, after a wait that always seems too long, sets down the pizza and you eagerly wolf down a slice or two and then you look down and there are still plenty of slices, but not as many as there had been before, and now you no longer have a whole pizza to eat. Just sad.
And then some food is pressed upon the guests and maybe a plant or two, and then the hugs, funny how they start randomly but as soon as it is clear what is going on everybody lines up so that everybody hugs everybody else and nobody is left unhugged by any other people. And then we are backing down the driveway, the driver is asking is it clear and the navigator is saying right after this red car, and then we are out in the street. The waving is a bit too much and, knowing that, people wave even more, making joke of it. And the last thing, just as we drive out of view, is Fred and Nena, just beginning to turn to walk back up the driveway.
Summertime has been a long time coming to the lake shore. For weeks the wind has been coming from the east and it has been colder by the lake. Not all that cold, but after maybe ten minutes you are heading back in from the balcony. Fucking wind.
But yesterday it went up to the mid 80s, and they are expected to last at least the week. Yesterday afternoon I was puttering around with my pots, chatting with my neighbors, filling the seed sock. It was so pleasant our there and then a quiver of excitement ran through me when I remembered that part of my summer morning routine is reading the newspaper and sipping coffee as the sun rises, and in the coming morning I could do just that.
And so I did, warm cat fur on my left hand, the finches flying in and stopping short seeing the balcony was occupied by one of those big apes with the gargantuan brains and his companion, a savage beast, and retreating to the railing on the next balcony over, eyeing that full sack of seed and tapping their birdie feet impatient for the intruders to leave so that they can gorge themselves on seed.
Much like Fred standing on the curb of Salem Avenue, tapping his toe, waiting for the paper, so he can gorge himself on the box score of the Cub victory of the day before.
It would be too early for the newspaper but somebody, usually me would have already made the walk to the end of the driveway to look up and down Salem Avenue just in case some miracle had occurred, which it never did. The conversation was always a little halted at first, how did you sleep, fine, how did you sleep, but eventually like a needle on a phonograph it found its groove. Muffins and blueberries would be issued by Nena and be eaten, then quiche and sometimes black-eyed peas. The newspaper would have arrived by then and be passed in pieces among the congregation, the Cubs/Cards box score from the day before, comics, the local news and the news of the nation, and what the hell, some arts and entertainment.
And maybe sometime after the quiche I would take a pee and coming back notice my stuff scattered around the sofa bed, and just you know, put it all together, do my best to make the bed back into a sofa, come back and join the conversation, but soon afterwards there would be a drift towards the car.
Dropping my bag into the trunk, that soft thud, it was just sad. Memorial Day was the beginning of summer, and the whole summer lay ahead. Well not quite the whole summer. It's like when the waitress, after a wait that always seems too long, sets down the pizza and you eagerly wolf down a slice or two and then you look down and there are still plenty of slices, but not as many as there had been before, and now you no longer have a whole pizza to eat. Just sad.
And then some food is pressed upon the guests and maybe a plant or two, and then the hugs, funny how they start randomly but as soon as it is clear what is going on everybody lines up so that everybody hugs everybody else and nobody is left unhugged by any other people. And then we are backing down the driveway, the driver is asking is it clear and the navigator is saying right after this red car, and then we are out in the street. The waving is a bit too much and, knowing that, people wave even more, making joke of it. And the last thing, just as we drive out of view, is Fred and Nena, just beginning to turn to walk back up the driveway.
Summertime has been a long time coming to the lake shore. For weeks the wind has been coming from the east and it has been colder by the lake. Not all that cold, but after maybe ten minutes you are heading back in from the balcony. Fucking wind.
But yesterday it went up to the mid 80s, and they are expected to last at least the week. Yesterday afternoon I was puttering around with my pots, chatting with my neighbors, filling the seed sock. It was so pleasant our there and then a quiver of excitement ran through me when I remembered that part of my summer morning routine is reading the newspaper and sipping coffee as the sun rises, and in the coming morning I could do just that.
And so I did, warm cat fur on my left hand, the finches flying in and stopping short seeing the balcony was occupied by one of those big apes with the gargantuan brains and his companion, a savage beast, and retreating to the railing on the next balcony over, eyeing that full sack of seed and tapping their birdie feet impatient for the intruders to leave so that they can gorge themselves on seed.
Much like Fred standing on the curb of Salem Avenue, tapping his toe, waiting for the paper, so he can gorge himself on the box score of the Cub victory of the day before.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Adventures in St. Louis
On Wednesday we ventured into the city for "stuff." Our first stop was Whole Foods, which, while not crowded, showed that most shoppers were being very careful. Nena saw only one woman without a mask, while I saw one man. There was also a station where masks and gloves were available for customers who wanted them. About a third of the customers were also wearing gloves (as were we). One thing that really struck me was seeing several people wearing masks and gloves while looking at cell phones and picking items off shelves; I soon figured out that they were employees selecting items for pickup/delivery. Also, every one of the help was wearing both gloves and mask. We got our stuff and left.
Our next stop was supposed to be Trader Joe's (off Eager Road, for Sadie's reference) and they had a line that stretched out the door all the way to the PetSmart next door. We decided that was too long to wait, so we went on to our next stop, Total Wine, as we were running low on such items. It wasn't crowded at all, but again, all the help were gloved and masked and the shopping carts were sanitized. We filled our cart and left, heading for another Trader Joe's off Manchester just outside of the beltway (Des Peres?). On the way we decided to have a Cafe Mocha from Panera's. Since all St. Louis restaurants are still closed for dine-in, we had to either a) order from our phones or b) get in the drive-up line. Ordering from the phone proved too complicated, so we got in the drive-up, ordered our drinks, and slowly snaked our way to the window. Again, all the help were gloved and masked. Took about 12-15 minutes.
On to Trader Joe's. (Traffic seemed about normal to me, by the way, which was navigable but busy.) There was a line there, too, but after I parked the car, Nena had been allowed towards the front of the line so we didn't have to wait long; the rule was one cart out, one cart in. Again, the carts were sanitized and all the help wore gloves and masks. Got our stuff and left.
Final stop was a small liquor store called Randall's, which is the only place I know to get Nena's favorite brand of red vermouth. It was not crowded at all, but once again, sanitized carts and glove/masked employees. I had been there before, and the man we dealt with was very knowledgeable about the stock, so he recommended a substitute for the brand we wanted, while I also picked up some beers I can't get out here in Bucolic Rolla.
On back to the homestead. Had to take Manchester/US 100, but it only adds about an extra 10 minutes to the trip from that point. Noticed both ways that there were a LOT of trucks on the highway. Ran into a jam-up on the Interstate due to an overturned semi, but shit happens, right?
All in all, a mostly productive but unnerving experience. We're staying put for a long while now.
Our next stop was supposed to be Trader Joe's (off Eager Road, for Sadie's reference) and they had a line that stretched out the door all the way to the PetSmart next door. We decided that was too long to wait, so we went on to our next stop, Total Wine, as we were running low on such items. It wasn't crowded at all, but again, all the help were gloved and masked and the shopping carts were sanitized. We filled our cart and left, heading for another Trader Joe's off Manchester just outside of the beltway (Des Peres?). On the way we decided to have a Cafe Mocha from Panera's. Since all St. Louis restaurants are still closed for dine-in, we had to either a) order from our phones or b) get in the drive-up line. Ordering from the phone proved too complicated, so we got in the drive-up, ordered our drinks, and slowly snaked our way to the window. Again, all the help were gloved and masked. Took about 12-15 minutes.
On to Trader Joe's. (Traffic seemed about normal to me, by the way, which was navigable but busy.) There was a line there, too, but after I parked the car, Nena had been allowed towards the front of the line so we didn't have to wait long; the rule was one cart out, one cart in. Again, the carts were sanitized and all the help wore gloves and masks. Got our stuff and left.
Final stop was a small liquor store called Randall's, which is the only place I know to get Nena's favorite brand of red vermouth. It was not crowded at all, but once again, sanitized carts and glove/masked employees. I had been there before, and the man we dealt with was very knowledgeable about the stock, so he recommended a substitute for the brand we wanted, while I also picked up some beers I can't get out here in Bucolic Rolla.
On back to the homestead. Had to take Manchester/US 100, but it only adds about an extra 10 minutes to the trip from that point. Noticed both ways that there were a LOT of trucks on the highway. Ran into a jam-up on the Interstate due to an overturned semi, but shit happens, right?
All in all, a mostly productive but unnerving experience. We're staying put for a long while now.
Baseball and all
Rather than attempt to respond to Turns and Nancy about the latest in baseball news, I just thought I would start a new post.
What I have read is this. Last month the owners agreed to pay each of its players on a game by game basis. Their salaries would coincide with what they are normally paid, just not by the year but by the game. I am unclear whether that agreement was based on how many actual games were played or how many would have been played. I think that 82 games was the agreed number. (Not sure if that was based on the previous Memorial Day weekend opening or the July fourth opening). The MLB already knew that there would not be fans in the stands.
Now the owners are reneging saying that because of the lack of fans and possibly fewer advertisers, the players should get half of that. MLBPL and player's agents are saying no way! They say the owners knew about the lack of fans when they agreed to the original pay plan and the owners are just being greedy.
If anyone thinks that these players are going to be in unemployment or food lines, think again. How much money do they have now? Enough to last a year? Probably. Do I think they should hold out? Yes! The owners have always been greedy bastards ever since owners began owning teams. Would I like to see baseball return? Yes, but not on just any terms. Am I, like KJ, irritated by the proposals to tweak the rules here and there for this season (should it begin)? No.
This is the very first time in the history of baseball that there has been absolutely no baseball! It is a damned shame, because it would certainly help everyone's mood if we could watch our teams play while we are mostly prevented from any socializing. I am not even tempted to watch Korean baseball on television with their cardboard fans. It's not the Cubs!
Turns, in order to answer your question about our county and that county to our west that has the Fort, I would have to get back into librarian mode and research the army's regulations during this time. Perhaps they are not allowed off base. I'll let you know later.
What I have read is this. Last month the owners agreed to pay each of its players on a game by game basis. Their salaries would coincide with what they are normally paid, just not by the year but by the game. I am unclear whether that agreement was based on how many actual games were played or how many would have been played. I think that 82 games was the agreed number. (Not sure if that was based on the previous Memorial Day weekend opening or the July fourth opening). The MLB already knew that there would not be fans in the stands.
Now the owners are reneging saying that because of the lack of fans and possibly fewer advertisers, the players should get half of that. MLBPL and player's agents are saying no way! They say the owners knew about the lack of fans when they agreed to the original pay plan and the owners are just being greedy.
If anyone thinks that these players are going to be in unemployment or food lines, think again. How much money do they have now? Enough to last a year? Probably. Do I think they should hold out? Yes! The owners have always been greedy bastards ever since owners began owning teams. Would I like to see baseball return? Yes, but not on just any terms. Am I, like KJ, irritated by the proposals to tweak the rules here and there for this season (should it begin)? No.
This is the very first time in the history of baseball that there has been absolutely no baseball! It is a damned shame, because it would certainly help everyone's mood if we could watch our teams play while we are mostly prevented from any socializing. I am not even tempted to watch Korean baseball on television with their cardboard fans. It's not the Cubs!
Turns, in order to answer your question about our county and that county to our west that has the Fort, I would have to get back into librarian mode and research the army's regulations during this time. Perhaps they are not allowed off base. I'll let you know later.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
corona corona
I got birds that whistle. I got birds that sing.
If the National League takes the DH it won't mean a thing.
the designated hitter rule
Illinois had six straight days of dropping corona deaths. I guess it's like the stock market where they warn you to not watch it every day because it will drive you mad, but I have to have something to feel like I have an indication of where the bus is going, And the route just became bumpier when we hit a record high today. Mid June at the earliest.
It's getting to me. So much of my life seems pointless without other people. Why do this? Why do that? Why bother? I still keep up with the painting and when it is going well that gives me a couple hours of pleasure, other than that I am pretty much killing time until supper and after when I do my crossword and watch five or six episodes of Veep, so cynical, so filthy, good entertainment for our time under the corona.
There is no end in sight and there is the possibility that we may not even get through this alive, and afterwards who knows what is to come.
So it's kind of surprising that I got so upset by reading about the proposal to have kind of a silly season of baseball beginning around the Fourth of July, I think it will be something like each team plays only members of its own division to avoid travel, what the hell, I can live with that, just for the chance of seeing Javy do one of those tricky tags, or hallelujah stealing home. But the thing that sticks in my craw is that the plan is for the National League, the senior circuit, the rock of ages, to adopt the designated hitter rule. Just for this silly season they say, but you know how those things go.
They don't explain why the DH is part of the plan, maybe Umpire Jim or one of wagoneers could explain it to me. My guess is that the ballplayers like it because it provides employment for more players and they want to sweeten it for the players who will likely be sequestered which will cut into their catting around.
It's getting to me. So much of my life seems pointless without other people. Why do this? Why do that? Why bother? I still keep up with the painting and when it is going well that gives me a couple hours of pleasure, other than that I am pretty much killing time until supper and after when I do my crossword and watch five or six episodes of Veep, so cynical, so filthy, good entertainment for our time under the corona.
There is no end in sight and there is the possibility that we may not even get through this alive, and afterwards who knows what is to come.
So it's kind of surprising that I got so upset by reading about the proposal to have kind of a silly season of baseball beginning around the Fourth of July, I think it will be something like each team plays only members of its own division to avoid travel, what the hell, I can live with that, just for the chance of seeing Javy do one of those tricky tags, or hallelujah stealing home. But the thing that sticks in my craw is that the plan is for the National League, the senior circuit, the rock of ages, to adopt the designated hitter rule. Just for this silly season they say, but you know how those things go.
They don't explain why the DH is part of the plan, maybe Umpire Jim or one of wagoneers could explain it to me. My guess is that the ballplayers like it because it provides employment for more players and they want to sweeten it for the players who will likely be sequestered which will cut into their catting around.
Monday, May 11, 2020
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Check in Periodically
Haven't heard a peep out of most of you. It would be nice to know that you are all well despite confinement.
We had an unusual cold snap last night. Predictions of a frost. So I brought in every vegetable that has been waiting patiently for the weather to clear up enough for Fred to till and plant. Also, brought in a few other plants that I did not think would enjoy temperatures in the thirties, frost or not. Now my kitchen counters look like a plant farm. I don't think that it actually got that cold last night, but I wasn't up this morning until 8AM.
Flower beds are really beginning to look great. I have two students from Ghana who come for six hours a week and are going at the weeds and volunteer trees and bushes with vigor! Fred is delighted not to hear me say that I tried but can't dig up that clump of junk daylillies or a wild honeysuckle bush. I just ask Daniel to do it and whoosh, it's gone! Next week is finals week and those two would like to get more hours if possible after that.
We have our Rolla friends on e-mail now. We take turns writing little poetry vignettes about each other and what we are or imagine others are doing these days. As always, Fred does not contribute. He brewed a batch of IPA on Wednesday and Ron came by to watch and talk (at a safe distance, of course).
So, how are you guys doing? Nancy, Turns, Sadie, Uncle Ken?? Our pub has re-opened with restrictions. We are not risking it yet. Even Fred says he doesn't want to try yet. We have Cubs masks! Everyone is supposed to wear a mask in public, although Fred is going on Tuesday to have his beard trimmed and that would mean no mask, of course.
Hey! Keep in touch!
We had an unusual cold snap last night. Predictions of a frost. So I brought in every vegetable that has been waiting patiently for the weather to clear up enough for Fred to till and plant. Also, brought in a few other plants that I did not think would enjoy temperatures in the thirties, frost or not. Now my kitchen counters look like a plant farm. I don't think that it actually got that cold last night, but I wasn't up this morning until 8AM.
Flower beds are really beginning to look great. I have two students from Ghana who come for six hours a week and are going at the weeds and volunteer trees and bushes with vigor! Fred is delighted not to hear me say that I tried but can't dig up that clump of junk daylillies or a wild honeysuckle bush. I just ask Daniel to do it and whoosh, it's gone! Next week is finals week and those two would like to get more hours if possible after that.
We have our Rolla friends on e-mail now. We take turns writing little poetry vignettes about each other and what we are or imagine others are doing these days. As always, Fred does not contribute. He brewed a batch of IPA on Wednesday and Ron came by to watch and talk (at a safe distance, of course).
So, how are you guys doing? Nancy, Turns, Sadie, Uncle Ken?? Our pub has re-opened with restrictions. We are not risking it yet. Even Fred says he doesn't want to try yet. We have Cubs masks! Everyone is supposed to wear a mask in public, although Fred is going on Tuesday to have his beard trimmed and that would mean no mask, of course.
Hey! Keep in touch!
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Seems like Almost a Year
We got back from Texas on March 13. Friday the 13th. Black and Gloomy Friday the Thirteenth! Most of our friends were already sequestered at home and the pub closed the following Friday. After we got home, Fred risked a solo trip to shop in St. Louis, despite severe chastising from me.
Since then, we stay pretty close to home.
OK, so it is only May 5th! Considering making burritos tonight. Cinco de Mayo, you know. It hasn't been two months, but wow! I thought time was supposed to fly as we age. Time has slowed down to a snail's pace. Feels like almost a year since we were in Texas. My spring trip with my brother, who lives in Oregon, has been indefinitely postponed. He wants us to make a gruesome cemetery trip to visit Grandmother and Grandfather, Mother and biological Father's graves. Kansas City, Savannah Georgia, and Arlington. Quite a road trip. I had agreed. Lots of stuff to do and see in Kansas City, Savannah is beautiful in the spring, think of all those museums on the mall in D.C.!
Our Memorial Day extravaganza had been cancelled (have to wait and see for Labor Day one). Trip early summer on the bourbon trail....gone!
Plus, such essentials like my dentist appointment end of March postponed until end of June. Second hip replacement on hold. Mammogram postponed. Maybe I might be a bit glad about those three (may regret it).
Nevertheless, we are healthy, as sane as we ever were, and alive.
Since then, we stay pretty close to home.
OK, so it is only May 5th! Considering making burritos tonight. Cinco de Mayo, you know. It hasn't been two months, but wow! I thought time was supposed to fly as we age. Time has slowed down to a snail's pace. Feels like almost a year since we were in Texas. My spring trip with my brother, who lives in Oregon, has been indefinitely postponed. He wants us to make a gruesome cemetery trip to visit Grandmother and Grandfather, Mother and biological Father's graves. Kansas City, Savannah Georgia, and Arlington. Quite a road trip. I had agreed. Lots of stuff to do and see in Kansas City, Savannah is beautiful in the spring, think of all those museums on the mall in D.C.!
Our Memorial Day extravaganza had been cancelled (have to wait and see for Labor Day one). Trip early summer on the bourbon trail....gone!
Plus, such essentials like my dentist appointment end of March postponed until end of June. Second hip replacement on hold. Mammogram postponed. Maybe I might be a bit glad about those three (may regret it).
Nevertheless, we are healthy, as sane as we ever were, and alive.
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Trump Vanity Letter
So, did everybody get the Trump vanity letter with the IRS return address regarding the stimulus payment? I was out on the deck, reading, when I hear Larry getting the mail and he says 'We got something from the IRS'. Now, I am no more scared of the IRS than your average American citizen. Our taxes aren't as straightforward as they could be, plus I have to file each year for my parents' estate (long story), but there aren't any current issues, at least none that I know of. Still, nobody likes to get something from the IRS, am I right? So, I open it and there is this letter, filled with his usual self-congratulatory nonsense, paid for by our tax dollars. What does it cost the government to send out something like that to millions of people? I just read a story about it in the Washington Post and apparently I wasn't the only one upset about it. I guess the law did specify the letter had to go out but leave it to the moron in the White House to make it all about him. Plus, there is a number you can call if you didn't get your payment or have questions, but it just gets you to an automated system that tells you to go to IRS.gov. Yeah, good luck that that!
Liddia Stevens
Not sure how many of you knew her, but she died yesterday morning suffering from Covid-19. I know this isn't about baseball, but certainly is CU Covid related. She was a wonderful artist and a good friend to all of us. Last seen at one of John"s Fourth of July parties.
She will be missed.
She will be missed.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Yu Darvish
The busses and the trains still run their weekday schedules. Sometimes just to get out, just to go somewhere when there is nowhere to go, I ride the train to the end of the line and then get on a train going back downtown. Before the corona riding the train was kind of a hustle and bustle thing, a car full of people getting on and off, likely I couldn't get a window seat, and I didn't pay that much attention to the city gliding by outside the window.
Now there is no problem getting a window seat, Sometimes I am the only person and at its most crowded there are maybe half a dozen, scattered throughout the car per the new rules. The city slides by in near silent splendor. But a little boring sometimes so I bring along an old paperback.
I had a my nose deep in one yesterday when I happened to look up, somewhere near Addison and there, affixed to a brick wall, was a big poster for Marquee, the brand spanking new Cubs network. It carries all the Cub games and if you want to see them you have to pay a pretty penny into the gaping maw of the Trumpist owners of the team, and even if you don't, such is the way of cable tv, you have to pay anyway. The owners were planning on making a killing. I don't know the details of the contracts but I hope they are taking a huge loss, Behind the big Marquee logo there was a Cub hurler, and squinting my eyes I could see that it was Yu Darvish. He had that a huge contract in 2018 and he had been a bust, but towards the end of the 2019 he had gotten way better and a month and a half ago Cub tongues were wagging, would he be this year's ace? Not anymore of course.
The book I had taken my nose out of was Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, written 44 years ago by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Vietnam. Forty some years in the past and yet the very mention of it takes you right back. The issue of our generation. Kind of thought we had won that one, but twenty-five years later we were back at the same old shit in the mideast this time. A little different, a lot more distant for us, nobody wanted us to fight it, and hardly anybody we knew was going over there, and the press was kept at an arm's length and compared to the mess of Vietnam it was way more muddled and it was still stumbling along when our great hope Obama took the stage and we thought the forces of enlightenment had won, but that never happened, and then Trump, and right on his heels, the way they shoot off everything at the end of the fireworks show, the corona.
Before I was reading LBJ and the American Dream I was reading The Universal Baseball Association by Robert Coover from 1968. Briefly the guy is some kind of accountant and his life is falling apart around him, but all he cares about is this baseball game he invented ruled by the roll of dice.
Somewhere Yu Darvish is putting on his mask to go for a toilet paper hunt. On the way out the door he passes the coffee table with the ball nestled in the pocket of the glove. He moves on.
Now there is no problem getting a window seat, Sometimes I am the only person and at its most crowded there are maybe half a dozen, scattered throughout the car per the new rules. The city slides by in near silent splendor. But a little boring sometimes so I bring along an old paperback.
I had a my nose deep in one yesterday when I happened to look up, somewhere near Addison and there, affixed to a brick wall, was a big poster for Marquee, the brand spanking new Cubs network. It carries all the Cub games and if you want to see them you have to pay a pretty penny into the gaping maw of the Trumpist owners of the team, and even if you don't, such is the way of cable tv, you have to pay anyway. The owners were planning on making a killing. I don't know the details of the contracts but I hope they are taking a huge loss, Behind the big Marquee logo there was a Cub hurler, and squinting my eyes I could see that it was Yu Darvish. He had that a huge contract in 2018 and he had been a bust, but towards the end of the 2019 he had gotten way better and a month and a half ago Cub tongues were wagging, would he be this year's ace? Not anymore of course.
The book I had taken my nose out of was Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, written 44 years ago by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Vietnam. Forty some years in the past and yet the very mention of it takes you right back. The issue of our generation. Kind of thought we had won that one, but twenty-five years later we were back at the same old shit in the mideast this time. A little different, a lot more distant for us, nobody wanted us to fight it, and hardly anybody we knew was going over there, and the press was kept at an arm's length and compared to the mess of Vietnam it was way more muddled and it was still stumbling along when our great hope Obama took the stage and we thought the forces of enlightenment had won, but that never happened, and then Trump, and right on his heels, the way they shoot off everything at the end of the fireworks show, the corona.
Before I was reading LBJ and the American Dream I was reading The Universal Baseball Association by Robert Coover from 1968. Briefly the guy is some kind of accountant and his life is falling apart around him, but all he cares about is this baseball game he invented ruled by the roll of dice.
Somewhere Yu Darvish is putting on his mask to go for a toilet paper hunt. On the way out the door he passes the coffee table with the ball nestled in the pocket of the glove. He moves on.
Monday, April 20, 2020
long ago adventure in cat ownership
Way back when, around the middle of feb, I noticed that Buddy had not had a movement for a couple of days, nor the day after, nor after that.
I got him and his sister about ten years ago from anti cruelty when they were about five years old they had a mandatory visit to the vet and then I took them the next year as suggested, and each time it cost me a fortune (dental work) and I was thinking house cats who never go outside except onto a self-contained balcony, prolly the healthiest animals in the universe. I've never had a one that didn't live to around twenty.
So they haven't been to the vet in awhile, but constipation, nothing to sneeze at, and the guy is a bit obese
and that worries me a bit. So I made the appointment and the two of us cabbed there, which displeased the fellow very much. He wouldn't be coaxed out of his carrier and he has a very mean left and right pawful of claws. The doc suggested we take the top off the carrier, but it was an old one and it was rusted shut. They gave me a new one and suggested I bring him back in that one which I did and the doc got access to his ampleness, and poked a little and did one of those blood tests and he was just fine.
For constipation they suggested an over the counter laxative and he was pooping like a champ. Probably if I had just waited and added more metamucil to his food I could have avoided the $450 bill, but now I know that he is fine and I guess that was worth it. It's like when you bring something up to the human doc and that costs some bucks and it turns out that nothing was really wrong and you're thinking damn, that was money wasted. But on the other hand would you have been happier to find out that you had cancer?
They also prescribed some medicine for his joints and that ran out in the Current Era and to get more I had to pay online then go to the office and call them outside it and somebody came out and handed it to me and there was no chit chat.
Ah they are a great comfort to me in these times and they appreciate it. Your cats may ignore you sometimes but they are always glad to have you around in case you need something.
Sixth Monday. Outside of clerks at Walgreens, Target, and Jewel, I don't think I've talked to another soul face to face.
I got him and his sister about ten years ago from anti cruelty when they were about five years old they had a mandatory visit to the vet and then I took them the next year as suggested, and each time it cost me a fortune (dental work) and I was thinking house cats who never go outside except onto a self-contained balcony, prolly the healthiest animals in the universe. I've never had a one that didn't live to around twenty.
So they haven't been to the vet in awhile, but constipation, nothing to sneeze at, and the guy is a bit obese
and that worries me a bit. So I made the appointment and the two of us cabbed there, which displeased the fellow very much. He wouldn't be coaxed out of his carrier and he has a very mean left and right pawful of claws. The doc suggested we take the top off the carrier, but it was an old one and it was rusted shut. They gave me a new one and suggested I bring him back in that one which I did and the doc got access to his ampleness, and poked a little and did one of those blood tests and he was just fine.
For constipation they suggested an over the counter laxative and he was pooping like a champ. Probably if I had just waited and added more metamucil to his food I could have avoided the $450 bill, but now I know that he is fine and I guess that was worth it. It's like when you bring something up to the human doc and that costs some bucks and it turns out that nothing was really wrong and you're thinking damn, that was money wasted. But on the other hand would you have been happier to find out that you had cancer?
They also prescribed some medicine for his joints and that ran out in the Current Era and to get more I had to pay online then go to the office and call them outside it and somebody came out and handed it to me and there was no chit chat.
Ah they are a great comfort to me in these times and they appreciate it. Your cats may ignore you sometimes but they are always glad to have you around in case you need something.
Sixth Monday. Outside of clerks at Walgreens, Target, and Jewel, I don't think I've talked to another soul face to face.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Adventures in Dog Ownership
Larry and I had to rush Rocket to the emergency vet this morning. He
had grabbed a pair of my rolled up socks and was playing with them,
chewing on them and shaking them. Absolutely would not give them up.
Usually, he can be bribed, so I went into the kitchen to get a Milk
Bone, which worked, but there was only one sock! I looked all around
(we have a small living room) and no sock! So, I called the emergency
vet who said to bring him in, woke Larry up and off we went. Of
course, we are all under a shelter in place, so we had to wait out in
the car for a phone call while the vet tech came out and took him in to
see the vet. They induced vomiting, but no sock! We conferred with the
vet and decided to do an x-ray to see if they can spot anything in his
stomach ("Are you SURE that he swallowed the sock?", she asked). While
waiting, we decided to run home and search for the sock. Miraculously, Larry found it!
Somehow it had gotten behind an end table. I have no idea how it got
back there. I probably wouldn't have found it until I pulled out the
table to vacuum (we won't talk about how long it will actually be until
that happens😀). So, $540 later, all is well that ends well. Time for my nap!
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Mid-April response
OK, so I posted a while ago and it wouldn't publish it. Anywho, we - like everyone else - are mostly stuck in the house. I run errands a couple of times a week, but that's it.
When the grocery store panic started, I bought a bag of red potatoes (couldn't get gold ones) and didn't put them in the refrigerator. So naturally, they sprouted, and we had to use them up quickly. Nena made potato soup with some of them (helped by some leftover smoked pork tenderloin we had in the freezer) and it was delicious! She then made Oh-Boy-Mom's potato salad with the rest of them! Chicken thighs on the grill tonight to go with that.
We are interviewing some students to help out with the weeding and other gardening chores this summer; I think they're going to work out just fine.
When the grocery store panic started, I bought a bag of red potatoes (couldn't get gold ones) and didn't put them in the refrigerator. So naturally, they sprouted, and we had to use them up quickly. Nena made potato soup with some of them (helped by some leftover smoked pork tenderloin we had in the freezer) and it was delicious! She then made Oh-Boy-Mom's potato salad with the rest of them! Chicken thighs on the grill tonight to go with that.
We are interviewing some students to help out with the weeding and other gardening chores this summer; I think they're going to work out just fine.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Mid-April
It seems as if this blog thing hasn't been too much of a hit lately. Fred says he would just like to see the posts in his e-mail. On the other hand, although he is on that computer almost all day every day, when I ask if he has read his e-mail, he says "in a minute".
I think tonight might be the last freeze of the year. Pretty late this year. Nevertheless, blue bells are blooming, peonies are up and the hosta are starting. Daffodils about gone, but iris are about to bloom.
I have two students helping with the weeding and will have more for the summer. We are distancing. They take pictures of plants they are not sure whether to weed or not and text the picture to me. Weed or not?
Fred says he will till the vegetable garden mid-May. Meanwhile, I anxiously await weather suitable for all these starter veggies to get put onto the porch. I have already repotted a lot of them. They are lining my kitchen counter and the counter over the wine rack. My parsley has come back outside and that cilantro someone gave me last year decided to try another round (sorry, I can't stand cilantro).
You all get that check signed by the King yet? Some of ours is going to the house that keeps battered women away from their husbands. Seems to be overflowing these days. Some to the woman running against McConnell in Kentucky and maybe the rest to the Natural Resources Defense Council which is fighting all of this deregulation in the courts.
I do think this virus is something that will keep us apart for this year. Hope next year will be better with a proper president in place and travel restrictions lifted. Meanwhile, keep safe.
I think tonight might be the last freeze of the year. Pretty late this year. Nevertheless, blue bells are blooming, peonies are up and the hosta are starting. Daffodils about gone, but iris are about to bloom.
I have two students helping with the weeding and will have more for the summer. We are distancing. They take pictures of plants they are not sure whether to weed or not and text the picture to me. Weed or not?
Fred says he will till the vegetable garden mid-May. Meanwhile, I anxiously await weather suitable for all these starter veggies to get put onto the porch. I have already repotted a lot of them. They are lining my kitchen counter and the counter over the wine rack. My parsley has come back outside and that cilantro someone gave me last year decided to try another round (sorry, I can't stand cilantro).
You all get that check signed by the King yet? Some of ours is going to the house that keeps battered women away from their husbands. Seems to be overflowing these days. Some to the woman running against McConnell in Kentucky and maybe the rest to the Natural Resources Defense Council which is fighting all of this deregulation in the courts.
I do think this virus is something that will keep us apart for this year. Hope next year will be better with a proper president in place and travel restrictions lifted. Meanwhile, keep safe.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Easter come and gone
It's been a week since I last posted, nothing much has changed with me, nor I expect with my fellow expats. I think we had one nice day but it was snowing this morning.
Good Friday I had a meeting with that friend of mine I used to see every other week at the Corner Bakery but a couple weeks ago the only place where you could sit inside was Union Station, and last Friday we were going to walk around in his neighborhood. We met at an el stop and got on a bus. I offered him an extra mask, but he said he had his own, but then he wouldn't put it on. I didn't mind so much when we were outside in the cool breeze waiting for the bus, but when we were on it in that stagnant air he still didn't put it on. Put it on I said, and he said well he wasn't facing me when he was talking. We were sitting together in one of those side seats facing parallel, and that wasn't good enough for me. I'm getting more and more stringent as this thing goes on. I'm not going to quarantine myself for five weeks and then catch it because somebody is uncomfortable wearing a mask.
I got off the bus and caught a train back downtown and rode the Orange Line, the one that goes out to Midway passing within a mile and a half of the bungalow where I grew up, to the end of the line and back. It was chilly but it was one of those super clear days, actually days are much clearer under the corona. and the city looked just beautiful in an eerie ascetic way. I was the only one in my car on the way out, and on the way back there were maybe five, still plenty of room between us all.
I have a niece in El Sobronte and together with her and her hubby and my nephew who lives downtown and my sister who lives on the north shore we had a duo Easter, Kind of a skype like thing, where you can see everybody's face on your phone. A lot of people think these things are the berries but I thought it was kind of stoopid, but you know I am kind of a grumpy old man.
Tuesday I went out and got more finch food and now my balcony is alive with the sound of the finches, two couples, Lucy and Desi, and Fred and Ethel, It's not a bird paradise like Fred and Nena have in their bosky dell, but it is pretty good for a downtown tower. Here they are and here is Sweetie looking out unfazed at them. Can you see the tiger?
RIP Beckert and Frey and it seems like there was another Cub that bit the dust lately too, but I can't remember who. Had a bit of nostalgia reading about the Cubs of the Beckert period. Getting to the bigs in those days was like working for General Motors, you found a spot like second base on a team like the Cubs and that's where you spent your career, you know, sort of like third base on the Leather Shop. It was much easier for the fans. Is it that much of an improvement that now the players are all filthy rich and Republicans. I'm not one of those old grumps that go on and on about how much money the ballplayers make, but I would make them run as fast as their billion dollar legs could carry them to first base every single time, every single fucking time, they made contact with the ball or else they could spend the rest of the season using their billion dollar arms to toss peanuts in the stands.
Am I right? Am I right??? You know Goddamn well I am.
Madden just popped into my mind. It would have been interesting to see how he was doing in Florida was it?
I was reading a column in the Trib today and one of the columnists happened to mention the Universal Baseball Association Inc, (Coover). Wow that took me back. Does anybody else remember it? Discovered it is still in my bookcase though the pages fell out like Autumn leaves, and I think I will take it for a spin this long afternoon to the sound of birdsong.
How was everybody else's holy week?
Good Friday I had a meeting with that friend of mine I used to see every other week at the Corner Bakery but a couple weeks ago the only place where you could sit inside was Union Station, and last Friday we were going to walk around in his neighborhood. We met at an el stop and got on a bus. I offered him an extra mask, but he said he had his own, but then he wouldn't put it on. I didn't mind so much when we were outside in the cool breeze waiting for the bus, but when we were on it in that stagnant air he still didn't put it on. Put it on I said, and he said well he wasn't facing me when he was talking. We were sitting together in one of those side seats facing parallel, and that wasn't good enough for me. I'm getting more and more stringent as this thing goes on. I'm not going to quarantine myself for five weeks and then catch it because somebody is uncomfortable wearing a mask.
I got off the bus and caught a train back downtown and rode the Orange Line, the one that goes out to Midway passing within a mile and a half of the bungalow where I grew up, to the end of the line and back. It was chilly but it was one of those super clear days, actually days are much clearer under the corona. and the city looked just beautiful in an eerie ascetic way. I was the only one in my car on the way out, and on the way back there were maybe five, still plenty of room between us all.
I have a niece in El Sobronte and together with her and her hubby and my nephew who lives downtown and my sister who lives on the north shore we had a duo Easter, Kind of a skype like thing, where you can see everybody's face on your phone. A lot of people think these things are the berries but I thought it was kind of stoopid, but you know I am kind of a grumpy old man.
Tuesday I went out and got more finch food and now my balcony is alive with the sound of the finches, two couples, Lucy and Desi, and Fred and Ethel, It's not a bird paradise like Fred and Nena have in their bosky dell, but it is pretty good for a downtown tower. Here they are and here is Sweetie looking out unfazed at them. Can you see the tiger?
Am I right? Am I right??? You know Goddamn well I am.
Madden just popped into my mind. It would have been interesting to see how he was doing in Florida was it?
I was reading a column in the Trib today and one of the columnists happened to mention the Universal Baseball Association Inc, (Coover). Wow that took me back. Does anybody else remember it? Discovered it is still in my bookcase though the pages fell out like Autumn leaves, and I think I will take it for a spin this long afternoon to the sound of birdsong.
How was everybody else's holy week?
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Lonely baseball in the desert.
I've commented before about how sportswriters are desperate for anything at all to write about, and maybe this is just an outgrowth of that, but there were two articles in the Tribune about an idea that has been percolating, which is to play the beginning of and maybe all of the season in Arizona in the spring training ballfields there. Too big objections are that it it is too fucking hot, and that the teams would have to be sequestered in local hotels for like five months. The latter seems the worse because, well guys just want to have fun. And if they do this how much would the players get paid, which brings up the question are they getting paid now?
Anyway, if they do that, I know it would not be like regular baseball, but I'm pretty sure I would watch it.
Downtown streets are full of panhandlers, but anymore there aren't many pans to handle. I carry a pocketful of change and hand out like fifty cents to the ones I pass. I think there is some program to house them in empty hotels because otherwise most of them are going to die.
And I know this is not so big a deal but I have to tell you that I wonder about pigeons. How are they getting by? Which reminds me I need to get out and feed my finches.
Anyway, if they do that, I know it would not be like regular baseball, but I'm pretty sure I would watch it.
Downtown streets are full of panhandlers, but anymore there aren't many pans to handle. I carry a pocketful of change and hand out like fifty cents to the ones I pass. I think there is some program to house them in empty hotels because otherwise most of them are going to die.
And I know this is not so big a deal but I have to tell you that I wonder about pigeons. How are they getting by? Which reminds me I need to get out and feed my finches.
Hope This is Worth the Lack of Sleep
For years I managed to awaken between 5 and 5:30 in the morning so that I could get myself to work by 7:30 or 8:00. For me, that was about 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night which seemed to be all I needed until the year before I retired. That year, I got a really bad case of the shingles. The stress of working under an incompetent, lying coward was too much for me. After that I absolutely needed 8 or 9 hours of sleep a night.
After retirement, it took awhile to start sleeping later than 5 in the morning. Now I have gone back to my normal. I am more of a night owl and go to bed between 11 and 12 and am up around 8 or 9 in the morning.
So, what has happened and why am I up this morning at the ungodly hour of 5:00 again? Senior hours in the grocery store are between 6 and 8 and we are getting dangerously low on paper towels and disinfectant wipes. I have been told that the stores have reduced hours to clean and restock, so the chances of there being these objects might be greater as they open their doors.
Please! This had better be worth it. I will got to at least two stores so I don't have to do this again for awhile.
The weather was better than 70 here. We hit 81 yesterday. Downright Hot! Should be the same today, but back in the 60's tomorrow. My two young lady gardeners were weeding on Saturday in their woolen caps and winter coats. Yesterday, they were in shorts. Ah, Spring!
Nice pictures Sadie, KJ and Nancy!
After retirement, it took awhile to start sleeping later than 5 in the morning. Now I have gone back to my normal. I am more of a night owl and go to bed between 11 and 12 and am up around 8 or 9 in the morning.
So, what has happened and why am I up this morning at the ungodly hour of 5:00 again? Senior hours in the grocery store are between 6 and 8 and we are getting dangerously low on paper towels and disinfectant wipes. I have been told that the stores have reduced hours to clean and restock, so the chances of there being these objects might be greater as they open their doors.
Please! This had better be worth it. I will got to at least two stores so I don't have to do this again for awhile.
The weather was better than 70 here. We hit 81 yesterday. Downright Hot! Should be the same today, but back in the 60's tomorrow. My two young lady gardeners were weeding on Saturday in their woolen caps and winter coats. Yesterday, they were in shorts. Ah, Spring!
Nice pictures Sadie, KJ and Nancy!
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Seventy degrees!
I'm sure you all remember this fellow. Saw him on the bridge coming back from my walk early this afternoon. His vision is completely (ot slmost completely gone now, and I thought maybe he was unaware that the tour boats are no longer going up and down the river so I paused to tell him that, but it turned out that he had and he was just trolling the bridge for people to hit with puns and he hit me up with three of them justlikethat before I could even say oh. And by the way orange you glad that I posted his photo.
Our first seventy degree day and I couldn't wait to get out in my t-shirt and shorts. and of course my mask. These things are not going to be so much fun when things get hot and sweaty, but it was okay today, but I was missing something, and then I realized it was fresh air. I pulled it down when there was nobody near me and pulled it back up when others neared, and I soon realized they were doing the same. It was kind of like the 50s where people driving the same sports car waved at each other as they passed, or so I heard in Playboy, I mean or so I heard that they said in Playboy.
My sister goes to those early bird hours at the supermarket and they are crowded. Myself I go noonish and it's not bad. We had a big campaign to get rid of plastic bags and started charging seven cents each. To avoid paying that outrageous fee most people got into carrying their NPR tote bag to the store, but now I've heard they don't like dealing with our germ-laden bag so now I buy their bags.
Nice photo Sadie, of that very nice park that I remember so well (I once told young Jim that there were bears in there, but I think Gumbah set him straight).
Shelter in Place - Adventures in Shopping under the New Normal
So, on Friday it sounded like the CDC was going to suggest everyone wear a mask when venturing out in public. I thought I would make myself one, since I had to go out to the stores the next day. I had the brilliant idea of cutting up an old, cotton nightgown that had thin straps ('perfect to use as ties', I thought), so for about an hour I cut and hand sewed (no sewing machine) something that does resemble a mask and actually works, but it was uncomfortable, too lumpy, and fogged up my glasses when I wore it.
Got up at 7:30 AM on Saturday with the goal of getting out of the house around 8:00, which is when Target opens. Since the shelter in place started, I have gotten into the habit of going to two, and sometimes three, stores on Saturday morning. I used to go to one store at 4:00 in the afternoon, but the late bird gets no worms in this brave new world. Tried on the mask again, said 'nah' and dug up an old bandana that worked pretty well, except the knot would come loose and I had to keep re-tying it. A work in progress.
Headed for Target and got there around 8:05. There was a line of about 50 people out front, standing in a gentle misty rain, six feet apart, waiting to be let into the store in small groups. I'd say it was about 60/40 masks/no masks. I joined the line. People kept coming out of the store carrying large packages of Scott's toilet paper, so I was hopeful of scoring some. I guess this is how addicts feel. By the time I got in, all that was left was some off brand I had never heard of, but I grabbed it and felt like I had won the lottery. Another success - they had a good supply of Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup, which Larry likes to eat for lunch. The last time I was in Safeway, they didn't have a single can of Chunky Soup of any kind - not one. So, I bought eight at Target, which is the limit, paid and headed to my next stop, Safeway.
There, I was greeted by an employee who pointed me towards the carts which had been wiped down with sanitizer. Only one entry/exit was open to make sure people only used those carts. She also asked us to wait until the checker gave the okay to put our groceries on the conveyor belt at checkout. There is a plexiglass shield up between the customer and the checker and we are asked to avoid contact if possible. I had heard that they were going to have one way aisles, but that hadn't happened yet, so we will see next week.
I am so used to seeing empty toilet paper and paper towel shelves that I don't even think about it now. This is the new normal. They also were practically out of dishwasher and dish detergent, as well as eggs, which is ironic since Petaluma was once the self-proclaimed 'egg capital of the world'. It reminds me of what they used to tell us about life in the old USSR. Word would go out that a shop had shoes or meat, and everyone would rush to line up to get it while it lasted. There were plenty of times in my life when I didn't have the money for everything I wanted, but I don't remember a time like this even through fire, flood and earthquakes.
Of course, this is really just an inconvenience. There are no real shortages, just people behaving badly and buying more than they need. The folks working in the grocery stores are literally risking their lives to keep the shelves stocked, and I am grateful to be healthy and able to go to the store.
So, on Friday it sounded like the CDC was going to suggest everyone wear a mask when venturing out in public. I thought I would make myself one, since I had to go out to the stores the next day. I had the brilliant idea of cutting up an old, cotton nightgown that had thin straps ('perfect to use as ties', I thought), so for about an hour I cut and hand sewed (no sewing machine) something that does resemble a mask and actually works, but it was uncomfortable, too lumpy, and fogged up my glasses when I wore it.
Got up at 7:30 AM on Saturday with the goal of getting out of the house around 8:00, which is when Target opens. Since the shelter in place started, I have gotten into the habit of going to two, and sometimes three, stores on Saturday morning. I used to go to one store at 4:00 in the afternoon, but the late bird gets no worms in this brave new world. Tried on the mask again, said 'nah' and dug up an old bandana that worked pretty well, except the knot would come loose and I had to keep re-tying it. A work in progress.
Headed for Target and got there around 8:05. There was a line of about 50 people out front, standing in a gentle misty rain, six feet apart, waiting to be let into the store in small groups. I'd say it was about 60/40 masks/no masks. I joined the line. People kept coming out of the store carrying large packages of Scott's toilet paper, so I was hopeful of scoring some. I guess this is how addicts feel. By the time I got in, all that was left was some off brand I had never heard of, but I grabbed it and felt like I had won the lottery. Another success - they had a good supply of Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup, which Larry likes to eat for lunch. The last time I was in Safeway, they didn't have a single can of Chunky Soup of any kind - not one. So, I bought eight at Target, which is the limit, paid and headed to my next stop, Safeway.
There, I was greeted by an employee who pointed me towards the carts which had been wiped down with sanitizer. Only one entry/exit was open to make sure people only used those carts. She also asked us to wait until the checker gave the okay to put our groceries on the conveyor belt at checkout. There is a plexiglass shield up between the customer and the checker and we are asked to avoid contact if possible. I had heard that they were going to have one way aisles, but that hadn't happened yet, so we will see next week.
I am so used to seeing empty toilet paper and paper towel shelves that I don't even think about it now. This is the new normal. They also were practically out of dishwasher and dish detergent, as well as eggs, which is ironic since Petaluma was once the self-proclaimed 'egg capital of the world'. It reminds me of what they used to tell us about life in the old USSR. Word would go out that a shop had shoes or meat, and everyone would rush to line up to get it while it lasted. There were plenty of times in my life when I didn't have the money for everything I wanted, but I don't remember a time like this even through fire, flood and earthquakes.
Of course, this is really just an inconvenience. There are no real shortages, just people behaving badly and buying more than they need. The folks working in the grocery stores are literally risking their lives to keep the shelves stocked, and I am grateful to be healthy and able to go to the store.
Beautiful 70° with flowering trees and hillsides full of spring beauties in Blackburn Park this morning. Everyone was responsibly social distancing, so thankfully our local parks remain open.tracking the corona
I've had a hard time tracking this thing. You can get how many died on a specific day and what the total is, but it's hard to get the day by day totals which I think is what you really want to know to track it. I finally found this. I think the death rate is more meaningful because cases depends a lot on how many they have tested lately.
This is the site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coronavirus_pandemic_in_Missouri I used Missouri because most of us expatriates live there. You can change the location by just putting in say, California, or St_Louis into the url, or maybe there is some way to navigate within the page. Of course it's still going to be a pretty rough instrument, but I want something. I am looking for a leveling off so at some point, even if things are still going badly I can think that today is slightly better than yesterday.
I noticed yesterday in fb that an old Champaign friend of mine (Denise Taylor) is running a fever and going to get testing as is the sister of a guy I know from the building.
Changing the subject. Somebody in fb is putting up shots from Mitch Brown's movie Shot. Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3058739247511376&set=pcb.2729849697113582&type=3&theater&ifg=1 I think that is Wilson hopping the hedge or whatever. I remember that Sirloin House. Not much on steaks, but I loved that Texas toast/
This is the site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coronavirus_pandemic_in_Missouri I used Missouri because most of us expatriates live there. You can change the location by just putting in say, California, or St_Louis into the url, or maybe there is some way to navigate within the page. Of course it's still going to be a pretty rough instrument, but I want something. I am looking for a leveling off so at some point, even if things are still going badly I can think that today is slightly better than yesterday.
I noticed yesterday in fb that an old Champaign friend of mine (Denise Taylor) is running a fever and going to get testing as is the sister of a guy I know from the building.
Changing the subject. Somebody in fb is putting up shots from Mitch Brown's movie Shot. Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3058739247511376&set=pcb.2729849697113582&type=3&theater&ifg=1 I think that is Wilson hopping the hedge or whatever. I remember that Sirloin House. Not much on steaks, but I loved that Texas toast/
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Shopping and other thoughts
I believe Nancy started a post about shopping in these times. She didn't post it, so I thought I would put in a few words about it.
Fred went to Walmart today.Yes, he wore a mask. He hadn't been able to find good yogurt for himself. He likes plain, high fat yogurt and we both hate Dannon. It's too sour. So, I asked him to see if he could find paper towels and Lysol or Clorox wipes too. He found yogurt, but absolutely no paper towels or wipes. He found a pair of hair scissors for me. I need to trim my own hair now. Salon not open.
I worry about my hair stylist. He really isn't rich and needs the income.
Fred managed to score a few rolls of toilet paper the other day. This hoarding is becoming a major problem everywhere. Our county still has no reported cases. Big sigh!
The New York Times has a really good map that shows state by state and county by county within each state cases and deaths. It is updated daily.
Kansas City cases have dropped a lot. St. Louis is still on the upswing. Our local hospital is ready and waiting with expectation. They have diagnosed one case who drove here from Springfield with the virus already raging in her. Tested her right away. Swabbed her throat while she was in the car and had her drive back to her mother's place here. She is recovering well. She is in her twenties.
Our friends are being super careful. Damn near all of us are qualified as "old". That is over 60.
I think that this hand washing is rapidly becoming a regular habit that may not go away ever. Just means I have to use moisturizer more. Hmmm. Wonder when people will start hoarding moisturizer.
Fred went to Walmart today.Yes, he wore a mask. He hadn't been able to find good yogurt for himself. He likes plain, high fat yogurt and we both hate Dannon. It's too sour. So, I asked him to see if he could find paper towels and Lysol or Clorox wipes too. He found yogurt, but absolutely no paper towels or wipes. He found a pair of hair scissors for me. I need to trim my own hair now. Salon not open.
I worry about my hair stylist. He really isn't rich and needs the income.
Fred managed to score a few rolls of toilet paper the other day. This hoarding is becoming a major problem everywhere. Our county still has no reported cases. Big sigh!
The New York Times has a really good map that shows state by state and county by county within each state cases and deaths. It is updated daily.
Kansas City cases have dropped a lot. St. Louis is still on the upswing. Our local hospital is ready and waiting with expectation. They have diagnosed one case who drove here from Springfield with the virus already raging in her. Tested her right away. Swabbed her throat while she was in the car and had her drive back to her mother's place here. She is recovering well. She is in her twenties.
Our friends are being super careful. Damn near all of us are qualified as "old". That is over 60.
I think that this hand washing is rapidly becoming a regular habit that may not go away ever. Just means I have to use moisturizer more. Hmmm. Wonder when people will start hoarding moisturizer.
I turned off my "block pop-up windows" and now I can post here. Wow, who knew?
Our parks are still open, but not those with playground equipment. Hope you can still walk the dog, Sadie.
Tomorrow will be the first day our city ordinance goes into effect, but businesses have followed the guidelines for weeks, so there will be little change. Carry out and curbside service only. No more than 10 people together at once, even on private property. That does not include grocery stores or other essential businesses. Liquor stores are considered essential, but I noticed as I am starting to run out of my shampoo the one store that sells it (Sally's) is closed. The person running the nursery (plants) was complaining that they would probably have to shut down, but Lowe's is open and selling plants. She didn't think that was fair at all. I have to agree. The nursery is a local business and will really suffer as they approach their busiest time.
Our parks are still open, but not those with playground equipment. Hope you can still walk the dog, Sadie.
Tomorrow will be the first day our city ordinance goes into effect, but businesses have followed the guidelines for weeks, so there will be little change. Carry out and curbside service only. No more than 10 people together at once, even on private property. That does not include grocery stores or other essential businesses. Liquor stores are considered essential, but I noticed as I am starting to run out of my shampoo the one store that sells it (Sally's) is closed. The person running the nursery (plants) was complaining that they would probably have to shut down, but Lowe's is open and selling plants. She didn't think that was fair at all. I have to agree. The nursery is a local business and will really suffer as they approach their busiest time.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Reading Comprehension Test - as a test post
St Louis County is comprised of 88 municipalities and many of them have their own, local parks.
St Louis County also maintains a park system of 71 parks. They have their own fancy logo and everything.
Yesterday, the County Executive issued an order to close all the St Louis County Parks, and he went on to name several of the bigger parks in the County Park System like Lone Elk Park and Susson Park, because people wouldn't stop having parties or observe the social distancing orders.
Since the order says "all St Louis County Parks are being closed", not "all parks in St Louis County are being closed" I take this to mean that my local city park is still open for business even though my little city is located within St Louis County. No closed signs are posted at my park except for the signs on the kiddie playground and the rest rooms. Those have been there for probably a week now. So, I'm continuing to walk my dog in the park because that's the only place she'll poop plus the walk is good exercise. If I get a citation I will use the above park closure wording as my defense.
Also, anyone who has watched Counterpart will find all this eerily familiar.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
ending the third week
Almost three weeks locked in now. We didn't get locked in until the 17th, but I'm counting from Friday March 13th, the last day I had a beer in a bar. So long ago.
Nut much chatter, but then what is there to chatter about? It reminds me of my last days in Champaign, the fall of 1984. I was still closing down the Esquire every fucking night, but not many others were anymore. I'd bike to the bar and maybe there would be Craig, Higgs, Dan Weir. We would nod to each other, but otherwise stare straight ahead silently. We had seen each other in the Esquire the night before, and the night before that, and stretching back to who knew when, and none of us led exciting lives so nothing had happened to any of us since the night before when we had last seen each other, so we had nothing to talk about. What's new? Nothing.
Kind of like that these days huh? Oh I'm sure some of us have put the time to good use, but cleaning out your closets is not rich material for conversation. Reason I am thinking there haven't been any new posts in about a week.
It is warming up a bit, and I am getting out more. Took a nice walk through downtown yesterday, but it was so damn eerie. It's like going to a funeral, sure it is a nice day, and maybe it's a fine looking church, but it's not a happy thing. And though people are sparse there are a lot of cars. Back before the lock down downtown traffic was at a crawl due partly to pedestrians crossing against the lights and jaywalking. We were the bullies, if a car wanted to go on the green light they had to wait until we crossed, and we took our good time. Anymore they just fly. If you are crossing and you see a car half a block down then you would just stroll across. anymore you gotta hustle your butt because that guy is flying.
This mask thing, I don't know. Sentiment is growing towards it, but I don't hear much about what good it is, and then there's the beard and then there's, ok I admit it, looking like a dork (I should worry, but still). Nevertheless I thought I'd give it a try today when I went out to buy a new CD/radio player at Target. By the way, did you know that they don't call it a radio anymore, they say it has an AM/FM receiver. If you're not a very with-it guy, you are thinking what the hell does that mean, do I have to like plug it into some amplifier? If it was a radio, wouldn't they say it was a radio? Apparently not.
Of course I don't have a mask, I have a bandanna of Craig's that Lydia sent me and I was wondering whatever am I going to do with that? Well now I knew. I tied it on my face and went out telling myself it was an adventure. I long for adventure. But it wasn't much of one. Only one in seven was wearing a mask and I was the only one wearing a bandanna. It wasn't much of an adventure
Nut much chatter, but then what is there to chatter about? It reminds me of my last days in Champaign, the fall of 1984. I was still closing down the Esquire every fucking night, but not many others were anymore. I'd bike to the bar and maybe there would be Craig, Higgs, Dan Weir. We would nod to each other, but otherwise stare straight ahead silently. We had seen each other in the Esquire the night before, and the night before that, and stretching back to who knew when, and none of us led exciting lives so nothing had happened to any of us since the night before when we had last seen each other, so we had nothing to talk about. What's new? Nothing.
Kind of like that these days huh? Oh I'm sure some of us have put the time to good use, but cleaning out your closets is not rich material for conversation. Reason I am thinking there haven't been any new posts in about a week.
It is warming up a bit, and I am getting out more. Took a nice walk through downtown yesterday, but it was so damn eerie. It's like going to a funeral, sure it is a nice day, and maybe it's a fine looking church, but it's not a happy thing. And though people are sparse there are a lot of cars. Back before the lock down downtown traffic was at a crawl due partly to pedestrians crossing against the lights and jaywalking. We were the bullies, if a car wanted to go on the green light they had to wait until we crossed, and we took our good time. Anymore they just fly. If you are crossing and you see a car half a block down then you would just stroll across. anymore you gotta hustle your butt because that guy is flying.
This mask thing, I don't know. Sentiment is growing towards it, but I don't hear much about what good it is, and then there's the beard and then there's, ok I admit it, looking like a dork (I should worry, but still). Nevertheless I thought I'd give it a try today when I went out to buy a new CD/radio player at Target. By the way, did you know that they don't call it a radio anymore, they say it has an AM/FM receiver. If you're not a very with-it guy, you are thinking what the hell does that mean, do I have to like plug it into some amplifier? If it was a radio, wouldn't they say it was a radio? Apparently not.
Of course I don't have a mask, I have a bandanna of Craig's that Lydia sent me and I was wondering whatever am I going to do with that? Well now I knew. I tied it on my face and went out telling myself it was an adventure. I long for adventure. But it wasn't much of one. Only one in seven was wearing a mask and I was the only one wearing a bandanna. It wasn't much of an adventure
Monday, March 30, 2020
cooler by the lake
Cooler by the lake, I remember hearing that all the time. Right as the weatherman was wrapping up his prognostication he would add, like an unnecessary afterthought, cooler by the lake. Didn't mean much to me growing up seven miles west of the lake, and actually sounded like kind of a benefit when I moved into my tower with the splendid lake view. I love air conditioning when like on a sweaty day I burst into the Walgreens and it is like diving into an arctic pool, but I don't like it at home because then I have to shut my door and I can no longer feel the breezes wafting in my front room and out my bedroom. So it was nice living by the lake where it is cooler in the summer and sometimes I go the whole year without having to turn the air conditioning on.
But while it's not so hot, in a good way, in the summer; it is also not so hot in a bad way come spring when prevailing weather patterns bring the winds from the north and the northeast, from the lake, that long finger of winter, slow to warm, as is the way with water, and the already cool winds that caress Canada get cooler as they travel three hundred miles over cold, cold water, and spring, that fair, slim maiden in the green gold gown is held hostage by that troll Old Man Winter, as he slowly, ever so slowly retreats to the north.
So for about a month when further inland daffodils are tossing their tow-headed heads in balmy breezes and the air rings with the laughter of little kids at play, the lakeside days are cold, windy, wet, raw. We are still allowed, as long as we don't go near any park, and do not travel in packs, to walk the streets of the city. I was looking forward to this at least, when the weather warmed just to walk downtown, admire the architecture, feel the fresh breeze on my face, get out of the fucking house Man. If it was merely cold I could weather it, but the rain, the wind, I just can't hit my stride with that.
And it's strange out there. Though not as many as before, there are still cars, and busses, so many busses, those big flex busses that go on and on, and nobody is in them. I should get on one, just to ride and look out the window. I should just pick one at random, not even look at that little sign above the driver's window just to see where it takes me, At the end of the line I could just get on one coming back. Plenty of time to kill, kind of an adventure, any kind of adventure is welcome in my housebound existence, but I am strangely afraid, just because nobody else is getting on them.
Not that much warmer today. But the sun was out a little bit and that makes a big difference. I went out for provisions. I didn't carry my tote bag, because I read in the paper that the stores don't want to handle them. I'm not sure if it's a law, but I want to be a good citizen. Eight tall green Goose Island IPAs at that Wa;greens that had the stacks of toilet paper a couple weeks ago. Blue tape marking off the path to the cash registers in six foot increments. Took that home and washed my hands.
Then I had to see to the needs of my roommates. The Jewel is closer than the Whole Foods, but the Jewel no longer carries Brown Cow yogurt which Buddy gets a little taste of from the foil wrapper every morning. and if it is any other brand, well he doesn't say anything, but the look on his face is heartbreaking. Eighteen little cartons of that.
I'm well enough stocked that I don't worry about toilet paper, but last time I was at the Jewel they were out of kitty litter. Not Buddy and Sweetie's favorite brand, but we all have to make sacrifices. Before the corona the political correct thing was not to use those check-yourself-out machines so as to save a clerk a job, but now you are endangering the clerk, but still aren't they grateful to have a job? I endangered the clerk,
Home again home again. Two weeks ago today all the stores and bars were ordered closed. Well that's two weeks down.
But while it's not so hot, in a good way, in the summer; it is also not so hot in a bad way come spring when prevailing weather patterns bring the winds from the north and the northeast, from the lake, that long finger of winter, slow to warm, as is the way with water, and the already cool winds that caress Canada get cooler as they travel three hundred miles over cold, cold water, and spring, that fair, slim maiden in the green gold gown is held hostage by that troll Old Man Winter, as he slowly, ever so slowly retreats to the north.
So for about a month when further inland daffodils are tossing their tow-headed heads in balmy breezes and the air rings with the laughter of little kids at play, the lakeside days are cold, windy, wet, raw. We are still allowed, as long as we don't go near any park, and do not travel in packs, to walk the streets of the city. I was looking forward to this at least, when the weather warmed just to walk downtown, admire the architecture, feel the fresh breeze on my face, get out of the fucking house Man. If it was merely cold I could weather it, but the rain, the wind, I just can't hit my stride with that.
And it's strange out there. Though not as many as before, there are still cars, and busses, so many busses, those big flex busses that go on and on, and nobody is in them. I should get on one, just to ride and look out the window. I should just pick one at random, not even look at that little sign above the driver's window just to see where it takes me, At the end of the line I could just get on one coming back. Plenty of time to kill, kind of an adventure, any kind of adventure is welcome in my housebound existence, but I am strangely afraid, just because nobody else is getting on them.
Not that much warmer today. But the sun was out a little bit and that makes a big difference. I went out for provisions. I didn't carry my tote bag, because I read in the paper that the stores don't want to handle them. I'm not sure if it's a law, but I want to be a good citizen. Eight tall green Goose Island IPAs at that Wa;greens that had the stacks of toilet paper a couple weeks ago. Blue tape marking off the path to the cash registers in six foot increments. Took that home and washed my hands.
Then I had to see to the needs of my roommates. The Jewel is closer than the Whole Foods, but the Jewel no longer carries Brown Cow yogurt which Buddy gets a little taste of from the foil wrapper every morning. and if it is any other brand, well he doesn't say anything, but the look on his face is heartbreaking. Eighteen little cartons of that.
I'm well enough stocked that I don't worry about toilet paper, but last time I was at the Jewel they were out of kitty litter. Not Buddy and Sweetie's favorite brand, but we all have to make sacrifices. Before the corona the political correct thing was not to use those check-yourself-out machines so as to save a clerk a job, but now you are endangering the clerk, but still aren't they grateful to have a job? I endangered the clerk,
Home again home again. Two weeks ago today all the stores and bars were ordered closed. Well that's two weeks down.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
when kids ruled the world
I remember visiting Sadie and Gumbah when their kids were little and they were living on I think it was Alamo Street, and it was indeed child-centric. Life indeed seemed to revolve around the kids, and then there were the friends of their kids, and by extension the parents of the friends of the kids.
I remember thinking way back when I was a kid that maybe the adults had the streets but the sidewalks were the kids' world. To an adult the sidewalk was just something you walked on to get somewhere else, but to a kid it's where you met your friends and played your games. It was where it was happening. I remember that Alamo street was ruled by some tomcat and all the kids, and by extension the parents of the kids knew all about his latest comings and goings.
We moved into our bungalow in Chicago when I was four years old. The houses were built all at once sometime in the twenties, and the people who had moved in then, raised their kids and now were empty nesters seemed awfully old. We were the new generation, the Schadts, the Violas, the Chrones's, the Schroeders and we kids gathered every summer night when the days were long to play Red Light. Green Light, Paddy Cake, The Fox ain't here. We all knew each other's parents, but those older people were like shadows to us.
I remember thinking way back when I was a kid that maybe the adults had the streets but the sidewalks were the kids' world. To an adult the sidewalk was just something you walked on to get somewhere else, but to a kid it's where you met your friends and played your games. It was where it was happening. I remember that Alamo street was ruled by some tomcat and all the kids, and by extension the parents of the kids knew all about his latest comings and goings.
We moved into our bungalow in Chicago when I was four years old. The houses were built all at once sometime in the twenties, and the people who had moved in then, raised their kids and now were empty nesters seemed awfully old. We were the new generation, the Schadts, the Violas, the Chrones's, the Schroeders and we kids gathered every summer night when the days were long to play Red Light. Green Light, Paddy Cake, The Fox ain't here. We all knew each other's parents, but those older people were like shadows to us.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Membership
Well now I see that we have everybody but Mickey and he has been out of our loop for sometime. He is invited though. I also asked Mies, because he used to be a part of this and knows a lot about CU history, and I figure like everybody else he has a lot of time on his hands. Also asked Art Maddox and haven't heard from him.
New blog
Ok. All seems to be working here fine.
Was noticing that our small town was just back to its normal isolated, business as usual, routines. Yesterday was beautiful, sunny and warm so we sat on the back porch. I saw the usual dog walkers crossing the street when another dog walker approached. Just as they always have done. Neighbors out on their back porches too. Not even acknowledging their neighbors. Same as always. People here are natural isolationists and are happy to be that way.
Pretty hard not to go back to the socializing group in the pub, but we have definitely had to adjust to the attitude of the town before we had that pub. A bit harder now that we have developed a nice group of friends who seem to be perfectly at ease isolating themselves again.
Was noticing that our small town was just back to its normal isolated, business as usual, routines. Yesterday was beautiful, sunny and warm so we sat on the back porch. I saw the usual dog walkers crossing the street when another dog walker approached. Just as they always have done. Neighbors out on their back porches too. Not even acknowledging their neighbors. Same as always. People here are natural isolationists and are happy to be that way.
Pretty hard not to go back to the socializing group in the pub, but we have definitely had to adjust to the attitude of the town before we had that pub. A bit harder now that we have developed a nice group of friends who seem to be perfectly at ease isolating themselves again.
welcome
This is the blog I was talking about in the emails. The first entry is a recap of the emails that went before. It's pretty easy to use. To post you go to the upper left and click on new post. Then you can type your post into the box. There are editing symbols above, bold, italacize, etc. To add a picture click on the little picture in the frame in the middle. When you are done with your post click on Publish. If you don't like the way it came out you can always edit it by clicking on the little pencil and when you are done you can click on Update.
The address is cuecj.blogspot.com
Any questions you can ask me.
The address is cuecj.blogspot.com
Any questions you can ask me.
The first emails, the seeding of the blog.
I think the reason C-U was so welcoming of newcomers
was that it was a small city (small cities) totally dominated by a huge
university that was always bringing in new and diverse people from all
over the world. A large portion of the population was from somewhere
else. Transplants,either temporary or semi-permanent, without long
established relationships to rely on will tend to go out and mingle. The
university provided all kinds of cultural stimulation and people were
open to new ideas and new acquaintances.
When
we moved to St Louis, Tony and I found that everyone was already
entrenched, for generations, in their small circles. It was a really
weird sensation to live somewhere that did not ebb and flow around the
semester schedule or summers. C-U in the summer was glorious!
Our social lives turned to completely revolving around our kids, their
schools and sports. Our identities became Ann and Jim's mom and dad. As
the kids took less of our time, we had work acquaintances and work happy
hours. But I think KJ is on to something with his theory about our
genetic timetable for forming friendships.
Good
luck on your walk, KJ. Our park playgrounds and restrooms are closed,
but it is specifically stipulated that we can walk for exercise as long
as we keep our social distance from others. I don't know if we are
allowed to sit on the benches. On Wednesday a neighbor and I took an
appropriately social distanced walk and sat on opposite ends of a park
bench to chat for a while. I think the bench was at least 6 feet long.
I'll take my tape measure when I walk Peanut this morning.
BTW, I like your blog idea.
On Fri, Mar 27, 2020, 8:12 AM Ken Schadt <kenschadt@gmail.com> wrote:
When I left the land of milk and honey for Texas at the beginning of 1985, I thought I would just plunk myself down at some barstool and before long I would have a circle of beer drinking buddies just like in Champaign. That never happened. I think we are genetically engineered to make friends until maybe sometime around 25, and after that, not so much. Additionally I had my whole life in Champaign, my friends, my stories, I kind of didn't even know who I was anymore. And though I can be pretty extroverted among my friends among strangers I clam up. I just don't make the casual conversation that leads to deeper conversation.
It wasn't much better when I moved to Chicago a couple years later. It is just in the last ten years that I have found a Friday night bar, and taken improv, and taken to being Santa Claus that I have what I think of as an acceptable number of friends.
I like reading and writing emails, but I have never liked phone calls.
They just closed all the parks last night. I think it is still ok to just take a walk alone, but the powers are not expressly saying that it is. Kind of warm today and I plan on taking a walk around the empty downtown, we'll see if I get arrested. Pretty sure I will get off with a warning if it comes to that. The busses and trains are running a regular schedule last I heard. Out my window I can see the long flex busses glide down Wacker Drive, almost all of them empty.
Oh we did have a big house where we all lived together, it was called 501. Oh I know you guys didn't actually live there, but you know what I mean. I think me and JC are the only ones who are still alive. Gerard maybe, geez I wonder if he is out now.
If they show game 7 again, and I'm sure they will, I'd like to see it. I didn't intend to go down to the bar that day to watch it before the 4th inning or so because, well I didn't want to get too drunk. Then a friend of mine in the building called me from the bar in the first inning and I thought, well, I will nurse my beers. Oh yeah, that always worked. But even so I was doing sort of ok, but then who expects a rain delay and then extra innings? The end of the game is still pretty foggy to me.
Anybody interested in setting up a corona blog? That way we won't have these long letters that end up just going poof, but something you can look back on. You can post photos and make posts and it's pretty easy. I will do all the setting up if you are interested.
On 3/26/2020 8:19 PM, S Fitzpatrick wrote:Fox sports is showing game 7 of the 2016 World Series. I usually don't like to watch replays of games, but this one is an exciting gem, even though I know the ending.
On Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 7:34 PM Nancy Flom <nflom1@gmail.com> wrote:We were very social when we first moved out here. Larry and I both made friends at our respective places of work, and we went to softball games with beer and pizza after, whale watching, movies and dinner on Friday nights, concerts, parties, etc.Quite the social butterflies. Then, slowly but surely it started to taper off. One couple we spent a lot of time with broke up. Then people were laid off, and Larry's company moved to Utah and many of his friends went with them. I still have a group of girlfriends from Fireman's Fund that I get together with and we occasionally have outings, like the county fair or the redwoods, but Larry and I really don't get out like we used to. We still do things, like that concert this summer, but not like before. I find I don't mind so much, especially since I stopped drinking. There's no place like home.I do keep in touch with my brother through Facebook and e-mail, but he isn't the greatest correspondent. I've tried to do better since we are the last two left of our nuclear family, and he is a little better now that he is retired.It would be fun to have a big house together, wouldn't it, with a big yard for flowers and a garden. We would probably be bad influences on each other, though☺.
On Thu, Mar 26, 2020 at 9:09 AM James Turner <jetturner2001@gmail.com> wrote:wow - this is an uplifting thread - thanks all - Nena 970.759.4389 - give me a call sometime and we can maybe find some more common ground for conversation.Calling my brothers and their families is foreign to me, but always proves to be a wonderful experience, after the fact. Dysfunctional family backgrounds are difficult to abide, but what choice do we have?calling my brother and his wife of more than 50 years today.KJ - how did you get downtown today? is anyone still riding the "L" or buses? Still operating in Eugene, but I am reluctant to get on one. My business clients are still requesting that I go inside houses and complete interior inspections for appraisals - crazy - I think I am going to start declining those requests, but so far have not had the courage to do so.And, besides, how long do I really want to continue to live on this earth? I am ready to look for one of those other universes.James Turner
On Thu, Mar 26, 2020 at 8:11 AM Nena Thomas <nenathomas@gmail.com> wrote:I can see that this may be something like the Twilight Zone, especially to those who are social animals and do not live with others. I know very few people here in Rolla in that situation.When we moved here, we noticed an enormous difference in attitude between C-U and Rolla. There was a lot of socializing and meeting new people going on in C-U and nothing visible here. Here, we would start by inviting someone we met and liked to dinner and, sometimes they would accept. Never would that invitation be returned. Complete strangers would smile and greet you out on the street, but nothing else. The university departments would have Christmas parties (usually at their workplace) or picnics in the park and strictly reserved for that department's faculty and staff. The bars were really sleezy and had people we would rather not socialize with. (Called "trailer trash" in private).We met a neighbor family. Fred had started brewing beer and discovered that the man also brewed beer. Eventually, they started a brew club that met once a month. We were invited to meet some friends of our real estate agent who we liked and socialized with every so often, but not much. I met people in the library who belonged to different departments and we were friendly, but did not socialize. Finally, after 15 years, The Public House opened. It was created by one of the kids of our original brewing neighbor. All opened up again! We went, saw people we had been acquainted with before, met new people from different walks of life, and began to SOCIALIZE! Fridays at the pub! Dinners at each other's houses! Cocktail hours at one house or another! Parties! Then...this!Here we are again, only this time not even department parties or picnics and no meeting people at work. Our friends have gone back to their anti-social lives without a blink. Every now and then I will get an email from them linking me to a meditation site or free e-books site, or reminding me to stay at home and not to panic. Some of them eagerly sheltered as soon as the corona virus began to spread.I created my massive flower beds for company many years ago and am eagerly catching each day of spring weather to again tend to them. Went to Lowe's yesterday (yes, out into that vast desert of the world) and bought seeds, potting soil and a couple of starter plants. For those without gardens or partners or vocal, demanding pets who just want to hear a human voice, there is the telephone! You are welcome to call me (if it is too expensive, let me know and I will call you. All I need is your phone number). Call your friends in your town (maybe they will come out and meet you in a "safe" place). Call your relatives.Wish we all could have been stuck in one house when all of this hit. We would be driving each other crazy. But crazy in a different way. Instead of wondering how to survive without our regular routines, we would be figuring out how to survive without our regular routines. HA! (and how not to kill each other).Nena
On Thu, Mar 26, 2020 at 8:01 AM Ken Schadt <kenschadt@gmail.com> wrote:Well in another world. According to one cosmology theory there are not
only an infinite number of universes, but an infinite number of them
appear at every moment each one responding to a different chance
happening in each of the infinite universes existing at that moment, and
since there are an infinite number of moments in every fraction of a
second that kind of makes it like infinity to the power of infinity to
the infinite power. and maybe there is another infinity in that chain.
Well just something to contemplate in all the free time that we now have.
In some of those universes the baseball season has begun, but not in
ours, and it's all so far away it hardly seems to matter.
I have this friend that I used to meet at a local Corner Bakery every
other week just to talk about shit. I met him there two weeks ago, and
this week all the Corner Bakeries are shut down. He was touting the
downtown library as a place we could meet, but now that is closed.
But Union Station is still open. A scattering of loners, some Amish,
some cops, some railway workers. A McDonald's and a Dunkin Donut were
open. The sausage, cheese, and egg croissant was not up to the
standards of the Corner Bakery egg, cheddar and bacon panini, but it
was okay. We talked in the great hall and then we walked through
downtown a bit, a scattering of people about. It seemed like only the
711's, McDonald's, and Dunkin Donuts were open.
But it was like three hours of conversation with another human being,
the last time I had that was thirteen days ago at the Ten Cat.
Well just reaching out for something to say
On opening day.
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