Adventures in Shopping

I went to five stores today: still no toilet paper. Otherwise, I did pretty well. I got chicken breasts for the first time in two weeks. I got disinfecting spray--though it wasn't certified by the EPA to kill Covid-19. I got tissues: I was more worried about running out of tissues than running out of toilet paper. It's allergy season.

I made one error: the first store I visited had lots of eggs, but no six packs of organic eggs. I thought the store across the street would have six packs of organic eggs--it normally does. It didn't. I didn't have the energy to go back to the first store.

I went to a pharmacy to see if it had tp. It didn't.

After I took Lola to Sherwood Island, I stopped at another pharmacy and grocery store. I got a few items, but no tp.

I've spent most of my adult life making sure I didn't run out of toilet paper or gas. In spite of that, I'm not too worried about tp now. Last week we had seven large rolls in reserve; today we have five. We can keep going (no pun intended) for a while.

Two Weeks

Two weeks ago, most of Connecticut shut down. More things have closed down since then. Yesterday Mayor Rilling closed Norwalk parks to all vehicles (except Park Department employees.)

This is what I most worried about in social distancing: what about Lola? Jeff and I understand the pandemic, but Lola doesn't. I tried twice to take her around the block today. She only went when both Jeff and I went with her.

We're lucky that we can walk to three parks, but unlucky that Lola is so finicky about walking.

So far, Wilton, Westport, and Stamford haven't closed parks. I've been avoiding Westport because it had been the worst hit city in Connecticut. Now Norwalk is number one (an honor I don't want.) Tomorrow is the last day I can take Lola to Sherwood Island until October. That sounds like a good idea.

Books (Already in the House) to Read

I pulled out all my books that I haven't read to see all my options. I excluded poetry books, reference books, Jeff's books, and Kindle books.

Unveiling the Edge of Time Black Holes, White Holes, Wormholes by John Gribbin: I love the idea of time travel and would love to write about it (I'm jealous of Bette because she did it.) I had read the first two chapters, and then I got lost. I'd like to try again.

Cosmic Coincidences Dark Matter, Mankind, and Anthropic Cosmology by John Gribbin and Martin Rees: I had asked Jeff to get me the first book, and he got this when he couldn't find Unveiling... He ended up getting me both.

The Elegant Universe super strings, hidden dimensions and the quest for the ultimate theory by Brian Greene: technically I think this is a Jeff book, but since it's next to my science books, I decided to include it.

The City of the Edge of Forever The Original Teleplay That Became The Classic Star Trek Episode by Harlan Ellison: I forgot about this book, which I picked up at the Ferguson Library in Stamford when I attended a mystery writer's workshop. Bonus: inside the book is a signed photograph of Gene Roddenberry.

Boston Noir Edited by Dennis Lehane: This collection of short stories is another forgotten purchase from the Ferguson Library.

Writing Women's Lives An Anthology of Autobiographical Narratives by Twentieth Century Women Writers Edited by Susan Cahill: I got this book from a library sale for $1. What a bargain.

The Sagas of Icelanders with a preface by Jane Smiley: I saw this book when I wanted to write a science fiction book about an ice planet, and it seemed ideal for my purposes. I'm not sure I ever opened it except to leave a bookmark inside.

Cleopatra A Life by Stacy Schiff: I picked up this book because The Witches (which I read last year) was so good. I had also read good reviews.

The Devouring A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery by James R. Benn: I got this book at the Ferguson Library in Stamford when I attended a mystery writer's workshop; the author was one of the panelists.

Billy Boyle A World War II Mystery by James R. Benn: I got this book from the Norwalk Library sale because I had bought the previous book.

M Train by Patti Smith: I picked this up thinking this was Just Kids, but it sounds good.

Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball: My mother-in-law gave me this book about a man who tracks down and interviews descendants of his family's former slaves.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: This is another book sale purchase from a few years ago.

The Amber Room by Steve Berry: I bought this book for my mother, who didn't like it. I took a writing seminar with Berry once. Fun fact: he doesn't like commas.

Gideon's Sword, Gideon's Corpse, The Lost Island, Beyond the Ice Limit, and The Pharaoh Key by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: I am grouping these books together because they constitute the Gideon Crew Novels. I've read all the other Preston and Child books except for the latest Pendergast novel.

Nineteen books. That will keep me busy.

You Can't Go Home Again

That was the theme of my dream last night. IRL, our condo consists of three buildings in a U-shape rotated 90 degrees to the left. In the dream, I entered the middle building, but couldn't get to my own. I was surprised to see that the other building had two fireplaces and a check-in desk like a hotel. I kept accidentally walking into people's units and apologizing. I left the building and walked by a Mexican restaurant and then into a gas station behind the condo. I ended up sleeping on the floor of the gas station office and suddenly Lola was there. I woke up before I made it back to my own place.

Funny how frustration about not going places is transformed into frustration about getting home.

Book Seven: The Wives of Henry the Eighth and the Parts They Played in History by Martin Andrew Sharp Hume

I had started this book back in July 2018 when I was waiting longer for Jeff at the dentist than I expected. I finally went back to it last week. The book was originally published in 1905 and was in the public domain. That's why it was on Jeff's Kindle.

It was an interesting book to me because I am interested in most things Tudor, but I did skim through some of the parts about all the political machinations. I read a few things I hadn't before: criticism about Katherine of Aragon's political instincts and her involvement with a questionable priest.

I was surprised that the author discounted the political impact of Katherine Parr. He was also a little harsh on Anne Boleyn, but I think that was expected at the time.

Would Have Been's...

Today would have been Opening Day of baseball. The Mets would have hosted the World Champion Washington Nationals. Spring training stopped about two weeks ago, and I actually forgot about baseball. Me, forget about baseball--it's unpossible (thank you Ralph Wiggum.)

Many other events, tournaments, even seasons have been canceled. I heard a story on the radio today about a guy who turned 21. Since he couldn't celebrate at a bar, his parents set one up in a garage. His father was the bouncer who checked his ID; his mother poured him a shot.

We all have to do what we can.

Midweek Miscellany

It was another raw, rainy day, although nowhere near as bad as Monday. Lola and I did two loops at Oyster Shell Park (it takes about an hour at Lola stopping-and sniffing rates.) We only made one loop on Monday. I was surprised to see 10 others walking around: most without dogs. If it weren't for Lola, I would have stayed hunkered down today. It was that unpleasant. Yesterday's walk, however, was lovely. I really needed it to de-stress.

I exercised for at least 45 minutes today. I'd been meaning to exercise, but somehow never got around to it. I made myself prioritize it this morning. It's been nine days since I've been to the gym, but it seems like a month. At least.

Jeff's been working full-time at home for past eight days. It also feels like a month. At least.

On Monday I went food shopping. Several people were wearing gloves and/or masks. I bought a pack of gloves but didn't open them. Not yet. Otherwise, I've been staying home except for taking Lola out.

I'm reading a book about Henry VIII and his wives on Jeff's Kindle. I really don't like reading on a Kindle, especially now that I've learned it's bad for your sleep if you read a Kindle in bed. The screen time messes up sleeping. I need to put together a list of all the physical books I have to read. I know I have at least 10. I'd like to revisit a time travel science book I started a few years ago. I understood the first chapter on Newton, but soon I was lost. Maybe I should re-re-read this Einstein book beforehand. I think I'll need something easier for before bed reading.

I'd like to make other lists: unfinished stories to work on, chores besides usual cleaning, Princeton Review tests I need to complete. I also want to reorganize my ATC/art journal supplies. I did a little of this last month, but would like to refine it further. I've been collecting clips again.

The photo at the top of this post is from Oyster Shell Park last week. It was a pretty spot in a field of bleak.

Happy Anniversary Spike!

In a normal time, I would have written about Saint Patrick's Day and maybe about the first day of spring. I loved the first day of spring's word of the day, even though I had seen it before. The March snow I was fearing came yesterday. It was a cold, blustery, raw day with rain, sleet, and snow. Luckily the snowfall didn't amount to any accumulation.

With coronavirus health concerns on my mind, I wanted to make sure that I honored Spike today. 18 years ago, he came to live with us. He was a joy, and we'll always love him.

Spike at Shea Stadium walking the warning track.

What a Long Strange Week It's Been

Last Monday was the day everything changed--at least for me. On that day gyms and bars were closed and restaurants were limited to take-out and delivery. And the changes keep coming. Wednesday, I learned I wouldn't be tutoring until at least May 10. On Friday, salons, spas, and barber shops were closed. Yesterday, some of Norwalk's parks and playgrounds were closed because groups of teenagers were playing basketball.

Going food shopping is an adventure: wondering what will be on the shelves and what will not. Today I found natural wipes, but still not bleach items. I found generic paper towels but no brand names. I got a rotisserie chicken but didn't see any other chicken. I went to two stores and didn't see any toilet paper. Luckily, we have at least a week's supply.

We're among the lucky ones. Jeff has gone from working at home two days a week to five days a week, making the money he normally would. I'm not working until May, but I hadn't been working much anyway. We paid off our mortgage and have savings. We just need to stay healthy.

Book Six: A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Like The Money Drunk, this book was on my shelf for years, though not nearly as long as The Money Drunk. I had started to read it or maybe the Foreword but gave up.

OK, this book was a bit of a slog. There were some great writing and insights, but it was hard to read. It didn't help that the first paragraph lasted two pages. Long chunks of text without breaks--sometimes three pages--made it tough.

Anyway, if that makes me sound like an illiterate Philistine, so be it. I tried reading Virginia Woolf before--To the Lighthouse--I think. I didn't finish it.

I've also been reading magazines lately: Real Simple, New York Magazine, the Smithsonian among them. I need to select my next book. Since four of my six books read this year are by Preston and Child, I need to mix it up a bit.

Coronavirus Conundrum

When I first heard of coronavirus last month, I wasn't worried. It was a world away. That has all changed.

Last week, several events I planned to attend were postponed or canceled including my writing class. Area SAT's scheduled for March 14th were canceled. Area libraries were closed.

On Saturday, Jeff and I went to a local distillery to get a free vodka tasting by wearing green. We were the only people there; later another couple showed and sat at the opposite end of the bar. We went to parks and did a little shopping.

As of Sunday, New Canaan (a neighboring town) decided to close gyms and limit restaurants to take-out and delivery. On Monday, all of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey enacted these rules.  I learned about the planned closures on the news when I was driving home from the store. I came home, changed, and went to the gym for a full workout.

I talked to a friend in an assisted living facility; she can't even leave her room. Her meals are brought to her, and someone promised to get cat food for her. She's planning to do a lot of knitting.

Schools are closed indefinitely. More SAT's (March make-ups and the May test) and the April ACT have been canceled. I attended an online tutoring meeting today. We are banned from in-person tutoring until at least May 10th. My students will probably wait for in-person meetings based on their situations.

I've recently heard that it's possible the virus is spreading more rapidly from asymptomatic people than originally thought. I'm also in the age group that may be more susceptible to coronavirus. I'll be spending a lot more time at home than I thought even a few days ago. I have plenty to do: a lot of boring household chores and the like. I can also work on more creative things such as writing and art journals. I can still take Lola to a park or trail every day. That's good for both of us.

Happy Pi Day!

So I'm a day late. Jeff and I had a piece of pie yesterday to celebrate Pi Day and wish Albert Einstein a happy birthday.

TV Time

It's been about a year since I've written about what TV shows we're watching.

Vikings has been on hiatus since December. I'm surprised how much I've been enjoying this season compared to last season. The show continues to kill off its stars; I'm not sure what will happen next. I'm a little wary because a few of the characters went to Iceland, and I hated the Iceland storyline last season. Oh well, only a half season to go.

Homeland is back after two years for its final season. I'm intrigued by what happened to Carrie in Russia and Sunday's episode about the loss of two presidents was suspenseful.

Outlander is a bit of a mixed bag. I As I said last year, I hated Brianna's visit to Bonnet for "closure."  It just opened her up to more possible victimization, and I don't want to watch that. Now Brianna is just waiting to be terrorized.

One episode this season seemed to be a stand-alone horror show of abuse and torture. While I haven't read the books (except the first) this show didn't appear to advance the story at all. It was well-acted, but I wonder if it was necessary. I, for one, want to see the start-up to the American Revolution.

Nancy Drew is a show that I was psyched to see. This isn't your mother's Nancy Drew or my Nancy Drew. Nancy is in a new city Horseshoe Bay, Maine (not River Heights in the books.) In this series Nancy even has sex with Nick (pka Ned Nickerson.)  The biggest change to the tone of the books is the element of the occult. I'm not sure how I feel about it, or about the series in general. But I'm in for all the Nancy I can get.

Batwoman--I've lost interest in this show. It started when an episode suddenly appeared that was a crossover with other shows. I actually thought we had recorded the wrong show. It broke up the Batwoman story and added elements that I didn't care about. We've watched more episodes, but meh.

Hawaii Five-O and Magnum PI are shows that Jeff records. They're okay to good, but I won't miss them when they're gone.

The Last Czars is a six part docudrama that we finished watching last night. It had been released last July, but I just heard about it recently.  I enjoyed it. I never realized that Nicholas was anti-Semitic and authorized pogroms. The film Nicholas and Alexandra portrayed him as more naive and incompetent and less evil. 

Hawk Sighting

Every time Lola and I go to Oyster Shell Park, I look for the hawk. The last time I saw it was in January.

Until yesterday, that is. It flew by--I like to think it was greeting us. It is magnificent. I took several photos. A combination of distance and cloud cover made it challenging to get good pictures. Here are the best I managed.

I Like Griping

I was reminded of this quote from Alien this morning:

Lambert: I can't see a goddamn thing.
Kane: Quit griping.
Lambert: I like griping.

Our condo super called me and seemingly forgot that last week he implied that Jeff and I would be responsible for an expensive plumbing repair. It was really annoying--don't gaslight me and don't act as if you didn't say what you did.

After our conversation, I griped to Jeff. It made me feel a little better, but I'm sure it didn't help Jeff feel better.

When is it right to share your gripes with another? What helps the griper relieve stress without stressing out the other person?

What's the griping balance? I need to figure that out.

Charity Steak Night

Every Monday night, Sedona Tap House has a special--charity steak--an eight once flat iron steak with one side for $8. $2. goes to a local charity. (The normal price for the steak with two sides is $18.90.)

We especially like to go on Mondays in warm weather. STH has several tables outside by a fountain with heat lamps/umbrellas when necessary. Lola has become a regular and loves charity steak or Kobe beef sliders.

Today the temperature rose to 70 degrees. I was walking Lola on the NRVT in Wilton, and it hit me. It was nice enough to eat dinner outside, so I texted Jeff to see if he'd like to go to STH for charity steak.

Here's to our first al fresco meal for the season.

Positives and Plans

This is the third post I've started since my last published post. One was about art journals; I'll probably revisit that post when I return to art journals. The other post was basically a list of the annoying problems I was dealing with. It wasn't fun to write, and it wouldn't have been fun to read. I deleted it.

Instead, let's be positive.

The weather continues to be mild. For every cold day or two, we get four or five mild days. Daylight saving time begins this weekend. I heard on the radio today that there's no real reason for daylight saving--it doesn't save energy--and it messes up people's sleep and contributes to accidents. But I like the idea of longer days. Soon it will be dog park Friday season. It will officially be spring in two weeks.

I am planning to see an exhibit on Mexican Muralists at the Whitney Museum of American Art. I haven't selected a date yet--probably in the next few weeks. It will be a real artist date for me.

We received a gift certificate at Christmas for Interlaken Inn. We love this place, although Morgan's Restaurant has gone downhill. For us, the highlight of Morgan's was the night with this tasting menu. Before that we loved the menu options and all our selections. In the last few years, the food is still good, but the menu is uninspired with no specials. We've been very disappointed, and Morgan's is no longer our favorite restaurant.

We've also discussed other getaways. We want to move somewhere south of here in the next two-to-three years and have to explore areas. I want to go to New Hope, Pennsylvania even though I doubt we'll end up there. I have fond memories of day trips to the Playhouse when I was in high school, and there are many things to do. We have an open invitation to visit our friend in Baltimore. I would also like to return to Boston and Salem before we leave Connecticut.

I'm not sure how we'll juggle all these things, but it will be fun to try.