Avoidance

For the past 10 days, Jeff's been dealing with a health problem. So, I've been dealing with a health problem. I don't want to get into any details, but Jeff's on the mend and will have to take it easy for a few weeks. 

Usually I process things by writing, but for the past ten days, I avoided writing. I wrote a short blog post about Joe Biden on Inauguration Day. I forced myself to write in my journal on Sunday. I also tried to write a story for my fiction class, but couldn't manage more than about 100 words. 

This post is a baby step. 

Hello Joe. Whatta You Know?

You're President, so here we go. (Apologies to Joltin' Joe DiMaggio.)

Inauguration Day 2021--our long national nightmare is over. I stole the line from Gerald Ford and used it in another post about the length of the presidential campaign.

Donald Trump is gone--at least from the White House. I read this article last night. I heartily agree that Trump is the worst President in US history. I learned a lot from the article about Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. I couldn't have told you anything about Pierce before; the only thing I knew about Buchanan was that he was the only bachelor president. (Bachelor President--sounds like a new dating show on Fox TV.) Thank you US high school education. 

Grievance President--that's how CNN's John King described Trump, who blames anyone and everyone else for his problems and failures.

Good riddance is too mild a term for my feelings.

Welcome Joe Biden, fellow Blue Hen. You will take the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic disaster seriously. Just by doing that, you will eclipse your predecessor. 

2021 Book One: Time and Again by Jack Finney

I learned about this time travel book from Bette Bono in my writing class who also wrote a time travel book.

Si Morley is recruited for a secret government project that is investigating if time travel is possible. Si successfully makes three trips to New York City in 1882. He requests the year because of a mysterious letter his girlfriend has. With each trip Si spends a longer time in the past, learning more about the mysterious letter, and getting more involved with the people of 1882.

I thought it took a little too long for the story to get going, but once it did, I really enjoyed it. I've got the sequel to read next.

Impeachment Part Two

The House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump for the second time: the charge is incitement of insurrection. Nothing further can happen until at least January 19th when the Senate returns.

Ten House Republicans voted for impeachment. It's been reported that some members were afraid for their families' safety if they voted for impeachment. Other House Republicans presented ridiculous arguments in Trump's defense. 

January 20th can't come soon enough. 

Student Art Show

Because I took two Mixed Media and Collage classes at Rowayton Arts Center, I was eligible to enter two pieces in the Instructors and Students Art Show. I was hesitant: as I really an artist?

The link above has the whole show. Part of the show is only virtual. Here are my collages. 

I won't exactly set the art world on fire. At least I can honestly say I had works in an art show. 

Exhausted

I woke up at 3 AM this morning. At first I assumed the need to use the bathroom woke me. But something was wrong--there was a weird noise. Jeff heard it too. We soon discovered water was leaking in our closet from the unit above ours. I dressed and went upstairs and banged on the door. No answer. I called our management company, got the answering service. Our property manager called me back at 3:20. He suggested I try the neighbor again, and he would try to contact our super. I literally pounded on our neighbor's door for four minutes. Then I visited the unit owner who lives under us to warn her. She also heard the water. I went back to our place and Jeff had placed several trash cans, pots, and a plastic tub to catch water from numerous leaks. One leak was directly over my pillow. 

A little later the super showed. The neighbor did not respond to his knocking or a phone call. The super told us he would be back the next morning, with a locksmith if necessary. Most of the dripping had stopped by this time--it was about 4-4:30. I knew I couldn't go back to sleep even if I had a dry pillow, so I stayed up. At least Jeff managed to doze off a few times. 

I had planned to go to the opening reception of the Student Art Show at Rowayton Arts Center today, but I felt like a zombie. I didn't think I could handle normal conversations. I'll check out the show later this week. 

Instead I washed pillows, changed the bed, and did some clean up, including drying the wet part of the carpet with a hair dryer. This situation is very frustrating: this is the third time in about a year that the neighbor's negligence has caused water leaks in our unit. We just had the painter here the week before Christmas. 

As an added bonus, Lola threw up. 

Tomorrow will be a better day.

Another Dream

My next fiction writing class starts Monday on Zoom. I dreamed about an in-person class. There were several of us in a large room. I had class access on my phone, but I wanted to get access on my laptop. Why I needed computer access for an in-person class, I don't know. I tried to log in and couldn't get the right web address. I asked Bette (a real classmate) what she used and tried that. No luck. The instructor told me I had missed half the class.

So what's it all mean? I reread this article on anxiety dreams. It didn't help me understand my dream. I call these types of dreams frustration dreams, more annoyance than anxiety.

Of course, it's normal to be anxious these days, to be frustrated, to be scared because of Covid-19 and armed insurrection at the US Capitol. Luckily, my writing class is a force against frustration, anxiety, and fear. It helps to keep me grounded. 

Insurrection in the Capitol

I was at Oyster Shell Park with Lola when it started. I heard the news on the drive home. Then I watched CNN for several hours. Watching rampaging terrorists invade the Capitol was horrific and surreal. These so-called patriots smashed windows, vandalized offices, and stole at least one laptop from Senator Jeff Merkley. Here are some images. Luckily they didn't destroy any artwork in the Rotunda. Pipe bombs and a suspicious vehicle were also found in the southeast corner of the Capitol.

Equally horrific was the response of the Capitol police. I wish I could say it was just incompetence--gross incompetence based on all of Trump's tweets inviting supporters to march to the Capitol to pressure Republicans to reject election results of Biden's win. As far back as December 19th, a tweet ended: "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild."

It was worse than that. It's reported that police officers opened doors and gates for the rioters and posed for selfies with them. Obviously they did not treat this threat as they did potential Black Lives Matter protests.

In 1963 after the assassination of President John Kennedy, Malcom X famously said it was a a case of "chickens coming home to roost." Wednesday's riot with its ensuing injuries and deaths is another case of chickens coming home to roost. Even before Trump, Republicans have used fear mongering, racism, and hate as a key part of its message. Trump just inflamed and incited the mob to violence. 

This cannot stand. 

2020 Goals Review--Part Two

Writing: I had a modest goal--write 500 words two days a week. It's pitiful that I didn't do it. Now I did take writing classes. Originally my flash fiction class was supposed to start in person in mid-March. Instead we started a Zoom class in April. That class ran to mid-June. We started another on July 6 and this class ran until August 17. The last class of the year ran from mid September through November 30. Our classes were on Mondays and we missed several Monday holidays over the year. I'm happy with my work in these classes (for the most part) but most of my work was short pieces--the longest was 867 words. I can't let class assignments keep me from other writing. 

I participated in other Zoom writing classes/seminars: CrimeConn, memoir, and how to keep writing over the holidays. 

I also wanted to read and write more poetry and return to the poetry group. I wrote four poems this year. I started reading Leaves of Grass but haven't picked it up in at least a month. I am getting a Poem of the Day email. That's a start. I have not returned to the poetry group. 

I had vague goals concerning health. I went to the gynecologist and the eye doctor, got a mammogram and bone density test, got flu, pneumonia, and shingles shots. 

Finance and legal goals were also vague. I am working on these slowly. My mother's estate is still hanging over my head. Thanks IRS--we're waiting for a refund from 2017.

I said I wanted to do more "arty" things. I succeeded in this goal, despite the lack of opportunities to go to art shows. I took two in-person socially distant collage and mixed media classes September through December. It was a lot of fun, the instructor was encouraging, and I'm wondering if maybe it's possible that I am an artist. I visited the Vida Americana exhibit in NYC. Sono also held an art gallery walk from October through December. 

Cleaning/organizing: Covid-19 made a big impact in this category. I never disinfected so much; I even became a bit of a disinfecting wipe hoarder. 

Covid-19 also wiped out our travel plans to explore new areas to research for a potential move. I doubt we do any traveling for months (at least.)

TCM Noir: The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry

I don't watch Noir Alley every week, but I usually check out the selections. This week's description was sparse: something like a man poisoned his good sister when he meant to poison his bad sister. 

The movie was slow-moving, although well-acted. Unfortunately, the ending sucked--equivalent to "it was just a dream." I had to rewatch the scene; I wasn't sure what part was the dream. 

Apparently the studio filmed five endings and picked one that made a waste of the film. 

2020 Goals Review--Part One

I'll start with some successes.

I stopped drinking for about six weeks. Some variation of this has been an annual goal for over 20 years. I only remember failing once. I was at a work dinner; a co-worker ordered a bottle of white wine and no one else was drinking it, so I had a glass. A dumb reason to miss a goal. I was proud that I kept my goal the year I broke my ankle--that would have been a good excuse to drink. 

Blogging: I selected 200 posts as a reasonable goal. I didn't want to write posts just for the sake of writing posts when I struggled for something to say. I wrote 207 posts in 2020.

Exercise goals: I wanted to go to the gym 150 times and exercise at least one half hour every day. I had been on a roll--going to the gym often since sometime last fall. This year I only went to the gym 39 times. I last went to the gym on March 16th before the state closed the gyms that night. In Connecticut, the gyms reopened in July, but I haven't returned. I had hoped to resume visits in September, but I still don't feel comfortable working out in the gym. 

I've been walking Lola every day, and I try to do some other exercise. I miss going to the gym, but the risks aren't worth it. 

Reading: My goal was to read 25 books. I read 23, including most of the books in the house. I read a few poetry chapbooks and part of Leaves of Grass that aren't included in the 23. This was a doable goal; I'm disappointed I didn't met it. 

Welcome 2021!

Ten years ago, I posted the link to this song. My father died in 2010. My nephews sued the estate. It was a stressful time. 

It was nothing compared to 2020. In some ways I'm in a better place now than I was then. The rest of the world is not. 

The entire year has been overshadowed by Covid-19. I wish all the trauma could be gone with the turn of calendar page, but that's not possible. Today the US surpassed 20 million recorded Covid-19 cases. The nation has also set a Covid hospitalization rate for the fourth straight day. January will be tough especially with all the people who have insisted on traveling over the holidays (even members of our family.) 

Yet I can't help but feel hopeful for 2021.There are Covid vaccines, even though it will take several months for us all to be vaccinated. 

We can hold on. We have to.