...it's been a week since my last post, and I wanted to post before this, but...
The first half of the week was medically oriented--Jeff had four doctors' appointments, including follow-ups for his falls last week. We had our flu and Covid vaccine shots and also voted.
This is the first year there was early voting in Norwalk. I love it. There's no reason to make everyone vote on the same day and, in some cases, wait in line for hours.
More to follow.
On Friday I attended a writer's workshop--Visually Compelling Storytelling with Ann Lineberger--at the Norwalk Library.
The workshop was okay, but I really liked getting back to an in-person event at the library. Before Covid, I was going to history programs with light lunches on topics such as the wives of Henry VIII and Romanov empresses in Russia. My writing classes also began in-person before switching to Zoom.
Before the workshop, I picked up the last two Preston & Child Pendergast books--Bloodless and The Cabinet of Dr. Leng--to re-read before I read the latest book, Angel of Vengeance--to be published August 13.
It was also nice to see two people from my writing classes in attendance. One man is planning to self-publish a book. He wore silver--gray nail polish, and I kept thinking of Tom Sandoval. (Ugh.) The other person was Anne. We talked for a few minutes after class and plan to get together for coffee.
Here's what's on my mind.
Health: Jeff and I got our Covid shots today. In four of my five previous Covid shots, I've had bad reactions. I scheduled this appointment before a day with no plans, just in case. We've also completed our annual physicals recently.
Baseball: We're watching more baseball than I thought we would. Happy to see two Game Sevens in the League Championship Series; happy to see the Rangers beat the Astros last night. We're watching Game Seven between the Phillies and the Diamondbacks now.
Sleep: We overslept this morning. It was not a big problem, but obviously I got off to a later start than I had planned. I'm debating setting the alarm again. I had been waking up early without an alarm. It's easier in the summer morning light.
Weather: Just as we're getting used to fall weather, summer will return this week with temperatures flirting with the 80s. I'm not complaining, but it's weird. Jace and I will do some hiking.
Cleaning/Organizing: I'm almost done with consolidating the stuff of Jeff's and my car. A friend was happy to get some of the car emergency items, and I was happy to give them to her. Most of the things left will go to Goodwill.
Writer's Doubt: I've barely written anything lately and am doubting myself. Can NaNoWriMo be the answer?
The week started off well. Jace and I both had good checkups at the doctors. On Tuesday, I did two of my major weekly chores: food shopping and laundry. Jeff and I returned to the gym on Wednesday and had good workouts. I also took Jace for a hike on the western part of the Norwalk River Valley Trail--the first time for Jace. He loved it. Two people told me he looked happy. Another said he was impossibly cute.
Thursday night I started sneezing and coughing. My throat hurt and I was chilled. I've been sick ever since. I feel better today, but am still spending most of the day in bed. Jace has been very attentive. Cynthia has been a big help, lending me a thermometer, walking Jace in the afternoons, and buying tissues and throat lozenges for me. I've tested negative for Covid twice, so I think this is a bad case of the flu.
Jeff's birthday is tomorrow. I don't think I'll be up to going out. I'll make it up to him.
I usually wait until the year is over before reviewing it. I recently heard a segment on the radio about preparing for performance reviews. The report was focused on the workplace, even though performance reviews aren't as popular as they used to be. I thought it would be a good exercise to start a review of my personal performance.
Covid-19 overshadowed this year as well as last year. By this time last year, a vaccine (maybe two) had been developed, but it was available only to a few. We started the year sheltering and were careful throughout the year. Jeff's health problems were also challenging, and so were Lola's to a lesser extent.
I'm the healthy one. I took care of all my long neglected health check-ups and tests, got necessary vaccinations. I returned to the gym in June (Jeff too.) Lola is helping me stay healthy too by our daily walks. I am exercising most days between gym visits, walking Lola, and working out at home (mostly stretching.) I'll list my number of gym visits when the year is over.
As usual, we've done our alcohol fast. It starts after New Year's Day, depending on what day New Year's is. In 2022, we'll probably start Monday January 3rd and end on Valentine's Day (a Friday.) I was proud this year that I wasn't tempted to drink while Jeff was in the hospital. (Similarly, I didn't drink the year I broke my ankle in the wee hours of New Year's Day. Both events would have given me good excuses.)
Looking back at the 2021 goals I posted, they are incomplete and somewhat sketchy. My goal to read 30 books was specific. To date, I've read 33 and re-read five books. I may finish my current book and and list them.
Another specific goal was to write 200 blog posts. This is my 187th. This goal is doable as long as I have enough of interest (at least to me) to post. I've been in a bit of writing/posting mood so I'm feeling optimistic about this. We'll see.
More to follow.
Sunday was a wasted day after my Covid-19 booster shot on Saturday night. I had various body aches, fatigue, fever, and chills all day. I barely had enough energy to take Lola to Oyster Shell for a half-hour walk. I had very little appetite, only for rye toast with butter and mandarin oranges. I had prepared for a bad reaction, but hoped for less. A friend said she was ill for a day-and-a-half. Another woman told me it would be a cinch because the booster was a half-dose.
I felt better by Monday morning for my last writing class of the fall. I was pleased to get a good response to my story, especially from the best writers in the class. I took Lola for a walk on NRVT, made a steak dinner (postponed from Sunday when Jeff got Thai takeout because I was too wiped out to cook) and dusted the dining area and part of the living room.
Today I did the grocery shopping and the laundry. In between I took Jeff to the doctor and Lola to the dog park. The grocery store was much busier than normal, but since I am taking the easy way out for Thanksgiving (catering from Whole Foods) it went smoothly. I had more laundry than expected, mainly because of a blanket that fell behind the couch and flannel sheets. We had a relatively easy dinner of manicotti from the farmer's market (the first time we tried this) with my marinara sauce and a salad.
Now I'm winding down; I need to take Lola out, get ready for bed, and read a bit. I'm reading another book about the Romanovs--this one focused on finding and identifying the bodies of the last Tsar and his family, and all the imposter claimants to the throne.
I had my Covid-19 booster shot tonight at 7 PM. It was a weird time, but it was the only time I could get in town today.
I had gone into CVS a few weeks ago to pick up prescriptions for Jeff and asked about getting the booster. I didn't realize that I needed to make an appointment. Since I needed a second pneumonia shot and didn't need an appointment, so I got that instead.
I planned the booster shot for today because I don't have to do anything tomorrow except walk Lola. After my two previous shots, I had fever, fatigue, and headaches, so I wanted to leave the day open.
I'll have to see how it goes.
As I have probably written here dozens of times, I don't like to travel on holiday weekends. I can do without extra traffic and crowds.
I understand this Memorial Day is special for many people--the first, almost post-pandemic holiday. Unfortunately the weather is extreme in parts of the country--here in the New York City area, we have record cold and rain. We didn't go to DPF and had to postpone meeting a relative, which involved an outdoor meeting. No biggie, it's not like we planned a vacation.
Today I did some cleaning and cooking. For lunch, I made chicken soup from the broth I made the other day. We had duck breast with fruit sauce and vegetable medley for dinner. I asked myself why I made a potentially messy dinner after thoroughly cleaning the stovetop today.
I also started on a story for my writing class. We don't meet this Monday because of the holiday, but it's nice to have an idea of what I'm writing. Our assignment is to write a one-page monologue or story about some kind of theater ghost.
The Westport Fine Arts Festival is this weekend. The organizers seem to be cursed. Last year they changed the day from sometime in July (after a series of 90-plus degree Festival weekends) to May. Of course, Covid-19 ruined any in-person festivals last spring/summer. This year they have record cold. I'm not tempted to attend this year based on the cold, but I learned yesterday that the Westport Library book sale is also this weekend. I enjoyed the Pequot Library book sale so much. I'm willing to brave the cold for more books.
It's been a long week. On the other hand, it also flew by. I don't understand how both could be true.
I got my second Covid-19 vaccine on Monday. I had a reaction to the second dose--fever, chills, body aches, and a headache. Tuesday was pretty much a lost day. I felt like I was trying to catch up the rest of the week.
Apparently, I should have some protection in two weeks (at least that's what two people have told me--I will check for myself.) I will still be careful: Fairfield County is still a high risk area, and there are variants to worry about. I wear a mask most of the time; I don't go inside restaurants. But I can start thinking of doing things, like going to the gym. Take it slow.
Better late than never. As Gary Cohen said--the Mets had to wait four months for their opener last year, four days isn't too bad.
Better safe than sorry--I'm glad they postponed all three games for the first series because of Covid-19 cases in the Washington Nationals.
Tonight in Philadelphia, Jacob deGrom started his third Opening Day, gave up three hits in six innings, had two hits and a RBI.
But alas, deGrom is denied again. He left the game with a 2-0 lead, and in an all too familiar scenario, his teammates cost him the win.
This was our second Easter while sheltering. While many people are traveling to see family, Jeff and I are not. Plus, Jeff was semi-quarantined for the weekend. He tested negative for Covid-19 on Friday and has a procedure tomorrow at the hospital.
I made dinner. For a change, I made dessert--what my sister used to call depression dessert--because the ingredients are cheap. My mother used to make it and I assume my grandmother before her. A few months ago, my nephew asked if I had the recipe--I do--and I bought the ingredients shortly after that, so I had everything ready to go.
My mother's recipe is a little vague, and I apparently used the wrong size pie plate, but the result was delicious. I didn't remember this dessert being this good.
This Lemon Fluff recipe is very close to what I made.
Spring that is. We've had three days this week with temperatures in the 60's. It felt glorious. I know it won't last, but I don't mind as long as the snow is gone.
I always look forward to spring; February is usually a tough month. In this pandemic year, I am yearning for it. I am looking forward to more, longer walks with Lola, including neighborhood walks that she has recently spurned.
Yesterday we met some friends at Taylor Farm dog park. It wasn't a DPF, of course, but it was nice. As Jen said, we hope more people return this season--we only had five regulars last year--although we enjoyed those small get-togethers.
I also hope spring brings some kind of creative renewal to me. I wrote an essay this week, unrelated to my class. It's silly, but it's writing, and I'm happy I did it. (See my next post.)
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.
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.)
I went to bed last night around 11:40. I had fallen asleep on the couch again, and there wouldn't be any determination of the presidency any time soon. I went to bed earlier than I did four years ago, and it was less certain who would win last night. Four years ago, I woke up in the morning wishing that CNN would report that some horrible mistake had been made.
This morning I woke up almost afraid to turn on the TV. As the day went on, things looked brighter for Biden.
I don't understand how any rational, reasonable person could have voted for Trump in 2016. This year it's even more incomprehensible given Trump's disregard for people, institutions, and the truth. Then there's Trump's criminally negligent response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
If we re-elect Trump, we deserve all the hell he'll unleash.
Like most things this year, Halloween is different. Our friend Jenn lamented that this is the first time in 25 years, she and her husband John haven't had a party. With Norwalk in the red zone, normal trick and treating is discouraged.
We haven't had trick or treaters in years. Jenn and John normally get about 400. Jenn is rigging a contraption to distribute treats without contact. I wonder how it will go. She estimated they would get 100 trick or treaters. But that was before we hit the red zone.
For the past few years, we've gone to A Haunting at Mill Hill; it's a fundraiser for the Norwalk Historical Society. This year it was done as a movie. It was a good movie, but not as effective as wondering the Mill Hill cemetery at night and having the actors perform in front of you.
We've been watching lots of horror movies this month--many courtesy of TCM. Some are classics such as Dracula, Mark of the Vampire, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Diabolique, and William Castle's The House on Haunted Hill.
We saw two Hammer films: Horror of Dracula--good and The Satanic Rites of Dracula--boring--not enough vampires but Joanna Lumley appeared (Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous.)
Other films include 13 Ghosts, Friday the 13th, Halloween H20, Eye of the Devil, and Night of Dark Shadows
Some are so bad, they're almost good: The Killer Shrews with collies appearing as shrews and From Hell It Came in which a martyred tribal leader is reborn as a walking tree trunk.
Two more films of note. We watched The Beast Must Die based on a recommendation from Screen Rant. It had a good set-up: a man invites eight people to a secluded island to discover which one is a werewolf. The first half of the film was so horribly dubbed, it was hard to pay attention.
Indestructible Man is another TCM selection.The Brute (Lon Chaney Junior) is executed, but a scientist reanimates his body and he's out for revenge. Max Showalter plays a police lieutenant who questions a burlesque dancer. At the end of the film, he proposes by telling her he got her fired. He figured she'd be too busy being his wife. How romantic.
I've also recorded The Wicker Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Haunting, and Haxan to watch later.
Happy movie Halloween.
Murky morning is how a WCBS--radio anchor described today. It's been a murky week or so. Many mornings have been both foggy and soggy. I wondered if we had suddenly been relocated to the Pacific Northwest or even London. Unfortunately, none of these soggy days gave us the rain we desperately need, but tomorrow and Friday may bring that.
I listened to the radio on my trip to the dentist (not like Veronica's.) It was my first visit in a year. I had postponed my six month checkup when I thought the Covid-19 shutdown would only last for a month.
I've never talked politics with my dentist before, but today he said something like there was an agenda to shut down New York City. He turned on a video in which a doctor said kids needed to go to school without mitigating factors such as masks and social distancing. He didn't even start to look at my teeth. I told him I didn't want to watch the video. Later we had a more normal conversation for us about the Mets.
It got me thinking about how murky the whole world is now. I can't understand how people can deny the Covid-19 virus. I don't like wearing masks, but can't understand how it violates someone's civil rights.
It's one week until the election. I haven't voted because I had volunteered to be a poll worker. They don't need me, and I tossed my mail-in ballot. Oh well, we'll go early. One article suggested you should carry your own pen. Our polling place uses another kind of marker; I don't want to chance a pen. I can carry disinfectant wipes or wear gloves. That should work.
Yesterday I went into NYC to see an exhibit at the Whitney Museum of Mexican Art: Viva Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art 1925 to 1945. It was originally scheduled to run sometime from January through May. I had been waiting for the weather to warm up a bit before I went, but then Covid-19 shut the city down.
The show has been extended through January 2021. Last week, I figured I better go soon if I wanted a nice day to visit. I did get a nice day--mid 60's through 70 degrees.
I loved the exhibit. It was interesting to see how Diego Rivera's work changed from his first works in Mexico to works in the US, including those under the WPA. His first works celebrated revolution and condemned capitalism. His US works focused more on industries and workers. I learned about his commission for Rockefeller Center Man at the Crossroads. The fresco included an image of Lenin. Rivera refused Rockefeller's request to remove the Lenin image, and Rockefeller had the mural plastered over. Luckily, Rivera recreated the mural as Man, Controller of the Universe in Mexico.
I learned about Jose Clemente Orozco--I had never heard of him--and his mural Prometheus among others. I was surprised to see Jackson Pollack's work in the exhibit: he had worked with Orozco.
After I left the museum, I had lunch at Pastis. It was around 1:20 and the sidewalk dining area was packed, so I decided to try it. I didn't realize it was such an "in" place: Lorne Michaels, Nicole Miller, Juliana Margulies, Jay McInerney, Salman Rushdie, Lynne Coll.
I also walked The High Line on my way back to Grand Central. One entrance is next to the Whitney, and only northward traffic is permitted right now. I loved walking through the gardens and getting a different view of the city. Unfortunately, food and drink vendors are closed. (Of course, if they had been open, I would have missed Pastis.)
Here are some photos I took from the High Line:
It was a wonderful day--I miss days like this.
***
Covid-19 Note: On Tuesday, I heard that Covid-19 cases in Connecticut (as well as New Jersey) had increased enough to trigger the New York State quarantine. Governor Cuomo said it would be impossible to enforce this quarantine because of all the people who have to cross state lines for their jobs. Non-essential travel was discouraged, but I decided to go anyway. I socially distanced myself on the train, took a taxi to the Museum, wore a mask all day except when I had lunch or sipped some water on the train. It was hard to stay socially distanced at the Museum, but we all wore masks. Today I learned Norwalk is a red zone with more than 15 daily cases per 100,000 population over a two-week period.
I'll be staying close to home for awhile.
