Living in the Time of Corona

Good evening my Corona friends and foes, hope everyone is happy and healthy, and not terribly on edge because of a big event happening in ten days, and I am not talking about the cure for Covid with a release of a vaccine. I won’t even mention the big event by name as to get myself and everyone else fired up. There is enough noise out there to do it all on its own. I have taken to watching Silent Witness on BBC, and I have worked my way up to season 15 and there are twenty one, so enough to occupy my time to keep off cable news. I must say this is just the kind of show that really is uplifting, cutting up all those bodies in the Coroner’s office, and the most bizarre evil crimes, with a bit of romance, and no not with dead bodies, but rather the corners with the police detectives. The kind of show that really brings you to a lighter mood just before bed. It says a lot about the state of the world if I am resorting to blood and guts to lighten my mood.  Speaking of guts, I may as well spill mine here since I don’t mind sharing, as you may have noticed I tend to overshare sometimes.  It seems I have a bout of diverticulitis and as much as I tried to ignore it these past few days, I found I could not treat it with my usual chardonnay and Advil, just wasn’t cutting it. They say it could be brought on by stress and for those you have suffered through it, I can tell you it is very painful and I liken it to labor pains with no medication, I can’t tell how men would describe it.  I have a pattern here as I try and avoid doctor visits as much as possible and these flare-ups generally occur on a weekend, hence my primary care is the emergency room.  Imagine my delight today when I called the Doctor who said he felt confident enough to give me a prescription. Let me just say that never happens, as I would have to get a cat scan and hang around and 8 hours later go home with my medication. So I am going to give the covid a high five on this one and thanks for keeping me out of the ER.  I am already feeling much better, and my roommate has been taking very good care of me, although we passed on the dinner box this week, so a little Trader Joes mushy meatloaf for dinner, but no Vodka on the rocks tonight. I am thinking of maybe taking a break this week from my kettle, as I have to be totally on my game to convince those undecided voters. I voted last weekend in person and then I discovered as a Boston resident I could have voted at Fenway. My friends went and they even got to go in the bleachers, normally they charge about $25 to tour the park, do you think they are buying votes? I wonder if they would find out if I voted twice.  Covid has some bright spots as well and I don’t mean any disrespect but my nephew’s son had a Bar Mitzvah last Saturday and we watched it on zoom in our PJ’s, you know these things can stress you out about what to wear, especially since nothing fits with Covid 19LBS.  Anyway, we were able to do a little drive by that afternoon and get a picture with Jacob, so all was grand. His parents will just have to throw him an amazing sixteen birthday party someday, and hopefully, there will be no masks, 3 years and counting.  I was reading an article in the newspaper the other day that Thanksgiving will be a lot smaller for most people, people are ordering smaller turkeys and even turkey breasts. I guess I won’t be cooking my 25-pound turkeys I am sure even though Techie loves my turkey and stuffing, we can’t be eating it for two weeks. This is my lover’s favorite holiday and we have always insisted that my kids come to our home for Thanksgiving and the outlaws can have Christmas, but my Maxi, Alana, and Tilda will not be traveling from Philadelphia this year, oh wait we have turned a corner so it is still on the table. I have actually spoken with people who are really sad that their crazy old uncle and obnoxious sister in-laws won’t be joining them. It is a ritual that they mentally prepare for months in advance but now they have to concentrate on working from home, while classes are remote and you have to be sure to have just the right screen on Zoom and be careful not to appear half dressed. So ya, I can see that putting up for a day or two with obnoxious people would be preferred, but we are living in a new reality and that is the Plague of 2020. I don’t want to see at the top of my blog Day 788, so stay safe, social distance, wear a mask and avoid crowds.

When this is all over I just may start a food blog and my nephew who lives in Shanghai sent me some interesting snacks as his 40^th birthday gift to me, thank you, Michael.  I would crack them open now but considering my intestinal track I better wait.

Just sayin……………….

Good evening my Corona friends, hope everyone is happy and well, and enduring our time in this crazy world we are living in 208 days into the madness of this Pandemic. I can’t even joke anymore about “Twilight zone” because sadly I wake up every night to a new nightmare. How did we ever get to this place we are living in today?  We are so divided and the noise just keeps getting louder it is hard to shut it out. I want to go back to a time when I didn’t have to wake up every morning and check to see “what did the asshole do today?” seriously check it out, it’s a real google it.  I know I sound like a broken record but when you think you have seen and heard it all the shit really hits the fan. We have been living a totally different way of life, wearing a mask, washing our hands ad nauseam, staying away from crowds, not seeing friends and family trying to make this all go away, but then you have the non-believers who choose to get their facts from the darknet.  Yes, indeed, most people won’t die but more than a few hundred thousand have.  I say proof enough for me, so get in line people. We are not going to have the luxury of a helicopter whisking us away and having a team of ten or more Doctors leading our care. Believe me, it will never pass muster with your insurance provider, even if you have the “rally good insurance” that my brother Mike always refers to when he has had hospital stays.  I would always be amazed that when I would visit him he could walk down the hall and point out who was getting evicted that day because they didn’t have the “good insurance'” like the one he had.  Well, I am still hanging on to mine and Medicare will be coming soon but I am sticking with the “really good one” for the time being, has an airlift rider should I need it.  I did add it once when I traveled to Africa a few years ago, not realizing I may need it in my own country, I want what he got if I get hit with this “fake virus”.

Anyway enough about the batshit crazy reality we live in, and think of all the positive changes that have come about during this time. Traffic was about null and void for months but I am here to tell you that it is back and not quite to toxic levels yet but enough to make me curse other drivers out. People have been so used to driving on empty highways and city arteries like they were in the Grand Prix, people you need to slow it down and stop darting in and out at 70 miles an hour on the city street. CHILL!!! Generally, people were being much kinder and nicer to each other, but I sense a bit more shortness lately. I totally can be sympathetic to parents who are kind of stretched thin with work and now homeschooling, but I think just decide this was a Gap year for all and let them loose on the TV just don’t watch any cable news, they will have nightmares.  I was talking with my friend Davie today who recently moved to the other side of the country and he said he has lost 6 pounds because of stress and I get so jealous when people say they can’t eat because of stress. I am ballooning right now and have officially passed my  Covid-19, you have to understand, that I grew up with a Mom (best ever) whose philosophy was to have something good to eat and you will feel better.  Mom, we miss you and I can assure you all of your eleven of your children have followed through on your mantra, just some more than others. Of course, it doesn’t help that my favorite foods in the whole world are really crispy French fries loaded with salt or Regina’s pizza. I have been very busy sampling these culinary delights all over the city and right now I have grown to love the truffle fries at Lola burger, just the right amount of salt. I wonder if they are still open.

So a few days ago while cleaning out my office I came across a CD that was labeled Mom, in a bit of a chicken scratch, so I knew it was from my Maxi. Now I may have mentioned my technological inadequacies so not sure what to do with it and I thought it was a file of pictures. No worries because I live with Techie and I asked him to open it, he looks at me first like, are you serious?  Being the kind lover that he is tells me it is a CD that Max made for me probably twenty years ago for a Birthday. Several days go by and then I remember that I can play it in my car and I pope it in and the memories flowed out and I couldn’t stop crying. Rest assured they were pure tears of joy as I remembered each with beautiful and happy memories. I was on an Annie Lennox kick years ago and couldn’t stop playing the walking on broken glass and making my kids dance with me. Erica, Max, and I had many a dance party in our old house where we actually had a room big enough to host dance parties.  Let me just say I was flying down the highway that day, blasting the music as loud as possible, and remembering how wonderful life can be and all it takes is some dance music. So I suggest for the next few weeks, don’t listen to the news but break out your favorite tunes that remind you of when life was really great and will be again.

I am trying to get this dance party going with my grandchildren and so far they are very receptive, I know there is a short window before they think you are a total Dork.

Just sayin…………..