I think the most distressing thing is that even when this quarantine is over, there is nothing here for me. And really, aside from the ability to order in Chinese of Japanese or Indian, I am not motivated to do anything. Yikes. In less than 2 weeks, I have turned into a zombie....
Monday, March 30, 2020
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Quarantine, Day 10
Ah, the inevitable trade off; lots of time to write, but nothing to write about.
I must be more stressed than I realize - or maybe the book just isn't very good. Everyone Brave is Forgiven remains half read - I keep picking it up just before I go to sleep, and re-reading the same two paragraphs. Time to try a new book; perhaps the first two Hilary Mantell books before the third arrives?
Meanwhile, still lots of magazines to wade through. The pile is dwindling, as they are selective reads; a lot of the Economist articles are past their best-by date, and the New Yorker has always been a crap shoot. The articles are always well written, of course, but some interest me more than others, and some interest me not at all (the pop culture articles generally get a pass).
There was an interesting article about the incessantly cheerful woman who feels no pain (chicken or egg?) Her genes are being studied do that the condition can be replicated (the no pain part, not the incessantly cheerful part), the thought being that the fight or flight response is not quite so necessary without saber-tooth tigers....interesting theory, no?
The other interesting article was on equality, and much to my shock, there was something I agreed with Trump on. "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal..." is bullshit. "Some people born smart, others not so much. Some people are born beautiful, others, well, not so much." It's equality of opportunity that matters, and that is not so easily managed.....
Some thoughts on the Corona virus...
The Hassidic Jews and Evangelical Christians have been doing the opposite of social distancing (the latter being congratulated personally by Trump for continuing to hold their revival type meetings). If I ever were to wish death on anyone.....
The weather has turned rainy and cold, but I managed to dodge the raindrops this morning for a walk....
.......this is local, normally very busy pub at the mid-point of my walk, all shuttered up....
.....some signs of spring, though.....
.....I don't know, even after the quarantine is over, I don't think I will be rushing out to the grocery store.....
I must be more stressed than I realize - or maybe the book just isn't very good. Everyone Brave is Forgiven remains half read - I keep picking it up just before I go to sleep, and re-reading the same two paragraphs. Time to try a new book; perhaps the first two Hilary Mantell books before the third arrives?
Meanwhile, still lots of magazines to wade through. The pile is dwindling, as they are selective reads; a lot of the Economist articles are past their best-by date, and the New Yorker has always been a crap shoot. The articles are always well written, of course, but some interest me more than others, and some interest me not at all (the pop culture articles generally get a pass).
There was an interesting article about the incessantly cheerful woman who feels no pain (chicken or egg?) Her genes are being studied do that the condition can be replicated (the no pain part, not the incessantly cheerful part), the thought being that the fight or flight response is not quite so necessary without saber-tooth tigers....interesting theory, no?
The other interesting article was on equality, and much to my shock, there was something I agreed with Trump on. "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal..." is bullshit. "Some people born smart, others not so much. Some people are born beautiful, others, well, not so much." It's equality of opportunity that matters, and that is not so easily managed.....
Some thoughts on the Corona virus...
The Hassidic Jews and Evangelical Christians have been doing the opposite of social distancing (the latter being congratulated personally by Trump for continuing to hold their revival type meetings). If I ever were to wish death on anyone.....
The weather has turned rainy and cold, but I managed to dodge the raindrops this morning for a walk....
.......this is local, normally very busy pub at the mid-point of my walk, all shuttered up....
.....some signs of spring, though.....
.....I don't know, even after the quarantine is over, I don't think I will be rushing out to the grocery store.....
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Quarantine, Day 7
Yes, back again so soon. That's what will happen when you can't go out, and even if you did, there are no movies, no theater, no opera, no gym, no library, no community centers, no restaurants..... What a strange time this is.
First, the promised theater review. I saw (twice) The City of Conversation, a play written in 2015 (i.e. before the 2016 election) but every bit as relevant, if not more, than when it was written. The aforementioned city of conversation is Washington, D.C, and the play takes place in the Georgetown living room of a liberal opinion maker, starting in the Carter administration through the Obama administration. It is a very smart play, and addresses our ability to think that only we have the right answers, the silos we live in, and how that arrogance destroys people and families, and, perhaps, the country. If we ever get theater again (or, perhaps, on UTube?), and you get a chance to see it, I highly recommended it.
Books. Surprisingly, only four to report, and those are all pre-quarantine. (I'm finding it hard to concentrate on books right now, and am mostly reading articles from old New Yorkers and Economists.)
First, The Splendid and the Vile, by Eric Larson. (What an awful title. What brilliant marketing person had the great idea to put "vile" in a title?). Some of you remember Eric Larson from The Devil in the White City and In The Garden of the Beast. He is a wonderful popular history writer. This one is about Churchill, and London in the days of the Blitz. It is certainly not one of his best offerings, but well worth reading, in my mind (although not well reviewed).
A Golden Grave, by Erin Lindsey. A piece of fluff, mystery set in the gilded age in New York. Fun.
Olive Again, by Elizabeth Strout. Not fun. Olive is a most annoying woman. However, it is well written, and describes getting old as well as anything I have read. And a very satisfactory ending. (I often find endings very unsatisfactory.) I understand that there was an Olive book before this one, and a subsequent Olive. I will look for them, when the library is open again, of course.
Finally, Where the Light Enters, by Sara Donati. A meaty novel, intergenerational, again, an author I was unfamiliar with, but would recommend (if you like the kind of book that is fronted by a family tree, has an epilogue, and gives you a concussion when you fall asleep reading it).
Whatever you do, don't order these books on Amazon. In fact, don't order anything on Amazon. One of the many articles I have read recently is an in-depth discussion of Jeff Bezos and Amazon. What a piece of work that man is, and what a terrible place for people to work, the $15 hourly wage to the contrary notwithstanding. Boycott Amazon!!!
And then there are our illustrious politicians! The Democrats in Washington tried to put Planned Parenthood in their emergency bill - and many other such partisan goodies. Meanwhile, the Republicans' provisions would have resulted in the Trump hotels getting millions of dollars in emergency money. And before the Canadians start to get too smug, how about the Liberals attempt to get unsupervised taxing and spending authority until the end of 2021 in their emergency bill? Pah. A pox on all their houses.
On a lighter note, the weather has been good (although the rain has started up again today). I'll close with pictures from yesterday's walk.
.....below is a once crowded playground.....
....very different from the Desert sky....
First, the promised theater review. I saw (twice) The City of Conversation, a play written in 2015 (i.e. before the 2016 election) but every bit as relevant, if not more, than when it was written. The aforementioned city of conversation is Washington, D.C, and the play takes place in the Georgetown living room of a liberal opinion maker, starting in the Carter administration through the Obama administration. It is a very smart play, and addresses our ability to think that only we have the right answers, the silos we live in, and how that arrogance destroys people and families, and, perhaps, the country. If we ever get theater again (or, perhaps, on UTube?), and you get a chance to see it, I highly recommended it.
Books. Surprisingly, only four to report, and those are all pre-quarantine. (I'm finding it hard to concentrate on books right now, and am mostly reading articles from old New Yorkers and Economists.)
First, The Splendid and the Vile, by Eric Larson. (What an awful title. What brilliant marketing person had the great idea to put "vile" in a title?). Some of you remember Eric Larson from The Devil in the White City and In The Garden of the Beast. He is a wonderful popular history writer. This one is about Churchill, and London in the days of the Blitz. It is certainly not one of his best offerings, but well worth reading, in my mind (although not well reviewed).
A Golden Grave, by Erin Lindsey. A piece of fluff, mystery set in the gilded age in New York. Fun.
Olive Again, by Elizabeth Strout. Not fun. Olive is a most annoying woman. However, it is well written, and describes getting old as well as anything I have read. And a very satisfactory ending. (I often find endings very unsatisfactory.) I understand that there was an Olive book before this one, and a subsequent Olive. I will look for them, when the library is open again, of course.
Finally, Where the Light Enters, by Sara Donati. A meaty novel, intergenerational, again, an author I was unfamiliar with, but would recommend (if you like the kind of book that is fronted by a family tree, has an epilogue, and gives you a concussion when you fall asleep reading it).
Whatever you do, don't order these books on Amazon. In fact, don't order anything on Amazon. One of the many articles I have read recently is an in-depth discussion of Jeff Bezos and Amazon. What a piece of work that man is, and what a terrible place for people to work, the $15 hourly wage to the contrary notwithstanding. Boycott Amazon!!!
And then there are our illustrious politicians! The Democrats in Washington tried to put Planned Parenthood in their emergency bill - and many other such partisan goodies. Meanwhile, the Republicans' provisions would have resulted in the Trump hotels getting millions of dollars in emergency money. And before the Canadians start to get too smug, how about the Liberals attempt to get unsupervised taxing and spending authority until the end of 2021 in their emergency bill? Pah. A pox on all their houses.
On a lighter note, the weather has been good (although the rain has started up again today). I'll close with pictures from yesterday's walk.
.....below is a once crowded playground.....
....very different from the Desert sky....
Supposed to rain for the next few days. I'll see what I can amuse you guys with tomorrow....
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Quarantine, Day 6
What a difference three weeks makes! Unless you have been living in a cave, you know that the Corona Virus has upended everyone's life. Mine is no exception, although, as always, I am luckier than most - and well aware of the fact,,,,
On about March 12, Prime Minister Trudeau "suggested" that all Canadians return home from abroad "while public transportation is still available". You all know how much I love the Desert - I call it my happy place - and that I'm not, as a general rule, a fearful sort. However, my instincts have stood me in good stead over my life, and my instincts were to get out of Dodge. I got on the computer and booked the first flight that presented itself, Westjet to Vancouver by way of Calgary on March 19 (I had new hearing aids being delivered and an eye exam scheduled, so couldn't leave much before that). I - inadvertently - got lucky even in the choice of flights. But more on that later.
To briefly recap activities from the time I last wrote until the time I left, there were a number of reconnections with people I hadn't seen for weeks and/or months; coffee with Judi and Elaine, dinner at John's, dinner at Sue's, dinner at Mr. Lyon's with friend Michael in honour of his 75th birthday (best meal I've eaten out for a long time), the start of a new class - always cause for excitement! However, by the end of the two weeks, cancellations already abounded. Bridge was cancelled due to the Corona virus. Classes were cancelled due to the Corona virus. The Metropolitan Opera was shut down; no live opera, no simulcast, so that was cancelled. I had scheduled a theater outing, and discovered on arrival that the next day's performance would be the last (thanks to the virus). More on the play later. Suffice it to say that when it was over, I bought tickets for the next day (it was a terrific play; and arts organizations will be struggling...). And the pre-play dinner was down to two (from 4) due to health concerns. Restaurants still open, but only momentarily.
In short, lots of time for me to close up shop and get ready to go. That process is never very difficult for me; my life is fairly simple, and (as always) I am lucky to have Michael to take care of my Desert oasis while I am gone.
Trip home was uneventful, and going through Calgary was great. It is a new airport, and much more efficient in terms of Canadian customs than, say, Vancouver would have been. The whole process took me maybe 10 minutes, including my fumbling with the Nexus machine. Friend John picked me up from the airport in Vancouver - and that was when it started to get tricky. He had me sit in the back seat; when I asked why, he told me that he had been exposed, via a dentist friend who had been at a 15,000 person dental conference the week before!! In any event, he got me home while keeping a safe distance, of course. A colleague, who occasionally stays at my place while I am gone, had stocked up the fridge, John had brought lots of back issues of the Economist, and other friends had brought New Yorkers and a dozen or more books. So I am ready for my 14 day quarantine. Luckily, my financial circumstances are not affected - presumably my pensions will arrive, as always, at the beginning of the month!
And, by the way, I flew out on Thursday; Westjet's last commercial flight between the US and Canada was the end of the day the following Sunday!!.
People have asked why I didn't just stay in California. I have a place to live and health care down there as well. Truthfully, given the current resident of the White House, and the uncertainty of his response, well, I just feel safer in Vancouver. The Canadian response has been reasoned, calm, and seemingly scientifically sound. And the response - sanitation, social distancing - seems reasonable to me. So here I am. Luckily, the weather has been good, so I am able to take a long walk every day (without seeing too many people, and those at a distance). Between Scrabble and Word Blitz, Sudoku and Solitaire on line, not to mention bridge tutorials, magazines and books, well, I seem to be passing the time, and my mood is remarkably good, in part, at least, due to the lovely sunshine.
Oh, and one silver lining. You know those pictures I have been promising you? My trusty old computer in Vancouver can do the editing I require. So, viola! Presenting, pictures.
First, Desert flora and fauna...
My friend Luci (or is it Desi? Who can tell?)... If I am reading on the patio, and don't notice her immediately, she caws at me, asking for her food.... (don;t worry, I have tasked Michael with feeding her and her extended family in my absence) ...
..we had a bit of rain in the Desert this year - more than usual, I think - and rain in the Desert means snow in the mountains....
....and then there are those wonderful Desert skies.....
And a sampling of some of the many meals enjoyed in the company of friends (when we were still able to have meals out with friends) ...
Tom visited as part of his attendance at the bridge tournament (seems like a million years ago). Mostly, we cooked at home - both Tom and I like doing that - but we had to do our traditional meal at Don and Sweet Sue's, still my favourite local diner...
....Tom, John and I celebrated the anniversary of Jim's death (Jim was John's partner, who died last year as a result of COPD) at John Henry's, Jim's favourite restaurant (not mine, but I wasn't the star of the evening...)..
...part of the joy of the Desert is making new friends. DeAnne, is someone I met at the bridge club. She shares my passion for the opera, and our friendship has developed over the course of this season. This was a dinner at Bernie's - my recommendation. The dinner itself was awful - the chef got over exuberant with the salt shaker - but the company was great!
.....finally, the aforementioned dinner at Mr. Lyons in honour of Michael's 75th birthday. Now this was a special dinner. We shared a rib eye steak, and the chef, at my request, made creamed spinach (admittedly, not as good as my mother's creamed spinach, and considerably more expensive, but he definitely got A for effort). A very good meal!
(sorry about the quality of the picture, but I wanted it to be memorialized anyway....)
Before the world shut down (including, I should mention, an upcoming trip to LA to see Hamilton), the Osher School of Life Long Learning had organized a trip to LA to go to the Broad Museum.
We stopped first at Olivera Street, a Mexican market long popular in LA but one I had never visited....
.....we headed off to the Broad Museum. This is the newest modern art museum in LA. I have been wanting to go for ages, but the lines have always been too long. Our (organized) group got in without waiting, and broke up into groups of 15 for a personalized tour. I very much liked the special exhibition of Basquiats....
....but the rest of the museum was a bit of a disappointment.
.....small, and I've certainly seen better collections elsewhere. Verdict: I'm glad I went, but I don't have to go again.
The following week, friend Sue and I returned to LA (it is only an hour and a half drive on a Sunday morning) on our own to hear Dudamel conduct the LA Philharmonic.
It was not an inspiring program, but the conducting, as usual for Dudamel, was spectacular, and I do love Disney Hall (it is always nice to see what can be done with money....) A nice outing....
And, last hurrah for Palm Springs, Dorothy's 90th birthday party. In an "only in Palm Springs" twist, I got to know Dorothy at the gym, which she still attends at 90 - as do I - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The "do" was held at Pete's Hideaway, a Palm Springs tradition, and was absolutely lovely!
Dorothy's daughter was the Master of Ceremonies, but really, formalities were kept to a minimum...
...all the regulars from the gym were there...
....here's Howard, our fearless leader (and previously seen on these pages)...
....and the birthday girl herself.....
... and her daughters....
.
...more gym attendees...
...and, of course, the cake....
... a granddaughter was also in attendance....
....and I couldn't resist one example of the decorations...
....and finally, Dorothy being serenaded with Happy Birthday by Pete (of Pete's Hideaway, don't ya know....)
It was a great way to say goodbye (I was off a few days later). And I will leave it there for now. I haven't forgotten my promise to describe my theater outing, and there are lots of books to report on. But tomorrow is another day, and lack of time is not currently an excuse. Ta ta for now....
On about March 12, Prime Minister Trudeau "suggested" that all Canadians return home from abroad "while public transportation is still available". You all know how much I love the Desert - I call it my happy place - and that I'm not, as a general rule, a fearful sort. However, my instincts have stood me in good stead over my life, and my instincts were to get out of Dodge. I got on the computer and booked the first flight that presented itself, Westjet to Vancouver by way of Calgary on March 19 (I had new hearing aids being delivered and an eye exam scheduled, so couldn't leave much before that). I - inadvertently - got lucky even in the choice of flights. But more on that later.
To briefly recap activities from the time I last wrote until the time I left, there were a number of reconnections with people I hadn't seen for weeks and/or months; coffee with Judi and Elaine, dinner at John's, dinner at Sue's, dinner at Mr. Lyon's with friend Michael in honour of his 75th birthday (best meal I've eaten out for a long time), the start of a new class - always cause for excitement! However, by the end of the two weeks, cancellations already abounded. Bridge was cancelled due to the Corona virus. Classes were cancelled due to the Corona virus. The Metropolitan Opera was shut down; no live opera, no simulcast, so that was cancelled. I had scheduled a theater outing, and discovered on arrival that the next day's performance would be the last (thanks to the virus). More on the play later. Suffice it to say that when it was over, I bought tickets for the next day (it was a terrific play; and arts organizations will be struggling...). And the pre-play dinner was down to two (from 4) due to health concerns. Restaurants still open, but only momentarily.
In short, lots of time for me to close up shop and get ready to go. That process is never very difficult for me; my life is fairly simple, and (as always) I am lucky to have Michael to take care of my Desert oasis while I am gone.
Trip home was uneventful, and going through Calgary was great. It is a new airport, and much more efficient in terms of Canadian customs than, say, Vancouver would have been. The whole process took me maybe 10 minutes, including my fumbling with the Nexus machine. Friend John picked me up from the airport in Vancouver - and that was when it started to get tricky. He had me sit in the back seat; when I asked why, he told me that he had been exposed, via a dentist friend who had been at a 15,000 person dental conference the week before!! In any event, he got me home while keeping a safe distance, of course. A colleague, who occasionally stays at my place while I am gone, had stocked up the fridge, John had brought lots of back issues of the Economist, and other friends had brought New Yorkers and a dozen or more books. So I am ready for my 14 day quarantine. Luckily, my financial circumstances are not affected - presumably my pensions will arrive, as always, at the beginning of the month!
And, by the way, I flew out on Thursday; Westjet's last commercial flight between the US and Canada was the end of the day the following Sunday!!.
People have asked why I didn't just stay in California. I have a place to live and health care down there as well. Truthfully, given the current resident of the White House, and the uncertainty of his response, well, I just feel safer in Vancouver. The Canadian response has been reasoned, calm, and seemingly scientifically sound. And the response - sanitation, social distancing - seems reasonable to me. So here I am. Luckily, the weather has been good, so I am able to take a long walk every day (without seeing too many people, and those at a distance). Between Scrabble and Word Blitz, Sudoku and Solitaire on line, not to mention bridge tutorials, magazines and books, well, I seem to be passing the time, and my mood is remarkably good, in part, at least, due to the lovely sunshine.
Oh, and one silver lining. You know those pictures I have been promising you? My trusty old computer in Vancouver can do the editing I require. So, viola! Presenting, pictures.
First, Desert flora and fauna...
My friend Luci (or is it Desi? Who can tell?)... If I am reading on the patio, and don't notice her immediately, she caws at me, asking for her food.... (don;t worry, I have tasked Michael with feeding her and her extended family in my absence) ...
..we had a bit of rain in the Desert this year - more than usual, I think - and rain in the Desert means snow in the mountains....
....and then there are those wonderful Desert skies.....
A few reminders of Christmas in the Desert....
Tom visited as part of his attendance at the bridge tournament (seems like a million years ago). Mostly, we cooked at home - both Tom and I like doing that - but we had to do our traditional meal at Don and Sweet Sue's, still my favourite local diner...
....Tom, John and I celebrated the anniversary of Jim's death (Jim was John's partner, who died last year as a result of COPD) at John Henry's, Jim's favourite restaurant (not mine, but I wasn't the star of the evening...)..
...part of the joy of the Desert is making new friends. DeAnne, is someone I met at the bridge club. She shares my passion for the opera, and our friendship has developed over the course of this season. This was a dinner at Bernie's - my recommendation. The dinner itself was awful - the chef got over exuberant with the salt shaker - but the company was great!
.....finally, the aforementioned dinner at Mr. Lyons in honour of Michael's 75th birthday. Now this was a special dinner. We shared a rib eye steak, and the chef, at my request, made creamed spinach (admittedly, not as good as my mother's creamed spinach, and considerably more expensive, but he definitely got A for effort). A very good meal!
(sorry about the quality of the picture, but I wanted it to be memorialized anyway....)
Before the world shut down (including, I should mention, an upcoming trip to LA to see Hamilton), the Osher School of Life Long Learning had organized a trip to LA to go to the Broad Museum.
We stopped first at Olivera Street, a Mexican market long popular in LA but one I had never visited....
......after lunch (my first Mexican meal of the season, and undoubtedly the best)....
.....we headed off to the Broad Museum. This is the newest modern art museum in LA. I have been wanting to go for ages, but the lines have always been too long. Our (organized) group got in without waiting, and broke up into groups of 15 for a personalized tour. I very much liked the special exhibition of Basquiats....
....but the rest of the museum was a bit of a disappointment.
.....small, and I've certainly seen better collections elsewhere. Verdict: I'm glad I went, but I don't have to go again.
The following week, friend Sue and I returned to LA (it is only an hour and a half drive on a Sunday morning) on our own to hear Dudamel conduct the LA Philharmonic.
It was not an inspiring program, but the conducting, as usual for Dudamel, was spectacular, and I do love Disney Hall (it is always nice to see what can be done with money....) A nice outing....
And, last hurrah for Palm Springs, Dorothy's 90th birthday party. In an "only in Palm Springs" twist, I got to know Dorothy at the gym, which she still attends at 90 - as do I - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The "do" was held at Pete's Hideaway, a Palm Springs tradition, and was absolutely lovely!
Dorothy's daughter was the Master of Ceremonies, but really, formalities were kept to a minimum...
...all the regulars from the gym were there...
....here's Howard, our fearless leader (and previously seen on these pages)...
....and the birthday girl herself.....
... and her daughters....
...more gym attendees...
...and, of course, the cake....
... a granddaughter was also in attendance....
....and I couldn't resist one example of the decorations...
....and finally, Dorothy being serenaded with Happy Birthday by Pete (of Pete's Hideaway, don't ya know....)
It was a great way to say goodbye (I was off a few days later). And I will leave it there for now. I haven't forgotten my promise to describe my theater outing, and there are lots of books to report on. But tomorrow is another day, and lack of time is not currently an excuse. Ta ta for now....
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