Year 2 - Day 190

[shadowkat]

Bro got home okay, and had a long chat with Mother, who regaled me with their trip to London - and niece's current set up.

They apparently have contacts in London, one of which is a Director of British Television series like Call the Midwife - who came in to meet them for a day, and offered for niece to come visit her if she needed a break from London.

The other day, Niece decided to pick up stuff from Ikea. (Apparently, just like NY, there's an Ikea in London. I have never been to IKea in my entire life. I have no idea what it is like. Should I feel deprived? It's hard to say. I don't. I've heard their stuff is kind of cheap.) Anyhow, she just took off without giving them much warning other than - I'm going to IKEA to pick up stuff, and off she went. Unfortunately, she didn't realize that London unlike NYC is not 24/7 and things shut down. Also IKEA is way out there. So she figured out how to get there with buses and stuff, and had a lot of bags, but couldn't figure out how to get back home. She asked around, her phone kind of died so she couldn't get ahold of them - finally did and they told her to just take a cab ride home. Mother was amused.

Her dorm room is smaller than expected, and while her roommate is really nice - they don't have that much in common. The roommate is from Singapore, 19 years of age, and a Freshman. Niece is 17 years of age, from New York, and a Junior. People keep asking her how she managed to get into the London School of Economics at the age of 17 and as a Junior. (Niece is wickedly bright - that's how. I mean seriously, she is. She hated Chinese and made straight As. Also she doesn't see herself as that bright.)

Anyhow, she did get the booster shot - for the Pfizer either before they left or when they got there, with a doctor's prescription. And the school tests for COVID twice a week, and has a goal of testing 80% of the school before it starts. Other than that - according to my brother, London is kind of ignoring the pandemic? Unlike NY which has lots of outdoor dining, almost nothing but outdoor dining - London has very little outdoor dining, and no-one is wearing masks indoors. (Well they aren't exactly here either.) Also not many people wear masks on the streets - while most people are wearing masks on the streets in NYC.

I don't know...I may wait until 2023 to do overseas trips? My niece is 17, and feels immortal. I'm 54, I know I'm not and I've got enough health issues to keep track of, as it is.


Mother still can't see father, but will most likely be released from the Arbor next week - to her home and the home health care aids again. Because she can walk to the bathroom, and get in bed by herself. They are promising that they will provide her with the care she needs at home, even if they have to use an outside service. She can't go back to the Preston and be near my father. Also this is a better room and ironically cheaper, because Medicare pays for it. But she also can't see my father - because of the COVID outbreak - until October 6.
**

Work was better today - mainly because I got pro-active and came up with a few things I can do that will make my job and possibly others easier. Plus I bought bags from Amazon, which I'm hoping are nice. I'm in desperate need of a new cross the body bag. The current one is ragged.

I'm debating buying hair dye - Overtone (which is allegedly good for the hair and has no ugly chemicals). But on the fence about it. I do need a haircut - I'm just procrastinating. Tempted to throw caution to the winds and get a massage.

Found an interesting pod-cast for television/film geeks and James Marsters/Buffy fans out there - Inside You - with James Marsters - the Dark Side of Buffy with Michael Rosenbaum. The start of it? They go in detail about film shoots, lenses, long lens and wide lens shots and hitting your marks. And what that means. (And oh my god, I'm such a geek - I love details like that. )
Note - having just listened to all of it now - don't expect any major revelations. He stays away from personal stuff and doesn't mention his ex-wife at all. Regarding Whedon? He didn't see or hear anything, mainly because he was Mr. Method, and kind of disappeared from the set when he wasn't shooting scenes. Also, he wasn't filming that closely with the others. They asked if he reached out to anyone, he said he texted Sarah, and she was amazed he didn't see any of it and didn't know anything was going on. "Yeah, I was kind of into myself, and being Spike - the method" She retorted, "Oh yeah, you were that guy." Method actors. Sigh. LOL!

Anyhow, what he says about Whedon fits a pattern I've picked up reading about Hollywood Directors and my own workplace, including what recently happened with Governor Cuomo. Basically "Mad Wizard" or the Auteur who is obsessed with his own art, and full of himself.

It's interesting, if you like this sort of thing. I followed it up with a podcast with Charisma, who has charmed me on Twitter. What's weird is these folks are my age. I didn't think they were my age. I thought they were a lot younger when they were playing teens on Buffy and Smallville, and I was my 20s and 30s.

Like I said I'm a geek. I like to hear other folks' stories. I find people interesting. I probably would have made a great journalist in another life. Who knows, maybe there's a version of me in a parallel universe who is a journalist, with kid, and either a wife or husband.

***

COVID

From the NY Times Briefing:

* Dr. Howard Zucker, the New York State health commissioner who came under fire for his possible involvement in obscuring the virus death toll in the state’s nursing homes, resigned. [Not surprising. Probably got tired.]

*Cuba expects to reach “full immunization” with homegrown vaccines by Dec. 31.

* Many major religious organizations support vaccination, which may make it harder to get religious exemptions, The Washington Post reports. [Good news?]

*When Biden announced vaccine mandates at companies with 100 or more employees, business leaders wondered: Why 100? [Good question.]

* A vaccination deadline looms over employees at New York’s largest private hospital.

* Hospitals in Alaska are struggling to handle a worsening outbreak. [Interesting - they had no issues in 2020, and now they are drowning.]

* New Zealand wants a vaccination rate near 90 percent to help it avoid future lockdowns. [ Sigh, can I live in New Zealand?]

* U.S. Olympians and Paralympians must be vaccinated before the Winter Games in Beijing. [And why wasn't this done for Tokyo??]

* The House approved $1 billion in funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system after a bitter debate among Democrats. [ Ugh. Can we stop funding Israel's military and defense, please? I'd rather spend that money funding hunger relief or vaccinations in Africa. ]

* House Democrats plan to push through broad legislation to uphold abortion rights. The vote on Friday will largely be symbolic because of Republican opposition in the Senate. [They are going on record for the Mid-Term Elections. That's why they did that. Risky move, but possibly workable. I still think they need to do away with the fillibuster which the Republicans have misused.)

***

Sigh.

****

Parents walking on the beach in 2017. (Now they can't see each other, because of COVID and related issues.)

Comments

[rose_griffes]

We have an Ikea not too far from where I live. Opened sixteen years, and I recall that the newspapers at the time (I had a newspaper subscription back then) were talking about it like it was a holy marvel or something.

It's fine. Their products are sturdy for the price range, and the aesthetic is good, though not fancy. Also, totally random, but my BEST potato peeler ever is from Ikea.

[shadowkat]

Interesting. I've never been. But I tend to buy mostly online nowadays. Still - good to know.

[gillo]

The Government is doing its best to pretend Covid has gone away, and so many mixed messages have been sent out that people just do what the hell they want now. We are still being very careful - masks all the time when in town, avoiding large gatherings, staying at home as much as possible. I'm doing some adult education classes this year - two are on Zoom and the one in-person (Creative Stitching) class asks us to wear masks, use hand sanitisers etc. And I will drop it without compunction if people ignore those rules.

There has been a murder of a young woman in the SE London area near where my daughter lives, and I have to keep reassuring myself that these things hit the headlines because they are so incredibly rare. They really are. London is actually safe. Apart from the morons not wearing masks. I hope your niece has a really good time. She will need to adapt to shopping hours and find out about the Night Bus network though!

IKEA has a bizarre layout - you follow a pathway through the store, during which you are tempted to pick up all sorts of unplanned trivia. Most of the stuff is low-priced but good value, generally decent quality and good design. I hate going there because of the design/layout, but it is a perfect source of student kit.

[shadowkat]

Thanks for the tip about the Night Bus network. I'm hoping she makes friends - all the students are much older than she is.

There are murders in NYC all the time - just last week they posted about a man who raped a woman at my subway stop at 6:30 pm. I remember when I was living in Kansas City, there was a serial rapist lurking at mall parking lots. The world is not a safe place. It's smart to be aware. I think niece is - she's wandered around NYC with friends, and DC, and upstate New York, and Barrington, Mass.
So, no worries.

Yeah, I've been warned that IKEA has an odd layout - and tempts you to buy stuff you don't need. It sounds great for students. Wish I had something like that when I was in my early 20s and 30s.
Now, I buy from Amazon and Pottery Barn, or Target.

[gillo]

It's tricky, but she sounds old for her years. She needs to join some social societies - there will be a walking group, for example - give her the chance to get out of London.

To us the murder of Sabina Nessa is a pretty big deal, only six months after the killing of Sarah Everard. We don't expect women to be murdered just because they walked over a park in the evening. And a lot of us are very angry at the tired old trope that women need to be careful.

IKEA is perfect for students but gives me a headache.

[shadowkat]

I think I'm too old for IKEA. LOL!

It's sad, but ...we're celebrating the fact that our murder rate dropped.

"The NYPD reported 29 murders during July 2021, down from 57 reported in July 2020. That number is even lower than the 34 homicides reported in July 2019 — a decrease of 14.7%.

Additionally, the NYPD reported 158 shooting incidents last month, down from the 243 shootings that occurred in July 2020. Still, the July 2021 figure is 79.5% higher than the 88 shootings recorded in pre-pandemic July 2019.

Police officers across the Five Boroughs also made 383 gun arrests in July — more than double the number reported year-over-year. So far in 2021, the NYPD has made 44.5% more gun collars than it did during the first seven months of 2020.

Along with crediting the NYPD for its investigative efforts, de Blasio also remarked that the reduced murder and shooting rates reflected the success of the Safe Summer NYC initiative launched in May. Along with boosting police resources, the program also provided greater community and youth programs while also supporting violence interrupter groups."

I've gotten used to it. I just avoid certain areas, particularly at certain times. And keep a look out. I think my niece is the same - her mother is a born and bred NYC gal.

[shadowkat]

Yes, niece is old for her years. She also kind of by-passed the whole high school thing and jumped to college. Only child, raised by intellectual parents, who invested most of their money on their daughter's education. They also traveled a lot when she was little. And sent her to a wide variety of day camps.

Most parents can't do that.

[oursin]

Yes, the Night Buses, and also, some of the Tubes run all night (but apparently not at the moment)

I have managed never to go to IKEA, because it involves going to the far reaches of the Northern Line, though I see they're offering for the prime site at Oxford Circus lately vacated by TopShop.

Obfuscation is the name of the game with the Govt.

[gillo]

IKEA's last attempt at a branch in a city centre closed down within five years, leaving a hideous blue and yellow monstrosity to further enhance the ugliness of Coventry. They can't have thought through access issues if they are thinking of that TopShop building. Hard to pick up a Billy bookcase and drive it away with you from Oxford Circus.

Obfuscation is an extremely generous term to use about this bunch of chancers.

[shadowkat]

That may explain why IKEA is usually placed where you drive to it - not much else. Ours is in Red Hook and I think New Jersey - both you have to drive to, or take cabs or maybe a shuttle bus. It's a pain to get to - and I hate taking cabs and buses places, so I've avoided it.

[gillo]

Yes, they usually build huge warehouse-style shops on the outskirts of major towns and cities. Their attempt in Coventry failed and didn't reopen after the first lockdown; the ring-road, which must be navigated to reach the shop, is a nightmare even to locals, so it's not surprising it didn't attract as many out-of-towners as they hoped. We are now about fifty minutes from one in two directions. Your niece will have gone to the Brent Cross shop in the north of London - her alternative, I think, would have been one of the big retail parks on the outer orbital motorway or suburban Croydon.

They really think in terms of people with their own cars, as no taxi would take the flat-pack furniture they are notorious for.

[shadowkat]

Yeah, that's why I've avoided. My niece was determined and most likely went to the one north of London - she went by bus, and mother said it was a ways out.

If I can't order it online and have it safely shipped to me, it's not getting bought. ;-)

[jesuswasbatman]

Most people aren't wearing masks outdoors - all the knowledgable sources seem to agree that the risk in the open air is very low unless the environment is extremely crowded.

[shadowkat]

Same here. I wear them in areas with lots of people or lots of folks on sidewalks - outdoors. So I take the mask with me, but have it around my neck or in my hands most of the time.

[trepkos]

I suspect if JM had seen anything, he'd have punched Joss, and got fired.