Day #126

Too blasted hot for a walk - it's about 96 degrees, feels like a 102 or walking through a windy sauna. Just a brief walk to the fruit and vegetable stand on the corner, opposite the pharmacy and subway stop - after fifteen minutes from my apartment was enough to suck the energy out of me and give me a mild headache. The air feels heavy, and I've been battling a sick sinus headache all day long. Also fatigue, I just want to sleep for some reason. Weirdly, I am sleeping well at night or well enough - I fall to asleep far more quickly now - due in part to my daily meditation practice.

Exchanged emails with Administrative Assistant/Research Clerk budding Farmer named after an archangel. She asked how I was doing...I'm never really certain how to respond to this question. I wasn't certain prior the pandemic, and now even less so. I guess "I'm okay" works best?

She's about the same. Edgy. Moody. Trapped. Wanting out. Trying to raise a vegetable garden in the heat - and without having enough time during the day to do it. She wishes she had my brother's life. I find myself envying others lives a lot lately, and a few are most likely those envying mine.

Mother also feels trapped. Father even more so. The Pandemic is playing havoc with my father's rapidly deteriorating mental state. And my mother doesn't know what to do about it. None of us do. It is what it is. We just try to take a day at a time and continue to tread water. And the days drag...at times.



New York vs. the Coronavirus

New York is still doing its darndest to beat back the virus, even if it has to fight the stupid federal government, take its show on the road to other pesky states, fight various idiots in its own state to do it. ( Read more... )

I prefer quiet outdoor places with no people. The area of the city that I live in isn't bad in that respect at least - it's not party central. Although it does try occasionally. Apparently on Sunday there was a top tier guitarist holding an outdoor concert on his front porch between Avenue C and Beverly on East 4th Street. I bet that attracted a small crowd. Not a big one though.

We've actually been pretty good about not congregating in my area. Then again, it was hit hard by the virus - which may or may not be the reason.

Anyhow..I'm tired, so signing off and leaving you with another photo of Mt. Rainer in Washington...(vacation in 2018..I wish it was 2018 right now, feeling oddly nostalgic for 2018 at the moment..)

(no subject)

1. Well, I figured out where The Legend of Korra is available for streaming - the first two seasons are on CBS All Access, and all four are available on Amazon Prime's Nickhits (an additional $7.49 a month) or you can buy each season digitally fo $26 per season. Nickhits does have a free 7 day trial.

2. Making my way through the audio book version of Peace Talks by Jim Butcher - the lastest Dresden novel after about seven years. That's a long time between books. James Marsters is reading it - and Marsters can brilliantly handle more than one voice and accent, slipping effortless into British, Russian, Southern, and others. The only voices that aren't quite as distinguishable are the American ones.

I like his reading voice. And have come to the conclusion that this makes or breaks an audio reading experience. I'm just listening to the book - not reading it.

And getting further than I have in a while. Which is interesting.

I do have my quibbles with the books, politically correct - they ain't, but they are also supernatural urban fantasy "noir" and "noir" by its very nature is not considered politically correct.

Marsters hopes the author is happy with his reading of the books. (Honestly, I don't think Jim Butcher's books would have taken off without Marsters - that's how he snagged the Buffy Fandom. I'd never heard of the books until the fandom did via Marsters announcing he was doing the audio books and they passed them around. It was a clever marketing ploy. Marsters has to be aware of that.)

But it is making me consider getting other audio books, assuming I can afford them. Kindle books are dirt cheap.

I gave up on The Widow of Rose Hill -- it was slow, and made me angry in places. I may go back to it at some point, but doubtful.

3. Aunt K posted the following article on FB regarding the Portland, Oregon protests. Her son lives in Portland (he was also the first family member to contract COVID and recover from it way back in February).

The Story Behind the Naked Portland Protestor "Athena" Dancer who Stood up to the Federal Police That Had Invaded Portland

Aunt K: My son lives in Portland. The Homeland Security sent militarized police to end the protests. Then this incredible lady stood up and took peaceful protest to a higher level. Her beauty , dance, and vulnerability ended the stand off. Let’s take a lesson from this and use our music and dance, and no, we don’t have to be naked, to take the protests to a higher level like she does. Peaceful protests are protected under the constitution. I support the constitution, do you?

According to the article - they tried to fire pepper balls at her feet, another protestor stepped in front of her with a shield. She side-stepped him and continued to dance. Within ten minutes, the Federal Troops turned and left.

This is after a night in which Portland Moms Formed a Shield.

4. My family lives across the United States by the way. ( Read more... )