Day # 33 of Year 2 of the Pandemic

I made a hair appointment for Saturday! [It should be noted that I've not had my hair cut since February 29, 2020 - just before the shit hit the proverbial fan so to speak. So now, my hair is cascading down past my shoulders. I've chosen not to get it colored - it looks kind of cool with the streaks of grey in the light reddish brown. Like I have grey highlights. And I'd like to go natural for a bit. That - and I really don't want to spend an hour and a half in the hair salon at the moment. Forty-five minutes is long enough. I picked the first appointment - 10 AM. So I should be in and out fairly fast.]

Anyhow, thought I'd let you all know that I ripped the band-aid off so to speak. Baby steps.



My mother talked to father about therapy, and he said that he wasn't opposed to it and would like to do it. Has no memory of refusing it. So they discussed it with the occupational therapist who agreed to help. Mother is still frustrated that her hip doesn't appear to be healing. [Rails at Universe for not healing mother's hip.]

Work was slow. But I got some stuff done, so progress. It's like pushing a file up a cliff.



The critics don't appear to like The Nevers - but I found it to be enjoyable for the most part. Is it problematic in places? Maybe? I don't know, it's certainly less diverse than other shows, yet more diverse than Whedon shows. By that - I mean, I saw four characters of color in supporting roles, and lots of women characters, but also a lot of bad white guys. It takes place in Victorian England, so what do I expect? Victorian England was hardly diverse. It might have been a little.

I found it a little busy - with lots of characters - which is actually smart for a television series. Gives you more to work with over a lengthy period of time. I may watch the second episode tonight - since my soap was preempted by the Derek Chauvin closing arguments. I've no clue why the networks felt the need to air them. They didn't air the rest of the trail (thank god). I don't think trails should be aired by the media. It turns them into a media circus and lends to potential mistrails.

Regarding critics? I've not agreed with television critics on anything for quite some time now - why start? They love things that I often find cringe-inducing and unwatchable. (I can't help but think that a lot of television critics just have a nasty disposition?)

Mother and I discussed the fact that Bridgerton had opened up the way to more romances being adapted (per EW). We both agreed that Bridgerton was not going to do nearly as well in its second season with the Duke missing from the show. Let's face it about 50% of the audience was watching Bridgerton for the Duke.

I'm sleepy all of a sudden. Keep dosing off. Actually been doing that most of the day. Not sure why...been one of those days, I guess. I've almost dropped off to sleep twice writing this.

Yep dropped off again. My minds also been wandering a lot lately - struggling more and more with focus. I don't thin I want to think about my current situation, so I just don't. Anyhow, the Governor was giving yet another briefing today. We're down in cases, which is good, But still high in certain regions. We've made it down to were we were last November and December. 2.64 percent state wide. Also less deaths, lowest its been in a long while - 44. So that's good news at least. Plus, anyone 50+ can walk into a city site and get vaccinated now.

Star Trek Interview Meme

Nabbed this Star Trek TOS ask meme from yourlibrarian:

Kirk- can you drive? Are you SUUURE you can drive?

Not anymore. You'll have to drive instead. Although I might be able to handle a spaceship. I was pondering that the other day - how driving a plan would be easier - no traffic.

My problem with driving was the other cars. If there were none - I would have been fine. Well that and left and right, and my lack of a sense of direction.

I do have a driver's license, but considering I've not gotten behind the wheel of a car in over twenty years..

Spock- what’s your favorite thing to learn about?

Probably something that helps me figure out other people, so I'm 100% with you on that, Spock.

Yeah, I'm mostly interested in what other people do for a living, motivations, etc. I find people interesting.

That and cultural items, I love reading about the process of making a film, a television show, or writing a series of novels, music, etc. But I also love learning about building trains.

McCoy- if you had a “I’m a ___, not a ___!!!” moment, what would it be?

No clue. This type of sentence plays havoc on anyone with dyslexia. My guess is "I'm a horse, not a donkey" moment? No that makes no sense. I'm skipping.
Just trying to figure it out gives me a headache.

Uhura- what languages do you speak? What languages would you like to learn?

English. Although I have an second grade level of rudimentary of French.

Sulu- given the opportunity, what weapon would you like to master?

My own body.

Chekov- what’s the worst you’ve ever fucked up your hair?

Someone did a really bad dye job and haircut in the 1990s...in NY. My hair was fizzy, and too blond. Or when I attempted to cut my own bangs.

Scotty- what’s your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

Don't really have one. It varies. I like vodka tonics with a splash of lime, and English Breakfast Tea, also Chai Latte or Green Matcha Tea.

Chapel- do you have a crush on anyone?

No one at the moment.

Enterprise- what job would you do on the Enterprise?

Whoever has to stay on board the ship. Maybe the pilot or ship's navigator?
I'd say science officer - but they have to go on away missions.

Captain's log- do you keep a journal?

I used to but stopped ages ago. I threw out all my journals - and I'd kept one from the age of 9 to about the age of 35. I was just pointless. I don't like reading them, and I didn't want anyone else to do so. I prefer the journal I have on DW. Actually I stopped keeping one around the time I started writing online.

Warp- what’s your dream vacation?

Traveling across Europe and the Orient on The Orient Express, with stop overs to explore various places. I like trains. Or hiking in New Zealand or Peru.

Redshirt- have you ever had a near death experience?

Not really. I've had the wind knocked out of me and been terrified, but not quite the same thing?

Horta- do you like lasagna?

Yes, but I'm picky. I like my mother's only, and it now has to be gluten free. I've made it - but it's a lot of work.

Gorn- have you ever been in a fist fight?

Yes, but not since I was a child - grew up with a little brother. We used to fight all the time - until he got stronger than me, and I learned physical fights are not a bright idea.

Tribble- what’s your dream pet?

Probably a mechanical one, considering I'm allergic. Also no worries about food, cleanup, vet visits, walks, keeping us awake at night, or boarding while we're away.

Pon farr- Given the chance, would you fuck an alien?

Depends on the alien? And if I fell in love with said alien.

Stuff I found interesting enough to share

1. Found this exchange entertaining - via Reddit. They took down the post of a fish wheeing when it jumped out of the water and in again (apparently).

Hey /u/KebabChef, thanks for contributing to r/aww. Unfortunately, your post was removed as it violates our rules:

Rule 1 - No "sad" content, such as pics of animals that have passed away (try r/petloss), animals that have been injured/abused, or sob stories (e.g. found him in a dumpster). more

Your title must be "100% happy". No mentioning death, injury, RIP posts, finding abandoned animals, sick/survived cancer, pets being put to sleep, "I miss...", etc.

You may tell the complete story, unhappy parts and all, in the comments section.

Silver lining stories still fall under Rule 1. For example, "Jakey was hit by a car and had cancer, but he is a happy little fella today!" is not allowed.

Please read the sidebar and rules before posting again. If you have questions or concerns, please message the moderators through modmail. Thank you!

KEbab Chief: Dude! Stop throwing me back in! I'm trying to evolve!!


2. The NY Times Corona Virus Briefing managed to nail what I've been feeling for the last three or four months now...

( The Science Behind COVID Blah )

Article HERE

I'm languishing. I don't really care all that much about anything. Feel sort of numb.

Talk to my mother twice daily trying to boost her spirits. She's worried that she'll never walk again or be able to drive or anything. My father talked about walking on the beach together soon and she quipped that she didn't see how, and he said, they could try. The problem is - of the two of them, my father has always been the more optimistic and courageous. Mother has the worry gene. My brother and father have told her that she always imagines the worst case scenario - aka the worry gene. I've got it too, but I'm working to get it under control.

Today - I told my mother, while we were discussing The Great Gatsby (my mother and I have discussions about literature among other things), that I finally understood the frivolity of the 1920s. It took experiencing a pandemic to get it. They had just come out of the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-1922, after experiencing WWI. I don't want to go to the roaring 20s, because that lead to the stock market crash of 1929, the Great Depression, and WWII. But, I don't think we'd repeat it quite like that - since if you look back there is an interesting pattern emerging in human evolutionary history.

I think humans are stupid. But hey, NASA figured out how to fly a little robot helicopter on Mars. Mars actually has a sky and clouds.

3. Oooh, Marvel's Shang-Chi Trailer Looks Good!

Watch on YouTube

4. Hmmm...

* There’s a giant blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. You can soon get vaccinated beneath it, if you’d like.

* Alaska will offer vaccinations to tourists in June to boost tourism-related businesses, Alaska Public Media reports. [I'd like to visit Alaska, but I already am vaccinated.] (Apparently it's tough to get a vaccine appointment in France - maybe they should fly to Alaska?)

* The U.S. military will begin offering vaccines to detainees at Guantánamo Bay.

*“Joe’s Covee Car” is decorated with dryer balls that look like the coronavirus. And it ferries people to vaccine sites in New Jersey for free, The Washington Post reports.

* Navajo Nation reported no new deaths for the seventh consecutive day and just two new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, The Associated Press reports.

* After the N.F.L. canceled its in-person draft combine, pro prospects and the teams scouting them have been forced to adjust.

* Airports in Australia and New Zealand were filled with emotional scenes as thousands of passengers were allowed to travel freely between the two countries for the first time in more than a year.

*Eyeing tourist season this summer, Greece will relax its quarantine rules.[Greece actually is ahead of the game on vaccinations. It did rather well.]

* The pandemic has exacerbated Argentina’s economic crisis: In 2020, the national economy shrank by nearly 10 percent, the third straight year of recession.

* Cambodians could get 20 years in prison for breaking pandemic rules, under a new law that human rights groups say pushes the country toward “totalitarian dictatorship,” The Guardian reports.