July Meme

The July Meme...which I realize you are supposed to do daily, but I won't remember.

1. Have there been any periods in your life that could be described as being chaotic?

Externally no, internally yes. I think that's the best answer actually.

2. What was the last thing you bought used?

Can't remember. Also I don't think I bought it - so much as took it from someone who no longer wanted it. I live in NYC - we often just do it that way. At any rate it's been a very long time - it may have been a book or a coffee table (that I no longer own, and just took).

3. Has anyone ever told you that you're getting too competitive over minor things?

No, nor do I project that sort of image. I don't like competition.

4. What was the first thing you ever saved up to buy with your own money?

Probably a book.

5. After high school – straight to college or straight to work?

College.
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Year 2 - Day #109...4th of July

Not a lot to say...another lazy-ass day. It's pretty though and not too hot. I went out to veggies, fruit, nuts, salad greens, eggs, cheese, yogurt and chocolate.

I should take a walk - but I'm not feeling overly motivated. To do much of anything, to be honest. Wales wasn't either. So we planned on getting together tomorrow around 11 AM, she'll come to me - mainly because my neighborhood is calmer than hers.

They asked on Twitter: "Who else is fully vaccinated and still wears masks in indoor public places?"

Me: "Raises hand." Although I do live in NYC and it is still kind of required. (I mean if the variants are coming here - they will will be in NYC, it's kind of a given.)

My mother is amused by a new phrase that I've been using all the time of late. Which no one else she knows uses, and she's never heard before.
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I'm comfortable in my apartment at the moment - although the tv stand does need to be dusted.

Watched Discovery of Witches today - all caught up, well sort of - I'm caught up on the broadcast showing not the streaming one, which I don't have. I'm limiting the number of streaming services to just five - Disney, Hulu, HBO, Netflix, and Amazon. I'm having enough troubles keeping up with them.

I like Discovery of Witches. While I've seen this trope done a lot - it's done better here than most, and is more interesting than I anticipated. Helped in part by the fact that the centralized focus is not their romance.
It is a focus, but there's other things going on, and the world-building is interesting. Also if you want to travel back in time - the Elizabethan era was at least interesting and not over done, unlike the Victorian era - which I've grown tired of. And I like Mathew Goode as the vampire. He's very good at conveying an edgy sexiness without going overboard.

Covid

Niece was feeling under the weather and got tested, not COVID. She's been vaccinated, so unlikely. We think she just overdid. Also the internship that was supposed to be in the city is now going to be done at home virtually. So, unlikely I'll see her in July.

I feel like the Universe is Lucy, and I'm Charlie Brown, and it keeps yanking the football away from me the moment I'm about to kick it.

Americans are returning to their rituals for July 4 as Covid-19 cases hold steady.

New cases are at 12,000 a day, the lowest since testing became widely available. The average of fewer than 300 daily deaths is a decline of 23 percent over the past two weeks. Americans are riding a wave of optimism: Travel is expected to be up 40 percent over last year. The number of airline passengers is expected to be up 164 percent.

Well that's nice, I'm glad some people are optimistic this year. I'm not feeling overly optimistic, but it's nice to know other folks are. I was actually feeling more optimistic last year. Of course last year at this time, my parents were healthy and okay. This year - not so much.

I was scanning the NY Book Reviews - and lost track of what the writer was saying in one review. She was trying to explain why she loved a contemporary fiction novel about a woman going through menopause with a teen daughter and ailing mother...and I thought, how nice it would be if I could find a book about a woman without any kids or husband. Does this exist? It must. And do I really want to read it? Most likely not. Not that I want to read the other one either. Lately I want to escape life via books and film and television, not delve deeply and examine it under a microscope. There's two types of writers - or so it seems, the ones who feel the need to analyze their lives or the lives of those they know underneath a microscope - and those who wish to examine themes through metaphors, and escapes from their current reality. Oh there are others in there too.

The news...sigh, still kind of avoiding. I find the political stuff - difficult still, a full year later. I've determined Justice doesn't exist until they convict Trump. Although what has happened, I saw coming. I knew NY was going after him and his family on Income Tax Fraud. But so do everyone else - it wasn't exactly a secret. They talked of nothing else for the last five years - and last year were rather noisy about it.

The water is on fire, again. Gas prices are up, again. Mother sees no connection between the two - I think she's deluded. I don't care. I don't drive nor use transportation that relies on gas.

According to mother - the airports are crowded, people aren't social distancing effectively...and the roads are heavy with traffic. Apparently everyone and their poodle decided to "travel" in July. I'm waiting for the week after Labor Day, I think. July 4th is a bad weekend to travel. I was going to do it - looked at it, and went no. I try not to do the same thing everyone else is doing - actually work to do the exact opposite.

The banks are worried about cybersecurity - and cyberterrorism, lovely, now so am I. I don't know what I can do about it though.

***

Eh, on that depressing note...I've begun to listen to the book about how Kathleen Turner approaches acting, which isn't really her book, but the acting and film professor's who is interviewing and kind of gushing over her. But it's still interesting.
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I've been tired today for some reason or other, I keep drifting off and can't quite focus. Seeping in and out of a brain fog. It's a low energy day for me. So here's another picture.

Happy 4th of July...for those who celebrate

Watching the Macy's Day Fourth of July Celebration on Television. What's different about it this year is the fire works from the Empire State Building.

Also, they keep doing homages to the Summer Olympics which will be starting in the next few weeks.

The other big deal is the crowds are back, people are sitting outside without masks. Last year they didn't allow any in-person viewing. This year people are watching it in person.

It's quite pretty and moving really - with a full orchestra, and classical music.

The downside? I'm going to be hearing fireworks all night long, but not as loud as last year - the folks immediately around me, apparently either moved away or lost interest in setting the big ones off. So just hear distant booms.

What throws me though is the setting off of fireworks from the Empire State Building - isn't that kind of dangerous?

It only lasted 30 minutes, the rest is just music. The other televised fireworks display is a Capital Fourth.

Good news? Corona Virus deaths are way down. And we only had 69 cases in my area with a .60 percent infection rate.