It's six thirty and I have been up for awhile

Well, I did it.  Couldn't stand myself any longer.  Was sick of combing, brushing, part placing and trying to get some lift out of the front.  Son Andrew did the job in his living room.  Draped in a towel, he commenced after hauling out his impressive trove of tools.  I am now ready for my shearing.  I face this with some trepidation in that his effort will be shorter than I am used to.  The one good thing about hair is that it grows. As I am listening to his clippers work, the hair is falling around my feet.  I looks like the aftermath of a brushing of Meatball (cat) in our living room.  I could have knit a sweater from his brushings. As I turned around and viewed myself, saw my head was in full view.  Judy has told me to wear a hat in the sun for fear of a burn.

Going to the lab this morning to get blood work done as prescribed by my doctor prior to the outbreak in March.  Figured it was time to proceed.  Always concerned about the results even though I feel pretty good and weight has been somewhat stable. 

We tried the cauliflower/beyond meat frozen pizza from Costco.  It was ok but fell beneath my expectations.  Kind of expensive, probably won't get again.

The AC is off and I opened up the door wall for some air.  There is not breeze blowing and the apartment remains warm. 

I know this is boring and probably too much personal insight.  Cannot eat until my test and am antsy.  So I write.

Thank you for your patience.

Enjoy the day and stay well.

all for now

I need a haircut

The last time my hair was cut was about March 5th when we returned home from our February Florida trip.  It is now over my ears and extra straggly in the back.  There is something of a flopped pompadour in the front. As you might be able to visualize, not a pretty picture. I am contemplating having Andrew buzz it all off with his clippers.  He does his own with some success. 

Hot yesterday, more so than I am used to.  Did not take Harry out for his long walk we usually do in the morning because of it.  The plants Judy put on the balcony love the heat and are flourishing. 

This Blogger program has an updated format and I am trying it out,  so there are some appearance changes.  I generally hate change and am forcing myself to learn and adapt. Suppose that's a good step.  Sadly I am one of those guys that would have their desktop be the same from the first time the computer was turned on.

We have started watching The Morning Show on AppleTV.  This is becoming a good show after two episodes.  In my opinion it is presenting Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon's best work.  Steve Carrell is a little over the top and the personal intrigue is quite engaging.  AppleTV is the originator of this limited series.  If you have the opportunity to use this platform. give this a try. 

No new pictures today, so inserted this old one of puppy Harry and me at the old house.  He still sits with me at night and loves to push his nose into my armpit.

All for now

Stay safe

Just polished off an 800 cal breakfast

local color see below

And the sting of the hot sauce is still biting my lips.  An omelet with mushrooms, gouda cheese with sliced tomato on the side was pretty tasty.  I am only supposing the calorie count.  It's 630 am and I opened up the sliding glass door to let in some of the cool night air as the day approaches.  With the drapes half open can see the morning slowly breaking.

garden in my travels see below

We went to Andrew's for dinner last evening.  He made fried chicken, corn on the cob and doctored mashed potatoes.  As I have said before, he is a wonderful cook, kind of a culinary engineer who appreciates the process as much as the result.  He preps with abandon with no concern of the mess created.  I used to cook that way,  now am much more reserved.  If you watch  Rachel Ray cook at home, there is shit everywhere.  On studio her show, she has minions cleaning after every step.  Anyway, his dinner was great. We are planning a Marie Renoesque dinner of sausage and meatball sandwiches.  It was a staple on Sunday afternoons at her home.  The sauce (or gravy) pot was always on the stove and anyone that showed up got a sandwich.

Life has its many travails.  Reached out to a dear friend with daughter going thru cancer treatments and learned that the anniversary of her husband's passing is coming up on Monday.  Looking to find inspirational words for her and coming up short.  Learned of another friend my age that had suffered a stroke recently.  We are not really close any longer but still he is part of my past and I wish him well.

Walking in your neighborhood provides a much better vision of your environment than driving thru.  I recently took Harry for a walk down the main road in Berkley, saw the shuttered shops and other businesses that I did not know existed.  Always in my path are the gardens and handiwork of the residents of our town. Some are pictured above.  As we were picking out a new street to explore, we happened on the installation of a MOGO bike rental stand.  No bikes were present yet but seems like a great idea.  As we walked further, was surprised to see two old pals chatting in the front lawn of a lovely colonial home.  We talked for awhile and kind of got up to date with plans for a future meet-up adhering to all the latest protocols.

So we are now allowed to meet in groups of less than 10 people while observing social distancing.  Gretchen has extended the stay at home till June 12th.  In my travels seeing lots of people masked and unmasked, in close proximity and far apart.   The ice cream store has people reaching around the building and families enjoying their treats sitting close.  Anyway it was a sunny day.  Hope we have more to follow.

all for now
stay safe

Sleeping Beauty

So I'm in the middle of watching Lester Holt read the news.  As per usual, I slip into slumber.  Judy cannot wake me.  She stomps around and makes noise.  Still no response.  Amidst my repose, she shoots this picture with her phone.  Now I look really dead (she had to shake me to check my breathing).  It almost seems like the rigor has set in.  If I tried, I couldn't recreate this expression.  She and Janine had a good laugh on our FaceTime call afterword.

But enough about me.  The neighborhood was abounding with people and their kids and their dogs last evening.  It was a beautiful night.  I got Judy ice cream from Clark's which had a line around the building after I departed.  Sweet kids operating the place and it showed.  The tip jar was filling up.

I have to give my review of the Beyond Meat Burgers.  As said before, trying to move away from meat.  Not so much for morality reasons, bur for health.  I've tried the Boca Burgers as well.  These seem to be filled with some manner of grain and did not have much taste.  The Beyond's prepared in a pan with some butter and oil and properly spiced are really excellent with a piece of cheese melted on the top.   Consistency and taste are good.  Topping help as well.  Still are too expensive however.  Costco has them for 15.00 for 8 patties in their freezer section.

Numerous polls are placing Biden considerably ahead of 45.  Hillary was ahead in 2016 as well. However she was defeated by the Electoral College, even with a 2.8 million majority. I believe these lists may be overrated in their importance.  If voters stay home or are prevented from using absentee ballots by some system error, outcomes may change.  Also, he needs a solid running mate.  Warren is out because her vacating her senate seat would allow the governor of MA to appoint a republican replacement.  Stacy Abrams may be a viable partner also.  And don't forget our Gretchen.  Her kerfuffle with 45 over the covid response has her gained national attention.  I like her.  She has done well for our state despite her detractors.  Would not like to see per plucked for the VP job because we need her.

Things are gradually opening up.  My favorite Chinese restaurant has installed a doorway and wall with a window for presenting orders for pickup.  Making adjustments for our safety and future which might be with us for some time.

Looks like we are going to have a beautiful day.  The birds are tweeting outside my window on the fourth floor and the sun is shining. 

Judy's balcony garden

 Have to include picture of Judy's garden on our balcony this morning.  She has created a serene environment to watch the world go by and evening fall.

All for now
stay safe.

Sunday or is it?

Fred Willard died yesterday of natural causes.  I remember him most fondly as the bumbling co announcer with some stodgy Brit in "Best of Show".  His pleasant foil to his partner's super serious comments on dogs, dog anatomy, their handlers and the pursuit of the cup at the Westminster Dog Show were wonderful.  His performance as Phil Dunphy's philandering dad was just as priceless.  He was a yeoman's actor and his touch for the characters he played will be missed.  If you've never seen Best of Show, find it.  The quirky participants are extrodinary.  My personal favorite is Eugene Levy with his literal two left feet screaming "Cookie,Cookie we won" at the end of the competition.

The powers that be have further restricted our activities at the old folks home. In the back of the complex are a group of metal tables and chairs that are attached, four chairs to a table.  Yesterday in the nice weather, there were ladies out there chatting away, probably too close to each other.  Last evening when I took Harry out for his last pee, I saw that everything had been cordoned off with caution tape.  Don't get me wrong, I get it.  Its a necessary precaution.  Sadly, we were planning to bring the grand kids over outside and maybe a friend for coffee.  That idea is now defeated.

Is is Sunday, or not?  All the days seem the same running together.  Judy's balcony garden is now blooming with abounding colors.  It is quite pleasant to sit out there.  I finished my latest book John Grisham's The Guardians.  The ending was satisfying.  I would recommend it.  Stalling our way through  The Night Manager.  Could really watch the whole series in one setting.  Have to walk away.

Going to Google Duo with one of our favorite families today.  The have very busy twin boys and a little guy under a year.  These two characters make me smile.  My mother in law Marie loved little kids, anyone's little kids.  She would look around in restaurants for little smiling faces and try to get their attention.  It was almost like she got fuel from their happiness and carefree attitudes.  I hate to admit it, but I am becoming like her in this respect.  In many ways she drove me crazy, but this rings true.

all for now

An evening walk with Harry

Political messsge?

I was becoming increasingly bored with the tube last evening.  The rain had finally stopped. The flag in front of the building was still and the temperatures were moderate.  It's 7pm, Pat and Vanna are on and I cannot look at their glistening teeth for another moment.  Harry and I leave for a walk in the neighborhood.  There are lots of people walking, conversing with their neighbors across the streets and babies in strollers even though the skies will turn dark in another hour.  I think because of the relative stillness the songs of the birds overhead are more clear and pronounced.  And then, in my travels, I encounter this sign, truly a sign of desperation.  This plea doesn't endorse anyone.  It's basically saying, "GET ME OUT OF HERE!

Out of concern for possible exposure to the virus, and I am diabetic, we went to the Beaumont Urgent Care (on Woodward) and got the corona virus antibody test done.  It was simple, with no cost and about a 15 minute process for a quick blood test.  Results will be available in about 2 days via an email they will send.  Seemed like a logical step.  If you are in similar circumstances, consider this procedure.

We usually find a series on TV to watch from start to finish via streaming platforms. My dear friend Janine suggest "The Night Manager"  (Amazon Prime) .This was on AMC network but was new for us.  It is a tense thriller with Hugh Laurie as the villain and Tom Hiddlston as the protagonist.  I was glued to the story and hate that there are only 6 episodes, having devoured the first 2.

More f*cking rain today.  The plants are the only things enjoying the deluges.  More shopping at Kroger for me today and baked seasoned tofu.  Really trying to move away from meat.   Sorry so much writing.  I am spending far to much time focused on my phone, constantly scrolling looking for something of interest.  My attention span is becoming gnatlike and I think the light from the device is preventing me
from proper sleep.

all for now

Normalcy?

Some, I repeat somethings are returning to the norm.  Clark's Ice Cream is opened and operational.  Frosty Freeze (also ice cream) is also going strong.  Kam's Express is offering oriental specialties too.  I like their cash only policy.  All that's left for me to complete my quartet of goodies is The Donut Cutter on Woodward.  I pass by it on my walks and am crushed with sadness seeing it still closed. They have the best donuts.

Shannon continues to be asymptomatic for the Corona virus. This is good news but she will not be retested at this time due to CDC guidelines.  Sorry if my previous writing was misleading.

Spent time at the Madison Heights park by Lamphere HS yesterday with grand kids climbing up the sledding hill, which I managed without too much difficulty, much to my surprise.  The kids ran up and down a couple of times (not me).  All in all a pretty good day.

We watched the documentary "Cracked Up"
last night on Netflix last evening.  It is the story of Darrell Hammond, the impressionist and actor we know from SNL.  His versions of Bill Clinton, Sean Connery and Dick Cheney are timeless.  But little did we know back then of the broken man before us making us laugh.  This is not a happy story with a redemptive ending.  But it does shed some light on the process of healing in mental health.  This is broken man still attempting to rebuild himself.  I went to bed thinking of him and woke up doing the same.  I you can handle it, watch this.

Our state and area are clamoring to return to normal activities.  It can be understood.  People need to return to work to pay their bills, buy food, fuel their cars and more.  I respect the governor for her steadfastness to protect our population.  I am retired.  I can stay home, make food, and go for walks for a long time.  We can secure carry out food when we're lazy.  My financial needs are covered because of the small life we live.  But some difficult decisions are upon our population.  Hopefully we will choose wisely and safely.

all for now

Go Corona yourself!

So I took this picture of myself today.  It features my hair growing wildly and a stubbly face.  Isolation is getting to me.  I long for human touch.  Shannon continues to do well.  But sadly one of her caregivers has succumbed to this virus.  Mark was a wonderful guy that truly cared for our daughter.  He did her hair in that it was his former profession. He will be missed by us all and I'm sure his family.

We received a letter from a state agency yesterday proclaiming that the wages of home health caregivers were going up.  Their wages are moving from 9.45/hr to 9.65/hr.  This is an abomination.  These workers care for the most vulnerable in our population.  They care for Shannon everyday, 24 hours a day. They change and dispose of diapers, cook meals, wash clothes and clean the house.  They care for our children, no matter what their condition.  When one of the residents becomes ill and there is no parent or guardian is available, these folks take them to the hospital and sit by their side.  This rate yields 386.00 for a forty hour week.  You couldn't feed yourself and pay rent and not be in the hole at the end of the month.

On another note, we viewed the Jerry Seinfeld performance on Netflix last evening.  Very funny and I was hoarse from laughter.  His kind of observational humor is one I can relate to, especially the differences in men and women in relationships.  A lot of it really hit home.  Catch it if you can.

The day is proving to me a rare nice one and Judy and Katey are taking the dog to the nature center.  I am making another batch of granola.  And I did finally did get some Sweet and Sour chicken from Kim's Express in Berkley.  It satisfied my craving.

All for now

Beware of Darkness

Traveling on my walk with Harry yesterday, I really noticed the trees and the sunshine streaming down thru the leaves.  I noticed the perennials peaking up and my usual cast of lawn creatures, and a bunny that excited Harry and all was OK.  Suddenly I heard the FaceTime sound coming from my phone.  Quite surprised, I removed it from my coat pocket and found our old friend Chris looking up at me from my phone.

It seems that I left my contact app open on her page and she got butt dialed.  Because she could only hear the swoosh, swoosh, swoosh sound coming out, she thought it was my heart beat.  It was actually the phone moving around in my pocket.  I guess it sounded like the blood moving through the ventricles. She told me that she figured I was receiving CPR and counted to five (the approved amount of chest compressions).  Finally she got to look at me walking Harry and we had a good laugh and conversation.  I added some pictures taken on this walk. Trees in the neighborhood are in full bloom.

We finished the second season of After Life on Netflix last evening.  Leading the cast of odd characters is Ricky Gervais as a recently widowed man working in a small village newspaper.  While he is suffering with his loss, he's making curious connections with the other people in his path.  The wonderful Penelope Wilton (from Downton Abbey) is a grounding force in the character's life.  In that most comedians that weather some tragedy, I suspect this guy is closer to the non-stage Ricky.

It is difficult to not become melancholy in these times.  I find myself fighting to stay positive with all the uncertainty that abounds.  The question, what do we do next never is far from my thoughts.  We can seek out the comfort of our loved ones and friends even if it is at a distance.

We saw and listened to Sheryl Crow's rendition of George Harrison's "Beware of Darkness" last night.  I was touched and moved by the words and her lovely piano accompaniment with the lower register singing loudly thru her left hand.  I'm sure you can find this on youtube.  See it and listen if you can.

all for now
stay safe

still waiting on Chinese food

A spritely new day

My real thought for a title of this entry was boredom and a lack of activity.  But really who would want to read that?  Been reading our ceremonious AARP magazine regaling  the wonders of a long lasting marriage, and health issues to watch out for in the senior years.  On its cover is a photo of a puffed up and air brushed Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas.  Aren't they charming and well funded?  My first problem was how do you spell boredom?  Kept getting it wrong and finally had to consult google for the definitive answer.  I was a near championship speller, but alas no longer.

Have been reading Grisham's "The Guardians".  Its a good read with the typical character development and vivid pictures of the environment of the story with superb visualization of all the persons.  He is really a word painter.   But for the first time though, I was scared and shuddering over one of the scenes he created.  I won't spell it out but I was taken aback and had to put the book down.  Anyway a good novel worth the read and I thank my friend John for the loan.

Had a wonderful conversation on FaceTime with friend Janine last evening.  Between she and Judy and I we all shared some laughs and ruminated over the current state of the world.  Everybody felt better after the talk.

Again tested by food prep skills with a new batch of egg salad and another pile of granola.  I know not very interesting, but it further expands by love of cooking and inventing as you go.  Starting with a basic recipe and developing variations with decent outcomes has become one of the things I look forward to.  I need to replenish my collection of spices.  Fresh dill has been an enlightenment in my food prep of late.  Try it if you have the opportunity.

Last evening completed the Netflix series called the English Game.  It offers the true depiction of the development of Football (English version) we would call soccer.  Its a story of class rivalry and characters in the mid 1800's developing this game so enjoyed by many around the world today.  Another series worth a look, especially if you enjoy soccer.

The temperatures are rising slightly today in our area and I hope we can spend some time walking and observing.  I need some new photos for the blog; better than that grumpy guy.

all for now

still miss Chinese food

What are we doing?

self portrait

Spotted this fellow on one of my walks recently and felt a certain kinship with him.  I, like many of us am staring off in the distance wandering what comes next.  First we have this virus and the associated ramifications.  Businesses are closed for god knows how long and we are all wearing masks standing at least 6 feet apart.  People are glaring at each other because they cannot really see the faces of those in front of them.  And now, we have murdering hornets! Shit!  As if there weren't enough reason to stay inside.  Again it will be a reason for Trump to attack China, probably propagated in one of their mysterious labs.  I for one will be striding with Harry down the avenue looking for smiling, unmasked faces to greet and offer a cheery hello.

Shannon is still symptom free as of yesterday.  We spoke to her on the phone last evening and she sounded good.  One of her housemates that was in the hospital is now home and improving.  The staff member who is on the vent status is unknown.

We went to the greenhouse with many others yesterday to look at plants and help Katey setup her balcony garden.  It was a lovely day and good to see many people out and about with everybody steering clear of each other.  I for one am glad our Gretchen has chosen the safety of our state, even with its consequences and I abhor the actions of racist protestors that are making the national news on a daily basis.  That being said,  I know that soon things will be opened up more. People will be returning to work and shops will reopen.  I guess that we will have to maintain our protocols of masks, hand washing and social distancing to move forward.

It is cool this morning,  but I don't care.  The trees are bursting forth with new leaves that are light and bright in color. Hostas are sprouting from the ground.  Spring is bursting forth and we will eventually get warmer temperatures we are complaining about.  Clouds abound but the air is still.

all for now

still miss Chinese food

Shannon's Birthday

Yesterday was Shannon's 32nd birthday.  Its hard to believe that she is this age.  I remember a little baby so small and fragile we went to see many years ago and the truly wonderful person she has become.  Her smile and laughter lights up a room and she has more friends than anyone I know.

Because of the corona virus lockdown her residence is quarantined. Nearly all of the house mates have tested positive, including Shannon.  She has not shown any symptoms at this point and most in the house are improving.  So we had to have a birthday parade and drive by with her on the driveway in front of the house.  All her siblings and and friends including former teachers and friends of my kids showed up.  It was truly a splendid affair and she was ecstatic.  We had about a dozen cars tooting and yelling good wishes to her.

I reached the age of 70 on March 12th as many of you know.  Unbeknownst to me, my darling daughter Kat and daughter in law Kelly planned a big blowout party in my honor.  This was supposed to occur on the following weekend.  Then the virus and needed safety measures closed everything.  And alas no party.
Kat informed me mid April to my genuine surprise.

They had these swell tee shirts created for all family members and a shirt for me that proclaimed "I'm only 7 decades old".  They gave it to me yesterday.  It has a big gold sparkly 7 on the chest.  While I'm not thrilled at being 70, I am thrilled that I was thought of.  Grandson Paxton is pictured in his.

It was truly a grand day and the sun is shinning this morning with warm temperatures coming.  Will be taking Harry for a walk and descending on Kroger for more provisions.  No bitching today.
Everyone stay safe
all for now