How did we do? This year, we had time to play some and explore some. We had unexpected events like my breaking my pelvis which threw all our plans into disarray and brought me face to face with my old age. We had wonderful trips. We said goodbye to people, places and things we have loved. We cried over lost opportunities; we celebrated some events for the last time.
Are we lucky, lucky, lucky? Yes. We come from privilege. We had time to make decisions on our own terms, rather than to react to events over which we have no control. I know that this is not the reality for most. However, if you have any chance at all to take some time before tumbling along your path, do it. Who knows where a gap year, even if you’re not grey haired, will take you.
Friday, May 8, 2020
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Last Ride
USA: 1,242,267 sick;
72,767 dead
World: 3,765,648 sick,
260,384 dead
Now the numbers are projections of illnesses and deaths. For its total population and demographics heavy with us elderly, Florida has been a charmed state, ranking 45th, with 657.9 deaths per 100,000 residents. The US is 726 deaths per 100,000.
One factor is that many of us began our self isolation early, even though our governor dragged his heels on declaring stay-at-home orders and our Spring Breakers partied on. Old people are cautious. Now many Floridians are anxious to have the open-up orders given as quickly as possible. It’s the economy, stupid, to use that Clintonesque phrase. And I have sympathy. Thank goodness all of our children have jobs deemed “essential”. Most families weren’t that lucky. For Grant and me, stay-at-home will be our way of life until we know more.
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| No, We Can’t Ride Without Our Mirrors |
We are almost all packed up, ready for the movers to come tomorrow morning. Grant is cleaning the refrigerator, and I’m sanitizing the bathrooms. Two more boxes to tape shut. Then it’s either drink the dredges of the booze or dump them down the drain. I’m working on the former. Coconut rum on ice. Next up is the anisette.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
A Load Off My Mind
The image keeps spinning through my brain like a movie: the huge (visualize 5’ long and 2’ in diameter) auger falls off the trailer in front of us, then bounces higher than our car, as we speed down I-95. Thank goodness the auger came down to the left, and Grant swerved to the right, so our car wasn’t crushed, and we weren’t killed or injured. Our windshield did suffer a crack, perhaps from a chunk of asphalt chipped up when the auger touched down the first time. No other damage, except a few nerves.
After Grant helped the driver reload his equipment, he let Grant photograph his driver license, then sped off without a thank you or a wave. In Florida, windshields are automatically covered with no deductible, so he could have been nice, but I guess it wasn’t a great day for him. At least he noticed his load had broken free.
One day I was driving on I-595 to pick up Patten at American Heritage School where he attended high school on a 4-year academic scholarship. I think he is still listed as never graduated because the ad min didn’t record his required volunteer hours he had worked at the Discovery Center. But he did finish at U of Miami with a BA in International Business, so now moot. Back to I-595. That day, I was following a pickup towing a trailer with a big sheet of plate glass which started flexing back and forth in its stand.
To be safe, I decided to change lanes, and just as I did, the pane of glass flexed one more time, then broke into a million pieces. It just disintegrated all over the highway. Once I got to the school, and Patten looked at my car, we realized a piece of glass had cut my AC hose, so that was a pricey lane change. The crazy part is that the truck driver and his passenger just went speeding down the road, without a care. They never looked back or noticed their glass was gone. I almost followed them to see the expression on their faces when they got to their job site and found their trailer empty. Still makes me smile to think of them scratching their heads in confusion. I hope it didn’t cost them too much in the experience.
Friday, we were on I-95 because we had taken a carload of treasurers to our new house. We had been in a dither figuring out how to pack our paintings and my plants, when Grant suggested we just put them in the car and head on up to Windermere. My knee-jerk reaction was, “No!” We have been so good about staying home, why would we risk driving up the turnpike with the necessary gas, bathroom, and food stops we’d have to make? It wouldn’t be safe. But it really made sense, so we packed the car, put our masks and hand sanitizer in easy reach, and drove north.
Saturday, our covenant group check-in questions were: when will we feel safe, and what will we do then? I had been thinking about the pandemic and whether I will feel safe enough to fly to visit Mary in San Diego this summer. After seeing that auger fall off the trailer and bounce over our car, I realized safety is an illusion. I can do everything right, but it may not matter. That doesn’t mean I’m going to go hug a stranger or buy tickets to a UM football game, but it does remind me that I can’t control everything even when I think I can.
After Grant helped the driver reload his equipment, he let Grant photograph his driver license, then sped off without a thank you or a wave. In Florida, windshields are automatically covered with no deductible, so he could have been nice, but I guess it wasn’t a great day for him. At least he noticed his load had broken free.
One day I was driving on I-595 to pick up Patten at American Heritage School where he attended high school on a 4-year academic scholarship. I think he is still listed as never graduated because the ad min didn’t record his required volunteer hours he had worked at the Discovery Center. But he did finish at U of Miami with a BA in International Business, so now moot. Back to I-595. That day, I was following a pickup towing a trailer with a big sheet of plate glass which started flexing back and forth in its stand.
To be safe, I decided to change lanes, and just as I did, the pane of glass flexed one more time, then broke into a million pieces. It just disintegrated all over the highway. Once I got to the school, and Patten looked at my car, we realized a piece of glass had cut my AC hose, so that was a pricey lane change. The crazy part is that the truck driver and his passenger just went speeding down the road, without a care. They never looked back or noticed their glass was gone. I almost followed them to see the expression on their faces when they got to their job site and found their trailer empty. Still makes me smile to think of them scratching their heads in confusion. I hope it didn’t cost them too much in the experience.
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| Turnpike Stop |
Saturday, our covenant group check-in questions were: when will we feel safe, and what will we do then? I had been thinking about the pandemic and whether I will feel safe enough to fly to visit Mary in San Diego this summer. After seeing that auger fall off the trailer and bounce over our car, I realized safety is an illusion. I can do everything right, but it may not matter. That doesn’t mean I’m going to go hug a stranger or buy tickets to a UM football game, but it does remind me that I can’t control everything even when I think I can.
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