Good morning star shine……. The Earth says Hello…………
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple” ………………………………………………………………. Oscar Wilde
“Let what comes come. Let what goes go. Find out what remains.” ……………………………Ramara Maharshi
“You have got to shitting me!!!!!” ………………………………………………………………………………. Yours Truly
So what do you do when you are sitting in Central Ohio under lock down, and it’s the time to return to The Inn at Scum Pond? And, what do you do after six weeks of barely leaving the house? And, what do you when it’s just one more cold and rainy April day in the Heartland?
I’d say…………………………………………… it’s time for……………………… some Bloggish……………………………NO?
First, and foremost, I hope you are all well-and staying safe. We are not aware of anyone we know having contracted the scourge…and hopefully it has stayed that way. Wear your masks, wash your hands, stay home as much as possible.
I am really out of practice with this, and not sure anyone really (except maybe Sister Jane who has patiently waited months for a sermon) wants to hear notes from the heartland…. but it is Sunday morning after all…and I need something to do. So, a short starter update. Feeling a little rusty…. and feeling a little anxious (picture Beetlejuice) ………………………
We have not left the house, for the most part, for six weeks….so I currently have The Queen tied up in the closet after being together 7/24 for 985 straight hours……
The Prodigal braved a flight to San Diego on Thursday after being stranded here for seven weeks when the shit hit the fan during his five-day visit for Tess’s birthday in early March…. now back home and quarantined….
We get to see Tess, Jake and Bebe 2-3 times a week…and that is our social contact…. the kids monitor us daily to ensure we have not had other contacts …they are the Virus Police……Bebe has grown into a little person (a mensch) …dashing around and creating picture opps at every turn in the last few months…and can now say Nana and Papi…. we are all missing Max after the most time together in a few decades……
Downside on grandkids is that we don’t get to see our equally beloved Quin-Lily in Cleveland …we could be shot crossing the county border….and our newest little angel, Harper……the scourge strikes again
Jen and I are recovering well after downing a quart of Windex at our Leaders’ advice…. feeling very clean though…. The Greeks clearly know their shit……………
As many of you know, just before everything exploded we closed on a new house……great timing….and have spent the last two months moving…finally moving in last weekend with the strong young(er) backs of Jake and Max assisting
So…now have left the Farm…for the neighborhood…quit the traumatic adjustment- one I had hoped to not make while still upright…. but it is a nice house on a quiet cul-de-sac…with four floors mind you…and only a four-minute drive to the old homestead…so we can go back and use the hot tub 2-3 times week…. we are getting pretty settled and I have recreated my office space circa 1990 (doubtless causing some form of PTSD for my old colleagues who get this) ….
The Queen has totally organized the kitchen bathroom, bedrooms and basement (she is not allowed near my office) ….and I spend my days wandering around saying “Where is ____?” …. eventually I will be able to find the toilet paper, my shoes and my checkbook…. We have also been invaded by her newest passion……BASKETS……at last count we have 83 baskets of varying shapes and sizes in every closet, drawer and shelf…all color coordinated, mind you…hopefully, this too shall pass….
We now have three houses and no income…a unique opportunity for self-reinvention…. until we can sell the old beast down the road….it may be the worst time in history to sell a house…as in who wants to go to someone else’s house for showing with the CRUD looming…. somehow, we had six showings this week…but no takers…probably a result of a soaking wet basement and yard and occasional critters roaming the walls and attic…but hopefully that too shall pass….
After every showing we wait a day and go in with our HazMat suits and a gallon container of wipes to prepare the house for the next showing….and to do laundry…no washer/dryer in new house because we don’t want to let anyone in to deliver them…. can you spell conundrum?……
So, this week I recorded (who loves Zoom?) two trainings for the Caribbean folks in Dominica……which is better than nothing, but not quite like being there…. quite the surreal experience having people do group exercises when they are not allowed to congregate…I wore my gas masks through an entire training and roped Jennifer into doing a series of role plays with me on supervising difficult people…doubtless a PTSD experience for her……
We have removed most of our stuff out of the old homestead, but left some big ticket items for “staging”…whatever the hell that is…including our beloved sectional couch, where I had been spending the majority of my time for the last month…so now both Lucy and I are clinically depressed over nowhere to lay around….and Lucy is boycotting the fact that she now lives with a fended in yard and can no long spend her days running after chipmunks and squirrels on the back forty…but change is good….right?
Well… I said this would be short Ramble…and, as usual, I lied…. but enough is enough….
Stay in touch, be well, keep up the fight, put up a sign in your yard for Uncle Joe……change is good, right?
Your brother in arms,
Stu
PS- I cant figure out how to add pix to the blog on this new host site- so you have to look at the e-mail version for the few pics this week. Will try to get Max to help me figure out how to add media