rivervox

Ay Carajo! It's hot. It was in the 90's on the weekend and now the humidity comes in. We went out to Great Meadows on Sunday and it was empty because of the heat. There was shade, a breeze, turtles and swans. We watched Northern Exposure with the kids. Hearing the music made me emotional. Saturday was also terribly hot. We watched Raya and the Last Dragon which is wonderful. DH and I went to the pub alley. All the tables were full and it was loud and unpleasant but probably good to experience. No comparison to going to a REAL bar. I had the Fiddlehead IPA which I really liked on a hot night.

My to do list is getting long, as we prepare for camps and Ptown trip. This is raising my stress level too. Oh well, it's all good. If I keep up my walking and yoga, I will make it through!

I had coffee with Peter outside and it was great to speak to someone else in person. Kind of normal. We talked about his relationships, TV shows, how weird it is to come back from the Snap and Anthony Bourdain. When I got home I found that it is his yahrzeit. Miss you, chef.

Yoga, walk, writing. Lovely day after a hot weekend. It threatened to rain but we never got a drop. Now it's back to May. The car is yellow with pollen. We might actually need to go to the car wash.

The big event for us was Saturday night. DH and I went to the pub and sat in the alley at a picnic table for stout and fried pickles. It was lovely to sit outside, under the lights and be in a semi-public place. A red letter day. I hope that all the outdoor dining spaces remain. The town has also installed "parklets" where people can sit on the street. A good thing to hold onto.

Yesterday I did chores and errands. Violet and I went out to Webster Woods which was green and beautiful. We both had an allergic reaction to something, which cleared up when we left. I'm so glad we got out. Just a few minutes in the real woods is like a vacation. Wish I didn't have to drive to get there. We had pizza for dinner and watched Schitt's Creek and Shtisel. Then some Amer. Gods and a Friday Night Dinner. Saturday night we all watched the original Rebecca, which is just brilliant. We ordered Dumpling Daughter, but it was really not enough food for everyone. I think they were off their game.

Honey is done with school and has started her spring program with camp. I realized today that we have to be 100% ready for Dublin before she goes to Palmer. A daunting task, but certainly easier than preparing her to go while she was in high school. This week Violet will film her play and go to the student directed festival on Saturday. Friday night is the Improv Battle and Honey will take part. Theater has really saved them over the pandemic. Connecting with other kids and being creative and focused has made the days richer.

I'm grateful for the green leaves, blue sky and vaccines. Grateful to be able to do things again, even go to the supermarket, without panic. We seem to have made it through the storm. At least this storm.

Fully vaxxed. To celebrate, I walked up to JP Licks and got myself an ice cream cone. No fear, but the store was empty. Tomorrow I get a haircut in the salon. Maybe shop. We'll see how it goes. It was nice to sit outside in the sun and relax.

Hit my goals this morning by doing yoga then going out for a walk. Heard a great Rebecca Roanhorse story from Levar. Last night I watched Unforgotten and Staged. News from Israel and India continues to be terrible. But it's hard to resist the sun and the rhythm of life.

I realized a weird thing about myself. When I'm driving, I will pick a route with the fewest stoplights. If there is traffic, I will find a way to go around. I want to keep moving forward, even if that means it might take longer. Part of this is my impatience which is assuaged by the movement, the action of doing something. I have a similar behavior with work. When I hit something that is complicated or just hard, I will avoid it. Back away and switch tasks. I do this so quickly it's not conscious. My fingers just click a new tab. Where else in my life do I do this? Probably all the time. It's connected to my assumption that the answer is always no. The restaurant is always full. There are no parking spots.

On the positive side, it means I always have a Plan B, C and D and I'm flexible. I will do my research, look for alternatives and find a way.

They finally approved the vax for 12-15 yo's so we're on the hunt again. That will be such a relief. DH got a well-deserved (overdue) promotion. Things are getting done. We watched the last John Adams last night. I saw the last Golden Compass of the first season. On to the next. Gosh, it's dark. And the Dust thing makes less sense to me know that it did when I was young. Still, beautifully done and it takes me away. Where is my armored bear?

I got the second shot. Quick and painless. Then a lovely walk around the South End. I love it so. Two weeks and I can go back to shopping and schlepping. Oh joy.

Feeling like I have a small, annoying cold. Sore arm. That's about it so far. I may recline later and watch TV.

Violet is going to school on Monday. She is so excited and nervous. I'm glad we were able to do this for her. And she will be able to get vaxxed soon. And Honey off to Dublin. It's hard not to try and control these things, but I must let them fly off. I'm going to have to start waking up EARLY though.

Watched John Adams last night. His family was a mess. It's kind of amazing. Charles may have been gay and in a relationship with Hercules Mulligan's son before marrying and falling apart. JQ Adams son was depressed and killed himself. History is people. I do hope to visit the Adams homestead soon.

Also to find a place to rent a sit-on-top kayak! Definitely in Ptown.

So here's where we are today in Boston. I'm still going to the office in Chinatown. Some folks who are immune-compromised, have asthma or other issues are working at home. We've been told it's fine to stay home and I will probably do that next week. I take the Green Line every day, which is probably the most dangerous thing I do but it's half empty. Everyone gets a seat and we sit grimly clutching our phones. My older daughter was home on spring break but the college has asked that students not come back and will be moving all classes online until at least early April. Most of her stuff in her dorm room in PA and her upcoming play is postponed. Some colleges are just sending all the kids home for the rest of the semester. You can imagine the turmoil in Boston. My younger daughter's school is open but they are ending all concerts and evening activities. This means that the annual parent-teacher musical is cancelled which is devastating to me. If parents of children test positive, they close the schools for cleaning for a few days but right now it seems they will remain open. People are panic buying food as if there was a big snow storm or hurricane coming. (Eggs and milk!) Also, for some weird reason, toilet paper. Yesterday I went to Trader Joe's in the afternoon and it was packed with silent, sad people filling their carts. But nobody really knows why we're doing it. The stores are still running and open, trucks are still delivering. The fear is its own virus. It feels like the time after the Marathon bombing. Quiet dread. We seem to have the idea that if we can get through the next two weeks, all will be well. As if Spring is coming to save us. Daffodils, crocuses, and even tulips are emerging. I'm trying to stay focused on nature, on the now and being flexible. The future is foggy. Will we be able to take our Memorial Day trip to the Cape? Will there be summer camp? Will we have jobs? I keep thinking of the The Next Right Thing from Frozen II. "I won't look too far ahead / It's too much for me to take / But break it down to this next breath, this next step /This next choice is one that I can make". Will this all seem silly someday because A) it all worked out fine or B) because none of this will matter in a post-pandemic apocalypse? Stay tuned!