"I can't be a pessimist, because I'm alive. To be a pessimist means that you have agreed that human life is an academic matter." -- James Baldwin

Sunday, August 2, 2020

"Oh, My God!"

     Laurie Stone woke up an hour later than usual. "Oh my God," she thought. "Where's Rocky?" Her kitty always roused her at the crack of dawn with his loud Meoooowww!

     A sense of dread rose as she got out of bed. She'd heard about older pets dying quietly in the night. She called for him as she looked around the bedroom. She walked through the living room, through the dining room, to the kitchen . . . .

     For the rest of  the story, you have to go over to The Morning the Cat Didn't Wake Me. And after you've done that, we can run down the posts of some other bloggers -- bloggers who are mostly staying home, sometimes sleeping late, but also venturing out, one way or another, to ponder different points on the compass.

      As for me, I've had to cancel several vacations due to Covid. Instead, my wife and I have been making day trips. We drove over to Princeton, NJ, and walked around the beautiful college campus. We traveled up to Bethlehem, PA, and took a tour around the old steel furnaces. We followed the Delaware River down to Bristol, PA, where the river meets up with the canal that once was used to haul coal from the mountains to the city.

     But other than these short journeys (okay, a secret -- we can't go for more than three hours total, because we don't want to "go" in a public restroom), we've been staying close to home.

Back home for Carol. But where is it?
     Carol Cassara, blogging at Heart, Mind, Soul, suggests that the pull toward "home" seems stronger than ever in our senior years. She left home when she was 21 and made a life for herself in California. But now something has shifted. She and her husband have been spending more time back home with family and old friends . . . all of which has led to a life-changing decision that she explains in Can You Really Go Home Again?

     Rebecca Olkowski with BabyBoomster.com felt a pull toward another kind of home. As she tells us in Escape to Tempe, AZ, she was invited on a virtual tour of the city, where both her mother and brother once lived. The city has changed a lot, she reports, and now offers festivals, fine dining, major sports events. But with temperatures currently hitting 118 degrees, and Covid running rampant (Arizona is averaging about 2,500 cases a day) it might be best to stick to wide-open outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking and golf . . . at least for now.

     Meryl Baer reminds us that the political hype continues to escalate as election day nears. By the way, did you know? Meryl Baer has a new blog called Beach Boomer Bulletin. Check it out -- it may be the only chance you get to go to the beach this summer.

     Anyway, Baer certainly echoes my feelings when she says that most of us can't wait until November 4 when the craziness ends. (Wishful thinking!) But political madness is not a new phenomenon. To give us all some perspective, she reviews in Political Scandals to Ponder a variety of scandals that caught the nation's attention over the years.

     To bring things up-to-date, Rita R. Robison, consumer journalist, offers us news and reviews of Trump's Four Executive Orders on Prescription Drugs. According to Peter Maybarduk of Public Citizen's Access to Medicines Program, she reports, the half-measures are weak and will make only small changes in some drug prices to some people.

     Finally, whether you're at home pondering politics, or taking care of aging pets -- or finding a way to travel in these treacherous times -- Jennifer Koshak has a simple message: Remember to laugh, don't be afraid of being silly, and Never Stop Having Fun

13 comments:

Carol Cassara said...

Interesting, informative and my favorite part of every weekend. Thanks, Tom!

Rebecca Olkowski said...

Thanks, Tom. Great roundup. I am with you about not wanting to use a public restroom and have been hesitant to venture out. Plus, I have to take my two dogs with me so that leaves doing it on the side of the road. LOL

Rian said...

Will check out some of those sites, Tom. However, the cat scenario struck home the most. We too have an 'aging' cat. We know her haunts. Occasionally she will find a new place and it's "Oh god, where is Ghost?" followed by 30 minutes of searching. Eventually she will just saunter in like "Were you calling me?" As for the rest, yes, we try to laugh when we can. The pandemic memes do make me laugh (possibly we're laughing at ourselves - but that's OK).

Elle said...

Ah the cat. We put our nearly 12yo Bengal to sleep 10d ago. He had lymphoma and we were carefully watching for signs it was time. He winced back when we attempted to lightly pet him and that after his appetite dropping by nearly 3/4 what it had been 6w prior. Now he can run and play and eat tuna to his heart's delight. We and his sweet sister are moving on together :-)

Wisewebwoman said...

I read that beautiful cat story, a rush of memories of my own beloved pets. Now, alas, no more.

XO
WWW

Sue said...

Three hours?? Lucky you. Yep, restroom issues, puts in dent in day-trips - came to that conclusion decades ago. Places can keep their lines, i'll stay home, no problem :) Btw, reason why women take so dog-gone long in the restroom is: pants - and those equally abominable (and cancer-inviting) panty-hose - blluuck!

Arkansas Patti said...

Actually I am impressed by the three hours. I haven't timed it but to be on the safe side, I make 2 hour trips. Gee do you think I could add another hour to my escapes?
Will check out your recommendations. Always good ones.

Miss Merry said...

Gosh, so my husband and I aren't the only ones who plan the short potty trips, huh? You have to find something to laugh about!!! We are impressed with 3 hours.

Linda Myers said...

My first husband and I were in Bethlehem in 1976, I think. Isn't that where the Martin guitar factory is?

I bought some little cardboard gadgets (called pee buddy, I think) that I carry in my purse. A woman unfolds the cardboard, puts it under her "nether regions", and the pee runs down the little cardboard trough and onto the ground, just like a guy! I thought it was silly at first, but I have used one more than once since Covid.

Not TMI, I hope.

Laurie Stone said...

Good round-up, Tom! I feel the same way about moseying too far from home and am always (embarrassingly) aware of where the toilets are.

gigi-hawaii said...

You are fortunate to live on the mainland and can drive to different states. Over here in Hawaii, we have to catch a plane to do that.

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