Saturday February 1, 2020
Took a walk down to the pond. Wanted to get away from computers and politics. Dave is over now, bringing his new drone and goggles and attempting to connect them so that he and Michael can play.
Erin texted that she was super annoyed by the people who voted for Dow who were now emailing and begging her to keep working at the BOE because she and Dow "would make a great team".
“Of course I cannot be angry or curse at them. That would mean I'm mentally unstable."
She has a tough decision. Does she stay on as the only person knowledgeable enough to navigate the complicated voting process during a critical year, so if everything goes well Dow would get the credit. Or does she leave and throw the process into chaos?
Threw together defrosted chicken Asian meatballs and kale, farro, and dipping sauce from last week's spring rolls. All worked pretty well. Watched end of Mandalorian and first episode of Cheer documentary.
Sunday February 2
Four out of five groundhogs didn’t see their shadow today. We'll see. Met Scott, Jay, and Ken in Catskill. We weren’t sure if Ann was going to show up. Scott had wanted me to ask her and I told him I wasn’t going to get in the middle of their weirdness anymore. So he texted her directly and she showed up, grumpy about being dragged out of bed so early. Had a nice breakfast anyway.
Ken had headed security at Bard and is an occasional firearm expert witness in trials involving guns. He described how a security guard confronts a difficult person and then explained why the police had been exonerated at the trial of Amadou Diallo, the Somalian who was shot 19 times for pulling out his wallet. Ken was the firearm expert at the trial defending the police. Horribly sad. Our gun culture sucks.
Went to the Apple store in Albany (the only living store in a huge dead Mall) and bought an Apple IPhone 11. Now I can Face Time Willie with a talking mouse head too!
Made chicken enchiladas.
Monday February 3
A gray day with nothing planned. It is so odd to have a life now with unfocussed days, with no structured time. This diary is as close as I get to it. Of course there’s Tuesday at the Army and the occasional Democrat crisis but except to Darcy and someone needing notes at the County meeting, I'm pretty much a nonessential person. Why does anyone want to retire? No reports or papers due, no deadlines, no kids nipping at my toes, no energizing urge to write words that others might read, no weight of time owed to someone else. This endgame without rules, without scores counters three quarters of a life genetically and culturally designed to serve. So I return to the diary, not meant to be read, but a method for keeping the observed present going. Also to practice swiping letters on my new phone.
Took two walks. First out to the pond where I tried out the camera on my new phone, an attempt to turn grim January into ART. Not entirely successful, but nice walk. Then out with Michael after lunch to look for an opening in the winter brush that might model a path toward the other side of the property and the Worthy Views. Had our usual semantic skirmish and ended up on Dave’s property looking at Persephone again.
Nice emails from Jill, one link to the ABQ pension board where the members squabbled over who should buy snacks. Very funny. The volunteer pathway, hoping to make a positive difference at the outset leading inexorably to a battle over who will be pizza at the next meeting.
Livy is entering two pieces in an ABQ art show.
Jill is still down with the flu but says she’s call. So looking forward to this.
Defrosted sauerbraten soup, which sounds awful but was good. Watched Sex Education, clever.
Tuesday February 4
At the Army today marinated pork tenderloins in pineapple juice, smoked paprika, green hot sauce. While they roasted, Faye made an onions gravy that mixed with the juices in the pan after she poured it over the meat when it came out of the oven. Mashed potatoes and green beans cooked in bacon fat with bacon added. Large lunch crowd made larger with the homeless people vanned in from the Galvin Motel. Fortunately Margaret was here helping, but it was still heavy duty. These tough funny kind women are so great to work with.
Michael and I met Stuart and Ann at the movies, where we watched The Gentleman, which was terrific. I don’t understand the mediocre reviews. Had wit, twisty plot, and great acting.
We all went to Wunderbar after. Since Stuart has become a realtor he seems to know everyone in town, including the former mayor at the table next to us. Everyone in town is avoiding the President's State of the Union address tonight.
Wednesday February 5
Woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep. Read an essay in the Tim Kreider book that Willie gave me. The chapter was one he warned me had reminded him of Andrew, and it made me sad, evoking Andrew's eccentricities, easy wit, and secret self-destructive behaviors.
Felt very creaky and tired today. Nasty frequent bowel movements.
Went to Kingston and had lunch with Harris and Neville at Ship to Shore, pleasant restaurant. Had a steak salad. Harris and Neville talked about their stalled search for a house. Because Harris is over eighty Neville raised the cheery issue of mutual suicide, but Harris and I have decided to live forever and both rejected the idea.
After lunch Michael drove all of us across the bridge to see two houses they wanted, the first right over the river and the other four miles out of town. Both houses have previous offers, which may be just as well. Each is built with its back to a craggy cliff, and the one across the bridge is entirely landlocked, with no safe way to take a walk along its treacherous winding road with no shoulder. The house out of town is less walk restricted but it has a crumbling foundation. I hope they can find something in town.
We were supposed to go to the monthly Greenport Town Meeting tonight but I felt wiped out from intestinal wars. I made a nice ragu though that and made me feel better. Watched Sex Education afterward.
Thursday February 6
Very creaky today. Slept late and then hobbled through grocery shopping. Ran into Pam Kline, a fellow Democrat Committee member and Erin supporter. I like her. She had worked with the newly nominated commissioner Ken Dow. “Did you like him?”
“No.” and told me about her vacation in Oacca.
Executive Committee Meeting tonight, Michael drove a half hour through dark nasty weather to Chatham where the Democrats rent their inconvenient headquarters. Miserable meeting with most of us unhappy about the attacks on Erin, with the exception of Stephanie, who had been a stalwart Virginia supporter. It's difficult to stay friendly. Michael thinks we should restore the patronage process in selecting the Democratic Commissioner. Later at Wunderbar, we argued violently over the word “patronage" a stupid fight with intensity built up from the meeting.
Friday February 7
Worked all the morning getting ready for dinner tonight with the Gang based on my ten-pound jabon bought on line. Basked a kobocha squash and revived a bagful of very weary baby artichokes, donated to the Army and unwanted except by me. Lousy weather with a rain and snow mixture, so I texted around and rescheduled dinner for tomorrow.
Went to Cascades for lunch and Tim came in, whom we like but get together only when we run into him accidentally in restaurants. He said he was thinking of getting politically involved and go to borderline states to support the Democrat Presidential candidate. He should stay here and help elect Delgado.
In the afternoon I worked on a health care issues report with new statistics, which was and helped offset the conviction that I have these days that I'm not very bright or skillful, that I’m old and increasingly tipping over into foolishness. Glad I rescheduled dinner. Democratic debate tonight. I still like Warren. She’s like a nun or a seventh grade math teacher. She would rap Trump on his knuckles.
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