April 20, 2020

My Facebook photographic history project while staying home.

Most of my FB friends are family members. I've been going through boxes of very old photographs and posting them. My mother will be 97 in a month. I've found pictures of her in the Navy in 1943, and pictures of her mother, and pictures of all her children when little (I'm the oldest at 75.)

If I didn't make this record, who would ever see these pictures? My kids and grandkids are used to digital-only photos. I'm getting a lot of interest and excitement; it's like opening a family museum.

April 11, 2020

Out of 686 deaths to date in Massachusetts,

306 were in long-term care facilities. That vulnerable population is just being devastated. These are the people the Rethugs don't value as much as they value a dollar bill.

March 24, 2020

YouTube Zumba!

I didn't remember I could watch YouTube on my TV so I was trying to follow my Zumba teacher on my phone. I just connected on the TV and I'm very excited that Zumba Chela has dozens of videos with the same routines I'm used to, from my class with other old ladies.

I've been jogging around inside the house too. Exercise, plus escape from the things I can't control.

This too shall pass. May we still be alive when it does.

March 13, 2020

Louisiana trying to combat the virus now.

My son says schools just closed, and my granddaughter's prom scheduled for tonight has been cancelled. I know it's a major disappointment, but it was the right thing to do. La. has 36 cases now, with 23 being added in the last two days.

Not a good time to stroll down Bourbon St. and have beignets at Café du Monde.

March 8, 2020

Not surprisingly, the virus is affecting eBay.

I sell items related to a specific vintage doll, and international customers tell me they can no longer accept packages from abroad. New Zealand and Australia people cancelled just last night. I'll just relist and specify U.S. only, but we might see restrictions here too.

Maybe time to take a break.

March 5, 2020

A twitter thread with important Seattle-area virus info.

https://mobile.twitter.com/trvrb/status/1233970271318503426

This is about the spread of the virus in the Seattle area from Trevor Bedford, an associate Professor at the University of Washington.

January 24, 2020

My family's travel is upended by the coronaviris.

One daughter lives in Singapore with her family. Another daughter and her husband and three kids had long-standing plans to go visit her sister, three weeks from now for school vacation week.

Second daughter's company just told her that "Singapore is ok right now but the situation is extremely fluid and that I should consider how critical a trip to Asia is right now."

She had trip insurance, but they're telling her she can only get a credit and it has to be used by August. I said one solution might be for them to go ahead with the first leg of the trip, which is to London, and make that a memorable vacation. She's calling to see what her options are.

January 4, 2020

When HelloFresh meets set-in-their-ways.

Our busy daughter subscribes to a meal delivery service for her five-person family, and persuaded us to try a free week. The box arrived today. Two big pork tenderloins and two portions of trout. Two packs of small potatoes. Two packs of green beans. Two packs of asparagus spears.

Sounds good, right? But you're supposed to keep the two meals separate, and you're supposed to use the dozen accessory packets and condiments to make sauces and seasonings and toppings.

I froze both fish and one pork roast because I already had salmon ready to cook tonight. I combined the asparagus and we'll have it with the salmon. I'll boil a few potatoes but I'm not making the "horseradish mashed potatoes" the meal calls for, using various packets.

I sent daughter a picture of my counter covered with all the ingredients piled and jumbled together and she texted back, WHAT? You were supposed to keep each brown bag separate! Each bag is a separate meal! They will keep in the frig for a week! Please tell me you didn't mix up the sauce packets! What are you doing!

I told her not to worry, I'm sure it will all be great.

But my real opinion is that it's much easier and cheaper for me to go to the store and buy a piece of fish and a few vegetables, and use my Penzey's Spices collection. No sauces, no frills; we're just two old people who eat simply.