May 30, 2020

The View from the Tenderloin

The View from the Tenderloin

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what's going on out there in crazy land. San Francisco is moving slowly and carefully to reopen. I did a walk about today with my home care provider, while we saw a few people without masks, the great majority were wearing them. It's the law here now.
Post viral complications of Covid-19. Think of it as post plague consequences. So you've had it, and for a number of possible reasons, came out of it alive. You can't get it or give it again. Thank your Gods for that. But you are not unscathed. If any of your organs were in the least bit stressed when you caught it, they were damaged. Blood clots in the lungs, damaged kidneys, and other possibilities. This is going to be a huge part of many peoples lives from now on. This is going to force the issue of universal healthcare. The economic damage will force other changes as well.
I am not optimistic about my personal outcome. My friend and home care provider are both going to be facing these consequences. My little buddy has gone back to his family, and I am happy about that. There is no doubt he has suffered damage as well.
And then there is the political situation. Other countries speak openly about how police departments in the US kill people of color for sport. This has got to end. It won't end with the current crop of Fascists in charge. They must be voted out and replaced with intelligent, competent leadership.

Hold those dear to you close

God save the Republic

May 11, 2020

The View from the Tenderloin

The View from the Tenderloin

We are having sweet weather, still and warm, so a walk was in order. Five point nine miles, there and back, to do an errand and scope the neighborhood. I'm careful, I wear my mask, keep my distance from people, and touch nothing. I refuse to sit around and get fat. I walked by the big plague testing center at seventh and Brannan. It was for both drive through and pedestrian traffic, but you had to have an appointment. They weren't busy, I talked to the guy and he said just go online and make the appointment, come back on whatever day you make it, doesn't matter the time.

The streets are still relatively empty, as are the sidewalks. I walked by the Caltrain station, usually bustling, and only saw one train pull in. This part of my world, my life, is still transitioning, but my situation in this chaos is surprisingly good, for which I am very grateful.

There is another world, another life, waiting in the wings. One that I am anxious to get back to. That world is far more exotic than even this mini-apocalypses. The epic battle of my life, it has it all: love and hate, despair and joy, Gods and Demons. A universe I didn't even dream existed before I met my little lost buddy, five short years ago.

Hold those dear to you close

God save the Republic

May 10, 2020

The View from the Tenderloin

The View from the Tenderloin

I am feeling much better, the medical issues seem to be over. I went out twice, for a total of 9.2 miles, and got some important stuff done. My home care provider went for the second walk with me, and commented that "everyone was wearing masks".. I read today that if eighty percent of the public wore masks, the rate of new infections would drop off the chart.

I went to Trader Joe's on the first walk, I needed to stock up on booze, a bottle of Irish whiskey and a bottle of dark tequila fixed that.

Being part of the solution works throughout the spectrum, from family and friends, to nation states. As a nation, we need to always be part of the solution. This administration has been a huge problem, both domestically and internationally. We need to fix that.

Hold those dear to you close

God save the Republic

May 8, 2020

The View from the Tenderloin

The View from the Tenderloin
I've had to view the world through a haze of pain for the last few weeks, but I think I've turned the corner. People I've talked to about kidney stones have said they've used Demerol and/or morphine to deal with it, but I've avoided going there. I don't like downers. Anyway, with the help of my care provider, and the delivery services, I'm adapting and surviving.
I started this beautiful morning off with a tour or the community garden, and the roof garden. Mornings are the best time. I've put myself down for a planter box as soon as one becomes available, and I'm studying what others are doing to prepare. I miss taking long walks through the hood, but I worry a lot about catching the mutant strain of the plague, so I am staying close to home.
Sunday is mothers day. Mine is far away, but I think of her often. I have a letter prepared, but un-mailed as yet. This is hard for her, she doesn't really understand why people aren't coming over to eat and visit. She has been through something like this when she was young, smallpox, so on some level she knows, and she saw me, her second child, come down with polio.
So much is changing, both on a micro and a macro level, it's a bit disorienting. It's a time of contemplation and adjustment. It's doubly difficult because we are dealing with a medical plague and a political plague. Fascism has reared it's ugly head, again. This political mind set is toxic, pervasive, and persistent. We, as a nation, have fought it many times, and it has cost many lives, and here we are again. It's all hands on deck, it's going to take the type of effort to win this as it always has- during the civil war, WWI, and WWII. Another iteration of the same long, long war.

Hold those dear to you close

God save the Republic

May 1, 2020

The view from the Tenderloin

The View from the Tenderloin
It's been a month of shelter in place, and looking at another month, at least. It's a daunting prospect. While we are shut behind our doors, our whole world is going to change.
As things worked out, I'm not by myself. My home care provider, though he lives close by, is staying for the duration. It's safer for all that way, the building I live in is filled with the elderly. It's a blessing for me, it's like having a servant.
I am in the process of passing a kidney stone, so it's a good thing. One thing that makes it exciting is sneezing. It's an audible explosion of a sneeze combined with a cry of shock and agony. The pain has been impressive, and I hope it's over soon.
I guess the point is, I'm being helped when I need it. Everyone stuck inside with you needs your help. It's tough times, we need each other.

Hold those dear to you close

God save the Republic