Things I'll Never Understand
12/04/20 07:25
Were I a religious man I might be feeling a little more sentimental this morning about resurrections and the like given that today is Easter but I am not a religious man so I'm just feeling a little dull. How dull are you, Johnny? No, this is not that kind of post.
There is nothing in particular that I have in mind for today other than maybe taking my bike ride earlier in the day than I did yesterday. A parking ban went into effect along Ocean Boulevard the other day due to a continuation of this pandemic hysteria and when I rode yesterday probably mid day or so it was so busy that I had trouble crossing the road at one point. How busy was it, Johnny?
I completely understand. There is nothing like an Easter weekend to get folks out of their homes and on the road looking for a change of scenery. And there is nothing like a ride along the ocean to take your mind off the fact that we're in the middle of a fucking pandemic and you can't scratch your nose without wondering if you've infected yourself with the dreaded coronavirus.
Evan called a little past 10 in the morning yesterday and asked if I might go shopping with him. I didn't have the heart to say to him that it was the day before Easter and going food shopping was probably not something we wanted to do if we're trying to avoid crowds and maybe avoid contracted the coronavirus. So I saddled up and headed over to the Hannaford's in Exeter for better or worse. One way or another, we'd make this work.
One recurring nightmare I have when it comes to the Ev man is that he is sitting alone in his apartment without food or drink and without the wherewithal to see to it that he has one or both on hand. As such, I have a standing offer to take him food shopping and my recommendation to him is that we do this once a week because it is something that needs be done.
He's never taken me up on that offer but I never stop making the recommendation after every visit we make to the store. I thank the baby Jesus daily that he is more resourceful than we give him credit for although I think there are days and times when that may not be true.
I had visions of shoppers lining up outside the market waiting their turn to push their baskets into the store. I thought that since folks were not dining out on this Easter holiday because no restaurants were open during the pandemic that it would simply exacerbate the situation inside the stores and we would see even more people looking to do precisely what we were wanting to do. Thankfully, there were no lines and the store was not nearly as busy as I thought it might be. Maybe there is something to this Baby Jesus thing.
Evan said that he made a list but forgot it at home. I was dubious of that claim and he must have sensed it one way or another because he quickly followed up by giving mention to several of the items that he had on his list. He moved with great deliberation once inside the store and I was maybe more convinced than ever that he had made a list since he seemed to know what he wanted and where to find it. My only cajoling came when I urged him to buy more than one of this or one of that so he wouldn't run out things so quickly.
I think that I always think that he is more anxious than he really is when it comes to going food shopping or, maybe more to the point, being inside a store with all of those people. I don't even know where I get that idea truth be told. While he seemed a little hastier than usual in making his selections and moving through the store it probably wasn't any hastier than anyone else who wanted to get in and get the hell out as quickly as possible. And just one more hat tip to the Baby Jesus if I might? Thank you for putting us in a checkout line with no one waiting!
I did tell him that I was more than willing to wait my turn in line while he waited for me outside but he was having none of it. I may have even suggested that he head on home and I would drop by his place with his groceries. There wasn't much need for both of us to be there when one of us could do the job but he stayed and gave me a capable assist as we put all of our purchases on the conveyor belt to be rung in. Maybe he thought it was the least he could do.
Like the dutiful dad that I think I am most days, I brought an extra face mask with me for Evan to put on when we went shopping. I wasn't sure if he would wear it but I told him that he was more likely to stand out if he wasn't wearing a mask and that may have made the difference. He complained about the smell when he first put it on and then he asked if he had to cover his nose as well. What a nube! Of course you do, dude.
I was a little curious if he might actually embrace the incognito thing with the mask and all. If he ran into someone he knew from a previous life while in the store no one would be the wiser. He wouldn't have to explain to anyone what he's been doing with his life over the intervening years and I have no doubt that that would suit him just fine. Did I mention that he also wore the black cotton gloves that I brought with me as well for him to wear? You just can't be too careful these days.
It's good for we as his parents to know that he is mindful of his shortcomings when it comes to his health and that he is pragmatic at a minimum when it comes to protecting his own interests in that regard. If he had insisted that he not wear any of the protective things I brought for him then that would have been that. All we can do as his parents is to make our suggestions and piss and moan about it when he doesn't care to comply. You need to pick your battles carefully and, thankfully, we're all on the same page when it comes to surviving day-to-day during this pandemic.
I'm sitting here a day later now and Easter is squarely in the rear view mirror. The forecast today calls for a windy and rainy day so that's not good. Easter was about as low key as we've ever had here at home and that was just fine. Nancy kept busy with paperwork, some cleaning out in the garage which she was very proud of, and just a bit of yard work. Our neighbor, Betsi, dropped off some bulbs for Nancy which she promptly planted.
Evan did not come for a visit on Easter nor were we expecting him to. We had no meal planned and Nancy and I were just going to wing it when dinner time rolled around. I ended up having leftover pizza when all was said and done and I'm not sure what Nancy had. We took a drive around town later in the day and it was deathly quiet on the roadways from start to finish. Gas prices are now below $2 a gallon with the global glut ongoing so let's see if Trump can get OPEC to cut back on production. I'd rather pay a little more at the pump if it means we as a nation stay energy independent.
We're supposed to find out soon as to whether or not we get out of this stupid lockdown phase we as a nation find ourselves in. We need to get our economy restarted. Whether it's a phased in deal by region or type of business I don't care. It's getting tedious already. Some damn towns and cities are fining people up to $1000 (NYC) or less in other places for not following simple social distancing rules. Give me a fucking break. We don't need these liberal leftist mayors or governors exercising their Marxist tendencies at the expense of their citizenry for even one more minute than is necessary.
Nancy called her mom at Riverwoods last evening and they had a nice albeit short conversation about this, that, and the other thing. Mrs G was delighted that she had gotten together with a few of her buds at the facility which was a nice departure from the day-to-day isolation they're experiencing while staring down the threat of this pandemic.
It was good to hear that she was letting her hair down a little bit. Life is too short to begin with for the good folks at Riverwoods so it's best to take advantage of anything and everything that comes their way. Her greatest gift on this holiest of holy days, according to Mrs G, was that she heard from all of her children. I can't remember if she said anything about Debbie rah-rah, but it sounds like Bob's cat is on his last legs so that's not good. Mrs G was in exceptionally good spirits and it seemed like she was more engaging than usual. Nancy, not so much. Some things never change and some thing I'll never understand.
There is nothing in particular that I have in mind for today other than maybe taking my bike ride earlier in the day than I did yesterday. A parking ban went into effect along Ocean Boulevard the other day due to a continuation of this pandemic hysteria and when I rode yesterday probably mid day or so it was so busy that I had trouble crossing the road at one point. How busy was it, Johnny?
I completely understand. There is nothing like an Easter weekend to get folks out of their homes and on the road looking for a change of scenery. And there is nothing like a ride along the ocean to take your mind off the fact that we're in the middle of a fucking pandemic and you can't scratch your nose without wondering if you've infected yourself with the dreaded coronavirus.
Evan called a little past 10 in the morning yesterday and asked if I might go shopping with him. I didn't have the heart to say to him that it was the day before Easter and going food shopping was probably not something we wanted to do if we're trying to avoid crowds and maybe avoid contracted the coronavirus. So I saddled up and headed over to the Hannaford's in Exeter for better or worse. One way or another, we'd make this work.
One recurring nightmare I have when it comes to the Ev man is that he is sitting alone in his apartment without food or drink and without the wherewithal to see to it that he has one or both on hand. As such, I have a standing offer to take him food shopping and my recommendation to him is that we do this once a week because it is something that needs be done.
He's never taken me up on that offer but I never stop making the recommendation after every visit we make to the store. I thank the baby Jesus daily that he is more resourceful than we give him credit for although I think there are days and times when that may not be true.
I had visions of shoppers lining up outside the market waiting their turn to push their baskets into the store. I thought that since folks were not dining out on this Easter holiday because no restaurants were open during the pandemic that it would simply exacerbate the situation inside the stores and we would see even more people looking to do precisely what we were wanting to do. Thankfully, there were no lines and the store was not nearly as busy as I thought it might be. Maybe there is something to this Baby Jesus thing.
Evan said that he made a list but forgot it at home. I was dubious of that claim and he must have sensed it one way or another because he quickly followed up by giving mention to several of the items that he had on his list. He moved with great deliberation once inside the store and I was maybe more convinced than ever that he had made a list since he seemed to know what he wanted and where to find it. My only cajoling came when I urged him to buy more than one of this or one of that so he wouldn't run out things so quickly.
I think that I always think that he is more anxious than he really is when it comes to going food shopping or, maybe more to the point, being inside a store with all of those people. I don't even know where I get that idea truth be told. While he seemed a little hastier than usual in making his selections and moving through the store it probably wasn't any hastier than anyone else who wanted to get in and get the hell out as quickly as possible. And just one more hat tip to the Baby Jesus if I might? Thank you for putting us in a checkout line with no one waiting!
I did tell him that I was more than willing to wait my turn in line while he waited for me outside but he was having none of it. I may have even suggested that he head on home and I would drop by his place with his groceries. There wasn't much need for both of us to be there when one of us could do the job but he stayed and gave me a capable assist as we put all of our purchases on the conveyor belt to be rung in. Maybe he thought it was the least he could do.
Like the dutiful dad that I think I am most days, I brought an extra face mask with me for Evan to put on when we went shopping. I wasn't sure if he would wear it but I told him that he was more likely to stand out if he wasn't wearing a mask and that may have made the difference. He complained about the smell when he first put it on and then he asked if he had to cover his nose as well. What a nube! Of course you do, dude.
I was a little curious if he might actually embrace the incognito thing with the mask and all. If he ran into someone he knew from a previous life while in the store no one would be the wiser. He wouldn't have to explain to anyone what he's been doing with his life over the intervening years and I have no doubt that that would suit him just fine. Did I mention that he also wore the black cotton gloves that I brought with me as well for him to wear? You just can't be too careful these days.
It's good for we as his parents to know that he is mindful of his shortcomings when it comes to his health and that he is pragmatic at a minimum when it comes to protecting his own interests in that regard. If he had insisted that he not wear any of the protective things I brought for him then that would have been that. All we can do as his parents is to make our suggestions and piss and moan about it when he doesn't care to comply. You need to pick your battles carefully and, thankfully, we're all on the same page when it comes to surviving day-to-day during this pandemic.
I'm sitting here a day later now and Easter is squarely in the rear view mirror. The forecast today calls for a windy and rainy day so that's not good. Easter was about as low key as we've ever had here at home and that was just fine. Nancy kept busy with paperwork, some cleaning out in the garage which she was very proud of, and just a bit of yard work. Our neighbor, Betsi, dropped off some bulbs for Nancy which she promptly planted.
Evan did not come for a visit on Easter nor were we expecting him to. We had no meal planned and Nancy and I were just going to wing it when dinner time rolled around. I ended up having leftover pizza when all was said and done and I'm not sure what Nancy had. We took a drive around town later in the day and it was deathly quiet on the roadways from start to finish. Gas prices are now below $2 a gallon with the global glut ongoing so let's see if Trump can get OPEC to cut back on production. I'd rather pay a little more at the pump if it means we as a nation stay energy independent.
We're supposed to find out soon as to whether or not we get out of this stupid lockdown phase we as a nation find ourselves in. We need to get our economy restarted. Whether it's a phased in deal by region or type of business I don't care. It's getting tedious already. Some damn towns and cities are fining people up to $1000 (NYC) or less in other places for not following simple social distancing rules. Give me a fucking break. We don't need these liberal leftist mayors or governors exercising their Marxist tendencies at the expense of their citizenry for even one more minute than is necessary.
Nancy called her mom at Riverwoods last evening and they had a nice albeit short conversation about this, that, and the other thing. Mrs G was delighted that she had gotten together with a few of her buds at the facility which was a nice departure from the day-to-day isolation they're experiencing while staring down the threat of this pandemic.
It was good to hear that she was letting her hair down a little bit. Life is too short to begin with for the good folks at Riverwoods so it's best to take advantage of anything and everything that comes their way. Her greatest gift on this holiest of holy days, according to Mrs G, was that she heard from all of her children. I can't remember if she said anything about Debbie rah-rah, but it sounds like Bob's cat is on his last legs so that's not good. Mrs G was in exceptionally good spirits and it seemed like she was more engaging than usual. Nancy, not so much. Some things never change and some thing I'll never understand.