Damn, I can't see or hear you...

 

Saturday in photos (walk, latte, zoom)

 

party time ~ 2020 style

 The writing group had a good (long) zoom-fest yesterday afternoon and then my neighbor brought me some delicious chicken soup, yum. Linda in Albuquerque recommended "Stranger Than Fiction" (a movie on Amazon Prime) and so my Saturday zipped by. I loved the movie so much. I organized the incoming holiday cards and will present those to you tomorrow. 

golden days of yore

 The Great Plotnik asked for old Tiapos photos because he is organizing a big Zoom holiday party. I sent him these along with a few tears because of course I miss Jane and Bill who were so much a part of our writing lives for so long. It's too easy to sink into sorrow, but NO, I will not. Onward. One more Zoom.

well, it is better than nothing

 I try, but I'm not a Zoom person. I guess the fact that I don't like the phone, Facetime or Skype would be a clue. I appreciate when I am invited, I do, but it is a chore for me. Yesterday I was happy to see everyone in Kristin's Apple group of women friends (aka The Cupcakes) and I was pleased to be invited, but I look forward to next year when we can meet in Pumpkinville once again in the living room of the Blogmaid. 

big anniversary celebration

This is the way we celebrate now. A huge zoomfest for Doug and Barb's 50th wedding anniversary. It was long and lavish and Annabelle waited patiently for me to return to her yesterday. I enjoyed getting to see people whose names I have heard for years. The happy couple (lower right square) was delighted and then they rushed to the ocean for a sunset walk after it was all over. My readers who have been married for a few years will realize how amazing and special this anniversary is. Now Doug, get your feet off the coffee table, please. 

when writers zoom

Grrrrrr. It took me 19 minutes to get on yesterday afternoon, so today I have to fix my zoom because I can't bitch about these l-o-n-g sessions if I am part of the problem. But still nice to see old friends and read their words, hear the comments.  

when writers zoom

Eric's poem is on the screen 

Here is the piece I read yesterday on our two hour long (!) zoomfest:

SHE SAID WHAT? (the prompt)

I love/hate Next Door. Love when someone finds a lost animal, hate the

thinly veiled racist rants. And then a lot of parking bullshit. Whose car

is this? It’s been here for 73 hours and I’m turning it in. So many small

minds in this enclave of elite white upper middle class citizens. Oh, yes,

and someone put THEIR garbage in my can for pick up. So?

Anyway, when we moved here 50 or so years ago (Bill would know the

exact date, he was one of those people), Bernal Heights was a poor

area, very near the infamous Army Street Projects. Lots of crime, dirty

streets. Cheap homes. Heaven.

Now it is chi chi. The projects were redone on Cesar Chavez, which used

to be Army Street. They are beige-upon-beige homes that look

like condos in Walnut Creek. Our little house is probably worth a million plus,

again Bill would know exactly HOW much. We have a lot of young

all-white, boring families. Bernal turns up in the New York Times as

one of the Best Neighborhoods in America. 

But in Next Door today I read some very good news. The loud and nasty

Fleet Week celebration that chokes the city every October has been canceled.

Hooray! Along with outdoor dining, another blessing from the Pandemic.

some live theater (sort of)

The play begins right around King City, a place I know well from my trips
to Santa Barbara. Where 101 becomes The 101. North meets South, man
meets woman. Well done and I will join the SF Playhouse next Monday
night for another play reading. Almost 200 people watching last night,
people like me, starved for live theater.

do I like zoom?

No, not really, but it's better than not seeing anyone. It's not as bad as the
phone, and I do force myself to wear a splash of make-up and a decent
top. There is a feeling of sadness when our Tiapos meeting ended, and
yet it seemed too long. I get restless and wander about. Doug is good to
arrange the zoom and once again there were eleven of us yesterday. I
haven't read any of my work here, but I will one day. Annabelle likes to
walk in front of me and will continue to do so until someone says, "What
a beautiful cat!" Here is Karen H. pictured, she wrote a very moving poem
about a small town newspaper. She lives in Brooklyn and I do love seeing
and hearing her.

mother never taught me

Another Zoom dinner with Doug and Barb and even though I really love
these Costco Shoyu Ramen frozen dinners, one should not eat noodles
when friends are watching (and eating basic American food) at a fancy
Zoom dinner. And, if I may share this with you, one's table manners sort
of take a hike when eating alone in front of the newspaper, LindaKindle4
or the evening news. (Chris Cuomo and/or Rachel Maddow never judge me.)

let's walk, let's Zoom

gargoyles ~ Bernal style

oh, that's right, it's Spring

superb chicken dinner with friends 

I think I will take Husbando's walking sticks today as I explore the nearby
hills that have become steeper since last I did this kind of exploring. Some
of the old standby homes have gentrified, some not.

Zoom chicken dinner thanks to Doug and Barb. Delightful to catch up
with them and I was and am so gratified. We had a lot of catch-up to
cover including a little gossip. We are not alone.

Today. Happy Birthday to dear Dancing Jen who is working at St.
Anthony's boxing up food for the less fortunate. Hard work, good woman.