March 2020 Diary: A Bunch of Old, er, Stuff

3/15/2020: The Ides of March. Up about 6 AM, and at 7 AM started watching the Mass on EWTN. Andy came over and we talked a little about what we might need for groceries during ‘the shutdown weeks’ (yes, there’s kind of a social shutdown going on to slow the coronavirus now). Prayers and Bible. Made spaghetti for lunch and watched some MST3K. Kind of cool with a little rain once, but not much. Will I be able to poop naturally today? We shall see. Started watching “Monsignor Quixote”: at last, after about 30 years, it’s available. Feeling a little urpy; hope it’s not the spaghetti backing up because it can’t get into the colon. Still no word as of 6:30 PM from John about K[ing] K[orm].

 

3/16/2020: Up at about 4:30 AM. Prayers, Bible. Was finally able to take a poop without ‘priming the pump’, as it were; another mass of dark matter-like intensity, but I passed it naturally. For which I thank God. Going off caffeine, too few vegetables, and anxiety kind of whipped up the perfect conditions for constipation. Wrote a quick poem ‘Back in Ortha’ by 7 AM. Kenny called me early discussing the possibility of reading AGODP [A Grave on Deacon’s Peak] aloud on FB Live. Ramen for breakfast and lunch and made broccoli salad. Supper, fish rings, parmesan couscous, and broccoli salad. Much of the evening spent listening to Kenny read “The Monk” by Matthew Lewis. Rosary.  

 

3/17/2020: St. Patrick’s Day (so also, I think, the Downfall of Sauron). Up at 6 AM, took a dump (yay!), got dressed (green shirt), then said my prayers and read my Bible. I SHOULD spend today trying to finish KK, but we shall see.

Not much going on, as the quarantine continues. Ramen, then sausage and cabbage for supper. Wrote a page segued between Korm’s journey through the Stone Tombs and Nast waking up the next day. Couldn’t stay up to watch Yen reading and fell asleep without saying Rosary.

 

3/18/2020: Up about 3 AM, said my prayers and did yesterday’s rosary (Sorrowful). Napped between 4:30 AM and 6 AM, then up and showered. Started writing and did Nast’s camp and Drim setting up the watch. Ramen at breakfast, leftover sausage at lunch. Helped Kam renew his library books online a little before 2 PM. Picked chicken, boiled rice, then put chicken, rice and broccoli in to bake for an hour at 400 degrees. Pretty tasty. Sent John writing by 4 PM. Rosary by 7 PM. Weather cloudy, then sunny when the sun dips lower under the clouds; right now windy, with chance of rain this evening.

 

3/19/20: Much routine. Some writing. Listened to Kenny reading “The Hunting of the Snark” and “The Monk” and got Kris Jerome’s go-ahead to let him read AGODP. Told John we should suspend the $20 until the crisis is over. First day of spring?

 

3/20/2020: Same routine [and by routine I don’t mean to imply boring or rote]. Quite a bit of writing, up to the point the Herald rides up between the armies. Very rainy all day. No word from John about what he thinks about the story all week; I imagine he might be a little distracted, what with the end of the world and all. I don’t know if it has to do with having the windows open or what, but there seem to be a lot more sirens going off today. First case of coronavirus reported in Guadalupe County. No meat today. Found I had bungled and somehow got some sections of KK mixed up, so fixed that.

 

3/21/2020: Up about 6 AM, prayed, showered, dressed, read Bible, said Rosary. I mean to finish the first draft of KK today. Sat down and saw I hadn’t written diary for two days, so filled that in. Now almost 7:30 AM; I’m going to try to get to work.

And so I did, and snudging along, grudging along work it was, my dears. But by 3:30 PM or so I had reached the end, and managed to put a little scene with Uncle Akko by himself that I think was the perfect button, which came to me out of the blue just when I needed it. Now all I have to do it convert the script to prose and plug it into the proper place in “Tales of the Morgs” and I’ll be a happy camper, indeed. Sent copies off to John and Kenny, but as of 9:40 PM haven’t heard a word from either of them.

Through the day had leftover turkey chili noodles for breakfast, leftover brussels sprouts in ramen for lunch, and then at supper S&A brought home Chicken Express, so chicken, biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn nuggets, and hush puppies, with sweet tea! Susan also bought me a new fan; but since the weather’s so cold again (with rain all day) it might be a while before I really need it. Also trouble with cable all day, but they were here twice to work on it (and Andy had to help the guy out of the mud with his wrecker) and it seems to be working fine now. Some more ramen topped off the night. Wondering and waiting if Kenny is going to read more tonight or if John will contact me with an opinion on KK. 

Notes

After a quick search I find that King Korm is not a story I have posted yet, though the poem 'Going Back to Ortha' is. Gee, to slow the spread. That was a while ago, and certainly didn't turn out like people imagined. Kenny's reading of A Grave on Deacon's Peak probably accounted for it's widest distribution ever, given his enormous circle of friends. Ides of March, St. Patrick's Day, Downfall of Sauron, Spring, ... all come round again.