4/21/2020: Up at 7:11 AM.
Got dressed, prayers, Bible. Perry Mason. Power of Babel. Page of KK. Got DVDs
from John off porch. At 9 AM ramen with eggs and bread. Kam’s eggs and bacon. A
little after 10 AM said Rosary on porch. Checked the bins; winded just walking
out to the end of the driveway. Lots of squirrels. A little cloudy.
At lunch had two sandwiches:
turkey with cheese and PBJ. DW shows, House, YT DQ8. Finished up the first
section of script in KK and sent to John. Supper: cabbage and taters and
sausage. Takes a little bit longer now that I have to peel the potatoes. Got
some disinfectant wipes in a baggie. Listened to Yen read 3MM. Went in and
washed up at 7:30 PM; forgot my dobie pad, which I use to scrub the frying pot.
Must collect it tomorrow. Still pondering whether to go to TX Cooler for a
lottery ticket. Much more DQ8. Went to bed almost 1 AM.
When I was up, I said my
regular prayers and read my Bible. Got dressed, straightened up, and caught up
my diary. Decided no, no TX Cooler this morning. Posted. Made Kameron toast and
breakfast biscuits, then ate leftover sausage and cabbage for breakfast. While
I had wanted to make a few ‘revolutions’ to exercise, it had started drizzling
rain today. DQ8. Should be writing but can’t force myself just yet. I need one
hint of encouragement, a cough, anything, to keep me from plunging into apathy
and depression right now. Something from outside, not an appetite that I invoke
or compel, like a TV show or a book. A kind word. I try to be the servant, the
helper, the encourager of others. Perhaps not enough; not enough for anyone to
care. I have dropped my work into others’ e-mail slots. A great silence echoes
back. These are feelings. Must hold on until they pass.
I have movies, but nowhere
safe to run them. I have games, but no system to play them on. I have tons of
books that I’ve read and reread, and hundreds on Kindle that I can’t quite
face. I have writing projects that mock me.
The only things to even
mildly engage me right now are reruns of House and watching DQ8 run-throughs on
YT, and even they don’t really engage me. A horrible, humid, damp day, a little
clearing towards evening. Started stew at about 1:40 PM (it takes a long darn
time), including jalapeno cornbread. Pork roast, onions, carrots, potatoes,
cabbage, and red bell pepper. It was $:30 PM before it was done, and in between
I grassed and fed dogs and helped Kam with his homework. Yen read more 3MM [The
Three Mulla-Mulgars] this evening, then I went in to clean up, and got a bar of
soap from S&A. Came in, said rosary, straightened up, and now I feel like
going to bed. But maybe a shower first? And Kam hasn’t asked for any supper,
but maybe he’s okay; sometimes they buy him something, sometimes he just eats
chips.
4/23/2020: St. George’s Day,
so also Shakespeare’s Birthday. Coronavirus Pandemic: Dem Panic Con, Virus Roar.
The meaning is the Democratic Party pulls a political con game on the panicking
public while the virus roars away. The day was hot, but dry, so no wretched
humidity; it was okay. Shower in the morning; no shorts so wore pants. I did
all the usual things: prayers, etc. Wrote a tidge on AFYHM but could have done
so much more. In the morning Kam out to hang around a bit while I cooked his
breakfast, which was nice. My main timewaster was watching DQ8 on YT while a
commentator with a pleasant British accent played it. For supper made chili,
corn on the cob, and rotini. No Yen reading tonight. Bed at about 10 PM.
4/24/2020: Woke up about 6
AM, made a note for AFYHM and caught up diary. Prayers and Bible, then rosary.
Beef ramen for breakfast. The morning is so bright and clear and cool. I can
see the dust in the house and on my things in the sunlight. Struck again with
the alarming – well, I can’t quite call it an urge, more of a thought or an
instinct – let’s say, the concept of keeping only one copy of each essential
book and shedding other copies and books that I really have no real need to
hold onto. Take Alan Garner for instance. Haven’t read his four books in 30
years, though I’ve tried. They could go, and I’d never miss them, except as an
object I’ve had for decades. I really have no reason to cling, except there’s
no reason to part with them, as there’s little to be gained except space and
ease.
Made Kam bacon and eggs, and
I had some bacon and eggs too, for once. About 1 PM the dogs were barking, and
I went out just in time to see first the pest control guy, then Andy drive up.
A asked me to put the Rotts in the guest house with me for a bit, and I did.
They behaved pretty well, but they were dusty from being outside and in 10
minutes had already shed a big handful
of hair. It didn’t take long, though, and they were soon out of the house. For
lunch I had the leftover chili and noodles, which I topped with a slice of
cheese. At 4 PM I let out the Chis, then reheated the stew for supper. All
through the day I had watched MageMasher’s walkthrough of DQ8 and finished it
in the evening. Kenny was a little late tonight but read 3MM at 7:30 PM, the
section with the Water Midden, and doubtless will finish off the book tomorrow.
All day I wanted to write but felt a great lassitude (a $5 word for laziness, I
think). In the morning and in the evening there has been a sweet scent of
blooming in the air. Jasmine? Chinaberry? Just beautifully poignant and
elusive.
4/25/2020: Woke up during
the night once with one of those hypnogogic visions, where I still see images
imposed on the waking world. This was definitely no memory. It was a huge
yellowjacket, as big as a fist, hovering in the air, and covered and crawling
with other wasps on its body, head, and legs. The fear was as brief as the
vision. Got up, went to the bathroom, then back to bed.
Really woke up at 6:30 AM.
Got up, opened the windows to let the cool in. Caught up diary. Contemplating a
shower, and the day’s itinerary.
Showered, then prayers and
Bible. Ramen for breakfast. Took up writing and did 4 or 5 pages by 10:30 AM on
AFYHM. It was nice and sunny all morning and Andy mowed some, but by 11 AM
clouds started to roll in, and here at 11:24 AM I’m hearing thunder. Got in
chicken salad for lunch.
Soon as I wrote that, it
started to HAIL, slightly bigger than pea-sized stones, not windy, and then
rain and hail, then rain, hail, and sunshine at the same time! Things seem to
be calming now (11:49 AM). With the smell of mowing, rain, and dramatic
sunshine, it reminds me of that old camping trip.
Spent a lot of the afternoon
watching “MostAmazingTop10” videos, about cryptids, demons, ghosts, and other
High Weirdness. Then I watched the St. James Catholic Church mass (which
‘Sunday’ Mass is offered on Saturday afternoon). Kam came in about halfway
through to hang around, then yakked about his analysis of the Alien movies with
me a while. Which was rather like threshing old hay for me. We talked a little
about video games, then he went in at 6:40 PM.
Kenny read the last of 3MM
tonight and gave me nice credit for pointing out the book to him; he seems very
taken with it now. S&A went for a walk with the dogs. At 8:50 PM I went in
and got the last of the broccoli salad and 4 boiled eggs for supper. Read some
more Collected Mark Twain until bedtime at 10 PM.
4/26/2020: Up at 6 AM. Said
prayers, read Bible, washed dishes. It was cool last night, but it took a long
time for me to feel it, and with windows open at night I felt a little uneasy.
Ready for EWTN mass at 7 AM.
Ramen for breakfast and
lunch. Watched more Most Amazing on YT. About 6 PM, when I had started the
Rosary, Andy brought me in some fries and 4 boneless wings from Wing Stop.
Tried to watch the Sunday animations, but … sheesh. It seems all the things I
used to cling to – The Simpsons, Star Trek – have turned to shit, or are just
over. Reading some Mark Twain (satires mostly, from newspapers) and Kenny
canceled his reading tonight because of migraines again. But altogether it has
been a mild spring day. Bed at 9:30 PM or so.
4/27/2020: Up at about 2 AM
and had to make some rather loose stools. That woke me up, and in sudden
inspiration I figured out that if I set the big mirror on the little fridge it
would be the right height and place (because of the plug) to use the clippers
to shave my beard. In a bold move I did so, making my beard into a little
Charles Dickens-like goatee. I probably won’t keep it, but I’ll try it a little
while. Went ahead and said prayers, read Bible, and prayed Rosary at 3 AM. Then
laid down and tried to sleep.
Up again from an interesting
dream (which see), and a storyline that I think would make a good movie on its
own. It’s now 7 AM, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be going to TX Cooler this
morning, as, apparently, we might still be under county lockdown. Until I’m
sure I shouldn’t budge. But I have until Wednesday to find out.
So at 9 AM I started my wash
and made Kam’s breakfast, and then my own at 10 AM with eggs and bread in
ramen. Boiled eggs, but did not make chicken salad; left a note to say if they
wanted some I could make it in 5 minutes. Wrote just a bit, but also watching
House and GGACP. The pool guy came by at 11:11 AM just as I was changing loads.
I made broccoli salad a
little after 12 noon, cutting up the broccoli as I listened to DW shows. There
was no cheddar cheese. Finished the wash. About 4 PM grassed the Chis and fed
inside pets. Made salmon rings and couscous. Helped Kam with his homework. Yen
started “Alice in Wonderland” and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” tonight. Bed early
again.
4/28/2020: Up about 1 AM,
did some writing, then prayers and Bible. Starting to yawn again, so will try
to sleep some more. Dropped off about 3 AM, I’d guess.
Up at 7:30 AM after the
usual restless intervals. Vader, for some reason, was howling mournfully. The
morning seems a little damp and yellowish around the edges, and the birds are
calling, but not many or merrily. My right arm is sore and I’m moving slow. My
resolve (how long will I keep it?) is no TV or Internet until I’ve done a
healthy chunk of writing.
Kept it up pretty well until
about noon, when I had about 9 pages done, and they were headed for St. Helwig
and the showdown. For breakfast: 2 ramen; for lunch, a ramen and a sandwich;
for supper, made sausage, taters and cabbage. Having so much writing done made
the rest of the day bright. I brought the bins in and swept the kitchen porch.
Read more Mark Twain. Rosary at 5:30 PM. Kept wondering all day if any of my 3
correspondents would message me about anything, but zilch as of 7:50 PM. But I
suppose that’s okay. Yen’s not reading tonight, and probably not tomorrow night
either, as he has that Zoom thing. Still, I feel cheerful, which is unusual. It
never did rain, and the evening’s rather yellowish again.
Went in at 9 PM, and S&A
were just leaving for a walk. Got Kam’s supper and washed up, and got a second
helping of cabbage and taters. Now that I’m frying the potatoes [rather than
boiling them], they are really good. Came back in and hit the hay pretty late
after some reading.
4/29/2020: April almost
over! Awake at 3 AM and prayed, read Bible. Feeling rather gray and grim, with
thoughts about the past and what I should have done. Laid down, then up again
at 7 AM, dressed, straightened house, and opened windows. Outside it is cool
with a rather steady, medium rain. There are rumbles of thunder.
By 9 AM it had cleared up.
Went in and made Kameron toast. Had ramen with eggs, and toast with jelly.
Wrote 1 page on AFYHM. About 12:15 PM Kam called me in to sew up the tear in
his shorts and secure the button, which was right on the tear. Got a reply from
Kris Jerome about the stories I sent him, and spent an hour or so crafting a
letter back, which I sent with another story and a picture of an Ogre. It’s now
3 PM, and I’m thinking about supper, which will be pork chops, I think. Day
pretty warm and sunny right now. The sixth day since I’ve heard from John.
As it turns out it was baked
chicken breast, rice, and broccoli. When I came back in, I did hear from John,
apologizing for not having written before. No Yen reading tonight, or until
after May 4, apparently. At 6:30 PM went out to pray Rosary on the front porch.
Went in at 7:30 PM to clean up and made Kam his supper. Ginger ran out when I
went to get the taquitos, just in time while S&A got home from their walk.
As I was going out there was a wasp inside the window by the back door; Andy
came over and killed it. When I got inside, I found I had nicked my right
forefinger (probably washing the knife); it took a while for it to stop
bleeding. Watched YT vids until about 9:30 PM. Ready to read more Mark Twain
and try to get to sleep.
4/30/2020: Up about 5 AM,
prayers and Bible. Nice and cool all night and this morning without being cold;
the air is insouciant (the only word). Wrote about a page. Had 3 ramen this
morning, then 2 eggs and a slice of bacon, THEN a sandwich on toast and a
banana. For lunch, a ramen with the leftover rice and chicken. For supper made
chili, rotini, and corn on the cob. I had chili with 2 slices of bread, then
later more chili and bread, the last of the broccoli salad, and the last awful
bits of the chickpea rotini made slightly more palatable with mayonnaise and
lemon pepper. About 1 PM John called, and we had a long talk about new
circumstances: he’s taking a voluntary paid layover “in times like these”. Not
ideal, but apparently, he’ll actually be making more than if he stayed on, and
when business picks up (please God) he’ll go back without prejudice. In the
meantime he hopes to get in shape and perhaps write a bit. I sent him (again)
what I had of AFYHM so far, for ease of reading; he hadn’t been able to just
yet. Not much happened otherwise. House, DW, Flintstones, YouTube ghost
compilations, reading Mark Twain article essays (Shelley, Christian Science,
shipwreck survivors). Bed about 10 PM.
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