2020 Diary: The End of July

7/22/2020: Up about 5:30 AM. Prayers. Bible. Caught up Diary. On to the Death Star [a little family phrase from an old commercial we still preserve], as it were. I think one good march will bring me to the end of Omichon. I do not know why, but for me, rather than inspiring a celebratory spirit, the advent of my birthday usually provokes an existential dilemma. Haven’t written at all yet, as of 5 PM. Anyway, made Kam taquitos and sour cream for breakfast, and had ramen, eggs, and bread for me. A little after 10 AM, had more ramen, eggs, and bread. Suddenly was inspired to add Star Trek books to the Shadow Library. After waking up from a nap (and a dream where Omi gave me some M&Ms) I called John, and we talked a goodly while. Began supper about 3:30 PM, rice with mushrooms and chicken breast. Ate leftover sausage and cabbage with taters while cooking. Got some more volumes of the Mark Twain bio for the kindle; now reading. Rosary. Went in at 8 PM and cleaned up. A little after 9 PM Kam called and asked me to make his grilled cheese for supper. As I did so, S&A came back from their walk. Bade everyone good night, came in and read and pootled until bedtime.

 

7/23/2020: Up about 6:30 AM; another dream about a family reunion. It poured away like water as I woke up. Prayers and Bible, then settled down to write on Omichon. Bit by bit I progress. 7:15 AM stop to catch up diary. 9 AM make Kam bacon and eggs, then my ramen. The rest of the day thinking about story, but not doing any writing on it. Reading MT bio, and downloading several MT works, including Joan of Arc. What a mass of contradictions the man was! Something of a cynic but falling for every fleeting scam that came his way, often under the guise of it being ‘rational’ or ‘scientific’. He was a man of enthusiasms; his warm heart made him gullible. Always against monarchy, but he dearly loved a lord. Lunch more ramen; Andy came in and asked me what kind of cake I wanted. At supper made chili, instant mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and a few rotini. More MT until bedtime.

 

7/24/2020: Up at 5:30 AM. Prayers, Bible. Tucked right into Omichon and finished at about 7:30 AM (the story has the exact time on it). Now I’ve finished my ‘birthday story’ and needn’t worry about writing again till at least Sunday. The time ahead is free, free! Went in at 9 AM and made Kam taquitos, then my ramen and eggs. Dipped in and out of Night of the Iguana: ‘a bargain made with mist and mold’.

 

Went out at 11 AM and sat on the porch a while; high clouds and a wind made it more bearable for a bit than it’s been for a while. Curling dried leaves perhaps a presage of fall already. Striped lizards and one huge rusty brown-gray chameleon, bigger than most. Ate chili at lunch and fried Kam bacon and eggs. Kept an eye out for a rug to be delivered today; it came between 1 and 1:30 PM. I struggled it in from off the front porch to through the kitchen door. Began frying taters at 2:30 PM and was through at 5:30 PM. Fish and taters. Went in at 8 and cleaned up; they also gave me the leftover egg salad. Rosary at 9 PM, after catching the end of Mr. Roberts. Susan tells me that Kelsey & RyanH are watching out for hurricanes out where they are.

 

7/25/2020: My 57^th Birthday. Up about 6:40 AM; prayers, made tea, took a shower, dressed, and read Bible. Saw there was an email from John about Omichon:

That was one of the most beautiful things you've ever written.  Sweetly allegorical, wistful, playful, magical.  I couldn't help but feel that you were Omi, I was the worm, and Yen was the owl. So perfect in tone. How in the hell do you do that? Thank you for your birthday gift - will see you tomorrow with our birthday gift to you.  Love.

So, there’s that to look forward to today. Went back and did some minor polishing on Omichon. Then went hunting for covers for my posting for today, Dorothy L. Sayers paperbacks. The Harper Perennial covers that I have don’t seem to be very popular: I had to search far and wide to find even a moderately good picture for many of them. Intend to go in at 10 AM to bake cake.

Went in, but they weren’t back yet, so grabbed some bananas for breakfast. At 10:38 AM John called to say they were on their way, so I stumped out and met him and Amy just as they had pulled in. They gave me $60, and we had a good long gab before they had to go on at 11 AM. Then at 11:47 AM Kam called and said S&A were back. They gave me a card and $50 for my birthday, as well as a cake, chili dogs, and hot cheese dip, which I proceeded to make. We had lunch, then they sang Happy Birthday, we had cake, and then I went in full and sleepy for a nap. It had rained pretty heavily meanwhile, and still dripping most of the afternoon (hurricanes sneaking around). About 4:30 PM I went in, and Susan helped me start setting up ordering those books and DVDs I wanted. At first, she was on the phone with Kaitlyn; she and Ryan want to buy and build a house. Andy had to go pick up a wreck, after waiting all day for his game to download and only playing about 10 minutes. Susan must wait until she gets to the office to do any actual ordering, for security measures. It’s now 6 PM, and I’m just about ready for Round Two of Birthday Dinner. John e-mailed me a picture of the new monkey-mask he just made in latex (from his sculpt); it’s truly amazing. If only our 16 year-old selves could see the things we’ve accomplished!

At 6:30 PM we had more chili dogs and cake. At 7:40 PM Yen called, and he, I, and Isabel had a good birthday talk. They gave me Isabel’s e-mail number and I sent her links to my sites. Morgandy sent me a Happy Birthday message on FB messenger. It’s now a little after 9 PM and I’m ready to lay down for a bit. But rosary first.

 

7/26/2020: Up about 6 AM; raining this morning a bit. Dressed, prayers, Bible, then Eucharist with Father Stan. Wow, there is some steel in the old fellow; denouncing rioters for not following the way of peace and wanting to see more people in person at the church (while observing all precautions, of course). His rather thick (Polish) accent is a little hard to follow, but that makes me listen more attentively, perhaps, and I grew more used to it as he went on. His ‘style’ is a little more straightforward and not quite as dramatic as Father Greg or as chummy as Father Dennis. Today is Yvie’s birthday; it always surprises me that it is so close to mine. Also, Olivia de Haviland passed away.

Andy came out about 12, and I went in to get some leftover boiled eggs, and chili, which I made into Frito pie with corn chips. For the first time ever, I think, we had to throw away the leftover broccoli salad. Also, they gave me some old apples that had been around since April (they were still good, though). Susan told me she had ordered my stuff on E-bay this morning, and I gave her the $107 or so dollars and got $2 back (Lottery money!), so books and DVDs are on the way, some that I’ve wanted to get for almost 2 years now. I peeled and cored the apples while I watched an old Spyro 2 game on YT, then boiled the pieces up with cinnamon and sugar. Took a short nap (woke up and thought it was night, but only about 4:30 PM. Ate the apples. Reading MT bio. At 6 PM went in and got cake, dip, and chips. It’s now almost 7:30 PM. Things are already about dried out.  Finished rosary a little after 8 PM. Read till bed.

 

7/27/2020: Up about 6:30 AM. Prayers, Bible. On a whim, started reading my collected short stories, and found a few corrections to be made in each. Started with ‘Zane and Jane’ and read up to ‘Chambers the Memoirist’. Went in and started my wash a little before 9 AM (Kam calling, but needing no cooking, just company), then boiled eggs, made my ramen, then made egg salad. About 10 AM swept the kitchen porch and changed loads, so I’m good till a little after 11 AM. Must look for covers for the Gardner books and today’s blog. Did so, posted, and at 11 AM switched loads, folded, and put away clothes.

Went at 12 and got the towels out of the dryer. At 1 PM made broccoli salad and finished off cake and dip for lunch. Reading MT bio. Made a list of next 10 books to consider getting; can’t believe I never even considered the Tolkien DVD. 

At 4 PM started supper, grassed Ginger, fed cats. Made fish rings and couscous. After I ate, I took a little nap. Rosary at 7:20 PM. Washed up at 8 PM. Read MT most of the evening, then to bed. Oh, Susan told me that Kaitlyn &RyanT are definitely buying the plot and building a house.

 

7/28/2020: How quickly the tail-end of July and the high summer is passing. We are already entering early fall-like weather. The green pecans are big enough for squirrels to begin chewing into them and leaving the sour remains behind. Up about 6:30 AM, wrote the bones of a dream, then prayers and Bible. No Perry Mason today; reading the last of MT bio. Went in at 9 AM and made Kam bacon and eggs, then used the grease, ramen, eggs, and bread to make my breakfast ramen. Checked a couple of times on the mail; I suppose today would be the earliest anything could come, but nothing yet. Caught the tail-end of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, from the diner to the end, the part I usually miss. 

Now 11:15 AM. From under the trees there is starting to arise that pencil-shaving smell. Gathered and blogged for NOT.

Kam called a little after 12 and I made him taquitos and dip. About 1 PM I rolled the garbage can in, checked the mail and porch. While I do have the anticipation of having my orders coming in, I also have the anxiety of waiting and watching until they’re all here. Made some toast and cheese for lunch. At 3:30 PM I mean to start cabbage and taters.

And so I did, going in to eat about 5 PM. It started to rain about 6:30 PM, so I turned off the AC and opened the windows to catch some Fallish air. Susan came by on their way to walk to check and make sure the AC was OK and told me John had been laid off. I called him about 7:30 PM to check on him, and he’s sad but not too upset; apparently he’d been sort of expecting it, [Covid] conditions being what they are. Went it at 8 PM to wash up. Susan asked me (of all people) questions about the SSA forms, and I asked her if she’d heard when the books and DVDs might come in. She said most had said August 1^st, but it could be earlier. At 8:30 PM said Rosary for John and his situation. It’s now 9:04 PM and I may start into MT’s Joan of Arc again. [I did.]

 

7/29/2020: Up at 5 AM. Prayers, Bible, AND rosary right away. Got covers for today’s NOT and blogged. Got dressed and prepared. Left at about 6:40 AM, went to TX Cooler, and bought TX Lotto. Wore mask, touched nothing with my bare hand, stood FAR away from anyone (there was only the attendant and one customer – in a mask), and used sanitizer afterwards. Home by 7:30 AM, then took a shower. The whole day ahead is thus ‘free’. Shall I work on my writing, or wait till August 1^st? It’s just possible – vaguely possible – sumpin’ may come in today.

And so it came to pass. I went out to the mailbox at about 10 AM – I had made Kam eggs and bacon, and myself ramen – and there it was! Only Yesterday! But of course I couldn’t get the port of my computer to open. I did some more short story corrections and read more of MT’s Joan of Arc. At lunch I made Kam some taquitos and dip and ate the leftover sausage and cabbage and taters. I went in about 3:30 PM to start supper, cooking rice, thawing chicken breasts, and microwaving broccoli and then throwing it all in the oven. Lots of thunder and clouds (I unplugged the TV and computer and AC for a while) and some rain (not a whole lot). Supper wasn’t ready till 5:15 PM, but I went in a little late because I was distracted watching The Flintstones. When I explained to Susan I hadn’t played the movie yet, she pointed out that they had an old TV/DVD player out in the washroom, and that I could use that. It was a real old boat-anchor tube model they hadn’t been able to sell, but it still works fine. Andy brought it over a little after 8 PM; he had to work late. After a bit, I started OY at about 9 PM and finished at 11 PM. 

A beautiful movie, and very emotional, about childhood and growing up. Susan thinks that something else might come in tomorrow morning; it looks like it. Will it be another DVD, or books? I am so happy now that I can watch my movies again.

 

7/30/2020: Up at 5:30 AM, prayers and Bible. Went seeking covers for NOT, then posted. Now almost 7 AM. I am tempted to start DVD list for future NOT feature.

And I did. Used all the Tolkien-related DVDs. Later I made a calculation: the $70 I paid for a VHS copy of Bakshi’s LOTR had the equivalent buying power of $191 in today’s market.

Feh. Well, the day went on; no merchandise in the mail. Made Kam toast and then taquitos and dip. I had ramen (with extras), then ramen with mushroom broccoli rice, and finished off the broccoli salad, which was already kind of … not of the best. At supper made chili corn, noodles; I had chili on bread with cheese and pickles. Selected covers for tomorrow’s NOT. It’s now almost 7 PM.

 

7/31/2020: Last day of July. Chesterton, Barrie, Shaw, Lord Howard de Walden, William Archer [famous picture of them dressed up for a cowboy movie]. Up fairly early from a dream of exorcizing the maggots and flies out of a couple of possessed corpses. Prayers, Bible. Worked on gathering more covers for today’s NOT. Made Kam some corn dogs and TX toast for breakfast; the mail came right then, and I brought the packages to the kitchen porch. Made my ramen for breakfast. My stuff [of the packages; some were for Susan] was The Gobblin’ Society [James P. Blaylock] and Over the Garden Wall [DVD].

 By noon I had read half the book and watched about 4 episodes worth of commentary. Chili for lunch. Started on taters about 2 PM. Worked on that till 5 PM and made the fish in between. Sometime afterwards I heard an almighty crack; a gigantic limb had fallen from one of the pecan trees. I washed up about 7:30 PM and Kam came in a little after 8 PM (with a bit of a panic about a tiny spider ballooning around the house) and we watched half a MST3K (Aztec Mummy) and ate some chips and dip. Took Kam in about 9:30 PM. Now a little after 10 PM and want to snug down and finish the Blaylock. Finished it about 11:30 PM (it was pretty good) and went to bed. 

Notes

I downloaded Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc, and now have the physical book, but I’ve read neither completely yet. But I will, I will. It’s in the queue.

The end of this July has also been a season of storm and lizards and falling tree limbs. I guess it’s just that time of year. Not so dry this year, so not so ‘Fallish’ yet.

Kelsey and Ryan were living out at the beach at the time while Ryan was working in the area. Kaitlyn and her Ryan have since finished their house in San Antonio and live there quite comfortably.

I didn’t have a bank account at the time, so needed Susan’s help ordering stuff. I remember we were even worried about Covid from packages in the mail. I still have that old ‘boat anchor’ TV/DVD player, though I haven’t used it in years.

I've got DVDs of some of those movies I was only watching on TCM at the time. It'll be Over the Garden Wall time again before you know it.