Monday

Day off. Always good. Woke up early, lay in bed listening to podcasts for almost four hours. Maddening ones, hopeful ones. Some that make me cry. One that finally made me get up and do something.

Went out for bakery breakfast for the first time in a long time.

Made a little headway on a to-do list.

Found some rocks. Lost some paints. Life: 1  Bettye: 1  Can’t expect much better than that.

Tuesday

Back to work today. In the morning I went to a student’s house to film/photograph her graduation. The principal and her teachers were there and a couple other people from work. It was in her backyard which was gorgeous, it was hard to return to real life.

Today was my turn to go into the office and it was one of those “dothisdothisdothisdothisdothis” days where you never get to what YOU need to do, because there are so many “do this’es.” But…tomorrow is another day.

Met a friend after work to sit, you guessed it, on some grass at the edge of a parking lot, ha ha. I texted her after we met last time and said let’s commit to walking at least one lap around wherever we are, before we just sit. And dammit, she remembered. It was fine. I realized I had No Heel Pain At All, maybe this length of Stay at Home is the “stay off your feet” rest they’ve needed. My hips are another story, but…at least One Thing seems better!

Sat on the patio with Janey for a bit when I finally got home cuz she had been alone all day. The teenage (?) boys in the house sort of to the side of my apartment were having an outdoor party. It was So Nice to hear sounds of life! It’s usually So Quiet here.

Wednesday

Okay, I hope you’ll try and find just ten minutes today to watch this. It can count as your meditation time. It’s so peaceful and lovely.

Thursday

I don’t have much to say today cuz I said it all in my “Update (aka I Got Nuthin)” post.

Friday

Had to go into the office. They’re prepping for some students and staff to arrive on July 1. Everyone had their own bottles of hand sanitizer on their desks. Someone still doesn’t know how to spell my name.

Saturday

Went to a winery with some friends, outdoor socially-distanced tables…guacamole, hummus, live music, gentle breezes under the late afternoon shade of an umbrella. Not a bad outing.

Sunday

Went out east with a friend to visit a public garden that’s open. It’s hot. I’m almost ready to be done with being active outside in the heat.

Then a little brunch.

Farmstand stop.

Home to some distressing news. Gonna just relax on the sofa this evening.

WHAT I’M READING

Too much all at the same time. I’ve got two  “hold in your hand” books, one Kindle, and one audiobook all going at the same time. And can’t keep up with all the podcasts I want to listen to.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

The Last Black Man in San Francisco. This was a good (true) story, visually lovely, wonderful photography/cinematography, well-acted. It had almost a Wes Anderson surrealistic vibe to it. Two thumbs up.

Dead To Me: Season 2. I really enjoy this show, but MAN do they cry a lot.

WHAT I’M LISTENING to

  • NPR: Corona Virus Daily, daily. It’s under 15 minutes.
  • NPR: News Now, daily. 5-minute synopsis of top news stories.
  • The New York Times: The Daily, almost daily. 10-30minutes a day. There was a very good show on Friday by a historian on The History and Meaning of Juneteenth.
  • NPR: Up First: 15-ish minutes daily of some news thing.

Those pretty much take up my limited “listening” time and I rarely get to the longer podcasts I’d also like to listen to. I can’t listen while I’m doing other things: I can’t hear it, I get distracted with what I’m doing, etc. I listen either early in the morning if I’ve woken up before I actually have to get out of bed…or while I’m driving (which isn’t that much these days). Sometimes on a weekend if I’m feeling particularly luxurious, I’ll lay on the sofa with my eyes shut and just listen to something – either a podcast or audio-book. That is like the HEIGHTH of laziness and relaxation.

Okay, signing off.

Be safe, all. We’ve done well in NY but I see so many other places in the country spiking.