Weekly run down 3.31.2023

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives

Mar 31, 2023

Somewhere between the hours at the computer, running errands, list making, wondering if anything has been forgotten, trying to keep a lid on email inboxes popping off like stove-top Jiffy pop, purging and organizing, collecting tax info, turning 46, saying a final goodbye to my Pop, figuring out appointments and calendars, seeing friends and fam, preparing for summer rental season, school shootings, general societal unrest, getting deeper into vacation planning for our summer trip, and looking after a sick old dog, March came and went. A birthday month not celebrated in my usual style, and a month where the only thing that remained consistent was the up in the air status of everything. This is life sometimes, is it not? I left the shore early in the month expecting to come back within a week and finally made it back two days before the end.

And with March gone, so goes the first quarter of 2023. I vividly remember telling my Grandmom when I was eight or nine that summer lasts forever and she laughed and said wait until you get older, time flies. She was right. Now the only concept I have of time is I blink and it’s two months down the road.

With my Pop dying on my birthday this month, all of my blood related grandparents are gone. I’m lucky enough at this age to still have two bonus grandparents and MFD’s gram. And truly so fucking lucky to know all of my grandparents, four great grandparents, and one great great - Granny. I’ve never been on this earth without an entire network of people supporting me and the security and confidence that has given me is one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Things I’m Thinking About

This OpEd in Elle by Gisele Fetterman, and how we as a society can stop villianizing and harassing women and laying the blame for everything at their feet
Why some of us want to allow white men in positions of power to get away with shit no one else does, why some of us we only believe in law and order for some people and not for all, why some of us demand others comply with police or die regardless of if what they are suspected of is true if they are Black but don’t demand white people in power should comply.
I hope all elected officials who refuse to do anything to address mass shootings - no reinstatement of assault weapon ban, no stricter gun laws, no requiring guns be registered and insured, no rigorous application process or gun training, no gun storage laws, no investment in universal healthcare, no investment in education, no attempt to address any societal inequities - never have a moment of peace in their publicly elected beholden to the people of the United States lives when they step out of their homes. I don’t get to sit in my job and do nothing and say it’s out of my hands and neither do they. They’re fucking employees and they don’t belong on pedestals and they receive respect when they act like respectable people. Letting children be ripped to shreds by bullets in classrooms and doing nothing time after time after fucking time while taking money from the gun lobby and trotting out thoughts and prayers and NRA talking points is not what respectable people do. Fuck off with your civility politics now. A country that expects children to train for active shooter scenarios but have restricted access to books is not a place of civility and you’re fucking crazy if you think it is
Based on how much I despise donald trump because he is a lying, corrupt, misogynistic, racist, narcissistic, shifty, traitorous, entitled, ignorant grifter and shitty businessman to boot who exploited the office of the presidency for his own personal gain, I think people expected joy from me over yesterday’s indictment. I think yesterday’s and the ones that are coming are just (see point above about not allowing white men in positions of power to get away with shit no one else does), but it is a very fucking sad and chaotic time in this country and there is absolutely no joy in that for any of us.
You could not pay me enough to relieve 2017 - 2022. There is not enough money.
Sometimes I wonder if evangelicals/christofascists have ever read anything about the actual Jesus, portrayed as White Jesus in this meme

Books

Listed below in short form, my Monthly reads post is live on Life According to Steph today if you want to read a bit more. But not ever any book synopsis, because there are people who have that as a job and I am not one of them.

Currently reading Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce

It’s the Small Stuff

Monday in the city was a run my ass off day, but I did get to shop Penzey’s in person for the first time and it was so soothing. I’m happy it’s close to my office in Old City.

Mae has what the vet thinks is an upper respiratory infection complete with honking cough that has everyone up most nights. She’s on meds and seems to be getting better, keep a good thought for this tough old bird.