I suspect lead singer Natalie Maines would have been more than happy for this not to be true, but: Impeccable timing for the new single!
There are a half-dozen serious, weighty posts waiting to be written, but after this week I’m tired.
What are y’all doing as a respite from politics, at this point in time?
Spousal Unit & I both really enjoyed the first two seasons of Death in Paradise, every episode a sprightly Christie-style stand-alone mystery. I’m having trouble getting into the unlovely third-season replacement for the central character, but the rest of the cast is still sharp, and I console myself that the blemish in question eventually gets replaced in his turn…
zhena gogolia
Humphrey’s replacement is an improvement (a charming Irishman), but the plots get more and more ridiculous and the sidekicks really deteriorate. The first two seasons are the best. It holds on as long as Camille is around, then takes a nosedive.
NotMax
Diversions? A time sink to while away hours.
Before the cloud, before Tivo, before DVDs, before laser disks, there was –
Archivists Are Uploading Hundreds of Random VHS Tapes to the Internet. Scratch hundreds. Now over 20,000 from which to choose.
@zhena gogolia
I came to appreciate Kris Marshall more than Ben Miller, the original. But boy oh boy does it become stodgily formulaic. Eventually one can set one’s watch by the plot beats.
WereBear
I’ve been reading a lot. If you are like me and cheer yourself up by saying, “At least it’s not Zombies,” you will love The Passage by Justin Cronin. Well written, huge scope, fascinating plot, and best of all, it’s a prize-winning trilogy.
zhena gogolia
@NotMax:
Yeah. It surpasses even my tolerance for hackitude in murder mysteries. With Rooney it ALWAYS, ALWAYS hinges on some falsification of the time of the murder
I love Kris Marshall in Love, Actually, and he improves over the course of his run on Death.
Currants
Thank you ALâLOVE the Dixie Chicks! Â (Not just because Maines has a local connection as a Berklee alum) (Not just because of their fearless but costly rejection of Bush and his war) (Not just because Maines is pretty funny
ETA And as respite? Not exactly respite but teaching/commenting on papers has a way of drawing oneâs focus away from politics, and … from everything but itself, actually. For me anyway.
Quinerly
Good morning! Leaving the 4 Corners area after a wonderful week in an AirBnB shared house rental in Farmington, NM. Brief stop in Cerrillos, NM to pick up JoJo Puppy from my friend who kept him while I did this leg of my trip. Can hardly wait to see him. Eager to get back to St Louis. Left on 1/19….time to back to real life. Have a great day, everyone!
Baud
I’m actually busy at work, so it’s a good time for primary drama to be (hopefully) over.
Baud
@Quinerly: We want reports.
Nick
Death in Paradise is on their fifth or sixth season. The current top guy is the third
OzarkHillbilly
Any morning I start with the Dixie Chicks can’t be all bad.
ETA: Blech.
evodevo
Yes, Kris improves in ongoing episodes – I use “Death” as a light refreshment to alternate with binging on Ray Donovan – we don’t get Showtime, so I’ve never seen any of it…up to Season 3 so far.
NotMax
@zhena gogolia
Not a mystery but you might give a look at the British series Hustle, seasons 1 through 4 available on Prime. Not great but more than passable. Originally gave it a go because of Adrian Lester (also its inherent tongue-in-cheekiness), and it survived his departure in the fourth season better than one would have expected
rikyrah
@NotMax:
Loved Hustle ?
zhena gogolia
@NotMax:
Looks good! He’s charming.
rikyrah
@Quinerly:
Where are the pictures of your new baby ??
Quinerly
@Baud: well, my latest travel report is I adore Farmington, NM. I had so much fun in town chatting with locals and eating some of the best eggs on biscuits, smothered in Hatch Green Chiles… And Pinon and Green Chile stuffed meatloaf (not to mention fabulous Thai food one night) that I ran out of time for side trips to Bisti, Chaco, Durango, and Mesa Verde. Just booked the last 10 days in September in the same house and hopefullyII will learn to stop eating and talking so much… It’s been quite a “trip” in a lot of ways……. ?
Plus, GREAT wine and fabulous microbrew.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone ???
NotMax
@zhena gogolia
He also holds his own in Death at a Funeral.
Quinerly
@rikyrah: I’ll send some in. I think Watergirl posted one from the adoption site. And a top of the day to you!
?BillinGlendaleCA
I was off yesterday taking pictures of the missions of Santa Barbara County. One I’ve been to twice before(Santa Barbara), one that I didn’t know about until a few weeks ago(San Ines in Solvang) and one I may have been to as a young child(near Lompoc). A long drive but very rewarding.
Gin & Tonic
Just finished reading Robin Kellyâs encyclopedic biography of Thelonious Monk. In the acknowledgements he thanks an editor who cut out 70,000 words from the original submission. I think s/he could have cut another 70,000, but no matter. If you have any interest in Monk or in the history of be-bop, this is meticulously, astoundingly researched.
rikyrah
Why do Black people have the same mother?????
Comrade Scrutinizer
@NotMax: Hustle was a fun ride; I think Leverage stole its plot beats quite liberally. New Tricks is also quite nice for the first two or three seasons, before it descended into mediocrity.
Anne Laurie
@zhena gogolia: Unpopular opinion: I found every segment of Love, Actually cringeworthy, and the only thing worse than the Rickman-character-abusing-the-Thompson-character bit was Marshall’s weird colonialist bit. Especially since Marshall, IMO, looks like a cartoon character who’s just been hit in the face with a shovel — buggy eyes & flattened profile. Uchh.
(I didn’t actually remember he’d been in L,A until after the first couple DiP episodes, when I googled to see if the actor had done anything less void-at-the-center. As the Brits would say, he has form!)
BC in Illinois
Respite from Politics [partial]
8am   – – Beginning of 10-week 5k training runs with “Big River Running,” at Tower Grove Park.
9:15 Â – – Edit paper for Ethiopian Seminary student. For him and his wife, English is their 3rd language. Content is fine; I just work on verb forms, insert “the” or “a,” remove “the” or “a,” and learn a bit in the process.
11:00 – – Joe Biden Rally at Kiener Plaza, near the Arch
4-5pm – – finish the editing
6pm – – Go to “St Louis Irish Arts” Trivia night (3 g’kids with zero Irish heritage are dancing, singing, playing tin whistle and harp with this group). Â Mrs BC, our 3 kids and their spice are pretty good at trivia, but we will not win. Questions about the 1916 uprising, County Cork, famous Irish personalities, and the spelling of Irish words (pronounced by native Irish speakers) will doom us every year.
And with that, I’m outta here.
Gin & Tonic
Our man Amir Khalid must be breathing a little easier. After an early goal by Bournemouth, Liverpool is now comfortably up 2-1.
Anne Laurie
I loved New Tricks, and will defend it up to the point where the original cast starts leaving. The Spousal Unit still enjoyed those last two seasons, but they were far too much fanservice for me.
geg6
Chicks rule!
i just want to recommend McMillions on HBO. Â Itâs about the McDonalds Monopoly game scam that broke just before 9/11, I believe. Â It had actually gone on for years and is one of the most entertaining documentary series Iâve ever seen. Â It has everythingâthe Mob, lots of Florida Man action, a hilariously crazy federal agent, intrigue, betrayal. Â If you have HBO, I canât recommend it enough as a great diversion. Â I have been recording it and the upcoming episode is the last, but HBO has many ways of catching up if youâre a subscriber.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: There are idiots out there. Drive safe.
rikyrah
Quinerly
This is great. Has anyone posted on it?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/hillary-clinton-gets-tipsy-and-throws-shade-at-bernie-sanders-and-trump-on-watch-what-happens-live
Baud
@rikyrah: Good morning.
rikyrah
Baud
@Quinerly: That’s great and all, but I’m talking about the dog.
Comrade Scrutinizer
I am leading an insurrection at work against an impromptu “everyone must attend” training session involving over 1000 employees divided amongst 4 sessions. We are a learning institution with many of our classes taught in an online or hybrid format. It’s not too much to ask for webinars or virtual meetings, especially since we faculty have already been told that we need to prepare to shift all our classes to online in case we should have to close for “reasons”.
OzarkHillbilly
@geg6: I am looking forward to buying the DVD.
Geminid
@Quinerly: Wishing you and the pup a safe and happy trip.
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly: thanks. I’m usually more concerned when I have to get back to using the interstate. Part of my fun for me is driving the back roads. Mostly desolate. As a safety factor I do try to map out the roads that look interesting and message a friend where I will be poking around, so if hrs and hrs go by, someone knows where to look. I’m noticing cell coverage better and better each year, even on Tribal lands. But, yeah, it’s always the other person you worry about. I didn’t say too much about it, but Gallup on the last day of Feb/first day of March (pay day) was unnerving… Lots of drunk drivers and drunk walkers. Very sad.
Quinerly
@Geminid: thanks!
?
rikyrah
Geminid
@rikyrah: Sanders is trying hard to get a moral victory in Michigan, but I think he knows it’s over.
Quinerly
@Baud: obviously, you don’t care about Ocelots.?
Baud
@rikyrah:
Couldn’t agree more.
rikyrah
Baud
@Quinerly:
Not true. Dogs are simply at the top of the pecking order.
Baud
@rikyrah: Maybe. But the difference this time is that people aren’t rolling over for him.
debbie
I’m working my way through the third season of The Good Place. Sweetly goofy.
rikyrah
rikyrah
NotMax
Oh BTW, TCM tonight at midnight (and again Sunday at 10 a.m.) showing the noirer than noir Ride the Pink Horse.
MagdaInBlack
@rikyrah:
Wow! Every single one of those things, from my polish mother ?
debbie
@rikyrah:
He’s marginalizing all of Biden’s supporters. This “establishment” shit, especially. It’s not the goddamn ’60s any more, BS!
Quinerly
@Baud: I’ve been getting daily reports and videos from my friend who has kept him. No puppy accidents, knows how to use the dog door, gait from his broken leg is better, and he is up to 25lbs. When he is walking with her off leash, he likes the leash attached to him but carries the other end in his mouth. The video is hilarious.
Geminid
Quinerly
Can I just say it? It always makes me feel better.
Fuck Bernie Sanders.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: I hate the interstate. I always take the back roads because they are far more interesting and to me at least, less stressful. (but you can never let your guard down, too many locals who travel the lonely roads are never really quite ready for someone else to be there. Last year I lost my driver side front clip and my driver side mirror to idiots who are too used to being the only ones on the road) My wife feels like the point is only to get to one’s destination. So we compromise: Back roads on the way to a place, Interstates where possible on the way home.
I see Gallup hasn’t changed much since last I was there.
Baud
@Quinerly: That’s so cute.
@Geminid:
I’m not sure it’s only a moral victory he’s after. I think he wants to say he’s better than Biden in the Midwest.
Steeplejack
@zhena gogolia:
Sara Martins (Camille) was in a pretty good French series, Detectives, which seems to have been wedged in the gap between the first and second seasons of Death in Paradise. Stylish private detectives in Paris and environs. It’s available on MHz (either direct or via Amazon Prime).
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: I think he wants to say heâs better than Biden everywhere. ;-)
geg6
@OzarkHillbilly:
Heh. Â You will love it! Â Really a fun watch.
Just One More Canuck
@debbie: of course an imperialist running dog would say that. let 100 flowers bloom!
OzarkHillbilly
@geg6: I gotta give HBO the thumbs up on their short series. I haven’t seen a bad one yet. Some that aren’t as good as others but still good. My wife and I just finished watching Sharp Objects for the 2nd time and wholly fuck I had forgotten just how fucked up those people were.
Geminid
For respite I am going to Charlottesville to help a friend put her yard back together. She just finished renovating the Airbnb half of her house, and there is gravel to rake and grass to plant. Then I will come home and start James Michener’ Journey. It’s short for Michener, only 308 pages. I’ve got copies of Centennial and Hawaii on hand in case I’m quarenteened
OzarkHillbilly
Quetion: How long before I Just Want a Fish Sandwich and To Be Left Alone becomes a rotating tag line? I’m thinking of getting a t-shirt made with that. Better yet, Cole should do it as a fund raiser for the blog.
Immanentize
@MagdaInBlack: My grandmother or my father said 7 of 10. I think they said “candy money” instead of “McDonald’s money” because McDonalds was barely a thing in my area when I was young.
Periodt.
OzarkHillbilly
@rikyrah: Finally watched that. Hilarious. I didn’t know my mother was black tho. The things I learn here. :-)
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly: I have mixed feelings about Gallup. Enjoyed my wandering around, chatting with shop owners, and the restaurants. Had 2 experiences that rattled me. Since I was only going to be there 3 nights and at the time thought I would have no dog in my life (and there would be awhile before I got one) I thought I would try out just renting a room in a house thru AirBnB. Picked a nice neighborhood, great reviews on the property, cheap, looked clean (from the reviews). Looked like mostly traveling nurses were renting. A long story short, it was a fucked up situation from the get go but it looked to me the guy was trying with the property (when I finally got in, I was greeted by a stack of new toilets, sinks, paint, caulk, construction supplies). Since his girlfriend had just had a baby and he was working crazy hrs (never met him, all over the phone, by text) I decided to not complain about the funky black mold in a Jack and Jill bathroom (one section of an entire wall), no top sheet on a crappy mattress, and no way to lock the bathroom. My second afternoon, I couldn’t get into the house and had to call him. The fancy electronic lock was screwed up. Anyway, after I was in, he texted me asking for suggestions. I politely said that it was obvious he was trying to pull the property together but probably put some Kiltz on the bathroom walls, top sheet, lock…. He thanked me for pointing out. Things had gotten ahead of him with job and baby. About 3 hrs later, an AirBnB liaison called me. Said Host wasn’t comfortable with me being there, for me to leave, and there would be a full refund. I unloaded on the liasion. Sent him pictures of the black mold. He said he had no idea. My second unnerving Gallup story can wait a bit. This already is too long.
I’m still fuming over the guy throwing me out. I had told him when he asked what I thought and before I launched into the Kiltz and other advice that I would never write a bad review b/c “clearly you are trying to pull this together… Work in progress.” I’m writing a review for sure now.
Immanentize
Re the idiot box experiences, I am about to dive into Babylon Berlin season 3. Any reviews?
MagdaInBlack
@Immanentize:
Yup, variations on the theme. My mother said “Do I look like I was born yesterday?”
Sounds like our elders raised us right ?
debbie
@Immanentize:
Hey, saw that your and Immp’s trip was called off. I’m glad you chose to play it safe after all.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: Assholes are everywhere. I love it when people ask me for suggestions. I always start with, “Do you really want to know?” They always say yes but the time it takes them to answer tells me the truth even if they can’t. If it takes too long I always respond, “No you don’t.” Funny how rarely an argument results.
Immanentize
@debbie: Yes. Sadly. After talking to my Doc who is keyed into the Covid watch teams at a high level and the Immp’s onc Doc, we decided to call it off. Monday.
Both Dr.s said the biggest issue is not our health, which is good, but getting back if anything went wrong. And the Immp is still in a position where reliable, top of the line healthcare is a positive.
OzarkHillbilly
@Immanentize: Your trip was called off? By you or the cruise line?
Karen S.
@zhena gogolia:
Yeah, I checked out on the series once Camille left. I occasionally watch an episode in the early seasons. It’s one of my comfort TV standbys. Mrs. Fisher Murder Mysteries also fits into that category.
Immanentize
@OzarkHillbilly: It has not been “cancelled” yet by the cruise line. But they have stopped giving out any information until next week. I suspect today’s meeting between cruise line execs and Pence in Miami will give us some clarity about refund or bailouts, etc.
I mentioned last night; I’m going to bring in my Congressional Rep., The fabulous Katherine Clark, for a little constituent assistance.
ETA a huge part of Italy is now no-go according to the State Dept., But Viking Lines have not altered our Italian part of the trip at all. I think they are staggering themselves and don’t know what to do. But trying to get us on a ship at this point seems crazy.
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly: The Asshole ended up doing me a favor. Took my refund, went to fabulous Quality Inn owned by the Navajo Nation in Window Rock. Had a great day and a partial day there. Flea market with live music and dances. Wonderful breakfast buffet included with the room that was loaded with goodies including fry bread, Mutton Stew, and Spam. All in all I made money off of the experience. ?
Steeplejack
Iâm girding my loins for a trip to Las Vegas this coming week. Family stuff, not entertainment. Iâm feeling somewhat fatalistic about the coronavirus threat. I knew from the start that âcontainmentâ would not work, and each day brings new evidence that itâs everywhere, at least in the large populated areas. Iâm sure itâs here in the D.C. area, and Las Vegas? âNuff said. I am 68, so perhaps more at risk than most, but Iâm in (mostly) good health, so maybe thatâs a wash. Weâll see.
Some will remember that I was out in Las Vegas in September, dog-sitting for my RWNJ brother while he went on a trip and helping our mother in the aftermath of a fall and a fractured pelvis. We took away her car keys, which went over about as well as expected, and I was trying to get her to accept some in-home help each day so that she could stay in her house. Long story short, she vetoed everyone who was offered (allegedlyâinformation filtered through sometimes unreliable narrator RWNJ brother), and in late January RWNJ brother got her into a âsenior livingâ facility, which he had been pushing for a while. Yes, just in time for the coronavirus. And of course she hates it. But sheâs sort of an unindicted co-conspirator, because she refused the help that would allow her to stay in her home.
Okay, okay, I donât want to get too much into crazy family dynamics. Momâs 90th birthday is Monday, and the whole Sighthound Hall mob and I are going out next weekend to have a bit of a celebration and let her see the grandkids. Also, my non-crazy brother (Broâ Man, the squire of Sighthound Hall) and I will get a look at the lay of the land and see whatâs what. We thought about postponing the trip, but the coronavirus threat sort of argues for carpe diem, in a way. Ugh.
I usually enjoy traveling, but not this time. As usual, thanks for the opportunity to vent. It helps to write about it. Clarifying, in a way.
Immanentize
@Steeplejack: I’m pretty much right there with you, brother. My Mom is in her own apartment in a transitional living facility. She turns 90 in October. Her own place, but communal dinong. Should we pull her out for a few months? Have her come stay with me? My brother? Ugh. I thought I could put off that decision until April, but now, I can’t. At least I shouldn’t.
ETA. Just thinking about your situation is so stressful, I can’t imagine what you are going through. I’m going to go rake under the bushes to chill out.
OzarkHillbilly
@Immanentize: Here’s hoping you get your money back without to much of a fight.
@Quinerly: Nice. A silver lining.
OzarkHillbilly
@Steeplejack: A small suggestion that may not even be possible much less practicable: Avoid flying. Unless you have access to a private plane.
MomSense
@Steeplejack:
Sending you positive thoughts. Family dynamics are something. Last weekend i had a really nice, spontaneous night out with my sister. Of course my mom was thrilled. Iâve had to resign myself to being the one who takes care of the elders in the family without any assistance or interest.
WereBear
Went through something similar when we took away his grandmother’s keys. For what she could get for the land yacht, savings on gas, insurance, and upkeep, she could literally have taken a cab to town for the rest of her life.
But, no. Cabs are too expensive. That got pounded into her head way back and set in polyacrylic.
Steeplejack
@Immanentize:
Yeah, I know. There are so few facts on which to hang a decision. How come we never get the benefit of hindsight until after the fact? ? Okay, rhetorical question.
What really bugs me is that Broâ Man and I are here in NoVA and the person on the scene, RWNJ brother, is, well, R.W.N.J. In spades. With a host of side issues. So we canât completely trust the information we get. And our mother is, uh, not coöperative. I think she always assumed that she would be able to live alone until some point in the vague future when she would suddenly keel over and be dead before she hit the ground. Thatâs not usually the way it goes.
What kills me is that she was in a rehab place for a week or so after she cracked her pelvis, and she really hated that. I tried to make the connection that if she wanted to avoid going into some sort of assisted-living situation she would have to accept somebody coming to her house on a daily basis to help her, hours and level of help to be determined. But she just refused (allegedly), and then RWNJ brother sort of strong-armed her into this facility. I donât really know. As I said, he is an unreliable narrator, but they also have an odd folie Ă deux relationship that Broâ Man and I donât quite understand. So she must have consented to it at some level.
Anyway, itâs a big mess, and I donât see anything getting improved on this trip. Good times. But not making the trip raises other possibilities that are worse. Carpe diem, as I said.
mali muso
@Immanentize: I think you made the right call. FYI for what itâs worth, when we deferred our 8 groupsâ travel on Monday (five days prior to departure) every airline told us that we would be out the entire fare with no refunds or vouchers. By yesterday, every single airline had walked that back and offered rebooking within a year with or without minimal change fees. The landscape seems to be shifting under everyoneâs feet. Better for them to play ball and try to recoup some future business, I think.
Steeplejack
@OzarkHillbilly:
Thanks, but not practical. And I might get more exposure on a multi-day car trip than I would on two five-hour plane rides. Plus I have seen stories that the airlines (allegedly) are pulling out the stops to make the planes squeaky clean. Yeah, I know. ?
laura
Roadie brother the younger is super tight with the Dixie Chicks and thinks they are the smartest, funniest, hardest working gals on the planet.
Today I’m making marmalade about 10 lbs. of exciting citrus from the farmer’s market – meyer lemons kumquats a kumquat mineola tangelo hybrid bergamot lemons cara cara oranges and citron. So much juicing and shredding of peel. A pal lent me his giant box of Ball canning stuff. Between that I’m setting up an old school stereo. My old turntable from back in the 80’s when I was a foolish young virgin, along with my late dad’s components and a new tuner/receiver – dance party here we come! All of mom and dads jazz records – bebop and mostly west coast cool. Then a quick sprucing of the living room because next Saturday is Batchelor Gentlemen’s Luncheon. We try and host the Old Boys in late winter in remembrance of my maternal grandmother. Our group of fellas’ refer to themselves as the League of Unextradordinary Gentlemen. That’s my weekend in a nutshell. Best to all Jackals!
Steeplejack
@WereBear:
This, too! My mom didn’t go out much, maybe a couple of times a week to get groceries and/âor go to her local casino to play the penny slots, people-watch and have a nice lunch. (In Las Vegas you have a “local” casino like other people have their local bar or pub.) But to suggest that she use Uberâwhoa, technology!âor take a cab, well, that’s just crazy talk. Yes, it’s crazy, but for the opposite reason. Especially since, as you pointed out, she could well afford it.
Karen S.
@Steeplejack:
Sending you good vibes. I’m going through something similar with my nonagenarian parents. Mom in rehab facility for PT and OT after surgery for tailbone fractures. Dad staying in their house with a terrible short term memory and really bad hearing. Plus, his mobility isn’t great. Mom knows they need help to stay in their home once she’s discharged. Dad has been resistant. I’ve mentioned here before that I’m doing the bulk of elder care, along with my very supportive wife. My brothers aren’t helpful for different reasons. This is a frustrating, maddening and heartbreaking time.
OzarkHillbilly
@Steeplejack: Obviously I don’t think so. I think the greatest threat of infection comes from being in crowded places, the larger the crowd the higher the threat. It’s impossible to entirely wall oneself off from the world so I’m just going to try to keep my self out of such situations.
Of course, I’m not driving damned near all the way across the country to see to my elderly parent’s upkeep and healthcare. I guess in some way it’s a blessing they are gone.
Steeplejack
@Karen S.:
My sympathies to you. The family fault lines really come out, don’t they? And it’s tough for anyone to give up their autonomy, even when the necessity is staring them in the face.
Steeplejack
@OzarkHillbilly:
There’s also the “threat” of staying in some motel room where the previous night’s guests were a family of coughing, sneezing slobs who touched every flat surface and licked the doorknob. Just sayin’.
As I said before, I don’t think containment works, and to a certain extent the same holds true for isolation, unless you can really isolate yourself. You’re probably in a good situation up in the holler with limited trips to town. I’m in a high-density D.C. suburb and have probably already come into contact with an infected person, even though I don’t go out and about very much. Hell, my brother-in-law teaches in an elementary school, and my niece and nephew are in preschool every day. [Shudder]
Anyway, it is what it is. Everything will be much clearer in hindsight, I’m sure.
Nelle
@OzarkHillbilly: The Cough was good in disguise, I guess. I was headed to New Zealand for Feb and March and didn’t go. Now I’m to head to Phoenix at the end of March and I’m thinking about it seriously. Two baggage handlers at Heathrow have tested positive. And just going through TSA has one handling a lit of surfaces. I think we should check rental prices on a small plane, … husband used to be a bush pilot but he hit retirement with increased frugality (as if that were possible). Almost all his flying is now for Civil Air Patrol (thanks, taxpayers!).
It is all possibly moot anyway as we regularly have the granddaughters in our house, little huggable germ and virus carriers that they are.
Steeplejack
@Nelle:
? This.
catclub
I wonder when Trump will figure he needs to kneecap public gatherings of Democrats — for health reasons. I also wonder about holding no election due to state of emergency.
catclub
I thought about this when I was in the Atlanta airport shuttle and holding the handrail. I wonder what other traveler held that same rail?
Steeplejack
@MomSense:
The “family dynamics” really complicate things. Wheels within wheels. RWNJ brother plays up his martyr role as sole support of our aged mother, but in reality, up until her injury last fall, she was in excellent health and self-sufficient almost to the point of being a âfuck everybodyâ loner and misanthrope. And, as I confirmed on my many dog-sitting stays, you basically do a âproof of lifeâ phone call each day and then get together when mutually agreed. Not super onerous.
She could have continued that, with a few modifications, but, no, family stuff can never be that simple.
Miss Bianca
@Quinerly: I’ll be sorry to miss you! Was planning to head down to NM sometime between the 10th and the 17th to visit with my sister, who is supposed to be coming in for a conference – but who knows, her conference may get cancelled – we’re not sure yet. We had been planning to go to Ojo Caliente, and I said, “well, at this rate, we may have it to ourselves”, to which she replied, “that’s actually a very tempting prospect!”
I’ve never really spent any time in Farmington, is it really so nice?
Steeplejack
Redacted and FYWP.
Feathers
I see we have gotten past the diversions part of the thread, but my British murder show of choice is Vera. Brenda Blethyn as a Northumberland Columbo, cranky but sharp, always calling everyone ‘pet,’ and wearily suggesting that cups of tea are needed. A new season just came out on Britbox. The old ones are split between Acorn and Britbox. Currently using up the end of my months subscription on a Poirot rewatch. Watched the entirety of it after the 2016 election. Took me through March and I was much better for it.
Also highly recommend a Criterion Channel sub. It’s $100 for a year. Has a rotating large chunk of the Criterion film catalog, as well as classic Hollywood, and breakout international filmmakers. They had the complete Bong Joon-Ho when Parasite came out. They have Kareem Abdul Jabaar sharing and talking about his favorite Asian martial arts films. Basically the perfect antidote to the world today.
La Nonna
Update from Puglia, Southern Italy has some cases, amazingly few compared to Lombardia, we are self isolating, staying home for the most part, no crowds, restaurants, cafes, events. I have put off a few not-urgent medical appointments so as to avoid waiting rooms, and hospital facilities. Italy doing a decent job with quarantine and testing, all schools, universities closed down, lots of local transport running about 50%. We are in the target group for higher mortality, over 70, diabetic and/or asthma, hoping the healthcare system here is robust enough. Still planning a trip back to US to see family and do a little business, August…we shall see as summer approaches.
Miss Bianca
@rikyrah: Well, I suppose one construction we could put on this is that he doesn’t want anyone to catch coronavirus…
…NAH!
But seriously, maybe it’s time for the Democratic POTUS candidates to stop with the rallies anyway. They’re both old guys.
debbie
@Immanentize:
October’s supposed to be the best time to see VeniceâŠ
OzarkHillbilly
@Steeplejack:
Not staying in h/motel/uber rooms is an option. I’ve been doing it all my life. ;-)
That issue actually did occur to me before my 2nd reply, which is what I was alluding to when I said “driving all the way across the country”. It’s not a big deal at all for me to camp and cook for several weeks at a time, but like I said, I’ve been doing it all my life.
ETA: And yes it is easier for me, which is a good thing because with my various health issues, if I get it I might well be gone before you can say “Sayonara.”
Steeplejack
@Steeplejack:
ETA: Couldn’t get this in during the edit window.
And RWNJ brother portrays the whole situation as a giant millstone of responsibility weighing him down and preventing him from living his best life, with no support from his feckless brothers. (Although he keeps us badly informed and ridicules any suggestions or offers of help. Of course.)
Immanentize
@debbie: But the Immp will be at University and I will be working in October.
Steeplejack
@Feathers:
I don’t have Criterion, but I will recommend Tsui Hark’s Time and Tide (2000) if it shows up on there. Not really martial arts, closer to early John Woo noir. Off-beat and very good.
debbie
@Immanentize:
Stupid me, I should have remembered that. Sorry.
Mary G
I have been relistening to audiobooks of favorite series. Did some of the Lois McMaster Bujold Vorkosigan series and just finished Patrick Rothfuss’s Name of the Wind and Wise Man’s Fears. I am reverting to the toddler stage where it’s soothing to hear something over and over.
Quinerly
@Miss Bianca: thoroughly enjoyed Farmington. Excellent AirBnB, great restaurants, wonderful parks, beautiful lakes, Pueblo ruins, hiking. Cheap. And a perfect base for Mesa Verde, Bisti, Chaco, Durango, even Canyon de Chelly. Check it out. I can give you the info on the perfect AirBnB here if you get my email from Cheryl. Enjoy your trip. Time for me to wind up mine.
J R in WV
@Steeplejack:
Suggestions for your travel:
Take a ziplock full of Clorox wipes to clean every surface you can reach around your seat, both in the gate area and on board the aircraft. Or use tissues and hand sanitizer for the same purpose. Wipe down your luggage as soon as you pull it off the carousel, do the same with your rental car interior.
Best of luck. My RWNJ brother got our dad into a really nice assisted living center in Houston, and dad was reasonably satisfied with the place. But he wouldn’t use the call button, and so fell in his apartment on his way to take a leak at 3 am. Second time… duh. In the long ago. Dad died on election day, 2004.
zhena gogolia
@rikyrah:
Oh, that is great!
schrodingers_cat
@Anne Laurie: Not that unpopular actually. I have never liked it much either. I also thought that Marigold hotel was a cringe fest and Slumdog millionaire was orientalism for the 21st century.
Amir Khalid
@Gin & Tonic:
I was so tired today that I actually slept through the match. But yes, I am relieved. Liverpool are now only three wins from their First Pemier League Title, having won the old First Division 18 times but not once in the new era.
Steeplejack (phone)
@J R in WV:
Thanks. I will try to suitably equip myself as much as possible.
J R in WV
@Quinerly:
We stayed at a B&B in Farmington in order to visit Chaco Canyon, and found it a nice town, although there was a big Oil and Gas presence when we were there some years ago. No surprise, we live in what was a very active Oil patch when we moved out here. Now mostly gas production. But the yards on the south side of Farmington were very familiar.
To visit Canyon de Chelly we stayed in the Thunderbird Motel, and at the time they used Korean War surplus trucks converted to run on propane. Our tour was excellent, our native guide was an ex-cop from LA who knew his heritage cold. He took time to rescue a family from sinking into quicksand at a creek crossing, and then coming out of the canyon a Thunderbird tour truck had broken down and several other trucks helped to pull the dead truck out of the creek. Some guests resented that time spent helping fellow Navajo out, so we tipped him very well.
Chinle, the tiny town at the mouth of Canyon de Chelly, was interesting. I have a great photo of some free range calves standing at the main intersection of Indian Rte 7 and US 191. Interestingly, US 191 is the main highway in SE Arizona where our tiny camp is. Small world.
zhena gogolia
@La Nonna:
All best wishes to you. This is a scary time.