Paralleling the mighty Mississippi on a vaguely southernly heading through the delta lands this morning. Three hours in we made the turn towards home with Memphis in our six. 

I saw a note earlier today advertising a short course on an “authentic writing practice”.  I wonder what that means these days. The trend towards homogenized thinking seems to be encouraged by the information outlets on all sides. In other words, I hear less about what is actually “happening” and more about how I should  properly respond to that. Today, on the news that I normally avoid listening to, I heard that Big Tech is filtering/restricting access to information about the Covid vaccines. Draw your own uninformed conclusions about that because that’s the whole story as it was “reported”.  Almost everyone I know has been vaccinated… and I’ve heard “be afraid” warnings targeted at both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated populations. Everywhere I can turn, either R or L (middle ground/moderate reporting seems non-existent) for news of current events, funnels me towards the message of “be afraid”. The chaos is epidemic. 

Last summer (2020) canceled travel and we sat home relearning how to wash our hands. I, having been raised by the ultimate germaphobe, was well prepared to spray Lysol over every package that came into our home. It was curious to see grocery checkers in masks hunkered behind sheets of plexiglass handling grocery items which had recently been up and down every aisle in the store, past every potential cootie present in one of the few places where cootie carriers congregated six feet apart with their sanitized hands and facial adornments.  “Be afraid” hung heavy in the air where Muzak had been replaced by PSAs reminding us to social distance.  

Huge tent cities began to pop up under the freeway system in Austin as the homeless population inexplicably swelled and be afraid finally found perch as I, all on my own, inside my head, began to wonder where all the additional “homeless” had come from. Austin PD was defunded around the same time that a small group of people decided to stop traffic on I35, a major N|S corridor through central Texas. I saw one of the billboards while south bound and entering Austin via I35. 

Austin Police Defunded Enter at Your Own Risk," reads one of the billboards. ... Amid calls to defund the police, the Austin City Council last month voted to cut $150 million from its police department budget. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott criticized the decision, saying in a statement that it "paves the way for lawlessness."Sep 13, 2020

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In fact, CNN reports that “Those seeking to disband police consider defunding an initial step toward creating an entirely different model of community-led public safety.” 

So-called “community-led public safety” is not led by police and pushes police to the background or out of the picture entirely. Where does the money taken from the police go? The answer varies by city but generally falls into a few buckets.

“Those dollars can be used to fund schools, hospitals, housing and food in those communities, too — “all of the things we know increase safety,” Phillip McHarris, a doctoral candidate in sociology at Yale University and lead research and policy associate at the Community Resource Hub for Safety and Accountability, told CNN.

(https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/what-happens-when-cities-defund-police-departments/

4 March 2021) 

In Memphis we were seated next to a couple of armed Federal Agents where we had dinner on Beale St. I saw several uniformed security guards, none equipped with so much as a fly swatter, leaning against buildings on our walk from the hotel to the tourist attractions nearby. We were cautioned more than once by the locals to be back in our room “way before dark”.  

The Peabody was splendid. The fountain ducks did their thing (for the unmasked smiling crowd).  That was the high point in Memphis … well, honestly, for me, the duck parade was no big deal … visiting with a woman who had moved to Savannah during the Katrina storm relocation away from New Orleans and was in Memphis traveling with her daughter and grandchildren, was my most fun Memphis moment. New Orleans people tend (imho) to be “authentic” and she wasn’t coy with her opinions. 

On the drive to Louisville I told my husband that if I owned the Peabody, I’d start auctioning architectural salvage from it right now. Memphis is papered in “help wanted” signs and the declining downtown area is populated by glassy eyed beggars. We “heard” that the hotel is running at a very limited capacity due to staffing shortages. I’m obviously no expert but the street level shop windows are curtained with painters brown paper and hotel entry was closely monitored. 

 I think the best thing I saw today while we were driving through the grazing lands of Brazos County, Texas was a huge murmuration of birds, so large that it seemed to never lose touch with the ground even as it twirled into the sky. Nature has its own way with ballet I’ve noticed during these stiller times.

I was thinking I better make a note of that, hoping with a reminder, I might be able to see it again in my mind’s eye. 

It was splendid. Just all by itself I loved seeing it - how do they know how to fly so tightly? Do they communicate or simply flow with one another? And to see one that dips continuously to the ground - I’ve never seen before. Probably a ready supply of some unfortunate newly surfaced bug (hopefully hornworms). 

We are headed up to Michigan for a visit with our son. All that car time might support some catch-up posts. Hopeful. 

 

The grocery store was slammed full of shoppers on Friday when we finally felt the roads were safe enough to venture out. Power had been intermittent for over a week and as mains burst in the area, boil notices added to the strain of not having water to boil. We were not so hard hit. Water pressure was lost, but our home was never completely without tap water supply. Hot showers in the dark was as bad as it got here. 

Sheer boredom compounded by the lack of tonic water my husband splashes in his gin encouraged us to brave the ice. 

There has been too much idleness even during this more leisurely time of retirement. 

We put a few things in our small cart. The store was completely out of fruits, vegetables, and meats, including the prepackaged deli/breakfast meats and cheeses which normally filled the store coolers. There was no dairy or eggs. I was hoping for some Noosa Lemon yogurt. That entire area of the store was roped off. Because we had chicken on our list I approached a store manager who was standing near one of the empty coolers chatting with a young stocker-looking kid. I wondered if he had any word of when to expect the supply chain to ramp back up. He seemed almost gleeful as he launched into his version of “why it can’t be called global warming” and that given these wild extremes of temperature, “climate change” is a much better phrase for this predicament. I could tell that I had interrupted a lecture when the young guy took his opportunity to drift away. I had time to let him talk. It took some patience but he finally and abruptly did stop. 

 

I smiled faintly, reminding him gently, “chicken?”.  

He might have been a Dairy section supervisor. 

“Can’t say, he said, “...been promised milk and eggs tonight.” 

People are tired. I frequently wonder what “things will look like” in the future. The trials of confronting loss, and of preparing for the unknowns presented by what appears to be a crumbling democracy are taking and have taken a toll. I’m not seeing hopelessness in the faces at the grocery store - my only venue for observing strangers - the vibe seems to be polite, tired, watchful. At check-out the cashier told us that we had too many bottles of tonic water. Water is being rationed she explained because so many people are without water. I felt shamed, but not ashamed and said, okay but that’s not water. Tonic water is not water. Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink that is commonly used as a cocktail mixer." When they indicated that it clearly says “water” right there on the label I said "I know you are just trying to follow the rules as we are too." 

 

Slightly awkward. 

The liquor store two doors down had no problem selling us how ever many bottles my husband purchased in there while I took our groceries to the car. I wondered as I waited if the two party size bags of Cheetos that I impulsively bought made me “greedy”. I could tell you that the chips aisle was completely stocked... .  

It may be just me, and I may be “entitled” (not sure, all the societal algorithms are in flux), but it seems like people are being encouraged to “keep their heads down” and go with the flow...yes, it clearly says water right on the label. Good catch. 

After the big thaw we ventured out to grocery shop again - last time really was about getting the tonic water - this trip was about sourcing food for our dog. He eats a bag of kibble, a chicken (cooked and deboned) and chicken livers when we can find them. Purina recommends one can per 10.5-12.5 pounds a day. My dog weighs about 100 pounds. Feeding him chicken is more time consuming but lots cheaper and better nutritionally. I had two whole chickens, four pints of livers and a single serving steak when we arrived at the check out. Even though I hadn’t seen any rationing signs when we were shopping, we were told by the cashier that there is a 5 protein limit. 

I opted for 2 chickens, 2 pints of livers and the steak. That’s $13.00 of protein we will share with the dog and a steak for me.  At home we discovered that one of the two containers of chicken livers wasn’t bagged. We’ll write off that buck and a half and pay closer attention next time. 

Other than spotty dairy supplies and no bottled water,  the store appeared to be completely stocked. 

 So, I guess like everyone else, I am thinking about an air fryer.

 Air fryers, pictures of food prepared in air fryers...airfryer cookbooks (I went to B&N today trying to get a copy of the TIMES magazine that the article about all those guys teaming up to save democracy was printed in - that was a no go, so upstairs to look at real cookbooks while I was there anyway)...air fryer things are everywhere. I don't even eat fried foods (much) and I'm thinking about one. I want to know first hand how in the world that works. 

And does it work?  

Does air fry? 

Hmmm, I was raised all the way down to the border of south Texas.  The other day some one said Corpus is south Texas, but there's basically a whole 'nother State southwest of Corpus. It's the border and right now I'm hearing that Covid-19 is jumping from home to home almost as fast as new people are coming in to the country. 

I've wondered about that. I really think I'm too much of the too good to be true mindset to have be able to make that trip. I don't blame them. One of the Executive Orders rolled out the red carpet. Thank goodness we have I35 running up the middle of the country to help these newbies navigate their way north. I was driving by myself heading south from Dallas down I35 after dark and noticed several cars in tow (two piggy backing sometimes which is incredibly impressive and sorta scared even to a Valley girl) also headed south and to my thinking pretty far south. They load those vehicles with all manner of things - crammed full. Headed back home wildly wealthy by village standards. I'm happy for them. They probably think we are crazy up here. 

Air fryers. All the bread machines and all the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixers have been sold (I'm guessing) so we are on to air fryers. I do love chalupas. And chips. I've almost forgotten how much I love chips and salsa. 

I've taken up serious cooking during these stay at home and listen to TV fussing all day days.  We may never eat out again. Austin area is back up to 75% occupancy in our restaurants but everybody learned how to cook last year. And we figured out our better food at home not only tastes better, it's like 1/3 the cost before tip. And I wear black yoga pants everyday. Everyday. I love it. I'm saying that because not only are we not spending money entertaining ourselves out and about, we are also not buying new clothes. I have my comfy at home clothes and I can wear them to the gym. Lately I'm wracking up 120 minutes a day on my watches green arc playing Beat Saber on the Oculus Quest. That's all I do ...dogpark (WX permitting - ice storm today), grocery store, gym, front yard, back yard, home. 

We get so many Amazon deliveries in this neighborhood that packages are being dropped off out of unmarked cars. A kid who probably used to be waiting tables to pay for college is now driving Amazon boxes around in his car. I was outside when he just stopped in the middle of the street, got out and came walking towards me smiling under his mask. I'm sorry I don't have on a mask (in my yard doing yard work) I said, but if you're not afraid of my cooties I'll take that. I asked him if he wanted a bottle of propel, which he didn't and thanked him for delivering "the ocean".  The ocean? he took the time to ask, and I told him it was a sound machine...I'm missing the coast.

 

 I don't know how or when it happened, but somewhere along the way in the last few years I've developed an appreciation for a quiet life.  I mean, I've always been a quiet type person.  I wasn't the kid who talked in school, I was the distance runner type kid in High School and I guess running in the quiet, my own version of quiet which is earbuds in, has recently become my thing again - if you can call 15 minute miles on an elliptical inside a temperature controlled gym "running". I don't think I'd miss the masked people on the machines around me. I have a treadmill at home and even though it’sa good one, I don't use it unless I'm in dire straits to close my green ring. 

Most days, including Sundays, my husband and I take Max to the dog park. It's amazing how much that seems to mean to the dog. Unless the weather is just too bad we go as early as possible.  I do miss the day when dogs accompanied their kids out and about unleashed. I don't remember when I saw my first leashed dog, but I do remember when leashed dogs was uncommon. My childhood dog could situate herself just right out of my dad's long reach a top Momma's bright red station-wagon. That dog seemed to know when Vet visits were the destination and could be bribed down only with the promise of DQ ice-cream cup. She knew. Probably my smartest dog ever ... she was a terrier blend, All-American pooch my dad would say.

I can see my husband in there hustling up a snack - it's dinner time, I need to cook.  Cracked wheat steamed in bone broth with already roasted chicken tonight.

Taken on my birthday for quick response to text query - “what are you doing?”

Recently realized I miss posting here. I’m too busy. Too busy with mostly good things, but busier than I need to be.  

Putting together a weekend party for one of my kids ... be back no later than next week! 

The days are long - like shadows but the years are short  - brb!