PSB: Hold On!

From their 2012 album "Elysium"

As I've mentioned before I almost always wake up with a song running around in my head. It usually drives me nuts until I find the recording and play it through. Don't know why. This is the tune I woke up with sloshing around in my head this morning. Although I like the song and what it means, a lot, I have no idea why it made a home for itself in my head last night.  But it did.

Another shut-in day, but I am slowly sorting through the most confusing paper work encountered so far.  I fear it will only get worse as the Repubs get their hands on things very soon.

Oh well, think positive thoughts, eh?

And so it goes.

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The Epic Dream of My Life, or Something Like It.

 I guess this is what being a shut-in is all about. What an afternoon/night.  I must have dreamed the epic of all dreams during that time.  And it was in the most vivid colour, too. Stand aside Mr. DeMille! I Take Large Steps.

I swear I could almost smell popcorn. 

The locations ranged from Florida’s Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Amsterdam, unidentifiable beaches everywhere, London, New York City (most intense), Toronto, even a desert-type landscape with oak trees instead of palms, and La Jolla. And featured just about everyone I have ever known in my life - long term, or nameless acquaintances - and I performed the most amazing feats that I’ve never done in real life. And I performed them well. 

I woke twice to pee and drink some water. When I returned to bed the dream continued where it left off.  Oddly enough, there were few appearances by family members, which I suppose means something, I don’t know what. 

There were large chunks of reality in there, too. Episodes of rejection and times I was abandoned. It was interesting to watch myself from afar as I pulled myself together and moved on, or hid myself in shame before finding the strength and foothold to move on.

There was a lot of flying involved. Made difficult at times by the other people in a given episode trying to keep me down, in my place, as it were. Sometimes it was hard to break free.

I seemed to be on a search, or quest of some kind and everywhere I went I found something “important” that was stuffed into a carisack as sort of a piece of the overall puzzle.  

It’s now 1:30 AM and I am pretty dreamed out. The dream ended quietly with me living in one of those new tiny houses in a vast open field somewhere in no-man’s land. I was surrounded by the collection of “things” found along the way. Though people would drive by and wave as I sat on the tiny porch of the tiny house, I was alone, but completely at peace. 

Camera pulls back to a wide shot of the house in the middle of a vast, brownish-gold plain, a narrow dirt road a few yards from the house. There is no evidence of a car of my own. The only bright colors are those of the house. Sound of wind in the background. Fade to black.

I had no narcotics beforehand. I was tired and sleepy after lunch and decided a nap would be a good thing.  Little did I know…

Thought I’d write about it before it all fades away and I have only snippets to taunt me.  I mean, I doubt a dream like this one is likely to come to me again.

I am amazed. 

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Just a Thought: Openings

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Just a Thought: Want

More later.
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New Life for the Orpheum Theatre

I was seven years old when I paid my first admission to the Orpheum Theatre. The beauty of the space took my breath away. I was fascinated by the luxurious velvets and silks; the ornate gold leaf trim around the proscenium and up to the ceiling surrounding the huge chandeliers.  It was a most impressive sight, for sure. (Click on any image to embiggen.)

I was there to see the re-issued Disney animated film, Fantasia (first released in 1940). I was with my sisters and a few neighborhood kids, as I recall.  Most

everyone in our little group became physically ill, some having to throw up, because of the animation.  Not me! I sat in that huge space and drank every bit of the film in. The theatre had a state-of-the-art sound system, too, and the film was presented in the original stereo format.  I was blown away - by the film and the theatre.

Four years later I was actually on the stage performing in a live radio broadcast of a locally produced show. (Television was coming soon.) It was during this visit for rehearsals and then broadcast, that I learned some of the history of the old place. It had been known as the RKO Orpheum from it’s early days as a vaudeville theatre, and the backstage areas still held the trappings of those years.  Dressing rooms with light bulb sockets surrounding the mirrors where makeup was applied.  Special passages and stage works were everywhere.  

With the best acoustics of any venue in the city, it became the home of the

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.  It was a first-run movie palace for years before the  disarray, disintegration of the downtown area. In later years, it hosted theatrical events and concerts before Katrina shut it down for the past decade.

But, the grande dame is getting a facelift, thanks to new owners with a vision, cash and imagination to see it happen. From NOLA.com:

The Orpheum Theater has played host to silence for nearly a decade. The 96-year-old space, shuttered since Hurricane Katrina, is the preferred venue of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra because of its pristine acoustics. Going back further in history, it was a stage for vaudeville, then a movie house.
The last time Roland von Kurnatowski remembers attending an event there was the 1960s. He was a kid going to see "PT 109," the biopic

High water mark from Katrina on exit doors.

about John F. Kennedy's World War II service in the South Pacific.
Fifty years later, a rolled-up movie screen still hangs above the stage, and von Kurnatowski is a new owner of the Orpheum, overseeing a $13 million year-long renovation of the theater.
Even in its state of disrepair, the majesty of the Orpheum persists.
"I can imagine what performing on that stage would feel like with your audience so close," von Kurnatowski said. "Something about it -- it really grabs your attention. It's a confirmation that this is a special

place, very deserving and worthy of the effort."
He and his wife, Mary von Kurnatowski, are perhaps best known as the owners of Tipitina's club and founders of Tipitina's Foundation, which supports music culture by supplying instruments and internships to young musicians. They bought the Orpheum for $1.5 million in February with business partner Dr. Eric George.
It was listed for sale last year for the third time since Katrina, after

years of failed promises from other developers to rejuvenate the performance hall.
Roland von Kurnatowski drove past the Orpheum a couple of days before Thanksgiving last year and saw the for-sale sign. He recognized the name of a friend, real estate broker Don Randon, and picked up the phone. Three days later, he had written an offer.
"I knew right away it was going to be all about bringing it back to what it was," said Mary von Kurnatowski.
The new owners hope to restore the history while creating a space for multiple uses, from the return of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and other musical performances to movie premieres, private events and fundraisers.

The rest is HERE.

I had a similar experience when I was given a tour of the then-closed Beacon Theatre in NYC. That too, is a memory that will live with me forever. 

There are two things I dreamed of owning all my life; one was a theatre where I could show the films I wanted and stage the shows no one else would; and the second would be a radio station.

Having studied film at NYU, worked in theatre and radio since I was 10, I think I could have done some good and brought obscure movies the attention that I think they deserve. A radio station without a format would be a real dream come true for many people I know.  Every 3 or 4 hour segment would be devoted to a different genre jockeyed by an expert in that specific genre.  Where there was spill-over of genres, there could be open mike and call-ins. We had a similar (though much pared down) version of this at the last station I worked in NJ.  Ah, the roads I didn’t take….

Suddenly I have an ear worm. Let Sondheim take us from this nostalgic place.

One has regrets Which one forgets And as the years go on The road you didn’t take Hardly comes to mind Does it? 

The door you didn’t try Where could it have led? The choice you didn’t make Never was defined Was it?

No.  It wasn’t. Still, it does my heart good to see the old Orpheum brought back to life with a grand future ahead. Maybe I’ll get to see her once more in all her rejuvenated grandeur.  May it be so.

And so it goes.

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A Winter's Tale - A Snowy Peace

At last. A quiet, restful night without pain, stress, or tension of body or mind. Woke up in the same position I fell asleep, so I was tired, indeed. Had a coffee in hand watching the snow continue to fall as the dawn broke today, giving that touch of gold luminosity to the blue/gray aura of the landscape. Magic.

Looks like we got what was forecast of this storm, and then some. Nothing and no one stirring outside. No birds singing or complaining. Everything still, laden with heavy snow. Beautiful, really.

Calm.  Peace. Deep, healthy breathing. All is well this day. I know the day is young and anything can happen, but positive thinking is my best friend and hope.  There it is.

I've never been a big fan of St. Patrick's Day. Never understood the connection between the religious fervor and the humiliation of public puking.  Just another excuse to get wasted, I believe. But, that's just me. Why do adults need an excuse, after all?

While not a fan of the hoopla, I do like Irish music and, of course the beauty of the country, culture, and people. I am also a really big fan of corned beef and cabbage at this time of year.  The squeaky crunch of crisp, steamed cabbage, with potatoes, onions, carrots, and leeks along with thick slices of tender corned beef makes my mouth water as I smell it cooking in the kitchen right now. 

Since I cook for one, I hunt for a small brisket - about 2.5 pounds, so I get 2, possibly 3 meals out of it.  Just enough to hold me for another year. Besides, it always tastes better as leftovers, at least to my mind. It takes a good 6 to 8 hours to do the recipe justice, so having started early, my supper will be early, too.  You see, there is a method to some of my madness. 

Hooray!  Just received an email confirmation from the accountant telling me that I will receive a nice refund for 2013. It will be direct-deposited in a few weeks. Not that I can plan to use it for a getaway holiday with my present physical health situation, but I can use some of it to pay down a few medical bills hanging over my head, and still squirrel some away JIC my health improves in the future and I can be away from the transfusion center more than 7 days at a stretch. 

Hey!  It's something to look forward to, ain't it? And I really, truly need something to look forward to anymore.

Probably spend the better part of the day learning my way around the Nexus, downloading apps, and resting quietly - waiting for that corned beef to be ready...

And so it goes.

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Earworm: Scotch & Soda

For some reason this old favorite has been in my mind and on my lips all week. Don't know why. May be the full moon.

I knew things were out of hand when I woke from a dream this morning. In this dream, I was singing this song, accompanied by the original artists - The Kingston Trio - in an old long-gone Folk Coffee House in the Village in NYC.

It was then that I knew I had to act; find the damned song and post it just to get a little peace. Not surprisingly, the song and the singer's raspy vocal hold up well after 50 years.

I've played various versions all day, and this one is my favorite and closest to the original as I remember it.

And so it goes.

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Pete Seeger R.I.P

Remembering how The Weavers were vilified, then watched the individual black-balling and smearing of Pete and his message.  Watching him overcome all that to become the great American poet and troubadour in his later years gave me such joy and hope.  Especially during my own anti-war years.

One of a kind. He done good!  He's gone home now. 

And so it goes.

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Bad Weather & Good Movies

Always a good combination, if you ask me. 

Eventually got the car cleaned off this morning, (it took 3 attempts since I'm short of breath and chill easily) JIC I need to make a quick trip to the ER for transfusion.   It's been almost 2 weeks since the last one and the next appointment is set for this coming Thursday.

It was only when I came indoors for the last time and turned on the weather radio that I learned that there's a 40% chance of "snow showers" today. Oh, well.  It will be less to cope with than this last bit. 

It's gray, raw, and windy so I've decided not to venture outdoors for a shopping trip, or anything else, for that matter. 

Though the slap-dash minor fix got the laser printer working, it still makes a huge racket, so I'm going to chuck it completely and depend on the Epson for all printing needs.  A clean break is sometimes the best. At least for the immediate future. If I get too frustrated, I'll just get  another inexpensive laser printer and chuck the lot.

Watched 2 very different films last evening: 

"Good Night and Good Luck"

"Whale Rider"

Both great films and enjoyable every time I view them, since I always find something new during each viewing that I somehow missed previously.  

Whale Rider was last and that set me up for a relaxing night's sleep. Images of whales, Paikea, and her handsome father made for sweet dreams, indeed.

Haven't decided what, if anything, is on tap for this evening.  I may just take a painkiller (the back still hurts from the car-cleaning activities) and read the evening away.

And so it goes.

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Plans? What a Laugh

I ought to know after these many months of quick-changing health issues, not to make plans - not even a day ahead.  It can all fall apart so quickly.  Old (wishful thinking) habits die hard.  I think we all like to look forward to things in life.  Even, little things. 

I seldom think about the bad days until they arrive and knock me out of circulation. The mixture of highs and lows from Friday afternoon made me feel almost giddy about returning to DL on Sunday to see other folks for the first time since their returned from the holidays.  Never happened.

Weakness and nausea kept me homebound on Saturday and into Sunday. Eating nothing and unable to get comfortable for a proper sleep. Bothered by night sweats and chills (no fever though) I had to strip the bed.  New pillows are definitely on the gay agenda this week. These are only a few months old, but just can't go through washing & drying anymore.

Forced myself into the shower yesterday, shaved and struggled to find energy to dress and head over to see everyone at the restaurant.  Dizzy and short of breath, I finally gave in, put the clothes away and, snuggled in sweats and under the covers, read for a few hours.  Nodding off now and then.

Phone calls today include setting up the appointment with the specialist at Hopkins, a chat with my sister (hopefully, we know how that can be) and an apology to the Locosguys for being a no-show yesterday. 

If I feel up to it, I'll set out to search for new pillows. Slim pickings around here. The nearest B, B & B is 40 miles away My favorite retailer no longer has a store front - sells online only - and I don't feel like waiting a week or more for delivery.  A new store opened nearby recently, so perhaps I'll give a look-see there. 

In any case, eventually I will go downstairs to see what new surprises are waiting in the mailbox.  Gee, I can hardly wait.

No other plans, however. 

And so it goes.

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Hi-Ho, The Glamorous Life!

What can I say? A Jet-set kind of guy with a full dance-card.  

Weekend on Catalina, Dinner at Sardi's, Happy Hour with Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen, an afternoon luncheon with the Obamas.  (Sigh!) There are not enough hours in the day, that's all. 

Ah, that's the life for me.

Then I woke up. (Bother!) The phone was ringing. I did a double-take when I looked at the clock. I had slept 11 hours!  What? Yep, eleven hours. Not a good sign. 

The call was from the Oncologist's nurse. She apologized for the delay in getting back to me. Yeah, what if I had really been in need of blood work or blood?  Never mind.

I have an appt. for a CBC tomorrow at 7:30 am, which I am almost positive will be followed by a couple of units transfusion. I can tell.  I've gotten increasingly weaker and short of breath since yesterday.  As they say, "Timing is Everything."  I will pack a few necessities in a bag JIC, again.

Showed my face at the restaurant, just to say hello, schmooze with customers, and staff.  After about 2 hours I began getting weaker and short of breath, so after saying my good-byes, I made a quick exit.

Having had a bite to eat, and taken a hot shower,  it's about time to take the evening meds before getting under the covers to read for a while until I fall asleep.

The good news is (so far) there are no high fevers to contend with this time around. Yes, well…it's the little things, isn't it. 

And so it goes.
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"Home" a short film about Katrina

By Matt Faust.  part of the Tribeca Film Festival 'shorts' offerings. It's a poignant live/animated film using photos and family films to reveal his HOME; what it was and what happened to it. I won't embed  it here, I believe it should be viewed at YT to boost his numbers.

Here is what Matt writes in the YT description:

A few months after I finished chemotherapy for an extremely rare cancer, Hurricane Katrina hit and my childhood home was destroyed. With ideas about what is really important in life and what makes a home special at the forefront of my mind, I was compelled to record and share these thoughts through what would become my first film, Home. I was inspired both by what came to mind when I returned to my destroyed post-Katrina home and by what I saw when I returned to my pre-Katrina home in my dreams. The result, I hope, is something that is relatable, therapeutic, informative, and encouraging to everyone whether you've experienced a sudden loss like Katrina or not. I hope it can help us all to remember and honor what we've lost, but more importantly, to appreciate what we still have.

Thanks for watching. Feel free to contact me.- Matt

Go and watch HOME. Now!

And so it goes.
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Need a Vay-Kay Caturday

Yes, I know that feeling very well.

May it all come to pass in a few more days.  Meanwhile, I am thinking healing, happy thoughts and tentatively packing the bag, little by little, as I feel up to the task.

More later.
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Rare Summer Serenity

Very rare, indeed. I need some, please!!!

Thanks to thunderstorms and heavy downpours confirming that this would not be a beach day, I knew we'd be very busy.

Note: In bad weather (read: no beach day) most tourists jump into their cars and head to, 1) The Outlet Centers to shop, 2) The multiplex here in Rehoboth Beach (there are fewer screens in other towns, if any) and 3) restaurants to eat and drink the rainy weather way.

Today was one of those miserable days for the visitors: the Outlet parking lots were full, the movie theaters were sold out, and I had a 40 minute wait for a table for lunch at 12:45 (one hour and 15 minutes after opening) and chaos was the order of the day.  Screaming tots were the least of it.

Even with a full compliment of servers, there was no way to keep up.  I went to another waiting list at about 2:30 just to let the kitchen and waitstaff catch up and get their stations cleaned, setup, and ready for the next party.  Proud to say it worked out well.

A Note from the Stoopid:
Me: we are currently experiencing a 40 minute wait for a table for a party your size.
Stoopid: Well, we didn't have to wait last year.
Me staring into vacant eyes with no brain behind them. I just kept going. Do you want to give me your name so I can call you when the table is ready?
"Crickets."

The locosguys were helping out at the bar and kitchen to help maintain a rhythm to seating, ordering, serving, and repeating the scenario over and over again.  By 4 PM, the evening staff was easing into their stations and those holding evening reservations began to arrive. Again, another smooth transition.  Note that this doesn't always happen, there is chaos at times that can send the whole operation into a tailspin.  Not today.

After leaving the front station in the hands of the locosguy, I washed my hands and face, grabbed the umbrella and was about to head home when  I was waved down by the other locosguy (he runs the bar) signaling that there was a cocktail made and waiting for me. Well, you know I cannot pass up a Bombay Sapphire Martini - even in the rain, or even in a hurricane. As he handed the drink to me he smiled and said very quietly, "here's to a job well done." I savored the elixir of the Queen while standing at the back of the bar.  That was OK, I enjoyed every minute of this hectic day.  The key was that we were all in a happy and helpful place and the customers responded in like manner. I am sure the servers did very well, financially this day.

The rain let up as I finished the cocktail, and I made it home before the next storm-front passed through.. It is peaceful and quiet in the hood.

I've prepped a devilish dish for supper tonight.  Since I had taken nothing from the freezer this morning,  I opted to throw together things just waiting to be enjoyed. I put together a spicy black bean dish  with onions, celery, tomatoes, salted pork and herbs.  It's cooking down now, even as I write this and will be served on a bed of parsley rice.  A salad and garlic toast will round out the experience.  OK, everything is fresh with the exception of the black beans. They are canned.  I'm working long hours and 6 or 7 days weekly and I don't have the time to use dried black beans, so shoot me!  Oh, you purists...

Don't know if tomorrow's weather will be like today, and I don't trust weather forecasters to know what's going to happen. I'll know when I get up tomorrow morning and work accordingly to make the day a good one at work, and personally.

My supper awaits...as does another martini.  Cheers!

And so it goes.
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"Before I Die.." .An Interactive Wish List

I stumbled onto this site while visiting other NOLA blogs and this simply blew me away.  So simple and so powerful at the same time.

This was turned into...

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what really matters to you. After I lost someone I loved very much, I thought about death a lot. This helped clarify my life, the people I want to be with, and the things I want to do, but I struggled to maintain perspective. I wondered if other people felt the same way. So with help from old and new friends, I painted the side of an abandoned house in my neighborhood in New Orleans with chalkboard paint and stenciled it with a grid of the sentence “Before I die I want to _______.” Anyone walking by could pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirations in public space.It was an experiment and I didn’t know what to expect. By the next day, the wall was bursting with handwritten responses and it kept growing: Before I die I want to… sing for millions, hold her one more time, eat a salad with an alien, see my daughter graduate, abandon all insecurities, plant a tree, straddle the International Date Line, be completely myself…  People’s responses made me laugh out loud and they made me tear up. They consoled me during my toughest times. I understood my neighbors in new and enlightening ways, and the wall reminded me that I’m not alone as I try to make sense of my life.

This.  Amazing, just amazing.

After receiving many requests, my friends and I created a toolkit and the project site beforeidie.cc to help people make a wall with their community. You can also download all files for free to remix or create your own stencils. Thanks to passionate people, over 100 Before I Die walls have now been created in over 10 languages and in over 30 countries, including Kazakhstan, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Australia, Argentina, and South Africa. They have been a constant source of inspiration and therapy for me. Each wall is unique and reflects the people of that community. Each wall is a tribute to living an examined life.

View more images and rest of this wonderful story, HERE.

No doubt, I'll be hunting down a few of these buildings during my September visit.

And so it goes.

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Planning The Getaway

My head hurts.

I've been having dreams about the restaurant.  Unsettling dreams, not nightmares exactly, but bizarre and with a Twilight Zone twist of uneasiness. If I go into detail, this post will be pages long and that's not my intention. I know I need to get away from everything around me for a while to recharge and regroup.  At least, that's the plan. (Click the image to embiggen the map of NOLA.)

I think I've mentioned this way too often, but I've forgotten how to travel - it's been a long time.

I've decided to plan my New Orleans holiday trip using American Express Travel Services. Hotel and Flight packages are quite good in September, so that's really good news. However, adding a car rental to the mix makes it more expensive.  Way. Too. Expensive!

So, I've been looking into hotels in, or near, the French Quarter.  There are airport shuttles that service most of the downtown hotels, and that's a real plus. I'm thinking of chucking the car rental idea, stay in the quarter and take a taxi to see the sister, wherever she wants to meet. That, believe it or not, is the best and least expensive option. Hotel parking fees and expensive - whether in the Quarter or in Metairie where the sister lives - a minimum of $35. per day. Ouch!  I may rent a car for a day just to visit my old neighborhood to view the changes and destruction, visit the old restored airport and lakefront where I grew up. A closure of sorts, I suppose.

Friends who no longer live in NOLA will be visiting around the 20th of September, so I am planning the trip from 9/17 to 9/24 to get to see as many friends as possible. You know, catch-up on life as we chow down on all the good foods unavailable to us outside of NOLA.

I've narrowed the list of hotels by convenience, amenities, and price, as well as customer ratings and reviews.  Here's the latest list:

The Bourbon Orleans

The Dauphine Orleans

The Hotel Mazarin (my favourite of the lot).

The Prince Conti, good reviews and the least costly of the lot.

There is little choice of airline as I want a non-stop flight both ways. I have no desire to waste an entire day hopping from airport to airport, possibly miss a connecting flight and lose holiday time. US Airways offers the only non-stop service out of Philadelphia, so that is the cross I will have to bear.

The summer season is officially at the half-way point.  Hard to believe.

And so it goes.
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Pride Caturday

And you are, baby.  You are.

And so it goes.
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Sackcloth and Ashes.

Don't bother to repent, the most sinful among us is running away  retiring at the end of the month. Alas, the party is still over. All good (and bad) things must come to an end.

At least til next year.

And so it goes.
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Old Friends - Like Bookends

There is no holiday spirit, and certainly no Christmas spirit in me this year.

Daily visuals of the elderly in our midst draw me in as never before and I wonder what will become of me when/if I reach that dottering stage.  I watch as these people walk, hardly able to put one foot ahead of the other and wonder if that is to be my fate, as well. The Simon & Garfunkel song, "Old Friends" from their "Bookends" album, touches me more deeply these days.

Old friends, old friends sat on their parkbench like bookends
A newspaper blowin' through the grass
Falls on the round toes of the high shoes of the old friends

Old friends, winter companions, the old men
Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sun
The sounds of the city sifting through trees
Settles like dust on the shoulders of the old friends

Can you imagine us years from today, sharing a parkbench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy

Old friends, memory brushes the same years, silently sharing the same fears.

Time it was and what a time it was, it was A time of innocence, a time of confidences Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph. Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you.

I'd prefer this scenario from Merrily We Roll Along by Mr. Sondheim:

Old Friends

Hey, old friends,
How do we stay old friends?
Who is to say, old friends,
How an old friendship survives?
One day chums
Having a laugh a minute,
One day comes
And they're a part of your lives.

New friends pour
Through the revolving door-
Maybe there's one that's more.
If you find one, that'll do.
But us, old friends,
What's to discuss, old friends?
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Two old friends,
Fewer won't do, old friends-
Gotta have two old friends
Helping you balance along:
One upbraids you
For your faults and fancies,
One persuades you
That the other one's wrong.

Most friends fade
Or they don't make the grade.
New ones are quickly made,
Perfect as long as they're new.
But us, old friends,
What's to discuss, old friends?
Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few!

No photographs. No family will be around to care for, or about me. And no "old friends" left to share the "new" or that park bench. The restaurant staff holiday party is tomorrow evening. I wonder if I will have the energy to attend.

And so it goes.
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Stasis: Self Imposed Part 2, & Hannah's Dream

Dragged myself out early yesterday morning to run errands and get grocery shopping out of the way. Snagged a few bottles of wine in the process and took a walk on the boardwalk before heading back to the apartment. The air was intoxicating and the Atlantic was calm.

When I arrived at the apartment building I noticed that while all other cars on the block had not moved, the troll (new tenant in the next apartment) with the Hyena laugh had jockeyed his car into my previous space in front of the building. His former space was an illegal one and I had mentioned this to him on Monday. No good deed goes unpunished, as they say.

I parked down the block, making 3 trips to the car to bring in the purchases.  This activity did nothing for my physical well-being and caused great pain in the back and shoulders for the rest of the day. Took 2 Flexeril before bed and woke feeling better.

Any plans I had for today were tossed when I realized the back was extremely stiff, even though the pain had diminished. No need to chance more pain.

Again - Stasis. But that's fine.  I prepared a salad for tonight's supper, and pressed pants and shirts for the coming work week.

I downloaded a few books to the Kindle; having finished "Hannah's Dream" over the weekend. It's hard to describe but it was a very satisfying novel and one I enjoyed from beginning to end.  No dreary pauses, no obvious plot devices.  Just a very sweet story with more than a few surprises. Here's the Amazon Description:

An elephant never forgets . . . but can she dream?

For forty-one years, Samson Brown has been caring for Hannah, the lone elephant at the down-at-the-heels Max L. Biedelman Zoo. Having vowed not to retire until an equally loving and devoted caretaker is found to replace him, Sam rejoices when smart, compassionate Neva Wilson is hired as the new elephant keeper. But Neva quickly discovers what Sam already knows: that despite their loving care, Hannah is isolated from other elephants and her feet are nearly ruined from standing on hard concrete all day. Using her contacts in the zookeeping world, Neva and Sam hatch a plan to send Hannah to an elephant sanctuary—just as the zoo's angry, unhappy director launches an aggressive revitalization campaign that spotlights Hannah as the star attraction, inextricably tying Hannah's future to the fate of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo.

It is now 5:01 PM here so I am late to the olive party this evening. Cheers!

And so it goes.
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