Liberal Houseplant

Many had been looking to ending 2020 and blamed it for all the bad in the world, but the calendar flipped and bad stuff is still happening.  I think the last time anyone made an update here, there was maybe a thought that things were getting better.  COVID continues on as does our current President's tactics.  I have continued to work on my Portuguese but more recently have been thinking maybe this Mars thing is not a bad idea. Until whatever happens next, we just started getting home delivery of the newspaper again - what is a newspaper?  It's this thing that gets delivered to your porch and it is made out of paper.  For the past couple days, we've been collectively working on the crossword puzzles in it.  Scott and I have almost finished the Sunday Times crossword puzzle which would feel like an amazing accomplishment. I forgot about the newspaper and how it is enjoyable to read when you are eating meals alone.  You spread it all over the table and p...

There are Forensic Files episodes on Netflix.  I think they are from the 90s.  The voice over is spectacular and the interviews are highly entertaining.  Here's a script I am working on for them: Voiceover with photos as each item is said:  But what could a bag of onions, a handleless broom, and 6 locks without keys have to do with Shayna's disappearance that cold December night?  Janice would soon find out. Police:  We reached the scene and observed no sign of forced entry at the front door of Crafter's Market. That's a store. That sells crafts. Voiceover: The police investigated the scene and found a mysterious set of fingerprints on the wall next to Shayna, the victim. Police: We saw the victim and a mysterious set of fingerprints.  Immediately we radio'd the dispatcher and Captain to cordon off the vicinity and search for a suspect. Voiceover: Even more mysterious, the victim had a sign taped to her shirt with the same Shakespearean ...

Each day seems the same.  Time passes quickly and there is little distinction from one day to another.  I think especially with no activities or vacations or meetings or school or real appointments to mark time, each day feel like a repeat of yesterday. The other day, I woke up and I didn't hear birds which was odd.  I didn't know what time it was.  We had birds in a nest until a couple weeks ago,  After the 5 eggs hatched, we heard the birds every morning and throughout the day as they cried out for food.  I'm not sure how, but they all grew in that nest and after what seemed like a very short time (but was probably several weeks), they each left the nest one by one.  Time passed for the birds and they moved on.  The other thing happening is that for the very few things I am supposed to be doing, it is very hard to get anything done.  There are several items looming - they are personal items - but they loom large.  Yet, the day p...

Being on the phone and chats with our ISP provides me all the stress and contemplation experienced in a toxic high school relationship. I wonder: Why you ask me questions I can't answer, then hang up on me Why I'm always calling you Why you say one thing, but mean another Why I pay for everything Why you don't work Why connecting with my family has to be an issue Why I am I always waiting for you Why your first solution is restarting - we've been down that road so many times already If there is not something better out there for me

The day begins early - at 5:57 am. Start time is 6:00 am. Working at home allows for this. It is something those who used to go to an office now understand. For 15 years, breakfast has not been leisurely. It can't be when All the Meetings are scheduled between 6:30 and 1:00 pm. These are the work hours for those in other time zones. They don't care about your sleep. They are unaware of your need for coffee. They send Instant Messages the minute you log on. Their day began hours ago. Children come into your office. They don't know what time it is. They are not at school. They don't care you are on the phone. You wave to them. The day does not care if it's an unfriendly wave. Afternoon comes sometime after hunger sets in again. The meetings end. There are not meetings after 1:00. Those in other time zones used to go home around this time and it's rude to schedule meeting at the end of the day. Call it a habit. Before they leave, they like se...

I have been paved since 1894 on the West Coast, but around in one form or another long before that.  I was dirt and ruts would form where wagon wheels ran over me, but the Romans were pretty advanced and had a 4 layer road system they built between camps.  I'm used to quite a bit of traffic each day as cars and trucks and construction vehicles make their way over me to get from one place to another.  In my particular stretch, it is from the highway to downtown. Recently, things have gotten quiet and it's made me wonder what is going on and wonder if I should be concerned.  There are still people so it's not a total zombie apocalypse, but I must have offended the cars somehow.  It's not that they are gone, it's that they appear to no longer enjoy driving on me. I see quite a few of them, that hasn't changed.  They are parked along my sides and in driveways.  Usually we mind our own business, but recently, I've tried to figure out if it is something ...