Note: This is my digital diary. With props to my journalist niece
for framing the concept, this is me being my own
journalist. Too many people live largely uncelebrated
and die largely unremembered; everyone else is too consumed
with their own lives to make a big deal of yours, so if you
want to celebrate and you want to be remembered by current
friends and maybe also by distant descendants, you have to
record your own life. I have ancestors about which we
are very curious but who left very little behind to help us
know them. I have a few friends who blog about their
lives and travel, and that helps to keep them in my thoughts
and up to date on their lives, so I know that it is a positive
and useful pursuit.
2023 May
18th.
By the end of
2022 the airlines were still in a terrible mess of cancelled
flights, stranded passengers, ruined vacations and lost
luggage. We'd had five vaccinations for covid by the end
of 2022 and had experienced a fairly mild case of it ourselves
in July 2022 - in addition to one in January of 2021, I
believe, that happened before they were diagnosing the
virus. That bout resulted in organ damage for me, and
triggered a rapid escalation of type 2 diabetes. We got
flu vaccine both years as well, and although covid had been
increasing in China subsequent to their lifting of lockdowns
and restrictions, we hadn't seen a spread of new and dangerous
variants yet.
We decided to take a chance, and
indulge in some "revenge travel" - a current term for the
surge in people taking flights to vacation destinations.
The first obstacle was getting Deb's passport renewed -
staffing issues and long line-ups and wait times threatened to
scuttle any plans we'd dream up, but eventually everything
settled and we were able to obtain her passport.
Then there was the question of
choosing a destination. I wanted a place where I could
walk around a lot in shirtsleeves and that had enough
activities of interest to keep me from getting bored, which
happens to me on beach vacations if I'm not scuba
diving. We're both getting a little old for scube
diving. So the museums, zoos and botanical gardens of
Mexico City seemed appealing. I'd learned how many
museums there are in the city, and that they are relatively
cheap and often free. The city is safe compared to many
other cities and to some other parts of Mexico, the people are
gracious and helpful, and the public transit system is
extensive and inexpensive.
We spent 33 days there from January 31st to
March 5th, and came home to spend a week building our our a
large album of trip photos and a
long diary entry.
Upon our arrival, we were confronted with a
snow storm and a driveway to shovel out, but our friends had
graciously fed our cat, shoveled a path for the mailman, and
checked on the house regularly in our absence. We
attended our music groups, which had survived our absence; Arc
and Linda kept the Wednesday evening one going. I have
six going throughout the week, including two on Jamulus with
Ann Delong, and one at the yacht club with Don, Carlos, Paul
and Martin. Deb joins me for in-person musical
activities three times a week at the community centre.
We chatted with Lily and Delio at our first evening back, and
made plans to meet on Thursday evenings to speak Spanish
socially for one hour, to melt away my frozen oral Spanish
speaking ability. We kept it up weekly with games and
conversation. I resumed my Monday evening Meet-Ups to get
more Spanish practice. Laurence and Joan came for dinner
upon their arrival home from Baja, and in April we went to
their house.
We tried to open a parallel AMSF acct at
iTrade to manage the cash infusion from Etta Snow's bequest,
but were faced with months of red tape and delay over their
cautious approach and lack of staff, who I assume were still
all working at home. Many requests that I made to move
the process along were met with "crickets" for weeks at a
time.
In April Deb made her version of a
quesadilla in a pan which could be sliced and served with a
spatula. We had the Sortwells for dinner to test the
dish, and it was a success. We went for a sixth covid
vaccination.
We began yard work when the snow melted
away, took the tarps off the boat and got gas for the
outboard, serviced it and started it up. We launched on
the 29th, and I got to work the registration desk. I
germinated peas and planted them. Our green onions were
an early success as always, and I seeded lettuce and
radishes. We ate kale from plants that came back on
their own from the previous year's stalks.
In May I had a very successful medical with
Dr. Nicholas, continuing my careful diet and sixteen hour
daily fast. We mowed the lawns for the first and second
time, set up the back patio and opened the umbrellas.
Then it got cold again, but some of my beans began to sprout,
so I kept them covered to fend off the risk of frost.
Greg and Christine came for Deb's quesadilla and we taught
them to play Farkle. It has been a good month so
far. We tend to lean toward "retiring in place", not
moving to a nicer climate or better surroundings. It is
difficult to imagine that we'd be better off anywhere else, in
terms of climate, nearby access to shopping and medical/dental
needs, and a musical community. Now we just have to get
the boat sold, maybe also the truck, and spend more time
traveling locally, camping and playing campfire music, or
doing gazebo performances at Rosetta McLain gardens during the
warm summer days.