Kingfisher Cove

The Thrills Are Small, But They’re Still Thrills

Today, for the first time in well over a year, John and I drove into town and ate lunch INSIDE our favorite diner. (Yes, I had my coveted chicken salad sandwich on a toasted croissant. Mmmmmm!) I don’t get out much, and when I do, have to actually THINK at times about wearing my mask. (Which feels kind of annoying since we’re vaccinated). But this outing really felt so normal! Yes, the diner had changed since we were there last, and there were far fewer tables. But the menu was the same! (Man, I sure do love that chicken salad sandwich on a toasted croissant!) And best of all? I DIDN’T HAVE TO COOK/PREPARE IT MYSELF. I am so sick and tired of cooking! Ugh.

We also went to Walmart! Oh, weeeee! Heh. And actually, it was rather enjoyable. Just being somewhere to see STUFF that isn’t on my computer screen was kind of refreshing. We replaced the master bathroom rugs that Nikki destroyed and they look quite good. (Already, I’ve caught Nikki lounging on one of them, with it all scrunched up around her. It’s a matter of time before they are shredded, I’m sure). We also picked up stuff to make an Easter basket for Quinn, plus a nice little ham. We are heading up to spend Easter Day with Sandra and Quinn this Sunday and have a simple ham dinner. I’m really looking forward to it! Oh my, I’m so happy that we’ll get to see Quinn. I have MISSED THAT BUGGER. It will seem strange to be there without Nate. (In fact, it’ll make me sad). I’m not accustomed to him being ship-active after several years of shore duty, and it’s taking me a major reality check to accept that things are very different now. And will continue to be. Sigh. (I really enjoy his company. It’s such a joy to really like your kid).

Now that we’re fully vaccinated, I now have an appointment in Olympia to get my hair cut on April 9th. FINALLY. It’s at the curly-hair specialty place I’ve been to once before (that is extremely expensive which pisses me off but at this point I feel it’s necessary). Not only do I need some major stylin’, I also need to address my constantly godawful itchy scalp. I suspect it’s hair products, but because I’m kind of a hair product junkie, I have no idea what it is. It’s always something. (And we won’t even get into my ongoing digestive issues).

My cutie grandboy with another tie-dye shirt and (I think) a glass doo dad. Squeee, so excited to see him!

Into Spring

Quinn is very much into making tie dye shirts and this is his latest masterpiece. As you can see, he is very proud of it! (Cracks me up). He first learned about tie dye in daycare and the shirt he’d made then he demanded to wear 24/7. He eventually grew out of it (or else it majorly shrunk) so his mom said she’d get him a new one, and so he pestered her day after day after day. Finally she said, “Fine! We’ll make one!” And here we are! Happy boy!

I would like to find a plain white cotton night shirt (about mid calf) and try it myself. I love night shirts. They’re getting harder to find (and I’ve never seen a tie dye one).

I MISS this kiddo! I haven’t seen him since…jeeze, when was it? Was it Christmas? That was a long time ago. Nate is underway until probably the end of April or so, but I’m thinking that once John and I are beyond the 2 weeks/10 days since our 2nd vaccine jab, we’ll probably head up for a Saturday or something and spend the day with Sandra and Quinn. Maybe even Easter? We don’t actually celebrate, but it’s always been a good excuse to get together with family for a good meal.

I’ve made an appointment for a hair cut! First time in well over a year. And it’s with the specialized curly salon in Olympia. (It’s very expensive, which kind of pisses me off, but I do know that the people there UNDERSTAND curly hair. And I need some major stylin’). It’s not until April 9th, but I know I’ll be well beyond fully vaccinated and can feel relaxed about it all. I deserve it. Next up? Likely a pedicure! First one in TWO years!

I’m also looking forward to having Helen come and visit (she’ll be fully vaccinated soon, too) and we can go to our favorite nursery and load up on deck flowers/etc. I am SO READY to perk up the deck and get rid of all the dead crap in my pots! I need color in my life! And also? Have some normalcy. It’s been way too long. It’s definitely on the horizon. AND, I have Christmas and birthday presents for Helen! I’ve really hated this past year. What a nightmare it’s been.

I do have to mention that I did have some icky side-effects after my last jab. The following day I had a headache (something I don’t get often) and I had chills. I was also really tired and low-energy, but thankfully it only lasted a day and I’ve been fine since then. This time, John only had some arm soreness. (I actually didn’t have that!)

So, I have a question. What happens when “those who want a vaccine get one?” It sounds like that will be pretty soon—they’ll be opening it up to everyone come May 1st. But I keep hearing that there are a lot of trumpsters who are refusing to get one. So…if the rest of us DO get vaccinated, does that mean that the virus will ricochet just among all the trumpsters? The death rates will all be trumpsters? While the rest of us are happily going on with our lives?

Hmm.

Vaccinated, Baby! And Also Really Pissed. (But not about that)

Today was Vaccination #2 and it was kind of déjà vu with yet again the pouring rain. However, the actual “event” differed because it was at a new location and it wasn’t quite as swift-quick-fast as the first time. Instead of lining up like waiting for a ferry, it was a continuous snaking line of cars (kind of like the lines at Disneyland, except with vehicles) and all of the stop-and-crawl, stop-and-crawl reminded me too much of Seattle commuter traffic. It took a while longer than last time, and yet, it was fine. And everyone was so nice. I loved it when we drove into the vaccination tent (two rows of three vehicles) and all of the vaccinators were DANCING! It was awesome! I absolutely felt nothing when I was given my shot—I worried that it had even happened. It was hardly noticeable the first time, but this time it felt like NOTHING. And, hours later, neither of us are feeling any effects. I’ve been wondering about that, since both Nate and Sandra had some nasty side effects for a day. So far so good!

And oh man. Does it ever feel good to be fully vaccinated. Yeah, I know we have 10 days before we can bang our pots and pans, but I’m stoked.

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In light of the massacre of six Asian women in Atlanta, Georgia a couple of nights ago, and today’s congressional hearing on anti-Asian discrimination, it brought this disgusting incident to the forefront of my mind and it just feels like the right time to finally talk about it. Plus, I’m pissed off.

A year ago, when trump and his acolytes began their crusade to sneer the terms “Chinese Virus” or “Kungflu,” and it was obvious to anybody with a brain that it was intended to vilify people of Chinese—or any Asian descent, frankly—somebody that I know well (like, my entire life...) posted this on Facebook:

“Off to go camping to get away from the Chinese Flu!”

I’d already heard that Asian people were being assaulted and harassed as a result of trump’s insistence of repeating those snide abuses, and it was very early in the pandemic. Seeing that post made me sick. Typical cruel, mean-spirited Trumpism. I replied:

“Seriously?”

That’s all. Just that. And then I went on with my life. Until a few hours later when this missile landed in my email inbox from the spouse of this person I know well:

“Quit acting like an ignorant racist fool.” 

I remember blinking a few times and kind of snorting a chuckle. So, replying an exasperated “Seriously?” to an obviously racist Facebook comment made me an “ignorant racist fool”? (Seriously?) I replied:

“Gaslighting much?”

Because that was the classic definition of gaslighting. Psychology 101. But wait! There’s more! The spouse lit a match and converted those gaslights into full-fledged Molotov cocktails and flung them:

“You vomit hate day after day.  [Name] sends one status and you think you can talk shit to […]? No. Sincerely you are THE most bigoted person I have ever met. You talk shit to [name] and we have a problem.”

Honestly, all I could do was laugh. It was the most loony tunes, batshit crazy diatribe I’d ever seen, ever. And so I replied:

“LOL!”

I was really confused (and shocked, to be honest). And then it occurred to me that it must be that their perception of MY “racism” was because I didn’t support the White race enough. Talk about a blow to the gut. That is truly the only explanation I can come up with.

Needless to say, the person I know well (throughout my entire life) promptly unfriended me on Facebook and we haven’t spoken in a year.

I have to wonder if said known person ever saw exactly what Spouse emailed me. (I copied and pasted it verbatim from the emails).

So, if you didn’t know, now you know.

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I love this video, taken the end of February. Nate is now on his underway and my gut knows that he’s far away, out to sea. I miss him! Sandra posted this via Messenger and it’s very cool!

 

Ups and Downs

I truly AM feeling much more hopeful about things. Week by week, the quantity of people being vaccinated is starting to greatly increase, and President Biden said that it should open up to ALL people (adults) by May 1st. I suspect it will be sooner than that. I think that the downslide of the numbers (cases, hospitalizations, deaths) illustrates that the effects of the vaccines are already dynamite! We’re still six days out from our 2nd dose, and then about ten days after that, I will bang some pots and pans on the deck to celebrate! (And arrange for Helen to come to visit!)

Nate left today on his underway, for six weeks. Sniff. I have no idea WHERE they’re going; likely out to sea a ways to conduct some exercises and test the ship’s systems. I dare say that Nate was somewhat excited to be sailing again after all this time, but jeeze, what an emotional pull. It’ll be a trying time for Sandra and Quinn, I’m sure. I’m so thankful that their daycare has hung in there and been solidly reliable for them throughout all of this Covid crap.

We finally had our book club this week, once again via FaceTime (which seems to work better for us than Zoom). One of the participants (of us three) spaced and forgot about it, and I wasn’t able to reach her to remind her. It worked out fine with two of us, and it was great to catch up and just chat—we needed that! We could very possibly get together IN PERSON next time (we’ll all be fully vaccinated), but we’re not sure yet about traveling schedules, so we’ll see. But it would be wonderful to be able to get together IN REAL LIFE AGAIN! Heh, except for having to clean house and come up with viddles. (Gotten pretty lazy).

I’m going a bit nuts with my herbs. I have used a good amount of basil and dill in cooking, but I’m beyond being able to stay on top of it all! I have to trim them every day because I swear they grow at least 2” every day! Holy moly. I love the scents on my fingers when I prune them.

Like many people, I’ve been thinking about where we were a year ago. It was when we were taking care of Quinn in Everett when he was sick, and then I caught it (and I was sick for a solid two weeks, with the cough lasting even longer). It would have been scary then, wondering if it was Covid, except that Quinn was diagnosed with Influenza-A, and so it was clear that’s what I was dealing with (since John didn’t come down with it, and he’d had a flu shot while I hadn’t). While the news of the coronavirus was circulating around us, I don’t think we realized how serious it was—until baseball shut down and schools closed. Then it was: GULP. I would have NEVER thought it would last beyond the summer! I honestly thought (as probably many of us did) that it was very temporary. And the thing is, it may well have been if trump hadn’t been such a dipshit. God, what a disaster he was! What a nightmare he was.

Like I said, I’m hopeful now. I tear up often when I hear good news! I’m looking forward to going to our favorite diner relatively soon (if it’s still open…). I am really tired of cooking.

Progress!

I am SO HAPPY to see friends and family now finally getting their vaccines! Nate just had his 2nd Moderna last Thursday (he had really nasty side effects for a day, including shooting pains, nausea, and fever). His wife had her 2nd shot some time ago (she’s in health care, and has been working l-o-n-g days vaccinating all the personnel from several Navy ships, as well as reservists and naval retirees). My friend Helen and her husband get their first jabs this week! Woohoo! And Margaret (as a teacher/sub) got her first shot, too! This whole thing with prioritizing teachers and school employees has done my heart good. My god, if you are going to DEMAND that schools open, then effing vaccinate the employees! Why was that ever NOT considered a priority? Things are definitely looking up! Our 2nd shot happens on March 18th.

There are a few downs, too. Nate leaves this Friday for a 6-week “underway” on his ship. It’s the first time he’ll be gone for anything close to that amount of time since well before Quinn was born (he was on shore duty for a few years down in San Diego, and his year so far in Everett has been delayed as far as those underways and deployments due to Covid). It’ll be the first time that Quinn (and Sandra!) will have to deal with him being gone for a significant period of time. I anticipate that this will be tough on all of them. Wow. How could it not be? I’m hoping we’ll have a chance to see Sandra and Quinn during that time—maybe head up for a day and go out for a meal, since we’ll be vaccinated! (Or at least order in, make it fun). We have next year to dread when Nate will be deployed for at least nine months.

How will verbal little Quinn deal with this? It breaks my heart to think about it because he probably won’t understand. And he will sorely miss his daddy.

CDC guidelines now advise that vaccinated people can get together, and also vaccinated people with non-vaccinated people can get together in small groups (like grandparents with their adult children/grandchildren). Pretty much what we’ve been doing here and there with Nate and his family, plus my friend Helen. I’m also excited to think that us Book Club ladies will be able to meet IN PERSON next time because we are all vaccinated. Drips and drabs of normalcy. (And much more to come. Quickly, I think).

And then there are idiot states led by idiot republican governors who are ending mask mandates and opening up everything 100%, even though those particular states are having upticks in cases and also have numerous “variants” of COVID that are especially transmissible. Why are republicans so godamned STUPID?

Somebody on Twitter posted: Governors ending mask mandates is like designating a portion of the swimming pool to be the pee area.” Right? A pandemic knows no boundaries.

What else? Been a reading fiend, as usual. Read a book, finish it, start a new book. I’m having a hard time getting out of that routine, not that it’s a BAD thing. But I really do need to get back in the glass studio (it’s been nearly a year since I’ve done anything in there). And the idea of weeding outside has been on my mind, too. Soon. The weather hasn’t quite been conducive yet. (Plus access is a bitch).

A Poem: “The Ledge”

Did you visualize the precipice, the sheer and deadly edge, the vast and killing drop?

It has always been there, that abyss, waiting. Less dusty than we expected, more real than we ever suspected.

And for those who care, it has been the target of our middle-distance stare, as some were pulled by the lies, some were pushed by the lies, and over time, in the wail of our cries, we all converged at that lethal ledge.

Were you there to right the wrongs? Or to push them over?

Were you there to scream with glee to end our democracy, to kill and vilify and lie the way to autocracy?

We came so close to losing it all.

The scrabble of hands, shredded nails grasping the sheer wall, the view of hell below, the desperate clasp of the ledge as they stomped on our fingers, smashing them, cheating, gleeful with rage, with hate, and why?

A fact does not have two sides.

We are facing the mainstreaming of madness. The choice of democracy or autocracy. The voracious beast of unreason. The red haze of hatred.

We are at the precipice.