The Day Before

  

5 January 2021

 

How exciting is my life you say?  Well, it is just fun filled and action packed.  

 

Today I made breakfast for three.  I have brewed decaf and regular coffee for the household.  I downloaded all my bank and credit card statements for the past year onto my computer.  As a result of gathering that information I reviewed my spending for the past year.  Food and utilities both were the biggest ticket items coming in at about $10,000 each.  The food was actually about $7,500 for the year but there were a couple of big bills incurred before the pandemic started for our retirement parties. Had to pick up the tab for snackies for the people who came to say goodbye. The utilities included phones for four people and internet and streaming services.

 

East Lansing had a dusting of snow this morning.  I will check about 11:30 AM and if there is any that hasn’t melted, I will go and sweep it off.  Probably will do some laundry today also.  

 

I should set about these tasks.  You see I am already distracted. My concentration has been broken for you see the cat is sitting on my desk meowing for some attention. Liberal petting will be applied.

 

Tomorrow I have an eye appointment. At that time my eyes will be dilated and examined. As I may have said before don’t grow too old. In the old days my iteration of that was drive fast and live a good-looking corpse.  As the years pass the latter part becomes impossible.  Well, so does the first part.

 

The desk I write at is a big old heavy oak thing.  When new it belonged to the chief medical officer for Sparrow hospital.  In the late 1950s/early 1960s this desk would have been considered very fashionable with a two-inch think desktop writing surface and stylized rounded corners everywhere. The desk moved from the doctor’s office to his daughter’s home after he retired and decluttered. Got the desk for free when the daughter retired and moved to Florida.  The daughter was my old boss.  

 

Anyway, there is a plate of glass atop the desk.  Under it are a ton of pictures of my boys and of places we have visited.  Lots of photos of British Columbia and Alberta.  There are also two fortunes from Chinese meals over the years.  The first reads, “Your actions reveal more about you than you realize.”  The second, “Things are not always what they seem.  It is not that bad.”  I think the second one is apt for these pandemic times. Things will get better and turn around soon.  The first is one I oft try and think on.

 

What do my actions say about me?  Hmmh?  I will leave others to decide the ultimate answer. I will try and craft my actions to garner some warmth and love from those I interact with.

 

Oh yeah.  Do I think tomorrow will be ugly in DC?  Yup. Ugliness will rule inside the chambers of the House and Senate. Ugliness will rule in the streets with the pro-Trump supporters. Do I think it will make any difference in the outcome of the election?  I am in 60/40 camp with 60 being the answer of no. Truly, it boggles my mind the number is that high. Do I think this represents a point as low as the Nixon years?  Yes.  I think it is worse. 

 

Am I nervous?  Yes.  What happens in the next 48 hours could have a real impact on the health of our democratic process. A real attempt by the Republicans to undermine the integrity of the election will leave a stain on the legitimacy of our elected institutions.  Serious and significant violence will reverberate for years causing the divisions fostered to date to become more intransigent.