Trying to maintain it all. Some days are easier than others. Hope you are all as well as you can be.
Writers Block has been holding online readings during the pandemic. I put a poem out there last night.
Here it is.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Stay frosty
Our self-quarantine ended on Monday with no incident. We received a PDF letter of clean health from the county so we can go out into the madness if we want to. We're fine, symptom free.
I see that breathing and speaking may be spreading the virus around so society is about to become the plot of Guy Maddin's Careful.
I'm sure there will be people telling us when and how to breathe properly into our home made masks any day now. And how not to talk to each other when you go out for a walk in the park.
If twitter use spread the virus your friend's racist friend would not know what to do with themselves.
Maybe we'll be able to go out to a restaurant again by mid-June. Maybe, if anyone is left and able to have the funds to reopen. The economy is at a standstill and people are dying. It's a fine line that $1,200 checks are not going to solve. Of course the corporations will be just fine. The executives with initialed titles will be fine. The managers of hedge funds will be just fine. The major stockholders will be fine.
Whew, we sure dodged a bullet there by bailing out the airlines.
I see that breathing and speaking may be spreading the virus around so society is about to become the plot of Guy Maddin's Careful.
I'm sure there will be people telling us when and how to breathe properly into our home made masks any day now. And how not to talk to each other when you go out for a walk in the park.
If twitter use spread the virus your friend's racist friend would not know what to do with themselves.
Maybe we'll be able to go out to a restaurant again by mid-June. Maybe, if anyone is left and able to have the funds to reopen. The economy is at a standstill and people are dying. It's a fine line that $1,200 checks are not going to solve. Of course the corporations will be just fine. The executives with initialed titles will be fine. The managers of hedge funds will be just fine. The major stockholders will be fine.
Whew, we sure dodged a bullet there by bailing out the airlines.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Pandemic travel
Well, a lot has changed in the world since I posted here last month. I do hope you are all healthy, safe and trying to stay intact during this tumultuous time in history.
We booked our trip to Scotland back in January, and left for Glasgow the night of 3/11. The flight from Columbus to Charlotte went without incident. After we boarded our flight to London, there was a band on board who just found out their tour of Europe was cancelled and they asked to get off the plane. Their request was granted and our flight was delayed while all of their luggage/equipment was taken out of the hold.
Mid-flight, I was watching CNN and the dipshit in chief was giving the initial travel ban speech which effected all European travel, but not the UK. Felt horrible because there were people and school groups who had connecting flights to other places in Europe. They essentially had to turn right around. We had a connection to Glasgow.
After we all boarded that flight, the Captain announced that there was a scratch on front of the plane and we had to switch planes. After talking to my brother-in-law pilot, this is something that does happen. A drone or bird could have hit the plane and they cause damage. I did see what looked like a deep gouge where they said the scratch was, so better safe than dead.
When we got to Glasgow, our room was not ready. It was a crazy trip there.
We met up with my wife's sister, and her husband flew in from Dubai on his working flight. So we got to see him for a bit before he had to fly back to Dubai the next day.
Glasgow was cautious, but people were going about their lives. Places were open, but crowds and business were down in most places. We still had a flight home the next Friday.
Oh, toilet paper hoarding is universal.
That all changed Saturday morning when the UK travel ban was announced. My airline (American) and agent (Expedia) were no help at all in trying to get us home. We are very lucky we could simply afford to buy a one way ticket out of Glasgow for Monday morning on Delta.
(I still have heard nothing from American or Expedia in making good on the cancelled flight)
We were able to spend a few hours with my wife's father, who is not in the best of health, before we left.
The flight from Glasgow to Amsterdam on Monday morning was fine, about two thirds full maybe.
Schiphol Airport is one of the busiest in Europe, it was a ghost town. Flights were cancelled and very few people were traveling. It was almost as people were preparing for a hurricane, or war.
They said our flight was full, but there were a few empty seats, as we left for Detroit.
I had seen pictures of absolute horror shows at customs in O'Hare, Dallas, and other US airports and was prepared for the worst. I expected to miss our connection and was prepared to find a hotel room and drive back to Columbus if there was no connecting flight the next day.
Even the pilot was not sure what we were coming into, but he said lines were minimal, about 25-30 minutes.
When we entered Customs Hall, it was very quiet in comparison to other customs we've been to that have been loud and had shouting agents (You, Philadelphia). There were plenty of agents and we got through line one with no real difficulty.
When we left the plane, I'm pretty sure CDC personnel looked inside and I saw one fully masked person in CDC gear after we got out.
On the plane, we had to fill out a health screening form which essentially asked where we had been and how we were feeling. We got in the health check line and masked personnel checked off our forms. Everything was handled very professionally and calmly.
We entered another room and our forehead temperatures were taken, then we were grouped in about 8-10 and given a brief lecture about symptoms of the virus and that we had to self quarantine for 14 days. Then we were sent to another line when an agent took our names and typed things on his computer and sent on our way.
Security was a breeze and after a lengthy trek through the Detroit Airport we arrived at our gate just in time for the pre-boarding announcement. We were going to get home that night. It was a surreal and numbing five days, but I have no regrets about making this journey.
Detroit got it right, it took roughly an hour and a half to get off the plane, to go through customs and screening and to our gate. Impressive.
My wife and I are fine, symptom free and registering our vitals with the County Board of Health twice a day. We both will be working from home until the end of April, at the least. My son is well, and his mother agreed that we go back to his normal schedule so I will pick him up in the morning and drop him off with her on Wednesday morning.
We're in uncharted territory. I hope we can get through this one without too many deaths or damage.
Be well everyone.
We booked our trip to Scotland back in January, and left for Glasgow the night of 3/11. The flight from Columbus to Charlotte went without incident. After we boarded our flight to London, there was a band on board who just found out their tour of Europe was cancelled and they asked to get off the plane. Their request was granted and our flight was delayed while all of their luggage/equipment was taken out of the hold.
Mid-flight, I was watching CNN and the dipshit in chief was giving the initial travel ban speech which effected all European travel, but not the UK. Felt horrible because there were people and school groups who had connecting flights to other places in Europe. They essentially had to turn right around. We had a connection to Glasgow.
After we all boarded that flight, the Captain announced that there was a scratch on front of the plane and we had to switch planes. After talking to my brother-in-law pilot, this is something that does happen. A drone or bird could have hit the plane and they cause damage. I did see what looked like a deep gouge where they said the scratch was, so better safe than dead.
When we got to Glasgow, our room was not ready. It was a crazy trip there.
We met up with my wife's sister, and her husband flew in from Dubai on his working flight. So we got to see him for a bit before he had to fly back to Dubai the next day.
Glasgow was cautious, but people were going about their lives. Places were open, but crowds and business were down in most places. We still had a flight home the next Friday.
Oh, toilet paper hoarding is universal.
That all changed Saturday morning when the UK travel ban was announced. My airline (American) and agent (Expedia) were no help at all in trying to get us home. We are very lucky we could simply afford to buy a one way ticket out of Glasgow for Monday morning on Delta.
(I still have heard nothing from American or Expedia in making good on the cancelled flight)
We were able to spend a few hours with my wife's father, who is not in the best of health, before we left.
The flight from Glasgow to Amsterdam on Monday morning was fine, about two thirds full maybe.
Schiphol Airport is one of the busiest in Europe, it was a ghost town. Flights were cancelled and very few people were traveling. It was almost as people were preparing for a hurricane, or war.
They said our flight was full, but there were a few empty seats, as we left for Detroit.
I had seen pictures of absolute horror shows at customs in O'Hare, Dallas, and other US airports and was prepared for the worst. I expected to miss our connection and was prepared to find a hotel room and drive back to Columbus if there was no connecting flight the next day.
Even the pilot was not sure what we were coming into, but he said lines were minimal, about 25-30 minutes.
When we entered Customs Hall, it was very quiet in comparison to other customs we've been to that have been loud and had shouting agents (You, Philadelphia). There were plenty of agents and we got through line one with no real difficulty.
When we left the plane, I'm pretty sure CDC personnel looked inside and I saw one fully masked person in CDC gear after we got out.
On the plane, we had to fill out a health screening form which essentially asked where we had been and how we were feeling. We got in the health check line and masked personnel checked off our forms. Everything was handled very professionally and calmly.
We entered another room and our forehead temperatures were taken, then we were grouped in about 8-10 and given a brief lecture about symptoms of the virus and that we had to self quarantine for 14 days. Then we were sent to another line when an agent took our names and typed things on his computer and sent on our way.
Security was a breeze and after a lengthy trek through the Detroit Airport we arrived at our gate just in time for the pre-boarding announcement. We were going to get home that night. It was a surreal and numbing five days, but I have no regrets about making this journey.
Detroit got it right, it took roughly an hour and a half to get off the plane, to go through customs and screening and to our gate. Impressive.
My wife and I are fine, symptom free and registering our vitals with the County Board of Health twice a day. We both will be working from home until the end of April, at the least. My son is well, and his mother agreed that we go back to his normal schedule so I will pick him up in the morning and drop him off with her on Wednesday morning.
We're in uncharted territory. I hope we can get through this one without too many deaths or damage.
Be well everyone.
Sunday, February 16, 2020
4.5 million probably isn't enough to take care of my son during his lifetime
United Bank for Africa (UBA GROUPE DE LA BANQUE-NIGERIA)
UBA NIGERIA LAGOS, Terrain 87, Ajose Adeogun Street,
I am here to let you know that your funds worth of $4.500,000:00 USD was directed to United Bank for Africa,to transfer it to you by ATM CARD or Bank to bank wire transfer payment into your bank account,anyone you prefer will commence immediately as the Government required, due to a lot of fraud and Internet bad hackers your immediate action is highly needed.Do contact us immediate for your immediate payment.Your transaction will commence once we hear from you instant.Your urgent reply will be appreciated for your Fund transfer or ATM CARD shipment,forward your details upon your response.
-
Mr.Kennedy Uzoka
Group Managing Director/CEO
United Bank for Africa Plc
Phone : +234-808-4229-245
UBA NIGERIA LAGOS, Terrain 87, Ajose Adeogun Street,
I am here to let you know that your funds worth of $4.500,000:00 USD was directed to United Bank for Africa,to transfer it to you by ATM CARD or Bank to bank wire transfer payment into your bank account,anyone you prefer will commence immediately as the Government required, due to a lot of fraud and Internet bad hackers your immediate action is highly needed.Do contact us immediate for your immediate payment.Your transaction will commence once we hear from you instant.Your urgent reply will be appreciated for your Fund transfer or ATM CARD shipment,forward your details upon your response.
-
Mr.Kennedy Uzoka
Group Managing Director/CEO
United Bank for Africa Plc
Phone : +234-808-4229-245
Friday, January 31, 2020
A merging, an ending
My Aunt sent me a cassette of I'm Your Man when it came out in 1988. I'd never really listened to Leonard Cohen before, so chalk up another one for Sandy.
She died four years ago yesterday. This is the first video of a posthumous release of Cohen's.
And here we are. Brexit begins, the senate acquits. Putin wins.
She died four years ago yesterday. This is the first video of a posthumous release of Cohen's.
And here we are. Brexit begins, the senate acquits. Putin wins.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Another minute of the 15
For years the Columbus Dispatch has run an weekly article called "Where I Eat" in which locals are asked where they go out to eat in the city.
I've been here for 30 years now, and it became my turn.
You can see Where I Eat here.
The reporter put a survey on twitter, a couple of people said I should fill it out. I did, and there's the story.
I'm not sure if it is still put in the print edition.
I've been here for 30 years now, and it became my turn.
You can see Where I Eat here.
The reporter put a survey on twitter, a couple of people said I should fill it out. I did, and there's the story.
I'm not sure if it is still put in the print edition.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Tired of falling through the cracks
During a diner conversation on Friday morning, the man I was talking with brought up that people do not get back to you when you contact them. I cannot explain why but right now I have three inquiries in the hopper right now, and all of them are dragging out for reasons that are inexplicable to me. One is personal and I explicitly said I need a quick response, and there has been no reply. Another is service oriented. The guy texted me out of the blue, said he was my liaison with the company I have given money to for a service. I texted him, asking when my parts would arrive so the service could be completed, and I have had no response.
The third is local. I reached out over six months ago to a person regarding work for an art project. He seemed very eager at first, but nothing came of it. A few months later I asked him if the project was dead. He replied quickly saying no, no that he forgot about me because he was so busy. Last week he posted pictures of some work he completed for others for the holidays. Wow, none of that work was mine even though I had a verbal agreement months ago for a piece. I sent him a message asking again if the project was dead, there has been no response. At least no money changed hands in this instance.
It’s really frustrating to be on the back foot, wondering where the Hell people have gone to, and why a simple I will get back to you does not happen.
The third is local. I reached out over six months ago to a person regarding work for an art project. He seemed very eager at first, but nothing came of it. A few months later I asked him if the project was dead. He replied quickly saying no, no that he forgot about me because he was so busy. Last week he posted pictures of some work he completed for others for the holidays. Wow, none of that work was mine even though I had a verbal agreement months ago for a piece. I sent him a message asking again if the project was dead, there has been no response. At least no money changed hands in this instance.
It’s really frustrating to be on the back foot, wondering where the Hell people have gone to, and why a simple I will get back to you does not happen.
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