Hello and welcome to a forecasted rainy/partly cloudy Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is June 22nd, aka, the day after the official beginning of summer.
Today's historic highlights bring to mind a host of books and films on those very subjects. Given that soccer is in the news, Maradona and "the hand of God" looks interesting. A quick IMDB search shows there are plenty of films about this Argentinian footballer, including a new one scheduled to release in September 2019.
I think about the minutiae of random things like this now - Maradona and the hand of God. With everyone out of the house, I have had an entire week solo mio. (Note: Which actually means "only mine" and not "only me" but since there's no one here to correct me, I can say whatever I want.)
While there are folks-a-million used to being solely on their own, I am not one of them. The last time I was completely alone, in my house? Last year, August, for three days. The time before that? Summer of 2017 - one day? And the time before that? I couldn't tell you. The last two times I was on my own, I filled the time with visiting friends and staying busy so I wouldn't have to be home alone.
But this time, I was curious to see how I would handle being home with no one else's agenda to manage, no one else to cook for, no one else to, well, do anything for.
First, I celebrated. This involved binge watching movies, including a Pitch Perfect Movie Marathon. And that is somewhat of a cheat because I did all these things with the daughter before she headed up to Laketrails.
Next, I made a pact with myself not to cook. Other than a Nantucket Cranberry Pie, I made for friends, I've visited the following Wannaskan establishments: The Nomad, Daisy Gardens, Dairy Queen, Cenex, Earl's Drive-In, Legends, and a fundraising dinner at the VFW in Roseau. This has been supplemented with the absolute minimal effort at home of a frozen pizza, pouring myself a bowl of cereal, toasting bagels, and making coffee. When I really feel like going "all out" I make my own egg (Mc)muffin of a fried egg on a toasted and buttered English muffin with a slice of Colby jack cheese. In an effort to be healthy, I ate two bags of prepared chopped salad and sliced up one organically-grown, upstate New York apple I bought in New York City on June 2nd that traveled with me all the way back to Wannaska. I nibbled on the slices over the course of a week - even the last two slices that had since turned leathery with dehydration.
I finished reading The President is Missing and am almost finished with Transcription by Kate Atkinson. Thanks to the audiobook, (I divide my reading between the hard copy and an audiobook.) my internal dialogue and texts have been finessed with an English accent. ( I do recommend the book, darling. The audiobook is absolutely fabulous. Can I interest you in a cup of tea?)
I went back to work. Firing up the ole' computer took a few days of getting used to.
I watched the film The Hate U Give on HBO and was impressed with how closely it stayed true to the story line in the book of the same title, which I've also read.
I watched the grass grow. We used to have a self-propelling mower that I knew how to use. Last year, (or the year before?) we purchased a new, non-propelling mower. I don't think I've laid a finger on it since we bought it. Well, no use in starting now. Better to wait for the proper tutelage of the hubby. (Can I interest you in a cup of tea?)
I flipped past HBO's Little Big Lies, resisting any curiosity to watch it, even though I have read this book, too. Then Meryl Streep flashed across the screen. (Happy Birthday, Meryl!) I didn't remember Meryl being in the book or any Meryl-like character. So, the next time it was on, I gave it a go. While Meryl was tremendous in her acting ability (this performance reminded me of her role in Hope Springs), I wondered why HBO chose to drag out this particular story line when Liane Moriarty did a perfectly fine job covering all the necessary highs and lows in one novel.
John Oliver was a treat. I'm usually in bed by the time he makes an appearance.
And then, I ventured a watch of HBO's newest program, Euphoria. Yikes. I'm either too old or the world has taken a turn for the worst. Disturbing, to say the least. It's too upsetting to talk about; especially since I have teenagers.
I locked my doors. Normally, I don't worry about such things, but hearing unaccounted for bumps and knocks in the house, particularly in the dead of night, reminded me that I am all alone.
I brushed my teeth before I ate breakfast.
I got outside. This included cajoling a neighbor to take walks with me and enjoying a Woodpicks concert at the gazebo in Roseau.
I exercised, once, jumping in front of the television to an exercise DVD. After 13 years, I still love Tony Horton.
I stayed up late, just because I could.
I slept terribly.
I noticed a red light lit on one of the hallway devices. Was it the smoke alarm or the carbon monoxide detector? I lay restless in my bed wondering if I would be accidentally gassed to death.
I suspiciously eyed the pool of liquid that seemed to form under my vehicle after I drove it. I don't think I had been using the A/C.
The oil light came on in my car.
Then it turned off.
Then it came on.
I almost locked myself out of the house.
I think I'm ready to have my family home again.
1990 - Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled
The crossing point on the sector border between East Berlin and West Berlin had become obsolete with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Today, the former checkpoint, including the famous sign stating “You are leaving the American sector”, is a tourist attraction.
1986 - Diego Maradona coins the phrase “Hand of God”
The Argentinian football star had scored a goal with his hand during the FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England. The referee allowed the goal, the Argentinian team were later crowned world champions. After the game, Maradona said that the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
1945 - Okinawa falls to U.S. troops
The Battle of Okinawa marked a decisive defeat for Japan during World War II as the archipelago represented the last line of defense for mainland Japan. The country surrendered two months after the end of the battle when two atomic bombs were dropped on the mainland.
1941 - Germany invades the Soviet Union
The initially successful attack soon proved a disaster for the Germans as wintry conditions and fierce Soviet resistance caused massive losses and ultimately forced them to retreat.
1633 - The Catholic Church forces Galileo Galilei to renounce his heliocentric world view
The Holy Office concluded that the Italian scientist, by stating that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe, was “vehemently suspect of heresy”. Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest.
1953 - Cyndi Lauper, American singer-songwriter, producer, actress
1949 - Meryl Streep, American actress
1940 - Abbas Kiarostami, Iranian filmmaker, poet
1909 - Katherine Dunham, American dancer
1887 - Julian Huxley, English biologist
Today's historic highlights bring to mind a host of books and films on those very subjects. Given that soccer is in the news, Maradona and "the hand of God" looks interesting. A quick IMDB search shows there are plenty of films about this Argentinian footballer, including a new one scheduled to release in September 2019.
I think about the minutiae of random things like this now - Maradona and the hand of God. With everyone out of the house, I have had an entire week solo mio. (Note: Which actually means "only mine" and not "only me" but since there's no one here to correct me, I can say whatever I want.)
While there are folks-a-million used to being solely on their own, I am not one of them. The last time I was completely alone, in my house? Last year, August, for three days. The time before that? Summer of 2017 - one day? And the time before that? I couldn't tell you. The last two times I was on my own, I filled the time with visiting friends and staying busy so I wouldn't have to be home alone.
But this time, I was curious to see how I would handle being home with no one else's agenda to manage, no one else to cook for, no one else to, well, do anything for.
First, I celebrated. This involved binge watching movies, including a Pitch Perfect Movie Marathon. And that is somewhat of a cheat because I did all these things with the daughter before she headed up to Laketrails.
Next, I made a pact with myself not to cook. Other than a Nantucket Cranberry Pie, I made for friends, I've visited the following Wannaskan establishments: The Nomad, Daisy Gardens, Dairy Queen, Cenex, Earl's Drive-In, Legends, and a fundraising dinner at the VFW in Roseau. This has been supplemented with the absolute minimal effort at home of a frozen pizza, pouring myself a bowl of cereal, toasting bagels, and making coffee. When I really feel like going "all out" I make my own egg (Mc)muffin of a fried egg on a toasted and buttered English muffin with a slice of Colby jack cheese. In an effort to be healthy, I ate two bags of prepared chopped salad and sliced up one organically-grown, upstate New York apple I bought in New York City on June 2nd that traveled with me all the way back to Wannaska. I nibbled on the slices over the course of a week - even the last two slices that had since turned leathery with dehydration.
I finished reading The President is Missing and am almost finished with Transcription by Kate Atkinson. Thanks to the audiobook, (I divide my reading between the hard copy and an audiobook.) my internal dialogue and texts have been finessed with an English accent. ( I do recommend the book, darling. The audiobook is absolutely fabulous. Can I interest you in a cup of tea?)
I went back to work. Firing up the ole' computer took a few days of getting used to.
I watched the film The Hate U Give on HBO and was impressed with how closely it stayed true to the story line in the book of the same title, which I've also read.
I watched the grass grow. We used to have a self-propelling mower that I knew how to use. Last year, (or the year before?) we purchased a new, non-propelling mower. I don't think I've laid a finger on it since we bought it. Well, no use in starting now. Better to wait for the proper tutelage of the hubby. (Can I interest you in a cup of tea?)
I flipped past HBO's Little Big Lies, resisting any curiosity to watch it, even though I have read this book, too. Then Meryl Streep flashed across the screen. (Happy Birthday, Meryl!) I didn't remember Meryl being in the book or any Meryl-like character. So, the next time it was on, I gave it a go. While Meryl was tremendous in her acting ability (this performance reminded me of her role in Hope Springs), I wondered why HBO chose to drag out this particular story line when Liane Moriarty did a perfectly fine job covering all the necessary highs and lows in one novel.
John Oliver was a treat. I'm usually in bed by the time he makes an appearance.
And then, I ventured a watch of HBO's newest program, Euphoria. Yikes. I'm either too old or the world has taken a turn for the worst. Disturbing, to say the least. It's too upsetting to talk about; especially since I have teenagers.
I locked my doors. Normally, I don't worry about such things, but hearing unaccounted for bumps and knocks in the house, particularly in the dead of night, reminded me that I am all alone.
I brushed my teeth before I ate breakfast.
I got outside. This included cajoling a neighbor to take walks with me and enjoying a Woodpicks concert at the gazebo in Roseau.
I exercised, once, jumping in front of the television to an exercise DVD. After 13 years, I still love Tony Horton.
I stayed up late, just because I could.
I slept terribly.
I noticed a red light lit on one of the hallway devices. Was it the smoke alarm or the carbon monoxide detector? I lay restless in my bed wondering if I would be accidentally gassed to death.
I suspiciously eyed the pool of liquid that seemed to form under my vehicle after I drove it. I don't think I had been using the A/C.
The oil light came on in my car.
Then it turned off.
Then it came on.
I almost locked myself out of the house.
I think I'm ready to have my family home again.
Kids' Corner
Well, it’s time for the WAKWIR to pack his bags,go to Prague, and fly home. But, before we do that, we still have some adventures to tell.
So last week on Saturday, I went with my dad and my brother to Mendelova University in Brno, because the university was celebrating 100 years. There, we got to learn all of the fields of study the huge school had, and to learn that my dad, one of my uncles, my grandpa, and my grandma all went to that school. One of my uncles was there and he and my dad literally went crazy when they saw the wood section. They even tried to figure out who knew better about what wood was what. We looked at their biology, chemistry, and art center and it was actually pretty cool. There was also an agriculture center too, which my cousin had trouble trying not to hack into the ethernet cable panel which held all the internet to the whole campus. It was pretty fun, especially because there was a restaurant where they sold pizza. Yes, they have pizza in the Czech Republic and...yeah it was great until I had to leave because my little siblings were playing at my aunt's house.
So as I’m writing this on Tuesday, there is still a lot to happen. Today, leaving to Teplice nad Metujà or Teplice above, or over Metuji, a city northeast of Prague because we have a house up there that used to be my great-grandma's house. Then, after a few days, we are going to go straight to Prague. Then we will reside back in North America for another year till we come back for another visit.
Goodbye for now,
David
So last week on Saturday, I went with my dad and my brother to Mendelova University in Brno, because the university was celebrating 100 years. There, we got to learn all of the fields of study the huge school had, and to learn that my dad, one of my uncles, my grandpa, and my grandma all went to that school. One of my uncles was there and he and my dad literally went crazy when they saw the wood section. They even tried to figure out who knew better about what wood was what. We looked at their biology, chemistry, and art center and it was actually pretty cool. There was also an agriculture center too, which my cousin had trouble trying not to hack into the ethernet cable panel which held all the internet to the whole campus. It was pretty fun, especially because there was a restaurant where they sold pizza. Yes, they have pizza in the Czech Republic and...yeah it was great until I had to leave because my little siblings were playing at my aunt's house.
So as I’m writing this on Tuesday, there is still a lot to happen. Today, leaving to Teplice nad Metujà or Teplice above, or over Metuji, a city northeast of Prague because we have a house up there that used to be my great-grandma's house. Then, after a few days, we are going to go straight to Prague. Then we will reside back in North America for another year till we come back for another visit.
Goodbye for now,
David
On This Day
Historic Highlights (credits)
1990 - Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled
The crossing point on the sector border between East Berlin and West Berlin had become obsolete with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Today, the former checkpoint, including the famous sign stating “You are leaving the American sector”, is a tourist attraction.
1986 - Diego Maradona coins the phrase “Hand of God”
The Argentinian football star had scored a goal with his hand during the FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England. The referee allowed the goal, the Argentinian team were later crowned world champions. After the game, Maradona said that the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
1945 - Okinawa falls to U.S. troops
The Battle of Okinawa marked a decisive defeat for Japan during World War II as the archipelago represented the last line of defense for mainland Japan. The country surrendered two months after the end of the battle when two atomic bombs were dropped on the mainland.
1941 - Germany invades the Soviet Union
The initially successful attack soon proved a disaster for the Germans as wintry conditions and fierce Soviet resistance caused massive losses and ultimately forced them to retreat.
1633 - The Catholic Church forces Galileo Galilei to renounce his heliocentric world view
The Holy Office concluded that the Italian scientist, by stating that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe, was “vehemently suspect of heresy”. Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest.
Happy Birthday to You!🎶
1949 - Meryl Streep, American actress
1940 - Abbas Kiarostami, Iranian filmmaker, poet
1909 - Katherine Dunham, American dancer
1887 - Julian Huxley, English biologist
Remembering You
2008 - George Carlin, American comedian, actor, author
1993 - Pat Nixon, American educator, 39th First Lady of the United States
1987 - Fred Astaire, American actor, singer, dancer
1969 - Judy Garland, American actress, singer
1874 - Howard Staunton, English chess player
Whether you spend some time alone or family and friends, make it a great Saturday!
Kim
1993 - Pat Nixon, American educator, 39th First Lady of the United States
1987 - Fred Astaire, American actor, singer, dancer
1969 - Judy Garland, American actress, singer
1874 - Howard Staunton, English chess player
Whether you spend some time alone or family and friends, make it a great Saturday!
Kim
ReplyDeleteIt's good to enjoy your own company for a spell, but even the hermits came home from time to time for a good meal and to get their laundry done.
So great to hear how you spent your week. I was wondering. Perhaps your experience gave you a peek at my daily life. Semi-solitude seems the best course, in my opinion. I agree with the Chairman on that.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely enjoyed your "diary" of your days. It seems to me you navigated the week very well. Now you can look forward to doing it again. Remember, the writers' loft in the Forest is always open to you.