Misfits Saturday

 My storm-tossed Misfits box arrived, a day late, but safely and in good shape.  So here's the haul this week.  Lovely blueberries because I fancied a little jar of jam.  And an array of apples, red pears, and yellow potatoes plus baking spuds.  Greens of all kinds, carrots to go with the in-house cashews in soup quite soon I think.  Honey.  Broccoli, spinach.  The potatoes might make a good soup with the leeks I still have in the freezer.  I have an endless appetite for soup when I'm too lazy to think up different recipes.

Everyone into the pool, to shed some of the farm grit and dirt.  Half an hour in cold water is good to make lettuce crisp again after traveling.

And here's the biweekly salad season starting again.  I usually eat salads for about three days before the supply runs out.  Here's nice bowl of leaf lettuce, carrot greens, Italian parsley, carrots, and Roma tomato.  Dressed with Mrs. Moon's incomparable dressing.

And here, I'm just sayin.

After many hours online and on the telephone, many heartbreaks at being shut out in seconds from supplies, over and over, since early January,  I finished up last night at midnight, then started again this morning at 4 a.m.  Since the state site is useless, the county not responding, the two hospitals now limiting their supplies to seriously compromised people, Walgreen's with no vaccine in this state, Rite Aid with a website and no supplies, I decided that the only hope was CVS.

I checked all the others, then got into the prewaiting room on the CVS site.  Two hours of refreshing and checking there, then I made it into the Waiting Room!  excitement. Half an hour there then I couldn't believe it, the screen changed and I was being offered an appointment.  I knew that they often open the portal at about 6 a.m. but knew from experience that's too late to try.  You have to be in the group long before that, in order not to be shut out.

 I knew from their website that this pharmacy was getting supplies, it's not the one near me, about half an hour away, I think, but never mind, they offered me next Thursday, and I chose the time.  The second dose is April Fools' Day, hm, not sure what that means.  But anyway, to prove it they sent a confirmatory text.  So I'm set.  Finally.  

My dear next door neighbor says he'll drive me there, since I'm unfamiliar with this location and he knows it well.  I put the text on my home screen in case challenged, since he had an appointment which they would not honor a couple of weeks ago, because they failed to send the confirmation.  Dodgy website. He ended up by the intervention of friends searching, in getting appointments elsewhere, two and a half hours away, one way.  With less than an hour's notice -- it was a cancellation.  So I made sure my confirmation is right there. And all the paperwork has been done online, including electronic signature for consent.  Much better than the county sites which insisted that the consent be downloaded, printed out, signed and brought to the site for the appointment.  As if.  This is a fairly small site, so I get to go into the store and follow the instructions there.  Like my local one, in fact.

So we're good.  All day I've been dropping off to sleep, partly because of being up since 4, partly the sheer emotional relief of finding an appointment after all this work and time. My life won't change dramatically for having the vaccine; everything I used to do is still closed, in-person is not yet a thing for my groups, the shops are  scary.  But it will lift that great fear that has been everywhere around me.  That's huge.  Then I can enjoy being at home, as I used to, because the Big Wide World is less scary.

So I'm turning my energy to helping a friend get her appointments, too, since I'm a bit more adept at the computer thingy.  Her daughter is helping, but she's got to work, and it doesn't hurt to have another pair of hands clicking away and holding and refreshing, and I'd like her to get it.  She's a true friend.  She was genuinely happy for me to have got my appointments, even when she still hasn't.  That's the mark of a friend. It's easy to be nice to someone who's having a hard time.  But it's much more challenging to be happy when your friend gets an opportunity you also very much would like.  I had emailed her as soon as I got my dates this morning, but by the time her daughter accessed it, they were gone.  The entire state's CVS sites were filled in less than five minutes from opening.

A number of my friends, some not yet eligible for some time, have been generous. It's been a good thing to experience.  I'm giving back by helping in my turn.

Snow prep, vaccine routine, poetry and other thoughts about the universe

Another heavy snow forecast, which came true today, so yesterday I did snow prep, which consisted of doing the laundry in case power went out, unusual, but it could happen.  And finally, finally, getting around to baking bread. Thanks to Friko, whose comment reminded me that it would be good to have some around.

I don't know why I put off making bread. It's so satisfying, and when it's rising you can smell the yeast at work.  It's alive almost as soon as you've mixed the ingredients. Anyway, for whatever reason, here's the latest giant loaf, which is to be separated into four for freezing.  The sign of the cross is not only a thing bread physically needs, to break the rise, but can be a devotion, too, if you're inclined that way, which I am, thanking whoever invented bread and created the means of making it.

It's whole wheat and white, 5 cups whole wheat, 2.5 of white.  And it makes a lovely crisp crust, not as crisp as if I used some oatmeal, but this time I didn't choose to.  And the crumb is dense and great to eat.

I like a nice sturdy bread that looks like something to eat.  Not full of air.  Here you see the crumb, where the small airholes are the result of the ap flour. If I wanted an even denser loaf, I'd just use wholewheat, and have sometimes.

And here's comfort food last thing last night. Homemade strawberry jam spread on the first slice of the loaf.  Great.

So, here are the obligatory snow pix

Same as last time, basically, about eight inches to a foot, with ice on top eventually, just to make it shiny, I guess.  Every winter I marvel that there will be a time, dv, that I'll sit out on that chair reading peacefully and wondering if I should come in to cool off.

So this morning was all about morning routine, which is looking like this these days:

 

wake up, open window, breathe in lovely air, close window before house freezes, or this morning, bedroom fills with snow.

 

make pot of tea and pancakes, sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar, the pancakes not the pot of tea

 

eat in front of therapy lamp, to which I attribute my much better sleeping this winter

 

check in vaccine possibilities, state, nothing, county, nothing, local hospital, sorry folks, CVS scheduler down, sorry, Walgreen's nothing nearer than 25 miles, and they declined to tell me where anyway, RiteAid let me get as far as picking a pharmacy, then declined to continue.  Froze on the continue button.  Okay, done my best.  Again.

 

And today a friend whose profession is communications, commented that she had a very badly written user guide to a bit of medical equipment she's currently attached to, had to call the 800 number to find out how to proceed. She used to write stuff like this guide, only much better, and wishes fervently she could have got the job of writing this one.  Now here's the thing. She's also a poet.

 

At first I marveled that my friend the poet was very happy also writing instruction manuals, user guides.  Until it dawned on me that poetry is the user guide to the psyche, and, by extension, to the universe.  So, not so surprising after all, then. And her Twitter comments are often mini poems.  She's started incorporating them into her longer works, with quite a bit of success. In the sense of creating good art, not in the sense of getting famous, but I expect you know my definition of success at this point. Go, Kate!

Win a few, lose a few here and there...

 So this is why for the second time I had to postpone my lab work.  Last time the big snowfall came.  This time the medium one, and at the time I would have had to leave, fasting, no plowing done, no walkways shoveled, would have needed to sweep my car.

So it's going to be later in February.  As long as that doesn't trigger another snowstorm. I'm beginning to feel responsible for the weather.

And CVS finally received some vaccine in NJ.  In a handful of locations. All fully booked before most of us even knew about it. But nothing in driving distance for me anyway. Everything I check daily gives me endless lists of fully booked, fully booked, I now sing a little tune to it.  So it's more than annoying when friends text me to urge me to get the vaccine, as if I weren't somehow trying to get it.  Or bragging that they got it for their parents.  In states where it's available.  Just miss me with that, thank you.

However, I did have the energy to cook this morning, wanting to make room for tomorrow's Misfits box.  So it was the rest of the frozen sweet potato gnocchi.

 

 And a sort of dish made from broccoli, scallions, the rest of the roasted garlic, pink salt, haven't used that in ages, nutmeg, with Parmesan and Vermont Sharp Cheddar grated over, and two beaten eggs added in.  I'd nuked the broccoli for two minutes before filling the dish.

This made three full meals.  Tomorrow after Misfits arrives,  there will be salad, always a high point of the menu around here, the Friday night salad.

And online I've been following the daily short videos of world class violinist and nice person, Hilary Hahn, doing 100 Days of Practice on Twitter.  To see someone who is one of the best on the planet actually learning new music, often commissioned by her, she loves modern composers, struggling now and then with fiendishly difficult bowing, explaining her process.

How the last year without the constant travel and performance has let her muscle and muscle memory lose their edge, and need to be built back.  It's amazing.  And very cheering.  Especially when her two year old daughter comes in and starts:  Mommy, practice SLOOOOOW.  Not too fast, now!  She knows her mother's technique of working out everything in slow motion before getting all the parts working up to performance level.

And if you're not aware of Hahn, and her genius, here she is playing Twinkle Twinkle. 

 Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Hahn

Like an incredible piece.  To Mozart it was Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman, to those of us who learned it on the piano, with variations.  I'd far rather hear it from Hilary.  As you see, a genius completely changes our relationship to even the simplest melody.  Just think what's she's doing with Prokofiev and Shostakovich and other composers she's making famous by commissioning from them.

One thing I love about her is that she likes little children, and everywhere she can, she will add to her regular concert performance a daytime brief free session of classical playing with parents invited to bring little children and babies, to sit on the floor and listen.  She's completely unbothered by kids crying or talking over her or grabbing at her knees to get closer to the music, and just plays as well for that audience as for an adult ticketed group.

I wonder how many young people  grow up with a different take on classical music from hearing it like this as a little kid, included in it, in a kind atmosphere.  She also likes to include moms who might not get the chance otherwise, too.  Not so easy to afford her concert prices and babysitting and all that comes with an evening out.

So despite my current doldrums, there are good things to be found everywhere. Including episodes of Sandi Toksvieg's ToxVox on YouTube which I listened to this morning, not being able to tolerate the news

Free at last, more or less

 So, after a day of worrying about whether my car would finally start, under the load of snow and two days of not being turned on, I got out finally this morning, only one neighbor out digging, and cut a little way through kneedeep snow to get to the car, release the driver side door, and slide in.  And it started, great relief.  I had worried about having to jump it under pressure when the plows needed it moved so they could finish the parking lot.  We have tight parking, and we have to move cars around to allow access to the plows of various sizes to get in and clear completely. 

My across the street neighbor came out to join me, dug a better path so I wouldn't fall down in the snow, and suggested I put the engine to defrost while it was running anyway.  Great idea, released the snow faster from the roof.  And now it's more or less okay to go.  He said, another Michael, my life is full of lovely men named Michael, that he could easily get it out now if necessary.  My other helpful neighbor not in evidence at all this morning.  But I know help is at hand anyway. 

Officially the storm's done by 5 p.m. today.  True nor'easter, except with snow instead of torrential rain.  Could have been worse. And very few neighbors lost power.

Car breathing again, its load of snow gone

And neighbor getting a breather across the street on his porch.  I think banana bread is in his near future.  He's a wonderful cook, so I shan't tell him what's in it, just let him analyze it.

Now I can get on to important things, like my online knitting group and the big plans I have embarked on for my jacket, all explained at https://beautifulmetaphor.blogspot.com.  Blogger no longer lets me link between my own blogs, so cut and paste is needed if you're interested in following up.  Give it a while, though, since I haven't yet written the latest blogpost.

Last night, in the throes of vaccine envy, I went online yet again, signed up for yet another site in addition to the all others, and found that there is still nothing available.  Unless you're in a high risk occupation or a medical worker.  Some local sites have nothing, no matter who you are. So I continue to mask and wait, but, I'm well, and capable of digging out my own car still, so there's that.

Reasonably happy camper here!  And thank you everyone who was so concerned about safety and the snow and the power and all that.  We appear to have survived again.

Wheeeee!!!

.

Further medical adjacent adventures

 Nowadays it seems a good idea to have home medical stuff working.  I so rarely use my thermometer that when I saw this screen, saying L, I thought, oh, low battery, better do something about that.

 This entailed an enormous search for the tiny Phillips head screwdriver you need to get the microscopic screw out of the housing to see what sort of battery you may need to replace.  Success finally ensued, in the course of looking for something else.

So I took it all apart, and squinted at the battery to see what it was.  Noted. Trip to pharmacy to replace battery.  They didn't have it.  And Aaron, a lovely kid I always like to see, is a store clerk, not an electronics person, so he didn't realize they probably do have a modern equivalent with a different number.  So we didn't find the battery.

And then I did what I ought to have in the first place, I went online to find out what the L meant, and discovered it's not the battery. It means the ambient temperature. Meaning until you put the thing into use, it shows a low temperature.  Once you have used it, it shows your temp.  Ah.  So I reassembled it, and got this

A little bit high, after a bowl of hot soup, but clearly the thermometer is alive and well. So that was a fail that was also a success in a way.  I guess.

In other gripping adventures, the State health department emailed me to say you can go ahead and schedule a vaccine appointment, yay.  Overjoyed that they remembered I was registered, I quickly went ahead and went through all the hurdles, name, email, date of birth, etc., to get an appointment.

Nothing within five miles, which happens to include the large regional hospital right in my tiny town.  Whose website crashed on Wednesday noon, within two minutes of opening to offer appointments. I wonder if they innocently thought that the minute Biden was sworn in they'd have shipments of vaccine.  And who have taken down the form from the site, now operating again, because they have no further vaccine supplies to schedule.  

Nothing within ten miles.  Reaching out further, I checked the twenty mile radius. And found one location, in a county college, where visitor parking is a country hike from the buildings, three counties away, over some of the most accident prone highways in the state, a three hour round trip.  And they had nothing this month, nor next month, and that's as far as their calendar went.

Then there was a final screen saying, please keep checking, new locations and supplies expected soon...so I guess that's added to my schedule. Wake up, eat breakfast, check website, etc.  But I'm taking the weekend off, since nobody has any vaccine anyway.

NJ is being starved specially, I believe, because Kushner has a deep and abiding hate for us since Christie was NJ federal prosecutor, and caused Kushner senior to be jailed for some financial shenanigans. Before Christie was one of the most disastrous governors ever.  Current Dem governor Murphy still repairing the damage.  What's happening now with the Dem administration in Washington is NJ writ large.  

Kushner is probably the reason Christie was deep sixed by Trump, after hoping for the Veep job.  Not entirely a bad thing, maybe. Anyway, Washington flat out lied about supplies promised to NJ.  A tiny fraction of them ever appeared. We haven't even finished vaccinating first responders and medical personnel yet. Nor seniors in care homes.

Anyway, enough of the politics of health care, and I'm still perfectly well, and will try not to get too anxious about all the things that aren't happening.  I'm not a fan of looking at people who are worse off and feeling better.  That always seems to me to be a small spirited thing to do.  I don't feel better when other people are worse off or sicker or poorer.  I feel responsible for figuring out what I can do about it. But the idea of counting your blessings and comparing them to people who have fewer, no, that's a mean little attitude, to my way of thinking.

And there's always reading and spinning and other things.  

My latest reread was Maisie Dobbs, this one about an artist in the era of World War I and the surrounding politics and mysteries of the time.  As always, Winspear is worth reading.  In fact I reread her.

 Next reread is a couple of novels by Penelope Lively, which I've got on Hoopla, but can't transfer to Kindle, which I really like better for reading, but still, it's available, so that's fine.

It's cold, windy and just the weather for indoor exercise then reading, all wrapped in blankets. I'm getting quite fancy with my scarf flinging.  Now I'm doing figure eights with my arms, and generally thinking I'm all that. I might start naming the moves.  The Infinity!  The Double Silk Jerk and Drop! The Perpetual Motion!  It's really good upper body stuff, vital when you spend time knitting and spinning and doing the sorts of fiber work that tenses up your shoulders and arms without your knowing it.

And last night I dreamed about embroidery and discussing the Robe of Many Colors.  A big step up from dreams of fear and abandonment and being lost in a strange town and it's getting dark.  I'll take it.