minnesota

Birthday on the River

We drove down to Red Wing, Minnesota yesterday for my birthday outing. Red Wing is full of funky sculptures.

We drove on past Red Wing to Frontenac State Park at the north end of Lake Pepin. The Mississippi River. As we gazed over to Wisconsin on the other side, we had a conversation about the settlers and explorers of the area and decided they must have been pretty sturdy folk. After the Indians, it was the French. This State Park was named after a river town that was named after Louis de Buade de Frontenac, the governor of New France who arrived in the late 1600s. The governor was a French military man who came to America to defer his great debts. Not very romantic. The French came in the 1600’s to set up fur trading with the Indians or to set up Christian missions.

Etinne Brule was born in France and was the fur trader and explorer who was credited as being the first European to reach Lake Superior in 1622. (I think the Vikings were there earlier.) Medford Chouart des Groseilliers and Pierre Esprit Radisson, both born in France, were the first Europeans to set foot in what would become Minnesota, reaching present day Duluth. Brother Claude Allouez, also born in France established a Jesuit mission and traveled the area producing the earliest maps of Lake Superior. Louis Joliet, born in Quebec City, and Father Jacques Marquette, born in France, traveled down the Mississippi River as far as to where Arkansas is today. In the 1680’s Robert de La Salle, born in France, claimed the whole Mississippi River basin for France. Pierre and Jean Pepin traveled up the Mississippi from the south. So the 1600’s were full of French explorers in the area.

Lucien Gaultier, born in France, was a Roman Catholic priest who arrived in Minnesota in 1840 and apparently named the city of St. Paul. After Minnesota was established as a territory in 1849, the French fade away. People from the east coast are the first to arrive, followed by Europeans from Germany, Scandinavia, and Great Britain. In my opinion, those are the people who were really gutsy. Anyway, then there is the whole messy horrible history of the Indians killing them and them killing the Indians.

So I won’t go into that.

But the Park is one of my favorites. It was established in 1957.

From there we went back into Red Wing and enjoyed the views from the bluff. And of course stopped at our favorite used bookstore before dinner and a nice drive home.

365 days of Covid19

In March, COVID-19 came to town. I am working from home, having food delivered, going for occasional drives in my car and trying to avoid people on my way to mailbox. I have discovered it can be difficult to stand six feet away from people on an elevator.

–I have discovered YouTube aerobic workout sessions. There are thousands of them. They closed the gym in my condo so now I am forced to workout in front of my computer. It’s not that bad! I do miss the cross trainer though.

–I have plenty of projects. Working on genealogy, editing letters, drawing, needlepoint, reading, writing. But honestly, there is so much stuff on Netflix, Acorn, Prime, and TV, who needs projects? I watched an excellent documentary on Boris Pasternak – The Real Doctor Zhivago – the other day. See I’m educating myself!

–By the way, everybody, there is no shortage of toilet paper, just an overabundance of hoarders.

APRIL

–Buzz word is testing. Testing testing testing. Antibody testing. I read an article about mass graves in New Jersey. Over 55,000 dead in the USA. Photos of people swarming the beaches in California makes one stop to ponder.

–Some days I think. Oh this isn’t so bad. Things will open up, things could be worse, we can get through this, they will find a vaccine soon enough. Then I read an article about a study in northern Italy where they found the virus could linger in air pollution and spread through the air. Or I read about the hospitals that are still crowded with dying people. And I get freaked out. Moral of the story is stop reading news articles. Or just be more fatalistic. 

MAY

–It’s grocery day. Woohoo. I actually haven’t been going to the grocery store. I get my groceries delivered. It seems more efficient somehow. And less immediate contact with people. There is a confirmed case of COVID19 in my building. Ugh. Some days I think, maybe it would be better if I just got it. But then I read about all the complications and people dying. Immunity/death, immunity/death. Que sera sera. 

–Yesterday was very exciting. I put on my mask and went to the drug store where I happened to come upon a bottle of hand sanitizer they had just set out on the counter. First time I’ve been able to snag some. And it is a big bottle, too. Then I was feeling very sure of myself and ordered curbside pick up at a local restaurant. My first burger and fries for two months. It was delicious.

–Can’t complain, still breathing. Just the other day Trump said the virus will go away on its own and we don’t need a vaccine. So no problem. What virus?

–One day just smushes into the next. Sometimes I feel like I’m moving in slow motion. Sometimes like time has stopped completely. “Memories” come up on my Facebook page. One year ago I was doing this or that. One year ago? Feels like it was at least ten years ago. Another era, another place, another life. It feels like I have moved to a new place. I want to see people but they are gone. I want to go places but they are not there. I want to do things but those things are not available. 

–I’m addicted to the news but it sickens me. Sometimes I cry all the way through the CBS evening news. I probably shouldn’t admit to that. But the things that make me cry are the stories about what people are doing right. The random acts of kindness. The fact that we are really good people living under horrific circumstances. And then I think about all the people around the world who don’t have any water to wash their hands or the space to social distance. I don’t have any reason to complain. I’m not complaining. I’m lucky.

–Yesterday was rough. The other day I mentioned all the good things people were doing. I’m not feeling it today. The people who are talking about their “god” given rights and are violating the stay home and mask rules are disturbing. Yes, people need to work and I understand that there are two sides to every coin, but why put others at risk? There are guidelines and safe ways to proceed. 

–Lots of news as usual. Still a virus. The orange one is taking malaria pills to prevent it. We always took malaria pills growing up. Maybe I’m immune. (kidding). I think I need to get out of the house. Maybe a drive this evening.

–Six days of rioting and curfews after the death of George Floyd

JUNE

–More protests and curfews following the death of George Floyd.

–Day 90. 13 weeks. I’m waiting to see what happens in the next couple of weeks. Should be telling. Don’t see a lot of social distancing. See some masks but many people without. It’s a marathon….

–114,000 deaths with over 2 million positive cases. And the numbers go up.

–Did you see the clip of the orange one saying he didn’t know what the 19 stood for in Covid-19? He was all confused. What could it stand for? 19 million stupidities?

JULY

–John Lewis died. A hero of the Civil Rights movement of the ’60s and a strong member of the House of Representatives. He will be sorely missed. We need a new generation of John Lewis’s to step up. 

–I went to put gas in my car on Saturday. This was the second time in five months I needed gas. I pulled into the gas station and I actually had to stop and think about where my gas tank was. Luckily I guessed right.

–Is this like the longest year ever? It just drags on and on with basically nothing to look forward to, nothing to pull you through. No light at the end of the tunnel. Just more of the same. I guess there is one thing that is pulling me through. November. The orange one is down in the polls. Let’s keep it that way. Vote.

–Only 95 days left. I noticed a running theme at John Lewis’ funeral yesterday. People remembering his life and what he worked and lived for. One person was most eloquent when she ended her speech with “For the love of god, vote!”.

AUGUST

–The new news term you hear all the time now is “pre-pandemic”. Something happened pre-pandemic, things were done this way pre-pandemic, people did this pre-pandemic. So how will we differentiate between “pre-pandemic” and “post-pandemic”? PP and PP. I’m hoping we can just call it AO, “after orange”.

SEPTEMBER

–This is page 169 in my covid19 journal. I guess I didn’t think this through. Looks like we are only about halfway there. It’s hard to be positive about all of this. Pandemic, economic crisis, flu coming soon, elections, civil unrest, rioting, hurricanes, shootings, vaccine controversy. Of course the really big news is that Carole Baskin from “Tiger King” is going to be on Dancing with the Stars starting in September. Let’s keep things real, people.

–Maxine Maxine Maxine, where is my vaccine? The orange one says next month. The CDC Director says another year. “Trump says CDC Director made a mistake when he said that”. Who to believe, who to believe. My mask will save me.

–Ruth Bader Ginsberg died yesterday. Very sad for all of us.

OCTOBER

–I got an automated call this morning that said something like – “This is a test. Stay home. Stay safe and stay home”. Creepy

–This week is crawling by but we have now entered my eighth month. Happy October.

–So it finally happened. The orange one got the virus. Anybody surprised?

–Much obsessing about the elections

NOVEMBER

–So the end has come. Joe Biden wins by a landslide of electoral votes. Exactly the same numbers as the orange one had. kismet

–Covid is out of control. All the beds in Minnesota are full. The governor is asking all 18-25 year olds to get tested. Everything closes by 10 pm. Who let this happen?

–Now there are three vaccines with good results. There is hope.

–They keep saying vaccines could be here by the end of the year. But do they actually know how long the vaccines protect you for? Actually they don’t. They don’t know if vaccinated people can still carry the disease. They don’t know if the vaccine works on the most severe cases, those people who get very sick and end up in the ICU. They are just now starting the peer review so maybe some answers will come from that. Obviously it is better than nothing and gives us hope but questions linger.

–Yesterday was the first day I really felt okay about our future. I became quite emotional while watching Biden introduce his nominees for Foreign Policy and National Security. It was a mature, intelligent event with qualified intelligent people. What a refreshing change.

–So we are in the middle of a pandemic. We are in the middle of a disaster film. We should all be running around screaming and panicked. Sirens should be blaring across the nation. People should be walking around in hazmat suits. Propaganda should be blaring from loud speakers. 

–Instead we sit in front of our idiot box and watch people on the news tell us about hospitals that are at capacity and cooler semis full of bodies. And wonder why people are resisting wearing a stupid mask. And watching an orange reality tv host continue to deny reality. We have a clear definition here of the surreal. 

–This would be a good time to crawl into the cave and hibernate.

DECEMBER

–It looks like vaccines are real. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

–A 90 year old woman was the first person in the UK to get vaccinated for the Coronavirus today. People in the US could be getting them within a week or two. It’s a process. 

–New super spreader mutation has been found in 17 countries outside the UK including the USA. Where is my vaccine? Will it work for this new version? Apparently it is no worse than the original, it just spreads easier. What does that mean? No idea. Wear a mask and don’t breathe if you can help it.

JANUARY

–430,000 deaths from Covid19 in the US. But it is finally leveling off. But California just found a new strain. But Moderna is coming up with a booster for new strains. But there are not enough vaccines. But the previous administration left a horrible mess and the CDC can’t figure out what is what. But Father Joe is in the White House. But why hasn’t he fixed everything yet? After all he has be there for six days….

–21 million vaccinated in the US

–We are inching up to close to 450,000 deaths. 23 million vaccinated.

FEBRUARY

–Life is pretty boring these days. I am tired of Covid. I am tired of being cooped up. Of not going anywhere. I Zoom with friends but we don’t have a lot to say because we don’t do anything. I need some comic relief. 

–Did you ever imagine you would ever know so much about a vaccine?

–Over 492 thousand dead. 36 million vaccinated

–Lost track of the days. Thought today was Wednesday. Nope.

–Now on day 312, I am running out of steam. I am tired of it. I am anxious for it to end. I wonder if our world or our lives will ever return to “normal”. We will all be changed.

–500,000+ dead in the USA. More than any other country. And still dying. I could say a lot about the orange one and what I think of the whole thing but the fact is, this isn’t over yet. We have months to go. Mask up. Be safe. Be aware.

MARCH

–55 million vaccinated. Things are starting to open up. I don’t think I’m ready yet. I’m sure it will be a few more months before I get my vaccine.

–Jury selection for Derek Chauvin’s trial starts today. Peaceful demonstrations. 

–I’ve fallen into a time warp. All the snow has melted. I think the rain washed it away. There are people wandering around on the deck in shirt sleeves. Spring is coming. People are starting to talk about traveling. Changes.

–Apparently 100 million people have been vaccinated in the US. I wasn’t one of them. 

–I am really going stir crazy. I feel like I live in a cage. I am re-watching The Crown. They are kind of caged as well. Very isolated from the world. They flit from castle to castle but that is about it. It is kind of annoying to watch. I was amused to hear Prince Harry say in a recent interview that The Crown is, of course, all fiction so not as worrisome as the tabloids. Obviously it is fictionalized but I imagine it is anchored in the truth. The tabloids feed off of them and influence them as well. Anyway, nothing to do with me… I have basically stopped watching the news. I get bits and pieces here and there. I saw Biden’s news conference yesterday. All very civilized. Lots of good ideas. Wonder if they are just dreams. 

–The Derek Chauvin trial starts today. 

–My odyssey is over. My official jab is scheduled for tomorrow.

APRIL

–I had a reaction to my vaccine. Light headed, very tired, a bit nauseous. Slept for a day, all recovered.

–Fully vaccinated with two week waiting period over. 

–575,000 plus dead in the USA. 25% of all Minnesotans have been fully vaccinated, 38% have had at least one dose.

Lake Superior

I recently returned from a week on the north shore of Lake Superior. We stayed in a small two bedroom cabin down a dirt road in the middle of the woods. I expected to see bears but was disappointed. Since we had so much rain recently the trails were pretty muddy and the mosquitoes were out of control but otherwise it was beautiful.

The Cabin

The Boundary Waters

Didn’t see any moose either. Disappointed.

The Forest

The Lake

The Wild Life

My new car

I finally got myself a new car. After my car was totaled I was driving my son’s twenty year old manual and the clutch was killing me. Now I have a brand new automatic. I still keep trying to put the clutch in but that should fade away.

The only other automatic car I ever owned was about fifteen years ago. I decided having a manual in the crazy Washington DC traffic was too much so I opted for a new automatic. The first day I drove to work, I parked it in my usual garage space. I could not get the keys out of the ignition. They would not come out. It was like they were welded into the steering wheel. I got out the manual and skimmed though it but could not figure it out. I finally called roadside assistance. “I can’t get the keys to come out”.

“Are you in Park”??

“Ummmmm”. I felt like a complete idiot. Seriously an idiot. I apologized profusely.

That is one lesson I will never forget. Ever.

Funny thing when I was paying for the car. I was sitting with the finance guy and he complimented me on my nails. He said he really liked my nail color. Then he said he wished his wife had that nail color. Her nails apparently looked like “Christmas”. After a while he speculated on the color. “It must be something like lavender…” I helped him out. “It is called orchid something”. Maybe he will buy her some.

Now I just have to figure out what all the gadgets and lights and messages mean on my new car. It is like learning how to use a new computer program. But, still, I like it a lot.

Blue Sky

Such blue sky and leaves aglow, swaying to an fro…

Walked around the lakes yesterday, enjoying the sunshine and clear sky.

I watched a 2023 film by Wim Wenders the other day – Perfect Days. It is set in Tokyo and about a Japanese man who cleans public toilets for a living. It follows him around day to day as he interacts with colleagues, members of the public, his family, but mostly with nature. He loves to take pictures of trees. There is very little dialogue so not a lot of subtitle reading. All in all, a very nice film. I recommend.