There You Go in Everyday Ramblings

A young Crepe Myrtle in the neighborhood yesterday. There are two girls that live here, maybe 7 and 9 with their mom. That may be reflected in the level the ornaments are hung. Walking after the big rain and wind looking at tree damage, I didn’t see that much Christmas decorating going on around here. The neighborhood is going through transition.

Someone did buy the corner apartment in the historic building diagonally across and he has a giant tree, beautifully decorated and put lights up on the wrought iron railing outside too so there is at least that.

There has been so much vandalism and theft lately I think folks are a bit discouraged. I heard this thoughtful and useful report about the new Meth coming in from Mexico that is flooding The States with basically a poison that is inexpensive but causes psychosis. We have certainly seen evidence of that, and the author specifically mentions Portland. Today Explained

Of course, everyone is focused on the people affected by the tornadoes. It is a somber time to get all festive.

For the last four years or so, maybe five, a couple have been my students. We all adore them. They are witty and nutty and warm and fragile. She’s in her 70’s and he is 13 years older than her. About two months ago their attendance became spotty and we worried. They are private and not wanting to intrude I sent them a card from the group asking if they needed anything.

I got a friendly email back saying thanks and they did show up again a few more practices but then nothing for a month. I sent a follow-up email, nothing. So, on Friday I canceled their subscriptions, so they aren’t paying for classes they are not attending and emailed them. I also sent a Christmas card saying the same.

Yesterday I got an email back saying they are moving out of their condo but staying in Portland and thanked me for all the classes. They will come back they say when I start teaching in person again.

They have been chomping at the bit to get back in person as they are very social people.

Yet, I have had several students say they are never coming back to in person classes. And some that can’t of course because they don’t live here.

Another, (since the pandemic started), student emailed last week as well telling me she wasn’t coming back and asking for a refund of the last month she paid for and another student doing yoga with another teacher online.

It is all a bit discouraging.

And the union that covers the grocery store, which is basically the only place I go regularly has voted to strike on Friday if negotiations fail. I already get a lot of my food through Imperfect deliveries every other week so I can manage. I support these workers. And will support the strike no matter how inconvenient it is.

My newish morning class is going well, I enjoy it enormously, and the feedback is positive, but overall, the student base and revenue are down. This is all going to mean some stressful retooling in the new year that is a bit reminiscent of the scrambling, and scrambling it was, at the beginning of the pandemic. Ugh.

When we had the bookstore, our “literary” bookstore in Seattle, one day in 1975, 76 our handsome charming Random House rep came in with a book galley, the first book I ever read before it was published, of a book he was trying to sell us on. He said, “Don’t be put off by the fact that it is about Vampires.”

It was “Interview with the Vampire”, and I went home and inhaled it. Not my normal fare at all. It was a big deal in the book world, and we sold a ton of copies when it came out in paperback. So, it is sad about the world losing Anne Rice. A passage, a marker in time, a sea change.

But the cats are doing well. My hip thing is healing, and I was able to teach all my classes last week without making it worse.

And I enjoyed “A Boy Called Christmas” on Netflix. I mean, come on, it has Maggie Smith telling the story. How can one resist? The Elves were odd enough to be refreshing.

So there you go…the end of the year…possibly the end of Democracy in America blues with bright spots.

Last updated December 14, 2021