Culture Vulturing: Three Times Lucky

Many years ago, as a senior in college, I had the opportunity to go to England for Spring Break (yeah, I know - spring. England. Not the warmest place in the world.). Because I'd been there before, I knew that once I got to Oxford, I'd head to the ticket booth to see what I could see during my time there and in London.  One ticket?  "Henry V" at Stratford. 

The visual experience was stunning.  There was one scene that took my breath away, when the French army, in gleaming gold, silver and copper colors, rises up from below/behind the ragtag English army.  Just gorgeous.  And then there was the relatively unknown lead, a guy named Kenneth Brannagh.  I returned to Oxford and told my mother that I'd seen an incredible actor, one I'm sure would go on to do amazing work.  His Hamlet, which I saw a few years later, was equally great. 

One time lucky.

On a later visit to London, Thing One and I were at loose ends and decided maybe a visit to the opera would be nice.  By complete chance, we managed to get seats to La Traviata.  Which, apparently, is considered one of the greatest productions in modern times.  Now, I hadn't seen this before and I'm certainly not enough of an opera scholar to have known this at the time.  I just knew it was a wonderful evening and that the performances were incredible.  And Angela Gheorghiu? A star was born.

Two times lucky.

Two nights ago I accompanied a friend to the Lyric Opera production of Tosca.  Why?  Her son is in a children's chorus and he'd be appearing in the first act.  Ok.  I'm up for it.  "Buzz" says that the woman portraying Tosca is gonna be big.  What do I know?  I know it was a fun evening.  The production was rather minimal in terms of set, but the performers were not minimal.  And my friend's son may have decided (at the ripe old age of 12!) to become an opera singer.

So, three times lucky.

Lazy Thoughts

Reading... adult books, still.  And am in need of a palate cleanser - yet most of my go-to authors either published earlier this year or aren't planning to.  Sigh. Ideas?

Listening... to whatever shows up on my iPod.  It's not that I don't care, it's that there's a lot going on and I'm using my time driving to/from work to think.  Yes, I should be more mindful or present.  Working on that, I promise.

Watching... the last season of 19-2.  I binged watched most of it last weekend, but saved the last episode for this one.

Following... The Lightning Notes.  My friend Diana pointed me to them a while ago and, well, it's a "must read" in my Feedbin lists. Example:

Thanking Those We Left Unthanked – The Lightning Notes via kwout

Uncorking... nothing, at the moment.  Lots of tea being drunk, however, thanks to finding MEM Tea's outlet nearby.  Although I will have to order some from my two fave Canadian shops soon.

Looking... at my cankles and really hoping that I can get off the Prednisone soon.  I really don't want to have to buy new shoes and clothes because of this stupid eye thing.

The easy way out (aka "the problem with Facebook")

The other day, a friend posted this on Facebook:

As someone who has autoimmune diseases, and as someone who has many friends fighting their own battles against them, I appreciate the thought but... UGH.

Look at the last three words: copy and paste.  Why?  What possible good will that do?  Why not "type AMEN and share" or "can I get 10,000 likes" or some other (to my mind) incredibly passive way of supporting people who are depressed, fighting a disease, or otherwise pushing for recognition or bringing attention to a favored cause or point-of-view?  Instead, why not encourage people to call their Senator or other elected official to encourage them to fund medical research and health care access?  Why not donate to research hospitals looking for cures?  Or to hospitals (or health care organizations like Doctors Without Borders who provide care to those in dire situations)?  Or, in your hometown, to a hospital or nursing home so those who can't afford good care can get it?

Far too many of my friends - and there are only two people I'm connected to on Facebook who are not friends off Facebook, one of whom was my father's advisee "back in the day" so of course I had to "friend" him - post these things.  One of my relatives constantly posts links and pleas to sign online petitions , none of which I sign because they have no weight much less vetting.

Example?  The amazing support (in school librarian-land) for Carl Harvey's petition asking for support from the White House to get a certified school librarian in every school.  So much excitement, so much chatter... and ultimately, the response was "thanks, we'll pass this along"

How many of these petitions, reposts, AMENS and sharings have an effect?  It's the easy way out, the easy way to sit back and think you're actually doing something, honoring someone or supporting a cause.  And that's one of the huge problems with Facebook.  The goal, as I understand it, was to bring people at Harvard together, to get to know classmates better.  The result, or one of the results, has been to encourage a passive form of supporting those in need or getting involved.

I'm thinking of posting a request that friends refrain from reposting memes, gifs, Game of Thrones photos, etc. for a week.  How many shares do you think that'll get?  Hey: share this post.  That'll help!

A suggestion

After a weekendfull (ok, really more like a coupleofyearsfull) of everyone being shocked, saddened, enraged, etc. over the ever more outrageous statements by Trump, it should be clear to all that there's only one thing driving this: his colossal ego.

Does he really believe his statements? Is there any mind at work there? WHO CARES??? If it can lead all the talk shows, dominate headlines and keep attention focused on him, The Donald will say and do anything. He's the little kid who knows that as long as it's attention it's good, even when it's about horrible actions and thoughts.

So... what if we just ignored him? Let him hold a rally or press conference, give a speech, have a heart attack, skinny dip in the Rose Garden, reunite with Ivana - anything. And just ignore it. No commentary. No discussion. No bloviating by employees of former administrations. No outraged twitter reposts and responses.

Put him in a Time Out.

And do that every time he acts less than presidential. Every time he gives an inflammatory speech.  Every time he tweets to his base.

It'd drive him crazy.

But maybe, just maybe, we'd all regain our sanity.

Achievement Unlocked!

I guess I wasn't paying attention a few days ago when I posted my review of The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole but... drum roll.... it was my 2000th (that's two thousandth) book review since starting the Killin' Time Reading blog in 2008.  Not every book I've read got reviewed thanks to work I have done and am currently doing on book award committees or read for professional review on SLJ's Adult Books 4 Teens blog.  Still, that's essentially one book every 1.8 days.

My name is Lazygal and I have no life outside reading.  For realz.

CRION over youuuuuu,...

Pardon the musical pun (but at least it's better than this one, which apparently has no relevance for the 30-ish and under crowd).

Anyway, as of this week we have a definite diagnosis for my eye.  Last week, a mere two days after stepping down on the Prednisone - and trust me, you do not ever want to go on a high-dose of that drug as the side effects are nasty - I started to relapse.  Fast.  Emergency trip to the doctor and yes, confirmation.  I have CRION.  It's something, like my lack of a gallbladder or missing cartilage in my knees or being a mere 5'4.5", that I'll be living with my entire life.  And the level of Prednisone I need to prevent further relapses is not sustainable over the long term.

It also means that starting yesterday, we (my doctor and I) will be monitoring my liver and kidney functions as my immune system won't be working due to CellCept, a drug that usually prevents donated organs from being rejected by the donee's body.  The good news is that the side effects, beyond an increased susceptibility to the average cough and sniffle, are minimal.  No more heart palpitations.  No more "post-vomit" mouth taste (one of the better Prednisone side effects!).  No more tremors.  And, with luck, no more relapses or fear that this will cross into my right eye.

Unfortunately, CellCept takes a couple of months to really take effect.  And you can't just stop Prednisone, you have to taper it off.  Plus, see above re: needing high levels to be able to prevent relapses. So I'll be taking both for a while.  Ugh.

Still, it could be so much worse.  I could be unable to work, or read, or watch tv or live a normal life.  I could live in Florida or Texas, trying to rebuild my life after Harvey or Irma.  I could have an incredibly serious disease that won't easily be controlled by taking pills daily.  I could be a Mets fan.  Or a Jets fan.

Notable Quotes

I'm FINE!

"Ruth Zardo" (Glass Houses by Louise Penny)

A propos of this post on Lightning Notes

Lazy Thoughts

Reading... a lot for the adult book award, not so much for the SF List.  And for some reason, three of my favorite mystery writers have released new books now so those are "palate cleansers" in between what's been a raft of bad books.

Listening... to Steely Dan.  Because. Switching to Alison Moyet before her concert next week.

Watching... almost obsessed with, to be honest, the news.  I shouldn't.  It's not healthy.  But I do worry about our survival as a country and as a species.

Following... this advice as school starts up again.

Uncorking... the last of the Henry of Pelham Baco Noir.  Need more.  Anyone going to Ontario and willing to bring me back a case?

Looking... at my apartment and wondering what I can weed/declutter next. Consider it Spring Cleaning, Part III

Imponderables

I've blogged before about my dislike for air conditioning. So, at night, I open my windows wide to let in all the good, fresh air (contrary to Thing Two's idea that it's somehow bad for you and To Be Avoided). Which, of course, lets in all the noises. All of them.

The noise that wakes me up at night, several times depending on how my previous day has gone, is the automated sprinkler system the building uses. It goes off at midnight, 4am and 5am. When the sprinkler heads are emerging from the ground, it sounds a lot like wild turkeys flocking (we have those, apparently they live in the graveyard behind our street), and that's what really does the waking. The sprinkling itself is quite nice.

This morning, The Herd woke me early-ish because... I'm not sure. They've been acting up all week. As I lay in bed, I heard the sound of rain, predicted to fall all day. And then, like clockwork, the sprinklers rising from the sodden ground to water the already wet grass.

This morning's imponderable? Why don't automated sprinkler systems have rain detectors? Wouldn't that make sense?

Am I your Eyeore?

We all have That Friend - the one who can never find the good, who always seems to have a black cloud over their head.  No one loves them.  No one loved them.  No one will ever love them.  Bad things will always happen to them. They could get a promotion and raise, and somehow it's not a good thing.  You know, like Eyeore. You want to be a good friend, but seeing their name on your phone ID or in an email just makes you mentally cringe and you have to brace yourself before answering or reading.

The past few months have been challenging for me, both in terms of my health and in terms of a family medical crisis.  I've tried to keep a sense of humor about this, tried to make light of things and focus on the good (all those wonderful day trips planned over the summer? gone.  but I did get to read a lot and relax so...).  I really, really don't want to be That Friend. And yet.  And yet.

As many of my friends are, we're starting the school year.  When I've seen colleagues during the Opening Meetings, most haven't known what's happened all summer, and for a few I've told them.  Not because I want their sympathy, but because it's the truth: no, summer wasn't what I'd planned but it was ok and here's why.  Then I started to realize, I was Eyeore:  I had nearly three months off.  I saw Hamilton.  I read so many books (so many!).  I - in perhaps a first for me - finished my Summer To Do List.  I watched a lot of crap tv, political tv (yelled at that a lot, too), movies and episodes of Chopped (don't ask).  Plenty to be thankful for, right?

So, to those readers who have been following My Tale of Woe, I apologize.  I don't want to be That Friend, your Eyeore.  And to those friends who I see as being my Eyeore, I'll try to be more tolerant.