Friday, May 29, 2026

     I have finally figured out my job as an older retired person. My work is to read books, as many books as I can cram into my days and nights. No one assigned me this job. But for years when I was working at a job I liked and raising kids I loved, I longed for the freedom to spend a day reading. And now I have it.

     Piles of library books and purchased books are on the dining room table challenging me to hurry up and read them.  Their voices silently taunt me,” you will never be able to read all that you want.”  I want to be fair to the books and alternate reading a library book with a bought book. This work is never finished.

     Today I finish reading Elizabeth Storut’s new book, THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY. A realistic novel of the loneliness of human life in these times. And I am also reading a memoir by a favorite author, Miriam Toews, SWING LOW, an attempt to understand her father who is mentally ill and kills himself. The middle aged heroes in these two books are high school teachers for decades and well loved. The trend of my reading today, sadness and despair, and quiet hope.

     I am watching THE BOROUGHS, an 8 episodes series about a senior living community facing monsters while living active lives.  Funny and scary. Good to see my peers getting some action. Our political news is still grim as the demented leader continues to try to destroy my country.

 

Thursday, May 28, 2026    

     Wednesday morning activities create chaos for me. Four things are wrong.  A high School kid is parking in my driveway, the bank refuses to accept the state tax refund check, the voting ballot is confusing,(I did vote for Katie Porter), And something else I can’t remember. Oh yes, my prescriptions are on hold because the medicines are temporally unavailable. Due to war or to the tariffs, or did I do something wrong? Of course it is demented president’s fault.

     It is all too hard. I write a complaining text to family. And the tall man comes by at lunch time and fixes two of the problems. A note on the kid’s car saying don’t park here and a trip to the bank resolving the deposit issues (state’s fault, not mine). So easy and effective.

     I used to be able to solve problems easily. Is it my age or the difficulties dealing with AI responses. I haven’t kept up with modern life and now modern life is moving beyond my reach. Sigh

     I give in this morning and turn on the heater to combat the damp cold weather. I am reading Elizabeth Strout’s latest book THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY. The story about life in today’s crazy world is right on. The problems of secrets and loneliness.   My lovely roommate is back and life is better.

 

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

     Another cold damp morning here in Monterey. A text arrives from my sister traveling in Europe. We send messages back and forth. Lots of hot weather there. I am stunned at the speed of messaging with a person 6000 miles away. Although I have read the explanation, it still doesn’t make sense to me.

     Today I plan to mark my ballot and take it to the secure box outside the library. So many decisions to make. And they are my decisions. Difficult to talk to friends about politics lately. I think we are all afraid of the future.

     I order from Instacart to deliver some supplies and some special foods. I particularly love deep dish frozen pizza and good cookies.

     I finish reading ATTENTION, WRITING ON ART, LIFE AND THE WORLD, a collection of essays by Anne Enright. She does a good job with her essays. The Beat with Ari Melbur is still my favorite TV news. Maybe the frightening reign of the current president is failing.  I hope so