Saturday, November 14, 2026   

     The day starts quietly.  I watch the news as I eat my lunch sandwich. The first is a disaster in New Orleans, a cruise ship, smashed by another ship, has tipped over and is sinking.  People are being rescued in the water. Boats are circling around looking for survivors.

     Soon, the next emergency is the massive grounding of all airplane flights across the nation, stranding millions of people. Very little information is given why the government shut down the air travel. Maybe a glitch. The reporters interview passengers as they deplane. What are they told. Even the pilots don’t know what is happening. Images of crowded airports with confused people standing around looking stunned.

     Those of us with active imaginations create stories of intrigue.  Of course, an AI agent has gone rogue, or the north Koreans, or the Iranian, or the Chinese, are after us, or maybe nobody knows what to do because the experts had been fired during the DOGE raids and downsizing during the last years. Ironically the dreadful ICE removal flights continue to fly. Congratulations President Trump, you have created a masterful distraction for us.

     I have started reading A BORROWED MAN, a Sci Fi novel by Gene Wolfe. Good enough so far.  In the evening between watching the airport news I watch another episode of MAJOR CRIMES. I am leading such an exciting life.

 

Friday, November 13, 2026

     Cold damp morning. I sit for a moment in my blue recliner and then get up to turn on the heater, the new heater I bought a year ago. Immediately I worry about money, how to pay for heat this winter. I have free meals on wheels and now I wish there was a program called free heat on wheels. I almost qualify for the low income benefits for my utility bills. My biggest expense is medical supply bills and insurance.

     Out of town friends drop by for a visit. So exciting to see and talk with them. My roommate’s friends also come by. And the tall man comes by to see if we are affected by the temporary Microsoft Outlook shut down. Yep my old AOL email account is still working. The business and governments world is shut down. I write this pretending to understand how this all works.

     No plans for today, a day off to catch up on home chores. The bushes and trees are sparkling outside. Clouds and sunlight and a few showers.

     I didn’t read much on Thursday, still reading the same book. I should be able to finish it today. Reading library paper books is my job and I need to focus. There are some wonderful books just waiting for me on my dining room table. Washing dishes and folding laundry is my second job.

 

Thursday, November 12, 2026

     I wear flannel shirts every day which means that I am frequently pulling strands of hair from the fabric. Supposedly we shed about one hundred strands of hair a day.   Sometimes I notice the hair and most of the time I don’t. Where does all this loose hair go?

     I sit on the park bench and talk to an old friend Wednesday morning. We sit in the shade wearing our warm clothes. We talk about needing pockets in our clothes, about our social work former lives and life now. I love these leisurely chats as kids play on the climbing equipment and people walk their dogs.  The trees are happier after our first rain of the season.

     A flock of small birds is hanging around the neighborhood. I hope they stay for the season. We still have tomatoes in the garden, tomatoes and potatoes.

     We watch two episodes of NORTH BY NORTH, another reason to wear warm clothes. So much snow and ice, and beautiful furry jackets. A MAP OF THE FUTURE RUINS is a thoughtful painful look at the stories we create around immigrants and borders. I am waiting for the next political shoe to drop from the White house, more bombs or more ICE raids. Anything is possible and scary. We are not safe yet.