Monday, October 19, 2026

      Mourning doves calling in the morning. Tiny birds in the berry bush. A blue Jay flies into the living room.  My roommate talks to the agitated bird and picks her up and lets her loose outside.

     The Sunday paper is on my lap waiting to be read. But first I want to write before I forget what to write about.  Yesterday late afternoon, the weather shifted, cool fog slowly drifts to our home blocking the warm sun.  Time to close the doors and windows and settle in.

     My body’s lethargy begins to retreat. I take a shower, comb my clean hair and start a load of laundry. I watch reports of the massive No Kings Day across the country.

     We watch more episodes of the frenetic THE DIPLOMAT, before going to bed. We are waiting for the next episodes of SLOW HORSES and SMALL PROPHETS.  I finish reading THE WRONG END OF THE TELESCOPE, beautifully written book about the Immigrants’ invasion in Greece. More friends report they have voted for my roommate for county school board. The waiting time for the election is almost over. Soon we will be able to breathe again.

 

Sunday, October 18, 2026

      On Saturday, I see a map on facebook mid morning, showing Monterey is the hottest spot in the state of California.  We are caught in a small hot weather system. This Sunday morning is cooler.  I see fog in the distance by Marina but here in Monterey, still sunny.

     I spend most of Saturday lying on the couch or sitting in my chair with the fan blowing at me. I do start wondering if I could die in this heat. I watch many episodes of MAJOR CRIMES on Netflix.  The cast is familiar and the stories mildly interesting. Lethargy kicks in and I am pretty useless for the day.

     The tall man and the dog lover stop by to check on us and bring ice cream cones from Trader Joes. I am alive, and they are alive. My roommate brings in the mail. I have neglected the mail for several days. My property tax bill and a New Yorker magazine arrive.

     In the evening, we watch more episodes of THE DIPLOMAT. It is dark outside and beginning to cool off. Despite the heat, thousands of people participate in the No King rallies.

 

Saturday, October 17, 2026 

     Happy No Kings Day again, also No Queens Day but definitely we still have princesses and knights. You can see them at Disneyland and dressed up for Halloween. Time for a No President Trump’s Day.

     Another hot day. Another hot day waiting for the fog to return. I sit with a fan in the living room yesterday for most of the day. The droning sound of the motor and the constant breeze of the fan swirl around me. I argue with the fog, where are you now?  What are you waiting for?

     The two young women, computer engineers, stop by for a visit. I finally understand a bit of what they do as I watch the coding glitch showing only non English subtitles for a TV show I like.  I love these charming kids.

     We watch the last episode of LUDWIG. My favorite show. The heat has dulled our bodies and we turn off the TV.  I continue reading the compelling novel, THE WRONG END OF THE TELESCOPE, by Rabih Alameddine. Where is the friendly ocean fog.