Experience the fascination of a tourist; Feel the comfort of the local
I went to the doctor for what I thought would be a routine checkup. Not that I would recognize a routine checkup if I saw one. I hadn’t been to a doctor (except for two emergency room visits, one after being mugged and one after falling off a racing camel. Now that’s a story for …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: I’m not fine. But I will be.Read More
What it’s like to get tested at a free Illinois COVID-19 Testing Site Since the seriousness of COVID-19 began to hit home mid-March, Mr. TLT and I have been cautious. We’ve limited our outings to grocery shopping, a couple of curbside pickups at Julie Ann’s Frozen Custard, walks on the Prairie Trail and an occasional …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: Why I Got Tested for COVID-19Read More
A couple of toddlers live in the house behind us, and on nice days they play outside. At least one of them is a screecher. You know what I mean – the ear-shattering, glass-breaking, piercing tone that calls to mind banshees and 1950s horror flicks. Yesterday one of the toddlers let out a full-on scream. …
I was supposed to drink cocktails (virtually) with Tommy last night. I’d been looking forward to it. We hadn’t seen each other for months before this all began so we were already overdue. Now with shelter-in-place orders extended to the end of May, the only way we can see each other for at least the …
After fifteen days at home, I ventured out. We needed toothpaste, mouthwash, lettuce, oranges, more jalapenos and cilantro, and wine. Rum was on the list, too. Okay okay I also picked up vodka and tequila and mushrooms (the kind you sautee or stuff) and some polska kielbasa and a giant pork butt and twenty-gazillion pounds …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: the reality of grocery shoppingRead More
Yesterday Jim and I took a walk around the neighborhood. It was a quick fifteen-minute spin, but it counted. Breathing in some fresh air was nice, but what I loved the most from our jaunt was an interaction with another couple. We saw them walking our direction on the sidewalk, so we detoured to the …
Today sucked. It started around four in the morning when I woke up from a physical distancing* nightmare. People were everywhere and they were too close and I’d ask them to please, please back away and they’d look at me like I was the rudest person they’d ever met and then they’d get closer. I …
I finished writing a chapter in my book Saturday night and I can’t even begin to tell you how good that feels. I feel like my brain is romping across snow-covered mountains and fields of flowers. It’s swooshing through pine trees and plucking posies. It’s sailed right over the minefield of “are you sure that’s …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: Finding the good (and letting go of guilt)Read More
Last night was supposed to be the launch party for my book. It was going to be in the historic Blackstone Hotel. My husband was going to sing. We’d sip on pre-prohibition cocktails and I’d talk about what inspired me to write, read a few passages, and answer questions. It sold out in three hours. …
Hey there! How ya’ doin’? Feeling OK? I hope so. I’m not. I am. And then I’m not. I know. Yesterday I was feeling fine, feeling good, even. I was happy. Optimistic. All that and a bag of – bag of what? Today it’s a mixed bag of anger and hope. It’s frustration alternating with …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist – Dealing with Being AngryRead More
I feel good. It’s odd to write that. It’s odd to feel it. It seems like I shouldn’t, like it’s disingenuous or fake or an illusion. But it’s none of those. I feel good. This morning I made biscuits from scratch and poached eggs. Yesterday my husband and I talked – like, on the phone …
Well, this sucks. Now, what can I DO? That’s always my response when I have a problem. There’s a cycle: frustration or fear, depending on the cause, followed quickly by the search for a solution. Most of the time, that’s a good thing. My husband calls it Miss Fix-It mode. It’s fine if there’s actually …
