Life of Wry

I’ve sure been spending a lot of time indoors these past three weeks. In part bc I’m too self-conscious to go out with my face all aflame, in part bc I’m supposed to avoid any sun exposure and it’s too hard to put sunscreen on chapped, tender skin, and a few other reasons having to do with the timing of the applications.. but mostly the self-conscious one.

No matter. It’s over.. now just healing. But I’m still super spotty and scary looking… so still hiding out inside. I look longingly at the sunshine streaming through the windows.. wanting to be out and about. The view from my chair this late afternoon…. sun streams…

Who said it’s a cult?

Listened to a story today about a place in Boones Mill, Virginia where a pathetic strange, Kool-aid drinking man has turned an old church into a trump store. People pour in to buy all kinds of trump paraphernalia, from the political to the profane (you can buy trump decorative balls, for example — little sliver replicas of dangling scrotum sacks). People go there to acquire those gigantic flags that wave over farmlands, or roof banners that are visible to low-flying airplanes. They sell life-size cardboard cut outs of trump and melania, too, because how nice that would be to have in your home. And of course mugs and hats and shirts. Etcetera, ad nauseam. Truly, anything you can imagine has been branded with the guy’s name and stuff just flies off the shelf. Because, if you’re a cult member fan, you want the world to know.

Sad, right?

Things to report on four fronts.

Front #1: Peter and Maya are coming with us to the Dolomites later in the year! Jim and I booked the trip a few months ago and invited P&M to come along. There’s no question they wanted to join us but it’s complicated. Maya’s a working woman now and her available vacation time is limited. Peter never met a vacation he didn’t want to take and seems to be able to work vacations into his workload just fine, but going without Maya was not going to be as appealing. Somehow they worked it out. (Side note: Peter requested a deadline from us for their decision, which turned out to be a great strategy.. for all of us. That deadline was today. I was over the moon when they called this afternoon with this incredible decision. I can hardly wait.)

Front #2: I just applied the 42nd and final layer of Efudex on my aching, chapped, stiff skin. Twenty one days, two applications a day… and now I’m done and can begin the healing process. From the looks of it, the chemicals found a lot to react to (the redness suggests all kinds of cancer cells were simmering below the surface). So I guess I can assume mission accomplished and all the discomfort is not for naught. I can feel good about that as unpleasant as this last three weeks has been.

Front #3: Related to last night’s post about Guatemala’s presidential transition… it happened. It may not have been without drama, but as Lance told me, elections in Central America are always a bit dicey. Also this morning, Lance’s good friend and our tour guide Rufino was sworn in as mayor of his small (I presume) town (which one, I’m not sure). He’s also now an anti-corruption official (he ran for mayor on an anti-corruption platform which was well received, evidently). This would seem to signal good things for Guatemala. I’m happy about that.

Front #4: Oh my.. the Iowa caucuses were tonight. Not a surprising outcome, though mightily disappointing: trump won 98 of 99 counties and ended up with 51+ percent of the vote. Ugh. Haley and DeSantis more or less tied, some 30+ percentage points behind. I mean. I still believe it’s better for Biden to run against a sociopath and hope he’s the nominee, but I just hate what it says about our fellow citizens. I’m just gobsmacked. As shocking as a runaway victory for a twice-impeached guy with four indictments and 91 criminal charges, are the results of the “entrance polls” conducted of caucus goers as they showed up for tonight’s votes. Listen to this: two thirds said they still thought that Biden’s election was illegitimate! That’s just bananas. Worse than that, again, two thirds said they’d still vote to elect trump if he were found guilty of any of his upcoming charges. Like, sure! I’d elect a felon to serve as president! And not just any felon…. a guy who tried to overturn a free and fair election (fact) and encouraged (and watched) an invasion of our state Capitol, and stole top secret government documents containing sensitive states secrets and stored them in a publicly accessible bathroom at his resort and first lied that he didn’t have them then refused to give them back when asked over the course of a year and a half. And has sexually assaulted numerous women (presently on trial for defaming one of them, after have been proven guilty of rape), and engaged in fraudulent business practices.. you know, but that’s just who he is. That’s my kinda pres! As gobsmacking, Republican officials are already falling all over themselves coming out with enthusiastic endorsements because none of them possesses balls or backbones. I just can’t.

So….

The score on the day: 3 really great things and 1 horrible thing. Focussing on the good.

I’m tempted to post a pic of the efudex effect…. oh.. hell, why not. I’ll make it small picture:

You can see why I’ve stayed at home for the last few weeks.

I started reading this book today…

I’m still in the introduction with twenty chapters and an epilogue to go, but so far, it’s a gorgeously, poetically written love story to the land, people and culture of Guatemala.

Reading it because I leave for Guatemala in about 3 1/2 weeks (yeow!). It’ll be a trip that focuses on exactly those things — the land, people and culture of the country. I expect to have my socks knocked off.

Lots more to come on that topic.

~~

Today, though, I read that protests and demonstrations were robust in Guatemala City (capital) against the recently beaten former president (Giammattei) who seems to be pulling a trump – refusing to leave office. The Reuters headline I read said, “Tensions high outside Guatemala Congress as inauguration sessions delayed.” I don’t know a lot yet, but what I understand is that the guy who won the election four or five months ago (Arevalo, who heads the Semilla party – a social democratic, environmentalist and progressive party) represents a new for-the-people vision of the future, and importantly, a less corrupt vision of government. From the article:

Vowing to restore democracy and banish deep-rooted corruption in Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America with 17.1 million people, Arevalo, 65, won the August presidential run-off in a sweeping victory.

Today, I believe, was inauguration day and it looks like the attorney general and the justice system — in cahoots with the outgoing corrupt guy — are throwing all kinds of roadblocks in front of the new guy, weakening his authority. Also from the article:

The “coup” attempt, as Arevalo terms it, has drawn tens of thousands of Guatemalans to the streets and the international community, including the United States, has piled vast pressure on Giammattei’s administration to proceed with the transition of power.

And I thought this was also interesting in light of our immigration stresses:

Arevalo, a career diplomat, sociologist and son of former President Juan Jose Arevalo, will grapple with a country with half its population living in poverty, rising costs of living and violence that is a main driver of Central American migrants to the United States.

Anyway, I’m not sure what all this means. I contacted Lance who said he’s been in touch with his people in Guatemala and, so far, it’s not as bad as the media is suggesting. He said the locals feel all will be cleared up shortly and nobody should worry about travel to and around the country. In his words:

Yes, I have been on the phone on and off all weekend monitoring events closely.

I just talked 5 minutes ago with the owner of the villa we will be staying at. He just drove by the Capitol building and said there were some delays as the outgoing Government tries to make things difficult for the incoming administration. He said things were quiet at the moment. Elections in Central America are always a bit dicey. He expressed great confidence that things will be fine.

I am told that issues should not escalate. Time obviously will tell, but of the three local sources I have who are quite “connected” to the news, they consistently tell me things will be OK.

Stay tuned.

Not unlike how I feel. Not as cute, of course, but my face feels like it’s shrinking down to the center where it’ll get pulled into some black hole and never come back. Yep, feels like that. Dry, hard, immoveable in the middle.

Just two more days….

I have been on Efudex (also known as fluorouracil cream) for eighteen days now. Efudex is a topical chemotherapy cream used in the treatment (elimination) of skin pre-cancers (actinic keratoses). I think I’m in what they call the skin erosion phase, which means my face feels like a stiff mask. It’s red, splotchy, a bit crusty in parts. No pictures to share. You’re welcome.

I just spent a bunch of time in the googles reading other people’s experience of it and am feeling some solidarity and comfort in group misery. I’m in good company with other efudex users world wide, at least. Oddly reassuring. In fact, I just bought some cream that a lot of people in Australia seem to think works miracles in easing the discomfort. Thank you internet.

I even read that efudex is useful in treating small wrinkles, brown spots, and other pigmentation and texture irregularities (like a chemical peel, they say). That is a superb bunch of benefits, if true. If it does even a little bit of any of that, it makes this almost worth it. I’m dubious, but we shall see.

I also read numerous instructions that are different than the protocol I’m following which is concerning (like, don’t wash it off for at least 8 hours, don’t apply to your nose, or that 3 weeks is a minimum but 4 weeks is better). I’ll take this up with my Kaiser guy next week.

Anyway, I’m extremely cranky. Just doused myself in Aquafor and heading for the barn.

If it’s Thursday it must be Purgeday. Today’s conquest: I went through seven (of eight) large baskets stuffed to the gills with paperwork that needed some kind of attention… filing or tossing or, in the case of quite a bit of unopened mail, opening! 

Some of those baskets have been sitting on the shelves in my office for years.

It usually works like this: mail, bills, expired memberships notices, receipts, to do lists, travel items (like brochures and maps), birthday cards, etc., begin to collect on my desk (it’s a good thing it’s a huge desk). They turn into piles and the piles begin to multiply until I can’t stand it anymore, at which point I hunt down a nice, large basket (baskets are so friendly and non-threatening). I sweep all the piles into the basket, slap a “to file” label on it and put it on a shelf. Then I have a spacious, clean desk and a renewed commitment to address each incoming immediately. This lasts a little while. It’s a happy time. Six or twelve months later, I’m searching for another basket. I intend to deal with the baskets’ content, but just never do.

The shelves of which I speak: a huge industrial grade metal unit (6 shelves, 4′ wide) that I picked up from the UC Davis bargain barn (for $100) about five years ago because I needed a place to store the overwhelming accumulation of vessels awaiting some kind of attention…. the aforementioned baskets as well as numerous [exciting] projects.

Anyway.. Jim helped me carry those eight baskets into the laundry/pantry/project room this afternoon where I could spread way out and get to work culling. I got rid of so many unopened solicitations, catalogs, voter pamphlets, and just endless easy-to-toss things. (I filled the paper recycle bin twice!) I sorted the rest into health, travel, political, cards and letters, and business-y things (all to be further culled later). AND I unearthed a trove of really fun stuff… like a flyer from Peter’s first junior high dance, a copy of the [incredibly beautiful] letter I wrote to him when he graduated from college (during the pandemic), a detailed journal of every cold and rash Peter got from birth to about age 5, which includes my early breastfeeding travails, some uncashed checks, some gift cards, countless memorial service programs (including my mom’s and Jim’s dad’s). I mean, fantastic, right?

I quite enjoyed myself. It gets harder from here with all the additional culling. But that’s what future Purgedays are for.

After what feels like years leading up to the 2024 presidential race (because it HAS been years… the presidential race began pretty much the day after Biden took office in 2021 and it’s all the media’s been talking about for the last three years), the Iowa caucus is in five days where the first votes will finally be cast (though they aren’t really votes per se, since it’s a caucus, but it’ll give everyone a sense of how the candidates rank). And we’ll have to endure a truly agonizing year of presidential campaign politics as the primaries winnow down the republican field (we know the outcome already) and the poor democrats have to wince their way through a very painful race. I just can’t. But we must.

Nobody wants it. Nobody’s ready for the torture.

Tonight was the final debate before Iowa on Monday. It was a stupid little slugfest between Haley and DeSantis, the only two non-Trump candidates left (Christie pulled out late this afternoon, having not even qualified for the debate and seeing the writing on the wall). Trump, doesn’t lower himself to debates. Iowans seem to love him no matter, especially the hardcore evangelicals who think he was sent by God. Gov Chris Sununu said tonight that, while he supports Haley now, he’ll support whoever the Republican nominee is, even Trump, even if he’s a convicted felon, even if that felony is about trying to overturn the results of a free and fair election in order to stay in power after having lost by seven million votes. And Sununu’s one of the more sensible Republicans. That’s our country now.

It’s supposed to be something like -20 degrees on Monday… wonder who’ll even come out to caucus??

Anyway… here they are, the last two standing, but only for about another month. Haley hopes to be selected at Trump’s VP.

Of course I don’t know what’s going to really happen. Conventional wisdom — and polls — suggests that Trump will be the eventual nominee (hard to fathom those silly republicans think an obvious psychopath who literally instigated an insurrection against our government, abuses women, cheats in business, lies through his teeth, dabbles in treason and sprays on a golden tan is the best choice, but whatevs), but ya never know. And maybe he does select Haley, but who knows. Either way, I’m still of the mind that Trump is easier to beat than either of these two. But I worry.. I mean: Biden. He’s not the Biden of 2020 and that Biden was sketchy enough.

Like I say: 2024’s got dread written all over it.

Let’s do a couple good meme-y things… I don’t really have anything to blog about. Both of these came through one social media feed or another today.

First, this one. I drink a hot frothy cup of coffee every morning, but I’m not addicted (in fact, these days, I mostly drink decaf). Even though it’s not the caffeine I’m after, I definitely look forward to my morning joe. All about the ritual. Morning and coffee are pavlovian for me. I’ll go way out of my way for my coffee, and very grumpy if I don’t get it (which is never, because I always drink coffee in the morning, and only then… oh, unless we’re out to dinner and then I like coffee with my dessert, again decaf). I *can* function without it, but I don’t want to. It’s not the first thing I do (one must workout first), but it must happen. This struck me as funny:

Then there’s this one. First off, I, like every sane person in the world, Can. Not. Stand. the former president. After eight years of this agony I have yet to find words harsh enough to describe my disdain. I’d say hate, but hate feels somehow.. unbecoming.. or unevolved.. or petulant, and it’s just way, way beyond that. He is just an incredibly loathsome, pathetic human being. I profoundly resent what he has done to us, and like I’ve said numerous times before, I blame him almost entirely for single-handedly ruining this country. Of course I know other factors and other bad actors come into play, but nobody will ever convince me he is not the main (by far) driver of this clown car, the writer/producer/director/lead actor in the putrid shit show that is our political reality these days. He’s pathologically self-obsessed.. and has just wrecked us… as this drawing perfectly and succinctly conveys:

This was fun.

HUGELY devoted, wildly enthusiastic, rabid Michigan football fans Jim and Kari (uh..well, tonight anyway!) went nuts as the University of Michigan Wolverines won the National College Football Championships tonight, beating the University of Washington Huskies 34-13! We high fived and fist bumped and whooped it up at every touchdown, field goal, caught pass, first down, QB sack… you name it. It was so exciting to root for the winning team. And then it was over and we went back to our regular programming (meaning our puzzles and evening routines). Lol.

We learned all about this guy — JJ McCarthy, the quarterback — who meditates barefooted at the base of the goal posts before every game, engages in lots of self care, and meets with a positive thinking guru.. AND is quite a passer, and can run, too.

AND, we learned about this guy…

.. head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was suspended TWICE this season for some untoward things, but who everyone still seems to like and respect. He used to coach in the NFL and may return to the NFL, but for now, he’s an Ann Arbor hero. He has a dad who evidently coached and a brother who still coaches in the NFL. Very much a football family affair. He undoubtedly knows his stuff to be able to bring UM to a 15-0 record and win a national championship.

Anyway, we had a blast! Can’t wait to attend a game in the fall.

Go Blue!