Reflections on films, politics, and everything else.

Our state’s stay-at-home order, that was put in place back in mid-March, will expire on Friday. In essence, the governor has extended it, with some staggered loosening to begin. I both understand why, but also feel some tugs of frustration, wanting this to all be over. I’m certainly thankful our Republican governor doesn’t subscribe to the “Party of Stupid” mentality so many others, especially in the south, proclaim as the American way. I think it’s the loss of control over what we’re able to do that hit so many people so hard. There have been articles in The New Yorker and podcasts that have talked about how China was able to so quickly, after initial denials, get the virus under control (even if their published numbers may never be accurate). I can’t imagine Americans willingly doing what their citizens did to stop the spread; we are clearly not sacrificers. Here in Ohio, Governor DeWine first announced this past Monday that when retail operations opened back up in a few...

Like many of us, I haven’t been very productive lately. I tried signing up for Coursera classes, which have been a mixed bag, but also haven’t spurred me on to do anything. Creative Mornings is now offering Zoom fieldtrips, but I’m beginning to feel meditated out. I finally managed to finish reading a book, but Emily St. John Mandel’s apocalyptic story, Station Eleven , may not have been the best choice right now. Granted the book didn’t become a Hollywood disaster/zombie film (thankfully no zombies in the book or in real life yet), but it added to my melancholy. I tried to convince myself that reading about the worst/or quasi-worst outcome (99% of the population dies due to the swine flu in the book, and within 48 hours of developing symptoms) would make what we’re dealing with easier somehow. Instead, I keep thinking we may end up like that outcome thanks to our incompetent and impatient government. I’m still spending too much time on Facebook posting anti-Trump articles to ...

Normally I don’t think of myself as a panicky person, but I do have the ability to pick up on what’s in the air, which causes me to behave in ways I might not otherwise. Generally it’s only a problem around the holidays, but things are very different now for all of us. While I’d read about COVID-19 and heard stories on podcasts earlier in the year, it didn’t dawn on me that it was coming to my area until mid-March. I’d been having some health issues, which there seem to be no answers for anytime soon, and was distracted during late February and early March. I went to my gym on Thursday, March 12. By then most colleges and universities in the area were closed, along with a few major retailers like Apple. I thanked the woman at the desk for being open, which caused her to immediately panic, asking if I’d heard anything. I assured her I hadn’t, and we briefly chatted wondering if her play and my classical concert would occur that weekend. When I went back to the gym on Friday, M...

As a teenager, I loved the mall and couldn’t wait to go there each weekend to see what was new in the stores, but as I grew up I began going less and less. For a lot of malls around the country, others were clearly doing the same thing. Due to issues that developed with my skin, I began mall walking at a nearby mall late last year. This was not a dying mall, yet I was surprised at how many people went there early in the morning before most of the stores opened to get some exercise, read the paper and drink coffee from one of the cafes, or meet up with others. In some ways it was a true community gathering spot. I didn’t go everyday, but often enough to see familiar faces, such as an older Chinese couple walking with their daughter, some fast moving women my age, an older man who got coffee at the Nordstrom café and would be carrying his small dog in his arms, and then the mothers with their strollers doing zumba. These scenes and activities became part of my routine until COVID-...

I’ve always had allergies and fairly sensitive skin, including occasional rashes and hives, but for the most part (except during my teenage years) my skin has been fair, clear, and smooth. When I look back at my diet and other habits over the years, I know I didn’t always deserve that clearness and smoothness, which probably made me very unprepared for what has happened – Rosacea. Over the last several years I’d noticed some flushing in my cheeks, along with some exposed capillaries on one side. I kept putting off for a long time seeing a dermatologist. These symptoms went away early last year when I was being treated for a GI disorder that required antibiotics, but then slowly came back as the medication left my system. Finally, late last year I made an appointment with the dermatologist. Before the appointment, I’d developed what I thought was an allergic reaction that caused a rash around my eyes, which I didn’t bring up, and he didn’t note. I did mention the cheeks,...

Late last year I was feeling particularly down, and that nothing seemed to be working out professionally for me. In October I received an email from the Ohio Democratic Party talking about applying to run as an Ohio Delegate for a presidential candidate. I never knew what the process was for someone to gain that position, so I watched the badly made and not hugely informative video, and attempted to read the 52 page Word document before deciding to apply, assuming I wouldn’t get the position anyway, and maybe it would be a learning opportunity. Well, last Friday morning I received an email that listed other events for the candidate I’ve been supporting – Pete – that also mentioned the CAUCUS for Ohio delegates on Tuesday, January 7. I didn’t remember seeing anything about a caucus when I applied and immediately freaked out thinking about all those videos of Iowa caucuses with people yelling and grandstanding. Nope, I decided, this truly was not for me. I emailed the perso...

Facebook reminded me today that my husband and I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens four years ago, which I noted back then that we were probably the last people in the universe to see it. The recent film we saw slightly sooner, but I’m almost wishing we hadn’t. For me it was entertaining, although, upon reflection, the story felt more like a plot made up either by committee or by a fan focus group. My husband became obsessed with all the whining chatter, which even caused me to loose him for the remainder of New Year’s Eve after I sadly mentioned a recent article about the film in the Washington Post . It’s not like I needed another reminder that life wasn’t a Meg Ryan rom-com. While I feel it can be useful dissecting a film and reading thoughtful commentary, ruminating in disappointment just doesn’t do it for me. I’d rather spend my time remembering the films I did enjoy. Of course you can never fully go back to more innocent times, before social media and the I...