Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Desert Pastoral

 

He was dressed in asinine garb. Who the hell would dress in such a daft outfit for a day in the desert? Yet, there he stood looking westward, the direction from whence he’d come. Standing on the large granite rock decked out in a ridiculously comfortable silk pajama top, bottoms and matching slippers. He was prepared for absolutely nothing to help overcome his rapidly developing grueling circumstances.

 

There had been a car accident, a bad one. A single vehicle, reckless driving behavior resulting in a tragic and lethal crash.

 

He and four others were en route to a photo shoot. One for which a high-end clothing line was paying handsomely. A driver had been provided for him, two other models and the photographer. Alcohol had been flowing, champagne. Against the law, of course, but the law hardly applied to these ones. These supermodel beauties floated in rarefied air distinctly above it, the law. At least, that’s what they’d been led to think at every juncture of adjudicating opportunity to date. The law of natural selection, however, abides by a different set of adjudicating protocols, and it did not involve a jury of one’s peers.

 

An empty, cracked champagne glass still in his hand. The wreck had fortunately thrown him safely from the vehicle unto a sand dune, a relatively soft landing considering the possibilities. He rolled upon impact, his instincts helping in this respect. The others, his cohorts, not as fortunate. Two others were thrown, but to a less well placed finish. Dead. The other two remained in the vehicle, their days on earth had also been abruptly drawn to a messy close. Seat belts may have helped save a life or two, but that was now a moot consideration.

 

He fingered the single button on his gorgeous pajama top, the finger subconsciously luxuriating in comfort with the casual brushing up against the silk.

 

His mobile phone had no connection. It did once fleetingly show one bar, but it passed and did not return.

 

He had already rummaged through the vehicle, the trunk, purse and pockets of his deceased colleagues. Their phones also lacked the necessary gusto. He found a half sleeve of water crackers, nothing more of use, except maybe additional clothing he’d need late at night to combat the eventual chill. But he wasn’t thinking clearly and passed over them without further thought. He set out on foot in his slippers and fabulous pajamas. A more elegantly bedecked creature was easily more than a day’s walk away.

 

The road they’d traveled was mostly abandoned, used decades ago for the now long forgotten ghost town, the photo shoot’s destination. His brain, not right, told him to head directly west, the most direct and straight way to safety. But his brain was foggy, derelict and incorrect sending him to his death, not yet actualized.

 

The sun was rising over the distant horizon. Temperature was 90-degrees F and would be increasing quickly as the sun approached its apex. His slippers consistently slipped off his feet causing him to stumble. He walked on.

 

 

[Inspired by a magazine advertisement, a clothing line with a beautiful desert scape with an elegantly dressed young man grandiosely misplaced in the scene. -klem]


Saturday, October 17, 2020

The COVID Chronicle, October 1-15, 2020

 

October 1 [Thursday]

President Trump tested positive for Covid! This would seem to prove that NOT wearing a mask is ineffective to combat the virus. Standing by while the media furnishes the country with updated tallies of infected White House staffers. Twitter is very active today, a good day to think twice before clicking ‘Tweet.’ 

 

October 2 [Friday]

I took a break from work this morning and walked to Vons. I passed an old guy walking in the opposite direction at the retail center and he took a tumble. I heard the fall and returned to see if he was OK. He had tripped on the curb of a wheelchair access ramp in front of the bakery. Me, two outdoor bakery diners and a car that was driving by came to the guy’s assistance. We came, looked and asked if he was all right, but nobody touched him. We’d been in Covid so long and have been conditioned to socially distance and avoid touching others. What’s the ‘good Samaritan’ protocol during Covid? He was prostrate on the ground lying on his belly, bleeding on his wrist and a few fingertips, “I could use a hand.” I assisted with a hand on his arm. He got up, insisted he was good, and I continued on my way. Continuing to Vons I used a dose of hand sanitizer carried in the backpack since Covid’s early days at the behest of Steffi.

 

October 4 [Sunday]

A Sunday morning visit with my pal Emmett and his momma. I brought a batch of IHOP pancakes. Covid precautions were in order. His momma is old and in declining health, plus maybe I’m a punk for doing so, but I requested we eat outside in the backyard as opposed to eating inside where it was cooler. This request was deemed agreeable, the gracious hosts, and a delightfully good gorging ensued.

         The breakfast playdate had two ulterior motives: persimmons and EBay. They’ve got a large persimmon tree in the backyard and I had advised months ago that I was going to climb the tree at harvest time and denude it of its delicious fruit. Turns out harvest time for this persimmon variety is a few weeks forthcoming, yet. Secondly, my pal furnished me with merchandise to hawk on EBay of which we’ll split the winnings; holsters and some coins. So, I’ll try my luck with numismatics and firearms accessories.

 

October 6 [Tuesday]

[My daughter]’s been in a deteriorating mood lately. Hoping it’s just temporary and can be fixed with a break from the routine monotony of Shelter In Place. So, she and I went test driving this evening at the parking lot of the local office complex in the Prius. She’ll be ready for her Learners permit soon, if this Covid-related disallowance of new Learners permits is lifted. Then, of course, a Drivers license follows.

I’ve mixed sentiments. The piglets must grow up, become independent adults and get on with their own lives. I don’t look forward to them leaving, but it is incumbent upon [Wife Klem] and I to improve their chances of a successful deliverance on this road to becoming fully functioning adults. Anyway, so Learners permits are not being issued during Covid, but this’ll all stop some day and driving exams will resume. I don’t look forward to our two monkeys growing up and leaving, though they must, but I do look forward to watching them make their own way in this world. So, the life learning goes on, even during this crummy pandemic.

 

October 7 [Wednesday]

Vice Presidential Debate was tonight between Senator Kamala Harris and VP Mike Pence. It was thankfully peaceful compared to last week’s nightmarish Presidential debate. Both candidates dodged the moderator’s questions instead offering their team’s predetermined talking points. This is, of course, mostly par for these debates. Await the question, ignore it, then say what you want. I can’t imagine anyone’s votes were changed because of this showing. Too polarized, the current political climate, to be swayed by discussion and conversation.

 

October 8 [Thursday]

I read a New York Times article recently about the use of technology to dissuade college students from cheating during exams. I asked [the boy] about his exam taking through Cal State Fullerton’s virtual schooling. Monitoring of students during online testing is being carried out inconsistently with professors having established their own exam protocols. Some professors require the use of software and a camera to view the students’ work areas during tests. Other professors are simply going with open book exams.

         In high school [my daughter] says her teachers are using software that let’s them know if a student is opening a new window during a test. She cannot confirm, it’s possible the software also makes known the website being visited. During one exam a teacher said, “Brooke, I see what you’re doing.” This was apparently enough to stop Brooke from whatever infraction was underway.

 

October 10 [Saturday]

A family of male nerds got together virtually for a game of Dungeons & Dragons tonight. Two of my brothers and I engaged this time-consuming and fun role-playing game in our teenage years. [The boy] has played with his friends. Tonight we played online, two generations, [the boy and my nephew], me, [and two brothers]. It’d been a few years since we played in person, and this online gaming opportunity was made necessary, or possible, by Covid. After initial familiarizing with the online controls the adventuring moved along at a good pace. Audio and video were in effect and we could see each other on screen for enhanced banter. Two and a half hours to complete the adventure victoriously. We’ll likely play again.

 

October 11 [Sunday]

A Safehouse visit this morning. [My daughter] and I met with [my brother and his daughter]. As a bonus [his wife] was also there, so was Uncle Joe. [My nephew] did not go because he was worried it wasn’t safe. We masked and socially distanced in the backyard. I did, however, at the conclusion, break protocol and hug my parents. My first time since March, the inception of Shelter In Place. I’m perfectly onboard with abstaining from the touching of others, to instead select precisely and carefully those whom I am willing to touch. 

 

October 12 [Monday]

The five Klem siblings opened an email discussion trying to figure out our first Covid Christmas. Precautions and protocols for Safehouse [our parents’ home] visitations. We will likely not have a big family get together, despite a few welcome out of town siblings. No big Christmas meal, even if separated out into different rooms. We anticipate visits in a staggered way so it can be done safely, but us locals do not expect elongated visits with family. [My sister]’s team is taking a fine safety precaution of a home Covid-test before visiting. We’ve got two months to figure it out and will see what develops before then. We’ll let the out-of-towners have precedent with the parents during Christmas. Us locals can continue our weekend visitations with strategic visits during Christmas.

 

October 15 [Wednesday]

[The boy]’s bedroom has been kind of stinky lately, like a hamster lives in there, I remarked to him the other day. He likes to stay in his room with the window closed and ceiling fan off. Maybe it’s just the smell of him going feral from too much Covid-induced seclusion.This morning I opened his window while he was downstairs eating breakfast standing over the sink, as do all practical bachelors. Anyway, he immediately closed the window when he came upstairs. All I can do is tease, really. At his age I certainly lived by my own rascally proclivities. 

 

Friday, October 2, 2020

The COVID Chronicle, September 16-30, 2020

  

September 16 [Wednesday]

“I have a quiz, can you stay off the home internet while I’m in class,” [the boy] asked me today. I gladly complied by relegating my internet use to the work-provided Wi-Fi tool to free up bandwidth and improve connectivity for his college course. Is this the new teamwork?

 

September 20 [Sunday]

[Wife Klem] orchestrated a Sunday morning walk through the Niguel Botanical Preserve in Orange County. This is a public garden with nice walking paths and native vegetation, plus it is accepting of dogs. She wanted to take Ghost dog out someplace since he’s been homebound for so long. Also, the kids aren’t getting outside enough. This furnished them with a healthful hour’s exposure to the sun.

 

September 21 [Monday]

My feet have been structurally problematic since my youth. This morning while lying in bed they deeply craved the donning of my leather wingtip shoes and the support they afford. The mere thought of putting them on and walking around had a soothing effect. Not since March 16 have they been deployed. The craving was denied. They will endure another day of bare feet while working from home in shorts and a t-shirt.

 

September 22 [Tuesday]

I’d been reading about state and city governments cutting public services due to budget shortfalls. There has undeniably been a significant increase in government expenses incurred due to Covid. Many are looking for Federal financial relief, or just trying to figure out how to cover these budget shortfalls, vast in many cases. I’m sympathetic to the extra expenses dealing with Covid, but am frustrated by the lack of foresight. Not the foresight in predicting and preparing for a pandemic, but the lack of foresight to build a financial cushion during the good times.

The stock market had been on a terrific tear for the past ten years and the economy had been very strong. When the economy is growing, tax revenue grows year over year. When the market is strong Capital Gains tax revenue grows. It’s during those good years the government should build their surplus to prepare for the lean years. Those are the years to catch up on deferred maintenance and pay down pension obligations, for example. Instead, many states had been devising ways to continue spending to the point where they seem to have already been in financial trouble even during those good years. Maybe we could use a few more Economics majors in elected office instead of attorneys.

These government entities may have to simply freeze new expenses and wait years while the tax revenue slowly catches up with the deficit spending. A few ideas to consider: 

1)  A freeze on new government hires. Let attrition gradually reduce the Expense column. No reason for downsizing to be relegated strictly to private industry.

2)  When new government hires eventually restarts, the new hires are offered a 401K, nota pension like current employees. 

3)  Do away with the automatic annual built-in budget increases. Those sneaks in elected office built in the automatic increase so every year they don’t have to ask for more money, it’s just already there in which to wallow, enjoy and spend. No more. Require justification for an increase.

4)  When there is a new program or new expense, attach a Sunset date. Treat expenses the same as tax cuts. Give them a sunset date, a predetermined end. The program or expense would need to be reviewed and renewed or term out. 

 

But pardon me, I’ve gotten carried away here with a government rant. I’ll try to stay on focus, Covid. There’ll be plenty opportunity for that with the impending Presidential debates and election.

 

September 23 [Wednesday]

Taking my evening walk this evening I came across two neighbors, the three of us socially distanced while shooting the breeze, as the saying goes. I’d spoken with them both before, but I’d forgotten one guy’s name and confessed as much. He stated his name, approached good naturedly with hand extended and I said, “I won’t shake your hand.” The gap was closing rapidly, I wanted to maintain my Covid precaution and couldn’t come up with a gentler end game in the moment. Come on, you know a dude can’t shake someone’s hand during the year of Covid. Anyway, I’m sure he understood and we’ll remain on good terms, as long as I’m able to remember his name next time [Dave] when we see each other in the neighborhood.

 

September 27 [Sunday]

It was a good Safehouse visit today, my parent’s abode. My two piglets and I were visiting with [my brother] and his two, plus our parents and Uncle Joe. We engaged peaceful conversation in addition to gutsy political discourse while maintaining mostly civil conversation.

It was a fun time watching the cousins play nice while social distancing and masking up. I did briefly feel bad, though, when I got the last It’s-It ice cream bar from the garage freezer. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but I didn’t know [my nephew] really likes them and he got shut out. Oh well, I guess it’s good to let him know his place, right?

 

September 28 [Monday]

I was talking with my neighbor this evening during my post-supper walk. He’s in the medical field and suggested not to expect a Covid vaccine to be widely available until Jan-Feb 2021. Then, allowing for time to vaccinate the citizens, not to start discarding masks until Easter. I’m torn at the prognosis. That’s a long ways off, yet. But still, a welcome possible end on the horizon to the madness, if it is to be so.

 

September 29 [Tuesday]

The first of the Presidential debates between Trump and Biden was this evening. We made it a family event with the four of us watching or listening together. Early on it was clear the victor would be the one who spoke the least. The thing was a gruesome spectacle often generating bouts of laughter due to the foul behavior on screen. Trump seemed sometimes to be debating the moderator, Chris Wallace. Biden exhibited better restraint even having issued a “Will you shut up, man” after being interrupted again by President Trump. Anyway, not a proud night for the United States.

Our politics, [Wife Klem] and I, have diverged in recent years and the gap widens, especially with the approaching Presidential election. With a highly volatile road ahead in the coming months we’ll do our best to avoid becoming begrimed with political offal.