j u l y . 2 0 2 0

summertime, and the livin' is ....  hmmmm.  I am still struggling to plan a 60th birthday vacation smack in the middle of a pandemic, and I'm definitely NOT succeeding.  Maybe I'm not destined to have "milestone" birthdays.  my 50th was great fun but was cut waaay short by a scrooge of a boss (I asked for a week off and she begrudgingly  gave me 2 days).  for my 40th I was struck down by a wicked flu and spent several days in bed wishing I were dead.  my 30th was spent celebrating others' more momentous birthdays - 1 and 60 - so it was fun but it wasn't "all about me"  :-D   and before that, my 21st birthday was spent moving out of an apartment I'd been living in for at least a year, possibly two, and it took most of the day.  I did celebrate with champagne with my mom, after all the moving was done, so that was fun.  

 

Joyce was talking about going to D'land, but whether it will even be open, and whether we'd want to go there if it were opened by then, is all pure speculation.  Hearst Castle is closed (as are most National Parks I guess).  I did a quick spin through the website for Madonna Inn (which is currently open) where they at least have outdoor activities that could make for a wonderful birthday - the horseback riding through beautiful countryside is definitely right up my alley!  yesterday's news headlines stated that US residents are not welcome in the EU, so a trip back there is definitely out of the question.  

 

I realize there are bigger problems in the world right now than my silly birthday, but I have waited 10 years to have a spectacular follow-up to the 21/50 birthday in Vegas that I celebrated with Joyce. 

 

fourth of July was quiet in that I stayed in and cooked a big pot of chicken mole (enough to last awhile). It wasn't quiet outside, as my neighbors had been shooting off illegal fireworks for two weeks, and spent the evening blowing up what was left. so annoying! 

 

and speaking of first world pandemic problems, I was finally able to get a haircut after at least 5 months, but not before I took scissors to my hair myself!  all my stylist could say was "you are so brave" - which I think is what Southerners mean when they say "bless yer heart!" - as she was doing damage control.  

 

I had a couple opportunities to do zoom and audio casts of theatre related programs, and even participated in virtual karaoke one night! While it was mostly fun, the host's GF was really rude to me so I doubt I'll try that virtual venue again.