Sunday May 17th, 2020

F has had a busy social life via Zoom today: Color Guard met; she’s currently playing games on-line for a friend’s birthday party, and she had calls with Dungeons & Dragons friends as well.

S had Religious School over Zoom, too. It should have been two hours, starting today, but we overslept. He still got in and was there for about an hour and a half. But that’s okay: during the first half hour, they experienced technical issues due to changes on Zoom’s end. However, the Rabbi’s son helped work out the kinks and they were up and running by 11 am. So basically, B missed the tech drama.

I also had a busy social life today, primarily involving the front yard. Jessica came over to garden. We talked through the living room window. She said it’s hard to live alone, particularly now. We agreed I’d text once a day, just to check in and make sure she’s okay. She is in her early sixties, and healthy, but it doesn’t hurt to have someone checking up on her regularly. If I get into the habit of doing it at the same time every day, I’ll remember.

Sabrina came by to drop off stuff for us to store. She moved her flight home to tomorrow. The amount of things we are storing for her really isn’t a lot. I have not yet tried to find places for her things in the house, but I’m not concerned about the space.

Sabrina and I talked for a while about work, her return home, and the two food trucks that pulled up in front of her house (the place where she rents.) One was an ice cream truck and the other, a Prosecco truck. She wanted both. People flocked to both trucks, however, and bunched together. They seemed to forget themselves and social distancing. They stood too close. When some of them received their ice cream, they removed their masks to eat it, without backing away from everyone else. Sabrina worried folks were unsafe; she called the police. They sent an officer over to remind people to abide by social distancing standards.

It’s difficult. We all miss life before the virus.

Sabrina felt dizzy while talking to me outside. She stood in the sidewalk, in the sun, and I was up in the driveway closer to the front door. I fetched her a thermos with ice water and a bleached wipe-y. I left those in the driveway, so she could get it. She was dehydrated and finished the ice water. I brought her a second one. She forgets to drink enough. That is one thing about life in LA that she is still adjusting to: it is much easier to get dehydrated here. By the time she left, I gave her a third glass to drink on the road.

Speaking of dehydrating, I pureed a bunch of loquats, put them in a veggie dryer and made fruit leather. It tastes good!

Tomorrow, back to karate exercises and running on the treadmill.

Author: an Ichi Kyu

I study Kyokushin karate at a dojo in Burbank. I don't yet have permission to say more than this about my dojo. I am also a mother of two, both of whom have studied Kyokushin karate a year longer than I. They are instructors! My husband created the art posted on this site. I have his permission to use it, but he expressly asked me not to credit him as the artist. He's moved on to other styles, and doesn't particularly want a public association with this piece. I love this artwork, personally. And me? I work full time as a cloth and hair simulation artist, as well as a python coder, in the visual effects industry. I have roughly sixteen years experience in film and about four in television. I am 50; I suppose my decision to attempt the black belt test, along with creating this blog, represents my mid-life crisis. Wish me luck!