Another Saturday Night

The news of the plague continues to get worse. Dr. Barry makes fun of my reading the NY Post, but there's a reason: it's free. I digitally subscribe to the Times, and still get the dinosaur Herald, but other papers also charge, and I refuse to pay. Even the Daily News wants money! Since D2 and Jonathan no longer live in NYC, the Post is plenty for me. And their headline yesterday was that New Yorkers are dying at the rate of one per hour. Lovely.

Josh was out walking the dog, around 4, and asked if I wished another virtual Happy Hour. I told him to coordinate with his Dad, and around 6, Josh put together a group FaceTime -- me, he and his father, and his brother Scott at his girlfriend Sam's place in Arlington, Va. Scott and Sam are both journalists. Later, Josh included Wifey, and I had move across the house because of the feedback.

It was lovely -- catching up with my peeps. When Barry would cough, Josh would maniacally wave the air -- and I solemnly told him that since his father worked at a huge hospital -- he and his Mom were goners. I hope to be kidding. The conversation turned to D2 and Jonathan's new dog, and Josh brought them into the group chat, too -- and Betsy padded around the apartment to a bunch of "Awwwwws." We tried to include D1 and Joey, too, but they were engaged in baby activities...

Later Donna came home with dinner for her men, and chose not to participate in the party, so Josh, comically, chased her around the house like a determined paparrazo. We all needed the laughs, and got them from people we love.

I had my second drink, which buzzed me nicely, and after we finished the virtual HH, was inspired to put on 80s disco on the sonos and dance. I invited Wifey to join me, but her knee hurts, and instead she filmed my moves, sending them to the Ds and their men for "oh Dad" type laughs. D1, who IS a gifted dancer, remarked that at least I was doing a form of aerobic exercise...

So it was a bit more of light in a darkened time. I suspect these little virtual get togethers will be key to all of us keeping our minds during the time of corona.

Oh -- and staying true, as much as possible, to who we are. And I pride myself on being the fun Dad and father in law, so I spent sometime on the Total Wine site ordering some nice petite Syrah (Stag's Leap) for D1 and Joey. She has started enjoying a glass with dinner, and was running low. A shipment should arrive today.

Alas, Total was too far from the Grove, but venerable Big Daddy's isn't -- and they have agreed to deliver 2 bottles of fine mezcal to D2 and Jonathan's later this am.

Doing these things for my kids gives me a happy purpose. I think that is key to getting through this, too.

Hell -- the investments have shrunk. My man Pat called, as brokers to, to crow about getting me out of some funds "right before they went south." Of course, he left out that he did NOT get me out of the large majority of my holdings. But that's in their playbook -- accentuate the positive -- as the classic American song goes. And that's ok -- if we indeed recover from this plague - finances may recover as well. If not -- well -- don't need to die with much money.

But no one dies today! At least not unless you read the headlines in the NY Post...