Strange Days Indeed

So it was a week of ups and downs, as we deal with the plague as well as the possible destruction of our entire nation after a brutal cop killed a black guy in Minneapolis.

There is no doubt that the killing was wrong, and brutal, and terrible, but the bad cop was criminally charged in record time, as were his three schlemiel juniors who stood by as he suffocated the prisoner with his knee.

I spoke to my friend Steve the cop today, no politically correct guy, and he was shocked by the video -- saying what the cop did was indefensible.

But instead of mere civil protest, it led to looting on an unprecedented level. Thankfully, things were minor in Miami, though close to chaotic. I spoke to Nurse Nancy today, at my doc's office. Her daughter is a City of Miami cop, and she told me that on the first Sunday of the misery, her daughter and several fellow officers nearly lost the Miami Police HQ to rioters -- literally holding shut a door from the invading goths. Miami Dade and Miami Beach PD came to rescue them.  Since then, things in the 305, at least have calmed down. I hope they stay that way.

I'm also very thankful D2 and Jonathan are here, instead of NYC.  I still remember the chaos there of 1977, after the blackout.  That was a picnic. The looters and rioters cleaned out stores all over the City. Union Square, where we always visited when seeing our kids in Greenwich Village, was wrecked.  Had D2 and Jonathan been living there, it would have taken years off my life with worry. I pray things calm down in NYC, too.

So I savor the good things, and the funny ones. Last night Josh G put together a surprise Zoom party for his Mom Donna. Monday night, I hosted a Zoom happy hour with Mike's group of Canes fans -- Jeannine, Loni, Paul and Darriel, and Jeff and Lili. Mike was a no show -- he was running an errand for his in laws. But we're going to try to reconvene next week -- I even splurged for an actual paid Zoom membership, so the parties I host don't get cut off after 40 minutes.

And the funny and absurd thing happened yesterday. I was out front, waiting for Kenny to arrive for an afternoon walk. My zany next door neighbor and her many kids were in their pool, which is on the far side of their house. Suddenly, I heard screaming, and the young Mom ran out holding a bundle, shouting "he was drowning!"

My brain raced. Would I have to perform CPR on the child? Should I call 911?  Remember -- the CPR is to be performed to the beat of the Bee Gees's "Stayin Alive." That popped into my head.

I approached, and saw the bundle wasn't a child -- it was their pet tortoise. She was plopping into her SUV to take it to the vet emergency. I guess it fell into the pool, and being a land creature, can't swim. One of the nannies herded the kids back into the house -- an assistant nanny jumped into the car with them, and she peeled off, flying by Kenny as he drove up.

I was NOT going to do reptilian CPR. I hope the big fella made it.

So as the first week of June comes near to an end, I remain hopeful, of peaceful times, and an end to this damn pandemic.

Strange days, indeed...