Rounding the Corner

 So as each day sees record numbers of the plague, the schmuck in the White House says we're "rounding the turn." As I read that yesterday, I thought about my Dad. He truly would NOT have believed this guy is the leader of the free world. I don't either.

Meanwhile, it was a pretty nice weekend here, despite the monsoon weather we've been having. D1 and the baby came over Saturday, as did D2 and her large, furry baby. My sons in law had golf and a get together with visiting buds instead, and we had a lovely time here.

The baby has been fully indoctrinated into our culture -- the one involving an absolute infestation of dogs. Wifey and the Ds LOVE dogs, and the baby crawled around with them, petting them, and every once in awhile, one would steal a huge lick of his beautiful, chubby face. The "awwwww" factor was very high.

At around 5:30 pm, both SUVs pulled away, and I put away all the baby equipment. I settled in to watch my Canes play UVA, and they won, ugly. It was pouring rain, and the Canes played poorly, but still came out with a win. I went to sleep late, a very happy man.

Yesterday, the rain abated enough to let me do some of my daily constitutional. I try to log 10 miles a day -- yesterday I got in 5. I had a long talk with my California sister, who is doing great for the first time in a long while, as her troubled older son seems on a good path. She and I share a trait that some parents are, I guess, fortunate to be able to avoid or block out: when one of our kids is distressed, so are we. We live the classic soul song lyrics: when something is wrong with my baby...something is wrong with me.

But for now, things are well on the left coast, and she is, too. That gladdens me -- a lot.

Around 5:30, Wifey and I fired up the girlie Lexus sedan, and headed out. I fetched some Anthony's Coal Fired pizza and wings, and we headed over to Kenny's lovely screened in patio. Kenny's wife and sons are still in Maine until the weather there gets untenable -- probably another few weeks - and Kenny poured some cocktails and baked some Brussel sprouts, and we ate and talked -- about politics, and kids, and , eventually, about G-d him (or herself, as Wifey prefers). It was a very normal -type social encounter. Although I've come to accept the Zoom meetings, being together in person is still the best.

We drove home in yet more rain. Apparently there's a passing storm in the Gulf that is keeping the monsoons here -- hopefully they're a precursor to lovely, late Fall Miami weather. The weather app says it's pretty clear this am -- I'll try to get in 6 or 7 miles, since the afternoon promises yet more rain.

I set up the Monday 5:30 Zoom, which has morphed into a Wifey event. Edna, Cara, Ronnie, and Lili do a lot of the talking, and Darriel usually logs in later. The only men, sometimes, are Jeff, Mike, and I. And that's ok -- I like my twice weekly martinis, and still can't start the drinking alone thing, so the company is fine.

We avoid politics, as Edna, Cara, and Ronnie are all Trump voters. Kenny and Wifey and I discussed that last night -- Kenny simply can't abide that -- for good reason. As he points out -- you can be a fine person and vote GOP -- but can you really be a fine person and support the man who truly opposes our entire form of a democratic government?

Wifey defends her friends -- their fear of the underclass "coming for us" if the Dems get into power. Nah. Not going to happen.

And when it comes down to it -- really the only issue now is the awful plague, and the fact that the lack of leadership here is making it the worst of any civilized nation, by far.

I hope voters see that, and give an admittedly flawed candidate, the too old Biden, a victory.

If not -- well, then I guess I'll simply adopt the comedian Dave Chappelle's approach -- stick around and enjoy the tax cuts for the rich.

I guess either way, the plague WILL pass -- it'll just be a question of how many it kills and maims before it ends. If the majority of swing state voters decide it's acceptable, well, we'll just try to keep ourselves as safe as possible and watch the absurdity.

And I'll keep thinking of my Dad. He would NOT have believed it.