getting into a groove

I keep hearing it, so it must be true.
The first time that it really connected with me was while watching "The Catcher Was A Spy", an excellent WWII true story that had a bit of baseball in it, too, as well as an excellent cast.
Anywho, Moe Berg was talking to a quarantined Italian physicist.
Amaldi was working on his bicycle as gunshots blasted outside.
When asked why he was fixing his bike, he replied, I'm cleaning it, as I normally do at this time and on this day of the week.
"We try to live as normally as we can, doing the things we normally do, when we normally do them."
I had rewound the film several times, so I could hear that again and write it down.
"We try to live as normally as we can, doing the things we normally do, when we normally do them."
The words shone like a beacon.
That was on Wednesday of last week.

The second time that advice registered with me was while watching a video of an Italian family at home.
It was a father/husband, a mother/wife, and a teen son.
They each had their own space in the apartment, to give them private time during the day for remote working and for remote school lessons.
They had been in lockdown for eighteen days by Friday of last week.
The dad was the spokesperson for the family.
You need to plan well your days, do a little workout every day, actually acting as though you are at the office.
I made note of those words.
Normalcy, he was saying, you must keep the normal rhythm of your life, as much as it's possible to do.
Essentially, that was the same message as in the film.

Try to live as normally as you can, doing the things you normally do, when you normally do them.
That was what I was being told.
How was I to do that?
All of my evenings communing with friends at social events had vanished into thin air.
What normalcy remained for me?
Honestly, that had probably been the penultimate straw too many for my psyche.
The final straw had been tossed on, unwittingly, by Tara on Saturday, via fb.
She was bemoaning the lack of being around those at Odd Lot and other friends, promising big hugs when next she met them.
All I could think was: seriously?
She's home with her husband and son and complaining about lack of touch?
Seriously???
What the hell???
Her similarity in situation to that of the real-life Italian family and that of the Italian physicist and his family in the movie struck me hard.
How dare these people, who have others still around them, preach to me???
How dare they???

Then, on Monday night, I was getting the same advice from Kevin during our texting.
He didn't even notice my lack of exclamation points.
Then again, maybe he did and that's why he granted me a Gripe-a-thon.
He truly is a rather smart bear... and he's setting a good example.
Plus, while my conscious mind was ranting to him last night, my subconscious mind was listening to the hurt words spewing out of my mouth and trying to puzzle out a workable solution to mend my broken spirit.

I need to plan my days.

Planning has been part of my day for years, writing notes and posting them to my kitchen cabinet.
Why that location?
First, so I don't overbook myself.
One really good thing per day is the goal.
Then, every morning as the coffee brews, I shall look to see what lays ahead.
At night, I will remove the expired notes and move the others up in the batting order.
(smile)

This morning held a little something extra for me:
my roofing arrived!
I had actually expected the work to begin at 0730,
but, thankfully, it did not.
It may or may not begin tomorrow, but at least the Golden Cedar shingles are here.
That's definite progress on this project that began in mid-February.


I need to write in my blog as I normally do.

Well, that's what I'm doing now, n'est-ce pas?
I'm talking to myself, allowing the words to be transferred through my fingertips to the ether, touching the keys on my laptop, making physical contact -albeit remotely - to other people, reaching out to the world as the tiny Whovian had
done toward Horton the elephant.
I'm here!
I'm here!
Even if I hear no response, I have to keep trying to let
others know I exist - or, perhaps, to prove to myself
that this reality exists.

I need to do the things that I normally do.

At this time of year, the 31SMF would have been in full swing and I would be working the music festival events.
Thankfully, the noon30 events are now virtual!
Maybe not the ones originally scheduled, and not in hour-long segments, but I am grateful for these bits of normalcy to my spring days!
From Pennsylvania, Milena of the Dover Quartet was joined by the Speltz brothers (her hubby Brook and his brother Brendan) of the Escher Quartet for a beautiful

and bubbly bit of Beethoven.
Of course I danced along, as I wold have as an usher at the Morris Center!
That ten-minute draft of waltzing classical was followed with a chaser of old-time blues, brought to life from Tennessee by Darrell Scott.
I wish I could say I'd known the Hank Williams tune before, but I'm glad to have made its acquaintance here and now!

That noon30 was actually one of the two concerts first aired yesterday.
Trust me, I'll be doing trios as I'm catching up this week on those earlier ones.
Today, though, I made sure to catch the Ashwells, Robin and Kate, live from their home in Wales.
As I commented on their feed, the Chanson de Matin was "such a beautiful song, at evening or any time!"
Get that little lingual joke?
Got to keep my sense of humor, don't I?
(smile)
Hey, feel free to answer, truly.

I need to do a little workout every day.

The purple Planet may be no more, but my yard probably has enough work to keep me busy for at least two weeks.
A few minutes ago, the city's people hauled off my six piles of branches and three bags of yard debris.
That means I can start making new piles with this stuff left over from my work on Sunday.
Oh, joy. Oh, fun.
(smile)

I need to do what I normally do, when I normally do it.

Today is Wednesday.
Tonight, I will have PFS, through the magic of the "online viewing parties" created by Jim Reed.
That won't be until 8 PM, though.
Heretofore, in the afternoon, I would have gone to the grocery store after WW.
I have stopped my membership with them, but I still need milk...
and maybe I'll get lucky and find toilet paper.
I have started my penultimate roll, one of the two Smitty gave me when we did his sales taxes on the 19th.
I had just started the last roll I had on that day.
Hard to believe I made that roll last almost two weeks.
(smile)
Good thing I'm a chemist and know science.
Good thing that urine is a sterile fluid.
Good thing I'm a puzzle-solver by nature.
I've been getting by with using a washcloth for those pee-only bathroom trips.
One washcloth can be used for an entire day, for multiple trips.
Oh, that reminds me: Thursday is my usual day for going to the laundry.
Tomorrow will be a very good day to wash clothes.
Know what I mean?
(smile)