POOKIE’S ADVENTURES: 2024 begins.

 

 

“Ripeness is merely the name we give to the first stage of decay.’

Hill, Reginald. The Long Kill (p. 162). MysteriousPress.com/Open Road. 

 

Sigh. For me, ripeness is now but a cherished memory. On the other hand, 2024 as we enter it is certainly not yet ripe, I fear it is destined to deteriorate significantly long before the year ends. 

Watching humanity wriggle through another chapter of what we call history seems to me like observing bacteria in a Petri dish. Once the algae is consumed, they devour each other until none remain. Then, the Petri dish is cleaned for a new experiment, or in disgust, it’s tossed into the trash, and the lab lights turned off.

On the third morning of 2024, while lying in bed, Naida and I decided to sing some songs from Showboat before we began our day. The dog grew bored with the noise and moved to sit by the window, awaiting the appearance of a squirrel to bark at. 

We eventually rolled out of bed by late morning, grabbed some breakfast, and settled in front of our computers. Naida was tackling her inbox, while I delved into my usual mix of factoids and opinions, diving into whatever obsessions caught my fancy for the day.

I reached out to my grandson, Anthony, and asked if he’d like to crash with us until March when he moves into his new apartment. Having an extra pair of hands around will definitely make getting our place sorted for the next phase of our lives much easier.

On New Year’s Day, I got a surprise call from Hayden, who was all the way over in Bangkok, enjoying lunch with none other than my old pal, Richard Diran, a.k.a. Burma Richard. Richard’s like a modern-day Renaissance Man. He’s an artist, adventurer, gemologist, ethnographer, explorer (and maybe even a smuggler, but we won’t dig into that), restaurateur, writer, and so much more. Some expat writers in Bangkok have even used him as inspiration for characters in their novels. He’s one of a kind, that Richard!

Hayden, his two friends with Richard Diran (Also called Burma Richard) having lunch at a restaurant on Soi 8, Bangkok Thailand.

On the fourth day of the new year, Naida and I set out for a leisurely stroll with our faithful canine companion, Booboo the Barking Dog. It was early afternoon, the sun shining down warmly with the temperature a delightful upper 60s – just perfect for an adventure. Seizing the moment, I decided it was time to jump back into my long-neglected exercise routine, now that the December plague that had knocked me out was finally retreating. Little did I know, things wouldn’t go quite as planned.

We casually strolled our way to the Nepenthe Clubhouse, where I ventured into the exercise room. With a smug grin, I assured Naida that I wouldn’t overexert myself, considering my nearly year-long break from serious exercise. I confidently hopped onto one of those intimidating machines and gave it my all for a whopping 30 seconds or so – clearly, my body had a bone to pick with me. Gasping for dear life, I surrendered and exited the torture chamber.

Desperately needing fresh air, I stumbled outside and collapsed into a chair by the pool, wheezing like an asthmatic pig attempting to impersonate a racehorse. That’s when Naida had a brilliant idea: she, too, would give this exercise thing a shot. Off she went back into the exercise room. A few minutes later, she emerged, declaring that she’d had enough of this nonsense too, promptly joining me in a neighboring chair, looking just as spent as I felt.

And so, there we sat, basking in the glorious sunshine, chatting about everything and nothing for a good hour or so. It took us that long to regain our dignity and composure after our feeble attempts at exercise. Once we’d fully recovered, we decided it was time to call it a day and retreated to the comfort of our home.

On Friday, around noon, I found myself glued to MSNBC, eagerly awaiting Biden’s speech in Pennsylvania to kickstart his re-election campaign. This election might very well be the most pivotal one in the history of our nation.

Biden delivered the best speech I’ve ever seen or heard from him. He set the tone for the upcoming presidential election by emphasizing that it represents a vote on the preservation of democracy. This message has the potential to resonate strongly with the voters, unless Trump manages to shift the focus of the press and the electorate onto other issues such as age, foreign entanglements, immigration, and the like. In the coming weeks, we’ll witness how Biden’s grand strategy unfolds in the press and the polls. If it gains traction, Trump will need to find a counter-issue.

Saturday brought gloomy weather, with steady rain. It wasn’t stormy, but it was definitely a good day to stay in bed. After breakfast, I loaded up my Kindle with a bunch of new books and returned to bed. I woke up around 5 and went downstairs. It was still dark outside. I wandered into the kitchen where Naida was busy. Still half-asleep, I gave her a peck on the cheek and stumbled my way into the studio. I pulled the computer onto my lap and read a fascinating article about wolves.

Did you know that there is no such thing as the ‘alpha’ male in wild wolf society? Only captive bred packs have a hierarchy; in the wild, packs share all responsibilities. Parents raise, teach, and care for their pups until they can go out on their own, and there are no fights in wild packs for dominance. No single wolf is in charge, so fights and challenges are usually situational. Brothers fight each other, sisters fight each other, brothers fight sisters… sounds like a typical family, doesn’t it? One overriding difference separates wolf society from ours – wolves don’t hunt for sport.

Much of our TV viewing is dedicated to news and political commentary. The growth of this type of entertainment, and the shift from news to what’s often called “infotainment,” was triggered by Reagan’s abolishing of the “Fairness Doctrine,” which paved the way for the rise of Fox News and similar media companies. Unfortunately, many of these outlets prioritize sensationalism and opinion over objective reporting, blurring the lines between news and propaganda.

Reflecting on my Sunday, I found myself pondering why my life now seems to revolve around the weather, the television programs I watch, and the books I read. Has it always been like this, or is it just a phase? Regardless, I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter much to me anymore. After all, I do have my memories.

As for Monday, I don’t recall much of what happened on Sunday. Shortly after waking up, I experienced an unusual bout of dizziness that persisted on and off throughout the day.

During my recent research on Aaron Burr, I became fascinated by his progressive stances in the early days of the nation. Despite his flaws, Burr vehemently opposed slavery, championed women’s equality, and supported immigrants’ rights. His legacy is complex, but it’s important to recognize his contributions to progressive causes in the midst of his personal controversies.

Tuesday was supposed to be my annual checkup, though I couldn’t help but wonder why I needed another one so soon. Nevertheless, these appointments provide some entertainment in my current routine. Despite the cancellation, I treated myself to lunch and a grocery shopping trip, followed by a well-deserved nap.

Wednesday morning brought a gray sky with a silvery hue, a somewhat poetic contrast to the darkness. While enjoying breakfast, we watched movies set in Mendocino, reminiscing about our visits to the area, adding a touch of nostalgia to the day.

I’ve been engrossed in “Country of the Blind,” a novel by Christopher Brookmyre. Despite its roots in mystery, the book delves into social commentary, criticizing the negative impact of media moguls like Rupert Murdoch. Brookmyre’s work serves as both entertainment and a thought-provoking critique of our society.

Later that afternoon, I visited my dentist, Dr. Smita Khandwala, for my annual teeth cleaning. Despite her heavy accent, I appreciate her patience and explanations during our appointments. Her office may seem dated, but her dedication to her patients is evident.

In the evening, after watching “Angela’s Ashes,” a captivating movie based on Frank McCourt’s memoir, we indulged in dinner at Lemon Grass, one of our favorite restaurants.

A few days ago, while going through a box of old family photographs sent by my daughter, I stumbled upon a forgotten picture of myself from 1971, shortly after my arrival in California. It’s amazing how such simple artifacts can evoke powerful memories and reflections on the passage of time.

Pookie in 1971 — The Hippy Years.

I couldn’t sleep last night, so I went downstairs and read for a while before returning to bed. I woke up at about noon on Thursday and went downstairs to have breakfast. Afterward, I recited to Naida the Buck Milligan introduction to James Joyce’s Ulysses, both in the Joycean original and the AI translation. She interrupted me before I was finished and went to her computer to fuss over some receipts from the sate of her books. I then read a bit more of the novel that I was engrossed in last night instead of sleeping.

I then sat for a while, staring out the window, wondering what I should do today to make getting out of bed worthwhile. I thought perhaps screaming while running naked through the streets of the Enchanted Forest would do nicely. However, when I looked up at the clock and saw it was almost 4 PM, I thought it would be better to have lunch before engaging in strenuous exercise. Given that there would be less than an hour of daylight remaining by the time I finished lunch, running naked down the dark streets in mid-winter would be ill-advised. So, I decided to shelve that idea for today and headed off to the kitchen.

Later, while watching one of the PBS shows, I received the following message from Richard Diran (Burma Richard):

“Hey Joe, so the last perfect day I had was with Hayden and his crew. The next day, my guts bloated like a Biafra watermelon. I went to the hospital for an MRI, and they said you have to check in at the emergency room.

I asked, ‘How about tomorrow?’

They replied, ‘Nope, today or you may be dead.’

I said, ‘Okay.’

So, the bladder cancer has extended to my colon. I had an operation and am currently in the hospital about to be discharged.

On January 22, the doctors will meet to decide the best way forward with treatment.

I do want to squeeze a bit more life out of this world for the sheer force of curiosity to see what madness lies ahead.

Love you!

R”

I was devastated. I spent a long time trying to put into words what I was feeling and what it all meant. Eventually, I gave up. Everything appeared inadequate. Death does not ask us when we would like for him to turn up at our door. I longed to visit Richard and spend some time with him — a last adventure, so to speak, but I am beyond the ability to sustain 20-hour plane rides. I sent him a note, expressing my concern, sorrow, and hope that he will prevail over his maladies and we would be able meet again.

When I finally went to bed, I couldn’t sleep. Thoughts about Richard swirled in my mind. In addition, I had been viciously attacked by two mosquitoes earlier in the evening, As a result, two large bumps have disfigured my forehead and itched a lot. So, at about 2 AM, I went downstairs to wrestle with my thoughts about Richard and later to finish up the novel I had been reading. I returned to bed after 4 AM and slept until 10:30 when the house cleaner arrived. Later, Naida and I, along with the dog, went to Mel’s for lunch. When we returned the housekeeper was still at work, so we waited a while for her to finish up and leave so that we could go upstairs for a late afternoon nap.

That evening, after watching a fairly awful movie, I listened awhile to Naida play the piano following which we went upstairs to bed. 

On Saturday I got out of bed at about noon as usual. I spent a few moments wondering if this late rising indicated I was suffering from deep, perhaps terminal, depression. I almost immediately dismissed it. My life has been little more than alternating episodes of unwarranted euphoria and melodramatic depression now and then punctuated by brief moments of delusionary euphoria.

It looked to be another grey and gloomy day as I stared at it through my window. As I stood there I thought “enough of this. This should be a day of new beginnings.” I recalled  Molly Trad’s poem:

I have a desperate attraction to new beginnings

Sometimes the numbers on the calendar look so beautiful

I think

Today’s the day I drink less and run more

No smoking, all veggies

Honesty, integrity, self-reliance, perseverance, creativity,

No fear, live large,

Dream big, be bright, believe in love and believe in yourself!

And I do

Today is an auspicious day

So, right then and there, I decided to sit on the sofa with Naida, watch television, and contemplate my new beginnings.

On Sunday, I woke up as usual at about noon, had breakfast, and sat down with Naida to discuss our plans for the day, if any. She mentioned that the Northern California Publishers and Authors group, an organization she founded over 20 years ago and now directed by the author M.L. Hamilton, was having an event this evening. It was being held at a place near us called the Flaming Grill, which was not far from our location. “Let’s go,” I said, “I’m up for it.” So, a bit later, after walking the dog, we headed off to the meeting.

The Flaming Grill is a well-regarded hamburger restaurant in Sacramento, located in a somewhat run-down shopping center near Alta-Arden. We sat in a section of the restaurant designated for the meeting. While perusing the menu, I noticed an item called “Gator Bite Po Boy.” I asked the owner/waiter if it was made with real alligator. “Yes,” he responded, “we order it from Louisiana. A couple of months ago, I was even able to order camel meat.” I decided to order it just to add to my list of life experiences. Surprisingly, it wasn’t bad at all.

I sat at a table with two of Naida’s friends, the authors Tom Kando (“Humanity’s Future: The Next 25,000 Years”) and Frank Luna (“Red Mars”). The meeting focused on discussing what authors need to know about publishing their books in today’s market, which I found quite interesting. We left with a copy of a cheat sheet provided to the attendees. 

Upon returning home, we watched the Sunday evening PBS lineup before returning upstairs to bed..

On Monday, I went to the Golden Hills for lunch with Hayden. He had just returned from a month-long trip to Thailand and Japan with two of his friends, Little Jake and Christian. I was eager to hear his stories. I picked him up at his house, and he gave me an amazing shirt that I loved. We decided to dine at a Mexican restaurant in Town Center. On the drive, I told him about the unfortunate news about Burma Richard. He was distressed by the news and shared several stories Richard had told them during their lunch. During lunch, we discussed some of his adventures on his trip. One interesting thing he mentioned was that they were scheduled to fly out of Honolulu on one of the Alaska Airlines planes of the same type that had its door fall off the day before, causing his flight to be delayed by almost a day.

Later, Naida, the dog, and I went for a walk. We walked up onto the levee along the American River, where 2 billion dollars had been spent to shore it up. The construction machinery had been removed, and the fencing taken down. This is what we saw:

We were surprised to see that much of the vegetation had been removed, leaving only bare dirt. A few steps further, we came across this:

 

Within about a month after the contractors left, the levee had already begun eroding into the river and needed temporary supports. This is just another example of what happens when you choose the lowest cost bidder.

Later that night we watch Antiques Road Show (of course). It was televised from Alaska.I do not know what is going on up there but those people there seemed to just have come out of the wilderness carrying the most valuable antiques we had ever seen on the show. And, yes I know only decrepits like us who have nothing better to do than watch this and what’s worse enjoy it. So what. 

 

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