Day 14 - Teachers are eligible for the vaccine.
B. and I. go to Saddle Ranch Restaurant in Hollywood…
The AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots. Why this vaccine was ever touted as effective is beyond me. The trials were sketchy at best and the scientists conducting the studies couldn’t even agree on the dose amount that had been administered to the participants. After the ‘white paper’ came out, detailing this very serious flaw, the AstraZeneca CEO actually responded with, “Why does that matter? It still works.” Does it?
Last month, South Africa deemed it ineffective and refused to continue administering the vaccine to their people. Even AFRICA wouldn’t use the vaccine, preferring to give their people nothing as they currently have no alternative. A month later, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Austria, Italy, France, and Germany banned the vaccine, too, BUT not because it’s ineffective. It’s because the AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots! Yes, there are a limited number of cases, but the cases are worrisome enough that the aforementioned countries banned it.
As usual, the “Clueless WHO” is urging the world to continue taking a flawed vaccine, saying there is nothing wrong with it. AstraZeneca is also the main vaccine that Bill Gates is promoting and administering via his sketchy COVAX enterprise. Why would ANYONE listen to the WHO now? The WHO told us that 1) Masks don’t work; 2) Covid-19 is NOT an airborne virus; 3) People contract Covid-19 through “droplet transmission” [dirty globules that fall on surfaces]; 4) Asymptomatic people DON’T spread the virus; and 5) China has everything under control [February 2020]. At every turn, they have provided misinformation to the global community. The WHO only provided ACCURATE information when outed by outside entities. Remember the letter authored by 50 to 100 scientists and doctors and featured in several mainstream publications urging the WHO to tell the world Covid-19 is airborne? Whenever I hear an announcement from this f—ed up agency, I do the opposite.
Trump was right to “defund the WHO.” Unfortunately, Biden reinstated the payments. The WHO’s budget is $2.4 BILLION per year with the US giving the WHO between $400-$500 MILLION per year. We pay the most but why? So they can spread fake news throughout the world? Why don’t we hold the WHO accountable for some of the deaths that occurred? There are no repercussions for deliberately misleading the global community. Pull the plug, Uncle Joe! As stated in previous blog posts, my money’s on Johnson and Johnson, “The Family Company.” Can a company that makes baby products really be so bad?
Meanwhile, the USA is sitting on top of millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine while we wait for FDA approval. In keeping with the USA’s f—ked up approach to this entire pandemic, I expect the FDA to approve the vaccine for distribution…next week. When asked by the citizenry, “Which vaccine is the best? Which one should we get?” our American doctors and scientists always respond with, “Whichever vaccine is available.” Uh-huh. I don’t think so.
3/14/21. Sunday. Daylight Savings Time
11:30 – 12:00 - If it seems like I’m up later, it’s because we set the clocks forward. Downstairs to say good morning to the animal. I rub her tummy three times and we go outside so she can do her business. Inside for her treat (cheese) and coffee for me. Light kitchen duty and while I wash the dishes I notice the dog is perched on the back of the couch, intently staring out the window at the birds as they flit from branch to branch. Kind of funny...and alarming. I listen to The Daily.
12:00-2:30 – Grade papers from Group No. 2. I start with Question #1.
2:30-3:00 – I have a piece of strawberry cake that L. picked up from 85 Degrees last night and read a Money Diary.
-L. leaves for a tea that she booked at The Four Seasons. This will be her first tea in a year.
3:00-4:00 – Grade papers. I finish grading Question #1 for all eight papers.
4:00-5:00 – Dress in jeans and a black turtleneck that I recently bought from Walmart. It wasn’t an ethically sourced purchase and I doubt the workers who made it received a living wage. I really like the turtleneck and feel guilty for having purchased a “fast fashion” item. L. is incredible with ensuring that her clothing purchases are all sustainable. I take my braids out and spackle on make-up. Put on earrings.
-I am dismayed to see that the dog pooped and peed in the house, near her doggie door! She hasn’t peed in the house in about a year!! I clean everything up.
B. arrives and we leave for Saddle Ranch Restaurant in West Hollywood.
5:00-6:00 - Driving
6:00-8:30 - In the Before Times, B. and I typically went to the Valencia Saddle Ranch for Happy Hour on Tuesdays, if our schedules allowed it. Happy Hour ended at 6:00 and it was less crowded if we arrived at 4:00. Once there, we would each order exactly two drinks [my glass of champagne was $4.99]. Even though Happy Hour appetizers were half off, I almost never ordered food as B. routinely said he had difficulty affording a weekly Happy Hour, although we did nothing else the rest of the week [in the distant past, we would go to Sunday brunch on occasion and I spent hours scouring restaurants for “bottomless Mimosa” deals because B. said eating out was too expensive and I tried to find the cheapest places possible for him. Then, over time, brunches eventually stopped]. As a result, B. typically ordered potato skins and I would have one. The total cost for me was $10.00 before tax and tip, so my personal “price tag” as it related to B.’s monthly expenditures, was around $40. B. typically ordered two doubles and the aforementioned appetizers, raising the cost of the Happy Hour bill significantly. I did my best to implement cost-saving measures as far as the price was concerned when it applied to me, however.
Two Christmases ago, B. received a gift card from his family for Saddle Ranch. Then, the Valencia Saddle Ranch closed. B. came across the gift card a few weeks ago and it is time to redeem it. There are only two Saddle Ranches left now, and the closest is in West Hollywood or WeHo as it’s known. We have to drive through East Hollywood to get to WeHo and it. is. disgusting. There are tent cities on most of the sidewalks and trash all over the place. Everything looks so filthy. Once you cross the magic city line of demarcation, i.e., enter WeHo, the tents disappear and it’s a bit better. The city ordinances are different and WeHo doesn’t allow the homeless population to congregate on it’s streets and sidewalks – as a result, they all go to East Hollywood.
We arrive at Saddle Ranch and there is a 20-minute wait, even though B. made reservations. All seating is still outdoors, which is a relief because while B. is fully vaccinated, I’m not. We’re seated outside, under a heat lamp, on the opposite side of the restaurant at what I can only describe as the worse table in this section. The table is wedged against a wall, right next to the door leading into the restaurant; HOWEVER, there is a tiny sliver of space between my chair and the wall which strangers and servers keep transgressing to go to the bathroom, serve food, and clear tables. There is no social distancing and strangers are brushing/touching my hair as they move back and forth behind me. This is so disgusting and I feel like my personal space is being violated. Everyone is masked, but I don’t care.
As a society, we’ve all been through a great trauma, some affected more than others, and I can’t stand being next to people, especially strangers, or people or are touching me. This happens seven times in the course of 15 minutes before I ask to move. Waitstaff kindly moves us to a much better table. We are still facing the street and I watch tour bus after tour bus, en route to the homes of famous actors, pass by. These are all open-air buses and, strangely, filled with black people. I find this so odd. Black tourists? In a pandemic? Or do the passengers simply live here and are looking for something to do? Regardless, there are no white people on the bus. Apparently, whites are not interested in seeing how the other half lives. Or they can check Twitter or Instagram. Chrissy Teigen never shuts up about her life.
I order a glass of champagne and B. orders a double gin and tonic. Now, when we go out, we’re down to just one round of drinks, especially if there are no happy hour prices. I perused the menu before I came – this is a productivity hack – and know what I want so I order one of the cheapest appetizers on the menu so B. can stretch the gift card for his meal. Because my macaroni and cheese is so cheap, I add a standard dinner salad as well. To be fair, my glass of champagne is on the pricey side, but I don’t begrudge the restaurant for that at all – it’s amazing this WeHo Saddle Ranch even survived. B. says “That’s how they [restaurants] get you…on drinks.” Yes, I’m acutely aware of this…but truth be told, every dining experience is a rip-off, right? I mean we could all stay home and cook a bulk meal from scratch for a quarter of the price it costs to eat out…and we’ve all done that…for the past YEAR.
The service is very slow.
In life, there are value-based trade-offs. Dining out, preferably at a 5-star restaurant, is important to me and I love it! Is this something I do frequently? No. Does it add a little color, excitement, and adventure to my life? Yes, most definitely. It’s okay to have a “sacred cow” as long as you don’t have a whole “herd” of them. My sacred cows – things I refuse to give up - are champagne and going to restaurants. I thought carefully about this before I retired and made sure to allot a certain amount of money for these activities in my monthly budget. Some months, I can’t afford it, like January/February, when I typically pay my taxes, my annual car insurance, my earthquake insurance, and my Umbrella policy. But at least nine months out of the year I can afford, maybe, at least one outing? These experiences, among others [let’s be clear…going to a restaurant is not the ONLY thing that makes my life worth living, of course. I also walk my dog, bike, hike, garden, journal, read books, take French classes, etc] enhance my life and make it special. You know, a little serendipity here and there.
While B. and I eat our meals, our old bartender, from the Valencia Saddle Ranch, makes an appearance. It’s good to see him! B. and I ask if he remembers our drinks – we were regulars – and he does!! Especially mine…a glass of champagne with a strawberry on the rim. He always added that special touch for me. When our drinks arrive tonight, there is a strawberry on the rim! Awwwww. Another member of the Valencia bar waitstaff approaches and she remembers us, too. Both of their lives have been upended, but they are employed and healthy, although the commute is hard on him and she had to move to WeHo.
The macaroni and dinner salad are quite good. I have leftovers for tomorrow – yay!
Towards the end of our meeting, a bag containing vanilla ice cream and a chocolate-chip cookie as big as a salad plate arrives, on the house. It looks disgusting, but B. has it for dessert and says it’s great. I have three small bites of the vanilla ice cream.
I tell B. I will miss sitting outside at restaurants when Covid-19 is over. I much prefer it.
8:30-9:15 – We leave and drive to B.’s house so we can watch the Oprah Interview with Harry and Meagan that B. recorded.
9:15-11:30 - B. and I watch the interview, pausing it as we add commentary. I feel sorry for Megan, but Harry comes across as largely spineless. He was too embarrassed to tell the Royal Family that his wife was mentally suffering and needed to see a psychiatrist, even after Megan told him she wanted to kill herself. On the day that she shared her suicidal ideations with Harry, he basically told her to “get a stiff upper lip”, put on her party dress, and prepare for the charity drive they were supposed to attend that night. Throughout the Oprah interview, he repeatedly says, wistfully, “She was so good at it”, meaning that Megan performed so well at these public events that she and Harry were forced to attend. Of course she performed well…she’s an actress. I don’t think Megan gave a shit about any of it.
As the interview unfolds, Harry snivels like a little bitch about the loss of his security detail. Oh no. He fails to mention how Megan and his baby have NO security whatsoever. Doesn’t he realize that in America, nobody cares about him? He’s not even an actor. Megan is on the horn, concerned for her HUSBAND’s safety, and begging the Palace-HR to reinstate Harry’s detail in the US to “keep him safe” at the expense of herself and Archie. Why would the good citizens of the UK want to foot the bill for Harry’s security in the US? Doesn’t make sense.
I think what resonates most for me in this interview involves the incident where Harry is taking Megan to meet his grandmother for the first time. Just before they arrive at the “castle”, Harry asks Megan if she knows how to curtsy. Megan, shocked, says, “Isn’t that just for the public? People don’t curtsy behind the scenes do they…?” Harry said, “She’s still the Queen.” Megan actually doesn’t know how to curtsy so Fergie comes running out and they do a couple of dry runs together. Honestly, this is bullshit. As a couple, didn’t Harry have the decency to tell Megan a month or two, maybe a few weeks before the meet-and-greet, “BTW, you’ve gotta genuflect when you meet granny?” Apparently not. And let me just say…I’m an American. It would be a cold day in HELL before I would ever bow down to a member of the Royal family. I wonder if Megan felt the same way…maybe that’s why Harry told her last minute…she didn’t really have a choice.
B. drives me home and drops me off. Monday is a work-day for me and B. is packing for a 2-week trip – he leaves on Tuesday.
11:30-12:00 – L. and I catch up and discuss our days. The Four Seasons tea was wonderful and L. sat outside, at a beautiful garden patio, where she read her book and drank tea.
12:00-2:30 – Grade papers. I finish grading Question #2 for seven papers, but can’t bring myself to grade the last paper because it is difficult to wade through this particular student’s response, although she tries really hard.
2:30-3:30 – I scan and make ready the Group #1 papers so I can pass them back to the students during the 6:00 class.
-It’s Sunday, so I open up next week’s Module for my Asynchronous classes at College No. 2. I also check emails and respond to a few students, even though it’s 1:30 a.m.
3:30-4:00 – I know it’s too late for this, but I have some of my leftover macaroni and cheese from Saddle Ranch. I put the papers and lecture notes for tomorrow’s synchronous classes in a tidy pile and call it.
4:00-4:45 – Night time routine. Bed.