Week Twenty-Six was the first full week of summer vacation. But it felt a lot like the twelve weeks that proceeded it. While things are starting to open up again slowly and with lots of stipulations, there’s not much summer fun to be had. I’m not traveling out of the country like I have the last few years because it’s still not safe for that kind of thing. MUCCamp is canceled, so I won’t be spending a week and a half volunteering up north. Broadway is still closed, so no popping into the city for a show. And speaking of shows, concerts and events are still postponed indefinitely.
I had planned to move this summer, but it’s not looking like I’ll be able to. NYC is still basically closed down and there’s a hiring freeze in the public schools. So how does one spend a summer they’d hoped would be life changing that is looking instead like a whole lot of blank page?
We shall see…
Sunday
For Father’s Day, my dad and I went up to the lake. We’ve been going to the lake in Forestport (about 40 minutes away) ever since I was a little girl. My uncle lives a few streets back from the small, private beach, and that has always given us access. In recent years, things have changed a bit and my uncle refuses to shell out the ten dollars a year for a beach pass, so we aren’t technically allowed anymore. But whatever.
Despite it being too hot for me to sit on the beach, my dad didn’t go swimming with me. He’s never been a huge swimmer, and I think there were too many families in the buoyed area for him to feel comfortable. There were too many families for me, too. I swam right to the edge of roped off area, ducked under, and swam the bay. What can I say. I’m a rebel.
After I swam, we walked around a bit, checking out the swampy area and chatting, then we headed further north to Old Forge where a few restaurants offered outdoor seating. Our meal was decent (though it took forever to get the check) and then we headed home. Not the most exciting day in the world, but even just the drive in my dad’s open jeep was nice after three months of basically sitting at home.
Monday
This is the stray cat that we feed and water. We’ve also got a cat box out there for him during the cooler months, but other neighborhood cats use it more than he does. Despite feeding him for the last three years, he still won’t let us pet him and hisses half-heartedly at us on occasion. Here we see him passed out in the heat, startling the rail because he just can’t even.
Tuesday
We rearranged the living room and dining room (which is essentially one big room) and placed the piano in front of the window. Willow and Sam are both pleased with this decision. And there are little kitty paw prints (that I’m cleaning EVERY DAY) all over the piano that prove it.
Wednesday
This isn’t the first time this stump has caught my attention on my walks, but I like that now something seems to be sprouting out of its center. Life giving over to life.
Thursday
Only in Utica can you walk the switchbacks and come across random Christmas decorations adorning a random tree. Like. Why? There were all sorts of ornaments on the lower third of this tree, including a rather heavy looking angel that had been wrapped with rosary beads and tied to a branch. Too heavy to be propped up properly, it’s simple hanging horizontally under the branch, facing the ground. Chris and I got a big kick out of this when we came upon it. We also got a big kick out of the “exercise stations” and their ridiculous signs. But nothing beats a random Christmas tree in June.
Friday
I spent the day giving my manuscript one final pass over. I’ve already sent it to agents, but now Dr. Erion is going to read it, and that means I have to check it over once more and make sure it’s the absolute best it can be. Because, you know, agents are whatever, but Dr. Erion is, well, Dr. Erion. He needs to not hate it. I can take a hundred rejections from agents, but if he doesn’t like it, I’ll be crushed.
This cuddle bug was happy with my plans for the day. She kept me company (almost too much company) the whole time.
Saturday
Went on a very long walk with an old acquaintance. Sarah used to work with Amanda and me the last year of the grant program in Utica. She randomly messaged me asking if I still lived on St. Jane and telling me she lives quite close now. She wanted to go for a walk, and I’m always down for a good walk these days. It’s how I get fresh air, how I get out of the house… and sometimes how I get human interaction. Usually I don’t actually physically accompany someone (although I did also walk with Chris this week), but I’ll chat on the phone with my brother or Taranne while I meander around the golf course or neighborhood.
The trouble with strolling around the blocks in my neighborhood is that I run into too many former students. Case in point: yesterday Elma drove by us as we were walking up Mohawk and shouted out the window, waving. On our way back from the golf course, Lay Htoo and Little Zeek saw us and pulled over for a moment to say hello. Almost every time I walk somewhere visible, I get seen. I both love and hate this.
Anyway, this sign is something I’ve been meaning to take a picture of for awhile. It’s posted on the tree at the end of our street. I don’t know if there ever existed an organized neighborhood watch in Utica, but there certainly isn’t one on our street now. The neighborhood watch on St. Jane has always consisted of stoop people like The Odd Couple and Crazy Sandy. Brian and I have always gotten a kick out of this sign and out of our colorful neighbors.