Tues thru Thurs 14-16 April 2020

    Oh, oh.  I have about given up trying to keep up.  This is hard trying to blog day-by-day.
    Most important - I keep working from home this 4th/5th week.  Joining a research team, examining multi-volume titles which got separated between two libraries (trying to re-unite them and keep them in a single library), our liaison team meeting discussing how we liaisons on the front line for this online university are not getting our fair worth of praise for our work, several work and 'coffee' zoom meetings which keep me somewhat connected.
    Also make an effort to keep up walking, some days at least one 1/2 hour walk and some two of those.
    The India Bazaar store said it would re-open on the 13th Apr so we could restock our supply of paers which one each which we have in the evening (Deej is running out of her plain papars, though I have a pretty good stash of cumin papars). Drove all the way up to the Indian store only to discover  that they had not reopened but will reopen on the 20th (we can always hope). Also it was a little frustrating as both Deej and I tried to deposit some checks before going to the store - the automated teller didn't accept her check so we lined up and both of us deposited our separate checks at a window.
     Deej went to the store yesterday and got our weekly (maybe enough) groceries. The Tuesday afternoon stores were crowded.
     Flowers, bushes, and trees are blossoming hugely - especially after our 3 inches of rain which fell over Sunday night and into Tuesday morning. Some places were surprised to see some early Tuesday morning snow!
     Deej also mowed our side and front yards today (Wed). Deej mowing 12 seconds

   








     My classmates have been reading several books and I've listed most of them in Worldcat.org.  I sent that list by email and one of my testy members complained - "why are you recommending I read these books, I have plenty of good books to read." Of course I never thought I was "recommending" books, just listing them as interesting - so, I replied, "never mind, just delete that list and any others."
Here's the list - no, I'm not insisting you read all of them. The list includes 'failed' books too (started but never read) Moby Dick, The Odyssey : the story of Ulysses, etc.

     The other very interesting video I received was of a 20 minute motor bike ride, "Lockdown in India" of a friend taking an American on a 4 mile trip to a police station in the Himalaya hill town of Mussorie so he could get permission to travel to Delhi and get a plane back to the States.  What was unusual was the very narrow streets up and down the hills - the streets were almost empty of people, but there were dogs laying around, and one place cows roaming around. I have not learned if he got back to the States or not, but Modi re-instated the India lockdown which ended the 13th and then almost immediately was re-instated until early May.  Have a look at the video

Click on Helping My Friend Escape LOCKDOWN in India

And here's a Map of route https://goo.gl/maps/m1UShVjnkqA3YPi68

      I'm having a disconnect with my sister Betty, as she wants to set up her own zoom with me and because she needs to be the Host of her reading club zoom session.  We've tried various things, but still haven't been able to figure out a good time over the phone and the Internet to figure this out.  Plus her laptop's video and sound seem some how turned off, as in a zoom session we tried with her and others over the week end.  Hope we can get that all fixed.  

      Extremely sad to hear that brothers of two of my good friends died (the friends - Anand and Wayde) - their families and friends will miss these amazing humans.

Thursday through Monday 2-6 April 2020

Worked Thursday and Friday, did Gardening stuff Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evening
     Work mainly consists of trying to find ebooks and access for online learning. That was also true Monday when I worked with an anthropology professor and our digital access librarian to try to find a Cambridge publication online - and at first it didn't allow access to both the professor and me. The librarian ordered the book which will come Wednesday - then we can see if we can get his Chapter 10 in that ebook. Cambridges problems was that they have opened up their books digitally for the next two months - but this book did not qualify since it was not designated as a 'textbook'!
    There were various library zooms, morning 1/2 hour coffee zoom and a Research and Learning zoom in the afternoon - they are thinking of ending all scanning soon.
     Garden plot. Spent much of Saturday afternoon working with Deej to clear off all the old and dead twigs, corn stocks, etc. and place the cages, stakes, bamboo poles, all in a section. Deej also is working on a fenced in patch, which she started to folk spade on Sunday.

    We loaded and brought in the mower on Sunday also, and mowed the whole garden area. It was in preparation for our Afghan's fellow gardener's offer to til the plot. Monday we went and checked, but it had not been tilled - one tiller broke down and another was a front tiller and would not dig into the hard ground. So now we are thinking we will need to hire someone again to till the plot ($40-60).

I forked up a long row and Deej helped me plant two types of peas. She's also been loading and taking (so far 4) buckets of mulch chips. She upset that some of our fellow gardeners have taken almost of of the large pile of rich mulch - not much sharing of that, like they have done in previous years. 

 

 There was a nice sunset and a full moon as we left the garden.

Deej baked another loaf of bread Sunday afternoon.









    While the dishwasher and new faucet got put in, only today did the dryer repairman come in to fix the heating on it He finished and we paid him $350, and then Deej did two washes, and the dryer didn't heat up - so called again and they're coming in tomorrow morning.  Whew, nuts.
      I had a nice zoom chat with my Class of 59 folks Saturday afternoon - the second week with them.  And I joined a Woodstock alumni management small group to try to figure out what ways we might make contacts and help out anyone during this time of virus.  Some actions were suggested, but most were vague and uncertain.
       And I joined another Woodstock alumni zoom on Sunday late morning, with a variety of about 15 Woodstockites - talking of a variety of our experiences during theses 'stay at home times.'
       We've been on some walks around Belmont park and to Moores creek this last week end.

Monday - Wed 30 March - 1 April 2020

Groceries, walks, zooms, work, repairs, bread.
     Monday's a blur of getting back to work, calling people for clogged sink and heat for dryer repairs, and a walk to the quarry.

New faucet

faucet installed

    Tuesday both repair people came in the early afternoon with the sink guy working for about 1.5 hours and putting in a new single-handle, drip-free faucet. The dyer guy puttered around, took it apart, saw he need thermal heater replacement, put it back together, ran it and the burnt smell permeated the house. After much calling, the we accepted that they would replace the thermal which is on order and might come Thursday. Deej has not decided on a new freezer.

     We also went in the afternoon to pick up my heating mug from the Science and Engineering library and a mailer from Kerchof, the Math Library - was able to do that though nobody around since I had keys. We decided to walk around the Gardens which are spread out on each side of the Rotunda's Lawn, even though it was raining slightly.  Got some nice photos with rain droplets on them Here's the 1 minute 20 seconds video of the flowers https://youtu.be/tiH3tTDJyz8
and the 26 photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/eHztw84d73EhYy5x7

snow drops

Deej with tulips

Philip in the garden

Red petals

While out we also picked up some onions, peas, and a blackberry bush from Southern States.
     Wednesday we set to wake at 6:30 am but pushed it back to 6:50, coffee, and drive to Kroger by 7:20 am for their early morning Elderly hour. Got needed groceries - cookies, yogurt, beer, milk, broth, condensed milk, sliced turkey roast, avacados, bananas, eggs, etc. You know, essentials. Parking lot about 30% less full than usual, not too many elderlies (2 retired librarians), and we were home by 8 am.
        I've been working on several library matters - book and access requests, work zooms (1 hour Wed afternoon with liaisons) and non-work librarian zooms - 1/2 hour each day for our coffee break. Today was show your pet - but our cat Kali was not having anything for me to hold her on my lap and show her - others conversed about dogs, cats, or such. And is there the ashes of a past University professor in the library - where is it and how is it cataloged (everything's got to be cataloged!). I may be working on a project to find subjects for each of 800 India pamphlets (1960s), besides helping my faculty and students for occasional requests. I need to vote for 2 proposed amendments for the South Asia Microfilm Project.
      The work zoom was not as good as it could have been since our host Internet was not too strong, and we had to resort to turning off our videos and muting, until we joined in to say something. We are still fumbling around trying to do our best in this online environment.
       As requested I had tried zooming with my Woodstock Class of 1959 classmate, Chris, who's in Switzerland. We tried it Tuesday afternoon, and then Wed. afternoon.  He can see me fine, though the sound is garbbled - I was never able to hear or see him - just a box with his name on it. His Internet access might be way to slow or/and others are using the Internet at the same time way too much. We will try after the Pandemic - when will that be? 3 months? 7 months? when?
         I did also figure out a good time and zoomed with my daughter Julie in Iowa for about 15 minutes this Wed. evening - catching up on how Iowa school system has still not figured how to connect to students and courses or continue the school year online. It may be over - Lauren's last semester as nursing training may somehow be completed; Eliza's not sure about here schooling; but Matt's still working as usual. Wanted to have Jan and Betty in on the zoom, but Jan's at his daughters for pizza and never got connected to Betty. We'll keep trying.
       Rained some more today.
   Oh, yes - Deej made another loaf of bread Tuesday afternoon.

Ingredients

In the machine

In the machine Done

The wonderful loaf

 

Sunday walks again 29 March 2020

 Go to Clickon 43 Photos > https://photos.app.goo.gl/EVW1PVEtqCu4Ufqj7
    A boring day with two wonderful walks. The first along the Moores Creek trail (western side) with Deej starting from Hardees on 5th Street and heading east. The Creek was first on our right with the Wegmen's shopping center looming tall on the other side. Met bikers, walkers, saw flowers, rocks, etc, but not quite as crowded as yesterday's walk. We looped back and saw geese, 'beggers,' a man resting, etc.

Walking

Bikes

whites

whites

 

  Then Deej dropped me off on 5th street (for the second alone walk) where a creek runs underneath the road - and the eastern Moore's Creek trail starts up from there and runs east. That small creek later joins up with Moore's creek. I had a hard time at first going through bushes with no trail, crossed another creek and found the well-used trail we had been on yesterday. Came across again - waders, contemplaters, a small party complaining about people not keeping their distance, bikers, runners. Then up to my Pollock's trail and through the bamboo clump to cross Pollock's creek to home.

Plate

Contemplating

 

 

 

 

 

white

 

bamboo exit

      We had the second half of Deej's marvelous chicken tika dinner. No really good tv, but did watch West World episode and the very sparce LastWeek Tonight.
       And finally Scavanger Hunts - this sounds like a great idea to me, from Facebook

Ann Gold OK, I have to brag now about my neighborhood which 2 weeks ago on the neighborhood listserv organized a *scavenger hunt* so different families put different things on display in their windows; 100 houses participated! mine has a spider web. The list of items was published and I see parents and kids with notebooks and pencils going around looking for stuff."  

       Let's do it.

Philip waves at #55

Kali by my mailbox for Scavanger hunters

 

Saturday Zoom Creek 28 March 2020

    Mainly two things today - setting up and hosting a zoom 1.5 session with my Woodstock School Class of 1959 mates, and going for an hour walk along the Moores Creek nearby.
   The Zoom had 9-10 participants from 1:30 to 3 pm Eastern time.  I hosted it with my University of Virginia good Zoom account. As Gil from Eugene, Org. wrote "Alan in Granada, Judy in England, Dale in Scotland, Alice in NY, Phil in Virginia, Lindsay in Washington, Jack in Maryland, Les in Ohio and Jim in Tennessee." Many different topics a good session - needed to tell people to unMute, to turn on their Video, and discussed the customizable background. Some stayed away because they did not trust Zoom to be private and secure enough.

Class of 1959 Zoooming

    Around 4 pm we headed down to Jordan Park and went for an hour walk along Moore's Creek. Lovely blosoms of flowers, trees, etc. Two families were playing in the water at different points. Others were walking with their dog, or by themselves. One woman was siting on a large rock with her ipad and chatting on her cell phone. A nice sunny day in the 70s. 
     Click and check out these photos > https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wzn8wgGPktbYm8zg9

Kids playing

The trail

Philip waving

 

reading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   In the evening Deej decided to make curried chicken, which was very good. My tomato and onion fresh chutney Deej said stunk up the kitchen. She had Alexa tune in Indian supper music - interesting, but then we switched over to "Alexa, shuffle the India playlist" Soothing music.
    Deej complained I was kicking last night keeping her awake.  Ahh, it's always something.

Wed-Friday 25-27 March 2020

     Sorry, I've been busy with all sorts of other things.  Mostly work during the day, plus other things.
     Fell into a pattern during the last three days of getting up - checking email, handling requests and other business, keeping an eye on the changing posts in 5 Slack channels, and afternoon Zoom meetings, even a 'coffee' one with non-library banter.
     Our Delhi and other Library of Congress offices are locked down, since the embassies in Cairo, Islamabad, and Delhi have mostly closed or working at a bare minimum.  Shipments are on hold until further notice. Delhi is empty and eerie.
     I sent out another post to my Anthropology and Middle East and South Asia Languages Departments' faculty with library updates and how to request ebooks, scanning of text books, and what libraries are open or closed, and their hours. Responded to requests for 2 ebooks; and where our online video collection could be accessed.
     Also went on Thursday afternoon to my real office at Kerchof Hall, mainly to pickup my duo monitors, plus 4 boxes of (1,000?) pamphlets to review for developing cataloging inforation. It was a ghost campus, only one car in about 60 parking slots.
     Did I mention, I did my for online annual evaluation with my boss? - she had some good suggestions of what I might work on for the next year. We are slated to get a 2% or so salary increase.
     We have gone to two quick grocery trips - Wegmen's carefully wiped down everything - belt, items, and kept us behind the line. Foodlion, not so much.
      Deej went to an entivio infusion Thursday morning and she is uneasy about going into grocery stores with her Crohn's disease.
       Nonetheless Deej mowed the front yard Friday afternoon and so it's now my turn to do the much larger back yard. She also went on a walk with me this afternoon along the new trail just west of the Wegman's shopping center, down to the creeks and along dirt, muddy paths which seem heavily used by mountain bikes.Another nice trail, though.
     One of my Woodstock classmates got back from Papua New Guinea to Washington state okay; another classmate is finding the Spanish restrictions quite severe. The worst case right now is a Woodstock school mate in the class below me (1960) - she and her husband were on a cruise to Chile and got restocked down there and are heading back to Norfolk, but uncertain if they will get through the Panama canal, plus 2 people on board have died today and another 2 are sick and the medical staff is very limited. Dire circumstances.
     I've gone ahead and alerted my Class of 1959 mate that I will host an hour zoom session with the 35 or so of us at 2 pm Saturday afternoon (Eastern time). That should be interesting. 4 or 5 of them have already used zoom with family and church members. We'll see. 
      Are you zooming, too?

Tuesday routine? (and spies) 25 March 2020

Seems like we have started to fall into a routine working at home. Check email, Slack, websites, etc. Listen to the constant 'chatter' on Slack.
     Notified others that shipments from Cairo, Islamabad, and Delhi from the Overseas Acqusitions Offices of the Library of Congress at those centers that shipments have stopped until further notice. An email from the head of the Delhi office pictured a very beak town - empty, quiet, shut up, police - I can't image how the poor are going to last through this for 2 weeks or more.
     Participated in another daily Zoom from our head librarian - people are helping out people to keep the library and the university oiled. They established a new hosting program, https://uvacreate.virginia.edu, costing $15 a year, where you can set up your own academic website, fully functional - that was in the planning for several years and now it's happened. Some are thinking of setting up a 30-minute coffee Zoom, with any library talk, so we can see faces and pets!
      Also participated in another 1 hour Zoom of Yoga - don't know if I did very well - I tried and stretched, breathed.
       Good simple meal of salmon, baked potatoes, and string beans this evening - haven't gotten my evening ice cream dish yet.
        Worked for about 5 hours late afternoon and evening setting up a video and photos of our South Asian Materials Project zoom 2-hour meeting last Friday to share with that organization. Is it worth it to spend all that time on photos, video editing, sounds, etc?
    About 40 photos at SAMP Zooom meeting last Friday
    And the 1 minute 28 second video of the Zoom meeting (See note below)
    We've got a little rain so the spring flowers are happy again. The four or five feral cats outside seem to be doing well, and inside our cat Kali had taken up sleeping and sleeping and sleeping. She seems unfazed by the C Virus. Maybe she's a Trump supporter? Bite your tongue, Phil!

Note: the last image of the SAMP meeting video is of Marueen Patterson - homage to her since she laid the solid foundation at the U of Chicago for all of our South Asia libraries and librarians in the 1960s and 1970s. In all sorts of ways, personal, leadership, publishing such as her manmoth South Asia Bibliography. Few people also know that, as her graphic of her 1945 identification certificate indications - she was a 'spy' for the OSS. Two women worked in South Asia during that time (1940s, 1950s), Joan Bondurant who wrote a fantastic book on Gandhi's Conquest of Violence, and Julia Child, working for a while with her State Department husband in Ceylon.  It's all in the book Sisterhood of Spies. Have a look.