Coronavirus: Los Angeles: 2021 #2. (January 16)

 

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Saturday, January 9:

Months ago, there were several reports of more than usual amounts of bird sightings in Los Angeles.  This was attributed to diminished traffic and congestion in the city, due to restictions of the pandemic.  And we did notice what seemed to be more than usual birds and bird calls.  

Nadine and I have both subscribed to a local, community app "NextDoor".  This has all kinds of interesting local postings in our neighborhood, including lost cats and dogs, items for sale (or free), burglaries, etc.  Locals have reported sightings of coyotes, raccoons, and skunks.  We did see a hawk sitting on the roof of a car during a walk about a week ago.

We have not seen any skunks, but definitely have smelled them several times.  Or so we thought.  Then Nadine suggested that the smell might not be skunk after all, but pot.  I contacted some of our children about this possibility, and got this response from our son Dan:

"True story... when I lived with you guys on Cantura (Studio City, circa 1990) I had some very pungent weed sitting in a drawer and mom came in my room and after a minute scrunched up her nose and asked “do you smell that?.. smells like a skunk in here?” To which I just shrugged my shoulders and changed the subject. “

So I guess we have both in our neighborhood: skunks and pot. Maybe after the pandemic, the skunks will go away?

Sunday, January 10:

We have remarked to each other that we are hearing more and more sirens in our neighborhood.  The nearest fire station is about a 1/2 mile east of us on 3rd Street.  Cedars-Sinai hospital, a small city unto itself, is about 1 mile west of us.  Fire trucks and ambulances frequently speed down 3rd, sirens wailing.  Now our senses are confirmed in the NYTimes article about COVID in L.A.: "Los Angeles County has a coronavirus-related death every eight minutes, a grim toll accompanied in many neighborhoods by the soundtrack of shrieking sirens."

This reminds me of something Rabbi Mordechai Finley said shortly after 9/11.   If you have ever driven in LA traffic, and been late for something, you have had to pull over when you see the red lights blinking in the rear view mirror and hear the sirens.  You're annoyed because you're late, and now you will be later.  Rabbi Finley noted that he had experienced these same feelings; but after 9/11, he remembered that these firefighters and EMTs could well be saving lives, and also putting their own lives in danger, on whatever their mission is this time.  So, you're late, but remember what's most important here.  Maybe say a prayer for them.

Monday, January 11: Especially for the ladies:

Heard this interview by Terrry Gross of Fran Lebowitz on Fresh Air.  Nadine listens to Fresh Air a lot.  Me, not as much, but usually find it interesting when I do. The whole session is about 45 minutes long, but the first 15 minutes are especially funny to me.   Lebowitz was born about 1950, in New Jersey across the Hudson from NYC, and describes her childhood in very funny terms.  As a girl, she often asked if she "could do something", and was told "No".  When she asked why not, the answer was "Because you're a girl!"  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

     Fran Lebowitz on Fresh Air

A quote I heard recently that I just liked:

    "Tell me something good before it's too late”

Only three more days of POTUS45 to go.  Stay calm and safe. 

Coleman