No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on March 31, 2020

Or the Homebound Saga Day 16

Right now, there is a meme going around that says, “If you think Artists are useless, try to spend your quarantine without Music, Books, Poems, Movies, Paintings, and Games.”

Artists are taking some serious hits that other professions really don’t.

I have a lot of friends in the theater who are just sitting on their hands. My movie and TV buddies are in the same boat as the rest of us since nothing is filming and since it tends to be contract work, they don’t get paid unless they are working. With the shutdown of Diamond, which basically had the monopoly on comic book distribution, comic books companies are at a standstill, so artists and writers are finishing up the assignment that they have and are told that is it for a while. Publishers are not buying new materials if they can’t publish and distribute what they have in the pipeline. My fellow puppeteers have lost most of their spring Income and it is going into the summer shows they were booked for. Musicians can’t tour.

With conventions cancelled, I know a lot of people who are losing income hand over fist. We are among them as conventions do help our bottom line. We have had five conventions cancelled that Peter would have been attending in March and April. Also Heliosphere were we were going to be guests of honor together for the first time. We are talking the people who run the conventions, the hotels and restaurants in the area, the talent, the vendors, the artists, and the volunteers. I know people whose sole job are these conventions and currently they are out of a job and cannot file for unemployment because they are independent contractors.

I have had a couple of commissions go on hold until this is all over. Just when I was getting my website up and going with people starting to look and inquire about puppets, this happens. And it is very frustrating.

But I plug along and get some projects started and try to get more stock pieces done. I know a lot of people who are taking the time to work on that one project that they have wanted to do but haven’t had the time if they have the materials to do so. I am glad I have the fabric stock that I do since right now getting sewing supplies can be difficult. 

So take a moment to think of the creative forces behind the things you are enjoying now and when this is all said and done consider giving some support to the Arts for the next time this happens.

I am grateful for the support we have gotten as Artists.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 30, 2020

Day 15 of the Homebound Saga

I think my proudest achievement yesterday was getting a cabinet in the kitchen sorted out that has been kind of a mess for years. Now I can get to things I need without having to pray that other things don’t fall out all over the floor. 

Today I venture out to get food and a few other things we need around the house including a trip to CVS, the hardware store, post office, and the grocery store. I have gloves to wear for each stop and wipes for the steering wheel. 

I am figuring that we are going to be here until May given the information we have and what we need to do for the people of this country. Then we have to see what is happening in the rest of the company. Given where we are, I am figuring that DragonCon is the next convention we might make but I am hoping it will be Shoreleave.

Again, it is for the good of the people and so our country doesn’t have a population drop larger than the black plague.

Oh, John Oliver was new last night and very good. Also a number of the late night hosts are doing short pieces online. Trevor Noah is hitting it out of the park.

I have essential tremors like so many others. For many it is not even noticeable until they are much older. I got the short straw and they became rather more obvious in my 40s. When I am stressed, I find that they are worse. Yesterday was a very bad day for the shakes. I had to be so very careful about handling things and make sure I had a grip on an object. I then had to pray that the grip would hold. 

I have been reading a number of articles online about the stress of the situation we are in and the mental health side of the coin. There are breakdowns of what isolation does to people and the uncertainty of what is next. 

We are all under pressures we have never experienced in our lives or even our parents’ lives.

People react differently to this. 

There is no wrong way to feel about it. Whatever you feel is valid. It is not weak to feel scared or angry or confused or sad or…

I know I have to be strong for my family. I am the practical stage manager who keeps the trains running on time and have been for years. 

But I am scared about any of my family getting the virus. I have already lost two friends and had another friend lose their partner of 20 years. Those are solid examples of what is happening out there that bring it home to me.

I have friends who parents are in their last days and they cannot visit in person and offer comfort to them. That is probably one of the cruelest things right now.

 I cannot be with Peter when he has a doctor’s appointment which is something I did so I would have the same information that he does since I am his caretaker and medicine procurer. It is the same for Caroline even though she is a minor until December. 

And that is very frustrating on so many levels.

The only reason Caroline and I can walk together is that we are living in the same house so we are isolated with each other. But I have seen other people walked together at a distance around our neighborhood. One of the things that is keeping me sane are our walks and being able to do cardio along with getting some sunshine on our skins. 

I have to remind myself that whatever I get done in a day is enough. I do get frustrated that I cannot do more or I find myself wasting time doing something that is not moving projects forward. I need to remember that wasting time is not evil but part of the whole of the day. Nor is napping especially when I have had a crap night’s sleep. 

And that is important to remember. What you get done is what you get done be it work or home cleaning or cooking or exercising or…

Right now I am saying to myself “Dayenu”, which loosely translates to ‘it would have been enough’. 

So be kind to yourself. Practice some selfcare. Do what you need to do to get to the next day and know that whatever you get done is enough.

I am grateful for nitrile gloves.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 29, 2020

End of Week 2 of the Homebound Saga aka Sunday

My father informed me yesterday of the passing of Bob from complications of the COVID-19 virus. When I heard Governor Cuomo give us the death statics for New York City on Friday for the people who died Thursday, I didn’t know at the time that Bob was one of those who had passed.

Bob was one of those larger than life people who really did take life by the horns and lived it. He was a world traveler having stepped on all seven continents before it was easy to do. He was an avid foodie who loved to share his findings with others. If you wanted a good restaurant recommendation for New York City, Bob could steer you to the best. He had a passion for the arts in all forms. He was an avid reader which was pretty obvious if you entered his apartment as he had floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with books on all kinds of subjects.

He was a friend of the family before there was a family. He and my father met in high school and became good friends. That friendship lasted throughout the years. 

I can remember as a child going to New York City and having Bob show us around. There are a couple of spots that still exist that I remember from that time. In his apartment he had a window seat that I loved to sit on and watch the people outside.

Bob introduced me to the works of Shel Silverstein by gifting me a copy of Don’t Bump the Glump which I still have. I loved those poems.

He would send us Christmas letters with his adventures across the globe every year. 

He’s the one that told me that I could pay whatever to get into the Met. The prices were suggestions not hard numbers. He also steered me to some exhibits of artists I have grown to adore that I would not have if he hadn’t told me about them. He also sorted out the subway system for me.

My best Bob Zolnierzak story happened when I went up to Yale to interview for the Stage Management program at the Yale School of Drama. 

I was using Bob’s apartment as my base while I was in town. When I got there, Bob informed me that he and a friend were throwing a dinner party and they had one seat left that they hadn’t filled so it was serendipitous that I was there on that weekend to join them.

This was one of those dinner parties that started about 6 and ended around midnight. There were food and wine pairing that were amazing. The meal was the stuff of legend.

Even better were the people. I do not think I have ever been in such an eclectic group of intellectuals in my life. There were both an astronomer and an astrologer. There was a crossword puzzle creator. There was a geologist who was also a Buddhist. Two book indexers which is what Bob did as well. One of Jim Henson’s assistants who was where Frank cribbed the voice of Miss Piggy which was rather disconcerting. A lawyer and a police officer. 

We talked about everything and anything. It was one of those amazing conversations that started a point A seem to be moving to B before taking a hard left to K eventually getting back to B. I was in heaven as I could keep my own among these people and they listened to what I had to say rather than being dismissed as a child. 

It was one of the most incredible nights of my life and I will always be grateful for it.

I would occasionally stay with Bob while I was at Yale and he was in town. 

After I moved up here again, we talked about getting together but the timing just didn’t work out for one reason or another. 

Now I wish it had. I figured that Bob would be there.

He would have been 84 on March 30^th. 

I will miss him and his recommendations for all things New York City. I will miss the book discussion we always seemed to get into. I got some great reads off of his recommendations. 

Rest in Peace Bob. You were one of those shining lights we all need in our lives.

I am grateful that Bob was part of my life.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 28, 2020

I did lose count on the days until I looked at my calendar in the kitchen. I honestly thought it was Friday which was yesterday.

The governor announced that all New York schools will be closed until April 14^th and they are waving the 180 days of schooling rule. Caroline starts remote schooling on April 1^st with actually classes on the 14^th. The district has put up assignments to their website so there is a lot of printing going on. 

That means there will be at least another two weeks of isolation if not more. 

However, we are seeing the beginnings of why we are doing this as hospitals are whelmed rather than overwhelmed. A lot of medical personal have come out of retirement to assist in the crises. But the frontlines are dangerous, and hospitals are losing their people to the virus.

We are doing our part of not interacting with people unless absolutely necessary. Caroline and I are taking walks, but we are observing the distance between people. When I go to the store or pharmacy, I put on nitrile gloves and dispose of them once I am done in the store. It puts a good barrier between me and germy surfaces.

Apparently stress baking and cleaning are good ways to deal with anxiety. I plan to do both today. For me building puppets and making meep-morp (Art) is another stress reducer.

Speaking of Meep-Morp, the end of Steven Universe was brilliant. I am happy the way it ended. It was an ending but left the what next to our imaginations. Thank you to Rebecca Sugar and her entire crew for creating something that helped my child during a dark time in her life and given her something that allowed her to know that being different is not bad but different. Caroline was lucky enough to meet the cast and crew twice and has some nice autographed posters because of it. If you haven’t seen Steven Universe, you can binge watch it on the Cartoon Network app. 

Online I find myself sharing cat pictures and food pictures with my friends. They do the same with their pets and food. We share stupid puns and bad jokes and try to be there for each other. Knowing that I have people out there who have my back as I have theirs helps with my anxiety about this whole situation and not knowing when the world will start to move again.

Be good to yourself. Remember it is the weekend so find some activity that you only do on the weekends that you can do now and do it.

I am grateful for Steven Universe.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 27, 2020

Last night about nine o’clock I found myself on the couch with my eyes closing so I went to bed. Woke up once or twice but rolled over and went back to sleep. Got up at 8. That is probably the longest uninterrupted sleep I have gotten in years without being ill. I feel Awake for the first time in a long time. 

Caroline and I have our list of things to do today. Dinner tonight is going to be my from scratch baked mac & cheese with the other loaf of bread I made last Friday. 

We do find ourselves baking more things these days. I am cooking things that take longer like soups and roasts. We are also trying new recipes because we do have time.

Caroline and I are walking for our cardio. We have several walks that we like through various places in the village. We find ourselves going down to the shore more often and looking at the water. It is very peaceful and so nice to get out into fresh air. On these walks as the time has gone on, we find people more friendly. Keep our distance we say ‘hello’ and ‘how’s it going’. Caroline has been able to pet doggies then come home and wash her hands. She is really good at keeping them away from her face. 

I have to be very aware of my hands because touching my face is something I do a lot. I hadn’t realized how much until I started paying attention. I tend to lean on my hand when sitting and reading. Also, right now, my hair is at that annoying length that keep falling in my face so I have to put it back. We are all looking a little scruffy as haircuts were in the near future when this happened.

More news as I know it but next weekend (April 3-5) at some point I will be on the Heliosphere feed talking about building puppets which is a panel I never do because it would be so much stuff to shlep to a convention but at our house I have it at my fingertips. Peter will be doing a reading as well.

This weekend we will continue as we have been with keeping distance and being careful about what we touch and when. If the weather is good, I think Caroline and I will be doing some activities outside in our yard.

I am grateful for people being kind to others.

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