COVID-19 Diary: Day 54

Dear Old Blog,

The death toll is horrifying:

How do we get our minds and hearts around these numbers? How do we process this?

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 53

Dear Old Blog,

Personal experience does not equal fact.

As illustrated by Nathan Pyle:

when I drew this, I wanted the eagle to call him “mr. mouse” to indicate that the eagle actually knew the mouse, as opposed to “the owl” pic.twitter.com/fpLeOn9k8a

— Nathan W. Pyle (@nathanwpyle) August 19, 2018

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 52

Dear Old Blog,

Being the fourth of May, Eric and I turned to Disney+ after dinner.

We watched "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," which we had missed in the movie theater.

It's always wonderful to be in the "Star Wars" universe. And I do like the character of Rey. But "Rise of Skywalker" didn't knock my socks off. It's good but not great.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 51

Dear Old Blog,

For the Church, today was "Good Shepherd Sunday."

Hence my ear worm:

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 50

Dear Old Blog,

It's Day 50 of my quarantine. It's still hard to get my brain around it all.

Eric and I went for another Saturday afternoon drive today.

Like last Saturday, we did not get out of the car.

We went through the Panera Bread drive-thru and ate our lunch in the parking lot.

Then, we drove around the adjacent Moss Park neighborhood. It was one of the few neighborhoods in our part of Orlando that we had not yet explored.

We even briefly drove into the actual Moss Park, a county park. We stayed in the Nissan.

When this pandemic is over, I look forward to taking our Saturday lunch there for a picnic.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 49

Dear Old Blog,

A few days ago, the father of my friend Helena died.

Helena wrote in a Facebook post:

"The worst thing about losing someone to this virus is it robs you of the ability to mourn properly. There’s no bedside goodbyes or kisses to let your loved one know they’re not alone and somehow, that makes it feel less real. So this is my attempt at closure. It’s been a few days and I experience moments of complete normalcy mixed with waves of intense grief. I’m completely heartbroken and so unbelievably angry. I’d give anything to have you call me to ask what time the Yankees are playing today or to hear “madoneeee” just one more time. RIP Dad. I miss you."

I pray that Helena's dad, and all those who have died, are now in God's warm embrace.

I pray, as well, for Helena, her family and all those around the world who are now mourning the death of a loved one.

"Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted." (Mt 5: 4)

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 48

Dear Old Blog,

The arts have been so important to helping us stay sane during these quarantine days.

Here is a beautiful example of that from Toronto:

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 47

Dear Old Blog,

Here is the top tune on my quarantine playlist this week:



Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 46

Dear Old Blog,

Some more balm for these quarantine days from the great Stephanie Blythe ... "Can't Help Falling in Love" is a favorite of mine:

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 45

Dear Old Blog,

In this New York Times op-ed, we learned about Cesar Quirumbay's life and untimely death from COVID-19.

My favorite part:

" ... Then there was the time that Mr. Quirumbay and his fellow tailor Ki Soo Jeong, a Korean immigrant, spent a weekend trying to make a suit and a bomber jacket out of a single sheet of purple plastic for Ben Stiller to wear in 'Zoolander 2.' Mr. Quirumbay didn’t speak Korean, Mr. Ki doesn’t speak Spanish, and neither of them really mastered English. But despite all that — and though the iron kept melting the plastic — they pulled it off. The duo made an impressive team and were constantly cracking each other up with jokes that were unintelligible to any outsider. Mr. Logsdail said it was as if they invented their own language. ... "

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 44

Dear Old Blog,

Lord knows I have cabin fever.

Lord knows I need a hair cut.

Lord knows I want to get back to normal life.

I miss going to Church. I miss going to restaurants.

I miss work trips in NYC.

I miss people.

BUT I know that decisions on reopening need to be led by scientists and doctors.

NOT by business.

NOT by stock market insiders.

COVID-19 is too deadly and damaging to make these decisions with rose-colored glasses on.

Yes, reopening the economy is important.

But, it's not as important as lives and health.

Getting "back to business" is less important than ensuring we do not have a second wave of virus transmission across the country.

It's not worth the risk.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 43

Dear Old Blog,

This afternoon, Eric and I went for a mental health drive.

We did not go far. We did not get out of the car.

But, we did go to the Panera Bread drive-thru for lunch. It was the first time we have gone to a drive-thru in weeks.

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 42

Dear Old Blog,

As of tonight, approximately 52,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.

Worldwide, that number of reported dead is approximately 196,000:

Getting your brain and heart around these horrible numbers is incredibly hard. This death toll is equal to the size of a small city.

I pray that all of the dead around the world are now in God's warm embrace.

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 41

Dear Old Blog,

Tonight, after dinner and our evening walk, Eric and I watched the fine documentary "Ask Dr. Ruth" on Hulu.

It's the story of famed sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

Dr. Ruth lives in NYC's Washington Heights, in a building just a few blocks north of our apartment there.

We were privileged to meet Dr. Ruth a few times over our years in the neighborhood, including at a wonderful Fourth of July dinner at the home of our dear friend Hortense.

What an extraordinary woman! Her drive at age 90 is amazing. I imagine the quarantine must be challenging for someone who so clearly loves being always on the go.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 40

Dear Old Blog,

Here in quarantine land, sometimes it's the little victories.

Eric and I went for a fairly long walk around the neighborhood this evening. We've now gone on walks two evenings in a row.

We need to make it a habit.

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 39

Dear Old Blog,

Word came today that one of our neighbors in NYC has died from COVID-19.

Ralph Steinberg lived on the floor below us in our building.

He is survived by his longtime partner, John.

Ralph is the first person I knew personally to die from the virus. May he rest in peace.

Love,
Paul

COVID 19 Diary: Day 38

Dear Old Blog,

On April 8 (Day 26), I wrote about wanting to be more disciplined here in quarantine land.

Today, I came closer to that goal:

Early morning shower? Check.

Bed made in the morning? Check.

Solid breakfast? Check.

Consistent work flow through the day? Check.

Evening Zoom meeting with NYC Book Club? Check.

Totally clean kitchen after dinner? Check.

If only I had gone on a walk, the day would have been perfect. Tomorrow!

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 37

Dear Old Blog,

This afternoon, Eric and I went for a ride in the car. It was our first drive since March 25.

It was glorious. It was warm and the sun was shining. We did not go far.

I did not get out of the car.

Eric only left the car briefly to use an ATM and make a quick stop in his office to water the orchids.

Oh, how we take the little things for granted!

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 36

Dear Old Blog,

I'm embarrassed to say my knowledge of new pop music is not good.

When I'm at home and need audio to keep me company, I listen to podcasts instead of music. And, when we're in the car, Eric and I listen almost exclusively to On Broadway on SiriusXM.

But, here in quarantine land, I've been exposed to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Isolation Playlist. And that led me a few days ago to "Cellophane" by FKA Twigs.

How have I never heard this before?

In case you've missed "Cellophane" too, check this out:



Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 35

Dear Old Blog,

Here's a problem with the "only 2 to 3 percent might die" argument about re-opening:

That's 2 to 3 percent of the people who HAVE to leave their homes AND their families.

That's 2 to 3 percent of the people whose jobs will DIRECT them to return to work AND their families.

It's pushing the burden of the re-opening onto people who have fewer choices AND their families.

Those of us who don't have to leave our homes? Those of us with the financial power to choose?

We can keep choosing to stay safe inside until any second wave or third wave is over. We can choose to keep getting all of our groceries and supplies delivered.

Hell, we could choose to stay inside until there is a vaccine.

Sure, our hair is going to look long and silly. The cabin fever is going to get really bad.

But, we can choose to not be part of that 2 to 3 percent with a risk of death.

Is this right and just?

Nope.

By the way, I say this as someone who would love for life to get back to normal. How I would love to go to dinner and a movie! But, we need to listen to the scientists and do the right thing.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 34

Dear Old Blog,

I think this tweet is spot-on:

"You are not working from home; you are at your home during a crisis trying to work."

I've heard this twice today. I think it's an important distinction worth emphasising.

— Neil Webb (@neilmwebb) March 31, 2020

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 33

Dear Old Blog,

Eric and I made homemade pizza this evening for dinner, including making our own dough.

This was a first for us. And the pizza was pretty good (said pizza pictured above).

We probably would have not have done this were it not for the quarantine, as well as the example of Jo Andrews of the Hudson Valley:



Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 32

Dear Old Blog,

These are bad times. The death toll is growing. It's important not to minimize that.

There might not be "a tomorrow" for some people. We might not "make it through this."

But, sometimes it's still helpful to listen to songs that tell us otherwise. Maintaining a level of hope gets us up in the morning.

So, cue the great Stephanie Blythe:

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 31

Dear Old Blog,

Quarantine TV report:

Eric and I started watching "The Madalorian" tonight. We made it through the fourth episode.

Enjoying it. Always good to be in the "Star Wars" universe.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 30

Dear Old Blog,

Today was Easter Sunday.

Song of the day (from my gig):

Janet Vogt's "Rise Up With Him" as presented by members of the young adult choir and ensemble from the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in NYC:



Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 29

Dear Old Blog,

Today was Holy Saturday.

The day was mostly consumed by work, including some sharing of the image above: James Tissot's illustration "Two Marys Watch the Tomb."

I'm happy that Eric and I did get out of the house for a mid-afternoon walk. Next week's goal is a daily walk. The foot traffic is low enough here in the neighborhood that this is safe. (We just move into the grass or the street if someone is coming in the other direction.)

Happy Easter!

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 28

Dear Old Blog,

Today was Good Friday.

In the prayers for the day, the Church added this intercession for the COVID-19 pandemic:

Let us pray, dearly beloved, for a swift end
to the coronavirus pandemic that afflicts our world,
that our God and Father will heal the sick,
strengthen those who care for them,
and help us all to persevere in faith. 

Almighty and merciful God,
source of all life, health and healing,
look with compassion on our world, brought low by disease;
protect us in the midst of the grave challenges that assail us
and in your fatherly providence
grant recovery to the stricken,
strength to those who care for them,
and success to those working to eradicate this scourge.
Through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

Amen.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 27

Dear Old Blog,

Today was consumed by work related to Holy Thursday. In a good way.

With our churches closed because of the virus, I'm grateful to be able to help bring online Masses into the homes of many.

The theme song of my day was Paulist Fr. Ricky Manalo's setting of "Pange Lingua":



Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 26

Dear Old Blog,

I'm glad I'm keeping this (modest) daily diary of these quarantine days. It's one point of discipline for me during a murky time.

I wish I could bring more discipline to this life, including a daily walk and improved sleep. I'm often up for an hour or so in the middle of night. This leads to daytime crankiness.

It's also a battle to keep the kitchen neat and tidy. When you eat every meal at home, dishes pile up. But, during the day, I'm supposed to working at my actual job, right?

I never thought I'd express the thought "I miss going to an office." But, I do miss it. There's something to be said for letting home be home and work be work.

But, Eric and I are alive and healthy and fully employed. No one among our immediate family or friends is battling COVID-19. We are blessed.

It seems wrong to complain about what is actually a quite comfortable existence.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 25

Dear Old Blog,

As of this writing, approximately 82,000 people around the world have died because of COVID-19.

Of that total, approximately 13,000 Americans have died.

Dear God, help us.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 24

Dear Old Blog,

The father of an acquaintance of mine from New York City (a friend of a friend) died today due to COVID-19.

She wrote in a Facebook post:

I thought he would live to see 100. It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share my dad passed away today. Everyone said the same thing: 'he’s strong, he’s like a bull, if anyone can pull through, it’s him.' And for a moment there I really thought he would. Sadly, that was not the case. I’m heartbroken that we couldn’t be with him or talk to him but I will try to take comfort knowing that he is with my mom. I know he missed her terribly. Thank you everyone for the calls, messages and texts. But most of all, your prayers. Take care of yourselves. Be extra cautious. COVID19 is real.

COVID-19 is real.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 23

Dear Old Blog,

Today was Palm Sunday.

I spent the day promoting the many online Masses celebrated by the Paulist Fathers via Facebook Live and YouTube.

Some of the Masses integrated videos of parishioners reading or chanting scripture passages at their homes. Others included recordings of cantors or choir members singing from their homes.

Here's a great example of this from the 5:15 p.m. Palm Sunday Mass at our NYC parish, the Church of St. Paul the Apostle:

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 22

Dear Old Blog,

Artistic creativity is helping the world get through this hard time. Here's a great example:

Pittsburgh's own Phat Man Dee shares the great old tune "It's Only a Paper Moon":

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 21

Dear Old Blog,

I have finished watching the "Tiger King" series on Netflix.

Wow. Just wow.

It's a real-life "Game of Thrones" for Trump voters.

The beginning of the fourth episode includes a bit about search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). Talk about an unexpected intersection of my work and quarantine TV!

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 20

Dear Old Blog,

As of this writing, nearly 53,000 people around the world have died because of COVID-19.

More than 5,900 of those deaths have taken place in the United States.

Loving God, I pray that these men, women and children are now in your warm embrace.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 19

The retention pond near our home in Florida in an August, 2019, photo.

Dear Old Blog,

There is a large retention pond near our house here in Laureate Park in Lake Nona, FL. In our household short-hand, Eric and I call it "the lake."

We went for a walk this evening around "the lake." It was really good to get out. It's sunny and warm here now.

Eric and I worked hard to move from the sidewalk into the grass when someone walked toward us from the other direction. Lots of smiling and waving from a distance.

I'm blessed to be alive and healthy. But, I do miss regular human interaction. The old politician in me wants to be able to chat and shake hands with the neighbors.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 18

Dear Old Blog,

The novelty of quarantine is starting to wear off.

We're blessed to be safe and healthy, of course. But, I do miss regular life.

I finished the "Modern Love" series on Amazon Prime tonight. It's an anthology series based on the popular New York Times column of the same name.

A few of the episodes made me cry. All of them made miss New York.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 17

Dear Old Blog,

On March 16, Paulist Fr. Ricky Manalo was verbally assaulted and subjected to racial slurs while walking in my beloved New York City.

Fr. Ricky writes at America Media:

I was out for an evening walk on Monday, March 16, the very first day President Trump used the term “Chinese virus” to describe the new coronavirus, Covid-19. An enormous, black pick-up truck pulled up beside me. At first, I ignored the pulsing and blaring radio that sought to defy its closed windows. The air was thick and cold. I tried to focus on my walk, but within seconds the side window lowered and, over the deafening music, a man began shouting at me, “Virus!... Asian virus!” More words followed, but they all jumbled together in seeming slow motion as my instinctive fear took over amid the racial slurs being hurled my way. At first, I froze. Then, as the man continued to taunt me, I ran into the closest shelter I could find, a nearby liquor store. 

Somehow, I felt the need to justify my sudden presence to the person behind the counter, so I asked a question, one I still cannot remember. On one level, it didn’t matter what I said, as the loud music and angry voices continued to penetrate into the shop. I stood in silence for what seemed like 10 minutes, but was probably only 30 seconds. At last, the truck drove away. I began to breathe more fully. With the truck finally gone, reality set back in: I was a victim of a verbal assault and the target of racial slurs, words I never imagined would be hurled at me. ... 

What is happening in our country?

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 16

Dear Old Blog,

Today, March 29, was the earthly birthday of my mom, Diane.

If she had lived, she would have been 62 today.

She died on November 12, 2019, from lung cancer.

I miss you, mum. You left too early.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 15

Dear Old Blog,

Here in quarantine land, the days run together. I spent the morning thinking it was March 29 when it was only March 28.

Tonight, Eric and I broke down and logged into the free trial of Disney+.

We watched "Rogue One" after dinner. It our first time seeing it.

Loved it. I regret not seeing it in the theater.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 14

Dear Old Blog,

Pope Francis brought me to tears today with his words and prayers in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican:

From the pope's remarks:

... In this storm, the façade of those stereotypes with which we camouflaged our egos, always worrying about our image, has fallen away, uncovering once more that (blessed) common belonging, of which we cannot be deprived: our belonging as brothers and sisters.

“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” Lord, your word this evening strikes us and regards us, all of us. In this world, that you love more than we do, we have gone ahead at breakneck speed, feeling powerful and able to do anything. Greedy for profit, we let ourselves get caught up in things, and lured away by haste. We did not stop at your reproach to us, we were not shaken awake by wars or injustice across the world, nor did we listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet. We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick. Now that we are in a stormy sea, we implore you: “Wake up, Lord!” ... 

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 13

Dear Old Blog,

During most times of national crisis, there are good ways to volunteer.

But, in this time of COVID-19, the current best way to help (for someone with no medical experience) seems to be to just stay home — and help stop the spread of the virus.

From the couch, there is one way to help, of course. And that's opening up the wallet.

Here are the three worthy organizations to which I've donated this week:

Actor's Fund

Washington Health System Foundation (in my native Washington County, Pennsylvania)

NYU Student Emergency Relief (my alma mater)

These donations were not large. But, I hope to do more. As Thornton Wilder said in "The Matchmaker":

"Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.”

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 12

Dear Old Blog,

Tomorrow (Thursday, March 26), a "stay-at-home" order goes into effect here in Orange County in Florida.

With that in mind, even though we haven't been out of the house in days, Eric and I went for a little ride in the car late this afternoon — reasoning it might be our last chance to do so for a while.

We didn't plan to get out of the car.

We thought about going through the local Starbucks drive-through. But we passed on that after seeing the long line of cars already there.

We then went to the bank. (I'm thrilled that Pittsburgh's own PNC opened a branch here in Lake Nona a few months ago.)

Finally, we swung by Eric's office. He ran in and watered his 12 orchids there. (Yeah, he's into orchids.)

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 11

Dear Old Blog,

Tonight, I attended a virtual party on Zoom to celebrate our friend Matt's 36th birthday.

More than 50 people took part.

The party had a circus theme. There was singing, including performances of tunes from "The Greatest Showman." Spoken word, video tributes, acrobatics and magic tricks also were part of the night.

The news today was not good. Among the hundreds of deaths was that of legendary playwright Terrence McNally. He died from coronavirus complications at age 81.

I bet Terrence would have loved Matt's party.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 10

Dear Old Blog,

I used Instacart for the first time today to have groceries delivered. It seemed safer than personally going to the grocery store.

It worked out well. But, our grocery store (Publix) was out of some items, including eggs.

The Instacart shopper erroneously delivered us four green peppers. We'll have to think of a recipe for those.

This evening, my old book club from NYC met via Zoom. It was awesome getting to chat and pray with all of them. I really miss my old crew.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 9

Dear Old Blog,

In these days of COVID-19, Sundays are work days for me.

I spend Sundays sharing Facebook Live videos and tweeting to promote the Paulist Fathers' many online Masses around the United States. By the end of the day, I am really familiar with the Scripture readings of the day. And I hear lots of homilies. I probably should develop a homily scorecard.

For Catholics, today was the Fourth Sunday of Lent or "Laetare Sunday." It's known for the pink or rose vestments worn by priests celebrating Mass on this Sunday.

"Laetare" is Latin for "rejoice." Laetare Sunday is meant to be a day for joy amidst the somewhat somber nature of Lent.

It's hard to be joyful during a pandemic that is killing thousands of people.

But ... today also is composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim's 90th birthday.

So, maybe we need a Sondheim tune to bring a bit of joy, or at least inspiration.

Here is "No One is Alone" from "Into the Woods":

COVID-19 Diary: Day 8

Dear Old Blog,

Saturdays are less fun when every day looks like a Saturday.

But, with the COVID-19 death toll rising and hospital supplies running low around the country, I'm not going to complain about being bored or being stuck in the house.

Eric and I are happy and healthy in our house in Lake Nona, FL. The weather has been beautiful. We're blessed.

A boring Saturday is just fine.

I made my Great-Grandma Vincenti's risotto for dinner tonight. It's a recipe she learned from her mother-in-law, an immigrant to America from northern Italy.

For the risotto broth, I used organic, no-salt-added chicken broth out of a box instead of the old-school salty canned variety. It was fine. Fine like a boring Saturday.

But salty tastes better.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 7

Dear Old Blog,

I wrote an obituary today for work. But, it wasn't related to COVID-19.

I also had pizza on the brain. So, that's what we ordered via Door Dash for dinner. (I'm still hoping food delivery isn't too dangerous right now – for the delivery people and for us).

Eric and I attempted our regular Friday "date night" at home tonight. After dinner, we shared a pint of Ben & Jerry's (cannoli flavored). We watched "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Didn't love it. Didn't hate it.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 6

Dear Old Blog,

Eric and I just came in from a little walk around our neighborhood, Laureate Park in Lake Nona, FL. It was a beautiful warm evening.

We went for a walk last night, too. That stroll was after dark around the big retention pond about a block from our house.

Going for walks is pretty much the only acceptable outing these days.

We still get food deliveries to the house (Mexican yesterday for lunch. Japanese tonight for dinner). I wonder about how much exposure to the virus that presents.

This morning, I learned that an acquaintance in New Jersey (a fellow NYU College of Arts & Science alumnus) has tested positive for COVID-19. He's treating the virus from home.

This evening, a friend in New York shared that a friend of his died due to the virus.

Yes, it's close to home.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 5

Dear Old Blog,

That dry cough seems to be almost gone.

I write that with a great deal of gratitude. I've begun to read about the immense lung pain and breathing trouble for some of those who have contracted COVID-19. It sounds awful.

I now have two acquaintances in New York City who have confirmed cases of the disease. From their social media posts, one seems to be doing fairly well. The other has been hit very hard.

Today was the first day that Eric worked completely from home. That's going well. It's nice to have him home with me.

At the current moment, my magnum opus is the the page on the Paulist Fathers website with the listing of online Mass broadcasts (since public Masses have been cancelled). It's nice to help provide a resource for anyone during this hard time.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 4

Dear Old Blog,

Today's big decision was deciding whether or not to go to the poll and vote in Florida's presidential primary election.

I am feeling good today. The dry cough is minimal (without the benefit of any cough medicine for 24 hours).

I was loathe to sit out this primary election as it was my first opportunity to vote in Florida since we moved here last July. I missed last year's general election in November as I was in Pennsylvania with my mom during her time in hospice.

So, Eric and I went to our polling place in the lobby of the auditorium of Lake Nona High School. (The high school students are on spring break so there was no worry with that.)

I am pleased to report there was no line at all. In fact, Eric and I were the only voters in the space while we were voting.

Upon arrival, I spied a container of hand sanitizer on the sign-in table. I did apply some of the sanitizer to my hands.

We stayed back from the poll workers and marked our ballots easily and quickly with pens we had brought from home. 

Then we exited. Easy-in and easy-out.

Technically-speaking, it was breaking the self-quarantine. But I think it went ok. I'm happy I voted.

Love,

Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 3

Dear Old Blog,

It's the third day of the self-quarantine. (That sounds so dramatic.)

The dry cough is still present but is currently masked by cough medicine. No sore throat today.

I thought that I felt a little warm this morning but my temperature reading was 98.5. So, no fever.

I didn't sleep well last night. But, honestly, I haven't been sleeping well for much of the past 10 months.

Last July, we moved to Lake Nona, FL, for Eric's new gig. And, for our house here, we bought a new Tempurpedic bed. I thought I was going to love this bed. At the store, it seemed so soft and luscious. Truth be told, I bullied Eric into spending more than he wanted to buy it.

But, the bed has turned out to be too soft and squishy, especially at the edges. It's hard to maintain a comfortable position for a full night.

But it's not just the bed. It's also the anxiety.

The anxiety comes from multiple places: figuring out how to successfully work remotely; the horrible state of our national politics; and the recent deaths of my mom and one of my sisters.

My mom, Diane Hertzler (pictured) died in November at age 61 after a short bout with advanced lung cancer that was diagnosed in August.

Last fall, I spent several weeks in Pittsburgh to be present during her time in hospice care.

The second death was that of my half-sister, Amanda Snatchko (pictured). Only 34, she died in January at her apartment in Hawaii. Amanda died following a struggle with alcoholism throughout her adult life.

The deaths of my mom and Amanda resulted in a level of grief I had never experienced before.

Grief like this is so weird. It comes in unexpected waves. And sometimes those waves come in the middle of the night.

I pray that my mom and Amanda are now in God's warm embrace.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 2

Dear Old Blog,

Live from the house in Lake Nona, FL:

The thermometer arrived in yesterday's mail. (Husband Eric was very happy about this.)

My temperature last night was 99.8.

My temperature this afternoon was 98.7.

So, no fever.

The dry cough is somewhat present but not bad at all. Still popping Ricola drops.

Masses are cancelled in many parts of the country this Sunday, but not here in the Diocese of Orlando. But, due to the dry cough, I'm staying clear of folks.

It might be the first time I have missed Sunday Mass since I was a kid.  :-(

Spending the day promoting the broadcasts of Masses by the Paulist Fathers.

Love,
Paul

COVID-19 Diary: Day 1

Dear Old Blog,

Yesterday, I began to have a dry cough at our house here in Lake Nona, FL. The cough is on-and-off today.

Lungs feel a little strange.

Potential of a sore thought addressed by two Ricola drops.

I do not have a fever. But we have ordered a thermometer online.

Psychosomatic symptoms? Will they be difficult to endure?

I guess the 14-day self-quarantine begins now.

Love,
Paul

In Memoriam: Jessye Norman (1945 - 2019)

Earlier this week, the great Jessye Norman entered eternal life. She was 74.

I once had the honor to meet Ms. Norman at an event at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA.

Simply put, she had super powers. And the world is much less for her passing. Two examples:

 

In Front of St. Paul's

From the lens of Ryan Haggerty:

Thursday evening, May 17, 2018: Walking north on Columbus Avenue just south of 60th Street, in front of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, mother church of the Paulist Fathers.  At center is the amazing Jennifer Szweda Jordan.  Yours truly (with white temples) is at right.

Jennifer and Ryan were in the Big Apple to cover the Paulist Fathers' Ordination Mass and interview some of the padres for whom I am blessed to work.

In Memoriam: Tripp Zanetis, 1980 - 2018

The 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life" has been replaying in my mind over the past few days.

Specifically, the "Pottersville" scenes have been in my thoughts. These are the alternate-timeline scenes in which the film's protagonist, George Bailey, had never been born and was therefore not present at key moments to provide critical help for his family members, his friends and his town.

On Thursday, somewhere along the Iraq - Syria border, this kind of history-changing, vacuum-creating event took place in our real world when a military helicopter crashed, killing all seven people on board.

Among the lost was Tripp Zanetis, who I had known for about eight years through our common service on the board of directors of the New York University College of Arts & Science Alumni Association (of which I now serve as president).

I am worried that Tripp's death at the young age of 37 will leave a hole in our history similar to that experienced by the fictional Bedford Falls that never knew a George Bailey.

Because, I believe, if Tripp had lived into old age, he would have been a change-maker in our civic life. In fact, he already was one.

A member of the NYU College of Arts & Science Class of 2003, Tripp served as chair of the NYU Student Senators Council (a role which is basically NYU's student body president).

Almost immediately after his graduation, he became active in NYU alumni activities, serving as a faithful member of our various committees in between his tours of duty overseas and his work with the New York City Fire Department.

While earning his law degree at Stanford University in California, Tripp frequently called into our meetings, providing valuable insights of an active alumnus outside of the New York City area.

Be sure to read "Knock With Your Elbows," a beautiful tribute to Tripp by Michelle Wilde Anderson, one of his professors at Stanford Law.  This Facebook post by Tripp's friend Justin Fansler also is required reading. Michelle and Justin eloquently provide many more details on the impact of Tripp's life and service.

The last time I saw Tripp was at our "CAS Alumni Experience and Brand Ambassadors" committee meeting. I asked him then, as I always did, when he was going to let me run his campaign for Congress, only half-joking as we did expect him to run for office one day.

On that night, Tripp flashed his handsome smile and explained he was about to head back to Iraq so any thoughts of political campaigns would have to be postponed a little longer. (But, as you can see from Tripp's Twitter account, our current political crisis was very much in his thoughts.)

But now, that run for New York City Council or U.S. Congress will never happen.

And, Tripp will never be one of my successors as president of the NYU CAS Alumni Association.

And, and, and ... 

But, into this vacuum we must try to step.

In our own ways, we must try to do acts of service and acts of kindness to fill the void left by the tragic end of Tripp's wonderful life.

Fly On

Tonight, Eric and I watched some of NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics in Korea.

During the figure skating team event, I was intrigued by the quiet Coldplay song to which Adam Rippon skated: "O" / "Fly On."

How is it possible that I've never heard this 2012 - 2014 piece?

Or, has it just never made an impression on me before?

Whichever, it's lovely and peaceful.

For a listen:

Folk Tunes

For a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend":

In this video, we hear a selection of folk tunes assembled by Béla Bartók that were presented during an installment of Noontime Concerts in November, 2017, at Old St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco.

Cue Laura Griffiths on oboe and Miles Graber at the piano:

Video by Kevin McGlynn.

Mayim's Music

A beautiful reflection from Mayim Bialik:

   

Shenandoah

I've shared the beautiful folk song "Shenandoah" in this space once before.

It's been a favorite of mine since I sang it with the community chorus in my hometown years and years ago.

Today, I came across a beautiful take on the tune by VOCES8.  Here it is for a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Peace:

"History"

Others have already said this in recent days but it bears repeating:

For the sake of "history," we do not need statues of Confederate generals who fought for the right of some people to own and sell other people.

That's why we have books and films and audio recordings.

We don't have statues of Hitler in the United States of America.  We don't have statues of Emporer Hirohito in the United States.  We don't have statues of Kaiser Wilhem II in the United States.  We don't have statues of King George III in the United States.  All of these men once waged war again our country.  And none of them have been forgotten to history.

But, history does demand this: remembering that Robert E. Lee and every other Confederate general and soldier waged war against the United States for the right of some people to own and sell other people.

These men were defeated by the Union Army. They were enemies of the United States. They were fighting for an evil cause.

And anyone who defends or seeks to honor them today is on the wrong side of history.

P.S. If you call yourself "pro-life" or "pro-family," and you defend the men who fought for slavery, you're neither pro-life nor pro-family.

Broken

For Christian traditions that follow the liturgical calendar, today is the first day of Advent.

It's a special time of prayer and reflection that prepares us to celebrate Christmas.

It's a time when we think a lot about why Jesus came into the world. It's a time when we contemplate our belief that humanity's relationship with God became so broken that God had to come to earth physically and be with us for a time. (Think of your mom yelling, "Don't make me come down there!")

This concept of "broken relationship" has been on my mind a lot lately. It sure does seem like something is broken right now. There's something broken in our country. Something broken in families and among friends.

The presidential election demonstrated that so many of us are not on the same page when it comes to values and priorities.

The election demonstrated that some of the things that really bother me are not the same things that bother some of the people I love. And, as something of an OCD control freak, this bothers me!

I'm also troubled by the extent to which I didn't know this chasm existed. I'm troubled by how out of touch I was, not only with millions of other Americans, but out of touch with the true thinking of many of my own family members and friends.

On Wednesday, November 9, in my anger, I unfriended and blocked on Facebook anyone I saw cheering the election of Donald Trump. Family members, childhood friends, high school classmates, longtime political allies, people who attended our wedding. If you voted for Trump, I was done with you.

And, then came good Pope Francis and some of the priests with whom I work, reminding me that I need to forgive and listen sincerely — that I shouldn't oppose the great orange wall-builder by building walls of my own. Ugh.

All of which brings us to the video below from Sojourners. It's a bit on the dramatic side for my taste. But, it's good for thought in this season of discontent and on this first Sunday of Advent 2016:

How High The Moon

This year, Eric's dad and stepmom are both marking major birthdays as well as their 25th wedding anniversary in December.  Two weeks ago, to help celebrate their milestones, we spent a fun long weekend together in Nashville, along with his Eric's two sisters and their husbands.

That Saturday evening, we went to the Grand Ole Opry.  Among the many performers were the Quebe Sisters (described as "triple-threat fiddle champions").  I was very happy to hear their cover of the '40s jazz standard "How High The Moon."

I've loved "How High The Moon" since I first heard it during the opening credits of the 1988 film "Biloxi Blues" in a lovely slow (even mournful) take by Pat Suzuki.

For a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," here below are both of those renditions.

Peace:

The Silent Wish You Make

Recently, I have been doing some research on the work of lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman.  (Marilyn Bergman is a fellow graduate of NYU's undergraduate liberal arts college.)

While going through the many songs for which the couple has created lyrics, I came across a gorgeous rendition of "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" performed by Stacey Kent and Jim Tomlinson.

Here it is below as a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Peace:



P.S. This song was written for the 1969 film "The Happy Ending." But, I'd say it fits perfectly with the current-day #LoveWins hashtag.

Respect It So Deeply

Two weeks before Eric and I married in June, 2013, I received an email from a friend who is a Catholic seminarian.  In the message, my friend urged me not to proceed with the wedding.  His concerns were strongly-worded but heart-felt.

My friend's message forced me to spend extra time articulating the "why" of our wedding and our marriage.  Amidst the execution of a million last-minute details of a Manhattan wedding, that email compelled me to articulate how our big day was not the repudiation of my faith but the fulfillment of it.

As a Catholic Christian, having identified the other human being with whom I intended to spend the rest of my life, I was compelled to create a special time and place where our family members and friends would come to pray with us and over us -- while being uplifted by sacred music and hearing from sacred scripture.  (Our Liturgy of the Word purposefully began with the chanting of the Taize setting of "Veni Sancte Spiritus.")

As a Catholic Christian, I was compelled to make a public statement of lifelong commitment to the man I loved.  (We did so using the prayers and vows of the Church's Rite of Marriage.)

I never expected to find sentiments akin to this in a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.  But, there they were last week in Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges that has brought marriage equality to ever state in the nation:

The money quote:

" ... Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that the seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. ... "

Amen, Justice Kennedy.  Amen.

Jay Livingston's Centennial

Jay Livingston at a McDonald anniversary

100 years ago today, on March 28, 1915, American songwriter Jay Livingston was born in McDonald, Pennsylvania (my hometown).

Earlier this week, the Observer-Reporter's Brad Hundt wrote about his youth in McDonald (when he was still known as Jacob Harold Levison).

Together with Ray Evans, Jay Livingston wrote the standards ''Mona Lisa'' and ''Que Será, Será,'' the 1948 Oscar-winning song ''Buttons and Bows,'' "Tammy" and many other songs.

The pair also wrote the theme music for the television shows ''Bonanza'' and ''Mr. Ed.''

In honor of this centennial, here is a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend" of Nat King Cole singing "Mona Lisa."

Peace:

Flashback: "Hear Them Ring"