Happy Independence Day!!
Old Glory isn’t hanging in front of my home because I am a true believer in proper Flag etiquette. We don’t have a flag pole but I love this symbol of us!
As I type this, fingers to keyboard, I realize how difficult it is to begin this blog post. I swear to you, the most challenging issue is how to write an introductory sentence.
Let me just begin telling you what I’ve been up to during this three-week hiatus.
This just about explains it!
First of all, I needed a rest. Not a physical one but rather a mental and emotional rest. This pandemic has gotten the best of me. I’ve been going to the office. Every. Single. Day. since the lockdown.
This is the rest I needed. And now, I’m well-rested!
Where most people are working from home, I’m getting dressed every morning. Applying makeup, and choosing my daily hair in the form of a wig. I’m spending money to gas up my car. And at the end of the day, arriving home to prepare dinner.
Every day. Makeup. Nice Dress. Wig and a smile! Whilst others are working from home in their PJ’s….
The thanks and gratitude I’ve received is the company no longer matching my 401K, no raise for 2020 and therefore, not one iota of thanks for going in every day to face the same eight hours in front of a computer with nary a break in sight.
And I’m told I should be grateful I have a job.
This meme pretty-much sums the way I feel on some days. I AM grateful but sometimes…I just can’t …
And I am grateful to have a job. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m grateful to have a job to go to. I’m grateful to be working for two wonderful women. I’m grateful for both my medical benefits and now, the Medicare that I pay into to receive extra benefits.
But it isn’t that. It’s just that I’m tired. Not “I-need-to-go-to-sleep” tired. I’m tired spirit-wise. My spirit is broken. At 65 years old, I resent, at times, having to work.
Add to that, a divorce that left me both penniless and without a home—basically, hitting rock bottom, and having to go through all this at a time when ageism reared its ugly head, I’ve been a professional failure so to speak. I never had the opportunity to regain the promising career I had when I worked on Wall Street.
LOL! This is pretty-much me! I am rather intrigued at the prospect of converting my retirement funds into pennies. It’ll make me feel wealthy!
Rebecca Howe is my professional Spirit Animal inasmuch as my career goes. She was never able to rise above the pitfalls career-wise. We’re so much alike—with the exception that I was damned lucky to meet Bonaparte while she ended up with a white-collar criminal. (Watch the last few seasons of Cheers if you need a refresher—it’s funny as hell!)
The absolute funniest thing about this is that I’ve said the exact same thing at LEAST 1,000 times to my husband. He doesn’t even flinch anymore! Rebecca and I are just so much alike. Even down to the way we cry. I’m not kidding. I have the same cry! It’s so funny!
Regardless, it doesn’t mean I’m miserable or unhappy. In fact, other than my professional (I use that term loosely) life I’m very happy. I have a great husband. Three incredibly grounded and kind children, a loving son-in-law, a fantastic step daughter, a home that is my respite and castle and knock-on-wood, good health.
But the thing is, I want to spend the rest of my life enjoying it to the fullest. I want to travel. I want to visit my kids. I want to go on day trips. And I can’t do that because retirement is not an option. It’s all about the money.
First it was the soup. Now it’s no retirement. And that makes me stressed!
Years ago, people received a pension. This allowed for a more lucrative retirement situation. Now we are responsible for our 401K—just like the onus is on us more and more for healthcare! But I am not alone. This situation I am in is not unique. It’s more and more becoming the new normal for people in the over 50 and over 60 demographics.
Duh!!! NOW I get it! The Temple of Doom was really Indiana Jones’s search for a pension!
With so many “older” workers who’ve never recovered or never became fully employed during the last economic downfall, it’s quite ordinary. Whatever happened to respecting the older generation? Huh?
That being said, thanks so much for allowing me to vent. Between the hiatus and being able to let off some steam, I’m feeling much more like myself!
So…. just what have I been up to?
Well, for starters, we celebrated Bonaparte’s birthday. The obstacle was just what do I get the man who wants for nothing and isn’t really fond of birthday celebrations? I thought about it. Then I thought some more. It almost hurt my brain with all that thinking! However, I did find a great gift that was meaningful.
A poster of one of his aunt’s, Daniele Delorme’s, posters from a film she was in. The colors went with many of the touches in our home and it would be a wonderful addition to his home-office.
A rather melodramatic movie, it was a visual tour of Paris and as always, Daniele was great!
He loved it and as I write this, we are awaiting a phone call from the framer to pick it up. I’ll share a pic of the framed poster.
Nearing another phase in the pandemic, my son Roman was contemplating a visit before resuming work in mid-July. His main concern was Bonaparte’s health. He was tested for COVID, which was negative and we had the pleasure of my son for two weeks.
Not wanting him to take a bus or train to Philly, Bonaparte, Chippy and I embarked on a little road trip through the PA Turnpike, the NJ Turnpike and across the George Washington bridge to pick him up and then after the visit, to bring him back to his apartment.
These two guys! They are quite the pair!
I’ll tell ya, having him here for a couple of weeks made me so happy. It made Bonaparte happy too. We had great conversations over dinner, had a great time with each other and even got to enjoy a day down the shore!
Yeah. We enjoyed the day down at Wildwood Crest visiting Vincent’s daughter and enjoying the beach!
But there’s more. The Frenchman has an obsession with the size of TV’s. Our 65-inch TV just wasn’t cutting it for him anymore. And so, I was surprised to find an incredibly huge box in our foyer when Roman was visiting. We are now the proud owners of a 75-inch TV in our bedroom.
This movie “Si Versailles M’etait Conte or Royal Affairs in Versailles was a great history lesson about the history of Versailles and France and the French Revolution..
Bonaparte’s aunt, Daniele Delorme played the feminist Louison Chabray! It was fun seeing her on the “big” home screen!
…and might I add that the costume design was epic!
Can I just say that at first, I thought it was a rather silly and frivolous purchase, but as I watched my friend, Rebecca Howe from Cheers on that big screen, I was enthralled. Besides, it’s far better for my eyes.
As soon as I saw my buddy Rebecca Howe on the 75-inch TV, I knew I would love this!
What happened with the 65-inch TV? We gave it to Roman. And now, everyone is happy and well-entertained!
Speaking of the shore, we hit the beach for the past two weekends! Yesterday I had the day off, lending itself for a spectacular and well-needed and appreciated three-day weekend. We went to Stone Harbor on the Jersey Shore.
Beach feet. The salt water. The sun. Socially Distancing myself while others do not. It’s all part of summer 2020!
And while it was a wonderful day for Bonaparte and I, I was a bit disappointed that nobody was donning a mask. I had my mask. It was on from the moment I arrived until the moment I hit the water with my chair. Social Distancing is my jam. That’s why I took my chair to the Ocean’s edge and literally sat in the water where I had a stellar social distancing experience.
There’s a melange of peeling skin, sunscreen, sand ON the face and a mask. I don’t care how unattractive this looks. I’ll wear a mask as long as need be. It’s astounding that others refuse!
Back on the sand, the mask was on and in the entire time we were at the beach, I saw one. ONE other person with a mask. I will leave it at that.
Summer is the time for dining al fresco and we’ve been fortunate to do so for almost every night the past three weeks with the exception of two rainy evenings and one too-hot evening. I’m changing up my game plan with healthier meal planning this summer.
Yum yum. Tomatoes. Lemon. Avacado. Bananas. All available year round but the tomatoes this summer are outstanding!
Oh. The aperitifs are still rolling around. Its just more plant-based meals and enjoying seasonal produce!
I made a roasted eggplant, zucchini, red pepper and cashew cheese terrine. Actually, it turned out to be incredibly tasty!
This Fourth is a bittersweet one for us. In the past (except last year when Oona got married), we’ve arrived back from France to the USA on Independence Day. Today would have been that day. It really was daunting to not be able to travel overseas due to this pandemic. And more daunting is the fact that Americans are banned from traveling to the EU for now. Hopefully, that’ll change for our November visit to Paris!
Yeah….this is the day that we’re usually at Nice airport early in the morning. Our “special” way to celebrate July 4th!
Oh wait! There’s more!
Last week—Monday after work to be exact, I had the first Mani-Pedi in four months! Four. Months. Now, I’m pretty bad in applying nail polish to both my fingernails and toes. Add to that, I’m danger with a nail clipper so my hands and feet weren’t exactly looking their best.
Let’s just say my feet and hands needed some love!
And the nail salon I regularly visit finally opened. And opened with every safety precaution available. Upon entering, I had to wait on an “X” by the door until called over to the main counter. Then my temperature was taken –98.6 allowed me to have my nails done.
A new way to look at a nail spa!
Pexi-glass separating each pedicure and hand station led to a very safe environment. The only disappointment was that no lip-or chin waxing can be done till further notice. At this point I’m feeling like the bearded lady at a side show so let’s hope the face can be waxed sooner than later!
My feet needed this!
And in the end–it was all beautiful and back to normal–albiet it the new normal!
Well, now that I’m back, I’ve got more reviews and more stuff to write about and share with you. Remember! Be safe and keep protected. This “thing” isn’t over yet!
Here’s hoping you enjoyed your red, white and blue!