We are Deluxe in All Ways Friday Round-Up

The community war about our senior center/senior housing project is about to devolve into hand-to-hand combat. A certain opponent spends so much time on my social media refuting my every statement that I feel like my big sister is staring me down from across the bedroom room we shared, you know, the one with an actual line drawn down the middle to guarantee no trespassing. It’s rough out here in the world of old lady advocacy.

Speaking of which, the chairwoman of our County Board who is ridiculously smart and effective and also beautiful posted today about her fatigue at being the target of disrespect. Something rotten had to have happened for her to be public about it, she is that matter of fact and unflappable. She didn’t tell all, only some, so we are left to imagine. Madame Chair is also African American, a fact that probably should have been in the first sentence to reduce the degree of puzzlement readers might have.

I have jury duty Monday and Tuesday. I’m supposed to call the night before and see if I’m needed. I equivocated about trying to get out of it because I worry about missing something, hearing-wise. But then the court people said if I wanted out, I’d need a doctor’s note. And so, I thought, this is silly. Why do I have two cochlear implants if not to hear the goings-on? I will tell you this, the anxiety about mishearing something takes a long time to abate.

We met a woman agate hunting on the beach. She was wearing a MAGA hat and was bundled up in a red winter parka even though it wasn’t that cold. She told us she hasn’t found an agate in years but that there were other pretty rocks on the beach, too. I wish she hadn’t been wearing the hat. I would’ve liked her more.

We are away for the weekend with just Herc. The dogs are at Camp Bow Wow. Part of the reason, well, most of it, is because Swirl can’t handle the stairs here. He can go up okay but freezes at the prospect of going down. He is a prince of a dog, but he is aging in ways sometimes hard to watch. So Herc has his special time with the folks which, you can tell from this picture, he appreciates heartily.