A few weeks ago, Hilly and I were happily skiing in Aspen (the new knee worked like magic, and I felt like a kid). The crowd scene pic is of an indoor/outdoor bar at the bottom of Aspen Mountain. Those are my skis, marked “Aspen” to make em easier to find. Right after that pic, we went in and ate a huge number of oysters (the pic is of close, Aspen pals). In a few days, that hot scene was deserted and the gondola shut down. Along with all the other ski hills in the country. We were mighty lucky… if we’d planned the ski trip a few weeks later, there wouldn’t have been one.
Hilly and I have been in total lockdown for a while, up in the Berkshires, and so far it’s been shamefully easy. No lost job, no panic about whether to work and all that. We are slightly isolated in the best of times. Hilly paints in her big studio on the third floor (in the pic she is finishing up a portrait). I sit in my study and write or pretend to (that’s not me in the empty chair in front of the computer). To eke out a social life we phone a lot (especially my three kids). For the last four days, I am proud to say that we organized on line (Zoom) cocktail parties. They have been surprisingly good fun. And they give the day some structure.
My barn/gym across the lawn is not closed, of course, and I go out there every morning for an hour or so. That is a real blessing. We also hike (spaced out)
with friends from up here, where the hiking is amazing. A couple of days ago a friend showed us a trail we didn’t know about, beside the Housatonic River. Beyond beautiful. New knee not as good at walking as at skiing, but good enough.
Even our business life is okay. We hear from Jeremy that the streamed video business (Backforever.com) is thriving as people try to do more at home.
At the same time, I have to say that we are deeply concerned … for everyone in the country and for the economy. A little worried about ourselves, too. I was sorry to learn that the fact that I don’t have any underlying conditions of the kind that they worry about, I am still at great risk because of my vast age. We are being mighty good kids about the quarantine. Still, the whole business is going to be a horror which will not be affected by the President’s optimistic talks. I miss Dr. Fauci. Hope he returns.
God bless us everyone, as Tiny Tim says. We can use it.
– Chris
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