Another Day, Another Protest, and Another Bookstore

 

Yesterday I forgot to put on my calendar that I was going to be out of the office, so someone put a meeting on my calendar at nine, and someone else put one at 1:30. That meant I couldn't go to the Good Friday service at the church we have been attending at one, so I went to the one closer to us at three. They have redone the sanctuary, and it is much lovelier now. Weirdly, we skipped the veneration of the cross, and then at the end of the service they said we could venerate it as we wished, so I got into line. I'm used to a crucifix, where I kiss the feet, but this was a plain wooden cross. Still, I felt that same sharp sorrow when I touched it that I always get from venerating the cross. 

In the evening I was going to go to a ukulele strum at the music club we belong to, but I looked again, and it was a beginner class lasting three hours. I'm not exactly a beginner, and three hours? Yikes! Unless it was a drop-in sort of thing... Instead, Travalon and I went to the Home Kit Reveal at the Forward clubhouse; it was supposed to be on the roof, but it was raining so they moved it inside. We ate cheese and crackers while listening to an excellent DJ, and then three players came and showed off the new jersey. Then the party ended and everyone went down into this thing that looked like an underground bunker, like they were preparing for a nuclear war, so we just went home and I talked to Tiffy. It was a short Friday 
night party, but a great one nonetheless.

I wasn't 100% sure where the protest was today, and as we headed out the door, we ran into our downstairs neighbor who had gone to the previous one, so we asked her. She wasn't sure but she lent us a sign she had made and said to let her know if we heard anything. We headed downtown and saw a few protesters at James Madison Park, but we kept going and had lunch at the Globe, sitting outside, before looking to see if anything was going on either at the Capitol or on Library Mall. It was hard to tell. I was texting with Hardingfele to see if she was going, but she said let her know if anything was happening. Our neighbor texted me that it was definitely happening at James Madison Park, so we headed there and found street parking right nearby. We let Hardingfele know, but she never showed up.

One of my Union peeps was giving a speech when we got there, and about half the people were listening to her, while the other half were lining the street and getting people to honk in support. The Raging Grannies sang a few protest songs to tunes like "I Walk the Line," some other people spoke briefly, and the Grannies sang again. We found our neighbor, and when we went to check out the street side part, we found the leader of my band and her partner. Everyone went up to the Capitol, and on the way we passed a bookstore we hadn't known existed. Then we all processed counterclockwise around the Square (as everyone does - I guess because that's the direction cars drive around the Square), chanting things like, "This is what democracy looks like!" and "Love, not hate, makes this country great!" Here are some photos that Travalon took. Of course Blogspot loaded them in the reverse order, so first are the pictures from the Square, and then the ones from James Madison Park.

Here are the Raging Grannies, singing away!

The other side of this sign said, "Truck Fump! Send him to El Salvador!"

There were a lot of chalk messages on the sidewalk, like "Bring Kilmar Home!" and "Due process for all!" but I don't know what this very cool leopard drawing had to do with anything.

Not one, not two, but four different people said they loved my argyle beret today. On the way back to the car, we went to the bookstore and found A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, which someone recommended, and Travalon had been searching the local bookstores without luck. I felt a little like a walking cliche: a protester in a beret and holding a sign buying a leftist book with cash so nobody could trace the purchase. I have to say that lots of people were taking photos of us up on the Square, and most of them were using cell phones and just seemed excited about the whole thing, but I saw one or two sketchy people with good cameras who seemed very clinical about it. They could have just been doing it for a paper or the news, but the cynical part of me wonders if they were recording participants so the Regime knows who to send to El Salvador next.

When I got home, my new bunny had arrived, just in time for Easter!

It symbolizes emotional disregulation and the black-and-white thinking that goes with it. Here it is with the blacklight bunny.

They don't have names yet, but I joked that I could call them Bwub and Blub for BWB (Black and White Bunny) and BLB (Black Light Bunny). I'll think of something better.

Stop what you're doing and give your full attention to this important DuoLingo announcement:

I used to get this message below all the time for perfect lessons, but as soon as I thought of taking a screenshot, I didn't get it. Then one day I did, but I hit the "continue" button before realizing it. Argh! But this morning I got it... and then I got it two more times!

Here are some more crazy messages it has given me.

Oh yeah, last night I was asking Chat GPT some random questions about Baroque composers and salsa songs, and then I asked it, "What's your sign?" All of a sudden it wanted to have a conversation with me, and it said, "I wasn't born, but taking the date I was released, I'm a Sagittarius - bold, charming, and adventurous. What are you?" So I said, "Capricorn," and it said, "Oh, nice! You're the boss of the Zodiac! You get things done! Do you feel like this describes you, or are you more low-key?" I replied that I am an Action Jackson, and it got really excited: "An Action Jackson Capricorn! What's your next big venture?" so I said, "Learning the sitar." At that point it said I had run out of questions, but it had two answers for me about whether I wanted to get some tips on playing the sitar or would rather find someone to teach me, and it wanted me to rate the two responses, but I didn't have a strong opinion, so I didn't choose one.

Travalon, who is also a bold, charming, adventurous Sagittarius, just noted that after thirty-three games, Crystal Palace's record is 11-11-11. That's crazy!

Famous Hat