The Inauguration went off without a hitch, no violence, no protests, just great speeches, great coats, and a beautiful poem by a beautiful young poet. And of course the Bernie Memes of Bernie Sanders slouched in a folding chair in a casual parka with his arms crossed over himself in the classic Patiently Waiting Impatient Elder pose so many of us recognized, his oversized brown sweater mittens prominently displayed. For the picture I used to promote this week’s ‘Groove I chose a Bernie meme, the one of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling with God reaching down to Adam’s now Bernie-mittened hand.
The mood was definitely lighter, a palpable relief post peaceful inauguration and exit from the stress inducing ending administration. We didn’t talk about it much except for a brief mention that it was great and we were all very happy about it. We had another celebration among us, a regular Groover landed an excellent job, for which she had interviewed remotely and for which she will work remotely through the end of the pandemic. We were all excited for her personal victory, but we also commiserated about the challenges of remote work, especially those involved with starting a new job never having met your colleagues or managers. So much of the work experience happens in the hallways and office kitchens, the bonding among co-workers, the sharing of information, the learning about who knows what and who does what, ultimately necessary not just for employee morale but for efficiency. On the other hand, remote work has it’s own efficiencies with no commutes and fewer lunch hours away from the desk, and no doors to open and close at the beginning and the end of the day so days spill over into evenings and early mornings. Work will definitely change post pandemic, especially now as new hiring is happening more frequently.
We also talked about the Old Masters exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which some on the Zoom got to attend, as well as the football games being broadcast simultaneous to our Zoom that would predict who played in the Super Bowl, among Tampa Bay Buckaneers, the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and the Chiefs. We talked about Melania’s choice of wardrobe, her military inspired outfits she was favoring the last couple weeks of that administration, almost frightening and threatening in light of recent events at the Capitol, “Fascist fashion” as one dubbed it; and, then her choice of a bright orange mumu to wear as she emerged after landing in Florida, as if to say to all “let them eat cake” and some on the call suggested maybe it was a nod to her husband’s notorious skin color. We also talked about Kelly Anne’s choice of wardrobe, sometimes tasteful, sometimes not, and her recent interview on Bill Maher, where some thought she was thrown too many softballs and not asked to be accountable for the deception she helped propagate, the “alternative facts” that hopefully will be relegated to an unpleasant memory. Then on the question of accountability, Lindsay Graham’s name came up and we commented on his behavior in support of the now ex president and the ongoing hypocrisy with regard to questions of whether to impeach the ex president as he encouraged the Jan. 6 insurrection.
We then veered to all the challenges of living at home all the time. NYC apartments can be especially problematic, with some complaining of the uncontrollable dry heat emanating from clanking steam radiators and others about not getting enough heat and having to wear coats and hats inside. We marveled at how warm Bernie’s mittens looked, discussed their origins, apparently made by a Vermont schoolteacher and gifted to him, and we took time to find and post more Bernie memes in the Chat, crocheted Bernies, Bernie cakes, and YouTube videos explaining how to make the mittens for yourself, which apparently only involves cutting up some old sweaters.
One of our Groovers, who is of eligible age for it, was fortunate to get a first vaccine, she explained she checked the apps over and over for an appointment and found one with less than an hour’s notice and requiring her to hop far uptown to get it, which she happily did. She described the vaccination experience as pleasant and organized and her delight for having received it was palpable, she was close to giggling with glee. Another tried to get her elderly mother to her appointment but was unable because her mother’s dementia aroused some press-stirred paranoia about the vaccine. We talked about whether mixing the different “brands” of vaccine was safe and whether the wealthy had an advantage to get vaccines, and we worried whether the vaccines would be effective with the new variants. We talked about how other countries were handling the vaccines, how Israel is doing well and providing data to the rest of us, (someone joked they were handing out “chicken soup boosters”, and how the UK is doing worse, as is Africa, and how France and Canada have strengthened their lockdowns again.
We talked about the meds suggested to combat COVID, the lice meds and the cholesterol meds that showed some good effect, and how we should maybe avoid aspirin and other pain relievers after getting the vaccines according to some some vague research that suggests it may weaken the vaccine’s effectiveness. We talked about the caravans heading to Florida of people hoping to get it, and whether double masking was helpful. Everyone at the inauguration seemed to be double masked. We talked about which masks are better and how people in the street are still yelling at each other to “mask up.” President Biden put in a new federal rule to wear it which we agreed was good.
We then veered again to our friends little dog, which had just gotten neutered. The guys on the call winced and squirmed when we talked about it. We wondered what happened to the dog, if he felt differently, and one of our doctors on the call offered some thoughts, though wincingly. We joked there might be a “phantom limb” of sorts, since the pup was still acting lasciviously with various stuffed toys, but perhaps less so, especially as he had some healing to do. We worried for the little thing, and someone brought up there is a new AI being developed that can read pain in an animal, and maybe in humans who couldn’t speak for medical reasons, so as to determine what they’re feeling and to care for them better. Someone also mentioned new AI which can record our brains, even speak for us. It’s a brave new world, meant to help, but maybe might ultimately menace.
