Felicitations From Fairhope #08

Felicitations From Fairhope #08

14 July 2020

Hello there… Rodger French here.

One of the more stressful effects of “The Trump Flu” is, for me, the necessity of social avoidance. I freely admit that my days as a party animal (“animale da festa” in Italian - so much classier) are further away than they seem in my rear view mirror. And, as much as I like to travel, the notion of getting on an airplane for any reason is simply a non-starter right now. Also, I find Zoom intensely tedious, but that’s just me doing me. So it’s emails, phone calls, and - once in a while - daring road trips that keep me in touch with family and friends. Which is why you’re getting this. Anyone who hasn’t already consigned these postings to their Spam folder deserves to be kept in the loop.

A loop largely closed, at the moment. Summer has come to Fairhope and the heat index, as expected, is well over 100° F every day, with no relief in sight. Fortunately, the need for the heavy lifting necessary during our move has abated and we are in the most fortunate position of being able to enjoy our very nice and appropriately air-conditioned house, venturing out now and again to forage for food and hardware, all the while being good citizens doing the mask wearing/social-distancing/hand washing thing.

We also have decent, if not extraordinary TV. But, as you may have heard, it’s an election year, which, in Alabama, means relentless ads from alarmingly White GOP candidates, each trying to outdo the others in pronouncements of fealty to our moronic President and his cult of stupidity and death. Again, totally expected, but still… so goddamed… lame. Makes me want to jump up and finally order that “Race Traitor” t-shirt I’ve had my eye on. Politically, the only good news here is that incumbent Senator Doug Jones (D-Sane), while still an underdog, might actually have a shot.

Otherwise, we are doing well and remark pretty much every single day on how lucky we are to be (a) retired and (b) in good health, and have (c) decent insurance and (d) no kids. Now, if we can just vote in a government that is (e) competent and (f) gives an actual fuck…

Stay strong, stay kind, stay alive. And stay in touch.

Onward.

Rodger