After a million Federal workers were told to email a report describing the work they did in the last week in order to justify their jobs (or their existence?), I decided I'd add my five things, just so the inboxes are good and full. You can do the same. Email the DOGE guys, fill up their inboxes and let them know what you've done. Here's the email address: hr@opm.gov
FIVE THINGS I DID LAST WEEK
DINNER: I made dinner every night last week. I love cooking, and I'm told I'm a good cook. Throughout the week we had pasta primavera; braised cabbage with meatballs and parmesan; garden burgers and salad; vegetarian/lentil meat loaf with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes; and cheese filled tortellini with red sauce and salad. We often watch a bit of tv with our dinner, as my husband usually gets home somewhat late. Just now we're watching a series on Netflix, “Zero Day,” which is a political thriller with a great ensemble cast led by Robert De Niro. It is about a former President investigating a devastating cyberattack in the U.S. Of course these kinds of shows make us wish that WE had really smart people running OUR government right about now.
WRITING: I spent a good bit of every day last week working on my second novel. My first novel (published last year) was set in a place much like my own hometown, but the second one is set in New York's Greenwich Village in 1912, so naturally I've had to do research about the location and the era. I'm spending a lot of time on it, which is ok because I love research and I am learning a lot which is also pleasurable. Because I am a first time novelist, my debut novel is not selling a lot, even though the few reviews have been very good. So I'm not making any money to speak of. But then the real reason for making art of any kind is not to become wealthy, is it? Art has intrinsic value, and certainly cultural value – two things that, so far, accountants have not been able to quantify. Personally, I love being in the creative headspace, where time just sails by when I'm writing.
BILLS: I paid bills last week. I prefer to pay them with a check, as I'd rather keep knowledge of my banking information to as few people/organizations as possible. So, I sit down with a stack of bills, our checkbook, return address labels and stamps and write them out. Sometimes I listen to news on my computer; sometimes I listen to music. Paying the bills is not my favorite thing to do, but it feels good when I finally put them in the mailbox.
PRACTICE: I practiced guitar during last week. I'm a professional musician, but since the Covid pandemic, our band hasn't had as many gigs as we'd like, and especially now as our bass player has been in the hospital for a week with flu and pneumonia. We've been playing with him for about 20 years. My husband and I are worried and hope he recovers soon. I guess a “businessman” might tell us to just hire another bass player, but we don't see people as simply replaceable – he is an integral part of our ensemble and his friendship means a lot to us.
CORRESPONDENCE: I spent some time last week on correspondence with friends – emails, social media contacts and phone calls. We have a dear friend in Frankfurt, Germany who has just finished her first music album, where she recorded a song that I co-wrote. We're happy for her, and looked forward to hearing the finished product. We also chatted about how far the U.S. has fallen in the estimation of our European allies. I messaged with another dear friend and talked about things like art and dogs. He was my brother's best friend, and he is like another brother to me, as my brother passed in July of 2020. I texted a cousin to wish him a Happy Birthday. I also checked in with a former bandmate in Los Angeles. We played together in 1971, and lived in a band house in Laurel Canyon while we were recording. I always appreciate his perspective on music and life in general.
I guess this is all for last week. Do I have to do this every week?
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