COVID-19 New Normal Stella Quattro Bono

1* Kitchen floor is so clean one could eat off it in spite of the fact that home meal preparation is the new normal.

2* Mall walking at the Prudential Mall for 90 minutes x 60 seconds at 2 steps per second is 10,800 steps burning about 600 calories is the new normal.

3* Deleting robocall voicemails 3 times daily is the new normal.

4* The “new normal” is now, after 11 months, the new normal.

COVID-19 Stella Uno: Gratitude

COVID-19 has brought a variety of challenges almost unimaginable 2 years ago. Sadly, “the new normal’ is not just a cliche’ but an all too accurate description of all too many lives.

Gratitude is needed and necessary. Not solely for the morally justifiable impulse of energizing daily life but to rise above the very real challenges of our very long today.

COVID-10 testing, as performed at the Boston Medical Center at 801 Mass. Ave. through the rear entrance, has revealed this blogger to be negative.

Not all are as fortunate.

Furthermore, my lease runs though April 2022 so I have the security of knowing where I will be living for the foreseeable future.

Not all are as fortunate.

Gratitude.

HAIKU 5*7*5* Autumn is calling

The leaves are falling

Greenish leaves with brownish tips

Autumn is calling

HAIKU 5*7*5* Leaves, October 5

The warm sun deceives

On a sunny afternoon

Autumn’s falling leaves

CORONAVIRUS 6.0 Quarantine Trey Stella

1) Bad hair days are no longer a threat to income.

2) Love is the only word that can describe the loving relationship with your Black & Decker Toast-R-Oven.

3) RING OF BRIGHT WATER was once called a ‘nature’ film at the Port Washington Public Library. I saw the movie as one of the free films shown to occupy the evenings of bored, alienated teenagers such as your humble correspondent. I loved the movie which of course I did not admit to the few folks I conversed with.

(It is conceded that my fondness for Harry Nilsson’s SON OF SCHMILLSON would have confused the issue.)

Last year I discovered a copy of RING OF BRIGHT WATER lying in the lobby of my building where harried residents donate/dump possessions that are not being brought to presumably greener pastures.

Sadly, I am past the point in life where there is limitless time to indulge in flights of literary fancy. However, on this occasion the under used right side of my brain reminded me that very little warm and fuzzy had entered within the last fiscal year. So…

I couldn’t put RING OF BRIGHT WATER down even with the paperback version’s glaucoma inducing 50 lines a page at 10 words a sentence.

Gavin Maxwell is an English author and naturalist who spends his summers in the rustic Scottish Highlands town of Camusfearna which translates as “ring of bright water.”

Mr. Maxwell brings an otter named ‘Mij’ on a treacherous journey from Iraq to become domesticated in Maxwell’s London flat.

An apartment is no place for an otter so Mr. Maxwell decamps for Scotland.

Mr. Maxwell details the joys and inevitable challenges of living with what is, after all, a wild animal.

Mij is quite the comedian and warms to Mr. Maxwell’s love but also very capable of destroying floorboards and furniture.

As charming as this story is, and “charm” is a word rarely spoken or evoked these days it is the literary grace that captured this mind.

To wit:

“Later, marbles became Mij’s favorite toys for this pastime-for pastime it is, without any anthropomorphizing-and he would lie on his back rolling two or more of them up and down his wide, flat belly without ever dropping one to the floor, or with forepaws upstretched, rolling them between his palms for minutes on end.”

In a time of 280 character Twitter blasts the elegant, albeit florid, literacy of RING OF BRIGHT WATER is almost shocking.

RING OF BRIGHT WATER is profusely illustrated with whimsical pen and ink drawings of otters cavorting adding a visual analog to the tale of otters.

RING OF BRIGHT WATER was a book I couldn’t put down, even as I acknowledge the ethical conflict of making a pet of a wild animal.

RING OF BRIGHT WATER is an ideal quarantine read. Recommended.

RING OF BRIGHT WATER, E.P. Dutton & Co, Inc. 1961

ISBN-978-095625404

stevegallanter@yahoo.com

617-835-2373

15 Edgerly Rd.

Apt. 8

Boston, MA 02115

CORONAVIRUS 5.0 Quarantine Stella Uno

“Social distancing?  I’ve been practicing social distancing since 9th. grade.”

CHANGE: Dorothy’s Costume Boutique, 1947-2020

Dorothy’s Costume Boutique located at 190 Mass. Ave, NEVER Massachusetts Avenue, will be closing on June 30, 2020 after 73 years in business.

I stopped by to listen to Jon Diamond, the son of the founders about the history of this Fenway institution.  I am greeted by a cash register sprouting more buttons and levers than I can count. 

“Perhaps it is of World War II vintage? I ask Mr. Diamond?

“It is my grandparents.”

“When was this store founded?”

“My parents…

“Not a parent company …”

“Ha, ha.  Yes, my folks Dorothy and Harold.  It was kind of like Bernie and Phyl’s.  A family business.”

…Mexican sweaters, Afro wigs, digital watches…

“What was the original concept?”

“We were a millinery in the neighborhood.  Kind of an alternative to downtown.  We also had costume jewelry.”

…a dozen faceless, eyeless Styrofoam ovals peer down from a shelf just below the ceiling bedecked with a variety of headwear…

“So you were always alternative?”

Mr. Diamond looked over his shoulder while straightening out the necklaces perched precariously above the watches and laughed.

“One thing we’ve been able to do is retain our core business.”

“Yes, I can still see that you sell a lot of hats.”

“Yes, and we’ve branched out into other stuff.”

“That’s OK I can put back the makeup,” Jon said as 2 guests were leaving with a cart chock to the brim with hats, wigs and a cornucopia of theatrical makeup.

The gentleman dressed up with a COVID-19  mask with a Jolly Roger death’s head moved to the back where Jon and I stood and actually returned the merchandise!

“Yeah, I guess you could say that… Hey, please pay attention to the customers, puh-leaze,” said Mr. Diamond with the 1/2 grimace 1/2 smile used so often by folks engaged in the direct supervision of staff in customer service venues.

“What qualities do you look for in employees?”

“They have to be honest, energetic, learn the stock and be able to run a register.  You’ve gotta be able to engage with people all of the time with a smile and you can’t be too sensitive.  She, [Mr. Diamond gives a head nod], is a good worker but she gets upset too easily.  You can’t take things personally.  She’s been working here for 3 years and she just doesn’t talk with customers as much as she should.”

“When did you start working here?”

“I was in grade school.  I worked downstairs in stock and tagged merchandise.  My brother Rich worked here too.”

“What was the neighborhood like then?”

“Black.  This whole stretch of Mass. Ave. from Boylston all the way to the end of Mass. was black.”

“All of the real estate ads say ‘Back Bay’ now.  I used to live at 4 Symphony Rd. for $25 a week for a furnished room.  It seems the Fenway doesn’t even exist as a neighborhood.”

“Definitely, this was pre-gentrification.  A lot of what is now called the South End was called Roxbury for years.  Boylston Linen was next door and there was Symphony Deli…”

“Symphony Deli became Dixie Kitchen.”

You’ve got a good memory.  There was the Bostonian Market, which became City Sports.”

“What was your clientele like?

“Well, women looking for hats and costume jewelry.  And we always had neighborhood folks and Berklee, Conservatory and Northeastern students.  Black women came by for wigs.

We added theatrical make-up in 1985.”

“For the drag queens?”

“Ha ha.  Yes, and we had kids from the drama departments of the schools so we just expanded our inventory.

We’re a mid mark-up store.  We try to keep things affordable.

In 1988 we doubled the size of the store by taking over the Boylston Linen slot next door.”

“I’ve always come in even for just a few minutes to look at what have you and about once a month make a purchase.”

“Yes, we’ve always had neighborhood semi-regular customers.  That goes to what I’m talking about when I’m talking about our core.”

“You used to sell underwear and T-shirts.”

“Wife beaters..”

“You mean spousal disablers.”

“Ha ha.  Well A-shirts and socks.  The problem was that  street people would come in buy 1 and walk with one and we were spending all of our time watching them even when the underwear were tucked in the back so it got to where it wasn’t worth it.”

“So where do you get your stuff?”

“I buy a lot of close-outs in clothing and visit vintage store quite a bit.  For other stuff, [waving his hand around the store] I use specialty sales reps.  Facebook, Instagram, whatever.”

…fishnet stockings, stocking caps in June, devils and angels for Halloween…

“You know the very first time I was here was in my first summer here in the Fenway back in 1979.  I was across the street and I heard  disco coming from an open door so I walked across the street and looked in.  I couldn’t believe what I saw…a bunch of punks trying on dog collars and buying black bandanas.  Then I looked to the back of the room and saw Afro wigs.  I couldn’t believe it!”

Jon looked up from the sunglasses he was re-arranging and laughed.

“A lot of musical trends have been outfitted here you know with Berklee and this area once had a lot of musicians living here.

“My folks were involved until 1984.  I bought out Rich in 2007.”

“Who is the landlord here?”

“Christian Science has always been the landlord.  This building is from the 19th. century.  it is far from ‘green.’ 

“Is Christian Science a good landlord?”

Stepping out from behind the jewelry counter Jon grimaces.

“Well we’ve gone from $600 to $6000 in rent.”

“Is the building maintained?”

Jon gives me a sour look, gives a hand signal to the cashier on duty and takes a deep breath, “No, they do as little as possible.”

I have improved the building, which is not my job.  I added the awning in 2004 and in 2000 took out the lay-in ceiling and exposed the original ceiling which is a lot nicer.”

Indeed the pressed tin ceiling is a nice look.

“But now that they know we are leaving they let me out of the lease which ran until 2022.”

…camouflage jackets, ergonomic backpacks, Pride flags…

“You know on Halloween the line stretches around the corner.”

Jon straightens up from picking a piece of paper from the floor and smiles.

“Yes, ever since we doubled the size of the store it has only gotten bigger.  We have all kinds of costumes, toys, hats and just about whatever anyone could want for Halloween.

“I’ve seen you guys on TV.”

Jon says nothing but gives me his best fake smile…and I laugh!

…American flags, MAGA hats, Uncle Sam Hats…

“So, why are you closing?”

“It’s everything.  COVID-19, Amazon, no Red Sox.”

“Yeah, I remember when the Sox won you had Red Sox T’s in the window.”

“Definitely.  The Sox, Pats, when the Celtics and Bruins win, there is always a lot of interest. I always root for us to win a championship every year!

…I spy a dour Bill Belichick mask…

St. Patty’s is my 2nd. biggest holiday.  4/20, tourists in town buy Boston t-shirts all the time.  The Sox not playing has hurt us not just for the Sox but for foot traffic.

I have colored contact lenses I would be selling.  They are a hot product right now.”

“I know I’ve seen them at the club.

So is COVID-19 why you’re closing?”

“Yes, that and Amazon.  Once Amazon got on phones it got very tough.

COVID-19 is the big one.  I’m over 65 so I’m in the high risk group and with business the way it is.”

Jon shrugged his shoulders and gave a half smile.

“So what is the future?”

“Maybe I’ll open up a pop-up across the street.”

“One week a month!”

Jon and I laugh.

Many will miss Dorothy’s. 

I among them.

CORONAVIRUS 2.0: Quarantine Quintella

*1  Strainer thingy in bathroom tub is clear of hair and shampoo residue.

*2  FRONTIERS: THE EPIC OF SOUTH AFRICA’S CREATION AND THE TRAGEDY OF THE XHOSA PEOPLE by Noel Mostert is a 1292 page tangled epic of England, the Dutch India Trading Company, Xhosa Khoikhoi, slave traders, anti-slavery missionaries, Boers, cattle and a catastrophic attempt at salvation by Xhosa tribal folk.  African history is all too rarely in the mainstream of American thought.  Recommended.

*3  Floyd’s Barbershop at 189 Mass. Ave; 617-236-4838; is now open by appointment only via phone or website.  No walk-ins and face coverings are required.  Standard cuts are $28 and specialty coloring and perming is not yet available.  Josh does good work.  Good hair days are back!

*4  Rats are visible here in the East Fens.  With the closing of Steve’s Pizza, and the Bebop and with Amelia’s Taqueria, Boston Burger Bar, Pad Thai Cafe, Boloco, Shah’s Kitchen and Subway offering only take-out and delivery the buffet of dumpsters underneath the 1076-1124 restaurant strip cannot support the rodent community.  Rats in search of entrees are visible as never before.  Darwinism is ugly.

*5  The NBA is a no go for the time being.  Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBAPA are attempting to set up a playoff format.  In the meantime, NBA TV offers replays of 1980-1981’s Game 7 of the Celts vs. Sixers Eastern Conference Final with players hitting the floor hard on every possession.  Young fans will be taken aback at the violence of the game 40 seasons ago.

Coronavirus: Quarantine Quintella

*1  Strainer thingy in kitchen sink drain is clean from broccoli florets, pita bread crumbs and other detritus.

*2  52 PICKUP by Elmore Leonard is a swell read.  Elmore Leonard has written 2 kinds of books; the great, SPLIT IMAGES, and the very good; 52 PICKUP.  Recommended.

*3  Bars here in Boston, and in most of America, are closed.  While tending bar is not a fitness exercise, it does burn calories.  2 60 minute mall walks here at the Prudential Center in Boston at 120 steps per minute will add 14,400 steps to a week.

*4  Every day is a bad hair day.

*5  MLB is a no go.  The Korean Baseball Organization(KBO) is shown weekly on ESPN. The play is  entertaining and indeed contains elements of contact hitting and durable starting pitching that have been leaving MLB for some time.  Recommended.

HAIKU 5*7*5* Coronavirus bus

The 39 bus

Has only 2 passengers

Where’s the rest of us?