Today has started out alright, or so that is what I tell myself. It is a four day work week and of course, that means everything will proceed oh so slowly. Sunday night was spent watching Ted Lasso, the first season.

So enjoyable, so positive. So needed at this point in time. And having watched it a few times already, seeing how the characters develop, how their relationships grow and change. And knowing how things turn out for some of the characters sometimes shows something overlooked or forgotten.

A local news anchor has retired due to early onset Alzheimers. It was unnerving to read of their symptoms. Forgetting names and faces is something that occurs to me on occasion though I attribute it to 45 years if smoking weed.

A young woman who I grew up next to, Audrey Iwanicki Lisi passed away from early onset Alzheimers. She was just a few years older than me, though I am certain she did not partake of the weed like I had. So, it is a fear for me, but perhaps not enough of a fear to make me stop smoking weed.

Bill announced the other day he would be returning from the road on Friday, the 19th, Juneteenth. Mike also heard Bill say when he was returning so it’s proof that I am not going crazy. He told me last night he would be returning tonight. Someone dropped the ball regarding the schedule and itinerary.

I am glad he is returning but Mike sees this as time for him to go home, claiming he is giving Bill his space.

Just had a walk around the fruit stand area. It’s a warm spring day and I should have enjoyed it but I was waylaid by some sadness. Thinking about Audrey Iwanicki which is odd since I hadn’t thought about her in a while. The fear of what happened to her happening to me crept into my mind.

And the work things at the fruit stand. There’s no air conditioning, the desk phone is still not working.

I was thinking of jobs that I had years ago, specifically the Murdoch Magazines job. I worked with Catherine Cloud, Ann Boyles, Jimmy Lee, Ulysses and his brother Tony, Excer and Pedro, as well as Steve Saporito. I can’t forget Harpy or Jon Fried and Wolf Knapp nor Anne McIntyre or David Ebony!

I remember these people from over 30 years ago and have some difficulty remembering people I work with today. I blame the weed though on my lunchtime excursion, I did go to a dispensary to replenish my supplies. I am my own worst enemy.

I am thinking once again of taking a break from the social media. It’s all such bad news all the time. People behaving badly and it’s all on camera. Or people doing their skits badly and on camera. As I sometimes watch it, I find myself saying ‘why am I watching this crap?’ and there is no clear answer.

Sometimes it is a clip of someone that I did enjoy once, but not so much these days. Everyone is angry or aggravated. And I follow it, falling down an anger hole and making me angry or despondent or a combination thereof.

12:03 PM on Monday, June 15. It was a decent weekend. My sleep was interrupted on Saturday into Sunday when Mike announced the New York Knickerbockers won the finals. I did not need to know that. It could have waited until the morning, but Mike was enthusiastic and felt the need to share his enthusiasm. No harm, no foul, and not much sleep.

I made my pesto, pasta and chicken thing on Saturday and made some ravioli for Mike. Then soon after eat8ing, Mike was fast asleep on the couch. I watch intermittently to make sure he is still alive and breathing. When it was time for me to go to bed, he woke up with the NBA finals still going on.

I did need to return to the supermarket to get some items that slipped past my memory the day before. Mile joined me. It was his birthday on Sunday, June 14. He is now 45. Though he still maintains a boyish charm like he is in his 20’s or perhaps his 30’s. Mike joined me on the walk. It was not that hot out and we had a good walk and talk.

After that, I got myself together for my Sunday afternoon bike ride. It occurred to me that growing up, getting away from our family that would yell at the TV during sporting events. Annemarie and I would go bike riding on Sundays. I guess it was a good day to go out. We would ride to Saddle River County Park in Saddle Brook, and sometimes would go the distance to Paramus. This was before bike paths and cell phones. No one could know where we were, and if there was trouble, we would be unable to contact anyone, only by pay phone.

I continue the tradition by bicycling on Sundays. Yesterday, instead of going to Jersey City, I went in the opposite direction to North Bergen. It was quiet and not crowded, and quite boring. I’m not complaining. It was also a mile or two less than the Jersey City excursion. It was mostly peaceful until I got to my building, where I almost collided with another cyclist who came out of nowhere and did not alert me to their presence. I yelled out ‘Jesus Christ’ as they pedaled past. It was unnerving and gave truth to the adage that most accidents happen close to home.

I had planned to take Mike to a birthday dinner at Grimaldi’s, but when I came home, he was napping, and after an hour or two of that, I tried to motivate him to get up and out, but he begged off and wanted a burrito from Qdoba, which he had the other day and liked it enough. I was disappointed, yet relieved since it would be a lot cheaper to get takeout rather than sit in a restaurant.

I am back at the fruit stand. My fruit stand desk phone is still inoperable.
This morning I was direct messaging with someone from India and though they tried, they did not achieve much of anything.

12:27 PM