Party-time

Fri, 04/24/2020 - 5:15pm

About this blog:

  • Barnako, wiscasset, Maine Art Gallery

    Frank Barnako is a seasonal resident of Wiscasset at Clarks Point on the Sheepscot River.   His career in journalism included on air and news director positions with CBS and NBC Radio and TV stations.  He was a pioneer in the Internet, helping to create and co-found MarketWatch.com where he also developed a 200-station radio network and wrote daily columns focused on the stock market, business news, and technology. Barnako describes himself as “an aspiring photographer,” whose work can be seen at frankbarnako.com<http://frankbarnako.com>. He is a member of the town’s Investment Advisory Committee. Email him at wiscasset@barnako.com.

Hey! We’re going to a party tonight.  A birthday party, one that’s divisible by 10.  Not something you’re shouting to the world about but, hey, consider the alternative.

It’s going to be a Zoom birthday party.  A dozen friends and family will log on at about 8pm and ... and ... do WHAT? There will be no hand shaking, slapping on the back, pouring drinks, and so on.  I presume the birthday boy’s spouse, who’s organized this, has a plan.  She certainly does for everything else in her life.  Going to a party.  Hmmm ... sounds normal.

It’s good to know I’m not the only one who asks his spouse, “What day is it?” A New York Times writer says “unmooring” is what we’re experiencing, is a function of not having “social anchors”. Like dentist appointments, play dates for the dog, and making the Transfer Station run on Saturday morning.  You look around and everything you’re used to is still standing but, as a psychology professor told The Times, “You know you’re not going out today”.

Ah, but I am!  A birthday party. 

I’ve also got a sick dog.  Eight-year-old Pippa.  Hasn’t eaten for four days.  Huge medical bill so far.  Complete body sonogram - all the organs are normal. But she won’t eat.  And, as you can understand, the vet took her blood work four days ago - and we still don’t have any results.  Bad time for getting blood work done.  Pippa is acting normal.  She’ll roll over for a belly run, she’ll bark if the mailman drops a package.  She’ll even jog (at 8 years old, she doesn’t run).  

But she won’t eat.  And that just hangs over the day.  We’ve got to wait for the vet to call us at the end other day, after she’s done with office hours.  Hopefully she will soon receive results of the blood test and we can get on to doing something to get Pippa back to eating.  

Speaking of medical, keep my neighbor Rich Kubler in mind.  This 9/11 First Responder is ill and the Red Cross has organized a blood drive for him at Wiscasset Congregational Church on May 9.  It’s not difficult to make a donation - call ahead to 1-800-REDCROSS to make an appointment.