You Can Be Happy If You've a Mind To

(Posted on Live Journal February 7, 2021)

It’s been fairly quiet around my building this month, especially since a brutal cold-wave descended on Minnesota last week. We’re currently experiencing lows well below Zero degrees F and highs barely above zero. We’re not expected to get much above 10 degrees F for nine more days. But, hey! It’s Winter. In my decade of living in Minnesota this Winter season has been the mildest since I first moved here in 2009; we've had little snow and no big accumulations.

 
I’ve written about my new car. I’ve had it ten days. I drove a neighbor to the airport early this morning and when I arrived back at my building, the Accord had 60 miles on it. Oooh, I’m driving so much! Btw, I’ve usually named my cars. I think I’ve settled on Gideon, for my obsidian-blue Honda Accord.

 The big news is my manager has been advocating for 8 weeks+ for the residents of my 62+ Independent Living Building to receive Covid-19 shots; it’s finally happening. About 30 of my neighbors have already received their first doses of the vaccine through other sources, but 42 of my neighbors will receive their first inoculation on February 21st because they live here at Wyndris. Good news! I know of only two people in our building who have decided not to get vaccinated.

 I will receive my second Moderna shot on February 21st (the first was January 24th); I will be grateful and relieved to have the vaccination series completed. After that, I plan to travel for the first time in a year. I know I’ll still need to practice social distancing and wear a mask, so be it. Masks have become an accessory for me. When it’s safe to stop wearing a mask, I will.

 I’m moving forward with plans to rescue another dog. No dog can replace Georgie, but my heart will expand enough to love another canine companion. Last week, I filled out an application with National Mill Dog Rescue in Colorado Springs, CO. NMDR rescues commercial breeding dogs (you know, the ones that endlessly produce puppies for pet stores). Puppy Mills routinely discard their breeding stock when they no longer produce puppies. The average age of the discarded dogs is 6-8 years old. Many have never been touched; they are not housebroken or leash-trained. Georgie was rescued by this organization in 2015.

 I filled out an application and heard back 24 hours after submission. A subsequent email asked for photos of my building’s outdoor dog run, the indoor exercise area, the wash station and of Georgie in my home, which I provided. The next step was a 40-minute phone conversation with the adoption manager on Thursday. At the end of the call, she approved my application. Trust me, I was thoroughly vetted. I told her I was most interested in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Boston Terriers, Yorkies, Maltese and any of the smaller poodle mixes.

 My developing plan is to travel to Colorado Springs (973 miles) by car the third week of March and rendezvous with my friend Maggie and her new beau who are driving up from Sweetwater, TX. Maggie volunteers at the rescue several times a year and is close friends with the founder of the rescue. My hope is to meet, fall in love and adopt a new canine companon during those few days and return to Minneapolis by my birthday, March 22, with her or him. There are several moving pieces to this plan. Will CDC guidelines allow me to travel? Will I have to quarantine for work when I return? Will I find that special dog in just a few days? I’m willing to try.

 This past Saturday, my friend Steve and I continued our practice of socially-distanced dinners, the 47th Saturday since the pandemic began. Steve’s been a great Bubble Bud. It was my week to choose the restaurant and I selected Russian Food (my first time). I had chicken kiev which was dellcious. There was a roving accordian player providing music for the diners. Moscow on the Hill provided a lot of ambiance for the price. The restaurant separated tables through a pairing of shower curtain liners and sheer draperies and the lighting was warm and inviting. We wore our masks from the time we entered through the ordering of food. All in all, it was an evening of fine dining and avid appreciation for new experiences.

 Oh, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd,  you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you've got to do is put your mind to it. Knuckle down, Buckle down, do it, do it, do it!