Category Archives: Personal

3/18 – 4/7/2020 – Coronavirus Isolation

Wednesday 3/18/2020

Hudson Area Library closes; all programs stop.

Friday 3/20/2020

Gov. Cuomo announces shit down of all non-essential businesses.

Saturday 3/21/2020

HAL hold first online Board of Trustees meeting; library closed

Tuesday 4/7/2020

Today marks the end of the third week of isolation. Excepting for a couple of trips to the grocery, bank, and liquor store we have had no contact with any one closer than 6 feet.

Walks

Fortunately for us we have been taking daily walks, sometimes lengthy enough to be called hikes. It has been remarkable how few people we see during these walks. You might think that people would be getting out for exercise, air, nature…. maybe this reflects how sedentary we have become as a society. Our walks have mainly featured a route up Warren St. around the hospital and then back down the hill to home – about 2.5 miles (4K). We have extended and varied this to make it both longer and more challenging. 

Here are reports for a few.

Continue reading →

3/17/2020 Tuesday – more coronavirus, work and tennis

Woke up reading a piece that David Drake forwarded from Medium, Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now – Politicians, Community Leaders and Business Leaders: What Should You Do and When? by Tomas Pueyo. Dave’s daughter Margie, the mathematics PHD,  recommended it. At least the statistics pass her muster.

This lengthy article consolidates the coming impact of the pandemic and the government’s failure to act promptly. I cancelled my dentist, physical therapy and docotr appointments because none of them are urgent.

UTMH team meeting telecon was cancelled because the phone system we use was overwhelmed. Not another word from UTMH today.

Spoke with Jonathan from Leiden. They are a bit worried about the Dutch governments policies towards the pandemic.

Tennis doubles on Wednesdays has been cancelled. This will mean that Ted and I will contiue to practice and play but just travel in two cars instead of one. Must check in on tennis lesson on Thursday.

Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Karen is cooking a corned beef and cabbage. We dis-invited Dave Drake due to social distancing. He understood because he had much the same reaction to the article Margie sent to us. We will drive over to Catskill to deliver a dinner to him and pick up hors d’oeuvres that he made.

3/12/2020 – Thursday – Karen abandons FotoFest, our pandemic isolation begins

Woke up at 4:15 am to Karen talking to an airline agent to cancel her flight to Houston. She had awakened earlier to read the news that the NBA had cancelled its season and Tom Hanks and his wife were ill with the corona virus in Australia. Seemed embarrassingly late to cancel, but as it turned out later in the day others had also cancelled and ultimately FotoFest cancelled the balance of the event. Too many people from too many places including outside the US, probably China and S. Korea.

Glad she didn’t go. Seems like very much an unnecessary risk. We are in the demographic of those most at risk.

Emily and I talked about cancelling events and programs at the library. Need a policy.

Tennis lesson – started work on a knuckle-ball serve – combo top spin with slice.

The news is filled beginning to end with the coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s leadership has so far been more lacking than even his bad earlier performance might suggest. Again busy blaming Obama and the Democrats for the virus. People in his regime refer to the  virus as the Wuhan virus.

3/5/2020 – weight, work, tennis

Thursday

Weighed 218 this morning down from 222 on 1/9/20 when we returned from Europe. Close to weight when I graduated from Taft in 1965. Did exercise routine.

Spent most of day at UTMH. Leon Greene came for a product demo with Brandon and James. He has an easy touch with people. Very assured without being obnoxiously so. Chatted with him about corporate jobs, weight and exercise. Turns out he once weighed 260. He’s about 6’3” weighing he says 235 now. Doesn’t look like it. I will have a private chat with him next week.

Sspoke with David A about Troy Web’s run away billing for software development. Seth was completely over wrought about the ongoing train wreck with them. Also discussed CMH’s move to become a 3rd party provider of RPM services…..

Wrote emails to Michael Chameides, Michael O’Hara and Kite’s Nest about composting. This may be my next big public project…..

Tennis nets are up at the school here in Hudson. Earlier than I ever recall. Ted and I will play there on Sunday. Weather should be in high 50s.

Made another batch of bran muffins with raisins and apricots.

Received first test of my place mat series.
Made tofu vegetable gorp for dinner. Karen declared it good.

2/28 – 3/1/2020 – sick

Friday thru Sunday

Woke up Friday not feeling well. Nausea and diarrhea and very weak. Spent all of Friday in bed very foggy in the head, then Saturday too. Started to feel a bit better on Sunday. Had soda water and lime for drinks at Swoon Sunday evening.

Read various web entries about food poisoning. The list of pathogens potentially involved is endless. 

2/14/2020 – Friday – old portrait, UTMH, tennis

Karen got up early to go to NYC. Train cancelled due to derailment at Penn Station. Decided to cancel trip. She returned to working on the pile of old boxed materials from the barn.

Found prep school photo of me in box of Orton family photos recently brought in from the barn.

Confab with David Ackerman about marketing materials and contracts. Leon Greene has been signed up to start work, hopefully as CEO soon.

Ted picked me up for tennis at Old Chatham Tennis. 5-7pm. Break through night. Served very well because I consistently threw the ball high enough to slow down the back swing. 2 sets 6-3, 6-2.

1/31/2020 – Jane Orton dies

Friday

Received this from Torrey:

This was a complete surprise. We’d been expecting  a progress report from Jane at the end of January. Not her death. 

Jonathan wrote this to Torrey:

Dear Torrey,

I just now received the news of Jane’s passing.

I’m overseas, far from others.

And I am thinking of the moments we’ve spent together in different combinations at different times across continents.

These include my first meeting with Jane in Australia…at her office … in 1997 I think … and all the times I’ve spent with her and you, and all of our times together, with Nan and the kids.

Your presence in our lives, together, has brought us warmth, confidence, and feelings of connection. We feel these now.

Nan happened to be wearing the earrings Jane gave her in May when she learned this news, sitting at our dining table in Leiden. The kids were by her side.

Torrey, there’s no way to describe the mix of love and gratitude I am feeling right now toward you both.

Such a beautiful, beautiful soul, Jane …I feel lucky to know her and to feel her as a part of my life.

Nan and I over the years have talked about you two, about how much we appreciate you both…

In other words you are a significant part of our lives and our sense of self and family.

And though at early stages in their lives, Jesse and Anna have experienced your love.

Vivid images of their interactions with you and Jane sprinkled across their past few years come to mind as I write these words…

We all treasure our time together with you both.

These are my initial thoughts.

Talk soon and in due course.

I’d be happy to chat with you by phone or mail as you see fit. A phone call might be nice at some point.

Love from us all,

Jonathan

Drove  to Winchester to drop off photo books. Then dropped Karen at her Soup Group meeting at Ellen Feldman’s house. Went to library. Worked on DOG website. Ran into Andrea Geyer. Went back to Esther’s house then off to movie – The Gentlemen. Dinner at Amelia’s.

Tried to get ahold of Torrey. Left message.