April 2025

 April 2025

PA, DE, NY, Emirates, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan 

1- TU- PA

I went to the Southampton Spa, a Russian bathhouse in the northeast.  I love and hate this place at the same time. Mostly, old, fat Russian men come here and they proudly walk about with their big guts hanging out and a pastry in their mouth. The raglan pool is too chilly for me. The hot tubs and funky and just not hot enough. But then, all of the saunas are a hot challenge with a few of them being unbearable.

Haiti topic: Trump's disregard for due process for our immigrants

Children torn  from homes

Borders built with broken laws

Justice jades in fear

2- W- PA

I had planned last night to go to Lancaster today but I had trouble sleeping and then I slept too late and I didn't feel like making the journey so I went to the Perkoimen Valley Brewery (1) and loved it. There wasn't a beer list on the website but I liked their opening statement about their passion to run a business of good beer and working as a family.  The owners' two sons are autistic and they help out with the production. Several of the beers are made with ingredients they grow in their garden. I want to come here again.

Haiku topic: Trump's war against our allies:

Allies turn to dust

Promises of trust are gone

Tides of peace now break

Twitter: Trump is becoming voiceless around the world. #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice #TrumpisaNationalDisgrace #TrumpIsWEAK

3- TH- PA

I started the day with an appointment with my hearing aid doctor. She just lost a friend and she was so sad, as she should be.

At her request, I went to the movies with Sue, The Penguin Lesson. It was a cute film.

haiku topic: about trump's tariffs and the stock market crashing

Tariffs rise, markets fall,

Stocks crumble, hopes dissipate,

Trade winds shift again.

4- F- PA

I had to usher at Uptown in the evening which meant I spent the whole day waiting to usher.  I got there and just as I had expected, I wasn't really needed so I came back to the apartment and sat in the lounge. Kim came along and we had a beer and then Kristen showed up, drunk and dazed. We chatted for awhile. Then, a fairly new resident wandered by and we made him sit and talk with us. Mike showed up, drunk as usual.  He left shorty but not without exiting, making strange, unidentifiable  nosies.

5- SA-

I went to the Hands Off Rally with Jaye, Sally, Stacy, Callie, Leslie, Michelle, and Pat. It was a big help to be surrounded by 6000 other people who have had enough of Trump.

haiku topic: the whole country marched in protest to trump in the Hands Off protestChatGPT said:

Hands raised, voices loud,

Marching through the streets as one,

Trump’s grip loosens tight.

6- SU- PA

Kristen and I went to Ironhill so she could had with Steve. I'm a little bored with this activity. But today was a great day as they had the last of their pumpkin beer on sale. It was $5 for a 4pack. This is usually $20. So I joyfully left with 4 packs.

7- M- PA

I has lunch with Springfield people at Sissy's house.  We used to go to Sissy's house once a year and she would make a big turkey dinner for George and me and she would invite some other person and we always had a good time.  We haven't done this for 15 years and I miss this moment. So, today, Sissy and Rita and Sue and George and i had lunch together and it was good to get together again.

In the evening I had drinks with the Thorntons. They had bought me some good beers a few weeks ago and we sat in the lounge and just enjoyed them.

8- TU- PA

I had to pick up my fucking tax returns. FUCK TRUMP for being so fucking careless with our economy. I owe an additional $12,000.

Tweet: Like so many of us, I have lost 100% of the interest my portfolio made last year. And today, my accountant finished my taxes and I am paying taxes on all that money I lost. #FuckTrump. He has been reckless with our financial security. #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice

Tweet: Sending a legally sanctioned person to a prison in El Salvador is an alarming violation of human rights and legal ethics. El Salvador’s prisons are infamous for extreme overcrowding, violence, and inhumane treatment. Legal punishment should never include exposure to cruel or degrading conditions. This decision disregards international standards of justice and sets a dangerous precedent that devalues human dignity. It suggests that legality can excuse inhumanity, which is deeply unjust. The outrage is warranted. Justice must be fair, humane, and consistent, regardless of where it is carried out or who is being punished.

Legal punishment should never include exposure to cruel or degrading conditions. This decision disregards international standards of justice and sets a dangerous precedent that devalues human dignity. It suggests that legality can excuse inhumanity, which is deeply unjust. ..

9- W- PA

I started out with a visit to the dr to make sure my prolia treatment is going ok.  The NP walks in and even before she said hello, she asked, "Did you get to see them?"  She was asking about my trip to Rwanda to see the silverback gorillas.  That was so damn funny.  And my prolia treatment is going well.

I went to Costco and bought too much frozen food.  Why do I do this to myself? Now my freezer is stuffed to capacity and every time I open the door, I have to catch food sliding out.

I had a discussion with my financial manager and he shared the good news that the stock market is rebounding.  Trump has decided to stay the tariffs for 90 days so we will go through this again in July.  Fuck him.

In the evening, I went to the Volunteers Celebration at Uptown.  As I did last year, I left feeling as if I just don't do enough there.

Haiku Topic: Trump's reckless tariff announcements:

Tweets fly like wild winds

markets tumble, nerves unravel,

chaos with no cause.

10- TH- PA

OMG, I slept soundly for 9 hours last time. My CPAP recorded 9:12 hours.  Now I am embarrassed for the data collector to see how much I sleep.

I headed to NJ to go to the Farmers & Bankers Brewing (2) and really enjoyed myself.  I had a flight of 4 beers and then a small tasting of a rice lager. I enjoyed all of them and I loved the company of the people at the bar. I love to go to a place like this brewery.

Whispers on the Hill,

Trump tweets, markets rise and fall,

Gold from silent deals.

11- F- PA

It's been 32 years since Chris died and still I can barely speak of it.

I got a notice that my balcony is being replaces so everything has to come inside and that is a fucking pain in the ass. And it is raining today so I don't want to bring every thing in when it is wet because it is going to be in my apartment for several weeks as the contractors will be still working on it when I leave for the Stans.

I spent the afternoon trying to make doctor appointments. I did get an appt for see someone for depression.  She doesn't take insurance and she charges $500/hour. Fuck.  I tried getting an appt to see a new doctor about my eyebrow lift and had no luck.  I tried call H&R Block about my tax return and was told that I can make an appointment for April 16, the day after taxes are due. 

Late afternoon, Kristen and I went to Ironhill so she could chat up Steve. It was his birthday. To celebrate this day, his partner brought their baby son to the bar which Steve paraded around a bit and the moment was awkward. I am losing interest in this chase of hers.

Tweet: Chanting “America First” while outsourcing jobs, relying on global supply chains, and chasing foreign profits is peak hypocrisy. The U.S. economy runs on globalization whether MAGA admit it or not. #TrumpTariffs #TrumpMarketCrash

Tweet: “Egg prices rose to a record high in March of $6.23 per dozen despite optimism from the WH last month. The price for a dozen grade A large eggs jumped from February’s $5.90 to $6.23, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Trump can’t keep any of his promises.

Haiku topic: Trump purposely crashed the stock market for personal gains:

"Trump builds walls with pride,

While his brands cross every sea,

Profits know no flags."

12- SA- PA

I started clearing out my balcony for next week's big ass renovation project and everything is in my apartment and the place looks like a crazy person lives here.

I spent some time on ChatGPT and drew up all sorts of essays on Trump, the idiot.  I am becoming my own worse enemy with my hatred and obsession with him.  He needs to die so that I can go on with my life.

I was supposed to go to a birthday party in the lounge but I just didn't feel like socializing with people today.  And these parties tend to be the same: too much drinking, someone offenses someone, gossip and conversations that are not interesting to me. Large groups no longer hold my attention.  I like to sit at a bar and drink and socialize.  I don't like to wander around to different small groups and drop in our their conversation. It's tiring and  not interesting 

So I stayed in my apartment and listened to the last 2+ hours of my audiobook, The Silent Patient. The story had an interesting plot and an unethical therapist.

Haiku- The orange idiot profits from globalization:

Trump chants “Made in U.S.,”

But his ties sail in from China,

Profits pledge no oath.

The last couple of days, I have been using AI and posting three part tweets.  I am hoping this may increase my traffic on my site. So far it hasn't made a difference. Since Musk took over, I have lost 5,000 followers and gained none.  Had things stayed the same, I would be up another 10,000 followers.  And my tweets have no visibility.  I don't pay for a blue check so I must not be entitled to expect viewership.

Tweet: Chanting “America First” while reaping the benefits of globalization is blatant hypocrisy. The slogan suggests self-reliance, national pride, and economic independence, yet the reality of America’s global entanglement tells a different story.  Globalization has helped lower costs and driven corporate growth, but the benefits are rarely shared with the American working class, who are told to believe in the myth of economic nationalism. This contradiction exposes “America First” as a hollow rallying cry. It's more about emotional manipulation than policy reality. Our wealth & power are deeply tied to global cooperation & interdependence, making it impossible to put the country first w/o acknowledging the benefits it quietly takes from the rest of the world.

13- SU- PA/DE

Today was just a horrible day. I can barely write about it.

14- M- PA/DE

I am filled with deep, deep sadness.

15- TU- PA

I thought I was feeling better today, ready to pick myself up and move one. But then I had a little flutter of anxiety so I took 1/2 of my anti-anxiety medicine to calm my nerves. And then I threw up 4 time. I wonder if I should take another pill.

It's so hard to write about Dominic's betrayal that I went to AI to write something about him. The essay speaks exactly how I feel:

I am struggling to put my emotions into words, weighed down by a sadness so so heavy it feels impossible to lift. Someone I trusted, someone I called my friend, has shattered that bond beyond repair. When he confessed that he had been living a lie: happily married, and with a second family hidden away, it was as though the ground beneath me disappeared. Every conversation, everry shared moment now feels tainted, rewritten by this betrayal I never saw coming. I believed in him, laughed with him, and offered loyalty that now feels foolish. The pain isn't just from the lies, but from the ease with which he told them, the casual way he let me build a friendship on false ground. Grief and anger twist together inside me, and I wonder if I ever truly knew him at all. His confession ended more than a friendship.  It will damage my ability to trust.

16- W- PA

I woke to the sound of men taking down my beloved balcony.  It's gone and it will be gone for a few weeks. But then, I will also be gone so maybe it will be perfect when I get home from the Stans.

Andrea invited me to dinner at her house. Her friend came over and so did Jaye and we just talked and cried and I am so damn angry with Dom.  I want to hurt him in some way.

17- TH- PA

I had dinner with Sharon. We went to Heather's favorite Viet Names restaurant and our dinner was delicious.

18- F- PA

I met up with Tricia. First, we walked around Jenkins Gardens and then we had lunch at a sandwich shop.

In the late afternoon, I went to Stretch lab and I feel so much better. Then I went and has a facial.

I talked with Jaye. Dom wants to know if she really wants a divorce. I want to punch the shit out of him. 

I had a long visit with JoJo and told her all about Jaye and Dom's betrayal. I fucking hate him.  She wants to beat him up as well.

There was no work done on the balcony restoration because the contractor never got the permits. How irresponsible.

19- SA- PA

I am filled with anxiety as I have so much coming up in two days and all is good but overwhelming.

Today is Kathy Lewis' 70th birthday party. Several of my  high school classmates will be there to celebrate.

20- SU- PA, NY

It's easter, i hate easter.

I drove to Larchmont to meet my sweet, sweet Sidney and he is adorable.

21-M- NY, In the air

Pope Francis died this morning.  He had a stroke. Tricia sent me a text, "The Pope died. Have a great trip."

I hung at the Staudts until around 3 and then left for the JFK airport.  I left plenty of time to get there as the traffic is so unpredictable.  And I wanted to find a deli to get a big ass pastrami sandwich. But my parking spot was in such an industrial area that McDonalds was the only option available to me. That was most unsatisfying.

I leave for Tijikastan. I am flying Air Emirates and looking forward to the experience.

22- TU- Dubai International Airport

The flight was effortless so much so that I had to be awaken for breakfast.  My layover in Dubai was bearable and i didn't feel worn out even as i calculated that i was up about 24 hours now.

23- W-Tajikistan

I arrived in Tajikistan around 330 AM. My first impressions are very favorable. The city is clean, bright and modern. 

I finally got to my hotel around 4 AM and was not tired so the moment was trying as I had to get to sleep before breakfast.

Today was a day of rest and a day to address my jet lag.  I slept all damn day except for the moment when I went down to get breakfast.

I errored in judgement bringing my old laptop. it's too out of date and broken and it is going to drive me crazy. i may jut throw it out.

first impressions

• a strong infrastructure
• no feral dogs
• litter free
• no homeless people or beggars
• there is nothing that reminds me of Asia.
• there are two types of people, Russian looking Caucasians and light skinned asian Indians

24- TH Tajikistan

25- F-

26 SA

27- SU

29 M- Tajikistan/Uzbekistan

We crossed the border in to Uzbekistan. Abdu, our guide, handled the situation masterfully. There was a crowd and it was hot and disorganized. But Abdu knew how to manage the immigration people and we got through quickly.

I threw up after lunch. That was a bit of an embarrassment.

29 TU- Uzbekistan

Five more people joined our group today and it was a bit disruptive to me as I have just gotten used to our small group of 7. There is a couple from Canada and they want to make it abundantly clear that they are not Americans.

We visited a memorial site to grieving mothers. It's too easy to dismiss the grief that parents suffer because of war.

30- W- Tashkent, Uzbekistan

We walked a lot today and I am exhausted. We walked though the Old Town and Barak Khan Madrassah, the local center for artists.

In the afternoon, a gentleman led us in to a discussion on the pros and cons of the soviet and indolence from the soviet.