Ramblings and peregrinations

In my dream, my father sat in our living room reading "Game of Thrones." He had almost finished the big book, and I was impressed. I wished that he could get out of the apartment and get together with some other senior citizens, maybe joining a book club to discuss what he was reading. He wasn't up to it, but he didn't mind. He was happy to be retired.

(BTW I don't even watch "Game of Thrones." But it got in my mind yesterday when I read a criticism claiming it has strayed too far from the book.)

In actuality, I had pulled out his copy of "Ulysses" and showed Joe the pages and pages of annotations in that scrawl that brings him back to life. After college at Rutgers, he had to go to work, but our "walking dictionary" had the temperament and motivation for a Ph.D. After he retired, he got his masters at City University. I had to take a course at Vassar to understand 'Ulysses," but he did it on his own.

I was looking at "Ulysses" because an email from the Literacy Project reminded me that Bloomsday is coming up on Tuesday, June 16, to commemorate the day in 1904 in which James Joyce's protagonist, Leopold Bloom, peregrinates through Dublin.

The Literacy Project (where I tutor), is celebrating with a benefit event at the Arts Block in Greenfield, with readings, music and prizes for the best Edwardian costume. I think I might go.

Themes and motifs: paternity, love, death, separateness
of Bloom and Stephen due to being Jewish.

Back in my dream, my mother in heaven, not to be ignored, sent quarters (for the parking meters) onto the streets of New York where I was walking. When I bent down to scoop them up, someone said I was greedy and was taking too many.

I said that picking up change dates back to my childhood when I would see pennies in the subway grates in front of my mother's jewelry store ("The Store" to us) on Lexington Avenue  and try to pick them up with gum attached to long poles that my mother used to get jewelry down from the top shelves. I remember wishing I could get to that change, but did I ever really try?

I have been trying to go to bed earlier to get more sleep, but then I just wake up earlier. (Sign of getting old?) Also wondering why I could find only one black sandal to go with the outfit that I plan to wear to Natty's high school graduation party tomorrow in Needham. Cleaning out my closet to look for it seemed too daunting, but I did it at the crack of dawn today, serenaded by the birds waking up. Not only did I find the shoe, but I also found "lost" presents from my 58th birthday: a $50 gift certificate to Dick's, a bag for my yoga mat, and some sweet cards from my children. Better two years late than never.

Figuring out the logistics in my own peregrinations have revealed a silver lining in my trips to Boston for photopheresis: possibly staving off Alzheimers by exercising my mind. Places I will go, using three different car services plus a ride from Margaret and one from Rook and Annie: Dana-Farber, Diane and David's, out to lunch and for a walk with Rook and Annie, Margaret and Nick's, Margaret's brother's house (to spend the night after Natty's party because "my" room is taken), back to Margaret's for breakfast and then back to Dana-Farber on Saturday because my transport takes me there and picks me up from there.

Also, the Kraft Blood Donor Center midway on the bridge from the Yawkey Center and Brigham and Women's, today and Friday, then upstairs on Friday for an appointment with Melissa to discuss the latest: In addition to colitis, I also have a touch of GVHD after all, but I might be able to avoid upping my prednisone while we wait and see how I do on my three new meds.