March 2020 – Me and the Doods.com

It Was the Best of Times. It Was the Worst of Times.

Not another stolen title. It’s obviously from “A Tale of Two Cities.”

CHARLEY He’s read Dickens? Who knew?

GUS & STANLEY He suggested we read it but it’s a little slow for our taste.

COVID-19 is creating the best and the worst of times. People are social distancing when we’re out walking but there’s a real air of camaraderie. Strangers are waving and commiserating with each other from across the street.

Dogs are enjoying the best of times. I have never seen so many out with their owners. With the gym and everything else exercise related closed, taking the dogs out has become a perfect alternative.

GUS & STANLEY We’re enjoying seeing all of our buddies but don’t understand why we’re not even allowed to sniff them.

I heard a piece of good pet news on the radio. More people than ever are going to the shelters to adopt or foster animals. Home confinement, along with stress and uncertainty, have created a genuine need for companionship and physical contact.

On a personal negative note, definitely not trying to downplay the terrible toll of the pandemic, this week the mountains were closed. My special healing, spiritual place is off limits. This photo says it all. I’m with the Doods next to my happy place but I’m also next to a sign that says we can’t go in.

Ironically, my last few hikes before the shut down, have been some of the best. It’s March, so the spring wildflowers have exploded in bursts of color. With the recent rains and with so many sheltering at home, the air is as clean as I can remember. The views are breathtaking. The temperatures have been perfect.

Beyond that, I have encountered things in the mountains that I’ve never seen up there before. Take goats for example.

GUS & STANLEY Goats? Do they bite?

Yes, goats. My friend Shelli and I were hiking and suddenly there they were, at least 10 of them coming up a hillside next to the trail. I later learned they were doing brush clearance but the sight of them was pure delight.

On another morning I met a transgender woman. I’m not judging. We chatted. People are friendlier now with the need to connect. She was one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met on my hikes, sweet and beautiful in a fabulous pink jacket.

ELBEE I can’t disagree.

I even had a celebrity encounter. A woman was hiking with an adorable little black dog that suddenly sat down and refused to move. Yenta that I am, I told her that my dogs will often do that when they want water. She thought that was a very good suggestion. Not until my friend told me did I find out it was the actress Calista Flockhart.

ELBEE For someone who was a total fan of Ally McBeal, she’s really losing it.

Shouldn’t, Couldn’t, Wouldn’t

In this time of crisis, I thought that it might not be appropriate to write my posts. Then I was afraid I couldn’t or wouldn’t. Well here I am, doing it anyway.

ELBEE That’s a shocker.

A few friends asked me to keep up with my posts because they needed that brief break from reality. Wait, my posts are reality.

ELBEE That’s up for debate.

Like so many others, I haven’t quite been able to wrap my head around what is happening in our world. Not to minimize the pain and suffering associated with COVID-19, but daily life has changed drastically.

We are all spending the majority of time at home. The sports schedules are blank. Schools and businesses are closed. The husband went to the market at 7:00 this morning during “senior happy hour,” hoping to get a few essentials.

ELBEE She forgot to mention that in a few more weeks we’re going to know everyone’s real hair color.

Thank goodness for family, friends, the mountains and the Doods. They have been my support. They have kept me grounded.

The daughters check in by text and phone but it’s hard not to be able to see them or the grandkids. Kudos to Nicole, the middle daughter, who is an ICU nurse on the front lines. Her courage amazes me.

I am grateful for the calls and messages from friends. Their caring touches my heart. Their humor brings much needed laughter.

The mountains, as always, are my refuge, my sanctuary, my spiritual place. There are a lot more people up there than usual but everyone is being respectful of social distancing.

This week, on a gorgeous day between rain storms, I was hiking with my friend Shelli. With the views and the spring flowers, it was hard to believe what was happening down below. We took these photos to capture some of our joy in the moment.

ELBEE Why does Shelli have a normal picture while someone else is doing a double biceps?

Last but not least, Gus and Stanley aren’t going into the hospitals so the husband and I each have our own personal therapy dogs. They follow us around the house, kind of like stalkers, in a good way. As my friend Alice said, she and her dog have become unusually close.

Seriously, they have offered unconditional love and acceptance. Delighted that we’re home, they’re content just to sit by our sides or watch me write. They bring a calm presence that overcomes anxiety. They don’t judge or ask why, they simply comfort.

The Universe Is Knocking

The universe truly seems to have gone crazy this week. Covid-19 is causing fear, chaos and plain old stress. People are in masks. Market shelves are empty. Restaurants are closed. Then, after a prolonged dry spell, it rained for almost 24 hours in Los Angeles. What better time to share a more positive message from the universe.

A few weeks ago, before the virus reared it’s ugly head, I was visiting at Providence Tarzana with Stanley. I was about to knock on the door of a patient’s room when it suddenly flew open. The hospital rabbi, who was just leaving, saw me and Stanley and burst out laughing.

About to end her visit with the teenage patient and his mom, she had asked if there was anything else she could do for them. Simultaneously they’d answered that they’d love a dog visit. A moment later, there we were.

The patient seemed quite ill and I believe had gone through many hospitalizations, but when he met Stanley all I saw was total joy. At his request, I positioned Stanley next to him on the bed. The boy was suddenly so relaxed and at ease with my huge puppy cuddled at his side. Somehow the topic turned to sports and we were off and running.

We talked about the baseball scandal, agreeing that the title should be taken away from the Astros but not awarded to our beloved Dodgers. We shared our adoration for former Dodger announcer Vin Scully who, coincidentally, attends a church across from the patient’s grandma’s house. We both thought that Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser were excellent replacement choices when Vin retired.

Next we moved on to basketball. That’s when the mom, not really a sports fanatic, joined in. She said that she’d seen a tie-dyed Bill Walton at a Grateful Dead concert. Then she went back to what she was doing. Both Laker fans but also amazed at what the Clippers were doing, the patient and I applauded the season. Next it was UCLA basketball, men’s and women’s. We shared our excitement over a game winning buzzer beater the night before.

Looking back at our conversation, it’s hard to believe what has happened in the interim. Baseball and basketball seasons are on hold. March Madness has been cancelled. I am just grateful that on that particular day, all was well in the sports world and we were able to bond. Talking sports while petting Stanley had transported the boy away from his hospital room and his pain. We were simply two overzealous fans that the universe had brought together.

A Celebration in Purple and Gold

What are the chances that Gus would meet the same Laker girl twice? He met and charmed her a couple of years ago when UCLA health held an event in Century City showcasing their mobile stroke unit.

This week it was during spirit day at the hospital, celebrating the Lakers being in first place in the Western conference and also paying quiet tribute to Kobe Bryant. As soon as she saw him, she broke into a warm smile of recognition.

ELBEE Could it be because his hair was purple and gold again?

Several of the PAC dogs and their people were outside the hospital in Laker regalia. I was wearing a t-shirt from the 2010 championships and had some very tasteful purple streaks in my hair.

ELBEE She was walking a fine line between rabid Laker fan and crazy old lady.

There was an air of expectation as a growing crowd gathered, waiting for a Laker legend or two to join us. Suddenly I heard applause and an excited shout as four former players, including James Worthy and Michael Cooper materialized on the patio.

As the organizers were trying to get everyone to line up for photos and autographs, a couple of us moved in. With Gus in my arms, I found myself standing right in front of Robert Horry and A.C. Green. Horry looked very stern so I asked “Are you okay with the dog?” Looking way down to look me in the eye, he said “I really don’t like dogs.” I was about to cross him off my list of favorite Lakers, when he burst out laughing and said “I just wanted to see what you’d do. I love dogs.”

The tribute to Kobe was silent and beautiful. Rick Estrada, the artist who created this portrait, was there to answer people’s questions and to share memories. As I thanked him for his amazing work, I mentioned that I was a long time Laker fan and that my shirt was from the 2010 championships, the year that Kobe was MVP.

To my surprise, that was the year depicted in the painting. Rick even pointed out the bandage on Kobe’s finger. I’ve lost count of the number of conversations I’ve had about Kobe since his passing. His death has bonded so many people, in grief and in celebration of his life. This was one of those special shared moments.

The Universe Is a Strange Place

On a beautiful morning, the Doods and I were enjoying a walk up one of our semi-regular routes, when a man started waving enthusiastically and then came running over. He’d seen me with the dogs for years and wanted to tell me how special they were. Of course, I immediately shared about all of the work they do.

ELBEE She actually bragged but I have no issue with that.

As soon as I mentioned UCLA Medical Center, the floodgates of conversation opened. The man, whose name is Montana, had suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle accident (two cars were involved) and said he owed a lot of his recovery to the hospital and to his faith.

He was telling me that he was a songwriter and musician and had worked with Bon Jovi when a lovely young woman, named Julia (pronounced with an “h”) approached. Apparently, she’s another fan of the dogs and was very excited to be petting them for the first time. And what are the chances, she was a singer songwriter who blogs about goodness.

ELBEE This woman looked better going hiking than certain other people look going out to dinner.

Being tone deaf, I couldn’t get in on the whole songwriting thing. Still, in our mutual spirit of oversharing when Julia spoke about having just written a song in Spanish although she barely speaks Spanish, I confessed that I’d recently written a children’s book. It was not something I’d ever thought about doing. It just came to me from the universe as I was climbing a steep trail.

ELBEE Oy. That’s a story for another day.

Anyone walking by would have thought we were old friends. We were laughing, playing with the dogs, taking photos. Julia even asked if it was okay if she set the photos and videos of the dogs to music. The whole encounter was getting better and better.

ELBEE Not to mention crazier and crazier.

Suddenly, Montana suggested we form a prayer circle. Never having been in a prayer circle in my life, I joined hands with them as if it was the most natural thing to do. There we were, the five of us, three relative strangers, Gus and Stanley, at the top of a busy street adjacent to the hiking trails in a prayer circle.

GUS AND STANLEY I hope none of our friends saw us.

After the prayer circle, we exchanged numbers, said our good byes and went our separate ways.

I admit this whole encounter was a bit unusual, even for me, but every word is true. I’m not even sure how it all happened except that it’s the dogs’ fault. Next week I will share a more profound story of the power of the universe.