What pandemic-era habits or hobbies have stayed with you?
It’s been three years since all of us were shaken out of our settled routines by the advent of COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders. Those of us who survived intact have largely gone back to our old ways — but not entirely.
I can’t help but be curious about what’s different in your lives.
Do you have a new habit? A new hobby? Have you incorporated something new into your daily or weekend routine? Or perhaps you’ve resurrected an old interest that you hadn’t pursued in years.
Is whatever you’re doing a way to relieve stress, or is it beneficial in another way?
Drop me a note at dallen@scng.com with a pandemic-era change in your life or routine and why it’s meaningful to you. Include your name and city of residence, please. If you have a photo of yourself pursuing this interest, or an example of your handiwork, by all means attach it.
And hang in there.
‘Curb’ in Claremont
On Monday, a TV crew filmed outside Pomona College’s old Carnegie Library, a 1908, white-clad Classical Revival building with a flight of wide steps to an entrance behind four pillars. For the shoot the imposing building stood in for a courthouse.
Old Carnegie Library in Claremont doubles as (I think) a courthouse in Atlanta for a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” scene this morning. Lawyer climbs steps, protesters chant “Free Larry!” and wave signs: Lesbians for Larry, Justice 4 Larry, God Hates Your Feelings and Yada Yada Yada. pic.twitter.com/DhU5aAXPeA
— David Allen (@DavidAllen909) March 13, 2023
Protesters waved signs on the lawn. Vans with news logos and cars with police decals were parked in front. A man in a suit and carrying a briefcase walked up the stairs, as if ready to file a legal brief, as an impassive guard stood at the top.
Before seeing the vehicles’ Atlanta decals, my first thought was that this was yet another shoot for Rob Lowe’s “9-1-1: Lone Star,” which has filmed on the campus more than once. But no. This was better: “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
People gathered along College Avenue, a popular walking street, to watch portions of the filming. I took in the scene for a few minutes on my morning walk. That afternoon, star Larry David made an appearance. The co-creator of “Seinfeld” was in town!
A philosophy prof at Pomona College, Ellie Anderson, subsequently tweeted: “Devastated they’re filming Curb on campus while we’re all gone for spring break.”
Whatever fictional hijinks Larry is embroiled in during the upcoming Season 12, they involve politics. Some protesters were chanting “Free Larry!” One sign read “Vote” above Larry’s silhouette.
Other supportive signs had such slogans as “Justice for Larry” and “Lesbians for Larry.” A counter-protest sign read “God Hates Your Feelings.” Another sign, possibly in support, possibly not, declared: “Yada Yada Yada.”
We can only guess what the storyline is about, but perhaps this portion of the Wikipedia page about the series will apply: “Episodes frequently center on Larry’s ignorance of or disregard for well-established social conventions and expectations … He is also routinely the victim of labyrinthine misunderstandings wherein people think he has done something immoral or disgusting.”
‘Don Quixote’ update
At least two readers who told me weeks ago they had started the daunting “Don Quixote” are still reading it, and enjoying it, but neither is breaking any land-speed records for page-turning. One is 200 pages into the 900-page novel. Only somewhat farther is Janice Rutherford, the retired county supervisor who in 2022 finished 217 books.
At our Shake Shack preview dinner Sunday, Rutherford disclosed that she’s laughed aloud several times during “Quixote” but is also taking it slow, reading a chapter or two at a time (the chapters are short). She has expressed concern to me that such a long novel might affect her books total for 2023.
How many books has she read since Jan. 1? “Oh, 35, 36,” she replied cheerfully.
This was almost a week ago; no doubt she’s read another book or two by now.
Incidentally, I was stopped at a red light on Wednesday when I remembered the “35, 36” incident and jotted a reminder note. Seconds later, the narrator of the audiobook I was listening to said of some circumstance or other: “It was quixotic.”
“Don Quixote” is everywhere.
brIEfly
Julie Green, who died Feb. 26 at 77, was a longtime newspaperwoman who started her career at The Press-Enterprise before a long and distinguished career in L.A. with the Herald-Examiner, the Daily News and the Times. According to her Times obit, she loved telling the story of her biggest mistake. That was a recipe in the P-E for a baked dessert that had begun at a cafeteria-scaled size. For publication she carefully reduced the amounts of every ingredient – except for baking soda. Readers deluged the P-E with calls when their dessert exploded in their ovens.
David Allen writes Friday, Sunday and Wednesday, explosively. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.