Stacy Horn

I’m listening to podcasts that have been recommended to me. First up, the C-Realm Podcast.

“KMO is the host and producer of the C-Realm Podcast and author of the book ‘Conversations on Collapse.’ He recently relocated from the Ecovillage Training Center on the Farm in Summertown, TN to Brooklyn, NY. He describes himself as, “a recovering libertarian and Singularitarian.”

I’m listening to a show about Troy which is making me want to move to Troy. I’m curious to listen to more. I’m going to ask which podcasts they think are among their best.

Next up Hardcore History by Dan Carlin.

Look at how clean my windows are! That’s looking through a window, then out over the air shaft, and through another window into my kitchen. Thank you Apple Window Cleaning! If you’re in New York, their number is (212) 620-0708. They are not paying me to post that, by the way.

Last night I learned that I am currently in 3rd place in the lap swim contest, and 2nd place is actually a possibility. Even if I don’t make it though, I’m thrilled with 3rd. I checked and I’ve only been able to make it to half the swimming nights. Under those circumstances 3rd place is tremendous. Honestly, there’s not a lot of people competing at my pool, but I know that the number of miles I am swimming would put me in contention at most of the pools in the city, so I’m proud.

A shot at the West Village Chorale summer sing I attended on Monday (instead of swimming). Thank you West Village Chorale for holding these sings every summer (for 40 years we learned!).

Backstory: This is the third time I’ve entered the summer lap swim contest sponsored by NYC Parks & Recreation. I have to swim at least 25 miles by August 28th. People who swim the 25 miles get a tshirt! There’s also a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize for the man and the woman who swim the most miles in their division at their pool by August 8th. Those people also get a trophy.

The first year I entered I came in 3rd place, last year I came in 2nd, and although 1st place in not a possibility for me (the best female swimmer in the city swims at my pool) I hoped to win 2nd place with even more miles this year.

Well, that’s not going to happen. I’m in the night division and not only have I had to miss a lot of nights, the City keeps canceling the night lap swim in order to keep the pool open for everyone due to the heatwave, which is fine. I understand. (But once the heatwave is over, what are the chances they will take away some of the weekend hours and give it to us so we can make up the time? Nil.)

At this point I’m not sure I’m even going to come in 3rd place, alas. Sob. But I will earn that tshirt, by God. I’m just a little under 19 miles right now with a whole month to go.

One of the outdoor writing spots I’ve chosen for myself. This is along the Hudson River. I’m currently reading Island at the Center of the World, so now when I look out at the Hudson River I try to imagine what this all looked like in 1609 (I’d be underwater for one, that park is on landfill).

Thank you, John Oliver. He just did a great piece on this. (Along these lines, I still want to read Matt Taibbi’s book The Divide.) Thankfully, and miraculously, this is not becoming a democrat vs republican issue. Here is a republican-written op-ed in the Times also calling for reform.

Please watch John Oliver’s piece. Here is the most important part:

“But if we really want to address this problem permanently, we needs states and the federal government not just to repeal mandatory minimum sentences going forward, but to also pass laws so that existing prisoners can apply for retroactively reduced sentences.

“Because almost everyone has agreed that mandatory minimum laws were a mistake and we cannot have a system where people are continuing to pay for that mistake …”

I just learned that my cousin Bill’s wife died early this morning. There are just no words for such a loss. She was actually Dr. Carolyn M. Kaelin, MD, the former Director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

She’s written articles and books, including Living Through Breast Cancer and The Breast Cancer Survivor’s Fitness Plan.

I don’t mean to post a resume, it’s just that I don’t even really know where to begin! Mother of God mortality sucks. In addition to my cousin Bill, she is survived by her children Kathryn Grace and Trip, who I believe are 23 and 20 years old. So young to lose their mom.

The Boston Globe wrote a truly lovely tribute to Carolyn. I just learned that Bill and Carolyn rented an apartment in Charlestown “partly for the soothing water view, and also to keep their home emotionally intact for their two children.” I’d heard about the part with the view, but not the other part which is so compassionate and insightful of them.

I actually talked about Bill and Carolyn to my friends a lot this past month. It was about the grace with which they were dealing with this phase of life. I don’t want to go into specifics out of respect for her family’s privacy, but I was so moved I had to talk to people about it. She was always like this (and so is Bill) so I wasn’t surprised, but I still couldn’t help being astounded. I’m so sorry Bill and Kathryn and Trip and everyone else who knew and loved her.

The New York Times published an even more extensive obituary. I’m moved by all the help she got. Thank you everyone who did your best.