Today is Sunday, November 6, 2022. Two days before the most consequential midterm elections and my 67th birthday. It’s hard to believe my advanced age. I’ve just finished a very amusing novel by Andrew Sean Greer called Less which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 about the reflections of a minor novelist named Arthur Less who is turning 50 and has been jilted at the altar, so to speak, by his longterm lover. There are meditations on lost youth, aging, and the human condition offered in a potpourri of reflections on the many cultures in which Less finds himself as he flees the nuptials of his former partner to journey to Germany, Italy, Morocco, India, and Japan. What would this fictitious character think of someone like myself turning 67? He would think the gig is up, most probably. I can now wait to read Greer’s sequel called Less Is Lost which I bought Elliot for his birthday last month.

As for the midterms coming up on Tuesday, I don’t know about you, but I’m disgusted by all of these polls showing many of these races being favorable to repugnicans. Just let Americans vote on Tuesday and let us hold our breath as election results are tabulated. I heard a particular theory today in my regular podcast The Banter in which one of the commentators, Bob Cesca, espoused this take on these distressing polls. He mentioned that if the tide is turned against repugnicans on that day, then the party of Dumpf could pivot and declare that the election was rigged against them, especially if they were originally forecasted to be the victors in these races. It seems a credible theory then, doesn’t it? Some despicable candidates have already telegraphed that they won’t accept the will of the people if they lose fair and square.

As opposed to yesterday, today was more tranquil. I had breakfast out with my Astoria friend “Seth” at Jackson Hole. We decided to sit outside since the weather this morning was very warm. I had to wait for him about 15 minutes, so I had a cup of coffee first.

When Seth approached the table, he sat down and told me a very sad story: some high school classmate committed suicide at the age of 58. No details were forthcoming. I inquired if Seth saw this erstwhile acquaintance often and he said no. The last time was about seven years ago when his sister had died.

We dropped discussing the man’s frightful departure from this Earth and got down to ordering our meals. I was content to have the banana-stuffed pancakes, while Seth ordered a cheese omelet.

We were eventually sated by our dishes; in fact, I asked for a doggie bag for my pancakes that I couldn’t finish. Seth preferred not to take home his uneaten French fries.

I then walked out to Seth’s car and said I would call him when I knew the time of my surgery on Thursday.

When I got home, Elliot was puttering around the apartment. I told him how our get-together went and decided to listen to my Sunday edition of The Banter, which was an hour long today. The theme of the podcast was Tuesday’s elections, what else?

After listening to the podcast and writing a response, I then informed Elliot I was taking a walk. I stopped to get two slices of pizza at a pizzeria on Queens Boulevard and then trod off to Federoff Triangle to sit down and continue reading Less. I wanted to finish the book today. In the meantime, I called my friend “Mark” who lives nearby and spoke to him for awhile.

The sky above was getting cloudy, so I decided I would walk back because of a possibility of rain. I had no umbrella with me and I detest getting rained on. So I walked rather swiftly on Queens Boulevard to elude the rain that didn’t come.

As I was returning, my phone rang and it was Elliot telling me to order from the local Chinese restaurant. I said I needed to come home first and go to the bathroom.

At some point, I did order the food and walked to the restaurant on Ascan Avenue. This was the last time I was out for the day.

Now it’s time to watch Season 2 of HBO’s The White Lotus, which premiered last Sunday at 9. This season boasts a new cast, except for the character of Jennifer Coolidge who returns as dimwitted heiress Tanya McQuoid-Hunter with her new husband whom she met during the first season at that Hawaiian resort. This time the characters visit gorgeous Sicily. The cast for Season 2 includes F. Murray Abraham as an 80-year-old flirt, Bert Di Grasso, who is accompanied by his son, Dominic, here played by Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos fame, who himself is sex-addicted, and his grandson Albie (Adam DiMarco) who thinks he can distance himself from these two Neanderthal men. Rounding out the cast are Daphne Sullivan (Meghan Fahy) and her rich businessman husband Cameron (Theo James) and another couple, Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe) and his wife Harper (Aubrey Plaza) who are invited on the vacation with the first couple. It seems that Cameron went to school with Ethan and so these two couples find themselves enjoying the same Sicilian resort together. But there are ruptures between the two couples as evidenced in the first episode.

The tensions between flashy fund manager Cameron and newly rich Ethan are obvious, opening up a swirl of existing resentments, envy, and judgment. The surly Harper, in particular, isn’t buying Cameron and Daphne’s “perfect couple” vibe.

Let’s see if this season holds up to the first. So far, it opens up about the same way as the first, as a body or bodies are found on the beach and the action flashes back to a week earlier. We then meet the new cast of characters coming to the island.

So have a great week. And happy voting, if you haven’t voted yet.

Stay safe and be well.