For the past few years, we’ve been going to friends for Seder (if we’ve been at home). They invite about a dozen people over; there’s good food, good wine, and a 14-page Haggadah with some interesting songs.

Tonight was no exception – except, of course, everyone had to go to their house over Zoom. More wine may have been involved than usual (we decided it was a great opportunity to drink the bottle of Wente Nth Degree Pinot Noir we’d picked up a few years ago), and the singing was less synchronized than it might otherwise have been – but a good time was had by all, and the Passover story was told yet again.

Before the Seder, I finished the first draft of our taxes, so it was a day of liberation in more than one way!

It was shopping day today. We hit Whole Foods, Lunardi’s, and RiteAid in the morning, coming away with enough protein to hold us for over a week (as well as other foodstuffs and drugstore items). The stores were less crowded than I’d seen them since the lockdown began, but it still felt like we were in there for a very long time.

After lunch, we walked to Ace Hardware so I could pick up a replacement handle for the toilet in the half-bath, then to the UPS store to pick up my new MacBook Air, replacing the one I bought right after being laid off by IBM ten years ago.

I’ve barely started installing software on the new computer, but I am using it to type this entry (I’d thought about leaving it in the UPS box for a day, but figured out how to get it out without touching the box with my bare hands – it’s been in transit for a week, so I’m pretty sure that any viruses inside the box are long gone). Tomorrow, I will start the migration process for real.

The toilet repair was less successful – I was able to use the new handle to figure out how to fix the old handle (it seemed easier than taking everything out), but there’s a small leak somewhere and water runs for a few seconds every hour or so. I suspect the flapper needs TLC (if I’m lucky) or replacement (if I’m not).

We had our usual Trivial Zoom session this evening, bolstered by a group of geocachers wishing “Happy Birthday” to one of our number. I tried using the WyzeCam and TV for video and my iPad for audio – it worked, more or less, but it was awkward. Right after the session, I ordered a USB microphone from BestBuy, and I’ll try that next time – and if that doesn’t work satisfactorily, I’ll go try to find a webcam somewhere (or just give up and use the laptop).

May all your problems be as trivial.