I will always feel relieved to get these results. I know I’ve taken a lot of precautions, but I also think luck plays a little part, too. My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered as a result of this pandemic, and I am humbled to feel so grateful for a negative.
Waiting for our first COVID test of the pandemic. Only saying first because who knows how many could be in my future.
This marks my third week working full-time from home and B’s fourth. We have managed to make it this far without driving each other batty or just losing our minds in general (that I know of??). That being said, I take it day by day or sometimes hour by hour, depending on the news and latest updates. Anxiety, rage, gratitude, sadness, disbelief … it’s all there! There’s also a sprinkling of both cabin fever and happiness at being home so I can take breaks in the backyard and listen to the birds.
I’d thought about focusing on a theme for each one of these dispatches, but instead I’m going to go with my usual format – bullets!
Food and supplies: So far I’ve seen a few shortages, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at our ability to get what we need from the grocery store – with the exception of cleaning supplies and toilet paper. I’ve gone once a week to try getting everything on the list, and only a handful of things were completely wiped out at different times over the past few weeks: meat, frozen fruits, butter, and veggies, and oat milk. We’re definitely cooking more and trying to use the stuff from our freezer and pantry to get us through. And hey, no shortages at the liquor stores!
The hardware store is where it’s at: Our local hardware store is the one place I was able to find toilet paper. Each roll is individually wrapped, and I could only buy a maximum of four. Granted, it feels like hardware store TP, but at least we have some. This is also the only place we could find cleaning supplies, and by that I mean straight-up bleach. No complaints – we have something to disinfect the house. Our store rules.
People still not taking it seriously: We went somewhere this weekend to pick up food after ordering it ahead. I waited outside because people kept going into the small area at the register and sitting in that enclosed space to wait for their food. Another person told us this week that he doesn’t really believe in the CDC’s distancing guidelines. What the hell, people!
Family+friends: I’m thinking so much of my extended circle of people who are dealing with lay-offs, furloughs, struggling businesses, and deaths. More people seem to be reaching out to each other, and that makes me feel really good because we’re all dealing with some form of stress or anxiety. This is real, and it’s not going away anytime soon – so let’s pull each other through it.
“Self-care”: This is some unprecedented shit, and whatever we do to cope with it is okay! Netflix! Cookies! Naps! Staring into the abyss! We’re doing it right, unless you’re doing some high-risk stuff or ignoring it, in which case see the bullet above.
Italy: Some of the places hit hardest in Italy are locations we visited when we were there last fall. My heart goes out to those people and communities who welcomed us with open arms and took such good care of us. We’ve been in touch with the owners of a small vineyard where we stayed for a few days, and it felt so lovely to connect with them and know that they’re doing okay.
More next time – hang in there, everyone!
Fried chicken with Texas toast, buttermilk ranch, bread and butter pickles, and hot sauce
I haven’t taken many pictures lately or really done anything much at all for the past month as I’ve battled bacterial sinusitis (they think), bronchitis (probably), and fluid in my middle ear that has caused (hopefully temporary) hearing loss. I’ve been on three rounds of antibiotics and two rounds of steroids, with another round likely coming up soon to try to help my ears. B and I made reservations twice at a new restaurant up the street from us in Capitol Hill, and we had to cancel both times because one of us was sick!
We finally made it there for our date night, and it didn’t disappoint. Although the ambient noise in places like restaurants makes it harder for me to hear, I felt like I could at least taste and smell this meal now that the Cold From Hell (TM) is gone. My cocktail and wine were delicious, our shared plates surprised and satisfied us, and the dessert tasted off-the-charts amazing! It felt nice to dress up a little and go somewhere nice to act like a functioning human being again. I’m only running about 85% thanks to the ongoing ear problems, but at least it’s 85% + fried chicken.
I’ve been so under the weather the past couple of weeks, but I’m lucky to have a wife who will not only make me chicken soup from scratch, she’ll double the recipe to make sure I have enough, since that’s basically the only thing I’ve been eating.
Trying desperately to get to an appointment with my doctor to figure out why I’m so sick again, only to be temporarily thwarted by a fire truck blocking the road due to an accident.
This horrible cold didn’t stop us from starting our annual holiday puzzle, even if I could only puzzle for 10 minutes before needing a rest (despite the hot toddy).
My cold came back with a vengeance a couple of days ago, so this is how I’m celebrating Christmas this year.
ALL SET FOR MY SLEEP STUDY.
Making yet another hot toddy for my never-ending cold* + putting our new shot glass from Nashville Craft to work.
*Found out today after a trip to urgent care that it’s a sinus infection, whee!
The current state of affairs, aka why I haven’t been posting many photos for the past few days.
Ell Gee Writes 