Dani:
You should definitely have a cookie. It won't make all this go away, but it will taste good.
Our lockdown here in Texas was a muddled affair, no clear aim at the beginning and no clear definition of the end point. We just gradually shut down and then gradually reopened up the economy because. The criteria specified by the same politicians were actually never met, but well, you know, we're tired of this lockdown. It was like a big hurricane that couldn't decide which direction it wanted to go, so it just tore around destroying everything and accomplishing nothing. No clear goals for the shut-down, no clear goals for the reopening either.
But the economy so far is refusing to just get on with it and recover. Maybe people just don't like the grim new meaning of "shop till you drop."
I don't personally know anybody who got Covid, but two of my friends have lost family members to it. Another friend of mine was working in retail as a manager, and she had to deal with somebody on her team getting it. I think she has finally managed to find a new job. Lucky. Most people have not been able to pull that off.
Since March 15, Aaron has been out in public twice. I have been out once, for medical reasons, of course. We do sometimes walk down or around the block, and I'm not counting that. I have had fewer than ten in-person conversations with people besides Aaron, aside from the day I was out in public. I am always in Zoom. I hate Zoom. I really hate Zoom. I hate talking on the phone, too. All that magical stuff about taking this time to get more in touch with what is most important in life and with the people I love the most? Well, no. Just no. None of that magic has happened to me. I'm still waiting.
I will be going out next month for more medical stuff, to get the flu shot. Big thrill. Even eating out at McDonald's sounds good. Well, no, not quite. Not even Covid19 can make McDonald's sound good, but I wouldn't say no to an Egg McMuffin or a sausage biscuit.
I miss my old life a lot. It is hard on Aaron, too, but back in the before time, I went out in public a lot more than he did. At 65 years old, I feel too young to be a shut-in. But with atrial fibrillation and with Aaron's multiple sclerosis, I do not feel safe going out. The politicians say they are taking aggressive steps to protect the vulnerable. I'm not sure exactly what aggressive protection they are talking about. I'm not feeling the love. I think they really mean that the vulnerable are on their own.
But at least we are not essential workers, we do not live in the same house with essential workers, and have good health care coverage. I don't feel like one of the lucky ones. But I am actually very lucky and have a lot to be thankful for.
So we are staying home, doing a lot of cooking. Aaron is playing with the new air fryer. I can't figure out how to connect it to WIFI, and the physical controls are not accessible. We have both taken up growing microgreens, and I also grow sprouts. I really like seeing the plants and watching them change over time. I guess that's my therapy. That and whooping the dog. I've also read a whole lot, listened to a lot of podcasts, tried and failed to learn a lot of technology, and yes, gone to all kinds of Zoom meetings. So even though I sound angry, I'm actually not. I'm just tired and anxious.
So go ahead, have a cookie. I went on a rampage a while ago looking for chocolate. I couldn't find any. If you read Harry Potter, you know that chocolate makes the dementors go away. And I think that my puzzles did not get to you, so I will send them as a reply next time.
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