Captain’s Log 26 April 2020
To see the previous post, click here.
After a wonderful start to the week, things calmed down and we fell back into the doldrums of life in quarantine. My days are pretty much the same; wake up, fritter away an hour on my phone (for which I have an immense amount of guilt but continue to do regardless), shower, wake the kids, make breakfast, feed kids, tell the kids to start schoolwork, do dishes and some housework, get dressed and put my face on, tell the kids to do schoolwork, read email, check social stuff, tell the kids to do schoolwork, make lunch or tell the kids to make lunch, take a walk, prep dinner, do dishes, tell the kids to finish schoolwork, make dinner, watch a movie with the kids, waste time online, put the kids to bed (theoretically), go to sleep, rise and repeat.
After more than 6 weeks of this, I am getting boooored. When the governor announced this mandated SIP would go on until May, 30 my get up and go, got up and went. I should be doing something productive but productivity, like Elvis, has left the building. I am riddled with guilt about that as I watch Mark work his tail off conducting two courses online and putting out 3 new videos a week. So, last night I made a decision to get my rear in gear. Starting Monday. I need today to adjust to the idea of ‘doing’.
I am turning off social media unless it is for Wolters World. I waste an enormous amount of time reading inane crap online. I have read articles from a gazillion news outlets and every one of them says something different; stay home, create herd immunity, wear/don’t wear masks, social distance is 6ft or maybe 10ft, sitting 6ft apart to spend time with someone is not actually social distancing, we should absolutely sit 6ft apart and spend time with others, covid numbers are being altered to the plus or minus, more than 60% of us have it, only 20% of us have it—it goes on into infinity. What I do know is that I have the power to shut down all that noise and that is what I am going to do.
I am going to walk, write, workout (Lawd, I haven’t done that in almost 3wks!), read, call family and friends, and clean something everyday. One week of being a sloth is far more than enough but, it is a deep hole I have sunk into on this couch. I know energy begets energy so, off I go! If I write next week and it isn’t full of energy and productivity, I hope someone reaches through their screen and shakes some sense into me. Though my intentions may be good, I will likely slip back into the pit of slovenliness as it is hard to keep busy when you are confined to the house and have a nice warm spot on the couch that fits you like a glove.
On the idea of confinement, I have found that many people have been taking confinement quite differently than we have. Apparently, some people are still shopping—like going to stores other than the grocery—I didn’t even know anything else was open for Pete’s sake. Mark did some filming in a friend’s field for a change of background, and decided to surprise us all with Chik-Fil-A. He said the traffic on that end of town was as it always is and the pick-up line was long, as per usual. Mark has been to the chiropractor and the grocery store two times in 46 days, I have been absolutely nowhere except on walks around our neighborhood.
Other people are going about their lives in a semi-normal state. Why am I not doing that?! I would relish wandering the aisles of Target alone for an hour (I sorely miss alone) in a mask or even a full hazmat suit, I really couldn’t care less. I am so jealous of people who are out. I also cannot blame them, our county has had 102 confirmed cases with 81 recovered since March, 5. It is hard to stomach another month of lockdown when your county has so few cases. As far as I can tell, downstate Illinois is being mandated based upon numbers in Chicago and the suburbs and we are all going a little bit nuts. I’ll stay home, keep towing the line but, I won’t enjoy it and I understand how others are not.
I did do a couple things this week. Mark and I each read a bedtime story for a local mom’s website called Chambana Moms. I read one of my favorites, The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell, illustrated by Jim Harris. It is a take on The Three Little Pigs set in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson where I lived as a child. It is also a Reading Rainbow Book, I miss Lavar Burton. Mark read Liam’s favorite, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site while sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch. It was fun, we do enjoy bedtime books in our house so sharing that was natural for us.
Hmm, I said I did a couple things this week. Truth be told that may have been the only thing I did this week other than talk to friends and family via video or phone and host a couple live feeds with our followers. I mean, I did housework and cooked but, Mark probably did near as much as I did. Seriously, I am a sloth. Oh wait, I cut Liam’s hair. It turned out pretty well and as his hairdresser is shut down until the end of May it will be so grown out that my mistakes won’t be a big deal. I just couldn’t handle the 1986 mullet look any longer. Oh, and please, tell me how in the holy heck hairdressers are supposed to pay their rent with no customers.
So, that is it. I am a bored sloth with scissors and a spatula, occasionally a mop. I pray the governor doesn’t extend the SIP longer. I’m really going to need a therapist if he does. And a whole lot of people are going to be destitute. Grrrrr.
Until next time…
Jocelyn