COVID Diaries: Day 420

This past weekend I took a brief trip to the Washington coast.  It was full of solitude, but realistically, that’s basically the same as being at home.  Except the sandy beaches. 

I found a little, cute motel in Ocean Shores, and spent a few days walking on the beaches, looking for sand dollars and agates.  I got up before dawn to get to the agate beach at low tide, and barely saw another soul in the hours I was there. I found several agates and lots of interesting jasper rocks.  I also found one gorgeous, large red agate (not pictured)!  I can’t wait to see how they look after getting polished in the tumbler. 

I also found a ton of sand dollars, as I wandered all by myself on a windy, on-and-off rainy Saturday.  Going to the beach in the Pacific Northwest, at any time of the year, isn’t for the faint of heart.  I was cold and tired by the time I got back to the room each time, but on Saturday I got 20,000 steps wandering along the beaches.

Cora issued stern looks when I got home.  How dare I go away…  It was good for me to get away, but I’m lonely.  That part never really goes away, whether I’m at home or away.  I haven’t quite learned to settle into that skin. 

I started a new puzzle; one I received as a gift for Christmas from my aunt and uncle.  I made quick work of the border Monday, but haven’t done more yet.

Somehow we got a reprieve from going back into a tighter lock down.  Our governor “put a pause” on rolling back counties that weren’t meeting the metrics, including my county.  It’s almost as if he’s just making it up as he goes along…  Yes, I’m being sarcastic…  I guess we’ll see what happens in two weeks.

COVID Words of Wisdom: I found myself thinking about you last night and about everything that was lost.  But it was different this time.  My heart reminded me that I still have everything.  You are the one who lost it all.  — Alfa Holden.

COVID Diaries: Day 247

It’s the weekend!  But really, that has limited meaning in the new lock down.  Days are really divided into, did I work today, or did I not work today?  Today I did not work, so that’s how I know it is the weekend.

The Governor’s new cliche phrase is, “It’s ok to not be ok…”  I wonder how many other people find this annoying, given that he experiences none of the hardships that others are facing.  Realistically I’m doing fine, as I have a job that I can do from home, but that makes it all the more lonely.  I feel just a little bit lost, as if there’s nothing filling the space of this big house.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way.

I joined a virtual race that lasts throughout the winter – The Bend to Whistler Challenge.  You have six months to walk, run or bike 700 miles.  Since October 1, I’ve made it over 250 miles, all the way from Bend to Portland, Oregon, so that feels like an accomplishment!  I am lucky in the fact that the Pacific Northwest has weather you can be outside in all year long, as long as you don’t mind getting wet.

I started a new puzzle, and have made some progress, but it is a hard one! Rosie the Riveter!

I also put up the Christmas tree and decorated it with the usual eclectic mix of lights and ornaments.  No one will ever accuse me of having the Martha Stewart home.  There’s a little Mexican folk nativity in one of the boxes somewhere that I couldn’t locate, and it’s making me kind of sad.  I might just leave Christmas up until the pandemic is over, or at least until it is still light out at 8 pm.  That seems like a fair compromise.

I was lucky to find toilet paper at the grocery store before the new round of panic buying started.  And canned tomatoes, because those were sold out for months last time!  And my Cheetos addiction continues…

I treated myself to a wine advent calendar. I blogged about seeing it a couple weeks ago, and yes indeed I went back to get it.  I’ll diligently try to blog about each wine when I have them in December.  The good news is a girlfriend of mine also got one and we committed to nightly video chats to sample our wines.

I also splurged and purchased a subscription box.  At least if I have to stay home all the time again, I should have goodies to look forward to in the mail…  Supposedly it should ship within 7-10 days.  It’s my reward for all the fall leaf raking I’ve been doing…

How is it in your area?  Are you locked down again?

 

COVID Diaries: Day 231

Fall is certainly here in full force, and I’ve been in a pensive mood.  Day 231 of the lock down – I never would have thought…  So I thought I would bring to you another round of COVID observations.

1. Cheetos and pineapple hard cider aren’t the best food and booze pairing I’ve ever had.  But it’s not the worst either.
2. There is something inherently depressing about the first day after the time change when the sunset occurs before you are off work.  It’s worse when you haven’t even put on shoes that day…
3. There is something quite odd about realizing that you are very drawn to a man’s face in the grocery store… And then you realize it is because he doesn’t have a mask on. 
4. We are all unintentionally jerks sometimes.  That’s just human nature.  You are going to screw up and all you can do is apologize and hope they forgive you.  But when you are a jerk intentionally, then it’s time to look very deeply into your own heart and reevaluate your values…  Because something ain’t lining up.  There seems to be a lot of this going around lately…
5. I saw a wine advent calendar at the grocery store tonight.  If I place it in a prominent location at home, does that count as decorating for Christmas?  Asking for a friend…
6. I think the black squirrels in my yard gained a competitive advantage over the gray squirrels this year.  Maybe it has something to do with the bunnies.
7. Raking and mowing the lawn in fall is the equivalent of bringing on the rain by washing your car.  Except with wind.
8. At some point I reached the point where my heart has been so scarred that I wonder if I will ever trust anyone ever again.  I’m still trying…
9. The fate of the world may one day come down to a battle between the people who put two spaces after a period and those who only put one.  I’m a two spacer…
10. Overall, 2020 still blows… 

The red rocks of the southwest are sounding pretty good right now.  I hope you are all hanging in there! 

Me at Valley of Fire State Park…