Checking in from Day 19- It's a Long One

As far as quarantine days go, Day 19 was a good one.  I made myself quite a big to do list which kept me on task and being productive.  I will say, and I think I've said it before, there is no right or wrong in quarantine land.  If you want to spend your whole time playing a video game, binging some Netflix, or just not doing anything at all that is ok.  When this all started I told myself I was going to read all of these books and watch all of these shows and I really haven't done that but I'm not going to get mad at myself about it.  Each day is different and each day feels different and that is ok.  I did feel like being productive so I did the things on my to do list but if I hadn't that would be ok.  There's always tomorrow 😉

My major goal for the day was to go to the grocery store and to the pharmacy.  On Monday night I kind of had a quarantine tantrum because we were eating hot dogs again and I just really couldn't do it anymore.  So I made a big list and decided I would go to the store.  I have to say, I was actually a bit nervous to go to the store.  I hadn't driven or set foot in a real store in three weeks.  JO and I actually purchased some masks back in January (hmm- according to our President no one knew this was happening, yet I had the foresight to buy masks?  Also, we don't have many and decided to keep them rather than donating them because we may need to interact with our elderly parents.  Please don't hate us.) I wore a mask, sunglasses, and gloves.  Driving was real weird.  Not only wasn't I used to it, but there was no traffic and no bike riders to contend with.  It felt a bit surreal. 

I waited in the blue box until the Whole Foods bouncer told me it was safe to go in.  It feels so surreal that this is the new normal, and probably will be for a very long time.  I made sure to thank every single employee I came across.  These people are risking their lives every day so that we don't go hungry.  As I scurried around the store I was taken aback by how eerily different this was from a few weeks ago.  The last time I went to the store it was packed and fully stocked.  This time, nearly empty and tons of shelves were empty.  I really wanted broccoli, cucumbers, and chicken breast (not for the same recipe, I assure you) and my store didn't have any.  You can't be picky in times like this, so I improvised and came away with a bunch of yummy food. 

My next stop was the pharmacy.  I had a prescription that I needed to pick up.  I should have selected home delivery but I didn't so I had to go in.  As I stood in my blue box to wait my turn the guy behind me started creeping out of his box.  I threw him an epic teacher stare and he got right back in that box.  Why is it so hard to follow the rules? 

We also found some time to go for a run.  I've never run so much in my life.  I think I'm up to 24 miles since this all started.  We went running through the back streets of Porter Square.  I love getting a chance to see all these new places in the city.  I think everyone signed up for the 5:00 recess/gym class time slot because the streets were quite busy. 

After our run we cooked a delicious dinner of sautéed shrimp with rice and broccoli!  Yum! No quarantine dinner tantrum for me!

Then we tuned in to the Club Passim livestream featuring Dietrich Strausse.  If you get a chance, definitely check out these shows.  It makes us feel some sense of normalcy during this very strange time.  While we listed to the show we played Everdell and I finally beat JO!!!!!

I love this picture of the gamer kittens!

And now, I must get back on my political soap box.  Last night our president finally realized what a dire situation we are really in.  I am sick and tired of hearing him say that no one knew it would be like this.  (See my above statement regarding masks.)  He wasn't being optimistic, trying to give this country hope.  He was trying to avoid the inevitable.  We could've started prepping in January, even December.

Remember back in December when the President held a news conference to announce the formation of a task force to start preparing for the new virus. Remember how he said he was going to ramp up production of PPE and ventilators. Remember how he said he was going to do this out of an abundance of caution, to get our country ready just in case. Remember how he said he hoped these things weren't needed and that if they weren't needed they could go in the national stockpile. Don't remember that.

Then vote blue no matter who!!!

And now a message from a real leader!