Day 80~ Picnic in the Park

I feel weird even celebrating day 80 with a post, considering what is going on in our country, but here goes.

The humidity finally broke and we took advantage of Puritan and Company's picnic basket to go out and enjoy the city.  This summer is going to be different and I'm ok with it.  We found a lovely spot in a park down by the Kendall waterfront and enjoyed the deliciousness. 

And just look at this twinkling skyline!  If this is what summer is going to be like, sign me up!

America is on Fire

Back in November 2016, when so many of us broke down sobbing as we contemplated the election results, this is one of the things we feared the most. Make no mistake, racial injustice was here before Trump but he has given permission for people to hate, he’s amplified hate, and he’s stoked the flames over and over and over.

Day 79~ A Tale of Two Americas

In my privileged America, I got to take one last Melt class with my good friend who's been teaching out of her NYC apartment for the last ten weeks.  Next week she's having a baby!

I also go to enjoy the Dropkick Murphy's Livestream show.  I absolutely loved that they performed in a socially distant way by each member singing/playing from a different spot in the park. 

Even Rainier wanted to join in

But in another America, Day 79 was full of anger, disappoint and fear.

Day 78~ Hair Cutting Achievement Achieved

On Day 78 I cut JO's hair 😱 Even though you can go to a hairdresser now, neither of us feels comfortable with that, so JO ordered some clippers, and I ordered some hair dye and we scheduled a spa day (my hair dye came late so it ended up being a spa day for one, mine will be next week.)

I was pretty nervous about this undertaking.  I have no idea how clippers work or what a men's haircut entails.  That being said, JO's hair was out of control so I sucked it up.  I based all of my efforts on what I learned from watching Sue cut Megan's hair on an InstagramLive and a Youtube video JO found.  

I'm pretty proud of the final result.  Half way through it looked a little scary but I powered through and it came out all right!  Yet another skill I now have!

I also started a new at home workout, since going to the gym isn't something I'm planning on doing anytime soon.  Plus it's going to get too hot to go running soon and I can't just sit on the couch every day!  I'm going to do my best to embrace the "Safer at Home Summer."

And the Fridge said something I've been thinking for the last 78 days.

Day 77~ Who Wore it Best

Not much to report from Day 77 except for this lovely exchange between Stewie and Geno!

Denali enjoyed some serious naps today!

Day 76~ Saying Hi to the City

We haven't been able to go running this week because it's been hot and neither of us is a fan of running in the heat.  On Tuesday, we were able to for a nice long walk.  We ventured over to the Kendall Waterfront area and said a quick hello to Boston before heading home.  It's good to know the city is still there 😉

JO and I are still pretty concerned about the virus and we aren't planning on abandoning #saferathome anytime soon.  As a result, we plan on filling our days with Netflix, cocktails, and other random things.  We recently started watching Selling Sunset on Netflix and when I described the show as "The Hills" with real adults and real estate he looked at me like I was crazy.  The girl drama is intense but we can't look away.  It's like a crazy train wreck and the perfect antidote to the real life drama unfolding in real life.  (I can't believe JO is gutting this one out with me but he says he just can't look away.)

I learned how to make another cocktail.  This is the Old Cuban and it's always a favorite of mine.  I made it with whiskey by mistake (I was supposed to grab the dark rum because whiskey and lime is not good) so it took me a few tries to get it right.  I think the Southside is still my favorite but I'm really impressed with my bartending skills.

I also finished Untamed on Day 76.  It's a book that has made me a better person.  I can't recommend it enough.  I will try to live the "untamed"  version of me from now on.

And finally, our local Irish bar doling out the advice our leaders should have.

Day 75~ A Day Off

Monday was Memorial Day.  This would normally mean a trip to the Cape or New Hampshire for a hike.  There would definitely be outdoor dining and relaxing, and of course, school work. Memorial Day is the day where I start really feeling like the school year is really almost over.  This year that feeling is kind of missing.  I mean, the school year is almost over but I'm not anxiously awaiting the end of school stress because I really haven't had any lately.  There's a saying in teaching~ There's no tired like June tired.  This year that's just not the case.  I'm also heading into summer with almost no house projects, other than some painting.  Every drawer, cabinet, closet, and cubby is completely organized.

Anyways, back to Memorial Day.  We spent it lounging and relaxing.  I couldn't stop reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle.   This metaphor about being a "cream cheese" parent really struck me. 

Since JO and I are following the "Safer at Home" mentality, going out for dinner or drinks isn't something we'll be doing anytime soon.  As a result, I continue to fine tune my bartending skills.  Our living room ins't the place I pictured to be our summer hangout, but I'm totally fine with that!

Day 74~ Take a Hike

On day 74 we decided to go for a hike.  It was nice to get out of the house for an extended period of time and I'm sure the kittens enjoyed some quite alone time without humans.  We got up really early and headed out to Adams, MA to hike Mt. Greylock. 

The hike was great.  The weather was gorgeous and the trail quality was good although it wasn't marked very well.  I was excited to get to the top and enjoy the views but unfortunately it was pretty crowded at the top and a lot of people weren't wearing masks. 

We ended up picnicking with a view of this cell tower, but that was the safest option.

This hike marked my 3rd state highpoint.  I'm only 44 behind JO 😀

Although it was great to be outside and hiking, we were both really annoyed by the behavior of many of our fellow hikers.  I'm not expecting anyone to wear a mask for the entire hike.  There's really no need to do that.  But, if we are passing each other on a narrow trail, then yes, I expect you put that mask on your face or you march yourself off the trail six feet away from me!  We probably encountered twelve other hiking parties on our way down the trail.  Only two parties did the right thing.  And like I said earlier, the summit was a mess.  There were even people coughing right out in the open with no face covering and no cares. 

Here's what I will say about wearing a mask.  This isn't a tough ask.  No one is asking you to give up something.  No one is asking you to invest a lot of money.  No one is asking you to put yourself at risk.  All we are asking, is for you to wear a small piece of material over you mouth and nose.  It's not a big ask and you won't convince me otherwise.  I wear my mask for you.  You don't know that I live in a city with close to 1,000 cases.  You don't know that I went to the grocery store yesterday or that I broke down and got a coffee at Dunks the other day even though the employee didn't wear his mask.  You don't know my story and because of that you deserve for me to wear my mask to protect you.

A friend posted this cartoon today.  It's the most accurate thing I have seen to describe the last four years.   

Stop and Think

Day 73~ Sleepy Saturdays and Seeing my Dad

Saturday was kind of a sleepy day around here.  It's really nice to be able to have sleepy, lazy Saturdays.  During normal times, my Saturdays are filled with errands, school work, and cleaning.  Now that I have so much free time, if I want to just relax on Saturday, I actually can.  Recently, I discovered Supermarket Sweep on Amazon Prime!!!  Let me tell you, it's still a really fun show to watch.

We did run a few errands including an outing to the Roche Brothers in Kendall Square, the most calm place ever, and Walgreens, where we were pleasantly surprised to find actual supplies on the shelves.

The highlight of Saturday was going to visit my dad.  I decided that after 72 days apart, it was "safe" for me to join JO to drop off a lasagna and groceries.  I loved seeing my dad and loved getting to give him a hug but I was still super careful not to touch many things and to only hug for a few seconds.  I wore a mask, so did my dad.  He's so good at taking precautions.  He opens the door handles with his gloves or a rag.  He washes everything.  I am really proud of how he is taking care of himself and how he is dealing with all of the isolation that comes with this. He gets it.  It broke my heart when he said he was afraid all of our hard work was going to be ruined by "foolish" people thinking the virus is over and running right back outside like everything is normal.  I didn't really have an answer for that because it's obvious that that is happening in a lot of places right now.  

We spent the rest of the day relaxing some more, eating yummy food, and enjoying the kittens.  It was a pretty full day!

And of course, I capped off another quarantine week with my favorite tradition- A Touch More with Sue and Megan on IG Live!  (please let this continue post pandemic)

Day 72~ Picnic in the Park

Guess what?  Spring has finally arrived.  Friday was absolutely gorgeous.  It was 80, sunny, and low humidity.  It was the Friday before a long weekend.  If we had been in school it would have been torture looking outside all day.  For sure, there would have been an extra recess to pass the time.

Working remotely gives me flexibility with my work hours that I have really treasured.  I've definitely taken advantage of that because I know I'll probably never have it again.  Since it was so gorgeous, I took a little bit of time in the morning to read outside.  I headed to a small park near our house.  I read some more of Untamed.  I'm tearing through this book.  So, so good.

I also took another great Melt class with my friend Marisa.  She lives in NYC and for the past six weeks I've taken a Friday class with her.  The lockdown has allowed me to take classes with her and I'm definitely thankful for that.  I was definitely severely lacking in the self-care department.  The lockdown has definitely given me the chance to see how valuable that can be.  I am making a promise to keep it up, even after my schedule returns to it's hectic nature. 

The big highlight of Day 72 though, was our picnic plan.  The other day I noticed a post by one of our favorite local restaurants, Puritan and Company.  They were offering a picnic basket for the Memorial Day Weekend.  It looked absolutely delicious and seemed like the perfect thing to go with this beautiful spring day.  

Maybe it was because we were getting food from Puritan, or maybe it was the weather, or the prospect of eating outside, but I decided to get dressed up for the occasion.  (Note to self- I have forgotten how to wear real shoes.  It was also really freeing to not care that I didn't have a pedicure.  No one has a pedicure.  It's all good!) Of course, the most important accessory was the mask. (WEAR THE MASK!!!)

We took our cute picnic box over to JFK Park in Harvard Square.  It has great views of the water.  We were pleasantly pleased to see people social distancing in the park.  We spread out all of our treats and enjoyed the weather and the views.

It was really a beautiful way to spend an evening.  This summer isn't going to be like our usual summers and that's ok.  We're going to get to be creative and to focus on other things.  And if this is how I spend some of those nights, I'll be very happy!