Day 110~ Monday, Monday (for real this time)

Denali is all of us right now!  Wanting to go somewhere and not really having anywhere to go.  Sometimes you have to change up your view to keep quarantine entertaining.

I took Denali's advice, and changed up my location for afternoon tv viewing.  (side note- Superstore is pretty funny.)

As you know, I absolutely adore restaurants.  I love going out to eat.  Our favorite restaurants have become so much more than restaurants to us.  They've become an extension of our home, the staff an extension of our family.  These special places have helped us through really low times and helped us celebrate really great things and everything in between.  That being said, indoor dining isn't ok.  It needs to be rolled back.  We can see what has happened in other states.  (Of course, those states weren't really in a good position to open back up but still, indoor spread is a really huge issue.) Closing indoor dining will decimate the restaurant industry and I don't want that but I also realize we aren't getting back to anything close to normal if we continue to allow the virus to rage out of control.   I'm going to repeat this for the folks in the back, indoor dining is dangerous.  Thinking that we've beat the virus here in Massachusetts is dangerous.  Yes, we've done great work and we should be allowed to get out of our "bubble" but we can't be ignorant about that.  (Also, I do think the governor has done a pretty solid job throughout this crisis, but he always seems a bit behind- slow to close, slow on the mask order) A few restaurants that we frequent have already announced they will not be experimenting with indoor dining because it's too risky for their employees and for their customers.  Those are the places I will support 100% with takeout.  

Day 109~ Monday, Monday (Whoops, I think I meant Sunday, Sunday...clearly I've lost track of time)

Guess what?  It was another day spent in the living room.  Shocking, I know!

It seems like we should probably stop this little "reopening" experiment.  It's not working!  Pretty sure this is why most of the restaurants in our neighborhood have doubled down on their take out experiences.

Day 108~ Oh No, Florida

Egads man!  Florida and Texas are out of control!  Since the virus doesn't know borders, and isn't going to stay in the states making the mistakes, we should all be concerned about this.

We decided to "Safer at Home" with dinner from Casa Portugal.  I love, love, love this place.  My living room certainly doesn't have the cozy feeling of Casa Portugal, nor does it have the lovely waitstaff that make you feel so well taken care of, but our feast was still just as delicious as ever!

Day 107~ Friday Funday

One of the things I have been most thankful for over the last one hundred plus days is the chance to get in really good shape.  I've had the time to go running, to take a yoga class, a Melt Method recovery class, a pilates class, and tons of barre classes.  I'm in the best shape of my life and that feels really good.  I only wish we could go on a hiking adventure to put my new fitness level to good use.

I invested in this home barre (I may have possibly purchased this last weekend when I was a little bit tipsy) but it's actually been a solid investment. 

I'm also still Melting on Fridays!  (The Melt app is like having a physical therapist on call)

I also spent some time working on my UConn class about the science behind Covid-19.  I've been learning a lot, and one of those things is that the virus can cause long lasting lung damage. 

Since it was a beautiful night, we decided to head over to Moona, probably the only patio in Cambridge we've found that we trust, for a delicious dinner.  We headed over really early because we wanted to make sure we got a table.  They've added Edison bulbs to the patio since our last visit and you know how much I love those!  Our waiter told us they are even adding waterproof decorative tarps. 

Sadly, it was only 7:00pm when we returned home...to the living room!  I do miss being able to extend an evening by stopping in another restaurant or walking around.  Thankfully, the kittens are still super cute!

Day 106~ Enough with the Guidelines

Another wake up, another day spent in the living room.  I'm in a pretty good routine now.  My living room functions on many levels:

*Coffee Shop
*Barre Studio
*Pilates Studio
*Dining room
*Library
*TV theater (currently binging Ace of Cakes and Superstore)
*Office (106 days and going strong with the blogging)

By 6:00pm JO joins me but that's when I start to despise the living room because I've spent nine hours in it, not because I don't like JO.  Good thing Denali keeps it cute in here!

Day 106 was also the day I kind of lost it with the state of affairs in our state and country.  Massachusetts is doing really well right now with the virus but I see more and more people becoming complacent.  I stopped off at the Amazon store yesterday and both employees weren't wearing masks and I passed numerous construction workers not wearing masks and even the police details weren't wearing their masks 😡. People, we do not want to become Florida! Or Arizona! Or California! Or Georgia! Or....all of those states seeing spikes right now!  I was really frustrated when I got home and that got exacerbated when the school guidelines came out. 

They were just that, guidelines.  Not rules, not regulations, just suggestions and guidelines.  6 feet but you can make that 3 feet or whatever might work for you!  I barely feel safe in a grocery store, that follows extremely strict social distancing rules.  I can't even imagine going into school where rules can be relaxed.  (I'm not saying that will happen in my district but the guidelines said districts could do what was feasible even if it didn't meet recommendations.). This lady's response pretty much summed up my feelings for the day!

We need actual rules, regulations, and consequences based on science because what we are doing isn't working! 

And WEAR THE DAMN MASK FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷

Day 105

I spent the day working on my UConn class on Covid-19. 

Dreaming of Palm Springs

and enjoying some UConn humor (but seriously though, this is pretty spot on)

A full summer day in 2020 is so much different than in 2019 😉

Day 104~ Out and About (with Unicorns)

On Day 104 I had my first social engagement with actual friends.  My Fake Mentor, a teacher friend from back in my early years of teaching, organized a backyard "Bring Your Own Everything Social Distancing" get together for me, her, and another teacher friend.  She has a big backyard with a pool so we could all spread out and enjoy some time catching up.  Since we are all teachers we spent a long time thinking about what next year will look like and how crazy the last few months were.  Plus, there were unicorns which was a real plus!

It was great to see friends in a safe way and to get out of the living room for a significant portion of the day!

When I got home I was scrolling through Facebook, as one often does, and saw that Deuxave announced the opening of their patio.  I showed JO the pictures and he said we should go.  This would mean breaking our "no Boston" rule but we felt like it was ok because the patio looked well spaced out and we just need to walk over the bridge to get to the restaurant so we wouldn't be "out and about" in Boston for a long time. 

When we arrived at the patio at our reserved time we were led to our table and the Maitre-de reviewed the safety policies.  I really appreciated this.  They were adamant that if you stand up your mask needs to be on, meaning if you leave your seat for any reason that mask best be worn.  Again, I'm all in favor for that. 

The patio is in the shade and the weather was perfect for a night out in the city.  Deuxave is at the intersection of Mass Ave. and Comm Ave. (hence the two aves name) and the beautiful trees of Comm Ave. really make you feel like you are in the prettiest part of the city.    I loved that the traffic was light and kept it quiet on the patio.  I don't normally take pictures of my food at places like this, but the main meals were just too amazing not to grab a picture.  (I didn't get a pic of the appetizer but my goodness was it delicious~ burrata with thin slices of melt in your mouth prosciutto and morel mushrooms with frisée salad.)

The meal, atmosphere, and experience were all so reminiscent of pre March 12th times.  For an hour or so, we were city living and it was lovely.  

The views on the walk back over the Mass Ave. bridge were stunning and we stopped to grab some pictures.

Day 103~ Knowledge is Power

Thanks to being a UConn Alumni, I get to take a free course on the science behind Covid-19. 

I finished my first lecture and I've already learned so much.  I'm looking forward to getting an in depth understanding of this virus.  I think that will help me as I think about the risks I'm willing to take during the upcoming months.

And speaking of risks, take a look at this.

Granted, these players were supposed to be self quarantining and it doesn't appear that the transmission happened during training, but still.  Bringing people together for sports is just not a good idea.  Going to a bar is a risk, especially in a place with such a high level of community spread like Florida.  The other day, after I went to that shower curtain bar, I felt guilty. 

Day 102~ Social Distancing Father's Day

We stopped at my dad's first and it's still so weird to visit and be afraid to be near him.  I wanted to spend more time with him but I don't want to put him in any danger.  I know it's hard for him to be alone but he has a good attitude about it, which makes it easier.

Next up, we headed down to JO's parents.  They have a big deck and large yard so we were able to spread out outside.  That made it feel safer but it still felt risky 😞 We were definitely very focused on safety protocols but his parents still touched our plates, glasses, and food and we touched their door handles.  It's a lot to juggle and a lot to remember and it's easy to let your guard down.  It was really nice to visit with them but the struggle was real.  I don't really want to do that again any time soon.  It's too stressful.

We made it home in time to catch the ESPY awards hosted by my favorite sports couple, Sue and Megan!  They did an amazing job and got rave reviews!

It's hard to see in this picture, but they are wearing shirts with each other's picture on them!

Day 101~ Moona, Moona, Moona

This heat wave is really annoying me.  I hate the feeling of being trapped indoors during my summer vacation (not that I haven't been trapped indoors because of quarantine, but when Mother Nature is causing it, it's pretty annoying.) 

I spent most of the day doing workouts on Open Fit, a Melt session, and cleaning.  The house had gotten pretty messy and it was nice to get things back in order.  Super exciting day around here for sure!

The big decision facing us on Saturday was where to get take out.  I had wanted to try Oleana but they were out of a bunch of stuff by the time we went to place our order.  I'm not upset at all by this because it means they are getting good business, so yay to them and lesson learned on our part. 

We decided to walk past Moona's patio to see if there was a spot and if there wasn't we would get take out from Dali, which is on our must do list as well.  Lucky us, there was a table left on their patio.  They definitely recognize us now and thanked us for our repeat business.  Unlike yesterday when I felt guilty sitting at Charlie's Kitchen, I didn't here.  The tables are well spaced and the planters make for a natural separation that doesn't scream "we're in the middle of a pandemic."  Added bonus, the entire patio gets shade from the building next door so even though it was 87 degrees outside it was relatively comfortable on the patio.  This was the fourth time we've sat outside at a restaurant and the first time I felt completed settled and not guilty or nervous.  Well done Moona, well done!

When we got home we turned on the news and started laughing out loud when we saw the "giant" audience at you know who's rally!  He was outsmarted by an army of Tick Tockers!  Well played tweens, well played!

We spent the rest of the night watching some of the short films available online from this year's Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.  The movies are available through the 22nd.  Definitely check it out!

I saw this add for a GreCo Picnic Basket and it comes with an adult juice bag of wine!  Brilliant!

Day 100~ I Sat in a Cubical Made Out of Shower Curtains and Felt Guilty About It

Ahh.  Day 100.  It seems like we actually got here really quickly and really slowly all at the same time.  I don't normally count the days, except the ones leading up to the last day of school.  I feel like I have a good sense of what 100 days feels like now.   Overall I've really enjoyed this new take on life, but I do miss some things.  Surprisingly I don't miss restaurants that much but I do really miss coffee shops, museums, the arts, Club Passim, and the train.  Riding the train always validated my city lifestyle and gave me any easy way to get across the river and enjoy Boston.  And after typing that I realize that I really miss Boston.  I don't want to go to Boston because mask wearing is really lacking over there but I do miss all the fun things to do in Boston.

We visited the Starlite Snack Shack for dinner.  Seriously, this place is so fun!

Coming up on our to-do list~ pints to go from The Druid (I'm shocked this is legal.)

After dinner we decided we would binge watch some TV but a few hours in I decided I needed to go for a walk.  I just really needed to get out of the house.  I'd spent the entire day in the living room and I was kind of over it.

We decided to walk to Harvard Square.  My plan was just to walk around, check it out.  The side of Harvard Square closest to Central Square was dead.  None of the restaurants are open, even for take out, and there were very few people walking around.  As we made way over to the center of the Square near Grendel's Den things picked up.  People were picnicking in Winthrop Park, Grendel's had a full patio, there was a line at Shake Shack, and much to our surprise, Charlie's Kitchen was open.  We stared down into the Beer Garden and couldn't resist a visit.  

Pros~ they have posted rules that they require you to read before entering, you need to sanitize your hands before entering, mask wearing is required even when speaking with the servers (which I'm all for and saw them enforcing), menu is online, and tables are separated by shower curtains which offer some separation between tables.

Cons- the tables aren't spaced so I was still sitting pretty close to the people next to us even though there was a shower curtain in between.  Sitting inside a shower curtain cubicle is really weird.

The entire time we were sitting on the patio I was feeling guilty and nervous.  I felt guilty for taking an unnecessary risk just to drink a dumb Sam Summer outside.  I felt guilty for potentially putting people at risk.  I felt guilty for letting my guard down.  I felt nervous because once I sat down it didn't feel as safe as it looked from above. Ughhhhhh!!!!!  

On our walk home I did enjoy the feeling of having the Square all to myself.  

Day 99~ The Neighborhood is Excited!

Yesterday a friend stopped by my stoop to deliver a birthday present.  She's been hanging on to it since March and she swears she bought the card before the lockdown.  Too funny!

It was weird to see someone in real life.  We're going to try a socially distant picnic soon.  I almost suggested we hit up a patio when I realized that would mean I need to sit across from someone outside my bubble and not wear masks.  I'm so not ready for that!  Picnic it is!

I also took advantage of an online lecture from Radcliffe.  I've attended several of the free lectures at Radcliffe over the years and I always leave feeling like my academic brain has been stretched.  I'm so glad they moved their spring series online.  Yesterday's lecture was about the role of music during the COVID crisis. They spoke about topics including the singing from balconies in Italy, the new ways musicians are adapting to performing online, and trying to be creative during a lockdown.

The real highlight of day 99 was our first, of many, trips to the Starlite Snack Shack.  There was a certain energy in the neighborhood that's been missing for a long time.  We had something to look forward to.  (Side note- On our walk over to the Snack Shack I saw someone walking home from The Druid with a to go cup of Guinness.  That's a thing now and I'm here for it.).

I love soft serve ice cream and it's going to be hard not to visit on a daily basis!

After our snack shack visit, we headed home for a crazy night of Ace of Cakes, Galaxy Trucker, and cute kittens!  It was a pretty solid day!

Day 98~ Phase 2

Day 98 marked phase 2 of whatever this is.  JO is still working from home and I'm vacationing from home 😉 Here's hoping that transition goes smoothly. 

The weather was beautiful yesterday.  Normally I would head into Harvard Square for coffee and a book but I wasn't really feeling that.  It's so empty and all the tables are gone.  Maybe after this week's hot weather is over, I'll go for a visit.  I did take advantage of the nice weather yesterday and went for a walk around Kendall Square. 

I also signed up for a course through the UConn Alumni Association because science and facts matter.

I also discovered that the International Palm Springs Short Film Festival is online this year.  I'm definitely going to "attend."  Maybe I'll even get dressed up for it.

Some other things to look forward to include: oysters at Lily P's, the Snack Shack at Trina's, Ace of Cakes on Demand, and John Bolton's book (that I know I shouldn't purchase but I'm going to anyway)

Day 97~ School's Out for Summer

Day 97 was the last day of school for me.  Usually there's this euphoria that courses through me when I walk out of the school building to start summer vacation. This year, I exited my Google Meet and walked into the kitchen.  It really wasn't the same 😉

WNBA games are coming back.  I feel just like this person does.

To celebrate school being over, and the completion of my 20th year working, we headed over to Sulmona to get take out.  We then headed over to the "Cambridge Seaport" to take advantage of some picnic tables we saw the other day.  It was actually a great spot for a picnic.  The Longfellow Bridge is just to the right so you get to see the Red Line trains going in and out of the city.   

On our walk home we walked past Commonwealth.  We've never gone here before but they have an incredibly large patio and the tables looked really well spaced out so we decided to get drinks and dessert.  I'm not sure what other restaurants are doing (I only have Moona as a data point) but Commonwealth seems to be exceeding the standard when it comes to safety.  

*Contact tracing- when you sit down you have to give the host your name and phone number

*The menu is a QR code
*Waitstaff has to wear gloves to clear plates and dishes
*You pay by scanning a QR code

*A significant amount of cleaning spray goes on the tables when a guest leaves

*Hand sanitizer stations

*Tons of space between tables

It was such a fun way to start a summer that's going to be different from all the others.

Day 96~ A Big Day

It was a big day in the our house.  IKEA delivered the final set of cubes for JO's room renovation!

 It was a big day for Equal Rights!

It was a big day for new cases in these states that opened early!

It was a beautiful night (big didn't work for this one but I am really proud of that time) for another 3 mile run! 

It was a big day in the Shag Fish tank!