Day 172~ Last Day of Vacation

 Sunday was my last day of vacation.  I still didn't know what grade I was teaching or where I was teaching but I didn't let that stop my from enjoying the end of vacation.

JO went on a Market Basket run for the first time since January...we're all stocked up for the next lockdown!

We had a picnic by the water and it was perfection.  

We ate dinner on the patio at The Independent.  It definitely felt like fall but without all of the typical school stress and exhaustion.  

And it ended with a Gracie's Fluff Cone so all was right with the world!

Day 171- Hanging at the Yacht Club and Reflections on 171 Days

 One of the things I've loved about this time is the creativity it has inspired.  Last night we headed into Union Square to enjoy the weather and the patios.  (I'm starting to get a sense of dread about what is going to happen when it's no longer patio weather.) We decided to hang out at Brass Union, which has turned their patio into a "Yacht Club" complete with tropical drinks and yacht rock!  I loved this concept and definitely think it should stick around post pandemic.  

Tomorrow I start back at work, although I've been told to work remotely for two days because they are still working out grade level and building assignments.  It's really weird to not know where or what you will be teaching so close to the start of the school year.  

I've really enjoyed a lot of the past 171 days, and I know I am really lucky and privileged to say so.  I really learned just how overworked and over scheduled I used to be.  I refuse to go back to that lifestyle even though this is surely going to be my hardest year yet.  I've enjoyed organizing everything in my house.  I never took my city life for granted but I appreciate dining out and seeing our favorite servers even more than I used to.  I think my body and my mind really needed this reset, and for that I am thankful.

I have no idea what this school year will bring me and I think I have every right to be scared and nervous.  I really am afraid of getting exposed at work and bringing that back to my home.  I haven't been around a group of people larger than five, and that was only the other day with JO's family.  I know I am probably way more cautious than some of the people I work with.  I'm afraid at how poorly this whole thing has been managed by our country and I'm fearful for what the next few months leading up to the election will have in store.  So yeah, after 171 days I've learned a lot about myself but am heading into the next phase with a lot of worries on my mind.  But I'm a teacher and I will do my very best for my students because that's what we do!

Day 170~ Unity Creates Change

 Guess what?  When a group of people unite together, real change can happen.  On Day 170, the NBA announced that arenas under the control of the NBA would be made available on voting day to be used as very large, safe spaces for voting.  This is fabulous news and just another reminder that athletes are doing more for our society than our president.  

On Day 170 we also visited JO's parents for a socially distanced BBQ on the deck.  It was so nice to get to visit them but also kind of sad to know that we won't be able to visit much once I go back to school.  I also flash forwarded to Christmas.  We can't exactly hang out on the deck.  

Day 169~ Taking My Lead from the WNBA

On Day 169 the WNBA didn't play any games.  They said it wasn't a strike, it wasn't a boycott, it was a day of reflection and action.  These amazing women are united for change and I am so proud of them!

Day 168~ The CDC is Compromised and the Sports World Takes a Pause

 Help!  Send help! Can you believe the CDC pushed this "new" guidance through?  Oh wait, they didn't push it out, they were strong armed into doing so.  If you don't test, you don't know how bad the problem is.  If you don't consider most people as close contacts then there is no need to quarantine classrooms or workplaces.  Well, guess what!  That doesn't work and now if states follow this advice our problem is going to get even worse!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was also the day the sports world said no!  It was incredibly moving to see sports league after sports league cancel or postpone games in the wake of the latest police shooting.  I am especially proud of the WNBA players!  

Day 167~ It's the Little Things

 I go back to work on Monday and I still don't know what grade I'm teaching, or if I might need to switch schools this year.  The pandemic isn't great for people who don't like to procrastinate :-)  To take my mind off of it, JO and I went to Trina's patio for dinner.  As we were sitting their the sky turned pretty doomy and the wind whipped up and I realized, if it starts to storm there's nowhere for us to go.  Patio season is all fun and games until the weather turns and then it's going to be pretty rough around here.  We definitely enjoyed our time on the patio and the storm ended up missing us.  I'm so thankful for these nights when reality doesn't seem so messed up!

Our fridge is looking more like it did pre-pandemic.

Day 166~ The Last Week

 Yesterday marked the start of the last week of summer vacation.  It feels so weird this year.  Normally, I would be running a ton of errands and trying to squeeze in lots of last minute summer fun.  This year, I don't even really know what grade I'll be teaching or, potentially, at what school.  I can't prep for anything and I still have a few weeks to go before I even have students again.  It's really allowed me to enjoy the last week of summer without the impending first day of school jitters.  

Day 165~ Out and About

 I ran some errands yesterday and came across this lovely display.

We're in this together!

Day 164~ Super Lazy Saturday

 Yesterday was definitely a lazy day.  I spent the entire day binging the first season of Pretty Little Liars and I'm definitely hooked.  It definitely took my mind of the new health protocols that were released by the department of education and the White House categorizing teachers as essential workers.  More like expendable workers!  

Day 163~ Friday Night, Inman Style

 Friday night was another beautiful summer night so we decided to enjoy our neighborhood.  We had a delicious dinner at Moona, which is definitely better than Oleana, and then dessert at Frida's!  It's so nice to see our neighborhood full of life with people enjoying the Inman Patios.  I really love this neighborhood so much!

Day 162~ Boston Ballet

 August 20th has been marked on my calendar for the entire summer.  Boston Ballet was trying to reschedule one of it's spring ballets, Carmen, to the end of August for a live performance.  Obviously that wasn't able to happen but they did make it possible to see the show by airing a taped version for ticket holders.  I love my Thursday night ballet outings and I tried to recreate that last night.

JO found this video of an orchestra warming up to set the mood.

I set up an antipasto plate, similar to one I get at Teatro before the ballet, and of course had bubbles chilling.  We even got all dressed, which made it even funner.

The ballet was really lovely.  Nothing will replace seeing the ballet in person, but watching the perfect marriage of dance and music is always good for your heart.  I hope that they will continue this kind of performance until it is safe to go back to the ballet in person.

After the ballet, we headed out to get ice cream and listen to some live music being performed in our neighborhood.  (The performance was done in a safe, social distanced way.) The arts are something I have really missed during this crazy time.

We made it home to watch Joe Biden's riveting, perfect convention speech.  Joe wasn't my first, second, or third choice but I'm proud to vote for him.  He cares.  He wants to help our country.  He wants to heal a broken nation and we need that.  He doesn't have to be president.  He wants to be president because we need him.  

Day 161~ It's Time to Take Back Our Country

 On the same day that our current president gave credibility to a conspiracy movement, we heard a real president tell us the real deal!  Vote Blue in 2020 and take back our country!

Some UConn Humor

And a super cute kitten!

Day 160~ Lots of Accomplishments

 On day 160 I finished 100 XTend Barre and Pilates classes since May!  I'm super proud of myself for this.  These classes have given my summer some purpose in the absence of being able to work on my hiking goals.  Thanks to a mutual friend, I even got a personal congrats from Andrea, the fabulous creator of both programs, who thinks "scissors" are fun!  I am going to make it a priority to continue with these classes once school starts.

On day 160 I also did something I haven't done since last summer.  The afternoon weather was beautiful so I headed over to Barismo on Broadway for a coffee and to read a book on their new parking spot patio.  Normally, coffee and a book is my summer ritual but this summer I wasn't feeling it.  The joy I used to get from spending my mornings in Harvard Square just wouldn't be there the way things are.  It felt so nice to get out of the house for a little bit and enjoy a different view.  

I returned home just in time to see Anderson Cooper completely dismantle the My Pillow guy for pushing a toxic herbal remedy for Covid.  Seriously, is the leader of any other country taking medical advice from the owner of a pillow company pushing a toxic plant?  Just us.  That's just sad.

My forehead gun thermometer finally arrived yesterday!  Not gonna lie, pretty excited about this one!

On Day 160, my favorite podcast was validated for all of it's hard work these past three years!

And since the weather was so nice, we headed over to The Independent to enjoy their patio.  On the way home we ran into this little bunny!

Day 159~ Monday, Monday

 If you are wondering why teachers are scared, may I present you with...

And this....

Finally, thank you to this brave daughter for sharing her father's story at the DNC last night.

Day 158~ PPE Scavenger Hunt

 On Sunday, JO and I went on a PPE Scavenger Hunt.  We tried Walgreens and Target but we were only able to find some hand sanitizer.  Anything is better than nothing but I was really hoping to score some Lysol wipes again. I did leave Target with this giant bag of candy corn so I'm going to call the whole thing a win.

I spent the rest of the day watching WNBA basketball.  I'm thankful that this summer I've gotten to enjoy the games.  In normal summers we're so busy that I don't have the time to catch many games.  It's been so fun to watch some of my favorite Huskies play!

Day 157~ Not Much to Report

JO- Want to watch a movie?

Me- Sure, but nothing heavy.

JO- lists a bunch of light comedies

Me- Notarious, by Hitchcock! 😧

(I was slightly jealous of the party scene- remember when you could invite your friends over?)

Day 156~ Picnic at the Tower

 The weather cooled down so much in just a day.  It was perfect picnic weather so JO and I grabbed some steak fajitas from a Mexican place in Union Square and walked up to the Prospect Hill Tower to enjoy a picnic.  Picnics are one of the things I've really enjoyed from this time and I'm going to make sure it sticks around if we ever get out of this current hell scape we are living in.  We came to this tower frequently in the early months of lockdown, probably because it gave us something to aim for when we would go on walks or runs.  It made me think back to how oddly simple life was back then and how much I appreciated that simpleness.  

After dinner we made our way back down to Union Square, intent on finding a place for drinks and dessert.  We were lucky to find a spot at Casa B, a patio we've visited three times this summer.  It's well spaced out, safety protocols are adhered to (side note- we watched the waiter disinfect the entire chair after a person left and I was blown away, not an inch wasn't touched by the disinfectant), and they've added some really nice touches to the patio to make it feel special.  With the campfire smelling smoke from the coal fire oven pizza place next door, it was almost like we were on vacation somewhere.  

I did find my mind wandering a bit because just before we left I noticed a friend of a friend, who I've had nothing but lovely interactions with, post an article.  The gist of the article was that we've flatten the curve and kids deserve to go back to school.  I was taken aback by it.  Yes, we flatten the curve but school reopening isn't just about the curve.  It's my life, my health on the line and it just rubbed me the wrong way.  I don't know why it bothered me so much, but it really did.  I'm not expendable, whether we flattened the curve or not.

Finally, I loved this tweet by one of my favorite UConn sports reporters. It pretty much summed up the college football discussion.

Day 155~ Patio Night at Oleana

 One of the items on my "Summer Pandemic To-Do List" was to have dinner on the patio at Oleana.  Oleana regularly makes the Top 50 Restaurants in the Country list.  Getting reservations at Oleana under normal circumstances is really hard.  It's even harder during a pandemic.  Lucky for us, I was able to get a reservation for us last night.  Our table was on their new "parking spots" patio and not their back patio.  The back patio is absolutely beautiful and a real treat but they've done a nice job creating a peaceful space with patterned carpets, Edison bulbs, and greenery.  The only down side, other than it's not the back patio, is that it's right up against the bike lane and every so often a bike rider would zip by us.

It was also the first time that we went out for a non "Early Bird" dinner.  Typically we head to patios pretty early to avoid any crowds that may develop.  Since it's so hard to get a spot at Oleana we took the 7:45 time slot and hoped for the best.  It was so nice to eat under the lights.  The food was beautifully crafted and this sparkling wine was really delicious.  (Side note- as delicious as Oleana was, I think I actually prefer Moona.)

Dinner at Oleana was a nice way to escape the dumpster fire that is currently engulfing our country.

I mean, the NCAA is making a lot of sense with their stance on sports. (When does the NCAA lead the way on the moral high ground?)

The complete destruction of the post office is pretty hard to take.  It's just blatant cheating!

And it's not really a sign of a functioning democracy when an athlete has to "sponsor" a new polling place to prevent voter suppression efforts by our president. (Don't get me wrong, this is a stand up move by LeBron but he shouldn't have to save our democracy.)