It’s been an interesting few days, surprisingly! Not event-wise, but as an introspective time that was foisted on me unexpectedly.
We’d been going along merrily, doing as normal a life can be these days when I was notified that I had been in contact with someone who tested positive to the plague. This through the app that tracks you via bluetooth. It’s an optional involvement and I think it’s important that people sign on to it, although I know there are friends who disagree! Privacy, civil rights and all that have pretty much gone out the window with the virus (which we wish WOULD fly out the collective windows of the world!)
But it was ok… I had to quarantine for the 10 days from exposure which actually boiled down to just 6 days. But then a friend I saw at Woza Moya let me know she tested positive so that made it even more important for me to quarantine for the additional days.
During the early quarantine days, I went into a complete slump, and felt like I did at the beginning of the shutdown back in March. I felt completely at a loss and isolated and totally unmotivated to do anything. I sat around all day, just reading. Tried sewing and only managed to get halfway through a very simple project. I completely lost track of days but did maintain my normal sleep schedule. Adele, my landlady has been great, doing my minimal grocery shopping for me but I haven’t felt much like eating.
But a couple of days ago, after a scorching day at home, and after hearing the “family meeting” the president broadcast, locking us down again, closing liquor stores and limiting gatherings, I went to Memorial Park for an early morning walk.
And that sort of “broke” my inertia or whatever you want to call it.
The park is lovely and I remember it well from many years ago when I would take my two Staffies for walks there. You could call it a dog park as there were lots of pooches of all makes and sizes. And the best thing is they are all off-leash so no fights just lots of meet and greets!
I went the next day too and then, feeling much more motivated, started something I have let lapse for two years. Posting images to my stock photo sites. Tedious with the editing and tagging, but on the other hand, fun to go through all the pix and relive the memories. I’m into my last day of quarantine and can’t wait for to kick 2020 into the past.
Now I feel like I can move forward with other projects. Quarantine will be over soon, this level 3 lockdown will hopefully be lifted on January 15 and life can move forward again.
The Worst Part
The isolation and lack of contact is the absolute worst! I’m fortunate in that I have all the techie tools to keep in touch and live somewhere I can get outside. I think of people stuck alone, in small flats and nursing homes where they aren’t “allowed” to see anyone… I have a really difficult time with the isolation and for those people, It must be so much worse.
After the intense heat we’ve had recently, now it’s overcast and much cooler. The monkeys were around earlier which is, at least for me, such a pleasure. I’m sitting here in the almost dark as the power went out about 45 minutes ago. We supposedly are due for “load shedding” later but this apparently is a substation blew up! The infrastructure in this country is falling apart and it doesn’t help that the stations are vandalized and all the parts stolen to be resold! In the meantime, we are in the dark.
My friend Paula, who got the virus is doing fine, thank goodness and Rosemary’s son who also became infected, is ok as well. But this shit is everywhere, so as we stagnate and then move forward, it’s super important to be vigilant.
I worry about Ryan and Cody in the States where it is far worse than here, especially in California and even remote Montana is battling. It’s really difficult being this far away and not being able to do anything to help them.
A Christmas Pressie from Me to Me
Since I moved in to my little cottage, I haven’t been cooking much as the stove is a bit marginal, so I bought myself a Christmas present, which arrived today. It’s an InstaPot! The sad part is that being in quarantine, I don’t have the ingredients to cook anything and can’t pop out to get them! So today I will peruse the InstaPot recipes and tomorrow, first thing, will go to the store and stock up! A big hint to anyone who thinks they are spending too much money on food; send someone else with your list! It’s pretty amazing the savings! No impulse buying at all and just the basics. Thanks, Adele!
So…here we go into 2021 with high hopes that everything will settle down and be better. We know it will never be the “normal” we knew before March (and January 20, 2017), but can hope things will be calmer and healthier!
Happy New Year, Everyone.