COVID Isolation, Week 4, 5-11 April

HERE WE GO. Yes, this is late. Whatever, enjoy.

COVID updates:

• Sunday COVID numbers: 3,341

• The Wisconsin Election Fiasco. Do not, even get me started. On our NIGHTMARE OF AN ELECTION, that will certainly go down in history on How Not To Handle Elections During A Pandemic. It was cancelled, a bit late for my tastes, but thankfully: done. Keep the People safe, like every other goddamn state with elections right now were doing. BUT OH, NO, NOT SO FAST: then our dear, obviously mentally stunted Republican leaders revoked the (much needed) Executive Order. So now all the fine humans of our state were expected to tromp out in the middle of a global pandemic, stand in line, and spread our germs around. Cool cool. In a further, even more Brilliant Move, they consolidated or closed several polling locations. There were lines fucking everywhere, then entire tubs of ballots were magically misplaced/lost/forgotten, no one knew what was going on, it was all-around the dumbest thing to happen in a long time (and this is coming from a state that somehow failed to recall a proven crook of a Governor). And THEN. If you had an absentee or mail-in ballot, the state officials encouraged you to drop them at one of several specifically noted drop-off spots. Which many, many people did. BUT GUESS WHAT NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO CALL ALL THOSE INTO QUESTION AS NOT COUNTABLE. The state of Wisconsin is the very definition of Political Corruption and it is shameful and embarrassing. Please, other states: take note and Be Better.

• Curve is flattening, somewhat. There is a glimmer of hope for us all, if we keep this up (election notwithstanding).

• In updates: from what we’re hearing, we’ll be sheltering in place at least until mid-May. Possibly longer.

Us updates:

• Fine I fell for the green onion “grow yer own” thing. But it really works, you guys! And fast!

• Finally got a decent schedule down. Took me awhile to realize: I need something strict, I mean STRICT. Type A levels of planning. On Sunday I make a weekly list planned down to the half hour, when there are school Zoom meetings, school Google Hangouts, my work meetings, when I’m answering email, when I’m doing workouts. I even planned all meals, breakfast/snacks/lunch, down to the finest detail. And you know what? I feel less stress than I have at any point since this started.

• Dance started this week, via Zoom. I didn’t get any pictures, because I was too busy trying to coax the Younger One to pay attention and also to coax the Bigger One to.. pay attention. Distance Learning is hella hard to concentrate on, is what I’m experiencing.

• Some people turn to learning to bake, some to puzzles. I have turned to reading. I’ve finished up the book club book and started this Celeste Ng wonder. It’s sad, I cried a lot. At one point Moose and I were snuggled in my bed reading and I was quietly crying as I got through a rough chapter. Without even looking up from his YouTube Kids video he said “your book made you sad again, huh?” and snaked a hand over to rub my back in a very motherly type way.(As a random side note: I hate when you have a good, solid cry over a sad book and then the rest of the day you just feel So Tired and it’s all because of that damned sad book, man.)

• Oh and I should also mention that: this week we officially tried out the local delivery thing. Four deliveries, a few fails. We put in an order with a sandwich place, sammies plus a loaf of bread, but they forgot the bread (and their phone line was busy for the rest of the day, so I gave up trying to get our missing loaf). Then I tried to put in a delivery order with a local nursery, but their phone line was also busy for days and they never returned the message I left. Third: a grocery order, I had to put in the order almost 2 weeks ago. Most things available, but a lot of essential needs were out (damn you, STOP BUYING ALL THE YEAST YOU GUYS).

• Last: a group of local spots put together an ordering option, with free delivery and everything. They were the ones to pull through, I officially love them. They forgot out chips and even drove back over specifically for us to deliver the next day.

Cooking/Baking updates:

• Leaning on the convenience meals. Bagel Bites? Bring it. Ramen? Gimme. Trader Joes is my savior this week. Not great for the wasitline, though, so: we’ll try again next week.

• One thing I’ve been making a lot for lunch is this fried rice recipe. I always make extra rice and stash it in the fridge, and this makes good use of it. Also it’s super versatile. I don’t use the fresh veg mentioned, a lot of time I just toss in any veggies leftover from past meals. Or I have slowly been using up all those almost-empty forgotten bags of frozen veggie mixes in the freezer. Sometimes I toss in leftover meat, sometimes not, sometimes even a can o’ tuna. It’s all good, baby. And it takes for real, like 15 minutes to throw together. Can’t beat it.

• Also there’s been lots of nutella-quesadillas for lunch. No judging.

Whew, another week my dudes. Hang in there.