Day 18 - California Reopening Plan - Phase 2

Paseo in the desert… Memorial Day

6:30 - I’m up and listen to Start Here while I drink my Hydroflask.

7:30 - 8:30 - I go downstairs. The dog is also up with her toy bone in her mouth, ready to go. I take her outside and return to my room. I start a mini load of laundry and take a shower. Then, I get dressed in my Covid-19 uniform - tank top and shorts. Back downstairs, I cut up cheese for the dog.

8:30-9:30 - I make a lunch for myself: 1) Greek yogurt with apples, walnuts, and honey; 2) a spring salad with mini tomatoes, cubed cheese, egg yolks, EVOO, and sea salt; 3) dark chocolate; 4) an orange, and pack everything in my lunch bag.

9:30-10:30 - I update my blog, take out the trash, and leave.

10:30 - I drive to H-Park so I can hike the trail and see the bison. L. and R. are going to play “frisbee golf” at Central Park.

When I arrive at H-Park, there are no families picnicking today, like yesterday. Instead, there is a sketchy looking transient, sitting alone at one of the benches; two Hispanic male migrant workers at a different table; and two white men, possibly drinking beer, at yet another table. None of them are masked. A male gardener exits a shed of some sort. At the entrance to the trail is yet another young, white male, masked and walking his dog, except he keeps walking his dog, back and forth, still at the entrance to the trail - they don’t move and it’s very odd. I sit in my car and survey the area for about 15 minutes. Everyone maintains their position.

I exit my vehicle and approach the paved trail, but it is on the side of the park tables, where all the men are seated - it’s an easy visual for them. I check-and-redirect and take the dirt path, somewhat on the opposite side, where I won’t draw attention. I move upward but…it’s creepy. The trail is isolated, nobody is on it. The higher I get, the more uncomfortable I feel - if there were ‘families’ at the park, I’m sure I would feel differently, but there are only a few pockets of men, scattered throughout. The vibe is the equivalent of Palmdale’s Courson Park. My Mom will know what I mean. I hike back down, get in my car, and leave.

12:00 - 1:30 - I go to Northbridge Park, one where I’ve never been before, and it’s lovely! There are a few families picnicking and three teenage girls hanging out by a tree. Two 5-year-olds (boy and girl) are zooming around the sidewalk on their scooters and batting practice is in full force at the other end - a male pitching to a female.

I sit at a cement picnic table, under a gazebo, and eat my lunch. There are several trees here and I wish I brought a blanket with me to sit in the shade - I need to order one - but the table is fine, as it’s in the shade. I read All You Can Ever Know. When I’m finished eating, I notice two paseos at opposite ends of the park and I’m curious where they go. I stow my lunch in the car, then return to the paseo with my backpack and start walking through a paved desert path. Everything smells like sage and I see two lizards - I love it. It winds behind the homes in this neighborhood and I’m not afraid at all. After about 30 minutes, I have to turn around - it’s 100 degrees today - but I will definitely be back. There are other paseos to explore at this park.

2:00 - 2:30 - I return home and water my plants - they’re baking in the sun.

2:30-4:00 - I go upstairs and take a nap. This is unusual for me. As I’m sleeping, L. and R. bounce from park to park [doing a “park” crawl instead of a “pub” crawl - get it? or “park” hopping instead of “bar” hopping], eating pizza along the way. R. also made salsa and L. brought the chips.

4:00-5:00 - I finish All You Can Ever Know.

5:00-6:30 - Previously, I had asked L. if car washes were still running. Note: Our HOA prohibits residents from washing our cars in the neighborhood. L. said the vacuum section at Dapper Dan’s is closed due to Covid-19, but customers can still drive their cars through for an exterior wash. When I ask L. how she cleans her interior, she said she vacuums it at home, periodically.

I clean the interior of my car, wiping down all surfaces with a bucket of water and dish washing soap. The car is filthy. I go through the car and purge items I don’t need. Then, I remove the mats and vacuum the floors, front and back. I vacuum the mats, too, as well as the trunk of my car. I put everything back and clean up. I put my seat covers in the washing machine.

6:30-7:30 - I warm up a piece of L.’s quiche that R. bought for her the other day and eat it outside, al fresco, on my patio. I have a glass of champagne and read Good Things Happen to People You Hate. Now, this is a perfectly wonderful evening…and yet…I feel slightly uneasy because I’m alone. At the same time, I don’t mind being alone…but as a society, we are so conditioned to want to have a partner, to want to be half of a couple, but I’m really over it. I’m having a great evening and I’m simply not interested in spending time with anyone…but, as stated earlier, societal expectations are such that I feel uncomfortable, as if there is something wrong with me because I don’t have a partner, I don’t want a partner, and, thus, am forced to eat by myself. I think I’m supposed to feel troubled by the fact that I’m eating alone, but I hated marriage and would never dream of doing that again. I prefer my own company, although I like L., too. It’s a shame that women are made to feel inadequate unless they are coupled with a man, as part of the hetero-norm. A single man is a “player” and empowered; a single woman is a “spinster” and pathetic.

7:30-8:30 - I sweep the area where the trash cans are usually stored - they’re curbside right now - then pressure wash the slab of cement. For maximum sun, this section is the best location for my lounge/beach chair, but it is next to the trash cans and somewhat stark. I’ve been thinking a lot about creating a cobblestone effect in this area, maybe taping off the area in a series of small squares and rolling tan paint over the area??? This might be one of my last DIY projects and I need to research it further on You Tube.

8:30-10:00 - I have another glass of champagne, then wade through the online paperwork for my HELOC, uploading the requisite documents. What a pain in the a--!, but I’m finished.

10:00-11:30 - L. returns home after having had a nice time with R. She proclaims frisbee-golf “fun.” Also, L. said R.’s salsa was incredible, and he allowed her to take it home. I can’t wait to sample. I upload April’s monthly budget to my spreadsheet so I can compare past Aprils in 2018 and 2019 to Covid-19 April. I work on my blog.

12:00 a.m. - Upstairs to watch Married at First Sight with L.