Day 23 - Governor Newsom imposes new restrictions

B. puts up Xmas decorations this year…!!!

12/8/20. Tuesday.

***Today, L. and M. received the results of their Covid-19 tests, administered on 11/30/20. [See my blog post on 12/3/20 for a detailed account].  Both negative…it figures.

7:00-My alarm goes off, but I stay in bed until 7:30.

7:30-8:15 – Shower. Hydroflask. Exhausted. Lotion and Covid-19 uniform, except I swap out the tank top for a sweater. I start my make-up.

8:15-Downstairs and the dog is still sleeping so I rub her tummy three times.  She grabs her toy and we go outside.  She does her business and back inside. Left-over turkey for her, lemon water for me. I go to work.

Yep – it’s the exact same morning routine as yesterday.  If it feels like you’ve already read this, you have.

 I check course content and the Discussion Board and then prepare the prompt.  I should have done this yesterday, but I didn’t.  It’s almost 8:30 and I’m starting to hyperventilate just a little – I’m not sure I’m going to make it in time but…….I’m finished!

8:30-10:00 – Class begins. The students are listening to lecture. Finals for two classes are scheduled tomorrow so I open the Final for one of the classes and go through every question and answer, making a few changes here and there.

-I post a chapter review quiz.

-I finish my make-up and load 4 boxes of used books in my trunk that Mom gave me for disbursal.

10:00-11:00 – I leave for Starbucks – I know, I know! – and order a tall coffee with one of my gift cards. Then, onto my therapy session.

11:00-11:30 – As always, it’s great to see my therapist. Productive session this time around.

11:30 – I have a Tuesday session every other week so this is the day I run my errands.  If you’re a regular reader, I’ve discussed “batching” with you. So, I “batch” my errands for two days a month.  It’s more time efficient and safer when living in a pandemic.  For example, I’m not running one errand every day, potentially exposing myself to a virus Monday thru Sunday.  Instead, I make a few quick stops two days a month. ***You statisticians out there will probably debunk this rationale, BUT just let me believe.  If ‘magical thinking’ gets me through the day, so be it.

11:30 – 12:15 – I drive to the Church of Hope – Woman’s Shelter so I can drop off the books, but they’re closed!!  There’s a sign on the door that says their electricity was shut off and they won’t have power until 11:00 a.m., although I’m there at 12:15. Oh no – I hope everything is all right…

12:15 – 12:45 – I again try the Goodwill that B. recommended on this side of town. Last time I tried, it was closed, in the middle of the day, with no explanation…

This time the doors are open for donations but the employee says they’re closed because their power was shut off.  She isn’t sure why, but suggests I try again tomorrow.

Hmmm… f*&ing Department of Water and Power.  I have a sneaking suspicion that water and electricity were shut off for some businesses in order to ensure compliance with the Governor’s 3-week shelter-in-place order.  This happened before with our dog groomer, A., in March.  The stay-at-home order came down and A. was notified that her water was going to be shut off for the next three weeks.  Can you believe that??!!  A dog groomer??!!  We managed to get the dog groomed just in time. A.’s water was shut off at her business for the next month – it wasn’t just for three weeks as she had originally been told.

I think the same thing is happening, only this time the county is targeting…well, lets see…a WOMAN’S SHELTER…and GOODWILL. 

I leave and the streets are packed with cars.  It’s the Xmas season…all retail stores are open, without incident. Lights remain on.

12:45-1:00 – I try the only independent bookstore we have in this area.  A huge sign on the window says NO DONATIONS.  Their power appears to be on. I drive away.

1:00 – 2:00 - I have a 30% coupon and $10.00 CVS cash so obviously I will NOT be ordering my toiletries online this month. 

L. has this great opportunity for a Getty Museum internship!!! – only minorities can apply!!!!  Although L. is 25% Korean, she looks like a white girl, so she will have to die her hair black if she’s scheduled for an interview. We toyed with the idea of buying a wig, but L. thinks that will look too fake. I buy hair color for her – and my regular hair color – so we will have it on hand when her interview is scheduled.  Her friend, J., is in beauty school and will apply the color when it’s time.

I buy a few more toiletries and L. requested clear nail polish. I pick that up for her.

2:30 – 3:30 - Home. I put everything away and pack my overnight bag, a few snacks, and leftovers for dinner. I have a frozen ORGANIC burrito that L. bought for us when we stockpiled last month, in preparation for another shelter-in-place order.  It seems stockpiling is unnecessary – takeout will always be available [sarcasm here].

3:30 – 5:30 - I have three classes tomorrow morning – two of them are taking the Final and the third class is listening to a podcast and then taking a podcast quiz, which I have not loaded into Canvas yet.

-I check the Final for the second class and go through every Q & A, line by line, like I did with the Final from the first class this morning. Good to go.

-I load the video quiz onto the Canvas platform for the third class. Moving quickly here.

-I prepare the Discussion Boards for all three classes.

5:30-6:00 – I quickly make a salad, then load the car and leave for B.’s house.

6:30 – at B.’s.  Exterior Xmas lights are up!!! and a lit Santa is waiving at me from the garage door.  It looks great!

Once inside, B. shows me that he has put up a XMAS TREE!  decorated with multi-colored lights and ornaments that he purchased and carefully arranged.  I guess he has the Xmas spirit this year – he seems into it. 

7:00-11:00 -  Cocktail hour and then B. and I have dinner.  He eats enchiladas from Costco and I have my salad and leftovers from Los Campianos.  7&7 for B. and champagne – what else? – for me. We talk politics and then time for bed.

12:00 – Night time routine. Bed.