Day 23-Governor Newsom rescinds restrictions. Outdoor dining reinstated!

Santa Barbara Zoo, obviously…

Santa Barbara Zoo…L. took this picture…

2/16/21. Tuesday.

8:15 - 8:30 - I set my alarm because I have a therapy session. Downstairs and I say good morning to the dog. She won’t leave the couch until I rub her tummy three times, then she grabs her toy and out we go. She goes potty on the red rocks and we return to the house: rancid chicken for her treat, coffee for me.

I am extremely stiff from yesterday’s workout.

8:30-9:00 - I get dressed. Wash face. Brush teeth. Makeup doesn’t matter because I wear a mask to my sessions. I leave for my therapy session.

9:00-9:25 - Driving

9:30 - at my appointment and my therapist is not there. This means I screwed up my appointment. It won’t be the first time. I text my therapist and she says my appointment is at 10:00. Ok. I return to the car.

10:00 - 10:30 - I have my appointment and I’m glad I came. I mask, but she never does. As I’ve said before, this doesn’t bother me. I started double-masking last month, anyway. A few weeks ago, my therapist received Dose #1 of the vaccine so I’m sure she completed the 2-shot sequence by now. I find it odd that she never once put a bottle of hand sanitizer in her office. Even when everyone else had them all over the place. It doesn’t matter to me as I bring my own, but I find it…strange.

10:30-11:00 - Driving

11:00 - Home.

11:30 - 12:45 - L and I leave for the Santa Barbara Zoo.

1:00 - 2:15 - Arrive and the zoo is really fun! It’s more crowded than you might expect for a Tuesday - families and their kids are all over the place - but it’s not bad and everyone is masking. L. and I see snow leopards and giraffes, cute otters and foxes…I enjoy it. The zoo is small and it takes us about 90 minutes to see everything.

2:30 - 4:00 - Time to leave because L. made reservations at Convivo Restaurant, located inside the Santa Barbara Inn. Arrive and it looks like swanky digs. We’re seated outside - of course - right across from the ocean, beach, and bike path. Beautiful. Everyone masks. L. has to Zoom into her boring Color Theory class while we eat, but she puts in an air pod so I can’t hear anything. I’ve listened to her instructor teach before. Borrriiiinnnnggg!

Lunch is excellent!! I have the Lemon Ricotta Cappellacci and L. has the Beet Salad and Margerita Pizza. I also have two excellent glasses of Brut champagne. A great meal!

4:00 - 4:15 - L. and I walk across the street to the beach momentarily so I can check out the bike path. Maybe B. and I can ride it… We walk back to valet and leave.

4:15-5:45 - Driving

5:45 - 6:00 - Home and L. is on the move. She has plans to go to R.’s band practice. 10 minutes later, L. is gone.

6:00-7:00 - I take a short nap.

7:00-8:00 - I field emails from both Colleges. The microphone that L. ordered for me came today. This means I can shoot the video for my next DE assignment once L. shows me how to work the microphone.

8:00 - 9:30 - I start preparing the “Page” on Canvas where I will insert my video. There are 6 components for this assignment that I have to fulfill in order to advance to the next Module. I also have to prepare a “Welcome” letter for the ‘Page’ where my video will go. This is somewhat laborious.

9:30 - 10:00 - L. returns and examines the microphone. She says it has the wrong …port?? I don’t really know what that means except that it will not plug into my computer because the microphone has a tiny USB that does not match any port on my computer. L. comes up with a work-around and says we can record from my Ipad instead. She shows me how to do it, but says it’s getting late. Also, I want to put on make-up if I’m going to be on camera. We agree to do the “photo shoot” [j/k] the video tomorrow, when I look glam (yeah, right).

10:30-12:00 - I check my French Cinema class and the assignments are finally open! I make an entry on the Discussion Board, then respond to two fellow students per the instructions. I also have to read all the documentation posted on Canvas and take a quiz. I do it and get a 10 out of 10!

12:00-1:00 - I read a little bit of Strung Out.

1:00-2:00 - I listen to True Crime Garage, then night time routine. Bed.