Day 31 of the California quarantine

Some of my plants…

4/19/20 - Sunday

7:50 - The dog starts barking so I head downstairs and go out with her. She gets cheese as a treat once she’s finished. I go back upstairs and fall back asleep around 8:30.

11:45 – I wake up and feel great!  I make my bed and then read Smacked in my arm chair in my bedroom.  I drink a 16 oz hydroflax of tap water with lemon juice while I read.

1:30 – I finish Smacked and head downstairs to make my cup of coffee.

2:00-3:00 – I sit outside on my patio, with my coffee, and start The Queen Must Die. L. read it and recommended it – she reads around a book a day when she has the time. Luckily, she had a stack of books ready to read when the Covid quarantine started.  It’s not what I normally read but I find it really interesting. The dog sits on my lap. Although my backyard is quite small, I do all the gardening myself and it’s a lot of work tending to my numerous plants, vines, succulents, etc. I never get to enjoy the fruits of my labor and today is lovely.

3:00-3:30 – I move inside and eat some of the remaining Greek yogurt, apple, walnut, and honey mix I made yesterday. I continue with The Queen Must Die and share my meal with the dog.

4:00-5:00 – I call Sunday “Spa Day.” Today is the day that I shave everything and use an Alba Botanica facial scrub in the shower. I use Neutrogena Shower gel and Skintimate for everything else. I usually wash and deep condition my hair, but I already did that on Friday. I use the “Ped-Egg” on my heels and slather Lubriderm lotion everywhere. Then, I give myself a pedicure and manicure - blue polish on my toes and a clear coat on my fingers.  Alba Botanica moisturizer on my face when I’m finished. No make-up, but I ALWAYS do my eyebrows. Every Sunday, this is how I start my work week.  Even though things have radically changed, old habits die hard. I wear the same clothes I wore yesterday. I listen to Today Explained.

5:00-6:00 – L. and I go for a 2-mile bike ride. We don’t mask but I wonder aloud if we should – I don’t know the correct social etiquette. L. thinks its fine if we don’t mask and I notice most bicyclists don’t, although some people walking along the path are masked – then again, some aren’t.

6:00-6:30 – I make a spinach salad with carrots, zuchinni, cubed cheese that I cut up myself, and cherry tomatoes.  I use EVOO for the dressing and sea salt. I read The Queen Must Die as I eat. I give pieces of zucchini to the dog.

6:30 – 8:00 - I predicted in February that L. and I might have to undergo a shelter-in-place order so early on we made a list of goals/objectives we wanted to achieve should this happen. One of the goals we agreed upon was a deep clean of the entire house. We began this endeavor on 3/16/20 and divided the house into quadrants, cleaning and purging every inch of it as the quarantine continued. The only thing left is the downstairs bathroom and a few things we missed or just didn’t think of. 

One of those areas is the toilet “closet”?? I’m not sure how to refer to this, but it’s where my toilet is housed in the master bedroom. I scrub the ceiling and the walls while I listen to Season 6 of the series Vera on the BBC channel, which I had to purchase. I don’t usually  buy frivolous things like this, but I really love the series and I figure a little self-care during a pandemic is ok.  I wipe down my bathroom and do a “swish-and-swipe” [FlyLady.com], then super glue a loose dresser drawer handle and replace an air filter in the air conditioner duct. I also do a load of laundry and take out the trash.

8:00-9:30 – I cook dinner.  L. has homework and can’t help – she hates cooking so this is nothing new. I make macaroni and cheese from a BOX – this is so unusual for us as we NEVER eat processed food, but I thought several weeks ago that we might enjoy a little comfort food like macaroni and cheese during these trying times and bought a few boxes 3 weeks ago.  I add fresh caught salmon tuna; organic peas; steamed carrots; and a little onion to the macaroni to make it a full meal. While the water is boiling, I read The Queen Must Die, then listen to This American Life and The New York Times Book Review while I cook. I have a glass of champagne.

9:30-10:00: I prep celery for the week and store it. Then, I clean the kitchen and put the macaroni and cheese away.  I had a few bites while I was making it – “grazing” – but I’m not really that interested in eating more.

10:30-11:30 - L. finishes her homework and we come upstairs to watch Surviving R. Kelly – L. has two helpings. I mend a hem on the left leg of a pair of pants while we watch. I have another glass of champagne.

11:30 – 1:00 - I watch Vera, Season 6, and order more non-perishables from Amazon: 2 bags of Dog Food; a 2-pack of toothpaste; a photo album; a 32-oz bag of walnuts; and a foldable beach chaise lounge for our backyard (L. says she looks like a vampire because she can’t go out of the house).  

1:00 – I do my night time routine and go to bed.