Day 52 of Governor Newsom’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy”

This is not my backyard but you get the idea…

Sunday. 10/18/20

9:00 - 10:00 - Up and it’s “Soiree Day!!” The dog is lying at the foot of the stairs, waiting for me. We go outside and she does her business. Cheese for her, coffee for me.

I put the clean pillow cases on all of the outdoor pillows. Then, I sanitize the astroturf. This involves putting Simple Green concentrate in a large bucket and filling it with water. After, I dump the bucket over every section of Astroturf until I’ve gone the length of the yard.

10:00-11:00 - I make the peach cobbler. Kitchen clean up. This is the first time I’ve made this recipe, so I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Spoiler Alert: not bad.

L. leaves to pick up N. so he can help with the rest of the lights.

11:00 - 12:00 - Shower. Light Make-up. Sun dress because…soiree. Wedge sandals.

12:00-1:00 - I set up the backyard patio by moving the circular table over to the edge of the patio, while still remaining under the canopy, and then pull my love seat in. Behind the love seat, in that empty space, I put the step ladder and rest my “Black Cat” poster on the top rung - it looks pretty good. L. and I set up the oscillating fans.

1:00-2:00 - N. left so it is up to L. and I to wrap the trees in the backyard. N. gave us some novelty lights - orange and “blood red” or whatever you call that color. We have to take the cat poster down and use the stepladder to go high into the trees so I can wrap each trunk effectively. When I’m done, my arms are all scratched up from the branches and there are leaves and twigs in my hair. OMG. I return the stepladder and my cat poster back behind the love seat. and then shove our fake Halloween candelabras into the trellis for special effect.

2:00 - 3:00 - I make the salad, adding tomatoes and boiled eggs. Salad is done - more kitchen clean up and I store the peach cobbler in the fridge. L vacuums and cleans the downstairs bathroom.

3:00 - Everything is ready so L. pours me a Sangria - I spike it with champagne. We put labels with everyone’s names on the margarita glasses.

3:30 - B. arrives with the TV trays so I set two up in front of the love seat, where my parents will be sitting, and then one to the side for L.’s Sangria. We place ice packs around the bottom of the Sangria then hold it tight with a silk scarf - it looks really good and I’m pleasantly surprised. L. makes a drink for B. and I spike it.

4:00 - Mom and Dad and R. show up around the same time. My Dad and R. mask but I don’t think R. needs to mask as we’re outside and far enough away from my parents - I think it’s fine. R. brings chips and homemade salsa and it is soooo good!!!! It’s the best salsa I’ve ever had.

L. and I mask up, put on gloves, and serve drinks. Beer for my Dad, Sangria all around!!!

4:30 - L. and I return to the kitchen and warm up the rolls. I drizzle herb butter on them and she wraps them in a napkin and places them in a basket. L. uses tongs to distribute the biscuits because…Covid 19. Each couple shares a separate container of butter.

5:00 - 5:45 - L. and I return to the kitchen and plate the salad. Then we heat up each individual bowl of soup in the microwave and add spinach until it wilts, per the recipe. We place the bowl of soup on the same plate with the salad and off we go, serving one person at a time, still masked and gloved. I wash dishes in between as often as I can.

5:45 - 6:15 - L. and I sit down to eat, but my parents have to go (sad face emoji). We clear their plates and serve them peach cobbler immediately. They’re gone by 6:10 and the soiree is officially over - that’s a wrap, another one in the can!

6:15 - 8:00 - L. and R. move to the couch and hang out talking with B. and I., while L.’s colored candle that we stuck in a wine bottle drips colored wax all over the place. I love it. It is all very French Gothic, if there is such a phrase and now that it’s dark, the lights that L. and I wrapped around our tree trunks look gorgeous. L. and I go inside to plate the cobbler and she serves the boys while I do yet more dishes - putting them away and washing the new load of dishes. The three of them have dessert and I pour champagne for myself. R. calls it a night around 8:00 since he is scheduled to work tomorrow and B. starts loading things in the car.

8:00-10:00 - L. and I break everything down outside (this takes some time) and I do the last load of dishes.

10:00 - 10:30 - I have two classes tomorrow so check email for College No. 2 to see if there are any questions. Tomorrow is the first day of my 8-week accelerated class. I respond to a few emails.

10:30-12:00 - I have a lecture scheduled from 2:30-5:30 for Specialty Class No. 1 so I prepare my slides and audio clips. That way, I can start recording lecture immediately after my morning class ends (10:05).

12:00-1:00 - Night time routine and I set my alarm for 7:00 a.m. to make sure that I’m ready for the first day of school. Bed.