As my regular readers know, two weeks ago yesterday we returned from our cruise on Celebrity’s Reflection to Mardi Gras. (Kathleen always reads my stuff before I post and when she read this line she said “It’s been longer than two weeks!”) But it really has been just two weeks. We got off Reflection on Monday, March 2.
So much has happened to us and to you since then. Thought I would write something to let you know how we are doing and ask you how you are doing. Of course I did post about everyone blaming cruise ships for all of this but that was just me on a soap box.
So now the reality. Kathleen and I are basically quarantining ourselves at home. (Before you ask, since we are pretty much together 90% of the time, this is not a big deal for us. We love being together.) I have been out to do some shopping and we had three friends (who we knew were not infected) over for dinner, but that was about it. Since we are in Washington (one of the most seriously affected states) our restrictions are ahead of the curve (trying to flatten the other curve). Our Governor first banned groups of 250, three days later it went down to 50, the next day he closes all schools until April 29 at the earliest. We are doing our best to practice social distancing. Tonight we shared an Aperol Spritz with our next door neighbors, sitting in their driveway, six feet apart. It was wonderful.
Our days have been spent (so far) cancelling client travel, dealing with yearbook advisers who suddenly have no spring sports or activities to cover and binging all the television on our TiVo that accumulated while we were gone. We are all up to date with television now and will start working our way through Netflix and Amazon Prime shows soon. The only really great thing this week has been the amazing weather we have been having. Sunshine and warmth do make things a little easier to handle. I have been able to walk three days out of the last four so that makes me happy. Walking since the quarantine has been different than usual. People make sure to stay far apart but when they do, they actually nod, wave, smile and even greet each other. That doesn’t usually happen.
We also started a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that is all about the Galapagos Islands. We still have high hopes that we will be able to take our cruise there this August. In the meantime, our April Holland America cruise with our friend Seth has been cancelled. Which means we have no travel scheduled until the aforementioned Galapagos trip in late July. That’s crazy strange for us. But the way things are now, we can’t even make plans to go see our grandkids in Olympia. We are being discouraged from any kind of travel. But we do FaceTime regularly with the grandkids
One other thing that is keeping us going is the great friends we have online. We hear from our Martini Mates almost daily, FaceTime with Bob and Judy in Canada, have a constant group text exchange with my brother and his wife Jamie and text, e-mail, Facebook, Cruise Critic and Twitter contact with so many others.
How about you? What’s your daily life like. Hopefully you are staying healthy. I have decided to close every e-mail and every post until this is over with these words—stay safe and STAY HOME.
A pandemic influenza would mean widespread infection essentially throughout every region of the world.—Anthony Fauci (The only person in Washington D.C. with any credibility.)
Happy to hear you and Kathleen are weathering the quarantine. I’m heathy but BORED! Since retirement I’ve kept very busy with numerous nearly daily volunteer activities. In 2 days they have all come to a halt… We’ve been having lots of rain; today was cool but sunny. As soon as the ground dries out, I’ll start digging and planting!!! I’ve been walking a couple of times each day, started a 1000 piece puzzle, cleaned out drawers and cupboards, and done lots of reading!!! I know I will survive; I will be so happy when I can get back to “work”! Stay well…
Don’t know what I would do if I was here all by myself but this is the right thing to do for everyone in our age bracket. You know my new motto…stay safe and STAY HOME!
I meant to ask. Today is/was Tuesday. You said you would have the puzzle finished. Is it? Regarding what we are doing. Still resting. Lol. Been out on the bike twice in the last couple of days. Judys mastering her Apple Pencil and binging Tv. Got my Second favourite Movie of all time from Amazon yesterday for tomorrow. the Flamingo Kid. Lol Weather is great. Some sitting in the garage sun out of the wind. You are right the people that went walking by today ALL said hello.
Puzzle is all done. We have started another. It looks very much like the first one. This one may take longer.
Thank you for sharing what you’re up to and asking about others. We staying close to home. A few errands to the grocery store. Costco got smarter and allow only so many in at a time, pretty empty once you’re inside and there’s only one check out line that feeds into many, all six feet apart. Bob has gotten out on a few local bike rides, my tennis club closes down tonight at 8PM, but I quit going a few weeks ago, and there’s many long walks with the dog. No social gatherings at all, but I’m ok with all of this if it helps the spread. Hopefully more kits will get people tested and self quarantined. My April Rhine River cruise canceled and refund coming, my Washington DC trip canceled, Delta gave me back all the money for future travel up to a year and our Sept. Spain/Portugal trip up in the air. Stay safe and STAY HOME everyone.
Sounds like you and Bob are doing OK! Good to hear that everyone let you cancel. Stay safe and STAY HOME! 👍🏻 is right.
Glad you and Kathleen are staying well!
Most of us have been sent home to work remotely for an indefinite period of time.
I have decided that i don’t like it at all. Too many distractions! Dave is retired, so i had to banish him to the upstairs or outside while i work. The cats are exhausted because they must watch everything i’m doing, and just can’t catch up on their sleep (spoiled rotten things).
We only have four cases here in Shelby county TN so far, but everything is closed anyway. (schools, universities, movie theaters, restaurants, gyms, etc). Social distancing is certainly the norm! But Dave and I, and all of our neighbors (similar to you guys) are out doing a daily walk.
Life during pandemic!
Heidi, good to hear from you. I totally get why working from home might be a pain if you aren’t used to it. Thankfully, I have been working from home for 38 years so it’s a piece of cake for me. Our best to Dave. And remember, stay safe and STAY HOME.👍🏻
Jamie and I are staying at home. When its not raining we walk in the morning and bike ride after lunch. I have worked from home for 10+ years now, so no change there. Jamie retired in December (after her 2019’s year of cancer treatments). Our March/April family trip to Disney World was cancelled. Next trip is the Christmas Market River Cruise with Jim and Kathleen in December; LET’S HOPE TODAY’S ISSUE ARE WELL IN OUR PAST. Our daughter Cassie is doing her last college semester from home. The school’s tele conferring software works well. No graduation ceremony scheduled. Everyone say safe and healthy.