Passing Time in Quarantine!

This is what happens when I don't have an
appropriate photo!!

We have all had time to settle into our "social distancing" situation, and I have probably settled in better than most. That is possibly an advantage of having no siblings and being accustomed to amusing myself. Being at home has never been boring for me, though I'm sorry it has been imposed in this way. One of the first few days, I ventured to the DMV to get my Real ID license, which had been on my To-Do list for a long time. If there were a lot of people there, I would just skip it, but there were only about three people in front of me. They had everyone wait outside, keeping appropriate distancing, and someone came to ask why you were there. As it turned out, I didn't have everything I needed, so the lady gave me the form to fill out. The DMV is directly across Hwy 278 from me, so I went home, filled out the form, picked up my Social Security card, and headed back. This time there were two people in front of me but I had everything in order and she sent me right on in. I was happy to get it done AND they extended my license, which was due to expire in 2023, to 2028! 

I've had one take out from Olive and Fig and coffee with Lynn and Tom twice. It's great to have neighbors to get together with, and Rosie and Bogey like getting together, too! Other than that, it's been only grocery shopping, complete with mask and gloves. 

The Instacart grocery shopping experience was interesting. At the time I did it, you had to plan three days out. Now it is five days out, so it is obviously catching on. My initial delivery order had a $7.99 delivery fee, but once I added a few things that brought the charge to a certain amount, the fee dropped to $3.99, which I thought was very reasonable. I could add things virtually until she started shopping. If items were running low, the app would inquire about substitutions at that time. If an item was not in stock while the shopping was being done, the shopper would inquire online about preferred substitutions. I enjoyed seeing how it worked and it can certainly be a worthwhile service.

I'm happy to report that Rosie seems to be feeling better over the last 7 to 10 days. It is so difficult to tell how she is or to determine whether or not I'm overacting. In any case, you can see that her tail and ears are up and she's playing with a squeaky toy. None of that was happening when she was in pain. You may also notice that I have a chair (2) backed up to the bed to keep her from jumping. Not liking that setup, I found a pet bedrail online. It is a neat contraption and works well - and it looks a bit better than the chairs. She has learned how to get on and OFF the bed using the ramp, which may partially account for her feeling better. Keep your fingers crossed that this continues.

My other project is to purge my closet (which I began 10 days ago and continue on an irregular schedule!) and clean the garage, but every day I have it on my To-Do list, I find something else to do! I really do want to get it done while I have time. Keep your fingers crossed for this one, too!

The Squad (Tippy, Chris, Lynn, Melodee, Sally, and I) have gotten together once on Zoom and it was lots of fun to see and chat with everyone. On the free version, you are limited to 40 minutes and we used that easily. Last night, Drinking Liberally Zoomed for happy hour on our usual day and time. About twelve or so "old-timers" showed up for an animated chat. It was good to see everyone, but I missed Juan's Mexican food!

I don't want to put a kenahora on it, but we continue to have fantastic weather. I can't remember the last time I heard the AC or heating running and it's wonderful to get up in the morning to a perfect temperature. With everyone locked down, more neighbors are out walking, riding bikes, etc.....and much less auto traffic. The neighborhood is quieter and slower. I've been touched by several neighbors who stopped me to ask how I am doing. They hadn't seen me in a while and were concerned. That's comforting in times like this.

The pandemic and the three trump years leading up to it have shown me how much my life has changed. When this is over, we will never go back to "normal", whatever that was, and I've been thinking about what I want my remaining years to be. I'd like to live at a pace that is more comfortable for me (slower). I'd like to be able to appreciate more of the people and things around me and on this wonderful planet. And most of all, I'd like to exist in a kinder, more compassionate world.

PLAY ALONG: 

• What have you discovered in this time of quarantine? 
• What revelations have you had about reaching the other side of this pandemic?
• What changes do you hope to make when this is over?

Let me know your thoughts in comments below.
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Love to all!

Stay Safe and Well.