I hope everyone reading this (and your loved ones) are staying well through the pandemic and doing what they should do. We still have a long way to go but we have to be patient and do what we have to do (that means NOT what we WANT to do) to get this under control or it will just keep going and never get under control.

I have been staying home and making as few trips as possible. I may go for a quick drive once or twice a week just to get myself and the dog out of the house, even if it is for just 15 minutes. I have not been to the grocery store in two weeks and still have plenty of food. I don’t plan on going on another big grocery trip again for another week or two if possible. I am only eating at home and no take-out, drive-through or delivery. It may sound extreme but I am not taking any chances. It is also a good chance to learn how to cook something if I want to eat it bad enough.

Needless to say this is not how I envisioned retirement but these are extraordinary circumstances. I am good with taking drastic measures and not getting The ‘Rona. It sure as hell sucks not visiting with friends and family (my house or theirs) but we have to take the necessary steps to stop the spread of this virus. For that I am willing to do what needs to be done even if it means being alone and not traveling like I had planned.

I have been trying to find things to do other than TV and the lawn mowing has been non-stop. The grass has been going crazy so that has kept me busy. I planted some flower seeds and did a few more changes to the trailer interior – more reorganizing and installing a spice rack. I have been going through and finding more things to take out to lighten the load and declutter my storage in it – things not needed all the time like tools and my hammock – that do not need to be in there but can ride in the truck. I also got a storage unit to put some storage bins and other things in so that helps declutter my small house.

In hindsight we were pretty damn fortunate to get out of Europe without catching this stuff given what we now know. We were smart and took precautions cleaning, sanitizing and avoiding touching door handles and such, but we were on public transit, airplanes, and crowded city streets. The possibility was definitely there to pick up something but we never had any health issues (knocking on wood) after returning. Even with this I still dream of going back as soon as I possibly can, but that will probably be a while yet.

Tree pollen allergies are really kicking my ass. My eyes are swollen and runny like I have been watching Old Yeller, sinuses are stopped up, and I’m coughing. My truck is yellow with pollen and I have to dust and clean everything in the house again (I just did that) since I had the doors and windows open to get some (what I thought was) fresh air in the house. Oh well, what else do I have to do.

The weather has been beautiful otherwise. We have had blue skies, sun and 60+ degree days and I have been outside taking advantage of it however I can. Some rain is in the forecast and that will clear the air up nicely…it just has to follow through and rain. I heard a weather report that said we have had less rain that Las Vegas recently. That is unbelievable for the PNW.

That’s the update for now. Wish it was a bit more exciting! Stay home & stay safe.