Quarantine Day 8

As of this moment, there are 259 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Alberta

Good afternoon.

I felt a little stir crazy over the weekend. Call it cabin fever. It's not the life for me.

The thing I miss the most is hugging my friends. It's cliche about not knowing what you had until it's gone; but I didn't realize how much physical closeness with my friends was an integral part of my day.

I miss you, friends!

The very first thing I'm going to do when this #stayhome is over is HUG YOU (unless, of course I'm exhibiting symptoms...)

The kids and I have been coming up with new and imaginative routes to walk the dog. It's been fun to see the art that people have placed in their windows, although some people are being chastised for being outside!?!?

Just so we're clear, AT THIS TIME, Alberta Health Services recommends walking around your immediate neighborhood, both for exercise and mental well being. As long as you are not showing any symptoms. If you are showing symptoms, please stay home.

Otherwise, go outside.

It's springtime! It's characteristically sloppy and gross out but the sun has been shining EVERY day. Embrace the time you have to take a leisurely stroll with your dog. It's not like it's a school night!

With love,

Be well, friends.

Quarantine Day 6

This afternoon, Alberta Health reported 31 new cases of Covid-19 province wide. With 49 new cases yesterday, the new total is 226 cases. Alberta has had one Coronavirus death, a man in his 60s. 

Good afternoon, friends, family, casual onlookers.

Today, my little family has gotten into the swing of hanging out together. I have taken it upon myself to educate my little family on historic cinema, including Peter Jackson's Lord of the Ring Series. They think their mom is a dork.

I'm thankful that our pantry is full of groceries and that we're all in relatively good health, Evie has developed a bit of a cough, but I strongly suspect it's just a cold as it's coupled with a runny nose. How foreign to me that suddenly a cold is suspect.

There has been a shift on social media. More and more of my friends are sharing "window watching" activities. How absolutely wholesome is it that instead of sitting at home crying "woe is me," kids are decorating their windows with little treasures to be found by passersby?

There's even a calendar so you can stay abreast and make sure your window is decorated accordingly. I'll be sure to have Easter Eggs on my windows for you to find as you walk by.

I've seen some major resourcefulness come from this. I'm seeing SO MANY recipes for homemade bread, fresh pasta, and other baked goods. I'm seeing charming crafts from children and I've seen countless offers to lend a hand to an elderly neighbor.

I have NEVER seen so many small families out for a walk in the evening.

If there's a silver lining in all of this, it's the community spirit.

I'm MARVELING at the community spirit.

In the same vein, I have friends who are small business owners and they've had to make the decision to shutter their doors for the sake of quarantine.

I've seen countless asks for the government to freeze mortgage payments, rent payments, utility bills, and other expenses. People's livelihoods are at risk. People I know and love have sunk their entire life into their homes, their businesses. Now, without customers coming in the door, those same people are wondering if the layoffs are temporary or because the business has to fold.

This pandemic has brought extremes to everybody in every facet.

Give your dog a hug. Be thankful that you're healthy. Wash your hands.

We may be in for a long ride.

When this is over, take a walk down to your local corner store, say hello, and give them some of your business. Walmart doesn't need you.

Quarantine Day 3

My chihuahua is the only thing keeping me tied to my routine. My 6AM alarm is a cold nose pushed to my palm and then 4 excited tiny feet using everything they have to wake up the human.

Every time I move a limb, it's met with a pounce and a wince.

Roll out of bed. Coffee. Facebook.

Still Coronavirus.

I'm already bored of this.

Friends, PLEASE SEND BAD JOKES.

As if by magic (or the universe knowing I needed connection today), a handful of friends have reached out to see how I'm handling it.

I'm not.

You guys, this fucking sucks.

I didn't realize how much I lived off of human connection until I was forced to go cold turkey.

Today is the first day I actually have NO REASON to leave the house, or drive anywhere, or do anything. Not leaving the house has become a civic duty of sorts. The trend is to act as if you are infected and not wanting to infect anybody else. 

I worry about my friends and family and wonder if they are exercising the same abundance of caution.

Today we embraced 'Spring break" for the first time since this began. My kids have had a very unstructured day. You know what? They love it.

Another walk for the dog who is living his BEST LIFE this week.

Another family movie night. 

As of today, there are 119 cases of Covid-19 in Alberta. There is evidence of community transmission. This number likely doesn't reflect actual infection numbers. There are even rumors that some patients may be LYING TO THEIR DOCTORS about symptoms. Seriously? 

Quarantine Day 2

I woke up this morning and checked my email and Facebook. As is typical for the last few weeks, there is more about Covid-19 than any other topic.

I desperately miss my school kids. Is this really the new normal?

I desperately miss seeing my friends updates on their own beautiful children, their kick ass workouts, their self love, their recipes, their funny quips and the funny things that happen, and their SELFIES. I miss seeing YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACES.  Social isolation is the worst.

I feel so disconnected from the people I truly, truly love.

School is canceled. Dance class is canceled. Grocery shopping has suddenly become fraught with danger (it may even be a fruitless journey if one of the things you need is one of the things being hoarded).

The only real task I had today was to go to Jacob's school. It was his turn to clean out his locker and collect his belongings.

Another 30 minutes of tearful elbow bumps and respectfully-distanced well wishes.

Jacob was even having melancholic feelings. This kid who has never been a fan of  'going to school' has suddenly become aware that Mr. F (band teacher) is someone he is going to genuinely miss. That Mr S (homeroom) ((and who came out to see us off specifically)) actually cares for his students and that this change is just as hard on the teachers that it is on the students.

Jacob said he's going to miss school.

Nevertheless, we sign him out, say goodbye, and hastily exit the building to abide by the rules.

On the way home, I decided to pick up my prescription that has been waiting for me (since I'm out and about anyway...)

To try and put some sunshine in the day, Jacob and I picked up some A&W Apple pies from the (safe) drive thru.

I'm a hero, now.

Now we're back home. We've had our family dinner, and we've walked the dog.**

Time is passing impossibly slow without the myriad of scheduled events and tasks to do.

I've found more time than I've ever thought possible to catch up on the 47 books stacked on my dresser.

Tonight, we'll have our third straight night in a row of cuddling in my bed and watching movies until the kids pass out.

Until tomorrow.

**Widget is REALLY enjoying social isolation. He's experiencing "Unprecedented levels of humans being home!" 

Quarantine Day 1

Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) has been in the news in Canada for a week or two. People worldwide have been looking to Italy and China (where it originated) to learn what to expect and what to do.

Our city (Edmonton) has had a handful of confirmed cases here and there but nobody had panicked. Until last night. Sunday night at 5 pm, we learned that there had been 17 new cases, taking our province from 39 cases to 56 in one day.

Schools were to be closed immediately and indefinitely. Suddenly parents and caregivers had found themselves in the precarious position of trying to arrange child care or staying home from work.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, our province's Chief Medical Officer has been our eyes and ears on the virus through out our province. We've come to look forward to her daily address regarding the growth of the pandemic. She had indicated that should schools close, they would likely be that way until September (read - 5 months of break!)

This morning we woke up. We had breakfast together. We stayed in our pajamas.

I kept watching the news and scanning social media for any hint of what was to happen. The general consensus is that nobody has any answers. All we know is that our kids are not to be in school.

Teachers have empty classrooms. Students have unfinished projects.

There are rumors that online curriculum delivery is being looked at, but nobody really knows how that will be done or even when it will begin (if at all).

Today feels weird.

There's something to be said for routine. Especially when that routine is ripped out from under you without warning.

One of the moms posted on Facebook that belongings are scheduled to be picked up from school this week.

I scanned schoolzone (our primary resource/communication with the school) and found my allotted time window.

I went to the school to collect my daughter's things which had been carefully bagged by her teacher.

I can't even begin to describe the emotion that came over me as I made eye contact with the administrators and teachers who mold my kids.

The experience was two fold for me because I work in that very same school and have found myself suddenly unemployed. I realized that I may not see some of those kids again because they may move away or begin Junior High. I realized I had only handed out birthday donuts to half of those kids and I have NEVER in 7 years missed a student's birthday. I realized I wasn't "finished" with my daughter's teacher this year; that our daily communication back and forth to help my daughter be successful was something I counted on and enjoyed.

Nevertheless, I had a job to do. I grabbed Evie's stuff and ran to my office to collect the handful of things I had left there anticipating a return to work today.

I had some tearful conversations, some "I'll miss yous" and some elbow bumps that wanted desperately to be hugs as I said some "see you hopefully soons" to those people I work with and love so dearly.  I managed to have a quick chat with one or two parents that I encountered only because our last name begins with the same letter.

My half hour was up. My time in the building had to be closed on the day to allow the next batch of parents through, trying to maintain social isolation and mitigate the virus' spread,

I went home and found a glass of wine and finished crying. I walked my dog, dusted myself off and readied dinner.