Sunday 12 April 2020

The Covid Diaries - Day 32

Hello my beloveds, 

As every entry starts the same (with an apology) you will have to excuse me for my tardiness. This maybe a new record for me. The last time I posted was 3 years ago! Yikes! (I’ll update you on the boys mentioned in the previous post at the end of this post)

So! Where were we… as usual, too much to get into, so we will have to fast forward to the new and current Covid Diaries. I went into isolation on Wednesday March 11th 2020. It's been a hell of journey, but I would say I’m pretty well adjusted now and quite in my element. Should we be worried, hell ya! Am I a social butterfly, a hermit or a homebody? I’m all of the above. I look forward to the new world when we see it again. Until then, I’m loving this current state (most of the time). 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still full of shit too. Alison’s mother-in-law Susan died of Covid19 on March 8th, it's so sad and it hasn’t hit me yet. You’ll know from previous posts that it takes me time to really accept and feel the loss of people. I just coast and carry on for a while, then out of the blue it will hit me. Funerals give me so much closure and I didn’t attend this one. Susan was buried less than 24 hours after passing. This is normal in the Jewish faith (same for Muslims too). Only one of her son’s and his wife where there. Alison’s husband has to WhatsApp video his bother in Italy. 

Normally there would be 7 days where family and friends would sit Shiva. This is not possible right now, plus it's Passover. For any of my dedicated readers who don’t know what shiva is, watch: This is where I leave you. It’s based on a book. The film is just an easy way to understand what Shiva is, even though the family are not Jewish. 

What else, the first few weeks when I could get food delivered, I ordered comfort items like rich tea biscuits etc. I’m now over that nesting phase and have gone back to lots of veg. This Thursday’s delivery is a crazy amount of veg. I’ve decided that when the new world begins, I’ll re-enter it a stone lighter. (For those of you who know what I look like, don’t fret, it's really not that bad. It's just that 5 pounds looks different on me so 14 pounds will look pretty cool)

I’ve mentioned the new world a few times now, what do I mean. Well, here goes nothing. 

This event that we are living though will change us forever. Once we are out of lockdown, the world will not bounce the way we may think it might. There will be some initial hurdles. Will Wembley ever be full again? Who knows. I sure hope so. I actually bought tickets to watch England vs Italy on Friday March 27th, 2020. It will take time for theatres to reopen again. People will need to find jobs. There will be huge amounts of transition. We will start to see the remains of those who have crumbled with their mental health. Truer figures of domestic abuse will be released too. 

BUT… Let’s talk about the good stuff! Some people have never had so much sleep since being an infant. Families are talking again; gardens have never looked better. Kids are seeing both of their parents. We are getting to know our neighbours. We are cooking more. We laugh more on family zoom calls. Zoom calls with my moms’ side of the family is a real riot. The beginning of the call is all the kids (me and my cousins) reminding our folks to put their hearing aids up. It's only the ones in their 70’s and 80’s, everyone else is ok. 

The first few weeks I wasn’t taking any walks at all. I did some gardening but other than that the only fresh air was opened windows in the house and taking out the wheelie bins. I’m sure there was an element of fear that was keeping me in. However, as we are seeing we are going to be here for the long haul. It’s time to move.  

I’ve been on 4 long walks in the last 5 days. I missed one day because the zoom call with my family killed me. You know I love them but it's hard work at times. My siblings and I had to pretty much yell at my dad to stay home. Tough love in my family is often that last resort that works. We had to remind my dad that (god forbid) if he gets sick. None of us can see him in the hospital. If he died, we couldn’t go to the funeral. You might judge us for being mean, but it worked. He’s staying put. My mom is a front-line worker (nurse) so she’s feeling it.

Back to my walks story. To remind you in case you forgot. I bought my house in 2007 because it was nice enough and neighbourhood looked ok. Only after living here a few months did it dawn on me that I bought in a pretty affluent neighbourhood. My street has become so gentrified over that last few years. Child actors live a few doors down. (The kids in BBC Poldard and Catastrope). I don’t really feel like I fit in here, but I’m not sure where I am supposed to be. (That’s a whole other blog post, so I’ll park that ) So! I’ve been exploring and walking around these streets. So many houses, families everywhere. It's been amazing. Some of the joys I have witnessed was a family on a jog. The mom was in the front and then behind her were her 2 kids, I’m guessing 8 and 10 years old, followed by her husband. That was definitely my rose of the day. [if you have forgotten, you have to end everyday with remembering what your rose and thorn was for the day. The good and the not so good] 

Today’s Rose was sooo simple and beautiful. I was walking down the road, in my leggings, vegan t-shirt, baseball hat, bum bag (yes you heard right, this is not a fashion show) and my headphones. Due to the fact that I absolutely love homes, I check each one out. I passed a house with the front door open and a very elderly man with his Zimmer frame was just watching the world go by. I smiled and waved at him and he waved back. I wonder if he knows that he made my day.

Time to start wrapping up. My sister and mom are in a condo block on the 15th floor. They do have a balcony but it faces a car park, you can see Lake Ontario in the distance. Canada is not encouraging walks etc so they are stuck. My sister was going a little stir crazy so she sent my brother and I some questions. I added 3 more questions and neither of them replied. I do ask the tough questions.  Have a look at our replies. My next post will be to go into this a bit further. 

My answers:
1. Favourite Colour: turquoise 
2. Favourite junk food: popcorn 🍿
3. Favourite Pizza Toppings: mushrooms 🍄
4. Comfort food: potato 🥔
5. Favourite Dessert: rice pudding
6. Hot beverage you love: hot chocolate 
7. Favourite card game: solitaire 
8. Movie to make you cry: My Girl when I was young. God’s Own Country now
9. Movie to make you laugh: We’re the Millers
10. Favourite Holiday: Easter 🐣
11. Favourite article of clothing: warm socks and scarfs
12. Prized possession: 2 valid in date passports = democracy & freedom
13. Favourite place in your home: my bed / my bedroom 
14. Favourite place in your city/town: one of the parks. Highgate woods, Hampstead Heath, St.James Park 
15. Favourite place on earth: a place where I feel safe. Not sure yet where that is. I did love the Serengeti 
16. Describe what love feels like in one word?
17. What scares you the most in the world?
18. Do you believe in God?

My sisters’ answers:
1. Favourite Colour: dark red
2. Favourite junk food: cheeseburgers
3. Favourite Pizza Toppings: cheese and pepperoni 
4. Comfort food: rice and yogurt with salt
5. Favourite Dessert: good quality chocolate ice-cream
6. Hot beverage you love: grande half sweet peppermint mocha from Starbucks. 
7. Favourite card game: asshole
8. Movie to make you cry: Beaches
9. Movie to make you laugh:  sooo many... Bridget jones diary.
10. Favourite Holiday: my birthday! 
11. Favourite article of clothing: my mint green nike running shoes. & a grey pyjama t-shirt i have had for 9 years. 
12. Prized possession: passports & pearl earrings
13. Favourite place in your home: in my bed
14. Favourite place in your city/town: Art Gallery of Ontario 
15. Favourite place on earth: Interlaken, Switzerland.

My brothers’ answers:
Questions for siblings!
1. Favourite Colour: blue?
2. Favourite junk food: cookies
3. Favourite Pizza Toppings: cheese pepperoni green peppers and mushroom
4. Comfort food: kitchri? 
5. Favourite Dessert: chocolate cake 
6. Hot beverage you love: tea 
7. Favourite card game: rummie
8. Movie to make you cry: Armageddon / a league of their own
9. Movie to make you laugh: She’s the man
10. Favourite Holiday: Pride
11. Favourite article of clothing: McGill hoodie
12. Prized possession: passport
13. Favourite place in your home: bedroom
14. Favourite place in your city/town: jimmy’s coffee
15. Favourite place on earth: a beach?

To recap the boys post:

-        As of new years eve, Michael is alive with prostate cancer. He doesn’t reply to my texts. I think he is still living in hostel, and his post still goes to his old home. 
-        My Scottish friend is good. He and his wife were almost stuck in Lanzarote but got back to the UK. After self-selection. They are both good.
-        I haven’t heard from the friend who retired. He is way up north. 

Peace out

Lxx

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