May 1, 2020: Covid self-isolation day 49

May 1, 2020 -- When I ran out to get some supplies the evening of March 12, I was hoping to get a jump on the crowds that I anticipated would show up the next day, given some of the ominous talk coming from state officials. I think I was assuming a two-week 'snow day' type event, with a lot of non-essential activities postponed or closed, and with a rush on essentials that come with a forecast for heavy snow in Wisconsin (or two inches in Baltimore). Never did I think I'd be writing this with the same general sense of "two more weeks" now seven weeks after my first estimate. And, per our governor, it will be another four weeks before we can expect relief from the restrictions.

To be fair, this is not a hard 'lockdown,' especially for an active retiree (me), people who can work online from home (Dena and Jane), and a student with similar online opportunities (Gaby). It has created the unexpected condition of four adults living in our 1340 square foot home, and that requires some adjustment. Fortunately, we have a well-built home, sufficient bedrooms and bathrooms, great heating, excellent showers, a powerful and large clothes washer, an efficiency and quiet dishwasher, access to our essentials (primarily Target and Pick and Save), a strong WiFi signal and ethernet connection for work and play, unlimited data on our phones, enough subscriptions to online services, reasonable delivery times from Amazon, daily newspaper and mail delivery...it is the basic life of a my local, unscheduled life as a retiree yet pretty frustrating for the young and the restless.

Have now shared two ZOOM broadcasts with brothers and sisters around the country, from Florida to Wisconsin, New York to North Carolina. We are loud, boisterous, unorganized and uneven in our ZOOMing skills. But it is chance to see all their faces again, something that has not happened for some time. That alone is worth the cost of technology barriers and bugs.

And we finally seem to be coming out of winter, into spring. A rare day or two in the sixties. Last month I walked 113.6 miles in 29.25 hours, averaging four miles in an hour every day. Took my RealAge assessment and scored eight years below my chronological age. Through Lent, I think that I lost weight, but have been hungry with a sweet tooth since then. Dena trimmed my hair a few weeks ago and I have done some self-grooming, but I have often let my hair go a long time between cuts.

Spending more time with Fr. Carl, but even more time online watching Hank say daily Mass in New Jersey, or reading from and listening to the Divine Office daily prayer app, at times watching an online Mass from Canada or Rome, or listening to a rosary recited in New Jersey or at the shrine tab Lourdes.

Pray, provide, and protect. And Hank suggest that as a retiree I can now pray for the entire world, with all this time on my hands. I will try my best.