3. What were you blogging about last year at this time? What has changed?
Last year at this time I was writing about an annual volleyball tournament the girls participate in, in Spokane Washington and so much has changed. Since Maile and Laina are in different age brackets, we typically need to make the trip two weekends in a row. I remember feeling swamped with work when a campaign I was helping to manage needed a lot more attention than I had time for. I had to bring it to Spokane with me and at one point in the lobby, I was firing away on my computer working as fast and hard as I could before it was time to leave for Maile’s first game. I had a million tabs open, I was editing influencer videos, I was responding to emails and editing drafts that should have been finished already. And while I was working my little heart away, Pat stood in the same lobby with a coffee and was casually watching golf.
Cha-ching.
He glanced at his phone, congratulated himself, and went back to watching golf. I was all, “what was that?” and he was all, “I just made 20 bucks on Ebay off of a baseball card I listed.” As it would happen, 20 bucks was about what I was making for each hour I spent on my job. My stress level was at it’s max on a job that I couldn’t stop thinking about and he was just…drinking coffee. Watching golf. He doesn’t even care about golf.
I had already begun thinking it might be time for me to step away from my job since Harper had been diagnosed with Epilepsy, but this moment with Pat sealed it for me. I could help him get more of those cha-chings in his eBay shop and sip coffee and watch golf with him. I was looking forward to my moment in that lobby this year.
The idea of that tournament being canceled due to a virus pandemic would never have crossed my mind. When the Coronavirus first started making headlines here, I assumed it would be like any other scary virus and it would just sort run its course and fall off the radar. As concern continued to mount and whispers of school closures cropped up, I couldn’t believe how quickly this thing had escalated.
And then it was official. School was canceled, the tournament was canceled, practices were canceled, everyone started buying all of the toilet paper and now here we are. The girls are disappointed to miss such a fun tournament, I’m disappointed to miss my casual coffee in the lobby and…well I don’t think Pat is disappointed at all because it IS a spendy couple of weekends.
Ultimately, one year later things are very different. My job completely changed, Harper’s seizures (which were out of control at this time last year) have been controlled now with Keto, meds and CBD Oil, and the pandemic we’re in the midst of feels straight out of a movie. I’m grateful that our house has been a healthy little shelter for us and that our biggest concerns are pretty trivial. Harper’s mom has made a full recovery from her bout with the Coronavirus and week three of no school is not quite so bad.
Now if the world can please go ahead and cure itself so that life can resume without the fear of illness, virus death and the threat of running out of toilet paper that would be great. I would love to have my stress-free coffee golf moment in the lobby by next year at this time.
Take a look at last year’s trip here:
Beverly Nickerson says
I do have a dishwasher. Pretty standard in modern houses nowadays. I didn’t have one growing up, so I know the difference.
Our community is primarily military with double bases here and the military is essential and still on the job, though they’re trying to work things so fewer people are in offices at one time and so on, but that’s been on-going. The military jets still have to fly. They did put travel limit of around 5 hours on personnel. Up to now landscapers, who often work alone were still out doing people’s yards. Our local hospitals have zero virus patients in them presently. My new eyeglasses are ready for pick-up, but when we go there, they’ll bring the glasses out and adjust them at the car. Though they do still see patients—he devotes 3 days a week to just children, so I imagine he wants to keep the place extra safe, but the kids aren’t the high-risk. I believe, since this is a tourist area, the hotels are suffering. This was spring break and that’s like their Black Friday for 6 weeks!
John Holton says
I hope they’re not all looking at you in a couple of weeks wanting to know what to do.
I’m very happy your niece (and Harper’s mom) has recovered from her bout with coronavirus and that your home is a refuge from all the madness. We’re staying out of it for the most part: Mary goes to the store a couple of times a week, and she gets me out for a ride when she can (we drive around and I don’t bet out of the van).
I know the trip(s) to Spokane get to be a bit of a drag (and an expensive one, at that), but this must be killing the girls, not having a tournament to play in. Let’s hope this is all over at the end of the month and life gets back to what passes for normal these days.
Kim says
Things are so, so different this year. I know I’m way late to the game (the writing prompts) this year, but there was just way too much going on, my anxiety crippled me, and I just shut down. And that was before the pandemic. I may come back later, and participate, but in the meantime, I’ve put up a “Quarantine Chronicles” post, in which I do mention a show I’ve been bingeing since before taking my Coronoavirus Vulnerable LOA from work.
I’m glad your family’s been healthy, and that your niece’s mom has recovered. So far, no one I know has been diagnosed, and I am so thankful for that.
Patty says
I, too, am happy for Harper’s mom, happy as well for everyone who gets through any bout with this virus.
Yes, if only the world could heal itself and, as we all know, it’s up all of us to do whatever is necessary to take the proverbial wind out of the sails of COVID-19. Sadly, as long as so many people refuse to listen, to ignore…well, we well know the results with the daily updates on those affected.
All I keep saying is, please….stay safe, stay well and flatten the damn curve of this unwelcome invader!