Friday, Day 11

I woke up a little earlier than I have been.  I haven't been setting the alarm because time has become meaningless.  The sun wakes me in time to take care of the critters and log in to check work e-mails and tasks.

At work we are trying to get funds to a client living in Spain.  Spain!  They are in desperate need and everything is moving too slowly here but we are going to push it as hard as we can.

We're also trying to find a way to keep all three of us afloat through this mess.

I decided to pick up groceries from Jessica's house today, a pre-order that we combined a few days ago.  The plan was to then get more alfalfa too and stop by the post office to mail Mandi's birthday gift.  When I bought alfalfa last, it was just as Sonoma County shut down, I got enough for two weeks and figured everything would be over by then.  My, how things change.  I looked at the half bale left this morning and realized this was not going to go back to normal anytime soon, so I'd best get more before the weekend.

I was in the midst of work when the power went out.  I heard sirens soon after and knew it was probably an accident.  I reported the outage and then received a text that it would be restored by
1:15 p.m.

I had just settled in under an afghan to read when I received word that the groceries were delivered and had been sanitized ready for my pick-up.  So I decided to head out early. 

On my way to town, I saw a power pole literally snapped in two at the center, the top half hanging from wires.  PG&E crews were on scene and I knew this must have been the source of the sirens and power outage.  I hope no one was hurt.

I went to the post office first.  Very few people were there checking their mailboxes, and it was easy to stay clear.  I walked in, dropped my labeled and ready-to-go package on the counter at the designated spot, and took off.

I backed my SUV in near the alfalfa at the feed store and asked for two bales.  As I walked along outside toward the cashier, I spotted lots and lots of vegetable starts.  I had to stop.  I gathered some tomatoes, onions, habanero, serrano, and gypsy peppers, and some basil.  After paying for the hay and plants, using a handy alcohol wipe to handle everything, I was off to my next stop.  I had put some leftover chicken taco soup into a container for Jon and dropped that off at his doorstep, then grabbed a few items of fresh produce from a very sparsely populated Molsberry's Market, easily able to stay six feet from everyone.  Back north to Jessica's to exchange flour, yeast, and limoncello for my groceries, which were sparse because the store didn't have everything I had ordered in stock.

I was able to talk with Mandi on the way home.  I am looking forward to her receiving her gift and hope to video chat with her when she opens it on her birthday, along with her sisters.

This new reality had another effect that I hadn't thought of before - no bathroom use.  I was efficient in my travels and it didn't take too long, but I did definitely needed to use the bathroom as soon as I got home.  There was no place safe to stop.

Dinner was chili cheese dogs using leftover chili.  I have to laugh at memes I am seeing about kids needing to get used to square hot dog and hamburger buns (when people start using bread again for everything).  I am not sure how long I'll use the specialty buns.

I'm low again tonight though and going to bed earlier again, probably around 10:30 p.m.  (That was delayed when Bex wanted to watch a show, which I enjoyed watching with her. <3 p="">
Stay home.  Let the medical personnel have the space and resources to do their jobs the same way we allowed fire and emergency personnel to do theirs with early evacuation last year.

Stay well.  Get rest.  Be good to yourselves.  Build community.  Love your children and your neighbor and the crazy man on the corner.  We're in this together.  I'm tired and I am fighting feeling hopeless, but am also fighting to maintain all the good that I can.

Goodnight.