#myfirstpandemic

[gabbiecustomart]

Merry Pandemic & Happy New Fear!!! 😱🎄🥂💥💥💥 #miprimerapandemia #myfirstpandemic (at Pandemic Party) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJMWFmfATjF/?igshid=10efzw3tzsp83

[debi-in-her-20s]

Is it me??

Is it only me or there are more people feeling the way that I am? Like the empty ground.

I don't know what I want with my life. I get tired easily. I know I have to work hard but I don't have the energy and motivation to do so. This is not me. I feel like a very different person these days, not in a good way though. I was always a bright kid back then, when I was in my kindergarten, middle school and high school. As I grow up I am finding everything to be difficult. I am scared I might disappoint the people who believe in me. I am scared to dream, thinking I might fail. I don't want to fail.

I don't want my dreams broken.

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 70 - Is this thing over?

In case you’re not sure what my days are counting - Day 1 was March 11, 2020 when the WHO declared this new coronavirus a “Pandemic”.  But this was before they went through various alarm and threat levels, so my “Day 70″ label is a bit misleading.  We have been living with cases/outbreaks of COVID-19 since late 2019 (hence the 19 in the name.)

Swiss kids have been back in school for over a week, gyms, restaurants and stores are open, but we still have social distancing guidelines in place.  No private or public gatherings of more than 5 people, and people are still recommended to work from home if possible.  However, it really feels like things are returning back to normal.  It’s rare to see someone wearing a mask, people are taking public transportation, and the stores are pretty full with people.  For me, things are not quite normal yet as I am still avoiding: 

Going back to the gym

Going shopping for something besides food and leisurely browsing

Letting Co have lunch at school

Hugging someone outside my immediate family

Dinner Party with friends

Book Club in person

Taking public transportation (kind of non-issue since I drive everywhere)

My first step back to “normal” will be meeting up with a friend for coffee next week and when i find some time to back on the golf course, although I have already been to the range twice since it opened again.  I’m still waiting to see if the number of cases rise in the next week, but so far so good.  Things seem to be mostly under control.

Also, at this point, it seems there is no more need to keep a detailed history of social contacts, health status, or my food supply.  Back on Day 1, I thought people all around me would be getting sick, and we could be exposed.  I thought supermarkets might close and there would be a food shortage.  I also had no idea how long lockdown would be, which is all part of what motivated me to start the blog.

So this, will probably be the last entry for a long time, or possibly ever.  I’ll leave you with an image of the beautiful Juliana from Boho Beautiful who kept me in shape during the lockdown.

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 58 - Escape to Laax

Just for the day - got to enjoy the nice weather and feel semi-normal in my favorite vacation spot.  Even spontaneously met up with a few friends while sitting outside and 2 meters apart.  Definitely a good way to ease out of the lockdown!  

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 59 - Could’ve been worse

We are only a few days away from Co going back to school and I am pretty comfortable with this.  Switzerland has reported under 100 new cases for around a week!  It’s also very encouraging that Co’s class only has 13 kids and the teacher has already spaced the desks further apart.  Not all my friends are happy about the kids going back to school.  The feeling is that the kids are being used as guinea pigs to see if the virus will spread.  And this is a valid point, since our government has been giving us very conflicting information:

“Kids can’t get sick.”  

“Kids shouldn’t visit grandparents.”  But why, if they can’t get sick?  

“Kids shouldn’t go to school.”  So, maybe they can get sick?

My personal opinion is that since we have all been locked down for 8 weeks, those who were sick would have shown symptoms and/or recovered by now so we should be safe to come out of our cocoons.  I’m not under the illusion that the virus is not spreading anymore - and I still plan to take precautions - but the worst has been avoided, which is hospitals becoming overwhelmed and sick people not being able to get treatment, for whatever they might be suffering from.  In fact, at the beginning of the pandemic, I was worried about:

My family and friends catching COVID-19 in the dozens

Supermarkets closing and food shortages

Gas stations closing and gas shortages

Banks closing and a run on the banks

No electricity because the workers were sick

The Internet breaking down worldwide

Riots in the streets

With none of the above having transpired (so far), I am grateful and feel positive about the opening of stores, restaurants, schools, and gyms on Monday.  Let’s hope the number of cases does not skyrocket.

Social Distancing

Hubby went to his 2-man office.  Co had a playdate which included 2 kids of COVID-recovered parents.  Co and I went to the garage to change the winter tires.

Mental Status

With the sun shining, and the lockdown being lifted, it feels like everything is back to normal.  But then you are reminded by all the disinfecting stations everywhere you go and maybe one person wearing a mask. It’s a strange feeling.

Dinner

FRESH:  Peanut noodles with chicken (from freezer) and asparagus

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 57 - New Lexicon

When coronavirus first reared its ugly head and made the headlines, my mother who speaks English as a second language struggled with some of the new words that she kept reading and hearing about in the news.  They were unfamiliar to her:  “pandemic” and “vulnerable”.  I had to explain to her their meanings.  I thought it was really cute how she pronounced pandemic:  PANDA-mic, even though I corrected her so many times.

But not just for her, I realized there are now new terms that have entered everyone’s daily vocabularies and will become part of the history of this pandemic.  This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but just highlight the main ones.

SARS-CoV-2: official name of the current coronavirus

COVID-19: the name of the disease the above virus causes

Social Distancing

Self-Quarantine/Self-Isolation

Flatten the Curve

Shelter in Place/Lockdown

Distance Learning

Essential Workers

Contact Tracing

Drive-Through Testing

Social Distancing

Hubby went to chiropractor and physical therapist with mask on.  I went to the supermarket with mask on.  

Health Status

Everyone ok.  Hubby still needs painkillers for his back.

Dinner

FRESH:  Beef and Pork Goulash, Steamed Asparagus and Rice

Photo:  My finished lockdown project: “Blue Skies Again” crochet blanket

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 55 - Quarantine 15

Many of the memes and jokes being passed around during the lockdown revolve around the inevitable weight gain that results from being at home, watching lots of TV, eating, and with few options for exercise.  I have tried to make an effort to take walks and do workouts from youtube.  I even had visions of myself jogging on nice days even though I hate jogging.  But the motivation just didn’t quite reach a high enough level for this, so no new running shoes for mama.  Luckily, I am blessed with a pretty good metabolism so my weight has remained stable.

However, my skinny-since-he-was-a-baby son has managed to put on some weight.  I am so over the moon about this and even joked that I love having a couch potato at home.  There was once, just ONCE, that someone described him as a chubby toddler, and I just beamed with pride.  Since then, it has always been one of my greatest stresses to make sure he is eating enough and growing normally because he’s on the small side and just not a big eater.  Even now, he’s not chubby by any stretch of the imagination, but there is a detectable new bulk on his usually thin frame.  

I’m not worried about him becoming overweight because I know he will be active again once school starts again and he has to walk/bike/scoot 1 km to school and runs around at recess with his friends.  And he will be doing Kickboxing 2-3x/week at some point too.  So for now, there is just more of him to love! 

Reference:  “More of Him to Love” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical.  A very funny song that we like to listen to.

Social Distancing

First time I took Co to any store since lockdown.  We went to the Garden/Hobby store which was fairly busy.  We didn’t wear masks.  Then we went to the butcher to pick up some sandwiches for lunch.

Mental Status

Co and I have been getting into a lot of tiffs the past few days.  They don’t last long but we are both fuming when they happen.  

Dinner

FRESH:  Veggies and rice

FROZEN: Steak

[myfirstpandemic]

Day 52 - Milk for Mom

I posted awhile back about my endeavour to secure groceries for my mom in NJ (Day 28).  I was so touched by the responses I had from friends with recommendations of different options.  Ultimately, I didn’t need to use any online service because my mom kept insisting she had enough food at home.  In parallel, I also came up with the idea of looking on a local Facebook group to see if there were any volunteers offering to buy groceries for seniors.  This was fruitful and I found a few contacts.

Fast forward to last week and Mom had some fresh groceries delivered by her sisters who were still heading out to the shops.  (We didn’t ask them to do this because Mom didn’t want to be a burden, but they thought of her all the same and picked up some things for her.)  However, she still was low on milk, but didn’t want to tell my aunt and sound ungrateful.  So, I suggested that I use one of the ladies that I had found on FB to get the milk.  There was a lady who lived in the same development as my mom and said she doesn’t mind picking up extra things when she goes out to shop for herself.  I contacted her, sent her a picture of the EXACT milk my mom wanted and arranged the date and logistics of the contact-less exchange.  She was very responsive on FB Messenger and super friendly.

Mom was skeptical about someone willing to do this for free and then decided to check the directory for all the residents and couldn’t find this woman’s name.  I insisted it was fine, but she still wasn’t comfortable and then called the management company to see if they knew who this lady was, and they had no record of her either.  I still thought it would be fine and in the worst case, my mom wouldn’t have milk and have lost $12.  She then called my aunt to ask what my aunt thought.  Well, my aunt thought this was the creepiest thing that a person on FB would do this and then immediately made her daughter go out and buy my mom milk.  And I had to tell Janet thanks, but no thanks, in a nice way without interrogating her and implying that she is a predator.

I am often accused of being too nice, and I wonder if it was naive of me to believe that there was a good person out there willing to do a nice deed.  Or maybe this was a sicko masquerading as a nice elderly lady out to steal milk money??  I guess I will never know...

Social Distancing

I went to the local supermarket, I was the only one in a mask.  Slightly more crowded than usual.  Boys were home all day.

Food Supply

Restocked on fresh meat, fruits and vegetables, ice cream, and butter.  

Physical Activity

Boho Beautiful Arms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Mq_c-dgVY

Fitness Marhsall: New Sweat Session - intense and he’s so funny!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JElY-wQYdM

Dinner

FRESH:  Broccoli

FROZEN: Roast duck and shrimp dumplings