Covid Chronicles. Chapter 104: The Pandemic as Groundhog Day (the movie)

 

Read chapter 103 here

Monday, January 25, 2021 

A big part of the reason I’ve writing about other people lately is that there’s so little to share in our own lives. JoAnna, Andy, and I are pretty much living a Groundhog’s Day existence, one day not all that different from the rest. We go to bed each night not anticipating any change in our personal lives. Sure, Andy has his 9-to-5 work schedule, but he works at home, and he still doesn’t have enough to do to keep him fully occupied throughout the day. JoAnna, too, has structured routine for herself — exercise first thing on weekday mornings, late-morning puzzle time, mid-afternoon Nicole Wallace fix on MSMBC, wash day, cleaning day, that kind of stuff — but not enough to make any one day unique or clearly differentiate a weekday from the weekend. 

As for me, I’m content to go with the flow. My schedule, particularly my daytime routine, has changed little since the start of the pandemic. I still go to stores to shop but now wear a mask wherever I go. I still take regular ‘photo drives’, as I call them, to take pics to update my construction site blog posts. Covid has done little to slow down the pace of development in the Madison area. And until we’ll into the fall, I was still able to putz around the yard, something I should be able to return to within the next two months, even If initially it involves just pruning and the clearing of debris. Middleton Center phase 3 (downtown) Graber View Senior Living (north edge of town; no, not in our future) The biggest change, especially since the weather turned cold, has been the lack of a social life. No regular face-to-face contact with friends. No get-togethers or drinks and dinner. Far fewer patio or firepit gatherings. (None so far this winter.) No hanging out at the Capital Brewery Bier Garten. No movies and plays.

Last week I received a vaccination interest form from my health provider, which I immediately filled out and returned. Wisconsin currently includes anyone 65 and older as eligible to receive a vaccine, so I hope to hear back soon about scheduling an appointment. 

Looking forward to exiting the Groundhog’s Day stage.