Blue-Footed Musings

The governor announced recently that schools will be closed at least until the end of April. That is not what the kids wanted to hear. The last few weeks have been difficult for them. Now their jail sentence has been extended another four weeks. They are not happy. Neither am I. I think we’re all starting to go a little stir-crazy.

Tonight we played Kakerlakenpoker (Cockroach Poker). Kakerlakenpoker is a card game with cards that feature creepy critters such as cockroaches, flies, and rats. It’s an interesting game, completely based on bluffing, and the kids get a kick out of it. The kids were both extremely hyper during the game (dancing and jumping around), and they definitely need to spend some time outdoors tomorrow!

No cockroaches were harmed, or even poked, in the making of this fun family activity.

The kids never got their last order of books before the library closed. Livia has now gone through most of the reading material she had on hand, and last night she asked me for more books, specifically stories about magic. Once again, I am thankful to have such a large library of children’s literature, because I was able to give her a bunch of books to try. I also managed to find a few books to suit Marshall’s tastes.

I’m feeling a little stupid, though, for not having more library books handy. My husband and I saw this pandemic coming down the pike, and we stocked up our pantry in February, before this crisis was even a blip on most people’s radar. I wish we’d given as much forethought to reading material. If I had just ordered those library books a few days earlier, we’d be all set. I could have gotten a few things for myself, too. Not that I don’t have tons of unread books on my shelves, because I do, and I really ought to read them first, but it’s always more fun to read the books you’re not supposed to.

• This self-isolation time would be less annoying if my foot didn’t hurt so badly and I could walk without pain.
• I have been trying to wean myself off social media. The nonstop feed of bad news and misery is too much for me. So I’ve been watching more TV (old Avengers movies, The Witcher, Star Trek: Picard), reading more (Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea trilogy), and playing my piano (lotsa Chopin, as always).
• I dreamed up an interesting idea while half-asleep in bed this morning. It’s an idea for a novel, though, and I really should finish the one that’s already half-written before moving on to another. I haven’t done any writing lately, but I feel constant pressure to write, and I don’t think I’ll be able to ignore it much longer. Writing is something I have to do for my own sanity’s sake. I always return to it eventually, whether I want to or not.

• Yesterday one of my fellow teleworkers found out that the grocery store she’s been shopping at has an employee who tested positive for COVID-19. Her town, though smaller than mine, already has more cases, probably because it’s closer to Boston, a hot spot in this pandemic. Grocery stores are supposed to be relatively safe, but the virus can persist in the air for hours, so she has reason to be concerned.
• Worse yet, I just found out that one of our coworkers, who works in the main office, has tested positive. The bright side is that he or she is said to be responding well to treatment, but of course, everyone else in the office is now concerned about possible exposure to the virus. The office is in Fairfield county, an area hit hard due to its proximity to New York. As I mentioned the other day, that town has already had at least one coronavirus-related death. My last visit to the office was about four weeks ago, so I don’t have to worry for my own sake, at least, but I am worried about my coworkers, particularly my boss. She seemed to be running herself a little ragged in the days before the governor shut down all the businesses. I am sending positive thoughts their way.
• I have not gone anywhere except my yard and the woods for nearly two weeks. I am grateful to have woods so close that I can get there without driving, and paths that few other people share. The only downside is that it is now tick season, which brings its own set of diseases to worry about. Sometimes there is no winning in this world.