Day 14 - California Reopening Plan - Phase 3

Whole Foods…whole mess

Monday.

9:00- 10:30 - I wake up stressed and anxious – I’m not sure why. I go downstairs to take the dog out, but she is still asleep. I rub her tummy and we go outside, then I give her cheese. I read a UK Money Diary and start Smile For the Camera.

10:30-12:00 – I read online news and listen to The Daily. I drink my coffee and have a piece of chocolate. Not hungry today.

I apply for a credit card for L. – I have her permission – but am denied at the end of the online application.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact she’s technically unemployed? L. was the victim of identity theft when she was 12 – yes, that’s right, 12 – when somebody stole her SS# and opened accounts and credit cards in her name.  I sorted everything out and froze her credit when it occurred – when, she turned 17, I began the arduous process of unfreezing her credit, obtaining her credit reports, adding her to my credit cards so she can establish a history, etc. Things seem to be fine now but she keeps getting denied every time “she” – meaning me, as L. doesn’t like handling personal administrative tasks -  applies for her own card.

I fill out a few index cards for my French Literature Final.

12:00-2:00 – L. leaves for work at the art studio. I place my weekly online order(s) for non-perishables. I go to Wine.com and order for the month.  I know I just placed an order a couple weeks ago, but don’t judge me.  We’re in the middle of a pandemic.  

I order EVOO, Italian seasoning, Mr. Clean Magic erasers, and a Chinese paper lantern for my patio (I buy a new one every 2 years and put it over the permanent bulb that hangs outside). I try to get macaroni and cheese, but there is a run on the boxes (sigh) and there are none available, even at Walmart.com.

My HELOC officer keeps insisting that I need a “traditional” appraisal, not a “desktop” appraisal, and I keep insisting that I already had a traditional appraisal on 5/27/20.  We email back and forth – what kind of crazy shit is this? – and finally I tell him to call US Bank and ask for the appraisal.  I received it via email AND mail. I’m having second thoughts about the HELOC…all of this sounds so sketchy…

2:00 –3:00 - I think L. gave up on grocery shopping and I need a few items so will have to brave the grocery store on my own. I’m becoming a bit agoraphobic when it comes to going anywhere retail-associated.   I’m fine with the outdoors, parks, beaches, etc.   But stores? No. I have a lot of anxiety about  going to Whole Foods but more so because I don’t know what the new societal expectations are, other than to wear a mask. I figure it’s like jumping off the diving board at a pool…you’re standing there, afraid to jump into the water, but you just have to force yourself. Once you jump, it’s not as scary as you thought it would be. I get dressed, put on minimal make-up, and eat a slice of pumpkin bread that R. brought for me from Starbucks. Then, I leave.

3:30 – I mask and go inside Whole Foods, not sure what to expect.  Will I only be allowed to move in one direction in the aisles?  Will I know what to do?  I needn’t have worried because it’s a zoo in here.  Yes, everyone is masking, but no one is bothering to social distance except at the cash register.  People are blocking the aisles, brushing past me to get food items, coming up right next to me when I reach for something… Oh, I see…except for the masks, we’re all pretending that Covid-19 is over. People are back to handling/fingering the produce. I grab a head of lettuce (I commit - no handling) and a woman moves behind me and grabs lettuce, too – she is right next to me. There is no rhyme or reason to aisle movement as everyone is going in opposite directions, stopping in front of food items, then calling people on their phones.  What are they saying?  I really wish L. would go back to doing the grocery shopping as I’m completely overwhelmed and stressed out. Since I do everything else in our household, I figure it’s an appropriate trade-off…

I buy spinach, plain Greek yogurt, canned peas, cream of mushroom soup (this is for a pasta dish that I put in next week’s meal plan), oatmeal (for overnight oats) and two 4-packs of Prosecco-in-a-can. I leave. I never want to go back there again. I listen to Crime Junkie.

4:30-6:30 – I put the food away and then do some yard work.  Yesterday, I told L. that she and R. could spend their time together on my patio instead of going to parks late at night.   I said I would close all the blinds to give them their privacy and R. could use the downstairs bathroom if he needed to.  She seemed to entertain the idea, so I get the backyard ready for them, sweeping all of the leaves – we had a bit of a windstorm today – brushing off the cushions, spraying down the Astroturf, cleaning the patio table with soap and water, turning on the new solar LED lights I installed and the string of lights over the patio… Spoiler alert – around 11:00 pm, L. and R. end up spending around 15/20 minutes in the backyard with the dog and R. says my backyard is “really pretty.”

6:30 – 7:00 - the dog peed on the couch slipcover so I take it upstairs to wash it.  L. left a load of her clothes in the washing machine, so I hang them to dry – I’m afraid to put them in the drier as they might shrink. I fold her personal towels and place them on her towel rack, in her bathroom. I have dinner (2-day old Chipoltle) and a glass of champagne and read a UK Money Diary.

 L. comes home from work.  She says it’s easier to teach at the studio, as the kids can’t talk to each other due to masking and social distancing. Also, the class is much smaller. However, L. is not allowed to use the pencil/paint brush the students have in their hand to make corrections – she must go to the teachers’ art supplies and grab her own pencil or paint brush to “pop out” the picture.  This proves to be exhausting for her, along with the constant sanitizing.

7:30 – 9:30 - L. leaves for her date with R. – they are going to Sabor, for “dine-in” eating.  I saw a sign at BJs, informing residents that they are also open for “dine-in.”  Two of my favorite restaurants – Malibu Farms and Geoffreys - are NOT open for dine-in. It’s really hit-and-miss. I talk to B. for a bit and he says he’ll pick me up tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. for the Bluffs. I catch up on my blog.

9:30-10:30 - I fill out more index cards for my French Final.

10:30-11:30 - I clean the kitchen and prepare a lunch for tomorrow: overnight oats for breakfast and the salmon/rice/vegetable dish for lunch; a few chocolates; and two Prosecco-in-a can (one for me, one for B.)

11:30-1:00- L. and I watch the last episode of the Jeffrey Epstein documentary and yell at the TV.

1:00-2:00 - nighttime ritual and bed (why do I do this to myself?)