Day 14 - LA County Dept. of Health MANDATES indoor masking
The insidious Acai Bowl…
7/30/21. Friday
8:00 – 8:30 - L.’s car is still in the shop and she has work at 11:30 so I schedule my day around L. because she needs my car. I’m up and I dress in my Covid-19 uniform, then wash my face and brush my teeth and hair. Sunscreen and moisturizer. I go downstairs to greet the animal. It’s a little early for her and she’s still asleep. The dog rolls over on her back so I can rub her tummy. After three rubs, she jumps off the couch, grabs her toy, and we go outside. No rat droppings today! Thank God – was yesterday an anomaly? I hope so.
8:30-9:30 – I drive to CVS to redeem my coupon and purchase barber shears and flip-flops. The cashier is so slow and takes too much time talking to a customer about her make-up choices. She is also wearing her mask under her nose. I feel a simmering rage building inside of me – I’m the only one in line and I’m here for 15 minutes. Another women is trying to use self-checkout and it’s not working. She needs help, but the cashier won’t stop talking to the other customer about her purchases. Finally, I say from my place in line, “Can you ask for a second employee to come to the front? This is unacceptable.” The customer in front of me leaves and I move up to the cashier. I tell her, “You’re incredibly slow and I’ve been waiting too long. Again, this is unacceptable.” She looks scared and says, “Ok. I’m ringing up your order now. Look, lots of coupons for you with your receipt.” I stare at her and say nothing.
I’m in my car, trying to decompress, when a man grabs my door handle and tries to get in the car. My door is locked, of course, but I start screaming at him, while in my car, “What the fuck are you doing? Get away from my car!” Of course, I’m still wearing my mask and I have sunglasses on – he has no idea how pissed I am or if I’m even talking. He’s an older ‘Trumper’, who smiles apologetically and shrugs his shoulders. Wrong car, it appears. I drive away, but check my rear-view mirror – he’s wandering aimlessly around the parking lot, still looking for his car. I’m a little shaken…had I been armed, I could have killed him, especially due to the fact that he was actually pulling on my door handle…I might have shot someone who is possibly suffering from dementia. I’m glad I wasn’t armed.
9:30-10:00 – I drive to Walgreens to pick up the picture of L. and I from the Mirage cabana. “Retail” throughout the country is hiring dumb teenagers en masse and this Walgreens is no exception. Once again, there is an old lady in front of me who can’t figure out how to scan her card in the Photo Dept. The Walgreens clerk tries to help her but doesn’t know what to do – it appears he is primarily concerned with his ‘fade’ haircut, multi-million-dollar Nike tennis shoes, and ensuring that his mask is placed just so, UNDER his nose. He moves sooo slow, it’s obvious he’s only there to collect a paycheck.
More simmering rage. I think my period is coming.
Why would you wear your mask UNDER your nose when Covid-19 is primarily transmitted via nasal protein receptors [ACE-2’s] in your nasal cavity? You’re actually better served covering your nose and leaving your mouth exposed. People are so disgusting.
10:00-10:30 – After all this madness, I drive to Nektar and order the Acai fruit bowl with almond butter. $10.00? I’m never coming here again.
10:45-11:30 – Home and I lock the dog in the house and eat outside on the patio, blessedly ALONE. I read a Money Diary.
11:45-3:00 – By 11:45, I have the worst sugar crash I’ve ever experienced. I’m lethargic, nauseous, and out of commission for the next three hours. I literally feel like I can’t move. This must be what it’s like to be a Covid-19 “long hauler”…
I lie down and work on my “Ipad re-curating project” because this is the only activity I can muster up energy for – I can’t do anything else.
3:00– 5:30 – At 3:00, it’s like a switch is flipped – the sugar was finally absorbed - and I can actually get out of bed. I report to the backyard, where I sanitize the Astroturf with a special dish washing soap, then grab the ladder and train my honeysuckle vines into climbing a huge lattice that my ex affixed to the wall before he moved to South Carolina. I listen to Film Week on Air Talk.
5:30-6:00 – Kitchen duty and L. returns from work, having picked up her car from the Transmission shop. She left my car in the parking lot and is ready to take me there so I can retrieve it.
6:00-7:00 – L. drives me to the auto plaza and I pick up my car.
7:00-8:00 – Home and I eat my leftover sweet potato from yesterday, a handful of dill potato chips, and a couple of pita crackers dipped into non-dairy almond cream cheese. I read a Money Diary while I eat.
8:00-8:30 – I take the dog for a walk and listen to the New York Times Book Review.
8:30-10:00 – I do a 40-minute Insanity-Pure Cardio workout.
10:00-2:00 – I go to work. Although I was planning to spend time on class prep and design for the 6 classes I’m scheduled to teach for Fall Semester [in just 10 business days], I end up logging my receipts for June and July and updating my budget spreadsheet. I also order several items on my To-Do List – a mini trellis; a mesh screen for the zucchini I’m trying to grow (a strange bug invaded the leaves, but I think I can still salvage the plants); some snapdragon seeds; the cheapest full-length mirror I can find; Simple Green cleaner; etc. Guess I’ll work on my classes in the coming days.
2:00-3:00 – Nighttime routine. Bed.