Day 19 - LA County moves into yellow tier

Completing as much as possible before masking in California ends…(June 15)

5/21/21. Friday

9:30 –11:00 -  I resolved this week that today, Friday, is the day that I cross off all of the crappy, horrible chores on my to-do list that I’ve been putting off for weeks. Today is going to be a bad day.  I know that people are supposed to start every day with a positive attitude because attitude is everything, but I also know that today will not be fun because I don’t want to do a single one of the activities on my list.  So, I’m not going to put a positive sheen on anything – I’m just going to wallow in it.

I weigh 98 pounds today. I immediately get dressed in my Covid-19 uniform, wash my face, moisturize, light make-up, brush my hair.  I. am. stiff. I decide I’m not doing a workout today – I can barely move.

I go downstairs to greet the animal.  She’s awake and waiting for me at the foot of the stairs.  When she sees me, she runs to the couch and rolls over on her back so I can rub her tummy three times. She grabs her toy and we go outside.  The neighbors are having some work done on the other side of the wall and they’re cutting branches from my tree -  the dog is distracted and runs around barking.  I take care of a few tasks while she decides when to go potty.

The four pots I painted are dry so I put them into position in my yard.  These are heavy, terra cotta pots and it’s a pain in the ass, lifting them, placing them…I mean I only weigh 98 pounds. OMG. I move another super heavy, black ceramic pot next to my honey suckle because I need to transplant it, then I spot-check my plants and water a few of them.

I enter the garage and set up the “spray-painting station” for round #2, which means I place the big pieces of cardboard, again, so I can protect the floor and wall as best I can.  Then, I lug two more terra cotta pots into the garage and put them into position, along with the “coasters” for every pot. Everything is ready to go and I can start painting as soon as I buy the spray paint.

I go inside:  cheese for the dog, coffee for me.  Did she even go potty?  I’m not sure.

11:00-11:45 – I read We Came, We Saw, We Left and eat a peanut-butter cup gourmet cupcake from the batch that L. purchased from Lady Dis.

-L. is on a Zoom meeting for school. I announce that today is going to be the worst day ever.

11:45 – 12:10 – I drive to the Helm Eye Center to pick up my glasses and a trial pair of contacts. Both have been there for a week, but I didn’t want to go.  This is my third trip to this place and I didn’t feel like waiting around, having my glasses adjusted, trying on the new contacts…god! I listen to Be Wealthy and Smart.

12:10-12:35 – Fridays are good days to come here. There are almost no patients here, the customer service is great, and I leave wearing my new glasses.  After 2 years of struggling with my vision, glasses, contacts – largely due to the pandemic and my fear of getting an eye exam – I can actually see.  Sometimes I’m down on modern science, but not today.  A small miracle and I don’t have to try on my contacts at the Center. I can put them in at home and wear them for a week.

As usual, the task is never as bad as anticipated and here’s the age-old question:  Why didn’t I handle this sooner?

12:35-2:00 – I need to go to Home Depot and I’m not happy about it, mostly because I need some big items and I’m small.  It’s hard to lift and maneuver everything.  Arrive, and I get dishwashing soap, two big sponges, and a mop because the garage is cleared and needs to be scrubbed down.  I also buy 2 cans of spray paint for the remaining pots, two gallons of white paint so I can paint the garage after I clean it and then, the worst part, I wrestle a huge bag of potting soil onto the bottom of my cart, and then hoist two jasmine vines into the regular section of the cart.  I listen to This is Uncomfortable.

I also buy a tiny plant for a pot that I have in the shaded section and, lastly, some zucchini seeds.  I’ve always been lucky with zucchini so I’m going to start off with some seedlings on my windowsill then transplant.  I had great success with asparagus.  I raised the plant from a seedling three years ago and then re-potted it in my backyard – it’s still with me and very hearty.

I buy all of this shit and  can barely push the cart to the car.  Somehow, I’m able to swing the potting soil into my trunk.  A Home Depot employee walks by, asking if I need help.  Naw, I got this.  He looks skeptical, but walks away.  Each jasmine vine goes in the back seat, standing up on the floor mat. Neither vine is secure and I have a bad feeling about this. Finally, everything is loaded and I get in my car, exhausted.

2:00 – 2:45 - Home and now I have to unload everything.  I drag the potting soil across the garage floor and prop it up against the wall and pull the vines out of the backseat. Of course, one of the vines has capsized and there is a big pile of dirt on the floor mat.  I carry the vines to the back yard and place them – they’re heavy and unwieldy – but  I don’t have time to actually plant them. Then, I go upstairs so I can retrieve the vacuum.  I have to carry it down two flights of stairs, outside to the car, so I can vacuum up all that dirt.

Told you today was going to be a bad day.

L. leaves for work, saying cheerfully, “Bye. I’m going to hell now.”

2:45-4:10 – I heat up the pork stew that I made the other night and watch We Need to Talk About Kevin.

4:10 – 4:25 - I really need to leave if I’m going to avoid the Whole Foods after-work rush.  I’m low on Prosecco-in-a-can and I need some cheese.

Driving.  I listen to Air Talk.

4:25-5:00 – I’m in and out in about 20 minutes.  The store is really empty.

5:00-6:00 – I run to CVS to get eye shadow applicators. Israel and the Palestinians are at it again so I listen to The Daily – “The Israeli-Palestinian Crisis” so I can better understand the conflict.

-In the parking lot of CVS, and I look up some articles on Israel, prior to the 1948 conflict, then dash inside for the applicators.  The store is empty.

6:00-6:30 – I get gas and a coffee from Starbucks.

L. returns from work, but leaves, again, to get Boba, in Northridge, with her friend, M.

6:45-7:30 – I spray paint one of the pots and three coasters. I listen to an episode from The New Yorker – Politics and More about the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.

7:30-8:15 – While the paint dries, I eat celery and hummus and watch the rest of We Need to Talk About Kevin.  What a disturbing movie!  L. said she’s seen it two times. Although Kevin was made in 2011, it reminds me of the memoir I just read (2020) entitled Raising a Thief, about the Russian girl who had RAD and stole constantly.  At least she didn’t kill anybody…yet. Kevin also reminded me of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold – more so Harris – and the Columbine tragedy.  Like I said, very disturbing.

8:15 – 8:45 – I take the dog for a walk. I listen to Death, Sex, and Money.

8:45-10:00 – The pot is dry so I move it outside, along with the coaster. I spray paint the next pot and coaster with a metallic gold color.  I was curious how this would turn out and I’m pleased with the results. I leave the garage door open for ventilation. I listen to What Next – “The Palestinian Perspective”

10:00- 11:00 – Oddly, I can smell paint fumes in the house, so I open multiple windows downstairs, two windows in L.’s room, and a window in my room.  I close our bedroom doors.

It’s a bit premature, but most of the gold pot is dry so I pick it up by the interior – don’t ask me how – and move it outside, along with the coaster. I clean up the “spray painting station” and move the big pieces of cardboard outside, by the trashcan.

Still trying to completely clear the garage, so I move the Bissel Steam Cleaner attachments and cleaning solution to the laundry room.  Then, I move the Bissel from the downstairs hall closet to the laundry room upstairs.  This was also on my to-do list of crappy items that I have to complete. There is so much carrying and lifting and dragging today.  OMG

11:00-11:45 – I replace the batteries for the topiary lights outside the front door. I take the dog out and discover, to my horror,  that one of my 8-ft potted trees has fallen over.  Shockingly, it fell at an angle and hit nothing – I can’t believe it!  It’s so big and heavy – I have to lift it slightly, then get under it with my back, and lift it off the ground that way. Success!  I rotate the tree slightly so it is angled against the wall now.  This shouldn’t happen again.

L. returns from Boba and we debrief.  She asks how my day was; I told her it sucked.

11:45-1:45 – And now, the activity I’ve been dreading the most (drum roll, please)… I have to watch Summertime for my French Cinema class.  This is a movie about two lesbians who have tons of sex while they fall in love.  See, my class is now on the LGBTQ Module – last week it was a movie about gay men having sex and this week it’s about two lesbians having sex. 

I watch the movie, take notes, and avert my eyes during several sections.  In America, this film would receive an X-rating. L. surfaces and asks if I’m watching the lesbian movie. Yes. She says, “Sorry, Mom” and backs out of the room.

1:45-3:00 – The movie is finally over.  Kitchen duty.  I take down the remaining birthday party decorations and throw away most of the flowers from my vases. I have a bite of L.’s take-out chicken, one French fry, and a dark-chocolate covered marshmallow.

3:00-3:45 – Nighttime routine. Bed.  The “bad day” is finally over.