Day 22 - Governor Newsom reinstates the mask mandate in California

I did Beach Cycle today…

1/6/22. Thursday. L.’s birthday!! 

6:15-7:00 – My alarm goes off and I wake up with a headache. This is a known symptom of Omicron and typical since I’ve been sick.  I take two Advil and immediately go downstairs to get my coffee. The dog is asleep so I sit next to her and rub her tummy until she’s ready to go outside. We head to the patio and I check my plants while I wait for her to go potty. Turkey for her; coffee for me. I go upstairs and lay in bed, drinking coffee, until I’m sufficiently caffeinated. Since I’ve had Omicron, I’ve had to budget an extra two hours at the front end of my day just to get out of bed.  I unbraid my hair while I’m lying in bed, drinking my coffee.

7:00-7:40 – I sit in the shower, drink the rest of my coffee, and let the steam from the hot water permeate my lungs.  I listen to Organize 365. Lotion. I put on my spin cycle uniform – Black leggings, black tank top, sweatshirt, bike shoes.

7:40-9:00 – I grab my lunch bag and water and leave for Beach Cycle. I feel terrible, but I rationalize that if I can complete a beach cycle workout, I’m not going to die.

Driving to Santa Monica. I listen to Organize 365 and eat hummus and carrots while en route.  I also have a few pieces of chocolate and put my make-up on in the car. I feel extremely fatigued and my chest is congested. I’m not sure if I can complete the work-out.

9:00-9:30 – I arrive at the beach parking lot, pay $2 for parking, and then walk over to Lifeguard Stand 28. It takes most of my energy to get to Stand 28. There’s a row of stationary bikes ready to ride and what appears to be a gross, homeless guy, holding a cell phone and not acknowledging that I’m standing there. After 10 minutes, he looks up, says “Hi”, and walks away. I also debate leaving. What a weirdo

9:30-10:15- Eric arrives in biking attire, thin, in shape, gay, with a lot of energy.  He’s great!  Three other women also arrive. The workout begins and I struggle to keep up, but I do okay, overall. This is a 45-minute workout and we ride the bike, while listening to Eric’s commands and facing the ocean. A fog rolls in soooo thick, we can no longer see the waves – it’s incredible. Eric’s playlist is good! and he’s a great instructor. I’m alive and grateful. I feel victorious.

10:15-10:30 – I slowly walk back to my car.

10:30-12:00 – Driving home. I listen to The Daily and What a Day before stopping at Starbucks for coffee.

12:15-12:45 – Arrive home.

Bullet journal.

12:45-1:30 – I sit in my chair, doing nothing, exhausted.

-B. texts for a status update. I tell him I went to Beach Cycle this morning because I regarded it as a talisman of sorts…if I could drag my body out of bed, drive to Santa Monica, and complete a 45-minute workout, then it meant I was going to survive Omicron. B. texts back the “I’m thinking” emoji.  I don’t hear from him again for another 24 hours.

1:30-2:30 – I scramble two eggs and cheese with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, and follow that with some of L.’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.

2:30-4:00 – I don’t have an appetite and leave most of the eggs while watching The Lost Daughter. This is a disappointing movie with scene after scene that doesn’t make sense.

4:30-5:15-I take the dog for a walk and listen to Organize 365.

6:00-9:00 – I design the Syllabi for my two new classes at College No. 1 from the comfort of my chair, in my bedroom. I’m tired and my body is starting to stiffen. I sit upstairs in my chair with the Academic Calendar and redesign the syllabus for the upcoming semester. The syllabus for Specialty Class 1B needs to be redesigned because I created it before  my extensive Distance Education training and it takes most of my time.

-Coughing begins again.

9:00-10:30 – Blog post

10:00-11:00 – I upload the blog post and watch a Live With Lucy You Tube video.

11:00-1:30 – I set up my Canvas shell and update the Inquizitive due dates for my Core Class, then update the dates for each Module. I start transcribing my Syllabus Audio file and fall asleep at my desk.

2:00-2:30 – Nighttime routine. Bed. I can’t sleep unless I’m elevated and propped up on pillows. I’m still alive.