Day 23 - California Reopening Plan - Phase 3
Rental car for our trip to Sedona, AZ…
Hot spots of Covid-19 have surged in Arizona, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. Guess where L. and I are going for the next 4 days? Arizona. I’m really scared,
8:30 - 10:00 - Although the HOA gardeners are doing their thing, the dog doesn’t start barking until 9:00. Can I just say I am tired of taking her out every morning? I take the dog outside and give her cheese. I start my coffee and a load of laundry and continue packing. We’re going to the Enchantment Resort, in Sedona, for four days.
10:00-11:00 - I have a Skype staff meeting with my state job - it’s uneventful.
11:00 - 3:00 - I spend the rest of the day fine-tuning my Will and writing L. a step-by-step list of instructions regarding how to access my life insurance policies and continue maintaining the household until she is in rightful possession of all my assets. I figure she will have a better chance of survival than me. I am probably going to die…
I did some research regarding traveling in the age of Covid-19 and added some extra items to my repertoire: Clorox bleach wipes, Lysol, paper towels, and toilet paper (I’m not sure if public restrooms will be open along the way - the drive is 8 hours.) Of course, we will bring our hand sanitizer and masks. Of interest, travel guides are encouraging travelers to bring their own pillows when they travel. Makes sense…
L. leaves for Super Cuts to get a trim. She returns home, stating that the stylist said hair salons are no longer allowed to blow-dry hair! Why? Because the blow drier will blow the virus all over the place? I thought civilians have a better chance in well-ventilated areas. For example, I read that teachers in other countries are teaching with all the windows open, no matter what the temperature is outside, in order to ensure proper ventilation and air circulation. If you blow-dry someone’s hair, do you run the risk of blowing the virus into someone’s face? What is the logic behind this?
3:00-4:00 - I make a big salad using vegetables I have left over that would have gone bad in our absence.
4:00-5:00 - Shower and shave my legs.
5:30 - 7:00 - L. and I leave so she can drop me off at Enterprise. L. leaves so she and R. can meet her Dad and his girlfriend, J., for dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. The restaurant is dine-in, but only on the outside patio.
I rent an intermediate SUV and drive it home. The Enterprise employee who hands me the key is masked, but the mask does not cover her nose. In her defense, it’s incredibly windy in the parking lot - customers aren’t allowed to go inside the office - so is Covid-19 being blown away? What about the hair stylist’s refusal to blow-dry L.’s hair? None of this makes any sense.
The employee starts the engine on the SUV and gives me the keys. When I get in, I notice that the air conditioner is on, full blast, the highest it can go. Is this Covid-19 protocol? I wonder if the rental car has truly been sanitized and feel a little uncomfortable sitting in it. The sign in the vehicle reads as follows:
“Our Response. Our Responsibility. This vehicle carries the Enterprise Complete Clean Pledge - to follow best practices recommended by various health authorities to ensure your safety. In addition to vacuuming and general wipe-down cleaning, we have used a disinfectant to sanitize key areas including:
Key and key fob
Center console
Cup holders and compartments
Seat surfaces and pockets
Areas between seat/console and seat/doorjambs
Dashboard
Instrument panels
Steering wheel and column
Accessory panel
Door interiors and pockets
Door handles (interior and exterior)
Mirrors
And other high-touch areas”
Really? I highly doubt that all of the above areas were sanitized.
I drop the car off at my house, then take my personal vehicle to Kohls to pick up the yoga pants that I ordered online. As promised, they walk the package out to my car and put my yoga pants in my trunk! I don’t have to touch anything! Pretty cool and delivery was free. Spoiler alert: one of the yoga pants doesn’t fit.
I have a $5.00 credit for Pasta Presto and call in my order. This is the first to-go order that I’ve picked up myself since the March lock-down. I’m a little nervous about how things work, but it goes smoothly and my Italian combo is only $7.00. Things are incredibly cheap when I don’t have to pay for L.! Nobody is in the restaurant.
7:00 - 7:30 - I switch out the cars and start transferring items from my personal vehicle to the SUV, in preparation for our trip. Then, I fill up the SUV. Gas is now $2.99 a gallon.
8:00-10:00 - I catch up on my blog. I stumbled across Trevor Noah, on You Tube from his home, while I’m updating the blog. This is the first time I’ve ever watched him - can I just say how funny he is?!!! I haven’t laughed this hard since the California quarantine started.
10:00-10:30 - I do a Kathy Smith power walk on my treadmill.
10:30 - packing and getting ready for the trip. We leave at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow - the drive is EIGHT hours.
12:00-1:30 - L. and I watch Love After Lockup and scream at the TV.
2:00 - nighttime routine and bed. I can’t believe I did this to myself again.