Day 52-Governor Newsom reinstates the mask mandate in California

I saw a Red-Shouldered Hawk today…beautiful…

2/5/22. Saturday 

6:15-6:30 – My alarm sounds. I get up and turn it off.

6:30-6:45 – I go downstairs to say good morning to the dog but she’s out of it and barely raises her head when she sees me.  When I start warming up my coffee, the dog wakes up and jumps off the couch.  I know it’s because she wants her treat. We go outside and I wait for her to go potty.  Then, return inside and coffee for me; pieces of turkey for her.  I go upstairs.

6:45-7:30 – Shower. Lotion. Hiking outfit. I put my make-up on in the car and I have overnight oats for breakfast.

7:30-8:00 – I drive to Placerita Canyon.

-L. goes to work.

8:00-11:00 – Birdwatching!  I forgot my laminated pamphlet and I’m very upset with myself. Previously we weren’t masking…but there’s been some sort of rule-change and now everyone has to mask, even outside on trail! I don’t understand it. Rosemary and Don are the leading docents and Gary, Cliff, and Awshook are also here. There are 16 people total today. I eat rosemary almonds and cheese on trail. Two of the sixteen include a man who works at NASA and his aging father, whom he his helping walk on trail; NASA’s Mom is waiting for them back at the Nature Center. I see a Red-Shouldered Hawk with my Dad’s binos and it’s incredible! I watch as the hawk’s head rotates a full 360 degrees. Then, she takes flight and screams at us overhead – stunning! 

As we walk to our cars, NASA strikes up a conversation with me, asking me how often birdwatching is scheduled and if I routinely attend.  He also wants to know if we see new species of birds each time. I explain that birdwatching is held the first two Saturdays of every month and that Rosemary and Don are the lead docents on the first Saturday and Ken is the lead docent on the second Saturday. I tell NASA that I come to birdwatching every day that it’s held and we typically see the same species of birds. NASA introduces himself – I promptly forget his name – and he asks my name, then extends his hand to shake mine. He says he’ll be back next weekend and I say I’ll see him on Saturday.  Spoiler Alert:  I never see NASA again. 

11:00-11:30  - I drive to Walmart Pick-up so I can retrieve the umbrella I bought for L. Previously, L. had asked one of her best friends, J. for an umbrella for Xmas.  Recall that neither J. nor N. bought L. a Xmas present or B-day gift, so I ordered the umbrella that L. wanted.

11:30-12:00 – I drive to Goodwill to drop off a few items that I culled from the garage – a bicycle helmet, a bicycle pump, and extra Xmas lights that I don’t need.

12:00-12:30 – I drive to Michaels because I’m looking for a button for one of my blazers, but the button selection is sparse so I leave.

12:30-1:00 – I drive to Staples and buy two reams of paper and two binders.

1:00-1:30 – I get gas ($37) and a pack of peanut M&Ms.

1:30-2:00 – I drive to the dry cleaners to pick up three items.

2:00-2:15 – Drive home.

2:30-3:15 – I take the dog for a walk.

3:30-4:30 – Kitchen duty and I ready my coffee for tomorrow.

4:30-5:30 – I take a nap

-L. leaves to lead a birthday “painting party” for her private student whom she teaches on weekends. L. is going to demonstrate how to paint an iris to ten teenagers.  L. should parlay “painting parties” into a side gig…

6:00-7:00 – I bring in all the paperwork concerning my car from my glove compartment – it was stuffed to the gills – and throw almost everything away in accordance with The Paper Solution.

7:00-7:30 – I read Professional Troublemaker in anticipation for my upcoming bookclub meeting.

7:30-9:00 – I listen to more of my Core Class Audio lectures on double speed while I resume going through my filing cabinet, throwing away papers I don’t need, and putting invoices/reports into my “Home Binder” and now, my second “Medical Binder.”

-I text B. about coffee tomorrow.

9:00-10:00 – L. is home and she talks about her day and how the painting party was a success.  Then, we enter my office and L. edits several audio lectures and updates a few Google slides.

10:30-12:00 – Gardening. I sweep and rake the leaves, clean out the pots and the beds, then water all of my plants.

12:00-1:00 – I take a picture of today’s outfit in accordance with my Curated Closet project. Then, I try on more items from my closet and discard.

1:00-2:00 – Nighttime routine. Bed 

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