 |
My mask makes my face look crooked, but it's what we got in the moment. (Taken 3.6.21) |
I can't really say what inspired me to continue to post on sddialedin during the pandemic except that it put me in a habit that felt useful and I'm the kind of person who wants all of the available information on something to ease my anxiety about it. And so a year has passed and I'm happy to have one shot in the arm and this pandemic diary of sorts to look back on. (Though still not over yet; this site isn't going anywhere.)
There are a lot of things to mourn about the past year, but poor people don't ever get sabbaticals, either, so even though there's a lot I coulda, woulda, shoulda done with the time -- organize my photos on hard drives, fully clean out the studio, get in better physical health -- in so many ways I have appreciated the time with my family unit, the gardening and time outside, the yard sports, being able to be more politically engaged, fixing up our catio/balcony, cleaning out closets, organizing the studio enough to make it our speakeasy a couple time a week. These are all good things. And today, with the Senate passing the American Rescue Plan, I feel a little more secure until the Casbah can reopen to it's full glory later this year. I hope other Americans realize how momentous this is.
And so with that, I slept in today while Darren and Nova took the dog for a short hike, I had my daily fruit and cheese bowl (new habit) and then we went on a bike ride to City Heights library to drop off a DVD and pick up a book. I wish I had felt more comfortable leaving the house during peak pandemic, but I just didn't, so this was maybe my third time getting on my bike in a year. It was definitely a struggle going against the wind on the way home, but it struck me that we saw almost 100% mask compliance throughout City Heights. One might conclude that this area saw more deaths and illness than other areas so the people are not messing around, but it made me feel way better than a few of the hikes we attempted when nobody could be bothered to mask up just for the moments you approach other hikers. Maybe I can loosen my pandemic agoraphobia and venture to the places I love and miss so much like Fiesta Island Dog Park, La Jolla Cove, Mission Trails, San Diego River parks and trails.
Now I'm writing from my parents' house and I guess we're technically breaking the rules because my sister and the girls are here as well as my cousin which would make us 4 households. But their living room and kitchen is bigger than my whole apartment, so I think we're good sitting around with masks on, fans on, windows and doors open.
Today was supposed to be some sort of National Log-Off/Screen-Free Day or something or other, but I started a project last night that I thought I would share. Stay safe out there. Lots more after the jump.