Saturday, April 18, 2020

food storage

When the power first went out my first reacton wasnt OH THE FOOD!
i truly was thinking about the power sources to my electronics and how to work
but once that was addressed and i was plugging along with my day with everything charging i started to think about the food
and there was no real indication as to when the power would come back on

and then we figured out where the damage was... tall old tress had come down in the older part of town and a neighbor posted at 6pm that night that the power company had finally arrived to inspect the damage

thats when i started googling - how long does food last in the freezer...  it said 24 hours and if full closer to 48...  well for once in my life i had a freezer that was full but not sure it was 48 hours full
i could hope - surely the power would be back on in 48 hours

NOPE as I went to bed on Monday the ETA for power was midnight on Wednesday
well one of the nice things about the triathlon community - people offer assistance all the time
and by the time i woke up on Tuesday I had multiple offers for freezer space...  and off i went at 730AM with 2 coolers of food (they were smaller coolers) to a friend's house... she lived realtively closer than some of the others and her freezer was outside in a detached garage...  she cleared a shelf for me and wiped the freezer down before i got there...  good stuff!

and thankfully the power was back on by that night and i was able to retrieve the food on Wednesday
everything survived

it made for an interesting week 5

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Power outage

it seems that even in quarantine my consistency with blogging is about as it was when i was getting out of the house.  by the end of the work day i am at a loss for words.. and with the short commute downstairs i really don't have an opportunity to decompress much from the work day

every week there has been something a little different..
week 1 was all fresh and new - remember i had put together a daily game plan for myself to make sure i got up from my desk and was active
it is a great idea but the pollen got to be a bit much and then the people started always being outside..  it is hard to feel comfortable social distancing when people come out in groups of 5 to walk etc...  and those that think it is time to hang out and have drinks with friends..
week 2 there was a little stress breakdown in the middle of the week - couldnt tell you what at this point i just remember getting off a call and going for a long walk to clear my head
week 3 seemed to go a little better - i found myself some yoga routines and meditations an the bike and i got reacquainted
week 4 we had a short week with a holiday on Friday
i spent the holiday talking to a long time friend for over 2 hours - thank goodness for video chatting over the internet or that would be a silly expensive calle
and week 5...  seemed like a pinnacle week.. we have crossed over into longer than a month

i woke up with lots of ideas on my mind
and BOOM yes BOOM a thunderstorm blew through... thought there were some tornadoes in the mix as well - maybe they were straight line winds but whatever they were - they took out a few trees in the cute little downtown area with the old victorian homes, tall trees and above ground power lines... the trees came down, the lines came down, the power came down.  I was out of power for 36+ hours... **sigh**

what to do, what to do...
at first i worked from home.  i had enough charge in my phone to get a mifi signal and enough charge in my surface to do some work
BUT I WANTED COFFEE

i considered going out to get coffee... i am a little unnerved by going out to get food.  i know other areas do not have businesses open for take away food but we do here... so i could go to Starbucks, I could get a coffee...  but do I really want to?

instead i went to my mom's
i have been avoiding going in to her house because who knows what we are both exposed to
it just wouldnt be fair... i am the one running to the store and picking p the groceries and such
so she made me a cup of coffee and brought it to me on her patio
that's when i had the resourceful idea - bring an extension cord and all my stuff and work from her patio - it worked like a charm!  the phone was plugged in, the laptop plugged in, the tablet was plugged in... and off i went

now running some reports from the patio did not really pan out but i was able to follow up on a wealth of emails i was looking to send
and so went my Monday and Tuesday

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Day 25

How are you doing?
Yesterday and this morning I reached out to individuals that I havent heard from in a while just to touch base and see how they were doing.
It was nice to hear back from those that responded. A little heart breaking to not hear back from others.

My introvert ways know that if I don't do that occasional reach out I will eventually pull into myself all together.  There is a little voice that says - just don't reach out - let's see how long it takes THEM to think of you... It is a miserable little head game.. probably taught to me at a young age.

Everyone that has replied seems to be OK.  Some stories of how their communities are social distancing.  Some stories of sorrow where friends and family members have succumb to the virus.  Two have been sick but on the mend.  Most are still working.

It is an interesting observation.. people are falling into their new normal. Being home with their children and their families.  Working remotely and interacting with fellow employees where necessary.  The circle of friends and acquaintances is getting smaller.  There are no longer casual interactions with individuals in hallways, greenways or at the gym.  People are only interacting with the people they have to interact with.  There is no need to do anything beyond that.  There is no opportunity to do much else.

So I reach out to others because I can.  I reach out to others before I start to convince myself it is pointless.


Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Day 24

today's work from home day includes talking to others that are working from home
a year ago today i was running a half marathon through the parks in disney
i think by this time we were done with that insanity and sitting on the ground in the parking lot and regrouping with friends
what a difference a year makes

the world seemed at my feet last year at this time
i had so many fun things on the horizon
and you know i did all those fun things - ran the run, rode the rides, at the food, drank the dole whips with rum, took all the silly pictures, wore the sundress, laughed, smiled at the sun, felt the wind in my hair... 

I won't say it was a happier time. I am still feeling pretty happy.  It is just different. 
The things we do to keep ourselves, to keep ourselves distracted, that make us feel important.  A lot of that is happening right now.  The things that ARE actually important are what are happening right now.  Reminded daily of the roof over our head.  Planning meals and that food on the table has become the long forgotten highlight of the day.  Getting outside for just a little bit.  And a prayer or two.  All of that we have been reminded is important. 
So a week in Disney is fun.  Amazing fun.  But we can find good in this as well.  Maybe not to the extreme of an amusement park.  But this will give us pause to appreciate it that much more when we can.


Saturday, April 4, 2020

Day 21

This writing every day objective is hard when you are actually very busy in the work from home mode.  The CARES Act was approved on the 27th and this week has been spent figuring out what is in the Act, how to interpret it and how to implement it.  I have enjoyed the challenge.  I am a little nervous about everyone's rush to get the provisions out there.  I hope the general public don't make poor short term decisions... which they probably will.

I continue to be amazed at how many people are out and about.  Really just out there doing all sorts of things.  Now I understand there is a message to get outside.  To get fresh air.  Do not spend all the time inside.  Get some sunlight.  Get some vitamin D.  BUT I don't think that equates to getting in your car and driving all over the place.

Now, I havent been far.  I went for a 2 mile run on Monday and Wednesday.  I was thinking it would be a quiet run from my neighborhood.  Just long enough to get away from my desk and clear my head.  But wow... so many cars out and about.  I don't know what they are doing.  Where are they going.  And social media seems to support it as well.

And there continue to be people out around the neighborhood.  I have some new empathy for those folks.  I like in a 2 bedroom 2 1/2 bath townhouse by myself with my small dog.  We have enough space.  As long as he is right next to me he feels there is plenty of space.  And he understands a good part of the work day means he sleeps in his bed.  So I started thinking about the people all around the neighborhood.  There are some small single family homes in the neighborhood.  Not all of them have ample yards.  And there are people with children in the townhomes.  So, yes, as much as I cannot handle the playing outside because I fear they aren't social distancing.. I understand that they all need to run.  I am trying to stick to the quieter hours outside.

And the pollen is still hell.  And I keep putting myself out in it.  Both days I went running I feared for about 24 hours as I coughed and throat tickled.  The goop in my eyes pretty much confirmed how much pollen you take in when you are out there.

Today I pruned the oleander.  It did really well last year.  And then the lawn people just came through and hacked it back.  So I let it die over the winter as it typically does.  Today I pruned it back further to where you could see new growth.  I am excited to see how it does this year.  I have had the oleander since 1996 or '97.  I moved with me when I moved in 1998 so maybe it was just '97.  It lived in a pot and then a larger part when I lived in the various apartments.  I would bring it in each winter and then lug it out on the porch in the spring.  It went through a couple of pots and eventually I didnt have it in me to replant all the time.  Luckily by then I was living in the townhouse.  I eventually decided well it has been with me all these years... I will just put it in the ground and see what we get.  Yes, it dies back every year.  BUT it comes back every year as well.  I suspect it has a strong root system at this time.  The biggest thing is when it will flower.  Some winters are long and hard and it doesn't have much time to bloom. Other years it is wonderful.  Beautiful pink flowers with the faint sweet scent.  So I took care of that today.

I rode my bike on the trainer.  Did a Zwift ride through Central Park.  Not as motivating as one would like.  But I did it all the same and will do it again.  I should probably do that right now but let me brain dump some more.

I have successfully eaten through all the fresh food in my house aside from 1 head of cauliflower.  I did a grocery pick up for my mom yesterday.  Not sure she is really liking the idea.  I will need to touch base with her again on it.  See what she needs for the next go around.  I get a large load of groceries for myself tomorrow.  Mostly fresh fruit and vegetables.  We shall see how it goes.  At this point I have a good amount of frozen meat in the freezer.  That is what i will work to eat this week.  I will make another shop ahead list tomorrow as well with the hopes of grabbing the following Monday.  I think that will be the routine.. at least for me.

I did a wine pick up as well.  It is a local store doing curbside delivery.  I figured that would be a good way to support some local business. Others are doing curbside prepared meals.  Not sure how I feel about that at the moment.

Mentally I feel OK.  Been getting enough sleep.  getting enough hydration.  exercise. some social interaction.

have heard some sad stories.  trying not to obsess on them.
have tried to do my part.
taking it one day at a time


Monday, March 30, 2020

day 16

i say i am going to write a blog... what was that two weeks ago
well technically come back to the blog i started years ago and start adding to it
it seemed like a good way to get things out on paper so to speak as we go through this time

today i just wanted to write on actual paper
and then remembered well this is out here... and when you take the time to type, it is marginally as rewarding

so today...  it was a work day - well duh, it is monday after all
i had client calls in the AM... i was expecting to have client calls for 2 days but it turns out that people are more concerned about the immediate future than their not so immediate future called retirement.  i spoke to 4 people about their accounts.  for the client that was on the schedule this may not be all that far off from the norm.. and since we have all been working from home there wasn't anyone on location to rally folks to schedule times to meet

from there was a bunch of emails on how the CARES Act will work between our varying providers
and tomorrow the calls about the CARES Act begin
I am not one to pretend to interpret laws.. so i will sit on the phone and listen to the steps that people will have to take and that will be that

the other random take away from my day - my desk chair - i think it would more likely be called a task chair based on it's size... and what i have noticed starting my third week of sitting in said chair day after day... it is NOT comfortable.. there is something in the way it sits that throws my hips off
and then well i am sitting in the chair for extended periods of time...  i don't have a printer to go to... i don't have any co workers to go chat with... and the next thing i know there is  dull pain in my hips...  i have raised the chair.... i have lowered the chair.... i have rolled a blanket to create a bolster to move legs and hips differently... i have moved a box under my feet...
going forward i think i need to make more of an effort to get away from the chair for a time to not get so stiff
tomorrow i will work on that better

today i also went for a run - that is the main reason why i really want to write with pen and paper - write down some run notes - i probably will do that as it is easier to go back to review
it feels odd getting up in the middle of the work day to go for a run - but i am not stopping to get lunch anywhere etc so may as well take the 30 minutes and go for a run
i have to limit my outside time - the pollen is killing me - itches my eyes and my throat

and lastly i had the frozen pizza i bought days ago for dinner... an odd monday night treat
usually that is  thursday or friday night thing - but i thought it would be a good time to offset the other healthier eating (actually down a pound) that i have been doing.  it was tasty. not the best but tasty.

sorry just rambling on about a few more things

my co worker sent my an article about this college athlete that killed herself.. a rather sad article. she jumped out of a parking deck.  it came up as we were talking about the fake smiles of social media and the reality in peoples heads.. i would guess this time inside and in close quarters can get to people.. and then there are others out there posting away on social media like they are out there not social distancing. i can see where this may get to people.  it is a strange world we live in these days

i also read of 3 people i know having family members pass away.  that surely wasnt fun.  hopefully that won't become the norm.

we watched Frozen II

and texted with the woman that normally cleans my house and watches my dog - she is going stir crazy

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Food

I started this post last week or so.  Having enough food and such.

I am not one to have lots of food.  I shop by a list.  I create a list by a menu.  And my menu usually only covers 4 days.

So on my way home from my work trip 2 weeks ago I knew I needed food.  I wasnt sure what I would find at the store.  I stopped halfway home in a small down and did a quick pickup of non perishables.  Soup, pasta, bread, peanut butter, crackers.  Nothing too healthy but basics if the stores near my home were bare.

When I got home I did another run.  I got a whole lot of stuff.  Fruit. Vegetables. Chicken. Salmon. Bone broth. Frozen vegetable. Frozen meals.

It felt good to have so much food in the house.

I felt like I quickly ran out.  Or maybe the news made me nervous I was going to run out.  So on Thursday of week 1 I went to the store first thing in the AM.  I was so happy to see all the fresh fruit and veg available.  I stocked up I was so excited.  Napa cabbage. Potatoes. Tomatoes. Zucchini. Mushrooms. Grapefruit. Green beans.  Peppers. Onion.  Good stuff.
The meat section wasnt so overflowing. I grabbed a corned beef (which prompted me to circle around and get a cabbage and more potatoes). Andouille sausage.  Frozen burgers.  
And then some silly non essential non perishables.. frozen pizza, ice cream, frozen meals, wine.

I am about 10 day out and still have a good amount of food.

Those cabbage type veg stay a good while.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

day 14

yes, i guess that is correct
two weeks ago i did my last social activity
i met friends at the corporate park and we did a short bike ride
and since then i have stayed home
i was in until that Thursday when i did a grocery store run
i went out this Thursday just to turn the engine on the car - we took a ride around a bike route i occasionally ride
and today i called in a order for a half case of wine and picked that up
that has been the extent of me really putting myself out there

there have been the dog walks and occasional runs
but mostly just inside and close to home

tomorrow i plan to do a long run
it has been a while since i have done a long run and i think i can go down the street and out and about with little interaction with otthers

and then get ready for the work week

i have more to say but going to bed instead.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Caffeine

Today feels like a high caffeine day.  No, not that I need a lot of caffeine.  That is not in my nature.  I mean I have HAD TOO MUCH CAFFEINE!

I bought this coffee at the local bike shop back in February.  It is one of my fave treats.  I buy it around this time of year.  I used the ground coffee fairly quickly.  The next visit they only had K cups.
So I used the K cups on Monday and Tuesday but found I didnt like the taste as much as when I use my coffee maker.

This morning I disassembled 3 K cups to make a pot of coffee.  TWO K CUPS TOO MUCH of caffeinated coffee.  I am so feeling it right now.  Jumpy.  Jittery.  On edge.

So I  had some food - well a peanut butter sandwich - and that won't help.
And now sucking down some water.  And some vitamins.

note to self - at this time it may be in my best interest to stick to the decaf versions of coffee and tea in my kitchen.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Robbie Williams music on IG

this has been something i look forward to every day!
if you are not a robbie fan - get on the band wagon
it is so much fun every day

that's about all i need to say about this little snippet of stuff that has come out of this quarantine thing

Vaccum

well this post is going to take a pretentious slant.. i apologize ahead of time...

for quite some time now i have had a woman come in to clean my house.. she started way before 2008/2009.. i gave her a little time off  in 2009... 

it started as a just let's see what this is like
ultimately it became something that afforded me time to do some other things
and for my little house it isnt much of a draw on the budget

so this week i gave her a paid visit off so to speak... my employer is paying me to work from home, her job does not allow her that flexibility BUT the government has asked us to social distance... the easiest way for me to do that is to not have her or anyone for that matter come into my home

so this weekend i did a little vacuuming... plus my "coworker" decided he would mark some of the carpet in the home office and that needed to be attended to..

take aways - my carpet still has some nap to it.. yes, it is OLD.. yes, it is gapping and buckling up... but is still has some nap.  my vacuum is still kick @$$...  he whole HEPA filter animal stuff is probably a lie but but system itself still does a good job at cleaning...  going forward the designers shouldnt make clear parts - no need to see that dirt building up inside there

and most importantly in this world of oddities right now, the vacuuming was rather peaceful... a nice melodic movement and very loud white noise to drone out some of the outside world

and leave me with a sense of accomplishment.

day 9

There are spin offs on day 7 that i have to go back to.
And look at that i missed day 8 all together...
but that is OK

I have taken to "calling" my mom on video chat.  I didnt today as I was walking the dog.  I think she is starting to like the video chat.  It is nice to see her.  It does seem to add to the animation of talking to her.  And it does confirm she is more often only half paying attention and watching whatever is on the tv at the same time

Today is the start of work week 2!
The local schools (well state wide) will be closed until May 15th.  And the Olympics were postponed. 
I spent the better part of the day on calls... internal calls and client calls.  At first it was 9am.  Then 11:30. The 2:30. Then 4pm.  It was crazy how the day just sped by.

I remember last week I brought home things with the specific thought - OH, these will be good to address while I am at home.  I got a few of them done but they are surely not the things that are on the forefront of my day. 

It is keeping on top of legislative possibilities and market conditions that have me jumping.


It appears the neighbors still don't understand the self isolate thing.  Again today there was a play date on the street in front of me.  I don't know how many kids were out there... BUT a lot of them.  And man what a ruckus they were making.  I was hoping to get the dog out for a walk but didnt want to deal with the crowds.


As for meals... I enjoyed some lovely food today.
smoked mackeral in a mediterranean style seasoning over a salad. It was a whole lot of salad.
Roasted artichoke (not as good as the first time I made it - need some patience and needs to be cooked fresh)
Roasted asparagus - YUM!  always YUM!
And roasted NAPA cabbage for tomorrow.

Had some rice crackers that could have stayed on the shelf...  seem stale but I know that is how they are. 


AND NO EXERCISE!  But I did load Peloton to my FireStick.  ANd WhatsApp.


Saturday, March 21, 2020

Day 7

The first Saturday of social distancing... or as I call it self ostracizing...
I am choosing to not go our in public and hang out with people at a 6foot distance.  No need to take that risk.  How do they know for sure if it is 6 feet.  What if it is really 8.  And what about when there is a breeze.  I could go on.. but the reality for me is... I don't have to go out so just stay put.

I got up.  MAde the bed. WHAT!!!??  I am not a maker of beds.  Never have been.  I love the idea of climbing back into bed the way it was when you left it that morning all cozy and snug.  But these days to create some semblence of order... I am trying to make my bed.

I then put on a tri suit.  Yep, just do it.  Put that on and make sure you use it during the day.  I threw on the heart rate montor as well just to be sure.

Loaded dishes.  Turned on the dishwasher.  Took the dog for a walk.  It was raining.

Brought the dog back in and went on a short run.  Hill drills!  Run one minute up hill.  Walk one minute down.  AGAIN.  Do this until reaching the top of the hill. About 4 times and .55 miles.  And then i tacked on some more running intervals jus to get to a mile.

Silly I should run longer but that is all I had in me.

Coffee followed by a Peloton ride, Peloton yoga, transition clinic zoom meeting and a hot bath.

Not too bad of a day

working out from home

I got up on Monday and made a schedule to try to stick to for the week.  When to stop and get water.  When to stop and walk the dog.  Lunch. etc...  It was a good plan.  I even had a run built into my day and a bike/trainer ride.

The week didn't turn out like anticipated.  There were calls after calls after calls.  And I found myself doing exactly what I expected... sitting at my desk for too long without moving.  Sitting there.. getting stiff... not moving enough.. not getting enough water.

Yesterday I thought WELL IT IS FRIDAY
and I would make the most of it.. I would get outside. I would do more!
Yep, took the dog for a walk.  The wind had kicked up.  It was warm.  And as we were out there we witnessed a gust of pollen right in our path.

And that was the end of that.  We pretty much walked home at that point.  And I gagged on the pollen for the remainder of the day.

Next week I work harder to get those workouts in.. it will help my sanity for sure.

social distancing

So we are to be keeping 6ft from one another.   I personally am social ostracizing and trying to not even let that math come into play.

But people are funny. 

Folks that normally work from home or dont normally leave the house seem to still be gathering


Some are excited to see me and approach to talk.. what? Stop.

Then there are the play dates around the 'hood.  Parents and kids running from a home, waving, thanking their hosts and jumping in their mini van.  Hello?

And then the people out there with their dogs not on a leash.  Sure, I do that at times.. but now is not the time.  If your dog approaches me then I have to get too close to you to give you your dog back.  Or worse yet both our dogs get tangled and we have to get really close to untangle them.

I am not sure that I get it.
Stay away
Stay home
Wash your hands



Day 6

A day late.. and technically day 2 v2

An interesting day.. 
I had one thing I wanted to do and then I was going on a run.  I got the one thing done and ended up on a dog walk instead.  Got caught in a cloud of pollen.  Not fun.
And so the rest of the afternoon I dealt with that.  Extra allergy medicine. More water.  Nasty pollen.
It was a hot day as well.  Forgot how warm that front room got when the sun was out.  Might need to order those light cancelling shades sooner than expected.
And I caught Marcus Mumfors doing a little IG chat.  He spoke to a few fans.  He sang a few songs.  He jumped on with some other musicians..  it was a nice distraction.

Rounded out the day with a virtual happy hour with some work colleagues. There were 5 of us on Zoom.  It was fun.  Odd at first.  But it was good to see peoples faces.  Chat with them.  And relax a little.

I followed that with a video chat with my good friend and her husband.  Not the same as being there but nice to see them all the same.

Sipped the last of my Dark N Stormy.  Watched the Baz Luhrman version of Great Gatsby. Went to bed.

I could chat some on my Great Gatsby observations...  maybe another post


Thursday, March 19, 2020

day 5

Also known as Day 1 version 2
I say that because I interacted with live people today. 
I went out to get gas.  Not that it was needed.  And then went to the grocery store.  
I got it in my head that I wanted to restock my fresh fruit and veg before maybe that wasnt an option.  So I probably have another 14 days of stuff ahead of me.
I need to write all the food out and make a plan.

My plan for a routine during the work day is falling apart.   Not as many walks today.  No yoga. No run. 

I am not feeling blue.  Just a little.. ok novelty has worn off.  And maybe a little mentally tired. 

Saturday I am going to try to detach on social media to recharge.  We will see how that goes. 


Wednesday, March 18, 2020

morning routine

I will admit that the extra hours of sleep in the AM are nice.  I have set my bedside lamp to gradually turn on around 530am..  it is a nicer way to wake up.  Sure the music options on the phone arent bad but this is nicer.

Today I am slow to rise.  Woke up in the middle of the night with a bit of a flushing reaction to niacin.  I guess the slow release pill kicked into overdrive as a slept.  Now that was not a fun way to wake up.

Alrighty... long dog walk, coffee and some fee reconciliation for my AM.

Going to be warm this afternoon.. there needs to be some swear equity with my afternoon. 

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

day three

I forgot to write yesterday.   It has been a while since I have done this.  And yesterday was a whole new routine. 
I am making sure I do follow some routine.. up by 6... walk dog, shower, dress, coffee.. at desk by 8..
I have delayed workouts to during the day just to make sure I get away from the desk.
I have scheduled dog walks as well.. get some fresh air and all that.
The work load is normal.  Today included some calls I just didnt need but... they needed them so..
Tomorrow.. there will need to be a workout with a lot of sweat.  I need that. 


Sunday, March 15, 2020

day one

The social experiment of self isolation.  Just jumping past social distancing since I can.

Today started similar to others.. well except in the past month I have been spending time at the YMCA for some swimming and afternoons on the bike.  So it really wasnt similar.

I made a large cup of coffee (think Yeti size) and headed into the office.  I have been in the road since Wednesday.   I decided it might be best to lay low for a bit.  I went to the office to get a bunch of files to keep myself busy in this realm of laying low.

I didn't realise that by the time I got home and settled the work from home option would be more mandatory than voluntary.   Glad to have gotten to my stuff ahead of the crowd.. that surely wouldnt have helped with the distancing and isolation. 

So with my day I did some dishes.. did some laundry... watched a rerun of a triathlon and took a nap.  I ate good food.  I ate bad for me food.  I complained about my allergies.  And watched Beecham House with some wine.

It reminded me of a typical Sunday from years ago.  I used to watch a lot of tv on Sundays.  Before the triathlon and running thing took precedence.

Now it's time to find my vitamins... suck down lots of water.. and head to bed.

Today was OK because well it was day one.