It's Daytime and I'm Awake

I've always responded to my surroundings. When it's dark, I'm sleepy; when it's light, I'm awake. Now that it gets light at 5:00 a.m., I'm awake at 5:00 a.m. and often get up soon after.

Today is one of the rare days I did not exercise first thing. I've been very good about practicing Yoga or walking to the newspaperbox early in the morning. But every once in a while I just need a break from exercise.

For the last two months, I've spent most of my time at home. Pretty much everything is closed down due to the virus. Keeping people separated seems like the best way to minimize its spread, but I'm getting somewhat bored and lonely.

The hardest thing for me is that I've had to do a major readjustment with the way I shop for food and household items. I'm not someone who goes to the supermarket once a week and buys everything. I visit a variety of different places for different things. There's the bakery for bread; the food co-op for most food and meat; the supermarket for the things the co-op does not carry or where the prices are too high.

I go to a health food store for vitamins and skin care products because I like their selection. There is a butcher shop where I sometimes get meat and a seafood store which is the only place that sells finnan haddie. Now that the weather has warmed up a bit, the farm stands are opening. I get as much fresh produce from farm stands as I can. I'm used to stopping by one or more of these places to pick up a couple of items as I need them.

Going to the market is such an ordeal now. Sometimes I have to wait in line so that the store does not exceed its limit of customers inside at one time. And there's the wait to get to the cash register, always keeping at least 6 feet from the next person. Since I'm not allowed to bring my own bags, I now have a cabinet full of paper bags. Well, that's one plus: I used to run out of paper bags needed for recycling. It will be a while before I run out of those.

As the virus seems to be fading, stores are beginning to open up. Soon I'll be able to invite people here for drinks as we sit by the pond. I wonder how long it will take before I'm able to get back to my former routines?

What I'm looking forward to most is being back in the office and leading the senior exercise class. I miss those the most.

I'm Getting Tired of My Play Clothers, or, What Day of the Week Is It?

Play clothes are those pants and shirts that are old, worn, stained or otherwise not something I would want to wear in public. They are, however, perfect for cleaning house or working in the yard. So what if they get dirty? They're already dirty. Wearing play clothes for dirty work keeps my other clothes cleaner longer.

But since I'm now wearing play clothes every day, all day, I'm getting a little tired of them. I'm looking forward to wearing my office clothes again.

Another side effect of staying home all of the time is that I tend to forget what day of the week it is. For so many years I've had a routine. I like routines. I'm a routine kind of person. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I get up, go to exercise class, then go into the office to work on the MassCat catalog. Tuesday and Thursday are for various appointments, meetings and stuff like that.

Now there are no meetings or appointments except, perhaps, by telephone. I exercise most days, as soon as I get up. After that I work on the MassCat catalog in 1-2 hour shifts and make sure by the end of the week I've worked the same number of hours I would have had I been in the office.

It's a strange time and a strange feeling.

Still, I have a lot for which to be thankful. I'm still healthy. I have a lovely home and a lovely yard. I have an income and continue to pay my bills.

Not a lot has changed since my last post. I'm still waiting for May.