Day 298: Tuesday 2021

It is day 298 of lockdown here in Oregon in Washington County by my count. Here was the first incident in Oregon for Covid-19 last year. We have been in lockdown for less time than the virus has been here as it took time to decide to lockdown. We also unlocked for a while and then had to lockdown again.

Today, we can only eat outside in the cold in the rain with masks at a restaurant–we are in extreme danger, that is our rating for Washington County from the Governor’s office. I have eaten in the rain just a few times to get free of the house. It is frigid and wet.

I worked from home longer than 298 days as I had a bad cough back in January 2020 and started working from home about a week before Nike closed up.

So this day 298, I was exhausted. Susie had issues getting to sleep yesterday and the day before. This happens some nights. I had little sleep for the last three days. I managed to start at 6ish and managed email and meetings. I think I drank half the coffee pot by 9ish. It is bad when you can’t feel the coffee.

I know what to do when I am too tired to think; I stopped.

I went to the bedroom and went to sleep, yes, even with coffee burning in me. When coffee wakes you up enough to sleep, you know you have gone too far! I stole sleep from 10ish to 12ish. Not a lot, but I was no longer faltering.

Masked in the car–so I do not forget to not touch my face. I drove to Popeye’s for a chicken sandwich, spicy. I picked up paper towels from RiteAid. I brought Susie back a box of chocolates in the shape of a heart. Her physical therapy appointment was canceled. Clare was ill (not with Covid). Susie was ready for the appointment on time today without my nagging–an improvement too. Susie loved the chocolates!

Back to work and email and Zoom meetings. I managed to open a problem ticket for the vendor, SAP, that supplies the software I work with. I collected all the information and built a “high” issue as requested. This is about the last thing I managed for work today.

I then went to rest some more. I had to take some Benadryl as I was coughing too much (allergies). This put me out for a while.

Mariah texted me–the phone vibrating waking me, and I met her for a beer outside on the partially covered patio in the cold at Golden Valley Brewery not far from here. I had a salad and one beer. I got a pretzel to go for Susie. Susie, smarter than her husband, does not sit outside for a beer and food in Oregon’s winter. I overheard the waiter explain that the wind had earlier blown the rain side-ways and soaked everyone under the small roof on the patio.

I made Susie scrambled eggs with cheese for dinner, her fav. The pretzel is a snack. Cooking scrambled eggs is quick and easy to do, even when you are tired. I made more coffee and drank two more cups.

3,499 people in the USA died from Covid-19 today. The surge of deaths may reflect the holiday travel for Christmas and New Years’.

I went with Where He Leads Me today. It is a hymn I can sing, and the words are easy to remember.