COVID-19: 7 Week Update

With seven weeks of stay at home orders some people are getting quite antsy.  I believe in our right to protest but trying to break into the Michigan State chambers carrying weapons and swastikas can’t be acceptable.

Our federal government doesn’t seem to care about the 67,000 plus Americans that have lost their life and they so ineptly provided aid that it’s really not close to helping those that desperately need it.  It just feels like our governments (states and federal) have set the stage for a much higher death toll with a prolonged economic price tag than should have occurred.

Enough with the ranting, let’s take a look back at the week that was for me.

Outings

I went out three times to four places this past week; double the usual outings count recently.

Clinic Laboratory

My first outing was to the lab for bloodwork and urinalysis ordered by my physician.  The results didn’t bring welcome news (conditions to deal with unfortunately) but it was an interesting process.

I was screened for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure before being allowed to park and then had to do the same screening to enter the facility.  People were required to wear facemasks and come in alone unless a companion was necessary.

They had physically blocked 2/3 of the chairs to ensure each open one was 6 feet away from the next.  It was still busier than I liked and I was glad to get out of there when done.  The odd thing was they had no hand towels or wipes for leaving the lab part so I had to touch the same door handle to open the door as every other patient.  Ugh!

Shopping

These are flowers I ordered online and had sent to my daughter-in-law F.  She got accepted into the master’s program she applied to and starts this summer.  Unfortunately, it won’t be in person but also doesn’t interfere with her teaching calendar.

I also ordered a gift for my other daughter-in-law and son.  They both have birthdays close to each other and sent a combo gift — an Amazon Show.

We went to three grocery stores together this week and my husband went to a fourth for forgotten items.  You’re so careful about social distancing that it’s hard to concentrate on getting everything.  I think Ralphs and Trader Joe’s did a great job with their social distancing.

Unfortunately, we chose to go to Costco outside senior hours and it was way to crowded inside.  There was no way to shop the perishables (dairy, meat and product) without coming within a foot sometimes of other people.  I’m seriously thinking about using Instacart next time I need Costco items.

Other Things

My husband’s face mask, shown in the top picture, arrived and he was only able to wear it once.  When he went to put it on the second time, the elastic on one side broke and is quite frayed so we really can’t even pin it.  I have ordered a five pack from a clothing company that is also offering masks at a reasonable price and will share more once I get a chance to try them out.

The result of all the shopping for food was lots of cooking.  I’ve been planning our weekly menu so we know what to buy and we’ve been following it 90% of the time.  Sometimes I switch days around but otherwise it is working.

This is a chicken with garlic honey sauce over brown rice.

Last night we had ham and bean soup (with the hame bone from Easter) made from scratch including beans.

I published 16 posts in April for the first time in over 3 years.  Stay at home order has definitely given me more time to work on hobbies. :). Plus I was able to take advantage of the warmer weather and take 20 minute walks a few times this week.  I want to eventually get up to 2-3 miles a few times a week.  Baby steps!

That’s it for this week.  Stay safe out there!