The Merry Month of May - Colorado Style

Up in northern Colorado last week, we were hit with a blizzard. Snow was higher than I've ever seen it here. I didn't go out. I had gone grocery shopping on the morning when the snow hit about 11 a.m. I hadn't slept the night before, so I got up and 5:30 a.m., showered and started my day. I really had every food item I needed, but I didn't know how long we might be shut in from the storm, and I wanted a few things: salad greens, some frozen dinners, avocados, and milk. I was in the store at 8 a.m. A new record for me.

I was completely ready for whatever might come. It was a lot. Snowed hard all through Saturday night. I woke up and checked out the place: I couldn't open my back door, and luckily my front porch is covered so that door was okay. Large tree branches were down all over the neighborhood, including the large tree in front of my place. A very large limb had broken and landed on my roof. The limb was still hanging on to the tree a bit, which is why, I think, that it didn't damage the roof. The snow plows didn't come until Monday, and the tree company came a few days after to cut all the limbs that had fallen and grind them up. The men taking down my limbs were so happy when they got that limb off my roof. It was a delicate exercise involving chain saws and ropes. They did a good job. I was sitting next to the window on a zoom call, and had to mute myself while the chain saw whirred away.

The Tuesday after the storm, roads were clear enough that I made it to my vaccine appointment at one of our local hospitals.  The line was very long, and snaked through the building, but it moved efficiently. 

The fellow who gave me my shot was a pro, and I literally didn't feel a thing.  I was given an appointment for my second shot, a vaccine card, and sent on my way.  I got the Pfizer vaccine, and didn't notice any ill affects until the next day.  I was very tired and slept until the afternoon.  I was up for a few hours, had a light supper, and went back to bed. This happened for THREE days!  No headaches, fever or chills, just exhaustion.  I small price to pay for protection against Covid-19.

By April 16th or thereabouts, I will be able to go to my daughter's house for dinner!  She's vaccinated fully.  She wants to know what I'm going to do after I'm fully protected.  I honestly don't know.  I do know that I'm not going to fly on an airplane any time soon.  There's still a risk.  Not going to any big events, because I don't want to be in a crowd.

Maybe a car trip to a nearby scenic place with a night or two in a hotel.  Take photographs.  Take in the scenery and just enjoy being out of my house. 

There are a number of articles out now about the social anxiety of starting up one's social life after Covid.  I had been anxious about it, but that's gone away.  Just because the pandemic will someday end, I don't need to drastically change my life.  I have found that I enjoy being alone more that I would have thought.  My own company is just fine.

We'll probably get one more snow storm before spring is really here.  The rule of thumb in these parts is: don't start planting your garden until after Mother's Day in May.  I know I'll enjoy this spring immensely.  How could I not?

Re-entry Challenge

You know things are getting bad when you can't even remember the name of the blog you started fifteen years ago. And by "you" I mean me, of course. It scared me, this not remembering. I had to go to another blog which lists mine in order to remember. Have you had your vaccine? I expect to get an appointment any day now, as Colorado has lowered the age group to 60 plus. I have received a letter from my medical group affirming that I am in the eligible age group and they will be contacting me soon. I'm overjoyed that these vaccines may get us back to near-normal by the summer, but also kind of freaking out at the idea socializing. Has this fear taken a hold of you? Do you have a lot to get back to? Grandkids, the gym, hanging out with friends? I did stop in at a neighbor's house yesterday. I wore my mask and she's been vaccinated. It was surreal to sit in someone else's living room, chatting and catching up. Surreal.

I note that I am feeling overwhelmed, probably because my lack of social interaction. I have to do a lot of positive self-talk in order to take care of simple tasks. I haven't been reading blogs, or posting myself, because it's just TOO MUCH. I dreamt last night that I suddendly remembered I had a long abandoned apartment in Boston, so I hopped a plane and went there to settle up with the landlord. I had not paid rent in a long while, and I owed $13,000 in order to get my things out of that tiny studio apartment, a place I had completely forgotten I had. It was so sparsley furnished that I didn't care if all my stuff just stayed there. Of course I paid my back rent, being the honest type that I am. I know the dream was a rehash of my current state of entropy. I woke up, dazed, and fell back against the pillows to ponder my state of being. No epiphanies there. I'm curious about your state of being now that we are hopefully coming out of a year-long hybernation (banning a fourth wave, of course)? Are you doing anything to slowly (or quickly) reintegrate yourself? Any and all ideas welcomed! And I apologize for not reading your blog. My brain is fogged. It took a pandemic to disrupt so many years of blogging. Go figure.