I've become used to many aspects of Covid quarantine. Our state's restrictions are more severe than neighboring states, so while their live bodies are going back to church and school, we are still doing those activities via zoom. I appreciate the restrictions though, as our Covid cases and deaths have remained much lower than surrounding states. Idaho, for example, has less than half the population Oregon has, yet they have more cases, and an astoundingly higher case rate, as do all the Intermountain West states. It appears to me that much of this is due to Covid becoming a political issue, rather than a health issue:
There is a misunderstanding among some that during Covid quarantine they were or are required to stay indoors, or to stay home. Not so, at least not in most states. We have great times riding our bikes, ferreting out open hiking trails, and even sneaking onto the beach. Yeah, beaches were closed for a while, as were most hiking trails. What doesn't make sense is that by closing almost all outdoor destinations, crowds are forced to gather in droves at the few outdoor options that are open, thereby defeating the purpose of quarantine. This is Oregon; Oregonians crave the outdoors and will get there even if they have to bend the law to do it.
I've enjoyed seven months of not being sick, until this week. We traveled to Idaho (the land of few masks, no social distancing, no quarantine) last week to visit family on the farm, and brought back colds. Hopefully that's not all we brought back.
Being an introvert, I'm ok with lying low, having zero meetings, more time to research family history and work in the garden, hike/bike, and, time to clean out closets and drawers, yay!! (NOT that I have done it). We cleaned the garage! Yet smoke from the forest fires in our state made life miserable for a few weeks. By no stretch am I comparing that misery to the tragedy of those who lost their homes, just saying that staying indoors with windows shut tight, and not seeing the sun for over two weeks, was torment. On rare times driving in the car during those weeks, I could not wear sunglasses. In what should have been broad daylight, the sky was as bright as a fog bank at dusk.
We have never watched reality TV in our house, until Covid, as we are the PBS and classic movie type. In late spring we visited our daughter who invited us to watch Survivor and The Amazing Race with them. We sorta grumbled but did it anyway. Did not like Survivor, but we got hooked on TAR, and have now worked through 15 seasons. Only 16 more to go!! We enjoy seeing how the contestants cope with challenges in foreign or otherwise fascinating settings. Some of those places are familiar to us--the program even came to PDX once!
We analyze each TAR season. We are disturbed by those who join the race as a way to get a windfall so they can get married or have a child--milestones that billions of folks around the world have achieved without winning a bundle of cash. We are dismayed by those who fight their partner, whether a sibling, spouse or friend, like Ali and Frazier at the Thrilla in Manila (or like the Trump vs. Biden debate). Some couples are ultra tolerant and kind, some are wily and smart, and some are dishonest or annoying.
As yet we have no local friends or acquaintances who have had Covid, and may that continue. My son's roommate (New York), my daughter-in-law's sister (New York), and my husband's uncle (Texas) suffered from it. We get take-out once a week, hit the grocery store every 7-10 days, and visit with neighbors out in the street. The shortage of goods seems to be over. First it was TP and wipes, then paper towels, garden supplies, deck screws, fence wood, baking items (yeast!), lower-end sewing machines, garlic, and various other items. Our local school district announced today that the district has decided to keep schools closed until February. Previously the date was Thanksgiving time. If nothing else, this whole experience will remind us how wonderful normal life was, and will be again.
A few memes:
