life / pandemic

day 365: march 14.

• by kerri

A year ago today I went to Costco. We had a birthday party for my grandma’s 85th birthday.

We had four travel-related cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. Four.

We debated canceling the party, but didn’t. My mom, aunt and I went to Costco, picked up a cake, and saw a guy wearing a full face respirator mask.

I mean. We thought that was a bit overboard. We were just there to check out if they’d restocked all the toilet paper and other stuff that had sold out with people lining up like mad on the infamous Friday the Thirteenth. (They had. It was pretty uneventful.)

I had not really considered that’d be the last time I’d go to the store for a few weeks, never mind a whole year.

First my doctor’s assistant asked if I was self-isolating. I was. Then my doctor told me to self-isolate. She’d semi-revoke that 3 months later, probably realizing the length of the situation at hand was potentially interminable, but it’s been a year and I’m still avoiding the general public, mostly because I don’t have to go anywhere. Severe asthma may not be as big of a risk factor for severe COVID outcomes as once thought, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not one. If I don’t have to go anywhere, why risk it?

It’s been a year of learning, of scientific innovation, and of science finding better answers—sadly causing some to lose faith in science because the evidence changed, or finally feeling emboldened to show their true colours because of widespread “acceptance of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories taking even deeper hold as people lived their lives online. PSA: Science can change our opinions, that means it’s working. Masks help. Vaccines work and help more.

(And if my vaccine has a microchip in it, I just want it to have debit, thanks!)

It’s been a year of outdoor visits with only a few friends. A year of FaceTime, Facebook, and Zoom catch-ups. A year of reconnecting and probably less losing-touch than I’d have thought—aside from a couple people I’d begun to reconnect with, we’d sadly already lost touch. At least we are now rarely at a loss for conversation, with the weirdness of COVID-life always a fallback option. And of course, a year of Guide Dog Murray visits every month or two that really help speed a week along.

I need more hobbies I’ve discovered. I’ve tried jigsaw puzzles thanks to Lana and I don’t hate them like I thought I would. I still haven’t baked any sourdough yet, but I’ve made bread. And cake. And hand pies. And ice cream—a lot of ice cream.

Hand pies made today: National Pie Day 2021

At some point last spring I pulled my Nintendo 2DS out. I tried Animal Crossing: New Leaf, eventually getting a Switch Lite for the full pandemic experience of New Horizons. That held me for about 8 months but I’ve now moved onward to Pokémon, at least for awhile. The video games though have, perhaps unexpectedly, led to reconnection with several people, for which I am grateful.

I’m past ready for the unprecedented to be over. I’m sure we all are. To be a year in and still know going to a restaurant like we did just over a year ago is quite a long way off (at least it is for me) is rather bananas.

It’s been a weird—and in ways wild—year. And there’s at least hope in sight that things may return to some sort of normal during 2021, and more-so, for 2022 when maybe we can see people’s full faces again.

Kerri wearing pink jacket and blue Winnipeg themed face mask

And as always; thanks, science. Thanks doctors and nurses and researchers. Thanks all frontline and essential workers. It’s been a year, and I hope you all know how much we need and appreciate you.

Oh, and I wonder if that guy in Costco with the full respirator is still wearing it or if he’s downgraded to something else.

pandemic

day 291: new years eve.

• by kerri

Tomorrow marks the final major holiday (in Canada) that we will have celebrated in a degree of lockdown: New Year’s Day.

It’s been more than 7 months since I’ve written here, and more than 9 months since my life looked normal as in going to public places and seeing people without being far away, wearing masks. Since then, vaccines have been approved, and people I know have received them: healthcare workers who for the last 10 months—or more, depending on where they live—have been at the highest risk in this fight to save lives, and for that I am thankful. For the fist time in those 10+ months, there is hope that there is an end to this—and that end is, at least somewhat, in sight, beyond everyone just staying home as much as we can.

Thank you, science, and research scientists, and smart people.

In other years I’ve summarized in my end-of-year blog posts the things I’ve done, places I’ve been, the soundtrack I’ve made, or the books I’ve read (actually, you can see those here). In 2020, I’ve spent 291 of the 365 days this year mostly at home, and other than work, not being terribly productive. The 74 pre-COVID lockdown, pre-physical/social distancing, pre-self isolating days were good ones, though, and one day—even if it is another 291 days—there will be better ones ahead again, too. 

For 2020, I’d aimed to embrace the Yes Theory mantra – seek discomfort, and say yes to opportunities. Then it turned out that in 2020, saying yes to things could possibly wind up killing you or somebody else. I’d made a goal to make new friends this year—and combined with the previous goal, to do things and go places. I made a new friend, Kayleen, early in 2020, and we are so lucky to have gotten to do the things we did, even up to March 6, 2020, which retrospectively became known as The Day We Did Dangerous Things because hell, do not go to an escape room, a bowling alley, a used bookstore, 2 museums (one with lots of tactile exhibits and shared high-touch surfaces), a cafe, and a market, all in the same day, during a pandemic, where I think we encountered hand sanitizer all of once—our first three cases, however, were reported 7 days later, on March 12, which is also the day I took the bus for the last time, saw friends indoors and closer than 6 feet for the last time, went to a coffee shop for the last time, and went to archery for the last time. Oh, I went to a store for the last time on March 14: we went to Costco to pick up a birthday cake for my grandma, where I saw a guy wearing a full-head respirator mask in there, the day after the panic buying of Friday the 13th. Then we went and spent several hours having an 85th birthday party that had nearly 20 people at it, some of whom had just got off a plane, and one who’d find out the next day they may have had a COVID exposure at work. Everything turned out fine, but in retrospect—when it’s been MONTHS since we’ve been permitted gatherings of more than 5 people with physical distancing—it seems absolutely reckless and insane. Remember what we thought was normal just 292 days ago?
And then we spent Christmas on Zoom. 

It’s been “a year”, this 2020. And unlike most “bad years” (here’s looking at you, 2013), I know tomorrow is in no way a fresh start. 2021 may not be quite as much of a write-off, but we know the struggle of 2020 will continue within it.
And even now when it has yet to even start, I’m still saying it:
Here’s to 2022.

Oh, and in case it’s 10 years from now and I find myself reading this (or in case you, if anyone is reading this, want to enjoy), here is a YouTube playlist of Songs to Stay the Blazes Home To (…yeah, remember when the premier of Nova Scotia told people to stay the blazes home? Or when, on April 7, Justin Trudeau said speaking moistly?), featuring of course, the Speaking Moistly remix (and a remix of the remix), undoubtedly one of the greatest Canadian Heritage moments to come out of 2020.

life / pandemic

day 67: six-feet-away birthday.

• by kerri

Here I am, twenty-nine.
I’ve not quite moved to “social distancing” proper yet—and I likely won’t for awhile. I’d say I’m still closer to something resembling self-isolating, but given I saw a friend today, outdoors, I’d not say I’m quite there still, either.

The pandemic birthday.
Michelle in Singapore and Elisheva in Israel sent birthday greetings before midnight. On Sunday, Guide Dog Murray came back to visit, so just after midnight I took him outside and we went to bed. I woke up to Murray sniffing my face, to more texts and Facebook posts and messages and tweets (and LinkedIn messages – I love y’all but that’s a weird function of LinkedIn?), and went back to sleep after taking the pup outside.

My aunt, Linda, gave me an ice cream maker last week – she could not wait any longer to give me my birthday present as she’s had it since like January. So I got up eventually, after cuddling with Murray on the bedroom floor (prepared nicely for him with foam puzzle mats, pillows and a blanket), and made ice cream.

Then I groomed Murray and brushed his teeth and made him all fancy puppy to see his Daddyface AKA Steve. 

The people who make it special
But first, lunch with my mom, grandma and other aunt, Karen.
We took Murray for his last visit of the visit (weird?), to have Subway and Jeanne Cake squares in my grandma’s back yard. I mean, Murray wasn’t having Subway or cake. The weather was perfect, though, and despite putting Murray on his long tie down he didn’t really go anywhere except briefly getting somewhat “stuck” (confused) under a picnic table, he didn’t really wander anywhere—as he tends to if he’s on a tie down.
We visited awhile, Murray got his goodbye pats, and then we went to take him home, with a detour to pick up Steve, wearing masks in the car, and going to the park for cupcakes (for Steve and I) and coffee (for my mom and Steve). Amusingly, I handed Murray’s leash back to Steve as we headed across the park, Steve using his cane, and as soon as we sat down he handed Murray’s leash back. Hello, isn’t this dog bored of Small Fry by now?

We ate cupcakes (second cake of the day), watched the geese (note: geese are terrifying), and saw the physical distancing enforcers wandering the park in their vests once. They didn’t talk to us as we sat on either end of a bench and on a lawn chair. Eventually, we put our masks back on and got in the car to take Steve and Murray home, thankful for the visit and having Murray over for 4.5 days to shift my focus from pandemic/work/Animal Crossing to a better set of Murray/work/Animal Crossing (and I think I played less Animal Crossing, honestly – in exchange for playing with actual doggo animal?)
It was one of the most “normal” things I’ve done in the last 3 months, a lovely visit with one of my favourite people and my favourite dog—and still, so, so abnormal. So abnormal I haven’t done those things for months. That I still haven’t gone into a store. That everyone is positioned so strategically, clearly differentiating couples and families and those who don’t live together.

I got home to find a text from Kayleen confirming I was home. At 6:55 – 15 minutes ahead of schedule – a bag from Stella’s Bakery appeared at my door, containing a piece of chocolate tort and a slice of chocolate cake. There was another, yes, another cake in my future so I held off, but damn, does getting cake from a friend delivered to your door make a person feel special! (I hope we are actually able to go places with a more reliable sense of safety for Kayleen’s birthday in August – even if we still have to stay 6 feet apart).

My aunt, Linda (of the ice cream maker gift!) came over for a visit, cake and home-made ice cream. (She also left with homemade strawberry sorbet – talk about a great gift, it’s been used twice already since I got it on Monday!). Cake #3 of the day was Jeanne cake but with strawberry curls. The cake was super cute, but I’ll admit the chocolate ones taste better. Also, a few hours after this I’ve eaten a few bites of cake #4, Stella’s torte, and cake #6, Stella’s chocolate cake, but I am still very full of other cake and also pizza despite it nearing midnight.

Oh yes, while my mother put candles in the cake, there was no lighting or blowing out of candles. Because honestly, why did it take a global pandemic for us all to figure out that eating a cake someone has breathed all over is kind of weird?  

While opening some gifts from my parents, Daryl called. This led to the delightful missed call of Daryl leaving his “lounge lizard” version of Happy Birthday on my voicemail, which I will tomorrow figure out how to rescue out of my phone somehow. Daryl’s mom and I share a birthday, and this year he got to sing for me on my birthday as he did for her for many years which is super special! Of course, this little surprise on my voicemail meant my mom also got to enjoy the recording, exclaiming “You have such NICE people!!”

Yes, I sure do, don’t I?

Looking… somewhere.
So. Twenty-nine.

I’m not at all sure what I’m looking for this year, or what it will bring. I do know twenty-eight led me to many amazing people and things, including Kayleen and working with Deb and Daryl. 

Given the state of the world right now, I’m certainly looking ahead but to an unclear spot on the horizon. I don’t know what this year will bring and I’m not going to try to guess. I hope for more stability. Twenty-eight was a pretty great year, and despite its uncertainties, I hope twenty-nine is similar, bringin friends new and old, new opportunities, and new puppies.
Okay, honestly, I’d be cool with more of the same puppies… or puppy.

12 of 12 / life / pandemic

12 of 12 – may ’20, lockdown edition (day 57)

• by kerri

The last time I did a 12 of 12 was in 2016. I may have been one of the last hangers-on of this thing I learned of through my friend Mike. 12 of 12 was a thing where we took, for months on end, 12 pictures on the 12th day of the month and blogged them. (This is my 26th 12 of 12 on this site, and I did others on old sites. I kind of can’t believe it.)

So at 12:23 AM I texted Mike my first picture and said “12 of 12 lockdown edition, you in??”

I got a text back at 12:24 am: “Let’s do it.”

12:23 AM

Good night. Had to show off my awesome dinosaur bedding, purple blanket from Steve, handmade octopus from Keri-Lynn (who swears she will never make another so I feel special), and guitar my cousin Dean made me long ago. Oh and the decorative painters tape that’s been on my walls for years.

9:38 AM

Morale boost flying across the country. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds took to the Manitoba skies this morning. Great view from our deck on Manitoba’s 150th birthday.

10:47 AM

Little Animal Crossing before I get to work. Got bored of the Trudeau press conference today which means the options are either work or video games.

12:30 PM

Editing my fourth-ever podcast for work. Still needing to google things to remember how GarageBand works.
Also I need to clean my MacBook screen.

1:08 PM

I was going to listen to a live recording of the Rational Security podcast because I’m a giant nerd, except it’s not til tomorrow and I have another Zoom scheduled then. Whoops.

2:01 PM
 
The video version of the podcast above. Little did I know at the time I’d have to do the tags all over again on both YouTube and Facebook because I didn’t update the title in the video intro and had to fix it, export it, and re-upload it.

6:27 PM
Happy birthday, Manitoba. My province is 150 today.

7:39 PM

We got a grocery pickup slot today. Giant strawberries that are delicious!
(If you care about our level of pandemic, yes, we are disinfecting most packaging, such as the strawberry clamshell I placed my strawberry atop.)

8:24 PM

Giant strawberries. Tiny watermelon. 

10:29 PM

Actual footage of my expression when I realized I bought this tropical shirt on the island twice.

11:59 PM

I love having cute CNIB Guide Dogs on my kitchen calendar! Hiya, Potter!

—–

Thanks for joining in on a slice of my lockdown life. Check out what Mike was up to (his is a lot more interesting, and pretty, than mine!).
Anybody up for a 12 of 12 resurrection? If so, I hope June is a bit more interesting! 😉

friends / life / pandemic

self-isolation: day 50 – 7+ weeks in

• by kerri

Manitoba is beginning to open up. I am continuing to stay home.

I don’t really have words anymore, but I will not be going to a patio, a store, a mall.
And I am pleased to see that many Manitoba businesses are continuing to serve customers in safe ways until we figure out better what is going on with COVID-19.

Breaking the monotony.
Week 6, last week, I had a non-human house-guest. Now, I understand there is possibility that pets may spread COVID-19. Steve and I had both been home for 5+ weeks. We felt safe enough that we do a distanced handoff of Murray, wearing masks, so Murray and I could entertain each other a bit.

I somehow got work done last week which was shocking as I generally just want to stare at/cuddle Murray when he comes to visit. He also got lots of walks between my mom and I, and got a change of scenery. (Okay, he practically takes himself for a walk. I honestly clip him to my belt loop sometimes, and he does nothing more than casually glance at other dogs – meanwhile a man asked if I wanted to trade dogs (obviously not), and I saw a woman struggle getting tangled in her dogs while I just kept walking with my perfect Murray – seriously, makes me so damn proud. To all the people at Guide Dogs for the Blind and volunteers that were a part of his journey – beyond amazing work going on there.

Okay I know you just care about the pictures, here’s the sweet pupper. (I am trying to figure out how to embed the album, but this an API is apparently more than I can handle at 10:59 pm?) 

 

Thanks Steve for letting me have him for a few days. He can come back and visit anytime. (But I hope we can have coffee again sometime, too. I mean, human we, not Murray.) 

Gifts from the Internet
Last week’s gift from the internet is this delightful remix of Ontario premier Doug Ford calling protesters at Queen’s Park “a bunch of yahoos”, and getting remixed.

And I would be a terrible blogger if I didn’t mentioned the original Canadian pandemic remix “Speaking Moistly”. 
It is a key part of the Canadian COVID-19 pandemic experience now.

Yeah, shit is serious out there. The internet is keeping many of us some degree of sane (especially those like me who have not been in a public place for 50 days.)

Oh, my last gift from the Internet (that I had to pay for) was that I finally entered 2012 and downloaded Animal Crossing: New Leaf for my 2DS. With everyone talking about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I had to refresh myself of the basics of what it was about. 
It’s been very worth the $32 thus far and I’ve only had it like 24 hours.