Corona Bologna in These Foolish Things

…Or 10 Things That Have Happened Since I Last Wrote

• I’d been back at the office for what? A day? I was so happy getting into the swing of things and found myself surprised that I was actually nostalgic seeing a few of my favorite work people (we were only 50% capacity) and on a nice, firm schedule

• Last week was Week 2 back at the job and so it was Work From Home for me and the 50% of folks who had been in the office while the other half went back - until Thursday. That was the day that our lovely governor finally kind of admitted that he’d opened things too quickly and halted the next phase of re-opening the state. That, in turn, prompted my company to go back to 100% WFH until further notice.

• And that caused a couple of reactions from me: (1) sadness because I was liking the semblance of normalcy, but also (2) relief because there have been too many cases of Covid here and it’s not illegal for businesses to not tell the public about their cases nor to shut themselves down, which leads to alllll kinds of fear at this point

• And speaking of fear, I had my own Corona Close Call this week as well. For some reason, on Tuesday I felt the chills coming on and a pretty severe headache. Weird, I thought, because the only people I’ve been around have been my parents, bro, SIL and niece and I know they haven’t been anywhere but at my parents’ house (bro’s family is living with my parents during summer break - my bro is a teacher). On Tuesday night I took my temperature and it was a low grade (99.9 - my normal temp is 97.6) fever. So I sent a message to my doc telling him my symptoms and saying that it could be one of three things: (1) the ‘Rona, (2) The West Nile - I hear it’s going around, or (3) my carotid artery is flaring up or I have some brain issue - maybe my aneurysm - and should I get a CTA scan?

• Doc immediately made me get a Covid test. Luckily, since I’m going through my PCP who is in a large hospital system, he got me in for testing within 24 hours AND got my testing results back in 24 hours later.

• NEGATIVE!

• Which, hooray! But…what is this thing I have? I do have a lingering head issue, which has morphed into something like a super pressurized head. When I bend over or lie down flat to sleep my head feels like it’s going to explode. For real. Like, my brain is going to ooze out of my ears. I still have a fever spike in the evenings and I’m going to bed at like, 7:00. Doc says keep watching my symptoms and if they get worse to call him. Duh.

• My anxiety from the assault and mugging is getting worse, even though my building did a safety social Zoom call last week. We have a police officer who lives in our building and she graciously volunteered to answer questions on the call, but she did NOT make me feel safer. Shit’s gotten super, super scary downtown and I could tell she didn’t want to tell us just how dangerous it really is. Her advice? Always carry something with you that you know you can use (like mace) that will get distance between you and the aggressor; be prepared to fight like crazy; get a good look at anyone and everyone; be aware of your surroundings, etc. These are the kind of things that you’ve heard before but they bear repeating…but I just know there’s more. I don’t look at the blocks surrounding my apartment the same anymore. When I take the dog for a walk, I take her to the underground parking, we get in the car and I drive to a nearby park that’s safe.

• I decided it may take some therapy to get over this. I got the name of a couple of options to check out.

• I also asked the apartment manager about moving out. Sure, I can break the lease, but I’d either be responsible for the rent for the remainder of my lease if nobody wants to move in here (which happens to add up to $15,000!). And honestly, I can’t imagine people wanting to move here right now - not with all of the businesses boarded up and restaurants closed and homeless out running around and the druggies stumbling around like zombies and the protesters marching every night (last night I saw that they were heckling people who were sitting on a patio having dinner with a megaphone) - oh and did I mention the MUGGERS???!!! OR I can break the lease with a 30-day notice and 3X my normal rent. Which, when you think about it, may be the best option?? Might be worth it for peace of mind. I don’t know. Something to think about.

Anyway. There’s my update. If you’d told me a year ago that I’d ever write ANY of the above I’d have looked at you side-eyed. Looks like 2020 has given us all the damn side-eye. But challenges bring opportunity, right???

Ever,
GS

• Oh and P.S. I forgot to write about the Saharan Dust Cloud that’s floating over the United States now and filtering our sunlight and clogging our Covid-riddled lungs! Neat, huh?

Last updated June 27, 2020