Sunday, April 5: Palm Sunday. I woke this morning to the continuing sound of the rain. I know there’s a lot of church services streaming, but I just don’t want ANY noise first thing in the morning! Now I remember one thing I forgot to mention in Week 3. Last Friday at 6 p.m. a dozen of us neighbors gathered, all 6 ft. apart, down the street in front of the house of a couple that I remember meeting at the Winter Party in the clubhouse last December. The man is a guitar player who still does gigs, only he obviously hasn’t been able to for the past few weeks. So he serenaded us who came to hear him. It was sweet. This kind of thing never happened before the lockdown! Of course, before this, the clubhouse was always the hub of activity for the old people who want to socialize, some over cards, pool tables, Tai Chi, doing puzzles on a table in the sitting room, or just having coffee at 9 o’clock. I should have taken my phone to take pictures but I didn’t. I did put Emily in the stroller so she was a big hit with everyone. She stood up with her paws on the front edge, wagging her tail, and wanted to make friends with everyone. Some petted her. They didn’t have to stay 6 ft. away from Emily. I met a new neighbor who lives on the street behind us and who has had unpleasant confrontations with the snooty neighbors in the house directly behind us. The ones who cut the branches off our willow tree in the back yard because they didn’t like the leaves dropping into their yard which is covered with rocks. The worst part is that they left the cut branches in our yard and we haven’t had the strength to remove them nor the money to pay to have them removed. Okay, enough rambling until I’ve had my coffee and breakfast!
Monday, April 6: Zoom conference with Brenda Mulder, prospective new client.
Tuesday, April 7: Alameda Day. We got up at 0-dark-thirty to try to get to Alameda Trader Joe’s by 8 o’clock. We did make it! But even at 8’clock the line stretched all the way back through the mall to the other side, to almost we were normally used to park! Everyone was well-behaved, kept the proper distance, and everyone wore a mask of some kind. I had pulled out one of the precious commodity N95 masks that we got that all when there was so much smoke from the fires in northern California. I had gloves and wipes in my purse, which I kept over my shoulder and didn’t put it down anywhere. I got my phone out to take a picture of the line but I kept it inside my purse while I was in the stores.
Wednesday, April 8: First Day of Passover. I worked all day on Arlene’s articles and podcasts, except for a quick trip to the San Leandro post office to mail our tax returns. I made sure all the attachments were included this year!
Thursday, April 9: Postal delivery of controlled substance. I heard the front doorbell and I knew it was our mail carrier with Linda’s medication that I would have to sign for. I opened the door and she was standing 6 ft. away with her outstretched hand holding a white plastic bag. From my doorway, I could stand and reach out to take the package. “I’ll sign for you!” she said as she held up the electronic device that normally I would sign. She was already down the front steps. “Thank you,” I called after her.
Friday, April 10: Today was pretty much another “down” day (even though every day now is a “down” day). Linda has been having fun working on graphics for Brenda Mulder’s website (yes, she is our new client). I sat at the computer all day, except for when I went out to get the trash can in and take Emily out for our daily walk up and down the front driveway! I made cauliflower Spanish rice for supper and ate way too much.
Saturday, April 11: Well, I didn’t gain anything (at least, not overnight). Blood sugar was much better (at 102) because I didn’t have a bedtime snack (I was too full from supper). I joined the La Sierra LGBTIQ+ Sabbath school Zoom group because Leif was going to conduct a communion service. I did not display video. During the preliminaries and introductions, I was busy in the kitchen fixing breakfast for Linda and Emily and then for myself. But when I heard my name, I went back to my computer and unmuted myself just long enough to say where I was located. Then I stayed muted. I was ready to eat my breakfast and drink my coffee at the time when Leif, who was doing the service, instructed us to eat the bread and drink the juice (or water or whatever you have, he said). The closest thing to bread that I had was a chocolate-infused cannabis cookie (since I had a headache), followed by drinking hot coffee (which, of course, would “enhance” the effects of the cookie!).
We ended the day with another Zoom session with Alex in his cockpit. He showed us his airplane made from a cardboard box and he told us what all the different gauges and buttons were for. After that, we–Linda, Emily, and I–had baked salmon for supper. And I had a lettuce wedge with homemade ranch dressing. It’s amazing how easy it is to made homemade salad dressing when you have no other choice!
