45 Weeks Behind Us (Weekly Update)

Well hello there people! It's 45 weeks behind us now since coronavirus hit the state of Georgia. We are nearing that 52 week mark - meaning we've been at this for almost a year now. And coronavirus is totally out of control where I live. I can't tell you how many people I know or people connected to people I know who are fighting this virus as I write this. Go USA (and Georgia)! We are definitely feeling the effects of the lack of mask use and social distancing.

It feels so strange writing about the 45th week behind us in regards to coronavirus without 45 being in office, but it is oh so amazing...

 

 

Last week was really quiet for our family - not much going on. Our biggest excitement for the week was the inaugurat!on. The virus is so rampant around here - we try not to go out much now (not like we did a lot before). Doug's work is super busy, Bri is trying to get into the swing of the new semester and I'm still trying to keep the house as "normal" as possible - though nothing feels normal anymore.

 

 It was quite cold toward the beginning of last week, so I had been enjoying our fireplace...

Now it looks like things are going to warm up a bit this week. I'm kind of sad because it's looking like we won't be getting any snow in our neck of the woods this year. We only had some light flurries on Christmas Eve. Real bummer.

I'm still cooking quite a bit - trying to make things that are not too complicated. I just don't like complicated right now...

I've been binge watching "The Handma!d's Tale" (still) to keep my mind busy. It's really good but really dark. I'm ok with dark right now. Not feeling super cheery nowadays anyway...

 

 So, let me talk about something very uplifting - at least for me and 80 million other people in the US. The Inaugurat!on of J@e B!den took place last Wednesday, and I was finally was able to take that breath that I so desperately needed. 

First, I have to say that I've never been so happy to see someone leave office in my entire life...

Tr@mp snubbed going to B!den's Inaugurat!on (first time a president has done this since 1869 - totally classless), gave one last boastful, annoying speech at an airfield (which he managed to get in the term "Ch!na virus" one last time - a-hole) and took off on A!r Force One (hooray). You know the saying "don't let the door hit you on the way out?" Well for him, I hope it did. Right smack in the head. 

  Doug, Bri and I all sat in front of the TV on that historic day. Watching the first wom@n VP get sworn in. Renewed hope. My daughter finally gets to see and experience true leadership again.

So many memorable moments that day...

 

And the two new Georgia sen@tors were there too...

A black man, a Hispanic man and a Jewish man were all sworn in that day. 

Now THAT is America. 

Doug picked up some L@nghorn that evening for a celebratory dinner...

There were some funny moments that came out of that day...

Like Bern!e memes...

And people trying to figure out what Tr@mp's letter to B!den possibly said...

It's been fun getting a bit of a laugh.

But, we are still living in a very somber time right now.

I was very moved when B!den and Harr!s held a memorial for coronavirus victims the night before the inaugurat!on. It was a long time coming. Too long...

And B!den has quite a mess he has to fix...

 

 I am SO happy that there is actually a feder@l plan now to try to fix the mess Tr@mp made regarding the virus. But, we still have such a long way to go...

Tr@mp was so worried about how a global p@ndemic was going to affect the US economy (which is what he was banking on to win a second term) that he downplayed the virus for months and months and spread extremely dangerous rhetoric about social distancing and mask use. And now we are where we are today. All he cared about was getting elected again - which didn't end up happening anyway. So it was all for nothing. Over 400K lives lost.

All I know, is our former pres!dent incited a riot on purpose and people died. He needs to pay for what he did. Everyone getting arrested is saying they were there for him...

Because they were. Because he asked them. He should not just be told he can't run for office again. He needs to be sitting in a prison cell.

So now that B!den is in office and I can start to breath again, I am feeling a mix of relief and a huge sense of sadness.

On Saturday, there were over 9K new virus cases again in GA...

And for some reason, the public schools thought it would be a great idea to send the kids back to school today after one measly week of keeping the kids home as numbers stay super high. Like one week will do anything. Even when 3 teachers have now died of the virus in our neighboring county. I just don't get it.

Doug, Bri and I drove to get some lunch Sunday afternoon (grabbed from a drive through and eaten in our car). In my area of town, people were out and about like there is no virus going on at all. There is a flea market by my house and it was packed and maskless. The ignorance that immediately surrounds me is becoming almost too much for me to bear. I feel like I am screaming in a wind tunnel (that I've been screaming in for almost a year). No one can hear me - well, no one wants to hear me.

 

It's not like I've been wrong. I haven't been wrong at all.

As for Briana and school next year, I am still not sure what will happen. All I know is Briana will not be stepping one foot in her public school without having a vaccine. And I'm not sure there will be one for her by then (kids start back in August). I don't want her to do another year of virtual. She needs some (masked) human contact soon. So, it's looking like private school will have to be an option if things don't start moving along quicker. It breaks my heart that Bri may have to start her school life over again, but it's better than being stuck at home (even though she may not think so). It's so hard not having any real control over this situation.

At least Fauc! finally has his muzzle off and can freely speak about science and facts again. He is beaming from ear to ear...

He should have been front and center this entire time. He was the expert in all of this. Not Tr@mp.

There is no doubt some depression is hitting me now. I'm ready for my life back now yet somehow have to continue to find patience. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. My whole life has been a trial in patience and I am seriously running out. Running out fast.

 And I am still holding on to so much anger right now. Anger at ignorance and selfishness. Anger at Tr@mp and his enablers. Anger at my lack of control over things. I just don't know how to let go of it. Even when life goes back to some sort of "normal," how is that going to look? Who will I still be associating with? What will I do with my life? What will be left in the rubble?

So, once again I am very conflicted. How can someone be quite happy yet very unhappy at the same time? I feel like a crazy person sometimes.

So that is where I am right now. Trying to hang on and be patient. It is tough though. So tough...

 

 I think I'll leave it here for now. I'm sure this week will be a quiet one as well. Be back next week.

Be safe.