50 Weeks Behind Us (Weekly Update)

50. 

It's been 50 weeks since coronavirus hit the state of GA full force.

I can't believe I have to write the number 50. I felt a pit in my stomach as soon as I typed it.

Over 500,000 people dead in America alone from this virus (over 16K of those are from Georgia). For me, it is like a gut punch every time I see that number. It's a gut punch every time I hear another person has lost his/her battle to this virus. I know for some people - it's well, meh. My extreme empathy doesn't allow me to be so flippant about this crisis.

Every time someone doesn't wear a mask or doesn't social distance properly or tries to discourage the vaccine, I feel it is total disrespect to those 500,000+ people who are gone now.

I read something on FB about the pandemic recently that I really thought was poignant and impactful...

Yes, I am definitely spent. Yes, I've definitely run out of things to say. Yes, I am still trying to get through each day. And I really like the meaning behind this statement, but there was something about it that bothered me when I read it. I finally realized what was bothering me about it. Only part of it is true.

The line that says "This is a state of being like no other we have ever known because we are all going through it together but so very far apart." Well, that's not completely true. Not everyone has kept their distance from others for the greater good.

Yes, we are all living through this pandemic. But no, we haven't been going through this pandemic "all together" the same way. Americans haven't been united like we were on 9/11. Some people's lives have been impacted way more than others. I know mine has been very impacted. My kid has to attend school virtually, even though there was supposedly a "choice" in the matter (only suggested mask use and no social distancing during a pandemic doesn't make for a true choice). My husband hasn't traveled for work in a year. We barely go out because the refusal of mask use in my neck of the woods.

So many have thumbed their noses at mask use. So many have continued to gather socially mask-less in large groups with no distancing. Some still don't think it's more dangerous than the flu - even with all who have died. Many still believe people like me are just "scared." 

Maybe if everyone had believed in the severity of this virus. Maybe if people had done more of the right things. If people had listened to the experts of infectious diseases instead of the lying former "insurrection inciter in charge," maybe then I would have had an easier time getting through these past 50 weeks. Maybe far less people would have died.

I've felt quite alone and in the minority many times during this crisis because of those who felt their "personal freedom" outweighed their "civic responsibility." If I knew that everyone was actually "going through it together" the same way, with the same "let's try to actually contain/fix this problem" attitude rather than adhering to the "ignore it/pray about it" perspective, then maybe I would have felt a bit more secure and supported during this super crappy, difficult time. I am grateful to those friends and family members of mine who have been in "my camp" on this issue and have helped keep me afloat mentally these last 50 weeks.

The one (very) positive thing that I can post about these past 50 weeks is that I've been able to spend more quality and quantity time with my husband and daughter than I would have ever been able to under normal circumstances - and that is the part I will always consider a blessing.

 When things do start going back to so called "normal," my normal will not look normal at all. My whole perspective has changed. I look at the world very differently now - the outside world and my personal world. I'm definitely more jaded. I am not sure how I will navigate it all.

I do know when I finally start getting back out there...

#Truth.

And I have to try to remember this...

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I don't feel like getting too political for this post for some reason. I will probably get more political next week. The one thing I will say...

Again, #Truth.

 

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I'm going to sign off now. I'm going to continue social distancing now - just like I've been doing for the past year. Watching people continually take bigger risks than I am willing to take right now. It's not any easier than it was when I first started this. I'm ready for my vaccine - I just don't know when I'll be able to get it.

 Remember...

Be back next week. Stay safe. 

Hilton Head Vacation 2021 - Day 6

I woke up early on the final day (Day 6/Saturday) and decided to go downstairs before anyone else got up. The glowing sun caught my attention as soon as I descended the stairs. It was beautiful. An amazing sunrise.

I sat down in the breakfast/sitting room and watched the sun come up in the quiet...

I sat there feeling like it was going to be really difficult to leave that day. It took a few days for me to find my comfort stride. Then it felt like I blinked and it was time to get back home.

I made some cinnamon rolls for my peeps for when they woke up.

I had packed a lot the night before, so I just needed to get a few last things in the suitcases, the food packed up and the cooler filled. I took one last walk around the house and Briana chilled watching HGTV (she loves home makeover shows)...

After that beautiful sunrise, the weather decided to get overcast. Made it a bit easier to leave not having to see the sun glistening on the water...

We packed up the car, locked the house and backed out of the driveway...

The drive home was pretty uneventful. I made sandwiches so we didn't have to stop for lunch anywhere. We made only two stops (a rest stop and a gas fill up). We did hit some nasty traffic/roadwork as we got close to home.

We have a Peach Pass and were able to hop into the pass lane. Oh my gosh - what a blessing. The roadwork had traffic backed up for miles. We whizzed by all of it. See the stopped traffic in the far right of the picture?

That could have added possibly 45 minutes to an hour on to our already long trip. And we were very ready to get home.

We got home safely around 3PM.

Like I said before, we pretty much had all the weather while we were gone...

Thunder/lightning, sun, warmth, cold, clouds, wind, fog, mist, rain, sunrises and sunsets.

It was just all over the place.

We still had a really nice time. 

 Yes, there were hiccups. Yes, the house had a couple issues (but was overall comfortable and beautiful). Yes, I didn't feel 100% health-wise while I was there. Yes, I was a bit anxious traveling during a pandemic. Yes, we missed going out to restaurants and shopping and just being around more people. 

But, it was a very relaxing and overall great getaway.

Maybe we will do something again like this in the summer. We'll have to see.

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Oh! The Tuesday after we got home - we got a new refrigerator delivered. It's a totally different layout from my old one, but I am loving it!

Old fridge...

New fridge...

Sometimes change can be a good thing! 

Thanks for reading along!

Hilton Head Vacation 2021 - Day 5

We woke up on Day 5 (Friday) of our vacation to a cold and steady rain...

What is something fun to do on a cold rainy day? Build Legos of course! 

Doug and Briana built a "Black Panther" head from instructions that Doug found on the internet...

Building away...

It turned out so cool...

We ate some leftovers for lunch and Bri and I watched a bunch of "The Middle" episodes in the afternoon. It's really a funny show...

We needed a few grocery items for the trip back home the next day, so we took a quick drive. After getting the items, Doug suggested stopping at a small nearby fudge shop...

The shop was super cute and the fudge was so good. I got maple walnut, Bri got peanut butter chocolate and Doug got Valentine's cake.

It rained pretty much all day, but right before sunset, it stopped. The most gorgeous sky appeared...

It started out more orange...

Then it became a bit more pink...

Just breathtaking.

We decided to order in one more nice meal for our last night.

And that's when hiccup number 3 happened.

We ordered from a place called WiseGuys. 

Come to find out, it was their first night doing delivery. We placed our order online through the delivery service. We waited quite a while for our meal and when it came, my dinner was missing. I had ordered a scallop and mushroom risotto.

Doug jumps on the phone immediately to complain. The hostess passes him to the manager - who then passes him off to a woman bartender who tells Doug she accidentally skipped my meal. She said she would send someone back out immediately.

We wait and wait. No one shows.

Doug calls back again for a status and gets a guy bartender on the phone. He checks to see if the order was sent out. He comes back to the phone and just says yes. Doug asks him how long ago. He leaves again and comes back and says it left the restaurant 15 minutes before.

We wait and wait. No one EVER showed up. At all.

 That guy straight up lied to us. Doug tried to call one more time asking for the manager who never came to the phone. Just horrible. We finally gave up. I ended up eating the starter soup I ordered and some of the appetizer lobster risotto Doug had ordered. And then I threw together a salad. I was pretty ticked I never got my risotto.

 (Doug did write some bad reviews online about this place. And he disputed the charge for my meal on his credit card).

This was the food that actually showed...

Everything was a bit cold but could be warmed up. Bri got a steak and mac n cheese and Doug got chicken and waffles. The chicken was delicious I have to say (Doug offered me some of his dinner). But, the service that night was a massive thumbs down. I absolutely do not recommend.

Doug chuckled a bit that my order was the one that didn't show up. He has witnessed the bad luck that follows me around quite often. It's something I'm still not used to.

 It was kind of a bummer that was our last dinner in HH. Oh well.

We then watched newest episode of WandaVis!on and then headed to bed. 

We had a bit of a drive the next day...

Hilton Head Vacation 2021 - Day 4

The main word for Day 4 (Thursday) of our trip...fog.

So much fog - which hung around most of the day. It was also misty and breezy but not as cold as the day before...

I woke up and I couldn't see the ocean in the distance...

Doug asked if I wanted to take a walk with him, but I wasn't feeling it that day. Bri wasn't either. So, he took a long walk on the beach on his own...

I opted to sit out on the deck again, even in the mist, to enjoy what little of the ocean I could see...

Wishful thinking about going back to Broadway again someday...

I had a little fun with my camera...

Doug finally returned and I made some lunch for us.

Then I decided I wanted to go and sit on the sand close to the water - even if it was foggy, misty and breezy. I grabbed a jacket and beach towel and sat on the sand near the ocean. The beach was practically empty. I did a lot of thinking out there...

Someone made the coolest sculpture in the sand. People were taking pictures with it...

The ocean...

 I sat there for the longest time. I let myself feel a lot of emotions. So much has happened in a one year span. I've lost a lot and I've missed a lot since the virus hit. My eyes have been opened to a lot of things - which is maybe a good thing. It's been such a difficult year. But, I was content to be in a calm and serene place in that moment.

I finally walked back to the house...

That evening, we had Frankie Bones delivered again for dinner (again delicious) and then we watched the last X-Men movie of the original trilogy.

The next day - rain.