Betty, Spokane, Whashington:
I am sitting at my desk in Spokane, WA USA writing about my life in the age of covid-19. It seems surreal that only a month ago we were going about our lives without a care in the world. I was skiing about 5 days a week and had just returned from a ski trip to Vail with a friend.
Today I am pretty much stuck at home, venturing outside only to go for a walk or to the grocery store to get curbside pickup.
I made several homemade masks with the elastic and fabric I had around the house. I have been unable to get any more elastic, so my sewing project is on hold until I can get more supplies.
My 34-year-old son has returned home from Thailand via Bali where he was vacationing. He is a vegan, so that provides a bit of a challenge for me as I’m trying to make sure he has plenty of healthy food to eat as he self-quarantined for the first 14 days in my basement. Thank goodness that is over now and we can converse in the same room.
My partner, who is a pilot for FedEx is one of the few people still working as his job is considered essential. So far there haven’t been any layoffs, but the immediate and longtime future are so uncertain that we are both feeling more stress than normal. An added layer of stress is that he is out amongst a lot of people at work every day. We are grateful that he has a job, but at the same time, nervous about being exposed to all those people.
I worry too about my 90-year-old mother. She is staying at home, but has a boarder at her house that goes to work every day. I am grateful that she has the company, but I’m also concerned about her potential exposure.
We have so far been spared the worst of this epidemic, but I can’t help but feel that eventually we will be as affected as elsewhere.
I have been trying new recipes and have done a lot more “from scratch” cooking, so that’s a good thing. Lets hope that we don’t all experience the covid-19 pounds!
I’m not surprised at the level of leadership from our president, but nonetheless his childish behavior continues to disappoint me. Thank goodness we have a competent leader in our Washington governor. This emergency has exposed the inequities and deficiencies in our healthcare and safety net programs. The question remains, what will we do about it when the present crisis has passed. I don’t know, but I am ever the optimist.
Signed, At home in Spokane