Day 101: Monday, June 22, 2020. OMG, I wrote a few paragraphs for day 101 yesterday and the whole thing is gone. It wasn’t very exciting but it was something. Damn.
Day 102: Really? Day 102? I’m so over this. However, it’s clearly not done with us yet. Mexico is still peaking. So nothing to do but hunker down and start cooking again. That’s what I think. F-ck it. DogStar will be done, I can wrap PADI up in two weeks, then I can just cook. Maybe I *can* learn how to bake cakes after all. The devil is in having nothing to do, nothing to create, nothing to learn. At least for me.
I had a bad night – I ended up throwing up –and not from anything food or drink. But from stress, I think. I was breathing through my mouth forever in my sleep because I was so stuffed up (allergies I think, it’s been ongoing this spring and happens) and it was just foam. TMI, I know.
But it shook me out of the depression I was on the edge of, I think. I’m not going to make myself so sick with worry that I throw up in the middle of the night, that is just crazy. Ain’t doing it (anymore). And that’s that. I’ll show you some BF Skinner behaviour at its finest.
It’s easy to get depressed these days, too easy. Especially for anyone who has had their routine turned upside down. I’m at least half-lucky, I’ve worked at home a lot of my life and certainly for the last 25+ years. But since we’ve been in Mexico, I have been very used to going back to BC to continue to do business and see family and friends, we have a residence there (albeit only an airstream at the moment), we have a business there, we pay tax there. I normally go back five or six times a year and then I’m in Toronto to see Dad and Syl. And other trips. I don’t go outside much in Cuernavaca but I do leave a lot. Normally.
And I don’t really have any active earning income business right now. The Move to Mexico Bible earns income, as does Google AdSense – but we’ll have to get the new site up and running, he’s redesigning it before passing it over to me which is very kind (to help with the google algorithms). Cash flow on some investments we have has decreased about 30% but I’m not complaining. We have pensions also and we can live. I think active income has pretty much died for now until I can get north again, I suspect. We do have to borrow to close on the condo – in two months max. I do need to go check out the Nanaimo real estate statistics online for May and probably more importantly, June but not until July obviously for the latter. And see how many days on market I can expect it to take to sell.
It only lasted a few seconds. But it got the pots swinging, they were banging into each other. That’s how I knew it wasn’t just me, I heard them (they are up on a pot hanger thingie, you’ve seen it).
I gather it was a 7+, centred in Oaxaca, down the coast. Like seriously, I don’t have enough to lose sleep over? But we’re on solid rock, I’m really not too nervous. Time to do some PADI. I’ll be back, it’s barely noon.
Ok, finished part whatever in part III and should finish part III this week, including exam. Then on to part IV, the last online segment. What else? Nicoise salad for dinner. Neat some vegetables. Had a white pesto pasta last night (ground walnuts, ricotta, lemon zest, parm, a few more little things) – it wasn’t spectacular but was unusual and nice enough. Mabye suitable for a cold pasta salad, should I ever be fortunate to have lunches again here.
What else?
Day 103: I guess there was nothing else, LOL. I got a great night’s sleep, not as crazy as I was, there’s nothing we can do about his pandemic except be smart, stay in, wear a mask if you have to go out. That’s it. This too, shall pass. In some fashion. Nothing is forever, even bad things. I did more PADI, did a lot of research about our next guest (tomorrow) and tried to figure out what to ask and what to wear.
It’s bloody cold here and I hope the sun comes out tomorrow (highs around 22). The pool is getting cold, cloudy out and no solar heat – which is its own thing. Mid-afternoon, dog walks long done, made sure the casita (studio) was tidy, I’ll have to order some flowers to come in the morning. I’ll always wear the hat, so the question is what colour band, and which scarf. Because I will also always wear a scarf. Maybe. Still working out my clothes. Clothes are not my thing. I do have a lot of jewelry though. And white linen shirts. How can you go wrong?
So, here I go again – what else? This is like a bad movie – nothing happens. LOL. At least not on a daily basis. I’d like to go to sleep for a few weeks, a mini Rip Van Winkle, and get up and hope things look better in the world. BC looks good. So does France, Italy, Germany… they are keeping a handle on things. The US has gone crazy, so has Brazil and Russia. Boy, it’s taking this virus a long time to move around the world. Fucking America (pardon me). We’d better not let anyone into Canada or Mexico (but Mexico will).
I could go on a trump rant but what’s the point? Murderous, lying traitor. Nothing new there. Too many are dying in the US. Wear a mask, stay the f-ck home unless you have to go out. If you’re lucky enough to have one.
I just placed a grocery order online, they say between 10 and 11am in the morning. We have three oranges and one old apple and a bunch of lemons left in the fruit drawer. And two of the lemons and one of the oranges have been skinned for recipes. Sad photo. I need to make lemonade. How’s that for a metaphor?
So, I think I’ll try to be a bit more healthy again. Back to taking Tumeric caps (I get lazy), potassium (ordered some bananas too) and magnesium (I get cramps at night, god this getting old sucks). Kale salad with quinoa chia chicken fingers for dinner. I *should* drink lemon and hot water in the morning again but I’ve really been bad about that. Maybe tomorrow is a good day to start.
Tea. We’re having black tea (well, with milk and sugar but not like, green tea). How Canadian. It’s from Canada. They don’t have good black tea here. Chilly out, that’s how chilly it is. Tea. At four. In Mexico. Ok, this may be it for me today. I have nothing. And tomorrow, I won’t be done taping until 6pm so may not even be here. I have grocery delivery in the morning, and do have to clean for our houseman coming back Friday (I tidy so he can just clean). Ok, later. It’s almost 5pm and 8pm comes early LOL.
Day 104: The day goes on, the grocery store delivery came, I sanitized what i had to, threw out all the plastic bags (wore gloves and washed my hands). Dog walks done, flowers and beer delivered (I have my priorities).
I’ll move to the casita (studio) in a couple of hours – looking forward to it, should be a fun show today. Mercury retrograde played havoc with a surprise we had planned for the guest – but that’s how it goes. Funny, after being inside 104 days, things disappoint me less. LOL. I guess.
I still can’t get complacent about shit but I’m kind of in a ‘pick your battles’ period because they ALL induce cortisol and not melatonin in your brain. I learned that from a dog trainer but it works with people too. I need more melatonin right now.
Also… just to note – several sources are asserting that while the virus is getting more contagious, it is less virulent, weaker, and people are not getting as sick. This may be the virus, but also the effect of masks and social distancing, smaller viral loads are infecting people. Which is very good. So while we will see more active cases, the death toll will be lower.
The US, however is in trouble. Today – June 25 – Texas added 5,500 convirmed cases. The entire country of Pakistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, added 3,500. Let that sink in for a minute.
They also have obesity issues, and lots of diabetes in the red states. Which are the states that are surging in new cases. Say a prayer or a chant for them. Here’s a quite sobering Umair story: Does America Have a Future?
Spoiler: Maybe. Depends.
So, I should go read my questions again (for the guest – who wrote Sleepless in Seattle). You guys are really going to want to watch this show when it comes out. Scheduled (I learned that at Macleans) launch date: July 28, 2020.
I have to go start prepping. I doubt I will come back later. But I’ll be back tomorrow. For sure.
Day 105: Okay, encouraging news. While worldwide cases are up, the death rate is slowing. Did I mention our infectious disease researcher friend drew our attention to this. The viral loads are smaller, masks are working to block some of the strength of the virus and science has found some treatments that seem to be working. Not out of the woods yet, but read this Special Report (click the dark words) from Reuters.
Spoiler alert but you won’t all click the story so here is the gist of it:
“Despite a steady rise in COVID-19 cases, driven to some extent by wider testing, the daily death toll from the disease is falling in some countries, including the United States. Doctors say they are more confident in caring for patients than they were in the chaotic first weeks of the pandemic, when they operated on nothing but blind instinct. In June, an average of 4,599 people a day died from COVID-19 worldwide, down from 6,375 a day in April, according to Reuters data.“
I’ve been in the casita (studio) all day. With PJ. Our houseman came back with a mask. He will be gone soon I hope. In any event, I got a fair bit done today. Had another tormented night, allergies really got me stuffed up and I was breathing through my mouth again and swallowing air. I’m going to have to take decongestants before bed. I hope it’s not beer. I only had three at the virtual cocktail party (Boomer Bitches™) and over three hours so I don’t think that can be it. It doesn’t happen every day, so it’s not the pillows.
Enough for today, I’m exhausted. If this stuffed up crap ends up being histamine from three Heineken, I’m throwing myself in the barranca. Manada, dudes and dudettes (?).
Day 106: Showing tomorrow, tentatively. Will keep you posted. Sun just coming up. The house is incredibly clean, I am so fortunate. God, after 15 weeks it’s nice to have the pros back. Showing postponed.
Day 107: Sunday, June 28, 2020. I can’t believe June is almost over. Notice how I glossed over yesterday’s three sentences. I got an editing/rewrite job. It will probably take me the week. With half days off here and there as I wait for comments on drafts. It’s a fun job.
We also have a showing on Thursday around 3 pm, not sure if it’s the postponed one or not, I think so. I warned her if they were late, I’d be in the studio (casita) and not to bug me LOL. Taping day. We’re playing around with the format. I think we’re going to come up with something good. I had no idea how much material could come and even more so, now that I know what we’re looking for, or will know before each show, the possibilities open up, I think. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime, it does keep me off the street.
This feels like another lame blog. I sure haven’t had time to contemplate much in the last few days, anyway. I apologize for that, I’ll try to be a little more organized next week. I may have to stop publishing every Sunday and, as before, only publish when I actually say something.
I will see. In the meantime, every one take a deep breath. Things will be okay. Until next time.
Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay kind.
Bev:
Sorry about your allergies and anxiety. Doubt its’ the beer, Suspect its’ the house (sale).
The virus has no friends but Donald Trump. Stay the course. Those two will pass.
Hugs, Lou
Thanks Lou! It comes and goes and mostly it’s gone (anxiety). And the allergies don’t happen every night, by any means. So maybe it’s crap in the air from Popo. Anyway, yes, everything will pass one day we’ll look back on this and it will be the blink of an eye. Stay safe xo