Before we begin, there’s a pandemic and Tom Brady is leaving the Patriots. Someone needs to check on Boston – you okay up there, Beantown? Can I get you a green beer or something? Sheesh, these are trying times in my favorite city.
But, back to the business of living in the world of Covid-19. If you want to know what I’m up to with these blog posts, check out yesterday’s, but be warned, it’s kinda gloomy. After all, this is a pandemic. I can’t make much sunshine and light out of a damn virus that has no vaccine or cure.
But speaking of sunshine, we had some today, and for me in my comfy beach apartment and cozy work-from-home life, that made a big difference. I scheduled a meet up run with a good friend, probably one of the only friends I’ll see in person during this quasi-shutdown, and had to stop myself from singing along with Hamilton (“Not throwing away my shot!”) as I set off; it felt so good to be in the woods, in the sun.
What’s a meet up run, you ask? It’s one where my friend starts at the end of the park near her house, I at the end near mine, and we meet in the middle. We used to do these in Boston, and reward ourselves with a yummy brunch. These such adventures make me happy for some reason; it must be the neatness of a math problem revealing itself when, right about the time I think she should, she appears on the trail.
If one person starts at one end and travels at X speed, and the other at the other end and travels at Y speed…where will they meet?
Anyway, Sadie came along for the run, and was sucking wind by the end of our almost-4 miles in 60 degree temps (as were my friend and I). But, you’d never have known it when she poked me in the leg about 7pm and demanded a walk. It was then I remembered my vow to take a beach walk every day during the Covid-19 quasi shutdown.
So off we went. It was sunset. A very different view from last night.
Sadie ate fewer fish guts tonight, and there were more people; oddly, they were mostly teenagers, and they were definitely not practicing social distancing. If by chance there is a teenager reading this, knock that off, will you? I suspect science is going to prove pretty soon that younger folks are the main spreaders of this disease, while older folks are the main victims. Which is really lousy; so, kiddos, wash your hands and quit canoodling on the beach, ok?
Speaking of canoodling, the beach was in romance novel form tonight. There is this sheeny color blue that comes over the waves in the moments after the sun goes down; it seems almost fake, like someone’s done CGI over the water. Can you see it here?
As I wrote last night, I’m used to walking alone on the beach, but tonight was one of those nights when it would have been nice to have someone to hold hands with. That happens sometimes; the romance (and let’s face it, beaches at sunset are pretty romantic) just gets me. I try to just acknowledge it and then move on to other thoughts.
And there are plenty of other thoughts to ponder, like how the timing of Girl Scout Cookie season matching up with Covid-19 is either perfect or wretched, depending on your commitment to healthy eating. Or the philosophical question of why toilet paper?. Then there are thoughts of all the people for whom this whole Covid-19 thing is light years away from a joke or a contemplative walk on the beach. There are so many of them, and it’s hard to know how to help. I haven’t figured out how to do more than “just stay home”, and if anyone has suggestions, I’m open to them.
Be well, everyone, and I’ll hopefully see you all tomorrow.
Everything and a Racehorse 