Day 115

Here we are, still waiting for this crisis to be over. Not really knowing who to trust and unsure of what is fact or fabrication; accurate or embellished.

I never thought that events or situations in this country would be manipulated for political benefits.  In other countries maybe, but never here.

We elected persons to office who were going to serve in the best interests of the people.  They were never to be self-serving.

Spending time alone has given me more time to listen rather than speak.  And this time alone has allowed me to analyze, think and watch what other people are saying and doing. Is this good?  Time will tell, I suppose.

But, this self- semi-isolation has done one thing for me that I never expected.

Remember when we were kids, that Time took forever?  When we never thought our birthdays would come?  Or how impatient we were as we counted down the days for Christmas?

And remember when we realized that as we got older, the days just skipped by and became weeks, then months and then years in what seemed like a mini-second?  There weren't enough hours in a day and not enough time to do all we wanted to do.

Well, I'm finding that time has slowed down once again. There is no real point in rushing to get anything done, because the days are longer than before.

How did this happen?  Would it have happened anyway?

Ask us what day it is and notice that it takes a minute to answer...... because it doesn't matter.

Ask us what time it is and notice that we need to think before giving an answer.....because it doesn't matter.

Life is moving at a slower pace now and it gives us more time to smell the roses.  That's not a bad thing, is it?

Day 106

Lord have mercy!

Numbers of infected people keep going up, but thank goodness the number of deaths are not.

Looks like we're going to be expected to wear masks for the time being and only God and the Government knows how much  longer.

Speaking of masks...I hate wearing one; but I do.

The first one I wore had 2 ties that ran behind the head. And having to tie a knot and bow meant I usually ended up getting my hair caught each time I put it on and off.

Then I graduated to the ones that had 2 stretchy bands that went around the back of my head.  Those were easier to put on, but it took strategy not to have the back of my hair looking like a rooster in heat. I was thinking my next hair cut and style would be chosen by how it would work with the face mask.

So, I made an appointment to get a suitable, mask friendly haircut.

Then, remember I mentioned my husband accidentally stepped on my big toe?  I lost half the nail as a result. I wear open toe sandals during the summer and it looked funny to have a skinny strip of red nail polish on a toe that should have a large nail.

I went to CVS and bought fake toe nails to make the broken big toe nail match the other..  I followed the instructions, glued it on, painted it red and was very, very pleased with the result.

Now, fast forward to my haircut appointment, talking to another client who is sitting over 6 feet away from me. Remember we are in full view of each other.

The back of my ankle started to itch, really bad.  I didn't want to bend over and scratch it because I was in the middle of a haircut.

Just something you might want to think about.  If you're wearing a fake, glued on toe nail (in this case, on the left foot) and the back of your right ankle starts to itch, DON'T  try to scratch it with the big toe on your left foot if it's a glued on nail.

 Especially if you're in a situation where others have a clear view of your toes.. 

Do you understand why I'm saying this?

God bless this woman for just glancing at the now halfway unglued, hanging by a thread, toe nail and continuing the conversation as though this was a normal occurrence.

I'm sure she had a story to tell when she got home.

Day 100

Oh, Dear God.   Did I ever think we'd reach a triple digit number of days of self-quarantining and social distancing?  No, I did not.

I won't deny the fact that this is testing me....big time.

Little things that used to bother me have now become big things that bother me.

Case in point...The Last One.

Does that mean anything to you? It does to me.  It means I have to open a new box, or refill the jar or restock the whatever.

Many, many moons ago do you recall my mentioning  a contract of sorts where household  responsibilities were to be shared as the situation came up? I remember; my husband doesn't.

Consequently, I find the tea pitcher almost empty, but not completely, so he's excused from making tea and refilling the pitcher.

Pringles potato chips....2 chips at the bottom means the container doesn't yet need to be thrown away.

Toothpaste....one itsy bitsy squeeze from being completely empty.

Toilet paper....3 squares remaining on the roll and the cabinet empty of spare rolls.  This is something I always check, and for obvious reasons.  This is the one I always mention (nag about) to my husband.

These were little things, but not anymore.  Not after 100 days of close quarters.

Last night, I checked the toilet paper situation and sure enough...3 squares and no spare roll.

I thought it might be time for a meaningful lesson.  You know me well enough by now to see where this is going, don't you?

I always wake up before my husband does and this morning it was no different.

 Except I removed all the extra toilet paper rolls from our "Primary" bathroom along with the boxes of facial tissues. ( I'm grinning as I type this.)  I left 3 squares on the existing roll.

Then I went outside to have my coffee and to enjoy the view, knowing I would be hearing someone call my name for help.  And I did.

And since no one enjoys drinking a cold cup of coffee, it took awhile to respond while I finished my coffee and to bring him what he desperately needed.

Meaningful lesson learned, I think.

Sicilian wives are great teachers.

BTW, my toe is fine, but I lost half the nail.

Day 96

Let me tell you how yesterday went.......

Just so you understand...My husband is tall; I am not.  My husband is thin; I am not.

There's more...As a surgeon he has become accustomed to having someone next to him, when he's in the operating room,  handing him surgical tools as he needs them.  He doesn't realize that "Home" routines don't work that way.  He still thinks that his projects come with "an assistant".....aka, Marilyn.

On the other hand, I'm the kind of person that prepares before starting a project.  I make sure I have what I need and the amounts of each thing I need and I prep as much as possible before I begin....It makes things go smoother.  And, I expect to work on, and complete, the project on my own without asking for help from anyone.

Let me bring you up to date.

We have a side by side refrigerator and the ice maker has not been working properly. My remedy for fixing it would be to call a repair man and leave an experienced person to deal with and fix the problem.

My husband's remedy is to research the problem on YouTube and to fix it himself.

We discussed the situation. He insisted he could fix it and DID NOT need my help. So, I foolishly agreed. I hoped he was right and could fly solo on this project.

I saw him getting his tools plus a flashlight and a mirror.  I heard him move the refrigerator away from the wall. And he confirmed he had turned the power off. And then he began to fix the problem.  Things seemed to be going well.

About 15 minutes into the job, I heard a cry for help, and that 2 extra hands were needed, ASAP.  Obviously, mine.

I reported to the kitchen, to find him halfway into the freezer right below where the ice cube collector bin had once been.  He had removed it to get better access to the back panel.

He needed help in holding up the heavy motor as he attempted to unscrew the panel holding it up. Translation, I was to reach around him and hold the motor up with my left hand as I shone the flashlight into the work area so he could see the panel.

Remember when I described our bodies?  Well, it's very difficult for a short person with short arms to reach around someone in a very limited space and balance on tip toes as you extend arms further than they were meant to be extended.

After  what seemed like an eternity, but probably only 5 minutes or so, my arms began to tremble and I told him I couldn't hold the heavy motor up any longer.  He said that of course I could.

Well, I couldn't.

I let go of the motor; it hit his head and he reared back in pain.  As he did this,  his foot jerked back, caught my left big toenail and brutally smashed it.

In addition, the screws he was holding fell into a wide tube leading from the freezer to the refrigerator motor.  They are not retrievable.  The fridge motor sounds funny, but it's running.  The ice maker isn't running at all.

Current status?

Anthony has a band-aid on his forehead. My big toe is wrapped and I'm going to be wearing open toed shoes for a while.

The repairman is coming Tuesday with a new ice maker and will check the fridge motor at the same time.

Today is another, and hopefully better,  day.

Day 92

I keep learning what "not to do" things.  And to keep you from learning the same lessons, I feel I should share them with you.

Now, this is a pretty specific product so it may not be something you're interested in, but you never know.

You may recall that several weeks ago I told the story about my wearing thigh high compression stockings that often slid down my legs and dragged on the floor from under the trouser legs.  It was so embarrassing.  And they'd slide down in spite of my reaching down every few minutes to pull them up.

Picture yourself pushing a shopping cart down an aisle at the grocery store and the woman in front of you keeps reaching for her thighs, tries to grab "something", pulls it up  and then rubs her thighs all around from front to back.

I guarantee that at this point you're not concerned about whether she has the covid virus or not, you're thinking she has a horrible skin condition going on under her slacks  and she's  scratching madly.  And then you watch her touch items on the very shelf you're going to reach for.

I was that woman, but I was just pulling up my stockings before they dragged on the floor.  I didn't want to be that woman anymore.

Fast forward....

I found a medical adhesive that you roll on your thigh and press the stocking on to it so the stocking adheres to it and doesn't slide down.

I bought it and it worked....very, very, very well. I now have an antiseptic cream on my thighs as the raw skin fills in.

But this isn't the worst part.....

I'm letting my hair grow out so I can tuck it behind my ears. I also have one ear that sticks out a little bit and the hair makes it stick out further.

I know what you're thinking...and you're right.

Before I saw how tight the adhesive would be on my thighs, I added some to the back of my ear and pressed until it dried.  It really pinned my ear back.  In fact it's flat against my head and really doesn't match the other ear.

It's going to be awhile before I can again wear a protective mask that wraps around my ears. 

And there is no way to tuck any hair behind that ear.

Day 84

I'd like to think we should be masters of our own Fate.  And sometimes that comes about as a result of deep meaningful conversations, some negotiating and sometimes it's simple desperation that results in the lesser of evils.

My husband and I just participated in one of those conversations. I wanted him to be in control of future events.  I wanted him to know what to expect.  And I wanted him to choose what was going to happen.

Last night, my sleep was continually interrupted by melodic sounds coming from the person in bed next to me.  I was awakened many times by a cacophony of sounds that ranged from snorts, to grunts to nasal whistles. He, of course, being the source of these sounds was completely oblivious to the annoyance of them.

He slept; I didn't.

I tried gently nudging him into a different sleeping position.  No response from him. I tried slightly tapping the side of his face.  I tried slightly shifting his pillow. Still he continued to make the same sounds that only seemed to be getting louder and louder.  I was feeling like Edgar Allan Poe and the Tell Tale Heart.

And then, I reached over in one last attempt to get some sleep and I pinched his nostrils shut. That had the desired effect.  He gasped and then he rolled over on to his side and slept quietly the rest of the night.  And so did I. 

This morning it was time for "The Talk".

I let him know what had happened the night before. I informed him I was going to take measures to ensure it didn't happen again.  And I gave him a choice of how he'd like me to handle the situation.

 He's been warned.

Did I mention I've been letting my toenails grow?  And he now has a stash of band aids on his nightstand.

Day 83

Words can heal; they can wound.

They can encourage; they can defeat.

Words when combined with positive actions can result in success.

Words when combined with negative actions will result in failure.

Words can incinerate; words can diffuse.

Words can insinuate; words can offer truth.

Words can provide Peace; words can start wars.

Listen carefully, check the source; and search for motives when words are spoken.

Rational behavior, common sense, civility, fairness, patience and respect for others should be our guides.

I'm spitting in the wind, I know. 

But maybe the winds will start blowing in the other direction.