A Toe in the Out There Water? in Everyday Ramblings

We have a flood watch in play later today through Friday so this photo I took in the glorious sun along the river on Monday is a reminder that we will get through this patch.

Today for the first time in 15 months I got myself out on the track to do track things. I was most curious to see if the nostril widening devices would help me run. Getting cardio means extra effort any day, but I still don’t feel safe at the gym. I was able to breathe better but considering that I haven’t tried running in 15 months and, oh, weight gain…the results of the experiment were neutral.

A few of my students are back at their respective pools and gyms and so on. One of them tried water yoga at a spa she has access to where she lives. It sounds like lots of fun. She said she was seriously sore after though, even though they all hopped in the jacuzzi after.

Mrs. Sherlock went to a sold-out play on Sunday. They had to show proof of vaccination and wear masks.

I realized on my way to the grocery this weekend that I was getting a bit agoraphobic lately. I hope what I was feeling was just a touch of it. Though I have been leaning more lately about useful things to do in the middle of a panic attack, either one you are having, or one you are witnessing.

Amtrak is running more trains now, so I decided to spring for a round trip ticket to have Thanksgiving with Kes and Most Honorable. I doubt the trains will be close to full. At this point they are only booked at 20%. This will be a test for me. Getting out, getting to the train station, and taking a cab home on the way back.

I will double mask; I am comfortable with that now. And sanitize. The whole thing.

The idea of the bus (and that is mostly what they have been running), too many people, too little space was not appealing at all. But the train is more spacious in every way. And they have installed better air purifiers, so I feel like it is an acceptable risk.

I read the essay in The Atlantic this morning about how one of the fellows that established the Covid Tracking Project got Covid late last month after traveling to a wedding from California to New Orleans. He was sensibly careful about all the protocols for 18 months and was vaccinated. A dozen people at the wedding got sick.

We want to believe it is over. We want it to be over. Even with the miracle of the vaccines the stupid heartbreaking pandemic thing is not over. People are traveling again. Going to concerts and movies and…

I think back to those weeks in late February and March last year where I was so careful about hand hygiene, but everything felt kind of creepy and uncertain and I was worried about my students. I didn’t have a clue what we were in for.

And now we are back on the other side with so much more known except if the person you are interacting with, or the space you are interacting with is compliant. As if we needed another reason not to trust each other and celebrate our commonalities.

Tentatively, I am beginning to reengage with the outside world, indoors.

Well, at least I will, after the predicted flooding subsides.