08/06/2020, Thursday

Well, they are rolling out the back to school plan in stages. Today's official announcement is we all open with hybrid learning. Group A Will attend M,T and group B on Th, F. Wednesday will be distance learning for both groups while they deep clean the building. I like consecutive days, because many lessons take more than 1 period to complete.

I will ask my doctors for a medical leave during radiation. I don't want the increase risk of covid exposure while being treated, and also, for the practical reason that I don't want to end up in some quarantine group that makes my treatment have to be halted. I will also ask that my leave be intermittent, with an option to work remotely, because, let's face it if I feel up to it, I am going to be sending emails, working on reports and video chatting with colleagues.

Before all this crazy, we are going to take a short trip to Door County Wisconsin. It's on a peninsula in Lake Michigan and is called the Cape Cod of the Midwest. Paula mentioned on Facebook she likes to travel there, we've been a couple of times. I choose a small motel with no interior corridors, stellar ratings on cleanliness, large grounds with spaced out gathering areas, picnic tables etc. I don't know if I'll be cleared for swimming, but there are lots of hiking areas etc. I think it will be easy to have a safe, appropriately social distanced getaway. If the patio restaurants don't seem spaced well enough, we can get take away and picnic. Not gonna lie though, I hope some of the prettier wineries have some sort of social distance happenings, if they do, we'll be there :)

Good decision on taking that leave. And the trip sounds lovely.

Diane Mc, I'm glad you are okay. I was a bit concerned that your leg was not healing as it should be. Glad to know that it is healing.

The water weight is holding on. I was down another half pound today, but my ankles are still swollen. I'm expecting that after today's workout, which got me breathing heavily and my heart pounding, I will lose a little bit more of the water weight and then will have to just wait for the real pounds to come off slowly, once again.

I am pretty stressed out about school starting up. I could write a novel about the stress, but it's much easier to just ostrich right now. It's actually the only way I can deal with it. I get so completely overwhelmed when I look at the online schedule that the district designed, that it really is in my best interest to just ostrich. (I love that we have made 'ostrich' into a verb!!!!! Is that unique to us, or do other people use it, too?) In fact, I was feeling rather grateful that I am having my cataract surgery next week and "get" to miss some of the PD the district is providing.

Ceci, your raw emotion is completely understandable. I think we are all on edge to some degree. I consider myself very lucky. I have a partner, lots of puppies, plus my dad and two besties in my inner circle. I also have my socially distant gym training twice per week. And, I'm not going to lie, getting away to Ohio, even though I was nervous prior to going and had moments of disbelief while there, was a glorious break from the everyday monotony that is my life during Covid.

Also, without meaning to be sexist, I do find that the isolation seems to have taken a greater toll on my female friends than on my male friends. I've not really considered why, but I do notice that.

I have more, but alas, my client is here.....

Interesting point on women possibly needing more face to face contact. I know I am very lucky that I haven't been isolated at all with all my family and trusted friends nearby.