Personal Update for April 11, 2020

Hope this message finds the reader well on your end.

Over here, in northern or central New Jersey - just outside of the epicenter of Covid-19 cases in the country (the greater New York/New Jersey metropolitan area), we are still in a near total shutdown. It is strange, really. The weather is beautiful, probably could not be more accommodating or inviting. We have had some rain, but that is normal for this time of the year. Otherwise, we have had gorgeous days, brilliant and sunny. The days are warm (bot not too warm) and the nights are cool, which is personally my favorite combination. As I write this, the brilliant sunshine is pouring in, and there is a bit of wind, making the morning somewhat on the chilly side.

For once, I am off during the days this particular weekend, and the temptation would be to go out to a park and enjoy it. One option might normally have been a visit to nearby Duke Farms, which is right here in Hillsborough. Maybe some hiking in the woods with my son. Perhaps go to the Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park in Newark and neighboring towns. Or perhaps go to Ringwood, one of the most pleasant towns in New Jersey that I know of, to visit either Ringwood Manor, which dates back to the colonial American days, and the grounds there, or the even more beautiful (in my opinion) Skylands Botanical Gardens. Or some other place not yet mentioned. Perhaps taking my son to see the New York City skyline, like we did a couple of months ago - feels like a lot longer than that now, after all that we have collectively seen! - and take in a gorgeous day or evening. Really take advantage of the day, you know?

But that is not possible. Here's the thing: my girlfriend grew sick, just a little over one week ago. I am writing this on a Saturday, and she got rick a week before yesterday, on that Friday.  She began to sneeze and cough, and generally felt under the weather.

That would not normally be a big deal, except that this is the age of the coronavirus. So she talked to her doctor and at first, they dismissed it for what she also believed it to be, which was seasonal allergies. But by Thursday, my girlfriend called the doctors again, because she was not getting better. They recommended that she get tested for Covid-19. As soon as that happened, it had an impact on my own work life, as well, because I felt a moral, and possibly a legal, obligation to inform both of my jobs about that. My main job was going to give me a laptop to work at home, but then, in time, changed their mind, so I am still going there. But my weekend job took me off the schedule for this particular weekend, just to play it safe. That is why I have this rare weekend off (during the daytime, in any case). 

Yet, I cannot go out and enjoy it as much as I would otherwise. Up until about Wednesday, I was still walking fairly regularly. I took big walks on both Tuesday and Wednesday. But all of that ended on Thursday, even though I still feel mostly quite strong and healthy, physically. In order to play it safe, I am limiting my own mobility more than usual, which means curtailing my walks, and not seeing my son. That has been the case since that Friday, and it seemed a precaution that would end within days, as my girlfriend got better. But she did not, even though she also has not gotten worse. Yesterday, there were signs of improvement, but today, again, she is not sure. At least she is not getting worse, and she is nowhere near as sick as some people who have it get. I know one old college friend who tested positive, and a coworker who did not test positive, but who had most, if not all, of the symptoms. And it is no joke, what they are describing. 

Neither of us think that she has the coronavirus. Again, she has not gotten worse, and she does usually get seasonal allergies, even often badly. That said, this is not a time to throw caution to the wind. Neither of us wants to be responsible for getting anyone else sick. 

So, no visiting parks, which would not be possible anyway, since New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy  has closed all state parks. But there will be no hiking, and no big walks, either, just to be safe. Again, I personally do not feel any symptoms, even though, like most people, I feel nervous these days when I feel a bit of a tickle in my throat, or suddenly begin to cough or sneeze. But my guess is that all of this is within the normal range, things that happen often, which we do not pay attention to, but which now, under these circumstances, feels seriously threatening. Perhaps that is why I am conscious of my own relative decent health right now, because in the past few weeks, I actually have felt healthier than normal. More well-rested, with more time spent at home. Hell, my back does not even hurt, and this is a fairly long stretch of time where my back is not aching even when I get up. But that might be because of the increased awareness of the health threats that are suddenly all around us.

It is still a gorgeous Saturday morning here, around 10:30 in the morning. I woke up one hour ago, having slept in after staying up a bit too late last night. Why? Because despite an effort not to give into taking a nap - something I usually have more success with when I can go out - I took a nap in the late afternoon/early evening, and that meant not being tired when the normal bedtime came. It was closer to two in the morning, which is not a time that I normally stay awake for on my nights off. 

Over here, I just made some good coffee, and am about to enjoy it. Back in the good old days of last year (prior to taking the part-time job in November), my girlfriend and I would enjoy that French Press coffee, which I jokingly referred to as "the taste of freedom." We are about to enjoy a cup of it this morning, because we can at least do that much. The window is open, the weather is beautiful, and we are trying to enjoy it, even if this Easter weekend would normally be a time to celebrate with her Polish friends in a large gathering. Not this year.

There are a lot of things very different this year. Again, I have not seen my son now in well over a full week, and so long as my girlfriend is not getting better, it seems uncertain when the next time I would see him would be. And this whole not going out thing is a bit of a drag. It feels limited and limiting.

Yet, we also have to appreciate what we have, which is mainly our relative good health. Sure, she is coughing and sneezing a bit, and feels stuffy and congested. But mercifully, that is all she feels, and that is not like the symptoms which I have heard or read described to me from people who have Covid-19. Having decent health is not a minor blessing, it is a major thing.

Here I am, now sipping that coffee, as we are making our plans for the day. At some point, I will need to shave my head and lazy beard, and trim the goatee. Mostly, what we are going to eat. Maybe watch yest another movie. I do not remember having watched as many movies as in the past two or three weeks. It feels a bit like weekends of old, back when my brother and I were in school, and the weekends in our tiny house as a family were nonetheless welcome respites from our week. We feel a bit cooped up in here now, but we also have the luxury of being able to relax, and again, to do that in relatively goo health. We should all count our blessings these days, cognizant of how many people out there are less fortunate.

We just have to take it a day at a time. And again, hopefully everyone is doing well on their end. 

Take care!