Thirty-four days after returning from Spain, and thirty-three days into first self-quarantine and then self-imposed self-isolation, the novelty of the novel coronavirus is starting to wear off. Let me make this clear right at the start: My life, by no measure, has been impacted in the catastrophic ways in which millions of Americans and literally billions of people worldwide have been affected, yet it's all starting to wear a little thin.
And that's about the only complaint you're going to hear from me in this post, if I can keep my comments focused on the non-political side of things. Hard to do, but I will try.
When truly thinking about it, my current life is not all that much different than it would be in normal times--except that the last time I was home for a consecutive month was right after Judy had died in 2010. It's no use to cry over spilled milk, they say, so let's just say: I would have enjoyed those planned two weeks in Uruguay, and I would have preferred to be at the high school race I was supposed to work this weekend down in Pace Bend. And looking into the future, well, there are more cancellations. That's the way it is.
Anybody who knows me has heard me say that, yes, I enjoy coming home after a trip and being settled for a few days. So this time it turns out to be a few weeks, quite likely a few months. What do I have to complain about? Nothing! I own a comfortable home that is hooked up to water, gas, and electricity. Thanks to the internet I am connected to the world, and Ysidro, my mail carrier, brings me the paper copies of the magazines to which I subscribe. My FedEx guy comes through every once in a while to replenish my stock of Cameron Hughes wine, and somewhere--in some UPS truck--a new pizza stone is slowly making its way from Carson, CA, to Lubbock, TX. Heck, I even had time to brew a batch of beer.
Over the years I have learned how to manage my food supply in a way that is antithetical to America's food waste problem. I have a solid stock of frozen items and canned goods, and I keep close tabs on my fresh supplies of veggies and fruit; food spoilage is not part of my routine, despite (or maybe because of) my continual traveling. So, going to the grocery store once or maybe twice a week to replenish the fresh stuff is sufficient.
People are jokingly talking about the COVID-15, like the Freshmen 15. Somehow this trend of putting on an extra ten or more pounds hasn't played out for me; on the contrary, I have been slowly reducing my weight by a kilo or maybe two. Part of that may have to do with daily exercise, but much of it can be attributed to healthy eating habits. Maybe fresh pineapple chunks or cantaloupe wedges are better for the body than potato chips and Snickers bars.
Talking about food (and wine): I do miss cooking for friends and having them over for dinner. My friend Beth came over for Happy Hour twice--proper social-distancing routines in the backyard didn't feel as weird as they would inside, but it was a far cry from a normal get-together. So, that sucks. Oops, I guess I just complained...
Food: Somehow it seems to have taken on a larger role than normal, since maybe even more planning is involved to eat well. I try to stay away from the stores as much as I can (usually I just ride the commuter over and use my own bags and try to avoid physical contact with anything but the items that I buy), so I have to think ahead. Judging from some of the WhatsApp messages that I receive, other people have a similar experience and are more focused on good meals.
COVID-19 has somehow given me the impetus to try my hand at bread making, and I have to say that this has been a most positive development from this crisis. It's no secret that German bread is far superior to pretty much anything that you can buy here, and I have always yearned for better bread. And thanks to a recipe that Sabine sent me on a lark, I now make bread that--honestly!--rivals most of the breads that I have eaten. Not all, but most. It's a simple, gratifying process, and if you can locate flour and yeast, you're set. And as an added bonus: You get some sensual satisfaction when, after proofing, you get the dough ready to go into the oven. That pale, soft-yet-firm, smooth mound of flour, yeast, salt, and water reminds me of what is now unattainable unless you're married.... I guess I've been in isolation for too long.
From bread to pizza it's just half a step. Judy made her own pizza dough and sauce at least once a week, but somehow I never attempted a homemade pizza. OMG, why did I waste ten years? Needless to say, I am trying to make up for time lost and have experimented with different approaches. Damn, we need two dinner times a day!
As said earlier, to keep the poundage away I try to ride my bike on a daily basis. We did have two cold snaps, the last one just last week with temps below freezing, and on those occasions I just use a commuter ride to stay somewhat active. But in general, the weather has been nice enough to wear shorts and short-sleeve jerseys on my 35-mile rides that take me through our Canyon Lakes park system on the north-east side of town. While overall traffic in town has been down considerably, the parks are used by substantial (by Lubbock standards) numbers of walkers, joggers, and cyclists. People are out fishing, anything to escape the boredom at home. Every day, Meadowbrook golf course's parking lot is full of shiny new trucks and the occasional SUV--I guess one needs to own at least an F-150 to play golf!
As of this morning's newspaper report, Lubbock has 407 confirmed cases--a month ago we stood at zero. Twenty-eight people have died, a far cry from what has been happening in New York City and other so-called epicenters. Our Texas governor announced yesterday that even though all of our schools will stay closed for the remainder of the spring, most retail shops will gradually reopen next Friday. Restaurants and bars remain shuttered as well. A return to
normal, whatever that may entail, remains elusive.
And so I will stay put, doing chores around the house, such as last week's "deep cleaning," which included even in the mini-blinds! But with cultivating all my social media contacts, viewing hilarious YouTube clips, reading yet another well-written article in The New Yorker or op-ed piece in The New York Times, decanting a bottle of 2014 Alexander Valley cabernet, and deciding what Hulu show to watch in the evening, the days go by quickly and start blending one into the other. When the day comes that travel is possible, I surely will be ready.
In the meantime, stay safe and sane and stable. Cheers!
Jürgen
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